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What can I use for a Crème brûlée if I don't have a blow torch? I've always wanted to make a Crème brûlée but I don't have a blow torch to burn the top with. Is there anything else I can use to get that nice crunchy caramel on top? <Q> Follow these steps and watch very carefully... <S> Set your oven on Broil (high) and put your rack on the top shelf. <S> Let the oven get nice and hot (3-7 minutes). <S> Fill an oven safe dish with crushed ice and water and place your dishes into the ice/water bath. <S> The cold bath should keep the custard from cooking, but the sugar on top will heat till it caramelizes. <S> It'll only take 3-4mins. <A> The old fashioned way was with an iron (not like today's steam iron -- a heavy chunk of metal at the end of a handle) <S> you'd heat it up, and press it against the sugar to cook it. <S> Of course this typically means having a chunk of metal that's just slightly smaller than your container. <S> Some of the high-pressure torch style lighters might also work or you can try putting it under the broiler, but <S> I'd really suggest picking up a propane torch if you're interested in creme brulee. <S> Don't go to a kitchen store, as they're vastly overpriced -- get one from a hardware store. <S> They're maybe $15 or so, and they have a number of uses <S> -- I've soldered pipes, used it to light the grill and even used it for gardening <S> (you know that weed block fabric? <S> You can burn holes in it where you want to plant, which saves a lot of time over cutting). <A> Here's what we did exactly once <S> but it worked for us: <S> Cut a area out of foil the exact size that you want the topping to be Spray one side with non-stick cooking spray Mix some of the sugar topping and put it on the foil <S> Put the foil+topping on a cookie sheet and broil. <S> Watch them closely -- this doesn't take long. <S> Bonus for our situation: this was for an event the next day at work. <S> By pre-making the delicate little topping disks, they could be kept separate from the custard until the last moment. <S> This meant the sugar didn't get soggy or broken for anyone. <S> It also meant that only this tiny package could be handled with care while the rest of the stuff could be handled normally. <A> When i worked in a restaurant we used to use the combi oven, which had the pull down grill to heat the top of creme brulee :) <S> Hope you get it done :) xxxxx <A> In theory you could place the Crème brûlée under a very hot grill for a few seconds, but you are in danger of killing the custard too. <S> Personally, if this is something you anticipate doing frequently, buy a torch. <A> Easy:-mix the sugar with a bit of Vodka and spread over the brule. <S> Light with a match or lighter and see the sugar caramelize as if by magic. <A> You can use an electric stove that has a broil function. <S> Put the rack on the top slot, turn on the broiler, wait until it is red hot and then add the cups of crème brûlée right under the element until you have a golden crust. <S> The crust will be thicker than if you used a torch. <S> Nonetheless, i find the result perfectly fine. <A> Just put sugar in a pan, and let it melt; then, pour it over the creme and refrigerate it so it hardens.
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may have already been said but you can use the oven top shelf if it's turned onto the grill. You don't need to spend load on a specialised kitchen torch, just go to your local DIY and get a standard propane plumbers torch.
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Good video on separating eggs Could anyone point me to a good video on cracking an egg and then separating the white and the yolk? I need to improve my technique. For every few eggs that I crack I end up with little bits of egg shell in the white that I then have to pick out. <Q> I find the site startcooking.com particularly useful for some quick videos that are narrated clearly, photographed neatly, and generally are better in quality than those found on Youtube. <S> Here is the video at that site: <S> http://startcooking.com/video/295/Crack-and-Separate-an-Egg <S> That said, there are many such videos on Youtube that might be useful also: <S> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-OwbEy-Vxk <S> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAGX-54iR30 <S> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04jY7A1yy_g <A> Just crack the egg and empty the contents into the slightly closed fingers of your hand. <S> Spread the fingers a little over a bowl, to let the white run out, place the yoke in a separate bowl. <A> I expected the egg to to be scrambled after doing this, but when I cracked it open into the frying pan, the yolk was intact! <S> The yolk just slipped away from the egg white, frying completely separately. <S> Related trivia: you can use this technique to make an egg stand upright on its own. <A> Check THIS one out! <S> It went viral for good reason <S> - I've tried it, it works just like in the video! <S> She slightly squeezes a plastic water bottle and presses the opening against the top of the yolk, then releases the pressure on the bottle. <S> The resulting vacuum sucks the clean yolk (no white at all) into the bottle. <S> Another squeeze and the yolk is deposited in another bowl. <S> She picks up and deposits the same yolk repeatedly. <S> It's headshaking - <S> Why didn't I think of that?! <S> No more eggy fingers. <S> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2Vnp5ZW4c
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I accidentally found a slick way to separate the egg yolk from the white: before cracking, shake the egg like crazy.
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How can I make cookies with no eggs? I'd like to make some biscuits (cookies), but I have no eggs, and I don't want to leave the apartment. Can I use something else? <Q> There's a replacement, but it's not an ingredient most people have sitting around -- flax seed. <S> I use it when I'm cooking for a few of my friends who are vegans. <S> Grind up some flax seed in a coffee grinder. <S> For each egg, take 1 TB of flax seed meal, and 3 TB of water. <S> Stir it up and let it sit for a while -- it'll get kinda slimy. <S> Use that in place of the eggs. <S> Obviously, this won't work for anything where the whites and yolks are used separately, but I've used it for years for Christmas cookies -- <S> the only problem is that the dough doesn't hold together quite as well when you're dealing with refrigerator cookies. <S> update : it's also a good idea to make friends with your neighbors. <S> I've known the folks living in one of the houses behind me since high school ... <S> we've been known to call each other up when we're short on sugar / flower / eggs / milk / vanilla, etc. <A> I generally use a little more oil and water than the recipe recommends, but perhaps that's just my preference. <A> The first thing I thought of when I saw this question the Tool song "Die Eier Von Satan". <S> Its lyrics are a recipe for cookies that have no eggs in German . <S> After reading the recipe in English, it had occurred to me that it is probably not far off a recipe for shortbread. <S> I realize that you had asked for substitutes for eggs, but maybe a better alternative is to make a different kind of cookie. <S> Shortbread cookies are awesome and tasty and the recipe is simple. ... <S> and no eggs! <S> From allrecipes.com <S> * 2 cups butter <S> * 1 cup packed brown sugar* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Directions <S> Preheat oven to 325 degrees F <S> (165 degrees C). <S> Cream butter and brown sugar. <S> Add 3 to 3 3/4 cups flour. <S> Mix well. <S> Sprinkle board with the remaining flour. <S> Knead for 5 minutes, adding enough flour to make a soft dough. <S> Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. <S> Cut into 3x1 inch strips. <S> Prick with fork and place on ungreased baking sheets. <S> Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. <A> I just make no-bake cookies when I want a quick dessert with no eggs. <S> There are a number of recipe variations available with or without peanut butter, marshmallows, oatmeal or coconut, cocoa or chocolate chips. <S> I usually have the ingredients in the pantry for some version, and the nice thing is that I don't have to turn the oven on and heat up the kitchen - <S> however these cookies do not travel well here in the American southwest as it is hot enough outside (currently 111 degrees F) to remelt them <S> and you just end up with a bag of melted cookie goo. <A> This is a pretty good page of vegan egg substitutions . <A> You can substitute canned pumpkin for eggs. <A> I have a very simple recipe for egg less almond cookies... <S> **Ingredients: <S> ** <S> 1.5 cups whole wheat flour / atta 3/4 cup sugar (powder coarsely if using regular white sugar) <S> 1/4 teaspoon salt <S> 1/2 cup sliced <S> almonds 3/4 tsp green cardamom seed coarsely powdered 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature About 2-3 tablespoons of milk (only if you need it <S> ) <S> * <S> *Method: <S> * <S> * 1. <S> In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, sliced almonds and cardamom powder well. <S> 2. <S> Next add soft butter (and milk if needed) to the flour mixture to make dough. <S> Dough should be very soft. <S> 3. <S> Divide the dough into small balls. <S> Press each ball between your palms lightly; every piece should be about 0.5 inch in thickness. <S> Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper about an inch apart. <S> 4. <S> Pre-heat oven to <S> 360F / 180C. Bake the cookies for about 18-20 minutes or until cookies are lightly gold brown. <S> After they become lightly golden brown remove the cookie sheet from the oven. <S> Let the cookies cool down for 5 minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet. <S> Note <S> : Make sure that the butter is completely soft and at room temperature, otherwise you will get crumbly dough when you mix and end up adding more milk than necessary, which will make the baked cookies more crackly and hard. <S> These are absolutely delicious and the flavour of cardamom makes it extra special.
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I've cooked a number of batches of cookies based on small variations of this recipe , which is very simple and requires no eggs.
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Recommended cooking uses for applejack? I recently had a recipe that called for applejack (apple brandy) in the glaze. Now I've got a bunch of this stuff lying around, and I'm looking for cooking applications for it. Can it be substituted for regular brandy in recipes? Are there any particular situations where you would recommend its use? <Q> Apple brandy goes particularly well with pork chops or pork tenderloin. <S> It would also be a good substitute when a dessert calls for brandy, such as Baked Fruit (maybe Pears?), or an apple cake. <A> I agree with Mike Sherov's suggestions. <S> Additionally, I like sweet brandy-based glazes on chicken. <S> For example, here's a recipe from a Rachael Ray book: Brandy and Orange Chicken (from: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 ) Regarding substitution. <S> Unless the recipe asks for a specific kind of non-apple Brandy, you should be fine substituting. <S> Just realize that your food won't taste exactly like someone else's and may not taste as the recipe author originally intended. <S> This isn't necessarily a bad thing; just something to keep in mind. <A> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/super-apple-pie-recipe/index.html
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Applejack can be used to add apple flavor in pie crust (particularly apple) in place of some of the water.
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Preparing eggplant with less oil I love cooking with eggplant (or aubergine/brinjal in your specific English flavor). However to get rid of the bitter taste and slightly spongy texture, I end up using huge amounts of olive oil, which tends to make the dish heavy overall. I've had some success with grilling the eggplant, but for sauté or oven baking I always grab my oil and apply liberally. Are there any tips/preparations I can use to reduce the bitterness and sponginess of eggplant using less oil? <Q> Put salt on the eggplant and let it sit for an hour to drain out the bitter fluids. <S> Rinse with water afterwards to remove the salt. <A> Just put them in a covered pan on moderate heat. <S> After a while the aubergines will start "sweating". <S> Uncover and continue cooking and stirring until they have lost about half of their volume. <S> Then add oil and proceed as directed by your recipe. <S> You will notice that, since the spongy structure of the aubergine has collapsed, they will absorb much less oil. <A> As @jmoeller says, slice and salt the eggplant. <S> Preferably wait for an hour, but even 15 minutes takes out some. <S> I usually just use a papertowel to remove bitter fluids and most of the water. <S> If you then desire them fried, but not too much oil. <S> Frying in the oven requires much less oil. <A> If you want to make eggplant Parmesan without frying the eggplant at all, you can slice, dip in egg and breadcrumbs, then place on a baking sheet in the oven at 350F for 5-7 minutes on each side. <S> Then use to prepare Parmesan as usual. <S> In this dish, it never tastes bitter to me. <A> Grill them. <S> Slice, salt, wait, rinse as per previous answers. <S> Lightly brush them with oil, garlic, and herbs provencal. <S> Put on a grill until you get zebra stripes on both sides. <S> Move to top rack, and let them bake while you do your steaks. <A> You're half right, after slicing (I do 1 to 2 cm slices; 1/2 to 3/4 inch) and salting, stack the slices and put a towel or plate at the bottom of your stack(s) of slices and a weight at the top. <S> Have come up with some interesting weights, rocks from the stream, large cans of vegies, gallon jug full of water, etc. <S> After the stack has shrunk by half, remove the eggplant and rinse and dry it; the texture will be more like a very tender meat slice than the mushyness you are talking about.
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One old trick is to cook the aubergine in a pan without adding any fat or water .
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Where do I buy food additives (not in bulk)? I occasionally want a pure food additive for various reasons (pure potassium chloride for sports drinks, pure MSG for everything), but I can't find any decent places to get them except amazon.com. Now I'm looking for disodium inosinate , and even Amazon doesn't have that. I expect I'll be looking for weird things like this in the future, so I'm wondering where people buy food additives (besides bulk suppliers). <Q> Hey guys, since the question was posted they opened up Modernist Pantry , which specifically caters to this need . <S> They supply chemicals for molecular gastronomy in consumer-sized portions. <S> For $10 or less apiece, you can order small amounts of emulsifiers, gelling agents, foaming agents, etc. <S> They also have spherification kits, the Texturas products, and Molecule-R's lineup. <A> I'm not sure how helpful I can be <S> but, at least coming from a chemistry lab background, I can say you might run into issues trying to buy food additives in such amount. <S> Things like potassium chloride are easy to get because they have many uses outside of food and aren't really harmful unless you swallow the whole bottle. <S> Many compounds are either obscure, hard to make, or toxic in larger amounts. <S> You can find that many additives are used in very small amounts and if you try and buy them from ie. <S> a chemical supplier they get rather expensive. <S> For example the compound you link to as sold by sigma aldrich (one such supplier) <S> I found here at $32.40 for a lousy 5 grams, and they do not sell to individuals as most chemical suppliers don't. <S> You will naturally have better luck <S> the more common a given compound is. <S> With that said you might have success on eBay (though naturally be skeptical of anything you buy, especially stuff you're ingesting!). <S> I know I have seen quite a few things on there including food-related such as benzoate salts (preservative), saccharin sodium (artifical sweetener), or food dyes. <S> Don't forget to make sure anything you buy is USP grade (meaning it is certified specifically for food), as I believe that this imposes certain restrictions such as heavy metal content that might not be as restrictive even in "pure" amounts if it's meant for lab use as opposed to general consumption. <S> Also, you might have success looking up the uses for the additive in question and looking for stores that cater to them. <S> As a rushed example, I found sodium EDTA available from a photography supplier , which I have seen the mixed sodium/calcium salt listed as an ingredient in some items. <S> This really depends on how useful the additive is of course! <S> Maybe someone else can help you from a different perspective. <A> See @Kryptic's answer as well. <S> Just to supplement, if you are going to buy stuff from chemical suppliers, you want food grade chemicals. <S> Pharmacopaedic grades (i.e. BP, USP, etc.) are also okay. <S> and a bit of background information. <S> you can get chemicals in different grades from manufacturers, e.g. analytical grade, reagent grade, etc. <S> these are for lab works and they specify for purity and cross reaction. <S> the constituency and purity is of utmost importance (e.g. 99.5% - 100% pure). <S> food (and pharmacopedic, to certain extent) grade specify for (the lack of) harmful chemicals that is active biologically (e.g. heavy metals) and is a little bit lax (e.g. 98%-100%) on actual purity. <A> Khymos has a list of suppliers on his web site organized by region. <S> Most of those are more geared toward the molecular gastronomy additives (namely E400-E499 ), but some of them may sell other additives as well. <S> Additionally, if the product you're looking for happens to be in the Texturas collection , you can have a look at Adria's list of distributors . <A> Since MSG was explicitly asked about too: Many asian grocers do carry the original Ajinomoto brand MSG, usually comes in transparent plastic bags with red printing on it. <S> Also look there for food-grade lye (used for making ramen and other alkaline noodles), food colorings, and sometimes flavorings. <S> Odd gums and fillers (xanthan, inulin) can be found wherever gluten-free baking is catered to. <S> - I have seen some unusual additives (preservatives and pH regulators) on offer there which grocers usually do not carry. <S> A few old-school food chemicals (eg hartshorn, potash) will be offered by stores catering to german style christmas bakery when it is in season. <A> Have you looked at your local bulk stores? <S> A new one that doesn't cater to the organic-natural-whatever clientele opened up here. <S> One of the bins in their spice area? <S> MSG. <S> Also, in this context, bulk means "Take however much you need out of the bin", not "Buy by the kilogram".
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Check hardware stores that carry canning supplies when it is canning season
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How to peel peaches? What is the best/easiest method to peel peaches? <Q> By far the easiest method is to use a pan of hot water and a bowl of ice water. <S> Essentially, bring a pan of water (enough water to cover the peach to a boil. <S> Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, make a small 'X' shaped incision in the top and bottom of each peach. <S> When the water is boiling gently place a few of the peaches into the water and simmer for around 20 seconds, just until the skin can be seen coming away. <S> At this point use a slotted spoon to remove the fruit from the boiling water and place them in the ice water. <S> After 20 or 30 seconds you should be able to remove the skin with your fingers. <S> The same technique is used with tomatoes <A> I know of two techniques: you may blanch the peaches or you may use a serrated peeler. <S> Make a cross on the top of the peach, dip it into hot water for 30 seconds, remove to ice cold water, pull off the peel. <S> Blanching may impart a slight cooked flavor to raw peaches. <S> These look like the regular peelers, but with serrated blades. <S> Peeling a soft peach or tomato with a serrated peeler is just as simple as peeling a potato with a regular peeler. <A> Very sharp knife. <S> Poach first, then peel. <S> (Briefly plunge into boiling water.)
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Blanching the peaches makes it easier to peel them. Another technique is to use a serrated swivel peeler.
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What oil or fat to use for different purposes? I understand that one of the main reasons to use different kinds of fat or oil is the temperature at which it burns, e.g. an extra-virgin olive oil to fry a steak wouldn't work. Taste is also a very important aspect. Can you give a list of the most commonly used oils/fats and what they are used for? <Q> "Commonly used" depends mostly on the culture, I'd assume. <S> There's a lot of different oils, so I've organized by use rather than try for a complete list. <S> Some of the ones that you might find in a "typical American" foodie's kitchen include: For frying: something with a high smoke point : peanut, sunflower, soy, extra light olive oil <S> For baking (muffins & cakes): something with a mild flavor : corn, canola, "vegetable", soy <S> For baking (biscuits & pastry, or greasing a pan) <S> something solid at room temp : butter, shortening, lard <S> For general pan cooking: olive oil (any kind), butter, anything from the "baking (muffins)" list. <S> update : this assumes sautéing heat or lower; see 'frying' for higher heat applications. <S> For salad dressing: any nut oil, mild oil, or virgin / extra virgin olive oil <S> For sauces: Butter. <S> For finishing: <S> something flavorful to drizzle over at the last second... odds are, it's extra virgin olive oil, but possibly sesame or a nut oil. <S> Now, there's regional differences -- in the south, it's pretty common to save your bacon grease for cooking and to use shortening for frying. <S> Lard's still popular in hispanic (and <S> likely other) cuisine, schmaltz (rendered poultry fat) is used in both Jewish and French cooking. <S> Ghee (similar to clarified butter), is used Indian cuisine ... and the list goes on. <S> If you're looking for a 'must keep on hand' list -- a mild oil, extra virgin olive oil and butter will get you through most anything. <S> Add shortening if you like baking, and sesame oil <S> if you like to cook asian food, and you'll be prepared for most anything. <A> There are a great many oils and fats on the market, which you choose to use will largely depend on several factors: <S> Type of cuisine being prepared Health considerations Flavour profile required <S> The most common oils are probably Olive oil - <S> This is a great oil for preparing a whole variety of foods, it's also great in salads. <S> It typically comes in four varieties: Extra Virgin Virgin Refined Extra Light <S> Olive oil has numerous health benefits and is great for the heart. <S> Olive oil has a smoke point range between 208c for Extra virgin and 243c for Extra Light. <S> Sunflower oil - A good all purpose oil, useful for cooking and salads. <S> Sunflower oil has a smoke point of 226c Corn oil - Not a great deal of taste but is great for frying. <S> it's also not terribly healthy. <S> Corn oil has a smoke point of 233c <S> Peanut <S> oil - <S> My favourite when cooking Asian food. <S> Peanut oil has a smoke point of 225c. <S> Butter is also commonly used in cooking either alone or with oil. <S> Butter brings a richness to sauces, it's also great for adding at the end of the cooking process to add a little sweetness and shine to the food. <S> Butter has a smoke point of 150c. <S> Another form of butter, referred to as clarified butter or ghee is used in the preparation of Indian food. <S> it has a slightly nutty flavour and a high smoke point. <S> I nearly always make my own but you can buy it. <S> Ghee has a smoke point range between 190c and 250c. <S> It addition to the aforementioned oils <S> , there are a number of 'specialist' oils that are fantastic in salads: <S> Walnut oil <S> Hazelnut oil Sesame oil <S> All of these have a very distinctive flavour and should be used in moderation. <S> sesame oil is really great in Asian food. <S> Add a little sesame oil with the peanut oil for cooking or add a little towards the end. <S> Edit: I forgot to mention lard. <S> Lard is used in a variety of cooking processes, including baking and frying. <S> It has a relatively high smoke pint, which makes it ideal for deep frying. <S> It's also used in a process called larding, where small amounts of lard or lardons from bacon fat are injected into lean meat by means of a larding needle. <A> Olive oil: a lot of taste, extra-virgin oil burns quickly <S> Butter: low smoking point <S> , I usually use it for sauteing at low heat, e.g. garlic <A> here on the wiki you can find table of cooking oils and their usage purposes:
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Peanut or sunflower oil: high smokingpoint, good for frying Clarified butter: similar to above but moreflavor
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Can I make my own chestnut puree? I've got a recipe that calls for chestnut puree. I live in Australia and it's proving difficult to find. Chestnuts on the other hand are pretty easy to find so I googled around to see if I could find a recipe to make my own. The results really only returned other recipes that contain chestnut puree so I was wondering if I could make my own and if so, how would I go about it? <Q> Chestnuts are pretty versatile, but I've come across using sweetened purée in old world desserts, while the unsweetened purée is typically used with root vegetables and winter squashes (the European variety of chestnut drop in late fall). <S> You'll start by scoring the skin of the raw nuts and roasting them at 400° (this prevents them from bursting). <S> After this, peeling them is easy work. <S> You will then boil them, optionally in a sugar syrup. <S> Finally, reserve the liquid and puree in a food processor, adding back the liquid for the desired consistency. <S> About a pound of chestnuts per cup of purée. <A> There is such a thing as Chestnut Flour. <S> I have a Dowd and Rogers brand imported from Italy that has a recipe for for Chestnut Puree on the back, using the flour. <S> The ingredients are 100% ground chestnuts. <A> Here's one: <S> http://www.foodreference.com/html/chest-puree-925.html <S> I haven't tried it though. <S> It looks like <S> "chestnut puree recipe" <S> works fine on Google. <A> In Adelaide I have bought unsweetened puree in Coles and Woolies. <S> You can also get the sweetened version. <S> HOWEVER... <S> they only tend to stock it at Christmas time... <S> probably for Chestnut stuffing for Turkeys!!! <S> Mind you... <S> it's in a can... <S> so get a few and keep them in the pantry!!!! <S> Last year though, they were charging $6-7 dollars a tin... <S> so if you DID get a recipe for unsweetened using fresh... <S> I'd love to get it... as they are relatively cheap in Coles just at the moment!!!!!
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Yes, but chestnut purée comes in sweetened and unsweetened varieties, so making your own depends on what you'll be using it for.
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Ground beef storage and use past sell-by date When I buy food it's at least a few weeks worth, and I bought some ground beef the other day with the intention of using it over a couple weeks. I have a couple questions regarding storage: I use about a pound of it a time, so I took it out of its wrapping, cut it up, and put the pieces into sealable plastic bags, wrapped in foil, and then stuck them in the freezer. Is this an acceptable storage? The sell-by date will be coming up very soon. However I was looking at this website which states ground beef can be frozen for 3-4 months. Is it safe to store past the sell-by date? More generally, is sell-by meant to be different than "use by" dates I also see on certain items? Thanks! <Q> (1) <S> Yes, that's fine. <S> If you use freezer bags, you don't need foil even. <S> For longer-term frozen storage, vacuum sealed bags work better. <S> (2) Frozen food stored at 0°F (or lower) is basically safe to eat forever. <S> Eventually, the flavor will be affected and you won't want to eat it (but it won't make you sick). <S> Three to four months is reasonable in tightly-sealed freezer bags. <S> Longer in vacuum sealed bags. <S> The storage time is entirely a flavor thing, so you can get away with a little longer for strongly-seasoned meat (e.g., tacos) vs. lightly seasoned (hamburger). <S> The sell-by date assumes storage at around 30°F (normal for refrigerated meat) (3) I believe so, stuff should still be good a few days after the sell by date. <A> Sell by is effectively meaningless. <S> Use your nose: if it smells off, it probably is. <S> Don't worry if it loses that pretty red color: the supermarket keeps it that color with a generous whack of CO2 CO. <S> As soon as it hits oxygen, it'll start to oxidize and turn brown. <A> Derobert has answered your first two questions, but on the third I have something to add. <S> More generally, is sell-by meant to be different than "use by" dates I also see on certain items? <S> As SatanicPuppy says Sellby is effectively meaningless to you as it is primarily for the shop to help them with stock control. <S> It is usually a couple of days before the other dates. <S> The two you need to look at are 'Best Before' and 'Use by'. <S> They have distinct and differnt meanings. <S> Best Before is placed on items that will not make you ill if you eat them after their best but will for best flavour they are 'Best' consumed 'before' the date. <S> It is LEGAL with consumer knowledge to sell products past their Best Before date. <S> Best before will be found on cerials, chocolate bars, flour etc. <S> Use <S> By is placed on items that may make you ill if you consume them after this date. <S> You will find useby on meat items, ready meals, etc.
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It is ILLEGAL to sell items past their useby date.
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What's the right way to hard boil eggs? I find I always have trouble scaling the amount of time the eggs should be boiled, cooled, etc. for different-sized batches of hard-boiled eggs. I've heard a variety of "folk lore"-type rules for how it should be done, but what's really the right way? <Q> I've never adjusted the length of time based on number of eggs. <S> As long as the water is boiling I don't think it would take any longer to cook a dozen than to cook one (it might take the water longer to come up to boiling, I guess). <S> If you like them less well-cooked, you could reduce this to 12 minutes. <S> Then empty the pan and re-fill it cold water a couple of times to cool them down quickly. <S> Leave rest of them sitting in the cold water while you prepare each one. <A> There is a whole science on that. <S> Simply saying: source: blog.khymos.org <S> Where: t - time T - temperature M - mass in grams <S> While this is for soft-boiling eggs, I believe you can easily adjust it for hard-boiling. <S> Even an application, that cosiders all the variables, exists: <S> Kunsten <S> å <S> koke <S> et egg - Google translated <S> While for me this is far more complicated, if you're interested you can read all the details in the post " Towards the perfect soft boiled egg ". <A> I don't boil eggs enough to keep a feel for the timing... <S> So a few years back, I picked up a handful of these . <S> They're sold under a few different names, but the idea is the same: sturdy plastic that changes color as it heats. <S> Drop it in with the eggs, and pull & chill them all when the color band hits the spot you're looking for. <A> I'm not sure there is a definitive way to cook hard boiled eggs, but the guidelines I tend to follow are: <S> Don't cook eggs straight from the fridge, let them adjust to room temperature. <S> Don't use fast boiling water, a gentle roll is enough For soft boiled eggs, place them in boiling water (enough to cover the egg by about 2cm) for one minute. <S> Remove from the heat and cover. <S> Leave them for approximately 6 minutes. <S> For hard boiled eggs place them in boiling water and simmer for about 6 minutes. <S> Once done cool them as quickly as possible, by running them under cold water. <S> Timings may have to be adjusted slightly, depending upon the freshness of the eggs and also personal preference. <A> My mother taught me this way: eggs not straight from the fridge but don’t have to be room temperature. <S> Use a small saucepan with a lid. <S> (However many eggs, use a saucepan big enough so the eggs don’t touch each other or the side of the pan.) <S> Cover the eggs with fresh water & heat to boiling. <S> When they get to a rolling boil, turn off the burner & cover the pan. <S> Let them sit on the burner for 20 minutes. <S> I get perfect hard-boiled eggs with this method with either electric or gas range. <S> Running cold water over them in the pan both makes them easier to peel and stops the cooking. <A> Put them in the oven . <A> If you've got a sous vide setup you can set it for about 166ºF-ish for an hour and ensure they're cooked to perfection. <S> However, you need to make sure that you've got it exactly that temperature as if you're too low the egg will come out runny. <S> It's still safe, and arguably tastes better, but it's not hard boiled. <S> In fact, this method doesn't boil the eggs at all, so I guess they're "hard cooked". <S> For a visual representation how minute changes in temperature changes the compositions of an egg see Figure 4.1 of Douglas Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking" .
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For hard boiled I normally bring them up to the boil and then turn the heat off, and leave them for 15 minutes.
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Cooking cakes with Pop Rocks / Space Dust I want to build a cake with Pop Rocks / space dust. Has anyone got any ideas on how I would do this? If I add the Pop Rocks straight to my cake mixture, then I believe it'll just react. Any suggestions? <Q> Never tried anything like this, but you asked for ideas... <S> Can you even frost the cake with them w/o them reacting? <S> If they only react w/ water, you may be able to get them in a fat-based frosting. <S> Especially if you use this for the middle frosting of a two-layer cake, this may work. <S> If you really want them in the cake itself, and they don't react with the baked cake (it has water still <S> , I bet they do) <S> you could make a double-layer cake, and insert them into the hidden surfaces (e.g., the bottom of the top layer and the top of the bottom layer). <S> Just make some slits and put them in. <A> I was speaking to a chef at the weekend who makes chocolate with space dust in it, and this works ok because the chocolate doesn't have any water. <S> Not sure if there is anything you can do to the chocolate which will raise the melting temperature, which would also help. <S> EDIT <S> : I asked this question which might help. <A> As stated, moisture is your enemy in this endeavor. <S> Do some tests to see what does and does not react with the pop rocks. <S> Then if you find something that will be able insulate the pop rocks from the moisture involved in making a cake, experiment in coating the pop rocks to protect them. <S> After this, you can go about your cake making being careful of the pop rocks. <S> My guess is that something fat based might coat the pop rocks without making them fizz. <S> This might not end up in a very desirable end result though. <A> I've had success before making a rich chocolate torte, then putting the pop rocks in the base mixture. <S> There is a light crackle lost initially but it's good enough to refrigerate and still have a decent pop that day and the next. <S> I certainly surprised my guests with it! <S> Here's the original Heston Blumenthal recipe I used . <A> Pop rocks is a candy made with carbonation, so that while it dissolves on your tongue, the embedded bubbles pop. <S> Any exposure to water will make the pop rocks into just an expensive brand of sugar. <S> Same goes for thorough mixing, which would break down the candy and release the bubbles. <S> I would try folding the pop rocks into butter cream frosting, or sprinkling on top. <S> Hopefully the relatively low water content of the frosting will keep the pop rocks from dissolving before the cake is served. <S> Time is your enemy here, since it can absorb water from the atmosphere.
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You might be able to make chocolate chips which have space dust in them, mix these in to you mixture and hope that the cake sets before the chocolate melts and lets the space dust get into contact with the moisture in the mix.
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What's the best way to cook brown rice? Apparently the ratio of water to rice for brown rice is 1.5:1. I simmered my rice for about half an hour with the lid on the pan and the rice was still hard and the water nearly all gone. What am I doing wrong? <Q> The recipe on my bag of brown rice says: 1:2 ratio of rice and water <S> No salt in the water <S> Cook for 35 minutes Rest for 5 minutes <S> Remove any surplus water <S> They always come out good and soft :-) <A> I usually pop my rice into a pan, shake the pan to even the rice out across the bottom of the pan. <S> I then add cold water to cover roughly half way up my thumb where my thumb is touching the surface of the rice. <S> Place onto the hob and quickly bring to the boil and then immediately turn down to the lowest setting on the smallest ring and cover with a lid. <S> Leave the rice to cook for around 30-35 minutes. <S> Don't be worried if it looks like it's going to dry out, the steam in the pan under the lid will keep things moist. <S> Don't be tempted to remove the lid to check on things, you'll lose all the moisture/steam and it'll dry out/stick. <A> I don't worry about the ratio at all when I cook brown rice. <S> I find the following pretty bullet proof: Fill with enough water that it won't all evaporate <S> / absorb and bring to a boil. <S> Add brown rice and simmer 30 minutes. <S> Drain the rice and <S> Put it back on in a steamer basket to steam for 10 minutes. <S> Great quality and a very consistent result. <A> Before I got my fuzzy-logic rice cooker, I would use 2.5 cups water per cup of long grain brown rice. <S> Take it to boiling, and then 45 min. covered, with the heat about as low as it'll go on a gas stove. <S> If you see much boiling, you've got the heat too high. <S> After 45 min., turn off the heat, fluff, and let it sit 15 minutes before serving. <S> If the water is evaporating on you, you have the heat up too high, or a poorly fitting lid. <S> Rice cooker does the job perfectly, every time. <A> You're not doing anything wrong. <S> Brown Rice can be weird like that. <S> Just pop some more water in, and keep cooking it. <S> If there is no water - add some more water. <S> If the rice still tastes undercooked, cook it some more. <S> Brown rice can be a bit chewier than white rice, so it may be worth finding someone who cooks with brown rice to tell you when it's done. <A> My grandmother always let her rice sit in water a couple of hours before she even cooks it. <S> Since it is already measured out all she has to do <S> is turn it on. <S> We usually used the electric cooker for convenience but the stove works just the same. <S> The rice comes out <S> perfect, not soft not hard just the right amount of bite. <A> They suggest the advantages are: <S> The hotter water cooks the rice faster, reducing cooking time to approximately 25 minutes (not counting the time to bring the pot of water to a boil) <S> The rice is all immersed, and so evenly absorbs water, preventing hard or under hydrated patches
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A new article from America's Test Kitchen suggests that the best way to cook brown rice is by the immersion (or pasta) method, cooking the rice in rapidly boiling water. Most Koreans and Japanese let their rice soak in water even overnight.
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What exactly is "Sushi Grade" fish? What exactly makes some fish "Sushi Grade"? <Q> "Sushi grade" means that it is safe to prepare and eat raw. <S> In order to do that, it must be frozen to kill any parasites. <S> That means it either has to be: <S> Frozen at -20 <S> ° C (-4° F) for 7 days; or Frozen at -35 <S> ° C (-31° F - "flash frozen") for 15 hours. <S> There aren't any official regulations about the fish itself or <S> its quality, and most sushi/sashimi distributors have much more stringent rules of their own beyond the freezing guarantee. <A> It's purely a marketing term to imply a higher quality piece of fish. <S> There are some actions that should be done for tuna (really for all fish, but especially for tuna) when they are caught, such as bleeding them immediately, destroying the neural canal, reducing the temperature of the fish immediately, etc. <S> Here's a blog post on the seven different ways to kill/fillet fish <S> and how those ways affect the taste of the meat. <A> To quote this FAQ : <S> The only concern any inspectors have is referred to as the parasite destruction guarantee, which is accomplished by ‘freezing and storing seafood at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours’ which is sufficient to kill parasites. <S> [...] <S> This means that, aside from the FDA recommendations and local Health Department requirements, there are no laws or recommendations for "sushi/sashimi grade" fish. <S> It is no more than a marketing term. <S> [...] <S> In the U.S. parasite destruction is required for those species where that hazard is identified but you’ll find that most chefs will claim that they use "fresh" salmon and other products. <S> [...] <S> The term "fresh" for sushi fish has been linked to higher quality in the minds of many consumers and therefore the restaurants use this as a selling point even though the product may have been previously frozen (usually aboard the fishing vessel) and serving certain species without proper freezing <S> is against regulations <S> - See more at: http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-sashimi-info/sushi-grade-fish/#sthash.rCOSqanN.dpuf
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There is no real definition of 'sushi grade' fish.
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What are alternative gelling agents to gelatine? And what are their properties? I recently was making some orange jelly which was going to be dipped in chocolate. I couldn't use gelatine to set the jelly as it returned to a liquid below the temperature of the melted chocolate. What other gelling agents could I have used, and what are their properties? I'd like to expand my knowledge of what does what so I can choose the best agent for setting a jelly in a particular situation. <Q> It is easy to find, gels at room temperature, and will remain so to about 90C. The acidity of the orange juice <S> will slowly (a few days) break down the agar, but it should give you enough time for a dish. <S> Other agents include: sodium alginate carrageenan xantham gum <S> A good description of the gelling agents from a cooking perspective can be found in the sites on molecular gastronomy such as tech blog of the French Culinary Institute or Martin Lersch's hydrocolloid recipe collection. <A> Corn starch will set acid fruit to a soft jelly, but it will go very soft at high temperatures. <S> If you coat sweet moulds with chocolate and cool them well, you can fill them quite successfully with cooled but not yet set jellies. <A> You might try modified tapioca starch, if you can heat the base of the jelly enough to set the starch; I've only used the regular form, but the processing of "modified" tapioca is supposed to remain stable at temperature (somewhere near 50C) <S> I'm also not sure how well tapioca handles acids (which 'orange jelly' might be); I know agar has issues with acid. <S> For a list and description of alternative gelling agents, see Cook's Thesaurus: <S> Gelatins (and possibly, Starch Thickeners ) <A> The only ones I'm familiar with are" Leaf gelatine - made from animal protein <S> Agar Agar - made from seaweed Arrowroot - made from plant material Pectin - made from plant material <S> Any of the above are, suitable for making a variety of items. <S> such as jam, jellies, marmalades etc. <S> The degree of 'firmness' of the product is related to the quantity of gelling agent to the amount of water. <A> I haven't used it, but I've heard that Agar-agar can be used to solidify hot things.
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Powdered gelatine - made from animal protein For your application you may want to use agar.
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How can I fix a hollandaise sauce after it has split? I made a hollandaise sauce on the weekend and it split so I threw it out and started again but I was wondering if there is anything you can do to save it once it splits? <Q> You can rescue it by starting the process again, with an egg yolk in a bowl over a bain-marie which you whisk until it starts to thicken a little. <S> then incorporate a little warm melted butter into the egg yolk. <S> Once this is incorporated you can slowly start to add the split hollandaise and this should then incorporate into the new base, unsplit. <S> There is a video here <A> Jacques Pepin, in his book "Complete Techniques", recommends to try first save the mixture as soon as you see it starts getting oily around the edges, by adding a tablespoon of cold water or an ice cube and beating well. <S> If that doesn't save it, then: <S> Separate the mixture completely by stirring over heat. <S> Tilt the pan and let rest for 5 minutes so the oily part comes to the top whereit can be removed (but don't discard). <S> Start with 2 tsp of warm water in a bowl and add 1 tbsp of the thick sauce at a time, whisking in until smooth at each addition. <S> Start adding back in the oily part, beating it in like <S> you were making the sauce from the start. <S> If any parts have scrambled, put through a strainer. <A> This technique works well. <S> Add a tsp of ice cold water to the sauce and whisk vigorously. <S> May have to add a 2nd tsp but don't add too much at once. <S> If you find your sauce splitting often try a little lower heat or a copper pot for better heat distribution. <S> To hold the sauce at temp a thermos works well. <A> What I do is to take the pot off the heat, then put a clean pot on the heat and add between a tea spoon and a table spoon of lemon juice. <S> Then gradually add the split sauce from your original pot a table spoonful at a time, or at a very slow trickle. <S> Whisk the sauce all the time. <S> It works like a charm. <A> We put it back in the blender and pulsed a few times. <S> Good as new! <A> If a sauce has separated, take it off the heat, throw in an ice cube, stir. <S> Saved me many times. <A> Add a splash of cold milk and whisk. <S> It is smooth and glossy within seconds.
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If your sauce starts to split take the pot off the heat immediately and put he entire pot in the sink in an inch of ice cold water to cool it quickly.
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Making my meringues form peaks Last week I made a meringue icing for my cupcakes and had problems making my meringue form peaks. This makes me ask what are some of your tips/tricks? What do you do or add to your egg white mixture in order to help it form peaks when you are having troubles. <Q> It's important to let your eggs get to room temperature. <S> I use this simple recipe for all meringues: 4 egg whites <S> 2 Tbsp powdered sugar Pinch of cream of tartar <S> The cream of tartar is what really makes the egg whites to firm up nicely. <A> Well, I think that my big mixer has something to do with it. <S> If I put clean (no-yolk) whites in a clean bowl there and turn it on, I don't have any problems getting peaks. <S> If you are doing this by hand, cream of tartar and a copper bowl are both recommended. <A> The more sugar you use the stiffer the meringue will be (up to a point, obviously). <S> Use very fine sugar, which will dissolve more easily into the egg whites. <S> You can whip until the peaks stay straight up when you take the whisk out but avoid over whipping as this will cause the meringue to collapse.
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I think you should whip the whites to soft peaks (peaks curl over when you take the whisk out) before adding the sugar, which will help to stiffen up the meringue.
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How to make - succulent - Bruschetta? What ingredients do you need, and what steps to perform to make Bruschetta? While on honeymoon in Tuscany we got bruschetta with chopped tomato and herb topping, on crusty bread (I think there was some olive oil on the bread?) Is there a trick to making the tomatoes succulent, or is it simply down to good ingredients? Thanks :) <Q> There's just no comparison between in-season, local tomatoes that you get in Italy and the supermarket crap you get anywhere else, which probably accounts for most of the difference. <S> Your best bet is to look for heirloom tomatoes, in season. <S> Failing that, try New Jersey beefsteak tomatoes, again, in season. <S> Or any of the "vine ripened" tomatoes you see in fancy grocery stores, although every year those get harder and more tasteless. <S> Finally, if desperate, and you have no choice but to use supermarket rock tomatoes, at least get plum tomatoes, which manage to retain a tiny bit of flavor. <S> Bruschetta is just: <S> yesterday's bread (ciabatta or a French baguette), thinly sliced, brushed with olive oil, and grilled or toasted <S> chopped tomatoes garlic, basil, Italian parsley, and any other tasty herbs you have lying around (Oregano?) <S> The finest extra virgin olive oil in the house Salt and pepper to taste <A> This is basically down to buying good ingredients. <S> Mass produced tomatoes can be a bit dry so try and source organic ingredients that haven't been force grown in these factory sized poly-tunnels. <A> Make sure you remove the seeds from your tomatoes. <S> This is especially important for making bruschetta since it will have too much tomatoe juice in it if you don't follow this procedure: <S> Cut the tomatoe in half. <S> Hold the with the cut side down and squeeze. <S> With a blunt knife scrape all the seeds off. <S> Make sure you squeeze all the juices out and get all the seeds out. <S> Other than the de-seeded fresh tomatoes you should add: <S> Fresh minced garlic Fresh minced basil Olive oil Salt and pepper <A> The salt will not only bring out the flavor, put also osmotify out the water and concentrate the flavor in the remaining tomato chunks.
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One method I like to make tomatoes more succulent is, after chopping them up, place them in a pasta strainer and toss with some salt. Some recipes call for balsamic vinegar as well.
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Why do you have to rinse rice? I'm interested in learning to make my own sushi. Every guide I have read has stressed that the rice has to be rinsed thoroughly. The bags of rice I generally buy say not to rinse the rice in order to preserve the nutrients. What is the reason behind rinsing rice? <Q> It removes excess starch, so your sushi rice doesn't turn into nasty glutinous slop. <S> The texture of the rice is very important, so you'll need to rinse it several times before you steam it. <S> Make sure the water is nice and clear after the last time you rinse it, and make sure you buy japonica or similar: if you use regular rice, you may not get good results. <S> I wouldn't worry overmuch about the nutritional content of white sushi rice (you can starve on a diet of it). <S> It's what you put into your sushi that'll give it nutritional value. <A> Rinsing it will remove the vitamins. <S> Rices that have not been cleaned and enriched need to be rinsed because they are dirty and sometimes have a powder added after milling. <S> Sticky rice definitely needs to be rinsed several times, then soaked for a few hours, drained and finally steamed to cook. <A> I use California Calrose type rice for making sushi. <S> I follow the basic cooking instructions on the bag. <S> Then I use the sushi vinegar and salt when finishing off the rice during the cooling phase. <S> I never rinse the rice and it always turns out perfect. <A> I never used to rinse rice when I lived in the states, because the instructions said specifically not to rinse it. <S> Then I married a Samoan and moved to New Zealand. <S> My husband's uncle who was visiting from Samoa found it strange <S> I never rinsed the rice and told me that in Samoa, they rinse it extremely well. <S> I told him in America the instructions say not to wash, but it seemed he may not have believe me. <S> There were no such instructions on the New Zealand rice bag. <S> So, I decided to ask one of my Samoan friends why it's important to them to rinse the rice. <S> They said it's because there could be bugs in the rice bag. <S> Well, for the last few months I've been rinsing rice in cold water a few times before I put it in the rice cooker. <S> The other day, sure enough, a bug came out! <S> I think I will always rinse the rice now. <S> LOL <A> To rinse or not to rinse, this is the question. <S> It will depend on the type of rice you bought and where it's from. <S> The process of making "white" rice is taking the hull or husk off of "brown" rice. <S> The hull contains all the rice bran and vitamins, the good stuff. <S> There are many non-rinse white rices out there. <S> They have had the lost minerals and vitamins sprayed on the rice grains. <S> So to wash this type of rice is washing away some of the nutritional value. <S> Some other rices, especially those from outside US, say Jasmine rice from Thailand, Basmati rice from India, need to be washed very throughly, as to clean the rice. <S> This means <S> bugs, dust, dirt, and rocks are some of the things that can get inside the bag. <S> This will also make the rice less sticky when cooked. <S> The washing also rinses away the extra starch. <S> Traditionally Japanese rice, needed to be rinsed and washed to remove the talc powder used for anti-caking. <S> Japan tends to be very hot and humid in summer, and adding powder to the hulled rice made it last longer and not stick together. <S> So washing the rice in cold water and then rubbing the grains in your hands would remove the starch and the talc powder. <S> Generally one would rinse till the water ran mostly clear. <S> Then it was put in a strainer and let to dry out and then put into the rice cooker with water and let to rest for 10-20 minutes. <S> Fancy rice cookers have a timer for this reason.
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Rice that says 'not to rinse' has already been cleaned and enriched with vitamins because of the nutrients removed in milling.
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What is the difference between sea salt and regular table salt? I often sea sea salt sold in grinders to be used at the table, with comments about how it tastes better. What sort of taste differences would I notice using sea salt vs table salt, and what other differences might using one over the other impart? I've also noticed people say that regular table salt is unhealthy, but that sea salt is somehow healthier for you. <Q> I can say, as a salt snob, that sea salt is a far more flavorful product. <S> I can't even use regular table salt anymore. <S> Sea salt is salt formed from evaporated sea water, is not iodized, and because it doesn't come from salt mines requires very little processing. <S> Some people will say that because it's "natural", sea salt must be better for you. <S> The mayo clinic seems to disagree: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142 <A> Iodine. <S> Table salt has added iodine, and sea salt doesn't. <S> Sea salt also tends to be a little coarser, but that's just cosmetic. <S> Sea salt isn't as refined as table salt, either, so it may contain traces of other minerals (magnesium, sulfur). <S> Sea salt is also considered to be kosher. <A> So, at least chemically , they are very similar as sea salt is still ~85% regular salt. <S> The presence of different minerals affects the taste and texture (maybe someone who uses it a lot can tell you how). <S> You can also find iodized sea salt sold in case you want to substitute it completely for normal iodized salt. <A> It depends on what country you come from. <S> In many countries "table salt" is just their local sea salt, crushed, filtered, and sometimes iodized. <S> Not every country has "salt mines", but most countries with a coast line can collect or "farm" evaporated salt. <S> See this PDF <A> In Italy we basically only use sea salt, in Romania they use mostly rock salt. <S> Once the salt has been mixed into the food, I can't tell the difference. <S> I don't taste salt by itself because... <S> you would have to pay me for it. <S> Of course, if you did an A/B double blind test, perhaps you would get some effect. <S> But do you care? <S> Healthwise, food safety agencies the world over seem to have no problem at all with rock salt and sea salt. <S> Somebody befor ementioned iodine - that is something to keep in mind.
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As mentioned by Satanicpuppy , sea salt is largely regular, uniodized salt but with small amounts of different minerals from ocean water , and without the anticaking agent added to salt.
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Best variety of garlic for slow cooking? Take a couple of heads of garlic, sit them in some oil with spices, and cook for an hour or two, then spread it on bread. It's great...with the right kind of garlic. With the wrong kind, you'll be praying for death, and so will everyone around you. I've tried this a couple of times, and trial and error is not cutting it. Does anyone know a variety of garlic that is mild enough for this sort of thing, but still possible to find in a store? <Q> The mildest of true softnecks is artichoke garlic. <S> Aside from a true softneck garlic, you may also want to try Elephant garlic. <S> This is milder than true garlic, as it is actually part of the leek family, and might be too mild for what you're attempting to do here. <S> Try both! <A> I've never had a problem with the generic stuff available in your general supermarket -- I can only assume that you've either burned the garlic (nasty and bitter), or haven't cooked it long enough to develop the sugars (still potent & hot), or that the garlic was bruised before cooking. <S> I cut off the tops of the head to expose the cloves, place it on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and wrap it up. <S> Toss it into a 375F oven (190C), and leave for an hour. <S> It should turn soft all the way through. <S> Grab the head (I have welding gloves that I use as potholders, if you don't, you might need to let cool for a few minutes), and squeeze over a plate -- the cloves should pop out easily and be a medium to dark brown. <S> Mash with a fork, then scoop into a jar, cover with a little bit of olive oil, and I've had it last for a month in the fridge. <A> Hardneck garlic is a delicacy, usually found only at local farmers market, but many farmers are starting to offer it online. <S> The flavors and properties vary significantly. <S> "Siberian" hardneck garlic is slightly sweet and carmelizes into the most awesome taste sensation I've ever tasted. <S> Softneck or Elephant does not carmelize like Siberian. <S> "Metechi" is also a type of hardneck that carmelizes, and it has a distinct earty, slightly bitter flavor. <S> Available online at Abbott Organics.com
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Almost all readily available garlic is of the softneck variety.
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I fancy making flavoured 'spaghetti', any tips? I would like to experiment with flavoured 'spaghetti' by taking a juice and gelling it in spaghetti shape, so I could have beetroot strands that I could use in a pasta dish. Anyone done this? Got any tips on gelling agents to use and what I could make the strands with ie moulds etc? Also any flavour ideas would be appreciated. Lobster bisque flavour appeals for a hot clam based 'pasta' dish or maybe an apple and cinnamon with ice-cream <Q> Why actually, I have just the link for you. <S> http://www.eatfoo.com/archives/2007/12/recipes_more_spherification_wi.php <S> Is exactly what you are looking for. <S> And http://www.albertyferranadria.com/eng/texturas-gelification-dosages.html for supplies. <A> I've seen it done with agar-agar on the Danish show "Spise med Price". <S> They sucked the warm liquid with agar-agar in it up with a syringe, pushed the liquid into a thin plastic tube, which they lowered into ice water. <S> Before they served it, they pushed the spaghetti out of the tube with the syringe. <S> As for a flavor idea, they served it with carrot cake made in mere minutes (from start to finish) in a microwave oven. <A> Check out this <S> PDF called 'Texture: A Hydrocolloid Recipe Collection'. <S> It has some recipes for various types of spaghetti using agar and other hydrocolloids. <S> Since agar tends to dissolve under heat, it also has a recipe to make noodles with methyl cellulose which gels when heated. <S> They suggest using a syringe to make your strands of spaghetti. <S> It may be time consuming, but I could see it working. <S> I like your ideas for flavors! <S> Perhaps mushroom bisque/broth flavored noodles with a beef stroganoff sauce. <A> I can't help with the gelling, but to make the strands, consider using (making?) <S> a chitarra : it's a frame with parallel wires -- you lay a sheet of pasta on top, then use a rolling pin to force it onto the wires, cutting the pasta into strands. <S> This would allow you to make sheets of gel, rather than trying to form each strand individually. <S> Some quick searching suggests they can be bought from a gourmet cooking store in the US for $40. <S> I don't know how hard it would be to find one in the UK. <S> I've also seen things that look like multiple pizza cutters mounted so they can be adjusted in how far apart they are. <S> (it looks like they're called an "adjustable dough divider" or "adjustable dough cutter", and they run between $22 and $200). <S> There are also fixed blades mounted on a single handle, and looks like the term to use is "rolling pasta cutter", which are much more reasonably priced, but not as flexible in their use) <A> Starch gelatinization . <S> Not sure if it'll work, but it won't melt at high temperatures. <S> Might be worth experimenting with. <A> Regarding flavors, try the Matcha tea ...also for the color of course, <A> Sheet gelatin. <S> Commercial bakeries use sheet gelatin to make large quantities of gelled foods such as jello. <S> It's perfectly edible and neutrally flavored.
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They made spaghetti with lemon balm .
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Is there any difference between bakers yeast and regular yeast? I'm looking at this bread recipe and it says to use "Bakers Yeast" but when I make pizza dough I just use regular yeast (which I also have in my cupboard at the moment). So I'm wondering if I could just use my regular yeast instead of bakers yeast? <Q> There is certainly a difference between different yeasts. <S> Different kinds of yeast react differently, are "happy" at different temperature ranges, produce different amounts of gas, live for different amounts of time. <S> In my little world, however, it's better to use a yeast that you use commonly and understand than it is to experiment with a different yeast that may not behave the way you expect. <S> The thing is "baker's yeast" is a generic term. <S> If it called for rapid rise yeast, and all you had was active dry yeast, I'd say to go out and buy some, or your bread would become flat. <S> Chances are, you have one of those two kinds. <S> I'd give it a shot, and see how it comes out. <S> If your bread ends up "whacky", then try something else. <A> According to wikipedia, bakers yeast comes in many different types, one of which is active dried yeast, which I think is 'regular' yeast. <S> So to answer your question, no i don't think there is any difference save for the moisture content, and therefore how you might need to use it. <A> Probably what you have in your cupboard is Baker's yeast. <S> I'm not sure what your recipe is asking for. <S> There is a brief explanation of types of yeast here: Beauty and the Yeast <S> I hope this helps. <A> per SF baking institute: <S> Active dry can be used at 50% of the weight of fresh yeast and instant dry can be used at 40% of the weight of fresh. <S> Based on the recommendation of the yeast manufacturers, most people are under the impression that 33% is the proper conversion for instant yeast. <S> This is true for an industrial process, but 40% is better in the artisan process, <S> when dough temperatures are generally lower I have found unless specific, receipes use active dry in the US. <S> Instant requires no proofing <S> but I do it anyway, if it bubbles its still alive
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Baker's yeast is a pretty generic term and could refer to instant yeast or active dry yeast. They both work in most recipes, but each have their peculiarities, and you need to adjust.
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How many ceramic knives do I want? I've heard that ceramic knives are the new thing. It's far easier, though, to find metal knives that look and feel nice. So, budget notwithstanding (within reason) and assuming that I have to buy a whole knife set (which I do), how many ceramic knives do I "need"? Do I want a full set if I can get one? Do I only need one? What sort? (big, small, serrated...) <Q> Yes, ceramic knives are the "new thing," but that doesn't make them superior. <S> Don't get a ceramic chef's knife or paring knife; the answer to your question is zero. <S> If you really want a ceramic knife, then buy a ceramic bread knife, although you won't be getting any extra performance for the money. <S> Ceramic blade mandolines, however, are great. <S> The ceramic blade will be sharper and hold the edge longer than a steel mandoline, and since you don't sharpen a mandoline anyway, it doesn't matter that ceramic doesn't sharpen. <S> Note, a separate, and good, question would be "what knives do I need?" <S> The answer is it depends, but I concur that you should not buy a "set" of knives. <A> Z E R O - they break, they are tough to sharpen, and the really don't hold an edge as well as people think. <S> I personally have tried several and they are too light for me. <S> I like a heavier blade personally. <S> The best knife setup I have seen (and <S> I cooked professionally for ten years) <S> is a good 'ol cheapo-cheapie, purchased form an Asian market (restaurant-style, white handle) and then use this sharpener frequently to keep it sharp: http://www.accusharp.com/ <S> I have seen people waste so much cash on costly, high carbon steel, Japanese blades and, while they are nice (and often have a superior feel), I have always done real well with the scenario described above. <A> They're just tools. <S> If you're fine with your steel knives, keep 'em. <S> I'd just buy one and see how I liked it. <S> Edit: I never buy sets . <S> I buy individual knives to fill individual needs. <S> Soft steel carving knives, for paper thin slices. <S> Hard steel utility knives for day-to-day chopping. <S> If you've got nothing, I'd head out and get some cheap high-carbon knives. <S> (In my opinion) you only really need three knives: Chefs knife for chopping A 4 or 5 inch utility knife A santoku, or a boning knife, depending on whether you're a vegetarian or a carnivore <S> That's all you need . <S> Once you've got those, then you can figure out which ones you want . <S> I have a nice ceramic santoku knife, which is pretty cool, but not as beloved as some of my older steel knives. <A> The only advantage that I'm aware of is that there are a few items that will discolor because they've been cut with a steel knife. <S> Lettuce comes to mind, but they also make really inexpensive serrated plastic knives that'll work for lettuce without breaking the bank. <S> There might be other stuff out there that I haven't worked with, or it hasn't bothered me, or as a home chef not prepping food 4 hrs before service, it doesn't discolor fast enough for me to notice. <S> So... how many ceramic knives do you need? <S> None. <S> For how many knives (of other materials), see What knives are “required” for a serious home kitchen? <A> Maybe I am not a serious cook because, unlike other answers, I love my ceramic knives. <S> I have three of them for casual kitchen work like peeling apples or cutting bread. <S> I like how they freshen up the whole mood of my kitchen with their plastic look. <S> (I bought colorful Kyocera knives from Japan.) <S> Also they don't leave metal smell on fruits, fresh fish (for sashimi), etc. <S> and are very easy to clean. <S> However, like others, I don't recommend you to buy a ceramic chef knife although there's a specially strong black one and my set has never been broken or chipped even after falling of kitchen table twice. <A> I kind of agree with what seems to be the general consensus: you don't need any ceramics. <S> With that being said, here are the positives: when new they are very sharp, they hold their edge well, and do not stain certain veggies as a carbon steel knife will do. <S> Now, the downside: THEY BREAK! <S> easily, You cannot pry, gouge or whack with them. <S> They will break (or at least, chip) Carrots and other colorful veggies and fruits will stain the knives. <S> As a knife maker, I am biased toward steel blades. <S> They will do everything a ceramic knife will do and more. <S> A good quality steel knife will be the last one you will ever have to buy and you can get them sharpened at many places (or by yourself).If you must, get a ceramic paring knife for little stuff <S> but in the end, a good, high carbon, stainless steel, forged chefs knife will always be the workhorse of your kitchen. <A> I have one Ceramic knife. <S> a 15cm Cooks. <S> I got it in mail. <S> Flexed it (a little) <S> Cuts my cheese blocks beautifully. <S> I've never been game to use it on anything else. <S> It's nice and safe in it's sheath in the third drawer down. <S> Wustof. <S> 20cm Cooks. <S> 15cm Utility. <S> cheap Parer and a coupla meatworks heavy duty blades for pumpkin. <S> Boning etc. <S> They do me fine thank you.... <S> Tried a mates Shun Santoku. <S> Prefer thicker\heavier blades myself. <S> Bloody sharp though.
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The problem with ceramic knives is that you can never sharpen them, and, as mentioned in the comments, they may chip.
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How can I make bacon powder? I want to make bacon powder, I assume the means cooking all of the fat out without burning the meat. Is this right? if so how should I do this? If not what should I do? How should I turn the bacon into powder? just in a blender? <Q> My wife loves bacon that's cooked to the cusp of burning, so I've got a good knowledge of the properties of bacon on that fine line. <S> It's so brittle, you can powder it very easily. <S> I myself would probably just stick it in a plastic bag, and whack it a few times with a pan, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't put it in the blender. <S> I have a nice mortar and pestle I use for powdering things, but that's probably overkill in this case. <A> You can make bacon powder simply by frying some bacon until it becomes crispy <S> (don't let it burn) when done place on paper towel for until cool then wizz it in a food processor with a little fine powdered sugar. <S> Keep wizzing until it stops sticking and you have a fine powder. <A> This allows the fat to render and produces crispy bacon. <S> Add enough water to cover the bacon in a fry pan Cook until fat is rendered and water evaporated Cool bacon Pulverize in a food processor <S> Alternate Modernist Method 1. <S> Render bacon as in step 1 and 2 above 2. <S> Separate the liquid fat and cool 3. <S> Combine bacon fat with tapioca maltodextrin in 60:40 ratio by weight 4. <S> Pulverize in a food processor <A> To make the bacon to make power out of I have a trick. <S> Place the bacon on a wire pan grate and let them cook in a oven on medium heat. <S> The fat will then drip off leaving a bacon-chip. <S> (Remember to have something below collecting the dripping fat.) <S> /L <S> ( Wire pan grate : <S> An non-English, I am not sure I use the right term. <S> Normally in for the oven there is a wire-grid which you can place pot and pans on. <S> Am I using the right term? <S> So please edit here!) <A> You could try to freeze the cooked bacon. <S> Then quickly put it in a cold blender or coffee grinder. <S> I don't like bacon <S> that's well done <S> I think it tastes burnt. <S> Using this method will allow you to get it in a powder before the fat starts to melt. <S> The ultimate would be to put the bacon in liquid nitrogen then blend it. <A> Not the ones where the coffee goes in one end and then comes out another, but the ones where you take off the lid, fill it up, put lid back on and grind, then dump it back out (just a blade at the bottom of a bowl). <S> I have used this device to powder many different things. <S> Just get some nice crispy bacon and use a paper towel to get the grease off, then crumble it up and stuff it in there. <S> It will powder it very quickly, like 8 seconds. <S> Again, this is if you really want a powder rather than just bacon bits that you would get from pounding it with a hammer. <A> Render out the bacon fat by cooking the bacon in the oven on a broiler pan. <S> The fat will drain off the slotted top into the bottom Rough chop the bacon with a chef's knife or meat cleaver Place chopped bacon in food processor or blender and process to desired texture. <A> Cook bacon in oven or frying pan to medium well, drain, pat dry and place in dehydrator afew hours, checking often till desired doneness is reached. <S> Then either powder in grinder or pulverize for bits. <S> Dehydrating will make for a long lasting product <A> I am mixing up a batch right now. <S> I use store bought bacon bits, and a dehydrator. <S> Dehydrate bits for 3 hours at 155 degrees, then grind in a coffee grinder and back in the dehydrator for another 3 to 6 hours. <S> Then grind again to a powder.
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I suggest cooking the bacon in a fry pan with some water. If you literally want a powder, you can use a standard blade coffee grinder.
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How to chill beer quickly? We all know the situation. The party is about to begin, it's really hot outside and we forget to put the beer (or similar drink) into the fridge... What is your way to chill beer really fast? <Q> Use a salted ice-water bath. <S> The water increases the contact and heat dissipation, and adding salt allows the temperature to go below freezing. <A> <A> Using a paper towel, wrap it around the bottle 2 or 3 times Gently wet the paper towel. <S> You want it to be damp, but not soaking. <S> Enough so that the paper sticks to the bottle, but not dripping. <S> Place in the freezer for 5 - 7 mins. <S> I've used this for chilling wine and long necks . <A> This works for cans of beer. <S> Make a pile of crushed ice Lay the beer <S> can on the ice on its side Press the can into the ice <S> so about 1/2 of the can is under the ice <S> Start spinning the can, it should spin freely on the ice <S> Continue spinning until the can is sufficiently cold <S> Using this method I can cool a beer that's been sitting out in the sun in under two minutes. <A> I agree with Kevin's salted ice-water bath, but I find chucking a few tinnies in the freezer works as well. <S> Just remember to remove them on time or <S> you're going to have a bit of a clean-up job. <A> Here comes the science! <S> The Goal: <S> Transfer heat from the warm object to the surrounding environment, as quickly as possible. <S> Theoretical concepts: <S> Heat is transferred via the surface area (which is fixed in a beercan) <S> But, we want as much of our heat sink in contact with thesurface as possible. <S> This suggests that a liquid is better than asolid. <S> (as solids, such as crushed ice contains voids, which are insulators.) <S> Keep in mind the square-cube ratio -- <S> Volume varies as the cube, Surface area varies as the square. <S> This means that small beers have a better SA:V ratio than large beers, and will cool faster. <S> The rate of Heat transfer is related to the difference in temperature between the heat source and the heat sink. <S> (Which is changing, as the source cools and the sink warms up). <S> Phase change (Latent Heat of Fusion) allows a sink to absorb heat while staying at the same temperature. <S> Discussing point 3, the corollary is that when ice melts at 0 degrees C, it takes a whole lot of heat to break the crystal lattice and convert to liquid. <S> This means that melting ice will "grab" heat out of the beer faster than solid ice warming up, or liquid water warming up. <S> So at this stage, what we want is ice mixed with water, just below the melting point. <S> Add beer cans, and the beer will "suck the cold" out of the ice as it melts, bringing the entire system near to freezing fairly quickly. <S> (in a matter of 10 -15 minutes). <S> Still not fast enough? <S> Then we need to go to a different universe where the melting point of water is colder. <S> (Or add salt to the water, which will lower the melting point, causing the whole reaction to occur at a lower temperature, giving us a speed boost as to Bullet #2.) <S> Still not fast enough? <S> -- <S> Well, if you've got liquid nitrogen on hand, you're over prepared for your unpreparedness. <S> You could have just stuck the beers in the fridge. <A> This way it sits in ice as well as <S> is in the freezer at zero degrees. <S> I apply this to champagne as well, and it actually works well. <A> Wrap the beers in wet paper towels or wet rags and put in the freezer. <S> Its really is quite effective and doesn't need salt or ice. <S> This video shows what a difference it can make: http://youtu.be/Nf8rKvZWQrY <A> A bit un-exciting <S> but. <S> I usually put a bottle/can in the freezer and put a timer on 15 minutes. <S> Or, if it is really urgent, pour into a glass and add 3-4 ice cubes. <S> Heresy, I know, <S> but it creates something cool to drink fast. <S> /L <A> Water bath is best as suggested (I am not going to write that out again), but if you want to do it even faster then get the water moving around too. <S> A small pump that just pumps the water back in at an angle will do (I am thinking large fish tank one OR water fountain). <S> A good whirl pool effect is fine if it is white wine but not so much as to fizz up the beer mind! <S> You should be abel to cool a whole case in just a few minutes.
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I throw my brew right into the ice cube reservoir in the ice-maker in my freezer. The mythbusters actually did this one once, and their conclusion was that the best and easiest way was indeed to simply add some salt to the water.
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Is there a way to grate a block of cheese entirely without hurting one's fingers or knuckles? You know the scenario: You grate the cheddar until you're left with a quarter-inch. What do you do? Try to grate it and risk cutting your knuckles, or pop it in your mouth and enjoy? Usually I do the latter, but I wondered if anyone has any tips for grating cheese down to the last bit? Is there some kind of small tool that you can use to safely grate the last of a block? <Q> By the wording of the question, I'm pretty sure you're using one of those pyramidal graters or a "sheet" grater. <S> That's great for getting the "bulk", but if you want to grate a small amount of cheese (or the last bit of a large amount, if you don't want to just eat it) then you really need to get yourself a rotary grater . <S> They're more commonly used for fine/hard cheeses such as Parmesan, but most half-decent ones will come with a "coarse" blade that can be used for cheddar, mozzarella and so on. <S> Rotary graters all have a plate at the top that lets you push the cheese down onto the blade. <S> Higher-quality graters will give you slightly better results; the $10 cheap ones tend to leave a mush at the bottom that's hard to grate, even if you squeeze really hard, but that's easily remedied with a small wooden block or really any object at all to put between the top plate and the cheese you're trying to grate. <A> You can turn that last quarter-inch sideways and grate until you have only a thin stick of cheese left. <S> If it's only going to be melted anyway, you could just crumble the last stick in. <A> so it is against the grater lengthways, then grate until I have 2cm again, then rotate again so the longest side is sticking out away from the grater, and grate again. <S> Whilst this doesn't mitigate the issue, it does mean that you end up with a much smaller block which is ungrated, as you have grated it in each dimension until you can't get any closer. <A> I bought a pair of kevlar gardening gloves for this exact sort of thing (and for using my mandoline without hacking off any (more) of my thumb). <S> With those, you can run it all the way down to the bottom and not worry about your fingers. <S> And when they get grotty, you can throw 'em in the washer. <A> I just hold the cheese closer to the edge away from the grater. <S> When it gets really small <S> I just have a single finger on it to grate. <S> Though sometimes I just pop it in my mouth too :D <A> Crumble it in, or just forget about grating cheese at all and just do some high-speed paper thin slices with your handy kitchen knife and block. <S> Tip grounded on the block, fingertips tucked in, and chop away. <S> By time you get a grater, mandolin, or Cuisinelf 3000 <S> Turbomatic's fiddly little bits cleaned, you could have long since been serving up that cheese. <S> The knife has had about 100,000 years of R&D to get it to it's current shape. <S> It really can't be much improved upon (except by a whetstone!). <S> BTW, it may be ugly, but some starch sure helps when handling cheese!
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I don't know of a tool, but what I tend to do is grate one way until there is only a bit left, say 2cm deep (by however long the block was), then I rotate the piece
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Is Beer Can Chicken safe? Some time ago I've read about Beer Can Chicken . I've never heard of this in my area, but it seems (and looks) tasty! So I would like to give it a try. There is just one thing that worries me: Is it safe to bake a can on the grill (or in the oven) like this? Doesn't it give off any chemical flavours? <Q> My main concern (would have been) BPA, as most cans nowadays are coated with BPA plastics inside to protect flavor. <S> Cooks Illustrated evaluated the BPA leeched into chicken using this method: Beer can interiors are coated with an epoxy that contains Bisphenol A (BPA). <S> Is the popular method of cooking a chicken perched on an open beer can really a good idea? <S> Some studies have linked BPA to cancer and other harmful health effects. <S> To evaluate the ramifications of cooking chicken on a beer can, we roasted two whole birds, one set on an open beer can containing 6 ounces of beer and the other on a stainless-steel vertical roaster with the same amount of beer poured into the reservoir. <S> After roasting the chickens, we collected their drippings and stripped each carcass, grinding the meat and skin to create homogeneous samples. <S> We sent the samples to a lab to be evaluated for BPA content. <S> In each chicken, the BPA measured less than 20 micrograms per kilogram, leading us to believe that the beer can cooking method is safe. <S> (The Food and Drug Administration’s <S> current standard for exposure is 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight for adults, or 3,400 micrograms per day for a 150-pound person.) <S> For those who have any remaining concerns, there is always the vertical roaster, which works just as well as a low-tech option. <S> Published May 1, 2011. <S> From Cook's Illustrated. <S> There are several available vertical roasters that act just like a beer can. <S> Here's a photo of the Steven Raichlen SR8016 : <A> I'm not sure if its dangerous, but if you are worried about the can you can get various tools, designed to cook a chicken like this. <A> The beer can shouldn't be able to rise above the boiling point of the liquid inside until it is empty. <S> Your chicken should be finished cooking long before that. <S> Obviously, the aluminum of the can itself isn't a safety issue anyway. <S> If you are worried about the paint on the can, you can either buy the Poultry Pal that Sam linked to, or take some sandpaper to the beer can and scrape it all off (before opening the can of course). <S> For ease of removal later, you should be coating the can itself with fat/oil before inserting it into the chicken. <S> Cook slowly. <S> Last time I made it, I aimed for about 275f to 300f. <S> If you are doing it on the grill, use a pan to catch the drippings and prevent flare up. <S> I also basted occasionally to help create a more flavorful crust (not to prevent drying out, since the steam inside does that wonderfully). <A> First: This is deliciousSecond: I simply use a small jar (from jam e.g.), which is about the same diameter as a beer can and simply pour the beer into the jar and the jar into the chicken. <S> -- <S> > <S> The jar (especially if it's from jam) won't break, but survive the heat -- <S> > <S> It is absolutely non-toxic and can be put in the dishwasher to be cleaned. <A> If you have one...take the funnel section from angel cake pan, or tube pan... <S> it fits perfectly! <S> You should place it in shallow pan with whatever seasonings you want... <S> I added a little water...with garlic, and will monitor for low water. <A> I make this regularly in a regular domestic oven <S> and it's delicious. <S> properly cooked legs and dark meat with super juicy, tender breasts. <S> The only thing I can think of that would give off any vapours would be the ink on the can, but as the oven is only at 180C and the can is surrounded by chicken <S> , I can't imagine than the can get's hot enough for that to happen. <S> I've only done it once in a kettle barbecue over charcoal <S> and I used indirect heat and a meat thermometer to check the deepest part of the thigh <S> was at the correct temp. <S> IIRC <S> , it was took a couple of hours. <A> Also not sure of the safety aspect of this. <S> The point of the beer can is to provide moisture to the chicken as its cooking, so it doesn't dry out (and maybe add some flavor). <S> An alternative method would be to brine <S> your chicken at least 24 hours before cooking. <S> This will give you the desired effect of the beer can, although may not look quite as interesting while cooking.
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Cook's Illustrated has tested beer cans enough that it would be totally reasonable to assume that Beer Can Chicken is safe, but if you want to avoid the can without spending money on a special pan, I just thought of an alternative to the beer can.
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What should I check when buying a pineapple? I live in middle Europe so pineapple (so called "ananas") is an exotic fruit for me. What should I check when buying a pineapple to make sure it would taste well? Should it smell specific? Should it be soft or hard? Should it be big or small? I believe this questions is valid for other regions as well. Is it? <Q> If it comes out fairly easily then the pineapple is good to go. <S> if its hard to get out its not ripe yet. <A> It should be firm, not mushy, but not rock hard either. <S> The most important thing, however, is smell. <S> An unripe pineapple won't smell like anything. <S> An overripe pineapple will smell vinegary. <S> A ripe pineapple will smell sweet. <A> Inspect to make sure that it doesn't contain gnats. <S> Else you will have a ton of these critters flying around your home for a week (more if they find more fruit to lay another nest in). <A> The pull-off-a-leaf test has never failed me. <S> Moreover: look at the pineapple up close and smell it. <S> Seeing some yellow is good, a lot of brown is not good. <S> Avoid if the alcohol smell is very strong or, worse, if there is a note of vinegar. <S> Pineapples are high in sugar and they can start fermenting.
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you can test if a pineapple is ripe by trying to pluck out one of the leaves near the centre. The smell should be strongly sugary, pleasant and with a touch of alcohol .
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How can I grate soft cheeses? Sometimes I need to shred a block of a soft cheese such as mozzarella, or cheddar. When I use my grater, the cheese starts to get kind of chunky as I'm grating it. I end up wasting a lot of cheese when I try to grate it. It never happens when I grate harder cheeses like peccorino. Is there a way to grate softer cheeses without ending up with big pieces of wasted chunks? Is there a particular grater that works better for softer cheeses? I currently use a mandolin grater, and not a box grater. <Q> I usually freeze mozzarella and then grate it (longer the better, unless you are in a hurry, then 20 minutes or so works OK). <S> This works very well. <S> Other soft cheeses, such as those meant to be eaten at room temp, brie, for example, I wouldn't freeze... <S> Of course, I don't think many of us are grating brie anyway. <A> I find that mozzarella (and other soft cheese) is good sliced. <S> I wouldn't want to freeze the cheese unnecessarily, just so I can get to use a grater. <S> I think it's really only worth grating hard cheese. <A> Freezing cheese will force out moisture within the cheese, ruining some of its desirable characteristics. <S> This may not matter for cheap cheese, but that $4 ball of today's fresh mozz might give you pause. <S> You could still use the freezer though. <S> Another option is to grate it into larger chunks. <S> Use the coarsest grater for the softest cheeses. <A> Use a box grater instead of a mandolin. <S> Because the mandolin has a larger blade, it's placing stress on a much larger piece of the cheese resulting in large breaks. <S> If you use a box grater, you get more localized pressure on the cheese for shorter periods of time. <S> You'll still get some breaking with mozzarella or cheddar, but not nearly as much. <S> Any breaks in the cheese will also be much closer in size to the final shredded product than with a mandolin grater. <A> Spray the grater with cooking spray or rub the outisde with a little oil on a paper towel. <S> It'll go through the grater much more easily. <A> I freeze the cheese then put in in small chunks into the magic bullet with theflat blade and in no time I have grated two pounds of cheese. <A> I freeze any soft cheese and grate straight onto the pasta. <S> The heat will automatically defrost it for you. <A> A potato masher works ok in a pinch. <A> I would tend to tear mozzarella for pizza or as a topping to focaccia. <S> For other soft cheese, slicing it with a chef's knife works fine; putting the diced cheese into a bowl of water can help it stop sticking back together. <S> For example, when making a salad with ripe brie, I slice the cheese during prep, then drain and add it just before tossing the salad. <A> (if this is for pizza which it may not be) <S> With Muenster maybe just use a cheese slicer and put thin slices all over the pizza instead of grated Muenster.. <S> Muenster melts nicely ❤ <S> ️ <A> There are special graters for this. <S> They have a drum blade within a housing, you put the cheese piece in the housing and turn a handle while pressing the cheese towards the drum. <S> As long as the cheese is not so soft that it's smearable (like cream cheese) <S> you can grate it with this thing perfectly.
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Putting a soft cheese in the freezer for several minutes prior to serving will firm it up enough to grate it more cleanly.
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What determines the shape-holding ability of cookies? What things can you vary to make cookies hold their shape better during cooking, and not spread out like a pancake? From my experimenting, the initial temperature of the dough before cooking seems to make a difference - refrigerated dough spreads less than room temperature. What else can I do without making the cookies too dry? (Obviously if I add enough flour, the cookies will hold their shape, but at the cost of ending up with hard, dry bricks). Does trying different fats like butter/shortening/margarine make a big difference? Is it worth buying heavier pans? <Q> So, in this case, if the dough is colder at the start the fat stays stable longer, and lets the cookie set up. <S> You can try experimenting with your fats: maybe butter instead of crisco, or vice versa. <S> Lot of vegan types will roll in some banana to counteract the lack of eggs and animal fats. <S> Or you could maybe add some more egg? <A> If you're interested in the details, I'd suggest getting a copy of Bakewise , which talks a lot about exactly this issue. <A> There are actually numerous factors that contribute to cookie spread - not just the fat content. <S> (1) <S> Sure, too much fat can contribute to spread. <S> (2) Cookies made with melted butter (or margarine or whatever) tend to spread more than cookies made by creaming fat with sugar first - but most modern cookie recipes seem to be using melted butter these days. <S> (3) Using too much white granulated sugar contributes to spread. <S> (4) Using pastry/cake flour (any weak flour) contributes to spread. <S> (5) <S> A greased cookie sheet contributes to spread. <S> (6) Refrigerated cookies might spread less, but the spread is more dependent on ingredients rather than temperature of the dough. <S> You might consider re-posting your question based on the specific recipe or recipes that are giving you a problem. <S> It is difficult to propose a workable solution to a general problem. <A> It seems to me that whole wheat flour spreads less, but I may be biased. <S> I just don't like white flour. <S> I am all about freezing my cookie dough! <S> I usually make a double batch & only bake 1-2 trays, ball up the rest in a Tupperware & throw them in the freezer. <S> It's important to put it into balls first, or you'll have to defrost the cookie dough block & that defeats the whole purpose. <S> I learned that the hard way! <S> My cookies come out more plump, with a satisfying chewy (not soft, not crunchy) texture. <S> My friend's grandma actually ROLLS OUT the dough of her oatmeal-chocolate chip-walnut-whatever else amazing cookies, then balls them up & freezes them. <S> I don't know if the rolling actually does anything (maybe aerates it in a unique way?) <S> but they are the best cookies. <S> Sometimes I just make 2-4 cookies in the toaster oven <S> (save energy!) <S> , then freeze the rest. <S> Then you always have fresh, warm cookies. <S> Finally, the frozen dough balls are tasty on their own. <S> Sometimes I get through those before I even bake the 2nd batch. <S> It's especially awesome in the summer when you don't want your house to get a single degree warmer. <S> Definitely don't use melted butter! <S> Softened holds together better. <S> I think this is why freezing the dough helps them maintain their structure.
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Things like the type of flour, gluten content, etc., make a lot of difference, in addition to fat ratios and temperature. Cookies really only spread out because of their fat content: when it gets warm it flows, and if it flows too much before the glutens start binding to give it structure, you get flat cookie.
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How do I pick a watermelon at the supermarket? Lately, every watermelon I bring home form the organic section of the supermarket has not been sweet. Among the small, seedless varieties, I try to pick the densest. How do I know if it is ripe? Can I ripen them at home? Should I keep them in the fridge? <Q> I don't believe there is a fool-proof way to determine 'ripeness' without taking a slice out of it. <S> Look for the patch where the melon would have been on the ground (called the field spot). <S> If it's a yellow colour <S> its probably ripe <S> , if it's white, it's probably not. <S> It should feel relatively heavy when lifted Weird areas on the skin aren't necessarily bad. <S> insects may have tried to start eating the fruit because it is ripe, but have only marred the surface. <S> Unfortunately, melons don't continue to ripen once picked, unlike fruits such as apples, bananas etc. <S> which contain ethylene. <S> As a tip don't store melons with these kinds of fruit, they may well go 'soggy'. <S> Extra: <S> NYtimes video on picking the right watermelon . <A> As pulse said, colour is a good indicator and give them a tap <S> and they'll have a nice hollow sound. <S> The other thing I do is pick them up... <S> I don't know why, but ripe melons tend to feel "heavy" for their size. <A> Shake it. <S> If you hear things moving inside, it's overly ripe. <S> Press it. <S> If it squeaks a little, it's just OK. <S> If it doesn't, it's either unripe or already wilting. <S> Knock on it with your finger, like if you'd be knocking on a door. <S> It has to sound just a tiny little bit hollow. <S> Too hollow means overly ripe, not hollow at all means unripe. <A> For melons other than watermelon, always smell them, they should have a good aroma. <S> Unfortunately this does not usually work for watermelons. <S> The color and weight are usually the best indicators. <A> I just saw a post on rulesofthumb.com that says: A watermelon is ripe when you hear "punk" rather than "pank" or "pink" when you tap it with your finger. <A> I have found that if you look on the bottom of the watermelon, (where it sits on the ground), if it is yellow and the lines are straight and yellowish green then the watermelon is sweet and ripe. <S> If the lines are a light green and wavy then the melon is not sweet or ripe. <A> Knock on it lightly. <S> If someone answers, you've got a very special melon! <S> Actually, if it sounds somewhat hollow, it is ripe. <S> As a child we would "plug" the melons by cutting a 2" x 2" trianglebout of it. <S> That's a fool proof way to see if your melon it ripe. <A> For a sweet melon it normally takes a high sulfer soil for a sweet melon. <S> So you may not find any sweet ones to buy. <S> Thump or knock on the melon <S> it should sound hollow. <S> Melons can not be picked ripe. <S> They bust to easy to ship in totes. <S> So set them in the sun for a few days. <S> Once you wax them to hold in moisture.
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The best you can do is look for certain signs: Ripe melons have a hollow sound when you tap or slap the outside
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Is it worth to install a gas stove with a big gas bottle in the kitchen? There are several options when it comes to choosing a stove. From my own experience, electric stoves are not really that great. I guess most households have them because their are convenient to install. Induction stoves are expensive. Gas seems to be the 'professional' way to cook. I lived in a flat with a gas stove for a few years and really enjoyed cooking on it, it's so easy to control. However, most modern houses don't have a gas pipe anymore. Do you think it is worth installing a gas stove with one or two big LPG bottles in the kitchen? How often would I have to change the bottles? <Q> Yes. <S> It's much more fun to cook with gas, and <S> the way I see it, any incentive I can provide for myself to cook good food at home is a major net positive in quality of life. <S> The setup I have is three gas burners and one electric stove top element, and an electric oven. <S> See <S> the <S> When baking is it better to use a gas or electric oven question. <S> I have one 5 kg liquid gas bottle stashed under the sink, and it lasts 3-4 months of heavy daily cooking for two, maybe 6 months in the summer when I eat more salads etc. <S> In addition I have another 2kg bottle for backup if I run out of gas in the middle of cooking, and for the day <S> or so it takes me to haul another bottle from the store. <S> Having a smaller backup bottle doesn't waste too much space. <S> I've been considering upgrading to a 11kg composite bottle, which I expect to last 10 months to a year, and it's way more economical. <S> So far though the convenience of having a smaller bottle I can carry to the store for changing without a sweat has been great. <A> I have a dual-fuel stove -- gas on top, electric oven, with the bottle outside, of course. <S> They come to fill it every six months or so. <S> I'm very happy, since I grew up cooking on gas, and I much prefer the fine control (and fast response) of gas burners. <S> This arrangement is fairly common amongst people <S> I know without gas-in-the-street. <A> I cook with a 11 kg propane-butane gas bottle exclusively, just for 1 person, and it lasts for a little over three months, maybe a 100 days, so I guess about 100 grams of propane-butane gas per person per day. <S> Another person I know which uses the same, has similar results, so I am very surprised that for someone in this thread a 5 kg bottle lasts for "3-4 months of heavy daily cooking for two". <S> It is worth it, because it is much (like probably something around 10 times) cheaper to cook on gas then on electricity.
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The electric stove top really comes in handy when reducing stocks or making long-cooking soups and stews, and it can significantly reduce the amount of gas you use in cooking. For oven I would definitely go electric.
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How to keep fruits and vegetables fresh I enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, but the problem is that they seem to go back extremely quickly. It isn't realistic for me to go shopping multiple times a week. Are there any tricks to keeping fruits and vegetables fresh for a longer period of time? <Q> As for fruits (including, for example, tomatoes), ethylene gas is released by fruits and causes them to ripen. <S> You can buy "produce bags" that absorb ethylene gas, and slow the process of ripening. <S> (Some fridges have drawers that absorb ethylene gas, but I doubt you feel like buying a new fridge.) <S> Update: See Vicky's answer and my comment for a couple links to examples of the "produce bags." <S> In addition to removing the ethylene, the bags claim to also work by "breathing" and "reducing moisture formation." <S> For vegetables, it sort of depends. <S> The roots will absorb the water (as they do in the ground) and thus stay quite turgid. <A> If you're in the UK Lakeland sell Stayfresh Longer bags: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/stayfresh-longer-bags/F/keyword/vegtable+bags/product/1932_1094_1092 <S> which really work extremely well. <S> I'm sure there are similar products available elsewhere. <S> I have no idea how they work, though! <A> Normally, all sorts of vegetable remain fresh for a longer period if you keep them in large earthen wares.chiilies, capsicum and some leafy veg when kept in glass jars with lid on remain fresh for 10 to 15 days. <S> You must see to it that these are properly wiped to remove water particles before storing them the way I suggested.
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If you have root vegetables like carrots and beets, put them in water in the fridge (with the stems cut off), changing the water regularly.
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What all fruits/crops can be stored in natural temperature for a long time? I want to know about foods (fruits/crops) which can be stored in room temperature or natural temperature (20 degree centigrade) for long time (for a year)?. <Q> Nature has designed some food-stuff to last a long time. <S> Grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats, ...), which are the seeds of grasses, will last the longest, often more than one year. <S> Seeds need a long shelf-life if the plant is going to make it to the next growing season. <S> Next come roots (onions, potatoes, ...), which need to last from one year to the next. <S> Nuts, in the cooking sense, are seeds surrounded by a shell, will also last several years if they are dry. <S> So almonds, peanuts, pine nuts will keep, but not coconuts or chestnuts. <S> Other food types are going to need some help, which basically means getting rid of the water in the food-stuff (lentils, beans, peas, chick peas, soybean, ...) or slowing down bacterial growth (through dehydration, freezing, irradiation, canning, cooling, ...) <S> I have cooked grains and dried beans and lentils from my pantry that were over a year old. <S> They all made good meals. <A> Most root vegetables will last a good while: potatoes, carrots, turnips. <S> Onions, horseradish and garlic, with their astringent properties, last a very long time. <S> Apples used to be preserved by packing them in barrels with water, but the phrase "one bad apple spoils the bunch" is wholly accurate. <S> They last better where it's cool and damp. <S> Likewise oranges and grapefruit. <S> The less the fruit touches the better. <S> With fruit, the best you can hope for is 4-6 months. <S> Harder varieties of squash last for months and months, in cool temperatures. <S> If you need things to last a year, I'd look into drying and/or canning. <S> Pack fruit in sugar to leech out the water, and it'll last a year or more. <A> Onions will last a year as long as they are kept dry. <S> My parents have a wire mesh rack suspended from the garage ceiling and they put the onions up there after harvesting them. <S> Make sure none are touching each other, and although a couple might go bad the rest will be fine for a year. <A>
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These five crops can be stored for a long time-1.PUMPKINS2.CABBAGE3.CARROTS4.SWEET POTATOES5.ONIONS
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How should I cook pigs cheeks? I like the idea of eating pigs cheeks, I've heard they are delicious, but difficult to cook so they are not chewy. How should I cook them so they are succulent and delicious? <Q> Restaurants quite often cook pigs cheeks 'sous vide', but unless you have, or fancy investing in a water bath, you can do things the old fashioned way. <S> How you prepare the cheeks for cooking will, to some extent, depend on which part you're cooking. <S> If you're going to cook the whole cheek, you really should think about soaking in a brine of sugar, salt, vinegar and spices for 24 to 48 hours. <S> If you're just cooking the 'pad' that part can be skipped. <S> The thing to remember with cheeks, is they are quite a fatty meat and the muscle fibres are very dense, so whichever method you choose, it's going to take time. <S> One classic method is braising the cheeks with a variety of vegetables and something slightly sweet and sharp as a counter for the fat and cook in the oven for 2 to 3 hours at around 180c (350f) <S> Basically dust the cheeks in a little flour and season, then brown in some olive oil. <S> remove form the pan and lightly sauté your vegetables, use leeks, baby onions, carrots, apples, garlic etc. <S> add the cheeks pack to the pan, add some stock or stock/cider mix and cook. <S> You could also do this on the hob (cooker top) in a heavy bottomed pan, but cook for 4 hours on a low heat. <A> Pretty good. <A> Long and slow is the key - I cook mine in the slow cooker on low, with stock, vegetables, apples, cider, depending on what I've got and what kind of flavour <S> I'm ultimately looking for. <S> I find they're great with a sticky sauce heavy with soy and sweetness and cut with vinegar.
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I dry cured some cheeks in salt and brown sugar, then sliced thin and fried like bacon.
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Is there an easy way to french trim a rack of lamb? I had to be part of a lot of french trimming of racks of lamb at the weekend, and it seemed to take a long time, so it got me wondering, is there an easy way to do this? Some preferred tool? <Q> Alton Brown demonstrates using a piece of string to scrape the bone clean. <S> First he cuts and trims the bulk of the meat down to where he wants it. <S> Then, he uses a string tied to a garage door handle (very cheap at any hardware store). <S> Loop it around the bone <S> a couple of times and pull, and it cleans it right up. <A> I've never seen it done but with a knife. <S> Cut the meat down to where you want it, and then scrape, scrape, scrape. <A> Fastest I've seen with minimal scraping and a little clever trick with a tea towel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnGKsjCiFOg <S> I should apply this when I'm trimming those racks...
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I've seen people do it with all kinds of knives, but I like a nice thin boning knife.
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Beer batter fish, keeping the breading from peeling right off while eating? A few months back I made beer-batter fish. I don't remember the exact recipe I used but I think I got it from foodnetwork.com. I fried in vegetable oil at 350. Everything came out OK, but the breading seemed to peel clean off of the fish while eating rather than sticking to it. Are there any tricks for prep/cook to prevent this from happening? <Q> I usually dredge the fish in plain flour first and then the beer batter. <S> I actually made beer battered fish tacos for dinner last night and the batter stuck perfectly. <S> It probably also depends on your batter consistency. <S> The recipe I use says the batter should be slightly more liquid than pancake batter. <A> Flour works to some extent but without gluten formation flour is working as a drying agent more than anything else. <S> Corn starch is, as its name implies, a starch which will actually act as a weak glue when heated wet. <S> Just don't pile it on. <S> dredge each fillet in the corn starch and tap off the excess until you're left with a thin, uniform layer. <S> Your batter will stick to the corn starch, which will stick to the fish. <A> If you did AB's recipe , you need to lightly dredge the fish in cornstarch as @yock mentioned. <S> You should also make sure that the batter is cold -refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour at most. <S> It turns out pretty good if you follow that recipe. <A> If it's English style beer battered fish the batter "shouldn't" stick to the fish <S> otherwise it will be too dry or soggy depending on which way you go rather than light and crisp. <S> To be light and crisp it should not adhere to the surface of the fish too closely. <S> Breaded fish is a different matter. <S> Take a look at the pic here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7785/golden-beerbattered-fish-with-chips <A> Pretty sure that the problem you are having is moisture; here's how I do it. <S> Take the fillets, pack them with flour and set them on a wire trivet and let them dry a bit and then shake them off then let them dry some more. <S> When the outside of the fish is dry to the touch I dip them carefully in the batter and cook them. <S> This method seals the fish inside the batter 'envelope' holding in the juices for that first delicious bite. <S> Note that if the batter is too thick the outside of the batter will contract so much faster than the inside that it will crack, allowing fat in and letting the juices out. <S> While the last of the fish is cooking I will add an egg, some cornmeal and spices etc to the left over batter and make hush puppies in the same pan I cooked the fish in. <A> Be sure to pat the fish dry as completely as you can. <S> Don't salt the fish beforehand to avoid drawing out any moisture. <S> Also, like Frankie suggested, dip the fish slowly into the oil. <S> Dipping it slowly allows some of the initial moisture to escape and lets the batter cling to the fish before there's a shell of batter holding in all the moisture.
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Give your fish a light dusting of corn starch before dredging in the batter.
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What is a proper Manhattan? I've ordered these a few times, and had wildly varying results - hardly surprising, given the general lack of training among bartenders around these parts, but confusing none the less! So now I'm curious: what should a Manhattan be composed of? <Q> A traditional Manhattan is two shots of rye or bourbon, one shot of sweet vermouth, a dash of bitters and a cherry, shaken and strained into a martini glass. <S> I prefer on the rocks in a rocks glass, myself. <S> A perfect Manhattan is similar, but uses a half shot each of sweet and dry vermouth. <S> They tend to be more interesting when paired with a higher quality whiskey. <A> Standard pour (maybe a little extra) of your choice of whiskey (bourbon preferred) though brandy is also acceptable. <S> Add a splash of sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters if you prefer. <S> Then garnish with something, I prefer a cherry. <A> Manhattan's were originally made with Rye rather than Bourbon, but times change and the modern trend for the latter means that Rye often isn't the first choice. <S> Cocktail supremo, David Wondrich, notes that a decent proof Bourbon will work just as well as Rye in an Manhattan .
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I'm also a big fan of white whiskey (aka, high quality moonshine) in Manhattans.
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What's the proper way to muddle mint for a julep or mojito? Not a huge fan of the mojito, but my wife loves 'em. A good julep is another matter... But mine have a bad tendency to end up with lots of little mint pieces that get stuck in my teeth. So what's the proper way to prepare the mint in these drinks without ending up with a green leafy mess? <Q> Pounding away at the mint will release so much flavour from it, that you won't taste any of the other ingredients. <S> A perfect Mojito should comprise a balance of flavours. <S> The other main constituents do not have a particularly strong flavour, so its very easy to swamp them with mint and end up with a glass of alcoholic toothpaste. <S> Mojito = <S> Rum, Mint and Lime. <S> Julep's are a little more tolerant, due to the richer flavours of the other ingredients, but the same basic principles still apply. <S> Don't overdo the amount of mint you add. <S> Leaves from one decent sprig of mint will do. <S> Muddle the mint <S> gently for about ten seconds. <S> You want to bruise the leaves and release a little bit of flavour, but not grind them into a pulp. <S> Finishing off a Mojito properly is also essential. <S> You only need a splash of soda. <S> Adding more than a shot will just dilute the ingredients and destroy the subtle flavours. <S> Most importantly, don't forget to taste the drink after you've made it, even if its for someone else! <S> This is the best way to learn and improve your mixing and muddling techniques. <S> It is also sometimes possible to rescue an imperfect drink (eg. by adding a touch of extra lime juice if its too sweet) if really necessary. <A> It's best to use a wooden pestle, but the back end of a wooden utensil can get the job done. <S> Muddle the lime and sugar in the bottom of the glass first. <S> The goal is to get a good syrup. <S> Put a bit of mint (2 leaves) in last and lightly muddle so as not to break them up into bits. <S> Add your ice to the top of the glass. <S> Add your Rum, and then add your Club Soda <S> then mix by moving your utensil up and down through the ice. <S> Add a couple of mint leaves during this process. <S> The ice will help bruise the mint during the mix. <S> Finally, take about 12 mint leaves in your hands. <S> Clap your hands together <S> to bruise the leaves helping to induce the mint juice/flavor out. <S> (I'll bet that rolling pin method would work well here). <S> Jam the leaves down the ice with your utensil. <A> When we make mojitos, we put the lime, sugar, and mint into the glass then crush it with a wooden spoon. <S> Do this separately for each drink. <S> This is pretty time consuming which isn't a problem when you're making 1 or 2 glasses. <S> If you're making more, you may want to use another method. <A> I haven't had to muddle mint <S> but I found this forum <S> that tells you how. <S> It says to bruise the mint but not to break it up. <S> They recommend using a muddler, a pestle or the end of a rolling pin or the back of a spoon. <A> This site makes a case for not muddling the mint at all; muddled mint can give "really muddy, dirty flavors," according to their expert, Leo Robitschek of The NoMad and Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan. <S> If you're looking to avoid bits of mint in your teeth, they have two suggestions: Make a mint simple syrup by "steeping mint leaves in hot water for about 5 minutes, and then mixing the strained liquid with equal parts of sugar for a simple syrup" or, alternately, cold-steeping mint in simple syrup for a few days or <S> Make mint burbon in an iSi whipped cream canister using what they call the Dave Arnold method: <S> We use 35 grams of mint leaves in 1 L bottle of bourbon. <S> Charge the canister twice with nitrous oxide and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. <S> This ensures that the nitrous travels through the canister into the mint leaves. <S> The infusion actually happens when you vent (release the nitrous gas) the canister. <S> The nitrous rushes out into the bourbon, bringing all of the sweet aromatic compounds in the mint, and infusing it into the bourbon. <S> The great thing is that using this technique eliminates any bitter, muddy, or tannic flavors that you may get from muddling or over extracting mint." <A> Actually the right way to make a mojito is bruising the mint. <S> A lot of bartenders just use a couple of stalks of mint and slap it. <S> Mint (as some other herbs) have microscopic hair, which releases the aromas as soon as they are bruised. <S> Muddling as correctly said will release rather woody flavors <S> (I probably would not call it dirty flavors, but well... <S> ).The stirring with sugar - will further draw more aroma out of the leaves (the sugar cristals act like "sandpaper"). <S> It is important to understand, that a Mojito should not be an insanely minty drink, but just supposed to have some fresh (slightly minty) facets. <S> I also would not make a syrup out of mint, as warm water (or long steeping) completely changes the flavor of mint as well - then it would taste like mint tisane (and a mojito shouldn't taste like peppermint tea)! <S> For a mint julep, mint leaves can be very carefully muddled (as you don't usually take the full sprigs but the leaves, you cannot really slap the mint in your hands). <S> Again - no "mint juice" should be created, just the microscopic hair should be bruised. <S> I also made a contemporary mint julep, by freezing the mint leaves in liquid nitrogen, then infuse them in bourbon - then fine strain everything into crushed ice (which you could also "powder" with LN2). <S> You have got a more intense, but still fresh minty flavor without woodiness (as the enzyme which creates the off-flavor is first "fixed" with the deep temperature, and then deactivated with the high proof alcohol.
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The classic mistake when making a Mojito or a Julep is to over muddle the mint.
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Is zesting lemons effective when making lemonade? It's too hot. The air is oppressive and sticky, and it just keeps getting hotter... I need a nice, cold glass of lemonade. Fortunately, I have a bag of lemons and plenty of ice! So now the question becomes one of technique. Keeping in mind that I'm hot (and consequently lazy), is it worth taking the time to zest the lemons before adding sugar and ice, or will the sugar alone suffice to extract those refreshing oils from the rind? <Q> I personally like it. <S> That said, if you mash <S> /muddle the lemons you'll probably get much the same flavor as zesting. <A> Use a vegetable peeler to peel of large strips of rind. <S> That way, it'll be easier to remove once you're done steeping. <S> If you don't mind it being mildly alcoholic, steep them in vodka and then strain the vodka into the lemonade. <A> I wouldn't bother myself. <S> Just throw the whole rind in after you juice the lemons: the acid from the juice ought to leach out everything from the peel. <S> I've always thought the whole point of zesting was to get the rind small enough to hide in regular food, more than to bring out flavor. <S> When I used to hike a lot, we'd put orange rind (no juice) in our water bottles to kill the iodine taste, and the flavor of oranges was pretty evident in the water after half an hour or so, so you might not even need the juice to help. <A> You can extract much of the oils from the lemon by muddling (which is often much faster than zesting), and happens immediately as opposed to waiting for the zest to steep: <S> If your lemon has little stickers on it, take 'em off. <S> Slice the lemon in half. <S> Juice the lemon into the cup <S> ** <S> Toss the lemon halves into the cup <S> Add granulated sugar to the cup ( not superfine) Muddle Add water & ice. <S> Stir <S> Drink <S> Muddling is basically beating / grinding the stuff in the bottom of the cup. <S> In this case, you're using the sugar to grind the outside of the lemon peel to release the oils. <S> As you're not letting the rind steep into your drink for a long time, you won't get too much of the bitter qualities from this. <S> ** Note that you might want to strain the juice, or you have to sip more carefully to avoid swallowing the pits. <S> Straining is more work up front, and involved cleaning something else, so might not qualify as lazy enough. <S> I like one lemon to a 16-24 oz glass <S> is about right for me. <S> (if you have cold water and won't need ice, go with the 16oz ... <S> if you're planning on adding lots of ice, use something larger. <S> I use a sugar pourer and don't really know how much sugar I add ... <S> maybe 1TB ? <S> (and to give proper attribution -- I learned this technique from a stand selling lemonade at the Pennsylvania Rennaisance Faire ... <S> probably 15-20 years ago) <A> If by effective you mean which drink is more quivering, then adding the lemon zest doesn't make much difference. <S> I think it depends from personal taste. <S> I am used to add lemon zest in some recipes to add a different taste to meat; I don't add to drinks. <S> If I have to choose, I prefer to add lemon juice in drinks.
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You'll get a strong/different flavor using the lemon zest.
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What are the differences between brown/golden sesame seeds and black ones? Unhulled sesame seeds can be either light brown (golden) or black. Other than their color, are there other differences are their between these two varieties? Why might you choose one type over the other (again, I only care about reasons that aren't related to color or aesthetics of a dish). <Q> Dark sesame seeds are more common in Indian cooking. <S> I personally think that they have a more intense taste. <S> They are also smaller, for what little difference that makes. <S> I wouldn't rush to use them to make tahini, because the color would be surprising and I suspect that the flavor would be a bit bitter. <A> Dark ones are perfects for Sushi and other Japanese dishes <S> (I've tried to substitute them with golden ones, but disappointingly the flavor was not as good as with dark ones). <A> Also make sure you're comparing types of seeds not just their preparation. <S> "Brown" sesame seeds may merely be roasted. <S> They have a nuttier flavor, almost like popcorn. <A> Black sesame seeds are definitely a different variety than the cream/brown ones, and used in Japanese cooking. <A> They are great ground and added to rich beefy soups or broths. <S> White sesame on the other hand, has a slightly lighter taste. <S> Toasted white sesame seeds go great mixed with tuna mayo and red onion. <S> They also go very well with chicken and some fish dishes. <S> Overall, white sesame goes well with lighter coloured and flavoured dishes. <S> Black sesame goes well with darker and stronger flavoured dishes. <S> At least that's what I do. <S> Of course, you can try them with whatever dish you like. <S> These are just some personal preferences. <S> Oh and black sesame oil, for some strange reason, does not impart as strong a taste as white sesame oil. <S> Asians add black sesame oil to noodles to impart a wonderful taste.
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Black sesame seeds do impart a stronger taste than regular sesame seeds, especially when lightly toasted in a dry pan.
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Less salty sauce based on soy Basic ginger soy sauce: Mostly soy sauce, grated ginger, scallions, some rice wine. Some people find it too salty. What other liquids could I combine with the soy to end up with something a bit less salty in the same space? Just cranking up the rice wine isn't very attractive. <Q> I may be jumping the gun here and making unwarranted assumptions about what this sauce is being used for, but assuming it's something like a marinade, rice, stir-fry, etc... <S> I usually use some combination of the following: Soy or teriyaki sauce (or both) <S> Toasted sesame oil Honey or brown sugar <S> Chili oil (small amount, obviously) <S> Grated ginger Grated garlic ( very small amount, <S> that's strong stuff) <S> Rice wine (usually I skip this, actually) <S> Water! <S> Sometimes the combination of oil and water doesn't hold together so well; if you add a little tapioca starch and heat it up, it will thicken and bind. <S> I use this all the time in stir fries. <S> Fine-tuning with pure ingredients to get the exact taste you want is always better, of course. <A> Use less soy sauce. <S> It's salty - it has to be salty - and you can't really avoid that (even the low-sodium varieties still have a fair bit of salt in them). <S> I recommend using a good strong soy sauce in moderation, and perhaps a bit of black vinegar to augment the flavor. <A> Reduced sodium soy sauces taste great. <S> I love salt <S> but I prefer the lower sodium varieties of soy sauce. <S> I generally buy Kikkoman Lite Soy Sauce just because I can get it cheaply. <S> It is much, much better than Kikkoman original. <S> I'm not particularly concerned about sodium content for heath reasons, I just don't like being overwhelmed by saltiness. <S> Reduced sodium soy sauce is still salty, but you can taste flavors other than salt. <S> My favorite sushi place even puts Kikkoman Lite on the tables, if you want the full-salt stuff you have to ask for it. <S> For even more flavor for each mg of sodium, you might try this. <S> Yes, it's Hawaiian, but it works very nicely in Japanese and Chinese recipes. <S> Aloha Brand Lower Salt Shoyo
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Also, if you happen to have any prepared oriental sauces like hoisin or black bean or chili garlic sauce, those can be used in a pinch to cut the salty taste of soy sauce.
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Why use milk in scrambled eggs? I've seen many recipes for scrambled eggs with and without milk / cream / half and half So what does the milk do? The only difference I can see is color - without the milk the eggs are a brighter yellow. What am I missing? <Q> Well, it makes the eggs go further for one... <S> But it also produces softer, creamier results. <S> You're moving toward something like a custard or quiche. <S> If you like your eggs very stiff, this is probably a bad idea. <A> If you've never made scrambled eggs the Gordon Ramsey way you're really missing out. <S> He calls for fresh cream, but I use sour cream and find it works just as well and gives a nice tangy flavor. <S> Great video where he demonstrates the technique: http://videosift.com/video/Gordon-Ramsay-s-Perfect-Scrambled-Eggs <S> According to him, one of the reasons to add milk or cream is to cool the eggs down <S> so they don't keep cooking after you remove them from the heat. <A> It's worth learning to cook excellent scrambled eggs without the milk and cream, in my opinion. <S> Traditionally, ( <S> well, at say Cordon Bleu in the 1950s), cream would be added to stop the eggs from overcooking once they were properly done. <S> And, like people mentioned, they get creamier as well, but the cream would be cold and added at the end; its primary purpose was stopping the overcooking. <S> If you heat slowly, shake gently, and treat them kindly, scrambled eggs can be totally freaking fantastic without any additives. <S> Start there. <A> According to Cook's Illustrated , the fat in milk or cream will actually separate the protein strands from the eggs, resulting in fluffier eggs. <S> And fats give a smooth taste to food that you can feel on your tongue. <A> Scrambled eggs without dairy fat in them are very, very easy to overcook. <A> Texture-wise, they come out softer (some might say "gloppier") than eggs without. <S> Flavor-wise, they're a bit more mellow and richer. <S> The downside is that they don't come out as fluffy (unless you're just using a small amount). <S> I've known people who think milk in scrambled eggs is the devil's additive. <S> I really like the softer texture and the difference in flavor, though. <S> Try them yourself, and you may! <S> Try them and you may, I say! <A> There are two philosophies on cooking scrambled eggs: some prefer them cooked slowly over low heat, while others swear by a very hot pan. <S> If you cook them slowly, milk or cream is primarily there to make them tender, and perhaps to prevent overcooking. <S> However, none of the other answers have mentioned fast cooking. <S> If you pour raw scrambled eggs into a very hot pan, they will begin to cook almost instantly. <S> In that case, any added liquid (even water) will add to the boiling effect near the pan surface, producing steam that will separate the protein bits with air pockets and fluff the eggs. <S> I have never noticed a significant effect on fluffiness by adding liquid in slow-cooked eggs. <S> But for the fluffiest scrambled eggs possible, cook on high heat with a bit of liquid added. <S> Just be very careful to keep the eggs moving and remove immediately while they are still slightly undercooked, or they will dry out. <S> (The eggs will continue to cook even out of the pan.) <S> On the other hand, make sure they are cooked enough, or they will "weep" liquid. <S> It takes a little practice -- with a very hot pan, even 5 seconds can make a significant difference, so have your plate ready. <S> The fast scrambled eggs technique is more difficult, but it's time-efficient, and the extra liquid added can produce very fluffy eggs. <S> (For the record, the same technique can be used for extra-fluffy omelets -- very hot pot, a little liquid, keep things moving and remove promptly.) <A> My guess it makes it softer and more moist. <S> I usually don't put milk in it but a good piece of butter and sour cream which gives it a great creamy texture. <A> The addition of milk is to make it fluffier and lighter. <S> In my opinion (emphasis on "my"), it is like cooking with training wheels. <S> I have never liked the watered down flavor of eggs done this way <S> and I much prefer the denser flavor of eggs sans milk. <S> You do have to be more attentive and make sure the eggs are not overcooked. <S> It's a bit tricky and you have to remove them just before they look quite ready, and they will become perfect by the time they cool a bit.
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Using milk in scrambled eggs results in eggs that are moist and, er, creamy.
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How do I remove bitter flavor from lime rind in soup? I just made a large pot of soup. It's a Mexican Caldo de Res. I added a bunch of lime juice, and thought, hey, maybe i'll throw the lime rinds in there too for a bit. This was a huge mistake. Now the whole thing has a really bitter flavor. I've removed the rinds, are there any suggestions on how to save this? <Q> (I can't understand how people can drink beers other than lambics) <S> In looking at a similar thread on Chowhound , one of the recommendations is a bit of milk or cream. <S> If you're not lactose intollerant, it might be worth a try. <S> This could also be a chance for an experiment -- ladle it into a bunch of glasses, try some different things (sugar, vinegar, soy, hot sauce, milk, worcestershire, combinations of them, etc), and report back to us with what you think worked best. <A> This isn't a direct answer, but rather an anecdote from personal experience. <S> One time I made garlic parmesan mashed potatoes for a company thanksgiving pot-luck lunch. <S> I've made this recipe a few dozen times before. <S> However, this time I decided to get creative and go with parmesan, asiago, and romano cheeses instead of just parmesan. <S> I also committed the cardinal sin of not tasting as I went. <S> Well, I didn't realize how much more salty asiago and romano cheeses were than parmesan. <S> Needless to say when I finished and tasted it, it was almost inedibly salty. <S> Salt being a hard thing to counteract, and me being reluctant to throw out 5 lbs of mashed potatoes, I decided to try dilution. <S> I made about 7 lbs more of potatoes, omitted all the salt, and used only parmesan. <S> Surprisingly it worked rather well. <S> They were still a bit on the salty side of things, but delicious. <S> In short, maybe try doubling or diluting your recipe next time you make a mistake. <S> That in combination with some of the milk/cream methods suggested by others could save your dish. <A> About the only thing I can think of us adding a little sugar to the pot, but don't add a lot all at once. <S> Just add a little and taste... <A> Not a fix, but a footnote - next time only use the zest and not the light-coloured part of the rind - <S> that is where there the bitterness lies. <S> It is called the "pith", and is the white lining between the peel and the fruit. <A> I hope this helps, try chopping up a whole bunch of celery, It seems to absorb the bitter and nutralize the taste, It worked for me when I made a base for rice with way to much menthi Indian spice and the bitterness was unbearable, It worked for me and <S> I hope this helps you to!I also added a little vinagar and sugar.
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You might be able to counter-balance it with other flavors (salt, sour, sweet, hot), but you're likely still going to have some bitter notes come through, it's just a question if it's tolerable or not, and some people dislike bitter more than others.
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What is the effect of using pasteurized milk in cheese making? I am new to cheese making and I do not want to use raw milk to make cheese for health reasons. So, my next option is to use pasteurized milk. However, since pasteurization destroys some of the proteins one can say that there will be some differences considering there are going to be less proteins to coagulate. I heard that most cheese makers are adding ingredients to help pasteurize milk coagulate. What are these ingredients? Are they natural? What is the best approach to take for making good cheese with pasteurized milk? <Q> The cheese you buy from stores that is made from pasteurised milk is either made from low heat pasteurisation or by the addition of additional ingredients, typically calcium chloride. <S> I have no idea where you may be able to acquire calcium chloride where you live <S> but you may be able to obtain low heat pasteurised milk from health food stores <S> , maybe some of the larger supermarkets will stock it, also. <A> Most pasteurization is done at temperatures under 165F and does not damage the milk proteins enough to prevent coagulation. <S> Milk that has been heated past 165F will be labeled as Ultra Pasteurized and is likely to not be suitable for cheese making because too many casein molecules will have denatured and will be unable to bond with the calcium in the milk. <S> The calcium chloride is often added as a safety net for milk that may have been mistreated. <S> Both pasteurization and homogenization can damage the milk structure. <S> The extra calcium makes it more likely that the undamaged proteins will be able to find calcium to bind with and the structure of the curd will be acceptable. <S> Again most store-bought milk in the US is not Ultra Pasteurized and a suitable curd can often be formed with no extra additives. <S> Most home cheese recipes call for store bought milk <S> and I have personally had <S> no instance of store bought milk (or even powdered milk) failing to form a curd. <S> pasteurization: <S> http://www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/ff/pdffiles/foodsafety2.pdf Milk selection in home cheese making: http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese_course/Cheese_course.htm <A> The proteins in milk are almost totally unaffected by pasteurisation temperatures, but you can use a lower temperature for longer if you prefer: 30 min at 63 degC or 10 min at 65 degC. <S> I heat milk to 71.7 deg C for 15 seconds <S> (HTST pasteurisation)and it coagulates beautifully. <S> Whey proteins are pretty temperature stable too, but less so than the milk proteins. <S> However, apart from ricotta, you usually lose the whey protein anyway. <S> UHT milk is ultra-heat-treated, so much hotter: <S> Above 135 degC <S> and it sterilises the liquid foods. <S> NZ Cheesemaker <A> I've seen some recipes that use cultured buttermilk, stirred into the milk as an agent to acidify everything before adding the rennet. <S> I'd say this is your best bet. <S> pasteurization isn't sterilization, so some types of bacteria may survive, but you have more of a chance to get an infection from something undesirable, I would wager. <S> No actual experience though. <S> Fair warning.
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Unfortunately, the usual store bought pasteurised milk undergoes a process that kills virtually everything needed for coagulation to occur, which basically means making cheese becomes a whole lot harder.
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How can I measure the performance of my stovetop pots and pans? Am I looking for the ratio of burnt dishes to fine dishes? Well-cooked to not? My general happiness? When should I replace a pot or pan? I am unsure where to begin. <Q> I second Joe's advice. <S> Your pans may be too thin, that would make your dishes burn easily. <S> Place a thin layer of water in your pan (an eighth of an inch, or just enough to cover the bottom). <S> Turn on your burner to high. <S> If you have an electric stovetop let the burner glow before placing the pan on the burner. <S> Watch how the bubbles form in the pan. <S> If they are uneven over the bottom, you have hot spots. <S> This photo is actually uneven heating from the burner, not from a bad pan, but it shows the idea: you have hot spots. <S> If your pans have hot spots <S> you need to stir more often and maybe lower the heat from what the recipe calls. <S> Pans with thicker bottoms and made with good electric conductors (copper or aluminum) have fewer hot spots. <S> Then there is what I call the Remick Maxim . <S> Three years ago when I decided I would learn to cook better, I went through many cookbooks and asked a lot of people for advice. <S> A great friend (a French restaurant level cook) told me the best advice he ever got was from the actress Lee Remick , a good cook herself. <S> She said: “the secret to great food is to cook it in low heat.” <S> Best advice I got on cooking. <A> Cook something in a relatively thin layer on the bottom. <S> See if it is obviously hotter in some places than others. <S> Or see if you're constantly cleaning burned food off of some places and not others. <S> The major selling points of pricey pots are heat distribution and nonstick. <S> You already know if you want more nonstick, so what you want to look for is heat distribution. <A> This seems like it would be a difficult thing to objectively measure. <S> I personally have never done that. <S> However, I will offer some nerdy ideas and suggestions. <S> These are approaches I would actually try myself if I ever had the time or inclination. <S> First, I think bmargulies suggestion <S> to try cooking things is a good approach. <S> The intent is to see if there are hotspots. <S> However, I think you might be better off with objective measureable results. <S> I'd suggest getting a hand-held infrared thermometer (e.g. Fluke 62 <S> Mini Infrared <S> Thermometer <S> [I haven't personally used this]) and measuring different things. <S> Some ideas: Measure heat distribution and try to find hot spots. <S> A good pan will have an even distribution, and should have no strong hot spots. <S> If there are hot spots, how much hotter are they? <S> Timing how long it takes the pan to reach a specific temperature, given a specific flame setting. <S> Turn off the heat source once the pot is at temperature and measure how well it retains heat. <S> Does it cool evenly? <S> I surmise this <S> is likely to be related to the previous ideas. <A> @Harlans's flour trick works, but the problem is in looking at it afterwards, as it might get stirred up too much to give a good picture. <S> I would think a crepe would be a good test -- you'd be able to flip it out and get a good picture of how the heat was across the bottom of the pan. <S> An omelet might work well, as well, but they both sometimes have problems with sticking. <S> You could also try a thin layer of water (maybe 2cm or 3/4"), and put it over high or medium high heat, and watch to see which areas are bubbling. <A> +1 to the flour trick. <S> An IR thermometer would be nice to test the temp of your pans, but for evenness the flour trick is best. <S> Although I am curious about how hot they actually get--just not $85-curious. <S> Here are my results with the flour test: <S> My cast Iron pan has a huge hot spot right in the center. <S> I tested 3 different levels, high (9), medium (5), and low heat (3) on an electric range. <S> The high heat had the greatest hotspot and the coolest edges. <S> The lowest setting heated more evenly but took a long time to heat up, 25+ min. <S> Cast iron conducts heat poorly and unevenly but retains it. <S> I also believe the hot spots occur because the high sides sap heat away from bottom's outer edge. <S> It would be interesting to compare a the pan to a griddle. <S> My stainless steel pan with the aluminum sandwich core heated very evenly on medium (5). <S> I only tried one setting. <S> Yes, there were minor variances, but nothing compared to the cast iron pan. <S> Also, it heated much faster. <S> Overall I was really impressed by the pan's ability to heat quickly and evenly. <S> The photos speak for themselves. <S> This is the cast iron on 3, 25+ min vs. stainless w/alu core, ~8 min. <S> Edit: I tried to post images but <S> I can't because I'm a "new user". <S> I wish SE would let me carry my Stack Overflow credits into other forums. <S> I'll try to post images once I have the 10 points. :( <A> New answer to an old thread since commercial conditions have changed: <S> The actual heat distribution in a cooking vessel (in combination with heat source) can be well examined with a thermal imager - technology which was hardly commercially viable ($1000+) to the curious enthusiast in 2010, but has gotten more affordable looking at it from a 2017 standpoint (especially devices using existing smartphones as platforms, available below $200).
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You can test your pans with a simple experiment.
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How do I get the burnt aroma off burnt food? I sometimes burn the bottom of the pan due to carelessness or not stirring enough. The burnt smell tends to persist even after I seperate out the un-burnt bits. Is there any way to fix this? <Q> Well, if the aroma is truly in the food then there's not much you can do. <S> However, you can take steps to make sure that the aroma is subdued as much as possible. <S> It's quite possible that a large portion of the burnt aroma is merely in the air. <S> Be very careful "separating" the unburnt from the burnt Inhale something <S> very strongly scented. <S> Why? <S> It's quite likely that a significant portion of the burnt smell is merely stuck in your nose. <S> If you can somehow nullify that source of the burning aroma, you can perhaps more accurately gauge if the food itself actually has it. <S> If your dish would work with lemon or lime this could help. <S> If it's a desert maybe cinnamon or cloves might be useful. <S> The best thing though is prevention. <S> Use lower heat when possible if you find yourself being regularly careless. <S> Using a better pot/pan may help also depending on what you are currently using. <S> Also, don't turn down help if your guests offer. <S> Make them stir! :D <S> P.S. Don't inhale something dangerous like bleach or ammonia. <A> It really depends on what you're cooking. <S> Something firm, like meat or bread <S> , you can probably just cut off the burned part. <S> Anything with a liquid component, the burnt flavor is probably infused throughout. <S> Others may have better suggestions on how to mask the flavor, but again this will depend on exactly what it is. <A> If the bottom of the soup or sauce starts to burn: Move pan away from heat. <S> Try to quickly move the upper parts into another pan by gently ladling off the top. <S> Don't stir and don't scrape the bottom. <S> This will minimize the burnt flavor in the food (which is what matters most). <S> If this happens regularly, try cooking with lower heat, and setting a timer to remind yourself to stir. <A> Some home remedies: <S> Apparently, for burnt rice, you can take the (papery) peels of onions to absorb burn aroma. <S> Some people use peanut butter in burnt (wettish) dishes. <S> Coffee flavor (if appropriate to the dish) can mask flavor <A> If you burn rice while steaming it - a slice of soft white bread placed on top in the pan really helps. <S> For sauces, if you know you burned it before stirring it, carefully spoon the top layer into a new pan. <S> At least that way you won't be mixing in burnt chunks throughout the dish. <S> One more thing, try using heavier bottom pans as they will tend not to burn as much. <S> You might also try a heat spreader which is a little thing you can buy that sits between your burner and the base of the pan. <S> These work great for anything that is supposed to cook slowly for a long time.
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Possibly you could overpower it by adding something very fragrant to your dish that fits. Turn exhaust fans on to get the aroma out of your kitchen asap Submerge the burnt surface in water as soon as possible to prevent the aroma from spreading
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Are there any reasonable substitutions for lemon juice? In the past I cooked myself into a corner when I realized mid-recipe that I didn't have any lemons or lemon juice available. Nor did I have any limes. I can't remember the exact recipe, but I believe it was some baked fish dish. What are some possible substitutes for lemon juice in this application? I ended up using a dash of apple cider vinegar. It didn't turn out bad, it just was distinctly not lemon. <Q> When you find cheap lemons, buy a lot. <S> Squeeze half a lemon in each of the cavities of an ice tray. <S> Freeze. <S> Within a day, remove the frozen slivers from the tray to a ziploc bag in the freezer. <S> You now have measured units of fresh lemon juice you may use for cooking and will keep for months. <S> The frozen lemons are a bit less acid than fresh juice, but full of flavor. <S> You can do the same with limes. <A> Based on this site you can substitute the lemon juice for either an equal amounts of lime juice, an equal amount of white wine or half the required lemon amount of mild vinegar (like you mentioned) <A> If you're doing it for the acid (i.e. to cut the heat in a spicy dish), you might try cream of tartar if you have it lying around. <S> I've never actually tried to substitute tartar for lemon juice, but lemon juice is the most common substitution for cream of tartar, so it stands to reason that it works both ways. <S> (Note: You would use about 1/3 as much cream of tartar as the amount of lemon juice that's called for). <S> If it's for general flavouring, this may sound insane, but if you happen to have any cherry brandy or even regular brandy lying around, try that. <S> While cherry brandy obviously doesn't taste the same as lemon juice, it's often just as good or better in recipes that call for it. <A> if your using the lemon juice for the acidic aspect then you can use 1/2 as much vinegar. <S> However if it for flavoring I would substitute another juice such as lime or orange. <S> Sometimes you can <S> also you lemon extract for flavoring. <A> Whenever I have to substitute something I have to remember I am no longer making the same thing as what was in the recipe or that I had started with. <S> With that in mind I am more free to create then to agonize over trying to recreate. <S> I have had some great success with this, and <S> some that should best be left in the past :) As a substitute for lemon <S> , I think I would try a different direction, rather then try and recreate the lemon, go with salty. <S> Like a soy sauce, and perhaps simmer some apples in the soy sauce, or reduce apples in a little water then add soy. <S> You have done something similar to the lemon but yet entirely different. <S> Recreation is very hard, and you are always left with the unmet expectation of what should or could have been. <A> In the Middle East, a common substitute for lemon juice in salad dressings, hummus or other savory dishes is citric acid. <S> 1/4 teaspoon citric acid equals 1 tablespoon lemon juice. <A> Two UNreasonable substitutions are alum (toxic in large doses) and citric acid. <A> Most of the recipes where you need to add acid, it's about the acid. <S> Either balancing out the salt, or the flavor, or to help chemical reactions. <S> Lemon juice and vinegar are different acids, but if you are from countries where lemons are not the fruit of origin, use what is in your country. <S> Nice apple cider vinegar and use as substitute mentioned above. <S> Vinegar has two forms. <S> Both are present in your bottle of vinegar. <S> One is liquid and one is very volatile and needs to be cooked off (that means using vinegar in cooking you want to cook off the vapors a bit. <S> So in cold dishes, before adding vinegar is good to heat it up for 20 minutes if needed). <A> I just made some humus and half way through, realized I had no Lemons. <S> ARRRRRGH!!!! <S> I did have some rice wine vinegar and some frozen Orange Juice. <S> So I went with that. <S> But now, thinking about it a bit, maybe it should have been rice wine vinegar an worcestershire sauce. <S> Lemons are Sour, Acidic and bitter. <S> A bit of bitter might have been better. <S> Note: I did not use the Pinot Noir. <S> I drank that. <S> Hence this silly comment.
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A solution of sherry and cider vinegar is an OK substitute but doesn't quite have the tartness and strength of lemon juice.
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What is the effect of the fat content of milk when making cottage cheese I made cottage cheese yesterday using 1% milk while the recipe called for 2% milk. This got me wondering... What effect does the fat content of the milk used in the recipe have on the final cottage cheese product? Does using milk with a higher fat content produce more cottage cheese than a milk with a lower fat content? BOUNTY: To see if anyone can come up with anything about the quantity of cottage cheese resulting from milk of different fat contents. <Q> Not having made cottage cheese before, I'm unsure of what effect it has on the quantity produced. <S> However, I do know that it has a significant effect on the flavor of the finished product. <S> Just like skim milk tastes blander than whole milk, the same applies to cheese. <S> When you buy non/low-fat cottage cheese in the supermarket you'll notice they add sugar to prevent it from tasting like runny mashed styrofoam. <S> Update - I sent some emails out to a few food science professors regarding the role of fat in cheese yield, and got a response from Art Hill, Professor and Chair, Department of Food Science, University of Guelph. <S> Fat is a principal yield component in cheese. <S> Fat is trapped in the casein protein matrix during cheese making. <S> Thus the mass of the fat contributes to the cheese yield. <S> However, lower fat cheese often contains more water so yield loss is partially compensated by increased water retention. <S> I did some additional research and found that many cheeses have strict MNFS (moisture in the non-fat substance, calculated by subtracting the fat and expressing the moisture as a percentage of what is left) limits in which they can legally be called whatever they claim to be. <S> Take Cheddar for example, the highest moisture, lowest fat cheese that can legally be called Cheddar 56.12% MNFS. <S> To limit the moisture content of low-fat cheddar at less than a 1/3 fat reduction, fat substitutes are used. <S> These can include protein based beads designed to mimic fat globules, and starches. <S> Sources: http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/cheese/sectione.htm#yieldefficiency <S> http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/cheese/sectiong.htm <S> http://www.cheesereporter.com/Neville/neville.july.27.htm <A> Definitely a flavor impact. <S> I've made it a few times at home and with skim you end up with pretty much flavorless, translucent milk protein. <S> Pretty bland. <S> Either way, without the right amount of salt and re-added cream or half-and-half it will taste pretty bland regardless of fat content from my experience. <S> It's also really easy to over salt. <S> Thinking through it further to completion, <S> if you're re-adding something like cream or half-and-half the original fat in the source milk will be negligible compared to the additives before serving. <S> (Unless, again, you're simply going for a solid brick of milk solids.) <S> I cannot cite anything saying a change in the fat of the source milk will produce more, less, or the same amount. <A> From this site on the University of Guelph <S> it says that fat is important in cheese because it : contributes lubrication and creamy mouth <S> feel contributes flavour and acts as a reservoir for other flavours globules disperse light and suppress translucence making the cheese appeardarker <S> alteration of polar/non-polar constituents affects biochemistry <S> occupies space in the protein matrix and prevents the formation of a densematrix which produces a hard, corky cheese
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I'd imagine you'd have more mass left over, but as for the effective amount of cottage cheese I'd say that primarily depends on the amount of milk proteins and that should have no bearing on the fat content left in the milk used.
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What is the best knife/sharpener setup for an active cook? There are several posts that get close to this but I am looking for a specific knife(ves)/sharpener(s) combo(s) that can be used routinely and that work(s) well. My opinion is in this answer . <Q> If you have top quality knives, I generally discourage the use of any do-it-yourself sharpeners. <S> I take my knives yearly to a professional knife sharpener who puts that amazing 17 degree edge back on my Shun knives. <S> In between sharpening you should be using a quality honing steel every time you use your knife. <S> Additionally, your knives shouldn't need routine sharpening. <S> Unless you intend routine to mean every 6-18 months. <S> If you're sharpening knives more frequently than that, you're doing it wrong . <S> From what I've seen the quality sharpeners on the market are just too expensive to justify their space in my kitchen. <S> Maybe if I charged friends for sharpening services? <A> If you're using cheap knives (which you suggest to the answer you linked to, and I admit, I have quite a few), feel free to sharpen them yourself ... <S> But I don't sharpen my good kitchen knives myself, and I tend to go a few years between sharpenings ( <S> but I also have two chef knives and a santuko, which get the majority of the use, but it's spread across three of 'em, so they likely don't get as much wear if I only had one) ... <S> but I agree with @hobodave -- <S> I hone 'em, but I'm not going to sharpen them myself. <A> The best sharpener is the old italian man in a van who comes by on Saturday morning ringing his bell. <S> If you have good knives, don't try to sharpen them yourself. <S> You need a grinder with the exactly right stone on it, and you need to have destroyed a couple hundred practice blades before you get the technique right. <S> I get my knives sharpened every 18-24 months, and steel them about 15 strokes per side before use.
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I have both a stick-style diamond dust sharpener, and a set of whet stones.
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How do you steam vegetables? Assuming you don't have a "vegetable steamer" that you received as a wedding gift, how do you steam vegetables? <Q> If you have a metal strainer then I Fill a large pot with water. <S> Just enough so it almost comes up to the bottom of the strainer when you place it on top. <S> Insert the strainer <S> so it is balanced above the water. <S> Fill strainer with vegetables and cover with a lid Boil Take off when the vegetables are steamed to your specifications Enjoy <A> I can't understand why all posts suggest putting enough water to reach the bottom of the strainer containing the vegetables. <S> That way you are boiling them! <S> They call it steaming because you use steam to do the cooking, the more water there is and the closer <S> it is to the stuff being steamed the more nutrients and flavors that will be washed away. <S> When steaming on regular pots I only use enough water so that it won't evaporate. <S> Some lids for regular pots have a hole to let steam off, <S> If that's the case I close it with a bit of kitchen paper. <S> Additionally, you only need enough heat to keep the existing steam in gas form, more pressure just means the steam will leak and you will need more water. <S> It might take longer than your methods, but it tastes better, try it! <A> If they're frozen I often stab the bag a few times with a fork and then throw it in the microwave for a few minutes. <S> To be safe make sure your bag is a plastic known to be microwave safe. <S> It will either be labeled "microwave safe", but you can also check the recycling stamp. <S> Type 4 LDPE is considered microwave safe plastic. <S> Why does your question imply that vegetable steamers can only be obtained via wedding gift? <S> Buying a generic steamer insert/basket is relatively inexpensive. <S> For example: Progressive International Easy Reach Steamer Basket <A> I prepare/chop the veggies, put them in a glass bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water, lay a microwave lid over it and nuke for 3 or 4 minutes. <S> Carrots take a bit longer, so if I'm including carrots I'll give those a couple of minutes first and then add the other veg. <A> Use a large pot and a metal collander. <S> Fill the pot with enough water so it is just below the bottom of the collander and bring it to a boil, add your veges and cover with a loose lid or kitchen towel. <S> Steam until desired doneness. <A> I had a metal steamer basket (as suggested by hobodave ), but I prefer a silicone steamer basket ... <S> it will last forever, is dishwasher safe, and doesn't rust or get hard to fold up. <S> I don't care for the steamer bags because they are wasteful (and expensive), and I don't care for the microwave because it is too easy to overcook, particularly small quantities. <S> My procedure ... <S> Chop the veggies into whatever size/shape desired. <S> Put the steamer in the pot, and fill to just below it with water. <S> Boil the water. <S> Add the veggies, keep the water boiling, cover. <S> Wait a few minutes, then check every few minutes. <S> Turn off the heat when done to your preference .. <S> time depends on the amount and type of vegetable and desired crispness. <A> Glad and other plastic bag manufacturers make microwave steaming bags - they're basically heavy duty zippered bags with a vent. <S> Pop the veggies in, microwave the specified amount of time, and you're done. <S> Here's Glad's version . <A> If you don't want a dedicated steamer, my rice cooker doubles as a steamer (or even at the same time). <S> It has a round piece of metal that sits on top of the rice bowl with holes in the bottom of it, solid sides and then the lid fits on top of it. <S> While you have the rice cooking, your veggies cook above. <S> If you don't need the rice that time, just toss some water in it and use it just as a steamer. <S> http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13383065 This is the one I have, I'm sure others also include the steamer piece. <A> Forget the steamer. <S> This makes then perfect every time. <S> Not mushy, soft, but perfect. <S> Cook another minute to make them softer. <S> Seriously, this method is cheap, fast, and requires no extra gadgets.
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The easiest, fastest, cheapest, and best way I've found is to put three tablespoons of water in a large pan, put in the vegetables, and counting from when the water starts to boil, boil for two minutes on high heat with a properly fitting lid.
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How can you melt chocolate without it getting wet? I've tried a (few times) to melt chocolate but am obviously doing something wrong: Put a pot of water onto the boil Place a metal bowl over the pot Put chocolate into the bowl Wait for chocolate to go off! (Obviously the steam is rising from the pot and going into the bowl) What am I doing wrong? I'm not against using the microwave, would that be a better way? <Q> The way you've described is precisely how I melt chocolate. <S> If you have a double boiler, that's even better, but a bowl on top of a pot is fine too. <S> I can only think of two things that might be affecting the quality of your end <S> result: <S> Is the bowl big enough? <S> The melting bowl should be larger than the pot if possible; you want the steam to be forced under and around it. <S> Is the water temperature reasonable? <S> You want it to be at a simmer. <S> If it's rapidly boiling, the heat is too high. <S> As long as you keep those two things in mind, your chocolate should melt fine! <S> Edit: <S> Thought of one other thing: <S> It's possible that the steam is actually rising above the bowl, then hitting something (like your range), condensing and then falling back into the bowl as water. <S> You shouldn't even be getting much steam with this method, but just in case, turn your fan on, to make sure you aren't getting any condensation. <A> I always melt chocolate in microwave. <S> Once you are familiar with the process it saves you a lot of time. <S> Here is what I do: <S> Use chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate <S> Put them in large bowl and put the bowl in the microwave Microwave for a small amount of time, say 30 seconds (you will easily decide how much time you need for the amount of chocolate you are melting once you do it a couple times) <S> See if any melting/softening occurs. <S> If not, microwave for a little more time and check back. <S> You should not be looking for complete melting of chocolate. <S> Just make sure there is enough heat around. <S> Whisk until all chocolate melts <A> I find the safest method to be the oven. <S> Water is the big enemy of chocolate, even a drop or two will ruin a batch, so when I want to be safe, I melt my chocolate in the oven. <S> I use an oven proof ceramic bowl. <S> I place the chopped cooking chocolate in the bowl, turn the oven to its lowest setting (mine is 180°F) and place the bowl in the oven. <S> Check it every three minutes by stirring it with a very dry spoon or one of those oven proof silicone spatulas. <S> In most ovens it should not take more than ten minutes. <S> Once out of the oven continue to stir, as the bowl will be a bit too hot for the chocolate. <S> Chocolate may melt in an oven and still retain its shape, that it why you have to test by stirring. <S> Most cooking chocolates melt at about 100°F, which makes melting them in the microwave just as tricky as doing it on an improvised double boiler. <S> After you get the hang of it, any method should work (in a hurry, I do it straight on the stovetop by putting the pan on and off the burner). <A> According to Alton Brown, you can use a heating pad in a large bowl. <S> Turn the pad up and keep a close eye on the chocolate. <A> I've found the safest way for me to melt chocolate is in a slow cooker on low heat. <S> I have a small one that's intended for making dips that works perfectly, but if you only have a larger one, you could put a ceramic dish inside to melt smaller amounts of chocolate. <A> I always make sure that the pot and bowl for the chocolate are of similar size. <S> You don't want the pot to be tiny and the bowl to be large - you want an even surface area for the chocolate to melt on. <S> Stand by and keep the water simmering on a medium to low heat. <S> It should not boil against the bottom of the bowl. <S> If it does, you have too much water at too high a heat in your pot. <S> You generally do not want to leave this unattended as it can heat up much quicker than expected and stir the chocolate frequently. <S> Chocolate can burn against the edges of the bowl if it gets too hot. <S> Sometimes if I have other things to work on I will saran wrap the top of the bowl while it melts. <S> This ensures nothing gets into my chocolate while I am not able to pay full attention to it.
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Put your chocolate in a smaller bowl and put it on the heating pad.
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How do I get my spring rolls crispy? I tried making spring rolls last night and for whatever reason they turned out soggy and I was generally disappointed. I cooked them in about 5cm vegetable oil in a wok that was on a pretty high heat using generic spring roll "paper", but they just didn't crisp up. I have a feeling that maybe it was because my fillings were a little wet side (but not too much) but I'm a little stumped as to what has caused them to be soggy. Any tips on how I can get them to crisp up next time would be greatly appreciated <Q> As Brendon mentioned, the oil needs to be very hot. <S> Just test this by dropping a cube of bread into the oil. <S> If it 'sizzles' and starts to colour, the oil is hot enough. <S> Also, cook the spring rolls in small batches, say 2 or 3 at a time. <S> Overloading the pan or wok won't help. <A> If you don't have a fry thermometer -- the important part of frying is the bubbles coming off the food in the oil. <S> If you don't have bubbles, the oil's too cold. <S> The trick I use for measuring the temperature <S> (as I don't have a fry thermometer) is to dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil -- the wood holds enough moisture that if the oil's hot enough, it should bubble. <S> As you're adding food, if the bubbles lessen, you're cooling the oil off too much, and need to adjust the heat to compensate. <A> Was the oil hot when you added them? <S> To get something crispy and not soggy, the oil needs to start out hot. <A> Trust me, my aunty makes homemade spring rolls for a living - Freeze them <S> and fry them from frozen. <S> Lower the heat if you need to. <S> If they are browning too quickly you can take them off the heat completely until they settle down a bit, sometimes if the oil is too hot, even putting it on the lowest setting wont stop then from burning. <S> But of course it's better to not let the oil get too hot in the first place :) <S> P. S <S> And If you're filling is too thick <S> and you're worried they won't cook through <S> , I guees you could freeze them partially <S> so the inside isn't too frozen. <S> Hope that helps :) <A> The Filling Consideration has to be taken into account on moisture content, size/thickness of the pieces and whether they need prior cooking and/or draining. <S> All the ingredients should cook at the same time, or not require cooking. <S> The Wrapper (and wrapping) <S> Presuming the wrapper is the defrosted conventional Chinese wrapper (flour, water, oil) specifically made for Spring Rolls. <S> Make sure you roll it tight and firm <S> (a loose roll will allow oil to flood in, and seal the final end with ideally a flour paste, but egg wash would work. <S> Batter (or no batter)? <S> Depending on your desired look of your Spring Roll, and when you will serve them (ie immediately after frying, or later as in party or reheat before serving) will help you decide about Batter. <S> Non battered spring rolls don't reheat well, especially in the fryer. <S> Frying <S> The type of oil, quantity and the temperature of the oil is important. <S> You need a high smoking/burning point and enough volume of oil to keep the temperature from dropping as you add your spring roll/s. <S> The temperature will depend on the size (length and thickness) and whether the filling needs to be cooked. <S> Your spring roll/s should sizzle as they enter the oil and bubble away. <S> Don't overload your fryer, your spring rolls will start soaking up the oil and possibly start to unravel. <S> You might also want to check your fryer, a deeper pan would be better then a shallow pan - spring rolls are usually heavy at the start and sink down. <S> When they float or when they stop bubbling much is a sign they are done. <S> Draining <S> Depending if you had wet ingredients you might need to make a small prick in two ends and stack them on their ends to drain any excess oil or liquid. <S> Also your spring rolls should be spaced out from each other as they drain, this reduces them absorbing moisture from each other. <S> Hopefully yours turns out better!
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And Control the heat so that when you add them at the start, it's hot enough that the oil is bubbling and they are crisping up, don't have the oil too low that they're just Soaking up the oil, but also not too hot that they're browning too quickly or burning, because they need to have time to cook properly on the inside aswell. If they stick together after frozen, put them in a plastic bag and lay something like a thick newspaper or rug on the floor (to protect your floor) and mildly bang or drop the frozen spring rolls on the floor until they seperate.
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How do I cook scallops? I like my scallops caramelized a bit, but every time I fry them I make an enormous mess. Oil splatters everywhere. Any tips? Should I grill them? Can I use the oven? (I try to use scallops without any sodium tripolyphosphate). <Q> Most people I know who cook <S> scallops actually overcook them. <S> I always buy sushi-grade diver's scallops from my fishmonger. <S> These can be eaten raw, and are most delicious when done so. <S> However if you want to add a little extra flavor, and liven up the appearance of these then sear these briefly on a high heat. <S> If you can get these from a quality source (probably not a supermarket) and you're not hung up on eating raw/rare seafood you'll never look back. <S> Unless your scallops have been soaked in a brine, and you're buying the quality scallops I recommend you don't need to rinse them. <S> Otherwise, rinse them thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel. <S> To sear these properly I simply melt a Tbsp or two of butter in a non-stick pan. <S> I use as high a heat as possible (med-high to high) <S> you want to put the scallops in <S> just as the butter begins to barely smoke. <S> I've often seen people suggest using clarified butter, but I'm too lazy to try. <S> Place your scallops in the pan and cook them for 30-60 seconds per side. <S> Don't move them around in the pan, otherwise they won't sear as nicely. <S> This is for scallops that are the size of a small childs fist. <S> If you have smaller ones you might need to cook them less. <S> Just a brief update because I feel I didn't stress this enough. <S> Fresh, quality scallops are absolutely not intended to be cooked well done. <S> They will be chewy, period. <S> If you are used to them this way, well you're really missing out. <A> When you cook scallops use the fresh variety and not those that come in brine. <S> Once you've cleaned and removed the foot, make sure they are dry or at least not dripping with water, as this will cause the oil to splash. <S> An alternative would be to wrap a each scallop in bacon and skewer then with a cocktail stick or a sate skewer, add a little lemon juice and cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. <A> I'd suggest you have too much oil. <S> I've found that with a non stick pan you don't really need oil, or just a smidgin. <S> Just get the pan nice and hot put the scallop in leave it alone to sear for a couple of minutes, time will depend on the size of your scallops, then flip and finish the other side, usually for a little less time. <S> serve with the side you seared first facing up. <S> Making sure they are dry before you put them in the pan is a good idea. <S> and if you have a lot to cook you can do them until the are almost done on the second side and then remove to a tray. <S> then when you have seared them all and are ready to serve you can blast them in a hot oven for a couple of minutes or so to finish off all together, then everything is ready to go at the same time. <A> If it's also about making a mess, you can use a splatter screen to lessen the oil splatters everywhere. <S> I recently bought one and it helps a lot. <A> Agree totally with @Hobodave re fresh scallops. <S> You have to cook / coat from frozen, so get really tasty scallop morsels with a slightly spicy coating. <S> The smaller scallops come out amazing using this method, and they are a more sustainable produce.
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You can also buy frozen scallops, and these I dip in light egg, then coat lightly in panko, sea salt, chilli, and crushed black pepper.
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What is a "roux" and what are its uses? I've had excellent Macaroni and Cheese that I was told was made with a "roux." What exactly is a roux, when is it used and what are the benefits of using it versus other cooking methods? <Q> It's actually spelled 'roux', and is a mixture of oil and flour, cooked to remove the starchy taste of the flour. <S> It's a great thickener any time that you don't need the sauce to be clear, and you have time to cook it down. <S> I typically use it for cream sauce (including cheese sauces, such as for mac & cheese) and gravies. <S> As for benefits -- it's habit at this point, so <S> I'm not really sure <S> -- I guess it's made from things I always have on hand. <S> You can also get flavor from the roux, if you cook it longer , but you'll adversely affect the thickening ability. <S> Gumbo is normally made from a dark roux (the Cajuns have a series of names for the color of roux, including 'brick', 'peanut-butter' and 'chocolate') <A> A "Roux" is a mixture of 50% butter, 50% flour that is used as a starch thickener for a number of "mother" sauces (notably Béchamel, Espagnole, Velouté). <S> For a white sauce base, you may heat both butter and flour together in a saucepan over a low flame while combining with a wooden spatula. <S> After just 30 seconds mixing, you will get a consistent semi-liquid that is your "Roux". <S> Now, turn the heat to medium and continue stirring rapidly. <S> Gradually add milk, cream or other liquid as required. <S> As you add more liquid you can slow down your stirring speed. <S> The sauce should thicken in just a few minutes. <S> For a dark sauce base, heat the butter first on a medium/low heat for about 5 minutes until the butter takes on a nutty flavor. <S> It will also darken due to the sugars caramelizing. <S> Once you have the desired color, add the flour and continue as above. <S> See Sauces for more information. <A> as mentioned by others a 'roux' is flour and oil/butter mixed together, while under heat. <S> the benefits of using a roux, are that your sauces will not get lumpy. <S> Try just adding flour directly to the sauce next time. <S> All you will get are lumps of flour in it. <S> Not nice! <S> the roux keep everything nice and smooth. <S> Same thing can be said about thickening with corn starch. <S> You mix corn starch into water (or broth) first. <S> Why? <S> because if you directly add the cornstarch to the sauce, all you get is cornstarch lumps <A> Typical procedure: Heat shortening (oil or butter), add flour, cook, stirring continually, for a few minutes. <S> Add liquid a little bit at a time. <S> Many sauce recipes (e.g. Mac & Cheese white sauce) are just built up this way; in other cases you'll in turn add the somewhat thinned roux to something else. <A> You can get roux in a jar <S> You can also make roux in the microwave <S> You can even make a dry roux without any oil! <S> The most difficult part of making a roux on top of the stove is that you could burn it and have to start all over again. <A> For making gravy I prefer to make dark roux in the oven. <S> Melt 1 part butter in a baking dish, sprinkle with 1 part flour, bake for 30 minutes (stirring and re-spreading half way through). <S> This works great once you have taken the turkey or roast out of the oven to rest. <S> Once you have your roux to the desired color starting adding your drippings and broth for a great gravy. <A> Many have already answered: What exactly is a roux and when is it used. <S> I would only like to add more to answer your question of "what are the benefits of using it versus other cooking methods?" <S> As many have also said smoothness and uniformity of texture. <S> I would also add "Mouth feel" and flavor. <S> Most other thickening agents will not have the same "Mouth Feel". <S> Especially corn starch which tends to be more like a "Gel". <S> If thickening agents were paper, roux would be "matte" and corn starch would be "extra glossy". <S> lol <S> Also the final flavor and color of roux can be dramatically altered merely by adjusting the cook time. <S> It is truly a fundamental flavor skill to master. <S> I encourage you to buy some starches and thickening agents and make some small batches and taste for yourself the differences. <S> It is a great way to sharpen your palette.
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a roux is normally used for thickening sauces (usually cream/cheese type sauces).
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What can you do with an infrared thermometer? Infrared thermometers have plummeted in price in recent years, and are now inexpensive gadgets for the home cook, not to mention the pros. What are the primary uses of an infrared thermometer in the kitchen? <Q> Infrared thermometers work very well when measuring the temperature of hot oil. <S> For deep frying it's not a big deal, as standard probe thermometers work fine. <S> (Note that IR thermometers are not accurate when measuring the temperature of a dry steel pan, as the shininess makes the pan look much cooler than it is. <S> IR thermometers work fine on dry cast iron pans, though!) <S> IR thermometers work rather poorly when measuring the temperature of hot water, however! <S> Rather than measuring the temperature of the water surface, which is usually similar to the mass of the water due to convection, it measures the average temperature of the water vapor coming off the surface! <S> In my experience, boiling water measures about 200 F with an IR thermometer. <A> One thing I've found surprisingly useful is how accurate it is measuring the temperature of microwaved liquids. <S> This can be handy when bringing milk or water to 100 degrees when making yeast breads. <S> The convection of the liquid when heated by microwave means the surface temperature is within a degree or two of the center of the liquid, at least in my experience. <S> For hotter liquids, where the water vapor is cooler than the liquid, it may better to measure the side of the pan below the water level. <A> They can also be used to get a quick reading on the grate temperature of a grill. <S> Probably not as accurate as a grate mounted thermometer (sometimes seen inside a smoker) though. <A> Great for making yogurt & checking temp of boiling milk @ <S> 185f <S> + cooling to 115f. <S> Its critical to get the correct temp or you will kill the culture used to make the yogurt. <S> Works like a charm! <A> I bought one to measure the temperature of a firewood oven. <S> Immediately I noticed it was useless. <S> In order to bake on those ovens, you must have enough temperature in the bricks, not just it their surface. <S> Using the terminology: They have to be soaked. <S> Luckly I had built the oven with plenty of sensors between them. <S> But there is one dish which needs a lot of temperature in the surface of the oven: pizza. <S> Unluckly my I.R. thermometer could only read up to 325ºC (or so) <S> (600 ºF). <S> That wasn't enough for pizza. <S> So I bought a new "expensive" I.R. thermometer that reads up to 900ºC (1650 ºF). <S> Now I know greater pizzas are made between 400ºC and 450ºC. <S> (750~850 ºF)) <A> You can't measure the inside temperature. <S> You will just get the superficial temperature which is usually almost useless. <S> You need a thermometer that can be inserted in the food (for example a meat thermometer) <S> and then you will be able to do exciting things, for example the perfect temperature for frying oil (just under the smoke point) or the steak grade (raw, medium, well done). <A> The best use, imho, would be to make sure your oven was hitting the correct temperature. <S> Other than that, I can't think of anything cooking related. <A> As a BBQ master, I use IR thermometers to measure grills for correct temp or find hot/cold spots. <S> However you cannot just read the grill straight down as the IR will read the flame or flame tamers down below. <S> However if you cast your eye at an angle to the grill until you cannot see below and take a reading at that angle, It will read the surface accurately. <S> I also use the IR gun for pressure frying where the oil temp is critical before sealing.(Dont try pressure frying unless you know what you are doing)
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But for shallow frying or sauteeing, the IR thermometer does an excellent job at providing the temperature of the oil.
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How to take care of Silicone cookware I am starting to collect various piece of Silicone cookware. I would like to find out how others keep their silicone cookware clean or if they try. I put my Silicone cupcake tray into the dishwasher last night and sure enough its does not clean well and feels greasy still. In the past I just wipe it out and learn to ignore the greasy part. But it still makes me wonder. Thanks! <Q> You're doing all you can. <S> When I first started using Silpats (love them) <S> I noticed the greasy feeling after washing. <S> I googled and googled but all I ever found was that this just seemed to be a fact of life. <S> I personally wash mine in the sink, and I think it turns out better, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's just my imagination. <S> From what I can tell it does not affect the quality of my food. <S> I'm also pretty sure that it's not "grease" per se, but probably just some feature of washing and using silicone regularly. <A> It is real grease. <S> For some reason, silicone doesn't get clean in the dishwasher. <S> I suspect that this is connected to the fact that cleaning methods which work for hard surfaces will not always look for soft ones (see e.g. the research on ultrasound washing machines), but this is just speculation on my part. <S> What I do is to put the silicone cookware through the washing machine. <S> It emerges without any greasy feeling, it is like rubber on touch. <S> I have been doing this for years and it hasn't harmed anything. <S> I normally put it in in together with the kitchen and bathroom towels, using a long, high-tumble, 60 degrees or higher cycle. <S> Obviously, the temperature doesn't do anything (these moulds go into the oven at 200+ degrees Celsius, <S> the washing machine only goes up to 90 and using this temp is the exception), and the tumbling and centrifugation also seems to cause no problems. <S> I don't put them through a dryer afterwards, just shake off any clinging water. <S> I only wash mats and soft moulds in the washing machine. <S> I wash utensils with hard plastic parts (spatulas, some of my novelty ice cube trays) per hand in the sink, as I avoid putting hard items in the washing machine if I can, and also don't know how the plastic will react to high temperatures. <A> That's what I do <S> and it works perfectly for me. <A> If it still feels greasy, put a bit of baking soda into and leave it alone for awhile. <S> It will absorb the excess grease <S> and then you can lightly wash it out again rinse it out and put it away. <A> Microfibre is your answer. <S> Loofahs. <S> Plus detergent by hand.
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I was told to wash silicone bakeware with hot water only (no soap) and that it was supposed to stay with a slightly greasy feel in order to remain non-stick!
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What fish have deliciously edible skins? I love salmon skins, especially when fried or oven roasted. I also always eat the skin when I have a filet. What other fish have deliciously yummy skins that can stand on their own like a salmon skin can? Are there fish whose skins are generally avoided? Examples? <Q> The skin of all the small fish I have tried is delicious. <S> I have never tried, e.g. tuna skin, and I imagine that it is too tough <S> and I also wouldn't eat shark skin. <S> Beware, though, as while the skin concentrates the deliciousness, it also concentrates the mercury and other contaminants, so you may consider limiting your intake. <A> Trout - fried in butter with almond chips. <S> Simple, quick, utterly sublime... <A> Salmon skin is also really delicious crisped up and mixed into sushi rolls, if you're into making that kind of stuff at home. <S> I usually just put in the salmon skin, rice, and a little bit of avocado. <A> Striped Bass and Red Snapper have great skin which you can leave on when preparing fish, and then let crisp up and eat with the fillet. <A> Halibut skin is great by itself. <S> I had it out here <S> where my brother cooks, and it was fantastic. <S> The skin is thick enough that, when baked for a while, it can stand on its own like a cracker. <S> That's how they served it at The Willows: <S> baked until crisp, then topped with dollops of a clam puree and a dusting of powdered wakame. <S> It probably wouldn't be too difficult to make something similar in a home kitchen.
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Back when I used to eat fish, I always ate the skin, and found it to be the best part.
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How do you make pork rinds? The little bit I currently know is that they're fried pig skins. However, beyond that it's just a bunch of hand-waving on my part. Do you buy pig skin from a butcher? Is there a special type you need? How do you judge pig skin quality? I'm assuming they're deep fried, does the oil matter? Are they a difficult thing to make in your home? <Q> Funnily enough I made some of these just a week ago. <S> They're not at all difficult to make and you can use any rind, which your butcher should be able to supply. <S> Depending on your health considerations, you can oven cook them or you can part oven cook part fry. <S> Oven cook method: <S> Cut the rinds into 4 by 4cm pieces Place in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes <S> allow to cool, then place in the fridge until the skins feel 'dry' approx 2 hours <S> Preheat the oven to 220c(425f) and place the rinds on a baking sheet. <S> Season and place in the oven Turn the oven down to 180c(350f) and cook for about an hour. <S> You will need to drain the fat a couple of times. <S> Let them cool and add more seasoning, if needed. <S> The Oven/Fry method Cut the rinds into pieces that will fit on a rack over a baking tray (not small pieces) Half fill a baking tray with water and place the seasoned rinds on a rack over they tray Roast these in the oven at 220 to 230c(350 to 450f) for 10 to 15 minutes. <S> When they've changed colour and start to bubble they're done. <S> Remove form the oven and cut into 4 by 4cm strips In a pan half filled with very hot veggie oil or a deep fat fryer, cook in batches until they 'puff' up around 2 to 3 minutes. <S> Remove and let the oil be taken-up by paper towel. <S> Season and you're good to go. <S> I tried both methods and I preferred the second, something about frying them <S> just 'felt' right :) <A> Typically the "raw" rind is referred to as a "pellet", so you need to Google "pork rind pellets" to find sellers . <S> Warning: they tend to come in huge bags, so unless you want to experience death by 65lb bag of pork-rind-pellets, go in with some friends. <A> You can buy the pig skin from a butcher, any kind will do, even if they still have some fat or meat attached. <S> Fry the pork skin until they look like the ones in the potato chip isle, pretty much just eyeball it. <S> Also, you can add water to the fat, together with some onions and garlic too. <S> Then, add the skins and ears, snout, what ever you got, throw some pork meat in there too, and boil them till they're soft and fully cooked. <S> Add a can of coke to caramelize it, and strain it <S> and it's done . <S> Both ways are good, just take some practice to get them how you like them. <S> Oh, and stir them a lot <S> so they don't stick to the pan. <S> We make them in a large cazo on a burner outside. <S> Cook on high flame
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The way we make them is you buy pork lard from the store and you heat it up, add a lot of salt, or to taste.
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Can I prevent honey from congealing/hardening in the pantry? This question is inspired by this answer suggesting that honey lasts a long time. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to last so long in my cupboard. I make sure it's sealed tight, but usually after only a week or two it's looking pretty nasty. Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Or is there a standard (not to mention safe) way to "rescue" hardened honey without losing flavour or texture? <Q> <A> Hmm, sounds like you're getting "raw" unprocessed honey, which is a good thing, because that kind is in all ways better than store processed, but it tends to crystallize very rapidly. <S> To return it to it's liquid state, heat it slowly in a double boiler to around 145(f). <S> It should turn clear and liquidy. <S> Once it looks nice, cool it off by adding some cold water to the pot. <S> Don't heat it in a closed containter: honey increases in volume when heated. <A> If your honey is in a glass jar, you can also just remove the lid and put it in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds or so. <S> All you're trying to do is heat it up <S> so it goes back to liquid form. <S> (But don't microwave it in plastic! <S> Yuck!) <S> I've never found a way to keep raw honey from crystallizing in the first place, though. <A> The answer to the question is: store in the freezer. <S> Honey will not crystallize under 65 degrees. <S> If it does crystallize: keep your honey raw and maintain the antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, don't warm above 105 degrees. <S> Never microwave it. <S> Raw honey has never been heated above 105, usually warmed by a light bulb to help it flow when extracting it. <S> Be gentle with your raw honey. <S> I learned this from my beekeeping mentor. <S> I have two bee hives. <A> My family owns a bee company and we have found the best way to melt honey back to its liquid form is to immerse the whole bottle with lid still on in a crock pot filled with water and turn it on high for about an hour or so, depending on how much honey you're reheating. <S> Fill the crock pot so that the water hits below the lid though, because water will ruin your honey. <S> And just keep checking your honey every 30 minutes or so. <A> there is nothing wrong with your honey, honey that behaves that way is showing it's higher quality. <S> You can use it as is, it will melt when you cook with it. <S> It makes an excellent spread as is (such as on toast), and yes it will last that way for decades and even centuries if it's sealed properly. <S> If you really must reqliquify it, then just place the jar in some warm water and wait a while. <A> According to this answer , honey should be stored at 70-80 degrees Farenheit (described as room temperature, though that's warmer than many rooms I've been in). <S> I used to store my tea honey in a cabinet that's on an outside wall, and I've seen less crystalization since moving it to a cabinet on an inside wall. <S> That said, I still get some crystalization, especially in winter when the kitchen temperature ranges from 60 to 70. <S> I haven't yet succeeded in preventing crystalization entirely, even though I keep it in tightly-sealed glass jars. <S> Other answers have addressed how to rescue crystalized honey. <A> From this question <S> it seems that you might be able to store it with the comb to make it last longer before crystallising. <S> According to this site <S> you can store the comb for more than a few weeks by putting it in the freezer, it will thaw out as runny honey apparently. <A> Get acacia honey - it practically never crystallizes. <A> I microwave the honey in 30 second increments until it melts back to a usable state. <S> It works fine and doesn't recrystallize for a couple of weeks. <S> Then I microwave again. <A> I love maple syrup when its in the pure forn(meaning it has not been diluted with the bought syrup) and found keeping pure maple syrup in the freezer was my answer. <S> It will not freeze. <S> Pours kinda slow tho. <S> I say that to say this,maybe honey will react the same way. <A> ( ceramic). <S> Never crystallizes.
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If it congeals, put the container in hot water until honey is liquid (~10-15 minutes). Easy way to prevent crystallization: store honey in a clay jar!! Keep it stored in an airtight container, so that it doesn't absorb moisture from the air.
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How do I feed a sourdough starter? The cookbook I'm using tells me how to make a sourdough starter, but not how to feed it after I take out what I need for the bread. What do I do with the starter once I've used some? I don't think I'll use all of it at once. <Q> When I've made and used starters in the past I've generally fed it 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour every other day. <S> The challenge with sourdough starters is that you need to be using them regularly as the volume obviously grows if you're just feeding it and not using it regularly. <S> Of course a friend, family member, or neighbor might be thrilled for you to share it with them but then again... <S> it's kind of like having a pet <S> - you have to keep it fed! <A> I feed starter with a 50-50 mix of water and flour. <S> Usually 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup flour for a small container. <S> You can eyeball the ratio. <S> It isn’t critical to get it perfect. <S> You can do this by eye… <S> if the starter starts to look ugly when you take it out to feed, you should feed it a little more often. <S> One thing I will say is that you can resurrect a starter that seems long past edible. <S> The starter will get a cloudy fluid on top of the batter and develop a really strong smell if you let it go too long. <S> My personal experience is that you can pour off the watery fluid and some of the batter if need be. <S> Then add a good feeding of flour and water. <S> It will take a little longer than usual to build up again. <S> Yeast is a very durable critter. <A> You just have to add more flour and water periodically so your yeast doesn't die. <S> You can add more to replace. <S> You don't have to feed the starter as often if you leave your starter in the fridge <S> but then you have to let it warm up before you use it. <S> This video is awesome for showing how to make and maintain your starter. <A> Maintaining a Starter: <S> Feeding Schedule: <S> As a general rule: Once your starter is healthy and active, bubbling, rising vigorously, and smelling sour, you have two options: <S> If you store the starter at room temperature, you need to feed it twice a day. <S> Don't wait for the risen starter to collapse before the next feeding, because it messes with the ph levels and can make the yeast and bacteria less active. <S> Every 12 hours, feed it. <S> If you store the starter in the fridge, you can go up to a week between feedings. <S> The cold won't kill the yeast and bacteria, it just slows them down. <S> Just make sure the starter doesn't get shoved into a super cold spot and freeze. <S> The feeding process: <S> Stir the starter, remove all but 4 ounces of it <S> (you can either discard the rest or use it to bake something). <S> To the remaining 4 ounces, add 4 ounces flour and 4 ounces of purified or bottled water (chlorine in tap water is bad for the yeast and bacteria, and most filters remove chlorine taste , but not all the chlorine). <S> Room temperature starter gets room temperature water; refrigerated starter gets lukewarm water. <S> Stir until no dry flour remains. <S> Cover with a non-airtight lid. <S> Refrigerated starters need to stay at room temperature for several hours after feeding so the yeast and bacteria have a chance to wake up and eat. <S> Source <S> After removing some of your starter to bake bread, feed the remainder as you normally would, but perhaps with a bit more flour and water than usual if you're left with less than 4 ounces. <S> This can be avoided by planning ahead. <S> The day before you want to bake, when you feed it, put the removed starter in a bowl and feed that, too. <S> Your primary batch of starter won't be depleted, and you'll have plenty of starter for your baking. <A> I don't do sourdough in warm weather, it wastes too much flour. <S> In the cooler months I use half the starter once a week and then add 1 cup flour and one cup water and watch the mix, when bubbles stop appearing (use a ceramic bowl with at clear glass top), will either make up another batch of bread or pour out half the starter and add the 1 cup of flour and one cup water. <S> This refreshing of the starter is temperature related; the warmer it is the faster the yeasts work and the more often it must be renewed. <S> I keep mine on the floor in a cool part of the kitchen. <S> If you see pink in your starter, toss it and start over.
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If you keep the starter in the fridge you can get away with feeding it twice a week depending on your yeast strain.
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How long does it take for buttermilk to go bad? I love making buttermilk pancakes but I can never seem to use up my buttermilk before it passes the expiration date. The thing is, if I take a solid whiff of the "expired" buttermilk it smells great (even up to a month after the expire date). How can I tell if it's still ok to use? <Q> Buttermilk is already thoroughly packed with live bacteria. <S> During its manufacture, that bacteria already consumed some portion of the available lactose and turned it into lactic acid. <S> Because of the lack of food, acidity, and the extreme competition it is pretty hard for buttermilk to go bad. <S> The good bacteria will stay active and the buttermilk will get thicker and more sour until it runs out of lactose. <S> In fact- when your buttermilk container has about 1/2 cup left you can make more just by refilling the container with milk and leaving it to ferment on the counter for a day. <S> If you use it up more quickly than the bacteria eat the lactose then you can keep this up indefinitely. <S> Don't worry if it is thicker- <S> if it still smells good then it probably is. <S> As Noctrine said- mold around the lip is the worst risk. <S> I am not a food chemist and despite my personal experience- if you ever suspect that food is bad just throw it out. <S> $2 of buttermilk isn't worth an unpleasant afternoon. <A> The only time I ever throw buttermilk out is if it has mold in it. <S> I keep it in the back top shelf of the fridge and it does fine. <S> I have some right now with an expiry date of Dec 2012. <S> Whenever I'm making a choc cake or cornbread <S> I open it <S> and if it has no green, Shake it up to incorporate and go ahead and use it. <S> I try to buy the kind in a plastic container, it seems to last longer (like 9 months isn't long enough LOL) <A> As long as it's mostly liquid, you're probably ok... <S> Still, I'd be scared of using it more than 7-10 days after expiration. <S> A good trick is to freeze it in the quantities that you typically use, and thaw as needed. <A> Buttermilk should hold for sometime after the expiry date, in general you should be wary if it has become chunky, and of course (like all food) if it becomes molded. <S> I've also ran across a few things that said it would have a taste that is more bitter than usual <S> the worse off it becomes. <A> Buttermilk never expires. <S> Ten days after the expiration date, just boil it for a few minutes and let it settle for a while. <S> It makes a great dry yogurt in the form of cookies. <S> They last for years. <A> I freeze left over buttermilk in ice cube trays. <S> When frozen, I put the cubes in a plastic bag to be kept in the freezer & use as needed.
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Buttermilk tends to turn pretty solid when it goes bad.
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How can I barbecue salmon steak? I have two Salmon steaks that I would like to Barbeque. What are some effective techniques for barbecuing salmon? <Q> Buy a cedar plank. <S> Soak it in salted water for a couple of hours Rub the salmon with olive oil and season it with a little bit of salt, I use kosher salt or smoked sea salt but regular table salt will work just fine. <S> Then put the salmon on top of the plank, skin side down. <S> Then put the plank on the BBQ. <S> You can see the fish cook, it will get pinkish-white starting from the skin and traveling up. <S> If your grill has a top, close it and cook for about 20-30 minutes. <S> Check it to make sure it's not drying out. <S> Internal temp should be around 130 or so. <A> I like making a dry rub with brown sugar, paprika, chipotle powder, thyme, black pepper, salt, and parsley. <S> To cook, dredge in a bit of olive oil, then pat with the rub. <S> It'll caramelise wonderfully and lends a really nice taste - smoky sweet with a bit of a bite. <A> A lil' evoo, sprinkle with Emeril's fish rub and smoke skin side down between 200-250 for 3-3.5 hours...yum! <A> <A> i love doing it this way, it's not quite "BBQ" other than that it is cooked on the bbq itself. put the steaks on some foil then salt & pepper them. <S> lay on top of them some lemon slices and some sprigs of oregano. <S> put a splash of white wine on it then seal the foil into a tent shape with the steak inside. <S> pull off after about 10 minutes or until the steaks are how you like them. <A> A quick and easy way is to grill with a slice of bacon and slice of lemon on top. <S> Set the bacon and lemon aside while flipping, then put back on top.
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The only thing I've ever done for BBQ salmon is to put something on it (I usually just put a couple lemon slices, sometimes a bit of BBQ sauce) wrap it in foil, and cook it.
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How can I safely improve my cutting technique I'm not bad with knives if I should say so myself. My cutting speed is definitely above average, but I've have never been trained by professionals. Most of what I know, I have picked a long the way, trying out some different stuff, practice etc. I would really like to improve my cutting speed, for when it's really needed to be able to cut fast, but I don't know how to go about it. I really don't want to risk my fingers. So is there some good rules, guides or techniques I can use or practice to become more proficient with knives without risking cutting my fingers? <Q> All of the following play an important role in cutting technique/speed: Practice! <S> Probably the single most important. <S> A very sharp, clean knife. <S> Always hone your knife before use, and have it sharpened regularly (6-18 months depending on use) A fast and stable cutting surface. <S> A solid end-grain cutting board is ideal. <S> The food should be stable. <S> As Nick says, make a flat side to your food if it doesn't have one. <S> Proper off-hand placement. <S> Your off-hand should be curled with your finger tips resting on the food. <S> Your first knuckles should be against the side of the knife blade. <S> Your fingertips should be tucked out of the way due to the curling. <S> Your thumb pushes the food under the knife as you slice. <S> This can vary based on your biomechanics, hand size, knife, etc. <S> However, the gist is: Don't hamfist it Relax your hand and arm Gripping high up on the bolster of the blade can help with control and speed. <S> I pinch the blade itself between my thumb and forefinger. <S> Unless you're actually chopping (e.g. using the rocker technique to chop herbs quickly) you should actually be slicing your food. <S> A slight forward movement of the knife blade as it passes downward through the food decreases resistance and speeds the cut. <S> It also is gentler on your food. <S> For example, Jamie Oliver Finger Guard . <S> I've never used one of these, but it seems like it would significantly decrease the chances of a mishap. <S> It also seems there are a few other brands out there to try. <A> My first cut of any vegetable/etc is always make a flat side. <S> If you're trying to hit a moving target, you'll probably be slicing slower. <A> If you're located in NYC there's a great knife skills class regularly offered by The Brooklyn Kitchen . <S> See their current class schedule to see if it's on there (generally called "Knife Skills"). <S> Also - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PtCy_PQUCg is a short video with the guy from Brooklyn kitchen. <S> Like hobodave said - practice makes perfect! <A> I went and bought a huge bag of onions to dice and a huge bag of carrots to julienne and cut until the loss of skin off my knuckles from the rubbing would become too painful. <S> Also pick a size and weight of knife that feels good-- <S> you'll know it straight away. <S> My first quality chef's knife I bought on looks and <S> only later realized larger models suited my largish hands.
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Proper knife-hand placement. To be completely safe you could use a finger guard.
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Fastest way to cook a baked potato? Baked potatoes are great as everyone knows but what is fastest way to cook them (obviously preserving the taste). Normally I do about 10 minutes in the microwave and then in the oven till the top starts to crisp. But is there a better way? <Q> If you really prefer them baked though, you can speed this up by inserting a large metal skewer into the potato while it's in the oven <A> Microwave would be your best bet. <S> Don't forget to poke holes in it first. <S> Here's a step by step instruction guide: http://www.wikihow.com/Bake-a-Potato-in-the-Microwave <A> I am normally all about cooking things quickly, but in the case of baked potatoes, that's a mistake. <S> Even the standard recipes you can find don't cook them long enough. <S> Oil, salt, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake at 425F for two hours. <S> Yes. <S> Really. <S> You'll get a lovely taste (due to caramelization, dessication, etc.) <S> that these microwave recipes can't manage. <A> Microwave is fastest. <S> It doesn't match the tender skin you get from wrapped in foil and stuck on a grill, but it's convenient enough I still use it most of the time. <A> Microwave is by far the fastest way. <S> I only like to cook my baked potatoes in the microwave if the oven isn't free. <A> Pre-cooking in the microwave while the oven heats works well if you wrap the potato in a layer or two of plastic wrap just after washing it so that it is still damp. <S> I usually try to turn the potato over after 5 minutes to get even baking. <A> I like to cook the potatoes in the microwave first, and then wrap them in foil and put them on the grill.. <S> This is a great idea to insure that the potato is cooked all the way through and its a great trick if you wrap and have them ready for the grill "before" people come over to eat... <S> And to people saying cooking at high temps for that long is bad... <S> HA.. <S> We used to throw potatoes right in the embers camping, dig them out a while later, and I have to admit it is the best potato in the world.. <S> And its fun to find the one you missed the next day to see a shell of a potato without anything in the center of it..
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Grilling / broiling the potato after it comes out of the microwave is quicker than baking it and achieves the same crispy outside.
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How to soft boil an egg Is there a fool proof way to make sure the white of the egg is set but either all or some of the yolk remains runny? <Q> Very few people have tried a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. <S> There is a tradition among chefs of trying to show each other how perfectly they can cook something as simple as an egg. <S> Chef Fernand Point , who serves as inspiration for the affable chef Gusteau in Pixar’s animated movie Ratatouille, would test his apprentices by asking them to fry an egg. <S> With a responsive thermometer, such an infrared one, you can approximate their work at home. <S> If you ever get that mad scientist feeling, try cooking the egg in a bowl of water placed in the oven. <S> Start with cold tap water in the bowl, place the eggs in the water and the ensemble in an oven set to its lowest setting. <S> Every five minutes, check the temperature of the water in the bowl. <S> If you are using an infrared thermometer, stir the water before measuring. <S> Let the water hover between 65°C to 68°C for an hour. <S> In most ovens you will have to turn the oven off and on to keep the water in that range. <S> The result will be a bright yellow firm gel. <S> I have a picture of the gel for the fried version of the mad scientist egg (what I call Eggs Mondrian <S> ): <S> If you want the yolk runny, then the temperature of the water should be between 63°C (to cook the whites) <S> but below 66°C to keep the yolk runny. <A> Read this article for complete scientific explanation of the process: Towards the perfect soft boiled egg <S> The most important part is this formula: <S> which with boiling water (100C) and a refrigerated egg (4C) results in these plots: <S> so depending on exactly how soft you want your egg and how large it is, you might want a cooking time anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes. <A> Cook the egg in already boiling water for 4 minutes and remove. <S> Hack off (more like tap) <S> the top of the shell with your spoon, add some sea salt, and dunk in slender pieces of toast until you have consumed all of the egg deliciousness. <S> If the egg is cold from the fridge, put it in the pan with the water as you bring to a boil; if the egg is room temperature (better), drop it into the already boiling water. <A> Like you, I love a runny yolk and hate <S> a white that isn't set! <S> I've been experimenting with the soft-boiled egg a few mornings per week for the past couple of years, and have discovered the following: <S> I like a 5-minute egg; the 4-minute egg is, by my lights, underdone and icky. <S> Barometric pressure does have an impact on how fast water boils and how quickly it boils away! <S> "Soft-boiled" eggs should actually be called "simmered eggs," because you DON'T want a hard, full-rolling boil. <S> To make a perfect soft-boiled egg: <S> Remove your egg/s from the fridge and set them on the counter. <S> Bring salted water to a boil. <S> Put the egg/s into the boiling water. <S> Boil gently for exactly 5 minutes, no more, no less. <S> Plunge into cold water for about 5 seconds. <S> Eat immediately! <A> Start the timer. <S> I find 6-8 minutes is perfect, while up to 10 can produce good results. <S> Once the time is up, pour out the hot water and replace with cold water. <S> This helps both peeling, and to slow down the carry-over. <S> The whites are solid but not rubbery, and the longer time benefits a creamy, orange center. <S> It takes longer, but the results are really tasty. <S> Note <S> : use enough water in a big enough pot so that the number of eggs doesn't overly change the water temperature, otherwise the timing will vary. <A> You can buy an egg boiler for cooking the eggs. <S> Example:
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I get ideal results from putting the eggs in boiling water and then turning off the heat.
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How do you know when mussels are done? I bought 1/2 pound of mussels and cooked them in a cast iron skillet with a little white wine and some shrimp stock on boiling heat. Almost all of them opened after about 15 minutes, some did not. The ones that opened were done perfectly, and those were the ones I served. Still, in the future - should I just throw away the rest, or would a few more minutes in the skillet be in order? <Q> You should throw them out. <S> Mussels that don't open were quite possibly dead and decomposing for an unknown period of time prior to cooking. <S> You don't want to take a chance here. <S> Just in case future readers don't know, mussels, clams, and other in-shell shellfish are still alive when you buy them, and they should be still alive when you cook them. <A> In the future, I would recommend the following: When washing the mussels before cooking, if any are slightly open try gently closing them. <S> If they react by snapping closed themselves or they stay shut, it means the mussels are alive and well. <S> If instead they react by immediately popping back open, throw them out (they are dead). <S> I've found that the majority of the dead mussels are slightly open before cooking; they rarely are completely, tightly closed. <S> Using this method, when you actually cook the mussels, you have a reasonably good idea that they are all alive and therefore safe to eat, regardless of whether or not they open all the way during cooking. <S> After cooking there will likely be none that are closed, but if there are, there will likely be few and you can discard them if you like. <A> Don't eat them <S> you risk becoming very very sick. <A> A friend of mine (professional cook) told met to steam mussels extra hot, lid closed. <S> In about 5' they should be open and done. <S> They are done when they open. <S> Don't leave them cooking any longer than necessary as they'll toughen up. <A> As far as I know, if you spray fresh live mussels with cold water they will open slightly. <S> If they don't open, throw them out.
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When mussels don't open when cooked, it means that they were dead before you cooked them.
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Why do my brownies inconsistently end up hard and thin? When I make brownies, I sometimes end up with really hard thin brownies instead of thick fudgy soft brownies. I bake them the same amount of time, use the same ingredients, and use the same equipment each time. Are there any reasons why my brownies sometimes end up thin and hard, and other times not? <Q> You might not be as consistent as you think. <S> See my comments about baking cookies . <S> One thing that comes to mind is amount of flour, and how (and how much) you're mixing -- but I don't know that those would make it 'thin' necessarily, but it would make them tough if you're over mixing. <S> It <S> might be a temperature issue, if you're using a solid shortening (eg, butter) rather than a liquid shortening. <S> Also, although you said you're cooking them for the same amount of time, inconsistent oven temperature might turn that into inconsistent baking -- you only want brownies to be set on the sides when you take them out of the oven -- they should fail a toothpick test if you want them fudgy. <S> Cooking them until they're 'done' will result in them hardening up as they cool. <A> A few tips from personal experience: <S> Stop cooking your brownies when a toothpick inserted about 3 inches from a corner toward the center comes out clean, not when the center necessarily comes out clean. <S> Make sure your batter is at room temperature before you start baking to promote even cooking. <S> When your brownies are done (see point #1) rest them away from the oven to promote quick and even cooling. <S> Cook your brownies in the middle of the oven. <S> To at least partially fix this after baking... <S> If you want to increase the moistness of the brownie, you can ice brownies with your favorite chocolate icing. <S> Let your brownies cool for about 5 to 10 minutes, then drop large spoonfuls of your icing on the brownies and let them partially melt for a couple minutes, then come back with a spatula and smooth it out. <S> The icing will not only give you more height, flavor and appearance points, but will also insulate the brownies and some of the richness will soak into the brownies besides just sitting on top. <S> Store your brownies covered and in the refrigerator once they are cool. <A> Definitely check the expiration dates on your mix/ingredients, but also if the humidity in your area varies greatly this can have a significant impact on the amount of moisture in baked goods. <S> Flour, sugar and salt are all effected by humidity especially if they are not stored in air-tight containers. <A> A couple of thoughts ... <S> 1- <S> You are using old ingredients or an expired mix. <S> 2- <S> The oven temp could be inconsistent. <S> Hard and thin also indicates overcooking.
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In particular, if the eggs or baking soda/powder are not fresh, the brownies will be hard and thin.
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what's a good technique for freezing blueberries? I'm taking a trip to the berry patch today. I'd like to get say 3 pounds of blueberries and freeze them. The problem is that when you defrost them, they're all busted up and mushy. So I wonder if I could put them in the oven at 150 for an hour or so and dry them out a bit before I freeze them. Would that pull some of the water out and result in less exploded berries when the water in them freezes? What's the best way to freeze a blueberry? Edit: years later, bought a food dehydrator. Gotta say, a dehydrated blueberry is much tastier than a previously frozen blueberry. Easier to store (use desiccant packs) and you can mix them in with trail mix too. Maybe not great for baking but heck maybe you can re-hydrate them overnight with some water. <Q> Lay them out on a tray in a single layer and freeze them flat first. <S> Once they're frozen, pour the frozen berries into a freezer bag and store them that way. <S> This has worked well for me. <A> As fast as possible, as it minimizes ice crystal growth (which breaks the cell walls, and causes the mush problem). <S> As most of us don't have access to liquid nitrogen, I'd probably try cooling them down in the fridge first, then freeze them with dry ice, crushed. <S> See the transcript from Good Eats : Strawberry Sky , where Alton Brown used dry ice on Strawberries. <A> Lay them out on a paper towel overnight so that the skins dry completely. <S> This gives the benefit of keeping the frozen blueberries from sticking together without needing lots of freezer space to do a quick freeze individually on a sheet pan. <S> Then bag in a freezer bag and freeze. <S> Note that whenever you freeze fruit, the liquid will burst the cell walls as it thaws, causing the resulting berry to be mushier. <S> In my experience, frozen blueberries aren't good for eating alone. <S> Dry <S> the skins before using in baking. <S> Using these techniques I have not once had any of the 30 pounds of blueberries I froze this summer burst in the freezer and have successfully made many blueberry baked goods from the results. <A> We have a friend who runs a fruit stand, so we get a lot of blueberries every year. <S> I've never thought of trying to keep them from getting mushy, I just take it for granted that the frozen ones are better used for making blueberry pie or crisp, sauce, or jam. <S> That said, I think the bigger berries don't seem to burst as much. <S> I wash all my berries to get rid of all the stems or squished ones, then dry them and spread them out into a single layer on cookie sheets to freeze. <S> I know that when I've pulled out some of the bigger berries from the freezer, they seem to be intact. <S> Maybe the skin is a bit more resilient when they've ripened that much? <A> Remove any leaves, stems, or blemished berries. <S> Do not wash the berries, as that will result in a tougher-skinned berry. <S> Pack the berries into freezer-safe containers (or bags), leaving headspace. <S> Seal and freeze. <S> Wash before using. <S> If want to freeze crushed or pureed blueberries, wash the berries first. <S> Then, crush/puree your berries. <S> Mix about 1 cup of sugar into each quart of berries. <S> Stir until sugar is dissolved. <S> Pack into containers, leaving headspace; seal and freeze. <S> If you're looking for a safe way to freeze just about anything, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation . <A> When freezing any fruit, the quicker the better. <S> The quicker you freeze the fruit the smaller <S> the ice crystals are that form. <S> The smaller the ice crystals, the less mushy the fruit will be when defrosted. <S> The quickest method I have found is using Liquid Nitrogen. <S> The results are always great. <S> I remember seeing an example of doing it on FoodTV. <S> I will see if I can located it for you. <A> I wash, puree and then pour the puree in ice cube trays... <S> same for strawberries, etc. <S> I use the ice cubes for a number of things, drop one in green tea, melt for pancakes, etc. <S> A nutritious drink is mixed berry cubes melted, water and heaping tablespoon of chia seeds. <S> If you want whole blueberries, just freeze them in a bag and need to use, rinse under warm water and they are as good as the day they were picked. <S> I have a number of blueberry bushes and freeze and use all winter.
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To bake with blueberries, thaw them by placing them in a mesh sieve or collander and running water over them until the water is clear off the bottom (no pigmentation from the skins, which may color your baked goods) and the berries are thawed.
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Is there a fool proof way to fry sausage? I love fried sausage with breakfast; it goes great with bacon. But I've always been a little freaked out about under cooking sausage and I don't prefer cooking the crap out of it. Is there a fool proof way of frying sausage, and if not are there any guidelines? And for bonus points can I get away with frying it in a stainless steel skillet? Update : I guess the meat of my question is: How do I know when it's cooked enough for eating? <Q> If you cook the sausage low, slow, and covered (with a few table spoons of water and/or onions) until properly cooked then brown to desirable crispness you are guaranteed to be eating fully cooked sausage. <A> Since you love bacon, I strongly recommend getting a George Foreman grill . <S> That way, you can cook both bacon and sausage at the same time. <S> I'd slice the sausage to about 1/4-1/2" thick and lay them on the grill. <S> Takes less than 10mins to cook both bacon and sausage, and you don't have to flip either. <S> Another good thing about the grill is that the slanted surface drains the grease. <A> Cast iron pan dedicated to cooking meat. <S> Once the pan is seasoned well, you need very little oil. <S> If you fry bacon, you can simply use its oily remnants. <S> Would recommend medium to medium-high temp. <S> Fry until golden brown on outside and fragrant, and <S> slightly firm. <S> Don't be afraid to cut into one to see if the inside is finished adequately, then you will learn a timeframe that works for you. <A> I don't know if it's 'foolproof', but one trick I've used, when I'm not rushed, is to put some water in the pan <S> -- you'll render off the fat in the sausage, and once the water boils off, you'll be able to brown the outside of the sausage in the rendered fat. <S> And yes, you can even use a stainless steel pan for this. <S> ... <S> and it'll take longer to cook, as you have to take the time to boil off the water. <S> It helps to use a pan <S> that's not much larger than what you're cooking, so you don't have to boil off lots of water. <A> I adopted a slow frying method recommended by some web site or other, and I've since stuck to that, except when I'm in a rush, because it's foolproof. <S> It takes an hour, but needs very little attention during that time. <S> Don't prick the sausages. <S> With this method, the sausages are thoroughly cooked through. <S> You get beautiful sticky caramelisation on the outside, and the inside remains moist and delicious. <S> Since the skin won't split, pretty much all the fat remains in the sausage (which is why they'll be moist) -- so this technique is best for high quality sausages. <A> You should be able to tell by plumpness, color, smell and if in doubt, taste. <S> Additionally, if you suspect they are done but aren't sure... give them a prick with a fork. <S> If the juices run clear, you should be good to go. <A> I recommend a 6 dollar digital thermometer, available at your local grocer: you'll use it all the time once you have one. <S> For the record, 140F for 10 minutes, 160F for one minutes is food safe. <S> Pork is still going to look pink at 160F, so you're probably fine if you're at all squeamish about this. <A> I haven't tried it recently, but I always had problems with the sausage skin sticking to the pan. <S> I always cook bacon on our George Forman-type grill and sometimes do sausage on it, but these days when I have sausage I usually buy a big package of sausage meat and either slice or form it into patties and fry those. <S> The patties fry fine in a stainless pan w/ grapeseed oil.
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Fry with a tiny coating of oil, on the lowest flame you can achieve, for an hour, turning the sausages a few times.
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How to make ice cream without a machine? I recently made a poor-man's ice cream by making an egg custard and freezing it in the freezer in a metal bowl, stiring about every half hour. I was expecting it to freeze it 2 hours, but three hours later, it was too late, still not frozen solid and I went to bed. The resulting ice cream was edible, but had more crystals than one might want. What other techniques are there for freezing the ice cream short of buying an ice cream machine? Or can this recipe be improved? This was the general recipe I was using . <Q> This is what we figured out at Serious Eats: How to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker <S> In sum, use more sugar, whip the cream, freeze in icecube trays and run through a Cuisinart at the end. <A> My cub scouts love to make camp out ice cream. <S> You will need two cans, one significantly larger than the other both with lids <S> (we use a #10 coffee can and a small coffee can). <S> Make sure the small, inner can is clean and fill 2/3 of the way with an ice cream or custard mix (it will expand with churning as air is added). <S> Place small can inside of larger can and surround with ice and a sprinkle of rock salt (or kosher salt). <S> Roll cans back and forth for 30 minutes or so to get to soft serve consistency (more ice may need to be added half way through) <S> you can place small can in freezer after it has reached soft serve for more solid consistency without the crystals. <A> Similar to the technique Janelle outlines you can do the same thing with zip-loc bags. <S> Fill a smaller one with the ice cream mixture and a larger one with ice and rock salt. <S> Put the smaller inside the larger and <S> then 'massage' the bags until ice cream is made. <S> you can do this with your feet whilst you watch TV. <A> Also look at McGee . <S> The basic method is to put sweetened cream and milk, or any other ice cream mix, into a plastic freezer bag, and the bag into another bag containing salted ice. <S> Thirty minutes and a few vigorous shakes later, the mixes were firm enough to serve. <A> This raspberry "gelato" is excellent if you have a food processor, cream, and some frozen raspberries. <S> You can also use other fruit. <S> I saw the Cub Scout method mentioned in this question written up in at least two publications this summer, so it's apparently the hot cooking trend. <A> This wouldn't work with dry ice blocks. <S> With chips or shavings it ought to. <A> I make ice cream without a machine all the time at my restaurant. <S> The base is 300 ml whipping cream + 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz) + <S> whatever fruits, nuts or flavor I want. <S> Here is my recipe for Cherry-Lime Ice cream- <S> 300 ml whipping cream, chilled 1 <S> Can sweetened condensed milk 1 jar maraschino cherries, 10 oz 3 tablespoons lime juice pinch of salt Slice maraschino cherries into 1/4's. <S> Combine 1/4'd cherries, juice from the cherries, lime juice, salt & sweetened condensed milk in bowl, set aside. <S> Beat whipping cream to stiff peaks. <S> Fold cherry mixture into whipped cream. <S> Pour mixture into 9 x 5 loaf pan, cover with cling film & place in freezer. <S> It usually takes about 12 hours to freeze solid, no stirring required. <S> This ice cream is smooth, scoop able, does not melt fast & is delicious!
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If you can get hold of enough dry ice to surround a metal mixing bowl, it should be possible to make ice cream by whipping whole milk in the bowl.
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Is it safe to eat moldy cheese if you slice off the edges? Whenever my cheese gets too old and has a bit of blue/white mold on the side, I'm not sure whether I should throw it completely out or not. Is it safe to eat if I cut off the edge? Should I cut a bit off of all the sides just to be safe? I'm particularly interested in the answer for cheddar cheese, but answers about other cheese are welcome. <Q> I think it would depend on the cheese. <S> For a reasonably hard cheese, like cheddar, I have done it, and never gotten sick (your results may vary). <S> For a softer cheese, like a brie, I would not risk it. <A> As Nick said, I wouldn't recommend it for soft cheese... <S> the process of cutting off the mold can push some nasty bacteria into the inside. <S> I've also never got sick from doing this. <S> Now if you're talking about some piece of cheese that has questionable provenance (been in your student accommodation fridge for 6 months)... <S> well that may be different :) <A> For soft cheeses such as Brie all you need to do is cut far enough back that you're not cutting through the mold itself. <S> Brie is more likely to develop an ammoniated smell before the mold gets too extreme and <S> if this is the case cutting the mold isn't going to help, the cheese has continued to deteriorate on the inside already, simply throw it out. <A> Hard cheese, yes, I'm still here. <S> Soft cheese, no, it travels through the interior of the cheese too quickly. <S> Also, if it smells odd after cutting the mould off, I'll throw the whole lot away. <S> I don't like to be in doubt about whether my food's going to make me sick or not. <A> Harold McGee <S> (yes I know, I quote him a lot) suggests that molds can penetrate into cheese far more than just the surface contamination. <A> As has been mentioned some types of cheese are deliberately infected with mold as part of the maturation process (for example Blue Stilton) and are perfectly safe to eat. <S> Eating other types of cheese which have had mold growing on it is a bad idea. <S> This type of mold produces toxins which spread throughout the cheese. <S> Cutting off the mold will make no difference. <S> I was told this by a food scientist.
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Solid blocks of cheese, such as cheddar, will only have the mold on the exterior so cutting it off should be fine. If it's pre-grated, then I would not touch it anymore.
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Is lemonade better when made with simple syrup? On a hot summer day and with a basketful of lemons I often want a nice cold glass of lemonade. A lot of recipes suggest making lemonade with simple syrup, which requires cooking, whereas other recipes just have stirred-in sugar. What exactly are the benefits of making lemonade (or limeade) with simple syrup versus just stirring in sugar? <Q> Simple Syrup is sugar that is has been dissolved in water. <S> Heating speeds the process, and also allows the water to "absorb" more sugar. <S> I don't remember the chemistry of why the sugar doesn't crystallize at room temp, but it doesn't. <S> It is typically made in a 1:1 mixture .. heat a cup of water to boiling, add a cup of sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, allow to cool. <S> It is used in cold drinks like lemonade and iced tea because granulated sugar does not dissolve easily in cold liquids. <S> It requires a lot of mixing, and the saturation point is low, so people who like lots of sugar can't get enough to dissolve to get the taste they desire. <S> Note <S> #1: this is why Southern-style Sweet Tea is sweetened while the tea is still hot. <S> Note <S> #2: <S> The sweetness of 1 tsp of sugar is not equivalent to the sweetness of 1 tsp of simple syrup. <S> You will have to find your particular taste point. <S> Note <S> #3: It can be flavored with just about any flavor extract, such as lemon, orange, peppermint, vanilla, almond, and so on. <S> As I understand it, this is typically how flavored iced teas are made. <A> I can't address "better," but it may be different. <S> The effect of boiling the sugar water is to break down some of the sucrose into its component sugars, glucose and fructose. <S> The result is somewhat sweeter than the same amount of merely-dissolved sucrose. <A> The syrup makes it much easier to sweeten the lemonade. <S> When on stirs in granulated sugar, one has to mix for a while, which is kind of hard to do with all those ice cubes in the glass. <S> With the syrup, a few strokes of the spoon do the job. <S> In South East Asia you often get a jar with simple syrup to sweeten your ice tea <S> and I always thought it would work great with lemonade. <S> To make the simple syrup, dissolve a cup of sugar with a cup of water in a pan over medium heat. <S> Once completely dissolved, take it off the burner, let it cool, and place in a pouring jar.
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When you make simple syrup, you boil the sugar water for some amount of time.
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Is it safe to eat potatoes that have sprouted? I'm talking about potatoes that have gone somewhat soft and put out shoots about 10cm long. Other online discussions suggest it's reasonably safe and the majority of us have been peeling and eating soft sprouty spuds for years. Is this correct? <Q> Not safe enough for me to try it. <S> Potatoes actually contain a very dangerous toxin called solanine . <S> This toxin is concentrated enough in the green parts in the plant to cause solanine poisoning. <S> This includes the sprouts/eyes, and the potato itself if it's green. <S> This article from the New York Times health guide indicates that it is something to be taken seriously. <S> However, a potato as far gone as you have described <S> sounds disgusting . <S> A soft potato is on its way to going bad. <S> Where I am from, potatoes are cheap enough that it's just not worth <S> the gross factor for me to eat a potato that has 10 cm sprouts and is squishy. <S> I do eat potatoes that have little nub sprouts on them and that are slightly less than firm, after removing the sprouts of course. <A> It is safe to eat a sprouted potato if it is still firm (source: University of Illinois ); however, don't expect it to act the way an unsprouted potato would. <S> Part of the starch will have converted to sugar. <S> Be sure to store potatoes somewhere cool and dry with good air circulation. <S> Also, keep them away from onions. <A> Other online discussions suggest it's reasonably safe and the majority of us have been peeling and eating soft sprouty spuds for years. <S> Is this correct? <S> Um... <S> Well, I grew up eating them. <S> Towards the end of winter, all the potatoes looked like that. <S> We snapped off the sprouts, ate the firmer ones, and saved the rest for planting. <S> We didn't die . <S> I don't think. <S> Unless this is all a dream, the last twenty years merely the illusion of my dying, spasming, potato-poisoned brain. <S> That said, if you have a choice, I would stick with potatoes that haven't sprouted... <A> I know not to eat a green potato, but sprouted ones are no big deal. <S> Just trim off the sprouts. <S> Knives comment was really funny...lol! <A> My Dad grew up on a potato farm and he warned us about green potatoes but we were allowed to eat firm ones that had sprouted as long as we trimmed off the eyes. <S> I don't think storing your potatoes with herbs or essential oils would be a good idea unless you wanted your potato dishes to taste of that stuff. <S> I'm fascinated by the comment about not storing potatoes with onions because I always have. <A> Potatoes are simple, but 10cm is obscene, throw them out. <S> Potato safety 101 <S> Don't eat the sprouts, just cut them off (they taste bad anyway). <S> Unless they're more than a few cm. <S> Don't eat potatoes that have any green tint to their skin [1]. <S> Don't eat potatoes that are soft [2]. <S> Tips Keep your potatoes dry <S> Keep your potatoes in a dark place <S> If you store potatoes well over winter, they won't sprout and will sweeten as the starches turn to sugar and the flavor will become more complex and earthy. <S> Stored potatoes are delish. <S> Notes <S> [1] <S> This is difficult to see on purple/blue potatoes, so just eat them fresh. <S> [2] <S> You don't want your potatoes to be hard , you want them to be firm to the touch. <S> Don't be afraid to give them a bit of a squeeze. <S> As an exception, "new potatoes", which are just very young and small potatoes with thin skins, are usually a bit softer. <S> Source : <S> My friend worked on a potato farm. <S> Disclaimer : I am not a healthcare or food safety professional. <A> The solanine is found in the green skin and also highly concentrated in the eyes, which form sprouts. <S> Solanine is highly toxic, but is usually found in really small quantities. <S> You would have to eat a lot of it to kill you. <S> Toss any crazy sprouting potatos out <S> , learn the proper way to store them. <S> You wont have that problem.... <A> From this Smithsonian article : Not to worry though, fatal cases of solanine poisoning are very rare these days. <S> Most commercial varieties of potatoes are screened for solanine, but any potato will build up the toxin to dangerous levels if exposed to light or stored improperly. <S> Often, the highest concentrations of solanine are in the peel, just below the surface and in the sprouted “eyes”—things that are typically removed in cooking preparation <A> If you keep your potatoes in a well-ventilated, low-light place, they'll last longer before turning green and sprouting. <S> That said, I peel green potatoes, discard the sprouts and make mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes out of them--because after all that, they seem kind of ugly to me. <S> They've never made me sick, nor anyone I've fed them to. <S> Maybe it IS because modern cultivars have been selected for low solanine content. <S> That seems logical to me. <S> Nevertheless, my mother did the same as I do, and I was born 20 years before the 1980's began. <S> Maybe the poisoning danger is at least mostly negated by peeling and cutting away any green flesh. <A> My family doctor has always advised that pregnant women should avoit eating potatoes. <S> As sprouting potatoes contain toxin which may cause defects in the developing baby. <S> Some stores break the sprouts away, but there might be still toxin left behind. <S> It may not hurt normal people, but for pregnant women, it is too risky. <S> Try notto buy potatoes that have sprouts, buy enough for what you need to avoid them sprouting while keeping them too long
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Per this article, if the sprouts have been removed, and the potato is not green then it is safe to eat as far as solanine poisoning is concerned. But it's still probably not a good idea to eat in general.
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How to clean an electric kettle? I have an electric kettle that I clean by scrubbing the insides with plain water. I was wondering if there was a better way to clean it. I remember hearing somewhere that you can clean a coffemaker by running a solution containing vinegar through it and was wondering if there might be a similar solution to clean the kettle? <Q> Fill your kettle with water until it's half full; add about 1/2 cup of vinegar to the water, and then allow it to boil for about 10 minutes. <S> Allow the water to cool and unplug your kettle. <S> Gently scrub away the scale with a non-metallic pad (don't scrub the heating element if it's exposed; wipe that with a sponge). <S> Rinse your kettle several times after removing the scale, and then boil one or two fillings of water in it to ensure that you remove all traces of the vinegar. <A> I've found that citric acid works best. <S> You put it in a kettle of boiling water, and just let it do its magic. <S> It cleans up any plaque buildup, and brings it back to a shiny pristine state. <S> Works much better for me than vinegar, for some reason. <A> I have generally found the vinegar method to be suitable and haven't heard of anything specific as to why it would be harmful. <S> Vinegar is usually only about 5% acid solution so rather weak as far as acids go. <S> A lot of manufacturers will recommend a specific cleaning solution because it's yet another thing that you have to buy from them. <S> You should be able to find descaling solutions in cleaning aisle of the grocery store or visit your local restaurant supply store for descaling solution. <A> Follow the manufacturer's directions. <S> I have heard the vinegar thing for coffee makers too, but it's not a universal thing. <S> Specifically, my coffee maker has very explicit warnings about not using vinegar, or any other acidic solution to clean it. <S> Instead it suggests soap and water for the externals, and a vinegar-free descaling solution for the internals. <S> I don't own an electric kettle, but I wouldn't be surprised if some models had prohibitions or warnings of their own. <S> I know for sure they will have specific instructions in their manuals though. <S> For anything electric/electronic that you care about, follow the instructions. <A> Vinegar and baking soda work fine to clean kettle. <S> You can find the formula here <A> If you don’t want to use white vinegar, you can use apple vinegar. <S> I have tried it in my kettle with pure apple cider vinegar. <S> It worked very well too.
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You can use a solution of vinegar and water to descale your kettle (unless, as hobodave mentioned, the manufacturer advises against using vinegar).
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How do I clean kale and other leafy vegetables for cooking? I'm eating a lot of kale and other leafy vegetables lately, and I'm concerned about removing pesticide residue. Is thoroughly rinsing the leaves in cold water enough? <Q> When washing vegetables that can get muddy (Kale, leeks, etc.) <S> I generally recommend first using tepid to slightly warm water to help soften the mud more easily. <S> Leeks should be split down the middle and then can be fanned under warm water which will help wash the dirt out more readily. <S> For Kale, if it isn't muddy then you can use cold water and give it a soak and agitate as hobodave indicated below. <S> If they're muddy and dirty, then I'd use slightly warmer water to first clean them <S> and then give them a soak in some cold water to help plump them up and increase their turgor pressure to make them nice and crisp. <S> A good wash in water (universal solvent) should be enough. <S> Most of what I've read on the effectiveness of "vegetable wash sprays" say that they're no better than a good wash with water. <A> Also, make sure that you cut off entire stem right up to the top off the leaf, otherwise the consistency of the finished leaf will be a little too chewy... <A> Submerge the leaves in there and agitate them gently. <S> You do not have to worry about pesticides. <S> Your greater concern should be with removing all the sand and dirt from these leaves. <S> Chewing on a rock, no matter how small is not a pleasant experience for you or your guests.
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Leafy greens like kale should be washed in a sink or tub full of cold water.
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Is there a substitute for tahini in hummus? If I don't have tahini is there anything similar to use to make hummus? <Q> Sort of. <S> If you have sesame seeds on hand, grind some up. <S> You could also use toasted sesame oil, and even combine it with the ground seeds. <S> You can also use all-natural peanut butter. <S> Don't use mass market crap with sugar and other additives. <S> The ingredients should list only: peanuts, salt. <S> Obviously, this will taste like peanuts. <S> It will still taste good in a hummus, but it will be a distinctly different hummus than with tahini. <A> You can make something vaguely approximating hummus just by leaving out the tahini, but it won't have the characteristic tanginess of an authentic hummus and will end up tasting more like a chickpea salad. <A> Making tahini is quite a simple process, it's simply a combination of sesame seeds and olive oil. <S> To make toast a quantity of sesame in the oven, on a moderate heat, for 5 to 10 minutes, but don't let them burn. <S> Allow the to cool then, combine them in a food processor with olive oil. <S> Add enough oil to reach the consistency you desire. <A> Another option is sesame oil, but only add a little bit at a time, checking the flavor and consistency of your hummus as you go. <A> I loved hummus but then found out that I am allergic to sesame seeds. <S> To substitute, I have used sunflower seed butter, almond butter or cashew butter. <S> I have also tried combining a few of the nut butters for a more complex taste with good results. <S> I have heard peanut butter works, but I am also allergic to peanuts <S> so I cannot say much about it. <S> Whatever you use as a substitute, make sure it does not contain a lot of ingredients, like sugar. <S> My best substitute is to take raw, unsalted cashews and either soak them overnight or simmer them in water for about 20 minutes. <S> The cashews will get really soft. <S> Drain, then add 1:1 cashews and fresh water. <S> Blend. <S> The consistency will be very creamy like tahini. <S> I know that what I make is not authentic hummus, but I still enjoy it. <A> I'm allergic to sesame (it sucks), so I use sunflower seed butter. <S> I really like it, <S> but I don't really know what I'm missing. <A> I'm sensitive to sesame seeds and usually use hemp hearts instead. <S> They're several times the price, though. <S> Neat thoughts on just using a nut butter, y'all. <S> I can't have peanuts, but I can have other nuts… <S> I was about to make some cashew butter anyway, so that works! <A> I've used lentils with good results. <S> My kid is allergic to sesame, so I've tried different things and the best results where with some plain lentils. <S> It doesn't have the same tanginess <S> but it definitely changes the flavor from chickpeas to hummus. <S> Most of people don't seem to notice the difference, but I haven't tried with people that had been raised on hummus. <S> I cooked them with a bit of salt and them add 3 tablespoons, but I hold a bit on the water of the original recipe to correct for it and add a bit more olive oil. <A> Tahini is sesame seed butter, so you could reasonably substitute any nut butter. <S> It won't taste the same, but it'll be edible! <S> Some people don't like tahini in their hummus and use olive oil and ground cumin in its place. <A> I mix one part flax seeds and one part Olive Oil. <S> It's pretty good, and you get more fiber. <S> ;) <A> What about using pine nuts, as used in Pesto? <A> Not all hummus needs tahini. <S> For example at a tunsian restaurant down the street they are tahini free. <A> To help reduce the fat content, I have used the concentrated flavor of roasted sesame oil. <S> It tastes pretty good. <S> Use about one tbs. <S> of oil to a can of processed chick peas. <S> I also have flavored with garlic, harrisa, diced tomato (meat only, no juice) or concentrated tomato paste, parsley. <A> Ground white poppy seed - khus - with a tiny amount of toasted sesame oil should work; <S> hummus bi <S> khus <S> khus? <S> Not identical, but the texture is similar and taste is closer than nut butters.
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You could try peanut butter (or any other nut butter, especially one with a light flavor and no salt or sugar added).
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Can you reuse marinade used with raw chicken? I marinated chicken a couple weeks ago, and stored the marinade afterwards in a jar. Can it be reused, or is that dangerous? I've been told conflicting stories here. The marinade is mostly teriyaki if that makes a difference. Intended use of used marinade: Marinate chicken which will then be cooked in the oven. It will not be used with anything that won't be cooked (like a sauce). <Q> Most reliable sources will warn you strongly against reusing marinades because they can continue to harbor bacteria. <S> Even though the second batch of meat will be cooked, there'll be lots of time for the bacteria to multiply in the meantime. <S> (And given the symptoms caused by foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria like salmonella, the risk isn't worth the few cents you'll save on marinade.) <A> No! <S> Do yourself a favor and avoid the advice of whomever or whatever suggested otherwise. <S> Yes, it is dangerous. <S> You have a jar of teriyaki flavored bacteria in your refrigerator. <S> Yes, there's a fair chance that cooking the hell out of your chicken will kill anything deadly, but why on Earth would you take the chance? <A> No, you can't, not without risking illness. <S> (Reserve some marinade that has not touched the raw meat for basting purposes.) <A> No. <S> you cannot use it (two week old used marinade) as a baste/glaze, even if you boil it first. <S> The problem is not always active bacterial contamination, it is the byproducts that bacteria leave behind. <S> Edited to add: Darin qualified that he meant fresh marinade could be used as a glaze. <S> I've edited my response accordingly. <A> Marinades for meat/poultry/fish should not be re-used . <S> Particularly if it was used a couple weeks ago. <S> The sweetness and saltiness of teriyaki sauce would likely make it more difficult for bacterial growth <S> but it's still a health concern and definitely not worth taking a chance on. <S> What you can do is use a fresh marinade as a basting glaze AFTER you have brought it to a boil for a few minutes. <S> Then use it to glaze your meat during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking. <S> When you've marinated meat in mixtures that contain a lot of sweet elements you want to first wipe off the marinade, pat the meat dry and then lightly coat with a little oil before grilling/broiling, etc. <S> Bring the marinade to a boil and then brush on as a glaze during the last few minutes of cooking. <S> If you cook the meat with a coating of the marinade from the beginning, the sugars will caramelize and burn and you'll have the meat sticking to the grill/pan. <S> The result will be that it tears and leaves the skin/outer layer of meat stuck to the grill when you remove it. <A> If the marinade has been in contact with raw chicken, dispose of it. <S> 83% of raw chicken in the US harbors campylobacter or salmonella . <A> The question you need to ask yourself is would you have used the chicken you marinated today? <S> The bacteria on the chicken is now combined with the marinade <S> and I assume from the post that the marinade was just sat in the fridge. <S> I think anything that has come into contact with raw meat should be treated as if it is that meat, if you wouldn't cook and eat the chicken now, don't cook and eat the marinade. <A> Yes, providing you boil the marinade immediately after you remove the chicken from it and then store it either frozen for ~3 months or in the fridge for ~1 week. <S> Any bacteria in the marinade will be killed off from the boiling and, if there were any bacterial byproducts in the marinade, well, they're also on the meat you just took out of it <S> so you have more problems than your marinade.
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Once you've marinated meat, you should dump any leftover marinade; don't even use it to baste roasting meat! I don't think that anyone would feel comfortable using raw chicken that has been sat there for 'a couple of weeks'.
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What is a substitute for red or white wine in a recipe? If someone cannot or will not use wine for cooking, what would be a good substitute? Question applies to both red and white wine. <Q> For white wine, try: chicken broth/stock vegetable stock white grape juice ginger ale <S> canned mushroom liquid diluted white wine or cider vinegar <S> diluted red wine vinegar red grape juice tomato juice <S> canned mushroom liquid <S> A great list of substitutions for cooking with various alcoholic ingredients may be found here . <A> You can replace the moisture provided by wine with just about any flavorful liquid, but you won't replicate the flavor. <S> Vinegars will be the closest, but they are much more acidic. <S> Stocks and broths can help boost flavor, but they will bring with them a lot of sodium. <S> The list goes on, as shown by the other contributors here. <S> The main thing to be mindful of is what these substitutions bring with them (acidity, salt, sweetness, etc) and compensate for it by adding or subtracting other ingredients. <S> Add a bit of sugar to offset the acidity of vinegar or backoff on the salt when adding stock. <S> Substitutions are an advanced skill, sometimes even a black art, and this is why. <A> After a long and frustrating search for wine substitutes, I finally got the guts to create "wine bouillon" and it's producing good results in the kitchen. <S> Essentially, I've flash-dried wine into a powder that contains zero alcohol, no salt or preservatives...and all the flavor of wine. <S> I'm calling it The Dry Gourmet. <S> We've produced a red and a white. <S> (Bourbon and rum are in the works.) <S> Currently, we're only selling on our website ( www.drygourmet.com ). <S> Initial results have been super, with many home cooks creating their favorite dishes with all the flavor of wine. <S> Please drop me a line if I can answer any questions about this wine substitute. <A> Depending on the recipe, verjuice (or verjus), which is widely available in Mediterranean shops, can work very nicely. <S> In some applications, it may be necessary to dilute, as it's basically very tart grape juice. <A> I'm in the same position (no alcohol at home), but I'm kind of a foodie. <S> I've never found any luck with any of the ingredients listed above (I still need to try the Balsamic Vinegar trick). <S> Not only is the flavor just not the same, most of the time it's just wrong. <S> After searching for many years, I stumbled across Meier's Sparkling Grape Juice. <S> They seem to work well for me for many recipes. <S> They have a Chablis, Spumante, and a Burgundy. <S> I'm sure there are still differences, but these are far superior to things like vegetable stock, ginger ale, vinegar, and plain old red/white grape juice. <S> Some supermarkets stock it, or you can order it online. <S> I'm still looking for a dry red wine substitute, as well as Marsala, but these have really helped and I buy them by the case now. <A> Beef/Chicken/Veggie stock would do well. <S> If making dressing (wine vinegar) <S> then some citrus based juice. <A> Apple juice can replace small quantities of white wine quite well. <S> Although it will definitely taste cider-y if you use lots. <A> I work in a group home and alcohol is not allowed on the property at all. <S> A beef stroganoff recipe that I wanted to try called for some red wine. <S> I substituted some cherry juice from canned cherries with some apple cider vinegar. <S> It turned out amazing!!!!! <A> One option that hasn't been mentioned is non-alcoholic or alcohol free wine. <S> Some say the alcohol has been removed ( http://www.frewines.com ) and others may say dealcoholized ( http://www.arielvineyards.com ). <S> Remember that some are going to be better than others, and that they may not taste exactly like a wine that contains alcohol. <S> The two brands I linked have the two top items in Town&Country magazine's article about the top 6 non-alcoholic wines. <S> These wines are widely available online and probably also found in some retail locations. <S> However, I can't speak to local retailers as they vary widely from place to place. <S> A Google search will yield many results. <A> Since we don't drink alcohol at home, I don't ever have real wine at home. <S> Use about 1/3 of the amount of wine you'd use. <S> I also use Balsamic vinegar works <S> well if you're making a thick sauce or casserole. <S> As for white wines, I don't cook things that require it often. <S> When I do I'll usually use a combination of Mirin (japanese rice thingy) and some sugar. <A> I use Regina Red Wine Vinegar or the Regina White Wine Vinegar and Maruchan Seasoned Rice Vinegar. <S> Even though I use red wine vinegar, I don't think it qualifies as "wine". <S> There are also other brands of red and white wine vinegars, you can use in the vinegar section. <A> For white wine, white vermouth works quite well, particularly in things like risotto. <S> Keeps well in the fridge for weeks or months after opening. <S> Dry vermouth is a better substitute than sweet IMO. <S> Sweet will work but it changes the flavour somewhat. <A> (Since I just posted this on a similar question) <S> The similar question was asked for a substitute because the OP was not savvy about wine, not because they objected to alcohol. <S> Instead of buying wine in a tall, dark glass wine bottle, you can also buy a small bottle of cooking wine that will keep for a very long time. <S> I use this brand , and have one red and one white in my cupboard. <S> I usually have a good wine bottle of each in the fridge for this purpose too.
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I do keep a bottle of vermouth (Martini Rosso specifically) to use a substitute for red wine sometimes. For red wine, try: beef or chicken broth/stock
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How do you prepare a rabbit? A family member gave me a couple rabbits to cook and I'm not sure how to prepare them. I'd prefer something on the smoker or grill. Do I marinate, rub, brine? I'm just not sure how to prepare it. <Q> For Easter, a friend and I cooked rabbits. <S> We marinated for 72 hours in buttermilk, dijon, rosemary, and sage (NO SALT). <S> Then boned them out and spatchcocked them (sort of a butterfly, with skewers to hold the flat spread out shape), seasoned, and roasted at 350 until done. <S> Moist, flavourful. <S> Served with parsnip puree, rosemary potatoes roasted in duck fat, and sorry <S> but I forget the other veg we used. <A> I can't tell you what to do <S> but I can tell you one thing not to do: don't chop up the bones, they're very brittle and if you do you'll end up with little shards of bone all over the place; especially bad if you make a rabbit stew; joint the bones instead. <A> You need to be careful to make sure it doesn't dry out, as they generally aren't particularly fatty. <S> If you joint it so that the pieces aren't too thick, or splay it out well, you should be able to grill it <S> so you get a good taste on the outside and cook all the way through before it goes dry. <S> I've not used a smoker before, but I suspect you'd have to leave the meat in their for too long to get a good smokiness, so that may not work. <S> I've made rabbit pie before, with sausage meat and rabbit mixed together, which worked rather well. <A> Cook it using any chicken recipe. <S> Used to make fried chicken for my kids using rabbit. <S> Also jambalaya and stew. <S> We all loved it. <A> If making rabbit stew, soaking the rabbit in salted water before disjointing it will make it easier to prepare. <S> Also cooking it slowly, at a low to medium heat will keep the meat tender. <S> If cooking from a whole rabbit, once the rabbit has been gutted the insides should be cleaned with vinegar and it should be thoroughly rinsed. <S> Marinating it will also keep the meat tender. <S> I'm not sure <S> but I think smoking it would dry it out too much. <S> Stewing works best ime, but if roasting it it needs a lot of basting and checking to make sure it's not drying out. <A> Rabbit is pretty lean, so you'll need a slow wet technique. <S> I've made a great Spanish rabbit stew, which is basically rabbit joints, tomato sauce and about 2 cups of dry cured olives. <S> I'll look up the recipe and edit tomorrow.
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Marinading can help, although I just like rabbit rubbed with salt and pepper.
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Why isn't it safe to eat raw chicken? Why is safe to eat some raw or undercooked meats like beef and fish (assuming you're careful), but not chicken? I know that there are bacteria in chicken, but are they in all chicken, or just so many that the only safe thing to do is assume they're all bad? If not, is there any way to get non-dangerous chicken (for say -- chicken sushi)? <Q> You can have raw chicken in restaurants in Japan - it's delicious. <S> Depending on where you live there may be better or worse food safety standards, but there is nothing poisonous about raw chicken itself. <S> By the way, sushi is a dish with vinegary rice. <S> The raw-meat dish is Sashimi . <S> A picture of chicken sashimi: You will note that in this photo the chicken is actually not raw but quite rare. <S> The exterior of the chicken flesh is actually seared and cooked through several millimeters. <A> As has been mentioned, chicken sashimi is not unknown. <S> The same applies to pork, another meat we're usually taught to cook thoroughly (historical associations there - pork was long known as a carrier of worms if not properly cooked, but this is less of an issue in modern times with good pork). <S> You might want to consider long and hard who your guests are before you serve up chicken sashimi at a dinner party though. <A> In this thread goblinbox makes a disturbing contribution that references a Consumer Reports article stating that 83% of US chickens are contaminated with salmonella and campylobacter. <S> That's a high enough percentage to scare me away. <S> Is raw chicken even appetizing to you? <S> The thought of eating chicken sushi makes me queasy, but that just could be because we've been brought up with the knowledge that you don't eat raw chicken. <A> It has more to do with the industrial food system. <S> If it's coming out of industrial agriculture, I don't think I'd eat any meat raw. <S> If you can find a good local producer that does its own slaughtering, cleaning and packaging you could ask them about it. <S> Their meat might be safe to eat raw. <S> It just depends on where it comes from. <S> My rule of thumb is: if I can talk to the produce, slaughter and packager <S> then I take their advice, otherwise I assume not safe until cooked.
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If it's really really really fresh chicken that's been well-raised and well-handled, sure you can eat it raw.
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What is a good substitute for Fish Sauce? Are there any good substitutes for Fish Sauce for cooking Thai food? This is due to a severe food allergy (anaphylaxis) to all forms of seafood, so I'm unable to substitute for other fish-based products. <Q> Try mixing hoisin or miso into low-sodium soy sauce. <S> From one of my favorite bloggers, Smitten Kitchen , "I often see low-sodium soy sauce suggested as an alternative <S> but I’m not convinced it <S> ’s a fair swap. <S> There’s something more caramelized and fermented in the fish sauce that you’d miss. <S> If you feel like playing around, I might whisk some additional hoisin or even miso into that soy sauce for a more complex flavor." <A> If you cannot have fish at all, try using grated Parmigiano Reggiano. <S> Fish sauce has two basic flavors: a sweeter one that is similar to Reggiano and a stronger one that is similar to cooked broccoli. <S> If I were to experiment, I would try a mixture of the two, with maybe some of the juice made from the inside pulp of tomatoes (the gel-like thing with the seeds). <A> You should look into vegetarian fish sauce . <S> If you can't find it, but can find a vegetarian (anchovy-free) <S> Worcestershire sauce, that will provide some of the flavour, though we haven't tried it with Thai food. :-) <S> A salty chicken bouillon might also do the trick in a pinch. <A> Seaweed and lemon juice, that's what I'm using right now. <S> I was just using the seaweed because I like it, was using lemon juice and soy sauce as the fish sauce replacement, but am pleasantly surprised that seaweed is providing that fish sauce flavor. <A> http://thegentlechef.com/blog/?p=1563 <S> This briny infusion is rich in “umami” (a loanword from the Japanese which can be described as a “pleasant savory flavor”) and can be used in equal amounts as a replacement for traditional fish sauce in your favorite Southeast Asian recipes. <S> This recipe yields about 1 cup. <S> Ingredients 2 cups water ¼ cup tamari, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos™ ½ medium onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 T (4 g) dried shredded wakame (seaweed) <S> 1 oz (28 g) dried shiitake, porcini or portabella mushrooms <S> 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 2 T mellow white miso paste <S> - Technique Bring all ingredients except for the miso to a boil in a small saucepan. <S> Cover, reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer and cook for 30 minutes. <S> Remove from the heat and let cool. <S> Mix the miso into the macerated mixture. <S> Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a glass jar, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. <S> Seal and refrigerate until ready to use. <S> Due to its salt content, this sauce should stay fresh for several months in the refrigerator. <A> You can safely leave out the fish sauce without attempting to replace it with anything. <S> First of all, it's really more fishy than salty, so substituting soy sauce often makes your dish too salty. <S> Secondly, most curries or stews only call for a small amount of fish sauce and there are such wonderful things going on spice-wise in Thai cuisine that you really don't miss it. <A> Conimex makes a sweet, thick type of soy sauce called Ketchup Manis or Ketchup Bentang which we use a lot for marinades (pork, chicken satays etc) <S> I love it put a little in fried rice, lo meins too. <S> Yum! <S> you can find it in some specialty food stores, Thai/asian sections and Asian food stores and online. <A> I've tried Bragg Liquid Aminos sauce which is saltier, less sweet and also tangier then regular soy sauce. <S> I think its flavor also resembles fish sauce better than soy and it worked well with the dish I made (green papaya salad). <S> According to its label, it's made with NON-GMO soybeans and purified water. <S> And it's also not fermented or heated and Gluten-Free. <A> You will lose a lot of the other flavors, but just using MSG can compensate for the strong umami and salty flavors present in fish sauce. <S> We use this substitute often as we find the fishyness of fish sauce unpleasant. <A> Your best bet is a light soy sauce, that, at least, will provide the 'saltiness' <S> If you need a fishy flavor you could always add a little fish paste or perhaps a fillet from a tin or bottle of fish, such as anchovies. <S> Just 'wizz' the two in a blender for a few minutes. <A> You could use a smaller amount of oyster sauce if the person was only allergic to fish... <S> (But keep in mind that some oyster sauces also include fish sauce, so check carefully!). <S> That said, if the person is also allergic to oyster sauce (as your question states), then I'd probably subtitute it with some stock instead, perhaps a small amount of soy sauce, and add less sugar, because it will also be sweeter. <A> I don't believe there is a substitute for fish sauce. <S> Soy sauce is completely different. <S> If using as a dipping sauce substitute , use soy sauce mixed with vinegar and sugar. <S> Another alternative would be lime juice with soy sauce and sugar to dress a salad. <S> If cooking, I would use salt with a little MSG. <S> MSG adds Umami that can't be achieved even with fish sauce. <S> Worcestershire sauce is totally different from fish sauce. <S> Spices in it are too overpowering. <S> Hope that helps. <A> I cook with a vegetarian pho from my Vietnamese mother-in-law, who is the real deal! <S> It calls for no fish sauce and instead calls for 1/2 c. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. <S> sugar in the broth. <S> It's delicious! <S> Maybe that's the substitute for fish sauce.
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Another option is soy sauce mixed with fermented soybean paste, sugar, vinegar, chili pepper and water for dipping things like Vietnamese spring rolls.
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Preparing trout and avoiding bones? We had recently been given some fresh caught-that-day trout. The trouble is that we didn't know how to prepare it. The last time my wife filleted it, but we ended up with lots and lots of little bones in the fish. What is the best way to prepare trout that avoids this problem? <Q> Unfortunately, there's no quick solution to de-boning trout. <S> The best method is to remove the entire backbone, along with the ribs. <S> To achieve this place the fish skin side down and with the point of a sharp knife, gently work along both sides of the fish freeing each fine rib bone. <S> Once they have been freed from the flesh, you can cut around the spine (try not to break the skin) and remove the whole lot. <S> If the fish has been filleted, then lay the fillet flat and with a pair of tweezers work your way front to back, extracting the small bones as you go. <A> and then split it open. <S> You should practically be able to lift the bones out when you open the fish up, if my memory serves me right. <S> I used to go trout fishing in Maine a lot, but it's been a while. <A> Depending on the size of the fish there may always be a few that get stuck (in smaller trout the bones are thin and break off easily). <S> However, there is one way I was taught to cook it <S> that is the best I've found and heats up the inside of the fish better making the bones a little easier to work out. <S> After cleaning the fish cover the outside and the inside in corn mill. <S> This is going to make the trout cook a bit faster <S> so keep you're eye on it. <S> I usually cook it on a steel or cast iron pan in some light oil... <S> usually not a fast burning oil (i.e. Olive Oil). <S> When its done cooking cut off the tail and head (you can cut the head off ahead of time if you don't plan on eating it) and then and lay the fish on its back and flatten it out with your hands so that you're looking at <S> it's open belly. <S> Finally, grab the spine from the tail side of the fish and gently lift. <S> That's the best method I've found over all my years of cooking. <S> There can still be a few small bones that are left in. <S> Oh yeah, <S> and if its a small one trout (6-10 inches) that tail can make a yummy snack... <S> I call it trout bacon :P
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I would say, find a recipe where you cook the fish whole (after cleaning it, of course - i.e. removing innards, fins, head, etc.)
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What's the best way to store unused sushi rice? Let's say, I only want to make 1 sushi roll right now. Is there a good way to store the rest of the rice for tomorrow's rolls? And what about storing the nori? <Q> Storing cooked rice is generally not a good idea. <S> With the high starch content in rice, it is simply an excellent growing ground for bacteria. <S> Add to this the fact that uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus Cereus which when germinated to bacteria can lead to food poisoning causing vomiting and diarrhea. <S> Bacillus Cereus spores can survive cooking, so when rice is left to cool they can germinate and start multiplying in the rice. <S> It isn't the bacteria itself that is dangerous, but a toxin they produce. <S> This toxin does not disappear from re-heating. <S> If you do want to store the rice, make sure to cool it really quickly and store it in the fridge for no more than a day. <S> Personally I never do that and only cook as much rice as I need. <S> Anecdotal <S> : In fact, a friend working at a big sushi chain in London told me recently that over the course of four or five years they had one incident of proven food poisoning in one of their many restaurants. <S> The source of the food poisoning was not the fish, but actually the rice which had been standing too long. <S> Storing nori I don't know much about, but if you seal it in an airtight bag and keep it dry <S> I see no problems with that. <A> I don't agree with Manne on storing rice. <S> If you refrigerate what you don't use, then long grain rice could be used for a rice salad (similar to pasta salad) or fried rice. <S> You might be able to use short grain rice in a rice pudding. <S> But once the vinegar and sugar is added to make sushi rice -- I wouldn't try saving it for sushi -- it's not going to have the same consistency the next day, and I really don't think it would work. <S> You'd be better off making a vegetable roll or two with the leftovers and chilling that for the next day. <S> Off hand, I'm not sure where I might re-use leftover sushi rice where the consistency wasn't an issue ... maybe a rice-based casserole? <S> As for the nori -- I use a zip-top bag, and compress the air out, and haven't had any problems. <A> The consistency isn't quite as uniform, fluffy, or cohesive, but it can still make a decent dinner with a couple ounces of fish from your monger. <S> Regarding food safety , and speaking as a biologist who cultures microorganisms for a living, cooking the rice (boiling) will kill the vast majority of bacteria. <S> Not all, but the only cooking method that really cares about true sterility is canning. <S> Unless you leave your rice in the danger zone (not that danger zone, or this one) for an excessively long time, the amount of bacteria that survived (few), wake up (fewer), and reproduce will be negligible. <S> Basically, buy a refrigerator thermometer and make sure you're keeping it cool enough (2-4 °C, or 35-39 °F). <S> Not just for this, but for all your food.
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For a different take, I've stored seasoned sushi rice (Nishiki) for a few days in the refrigerator, reheated it in the microwave and had acceptable results.
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How do I store apples in an apartment? I am able to receive cheap, great orchard apples in the fall. However, I do not have a cellar to store them in. I find they go bad before I can use them all. Does anyone know of a reliable storage method to store the fresh apples? I will eventually can or freeze them; however, I'm looking for a way to keep some fresh for eating for a month or so. <Q> Apples are best stored at 0° C (32° F) at 90% humidity. <S> If you don't have a cellar, you'll have to try to recreate that environment as best you can. <S> The closest you can come in most small apartments is actually a plastic bag with some holes poked in for ventilation (to prevent excess moisture from building up). <S> Then put that in the refrigerator to get close to the correct temperature; the best location is the vegetable crisper where you have control over the humidity. <S> Don't overpack them, though - about 80-90% full is the densest you should go. <S> Also be sure to pick only the best apples you can find if you plan to store them long-term. <S> Over-ripe apples will obviously not last as long, and any bruising or piercing will speed up the decay significantly. <S> I would still separate them into plastic bags, put whatever I could in the crisper, the rest in the fridge "proper", and put out any that I intend to consume within a week or two in a regular fruit bowl out in the open. <S> If that's still not enough, then you probably need to accept that small apartments aren't very well-suited to storing very large amounts of fresh food; just because they're easy to get, doesn't mean it makes economic sense. <A> In cooler climates like mine, where temperatures float between 20 and 50 F through most of the fall, I have used a garage, or shady balcony to let nature handle the chilling for me. <S> Covering with a tarp and/or blankets on colder nights may helpful to avoid freezing. <S> A second refrigerator is also a nice addition which fits in some apartments for the home chef who prefers bulk locally harvested food. <S> Cardboard boxes, separators and paper bags tend to mimic the storage method employed by orchards and markets for shipping apples. <S> You can often inquire with your local market when they restock apples, and can obtain these popular storage devices for free. <A> I generally just stick them in the crisper in the fridge. <S> Otherwise, a cool cupboard out of the light will help keep them for a while, but I don't think you're going to be able to replicate "cellar" conditions in an apartment
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Edit: If it's a large number of apples then you can store them in a crate, which provides adequate ventilation, but good luck getting that into the refrigerator.
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How do I make a really flavorful turkey burger? Since turkey burgers don't have a lot of fat, you lose a lot of the flavor that you get with beef. Also, you have to make sure you cook them through (170 degrees), so they tend to dry out. What are your pro tips for cooking great turkey burgers? Preparation Seasoning Grilling techniques (high heat? tin foil?) <Q> We have been eating turkey burgers for years. <S> The super secret is to not let them dry out while cooling. <S> I take a pound of ground turkey, mixed 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 shakes garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of water. <S> Then mix thoroughly by hand. <S> After patty-ing them to 1/4 inch thick patties, I grill for about 5-6 minutes per side, turning a quarter turn at 2-3 minutes. <S> After removing from grill, I wrap in foil and let sit for 5-10 minutes. <S> Voila! <A> I found this article really interesting. <S> It covers a chef's attempts to make a turkey burger taste good. <S> The recommendation is to puree some eggplant with it (to improve the moisture level), and add soy sauce, marmite and anchovies to make it taste good. <A> It helps keep them moist and adds a nice, fresh flavor. <S> One of my favorite turkey burgers is Rachel Ray's Turkey Loco Burgers -- http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1315 <S> Also, her spanakopita burgers with spinach and feta are great. <S> (I can't post the link, but switch the recipe_id to 155 on the above link). <A> We have found adding a little ricotta cheese and oil to the mixture helps to keep is moist and soft. <S> Then add other seasonings per your tastes (garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc.) <S> It makes it a little harder for grilling since it is even softer than normal, just used a cross hatch grill thing (same for fish) and it will be fine. <A> my recipe: Ground turkey <S> Porccini mushrooms salt + pepper <S> cayenne <S> a dash of Worcestershire sauce a bit of grated Gouda juice of two tomatoes a splash of lime juice <S> Method: <S> Mix them up <S> really well ( I usually mix them in a dough mixer for 10 to 20 minutes) <S> If i'm grilling them I usually put a stalk of rosemary on top of the burger. <S> If i'm eating them at home, I usually pan fry them in garlic infused oil <A> My recipe comes a little from my middle eastern background, but I always get compliments:(Based on 2 pounds of ground turkey, no measurements, do it to taste) <S> Fresh minced parsley Salt White pepper <S> Finely minced garlic Grated onion (usually half or more) 1 egg (start with one at least, add another if it still feels too 'dry' with the bread crumbs) <S> Bread crumbs (I usually use ProgressoPlain, but <S> Italian works fine too) <S> Worcestershire <S> A note <S> : I use this same recipe for beef burgers too <S> but I put a lot MORE spices and bread crumbs in the in the turkey burger recipe. <A> My Mom makes the most fantastic turkey burgers. <S> Her secret is Lipton Onion Soup Mix . <S> The only other added ingredient was cayenne pepper. <S> She wouldn't add salt because the soup mix has plenty. <S> Once the burger is cooked (she pan fries them), she deglazes the pan with a bit of water and then "bastes" the burgers with the pan drippings. <S> Then she melts a slice of provolone cheese on top and serves the burger on a buttered, toasted Kaiser roll with thinly-sliced onion, lettuce, and honey-dijon mustard. <S> If you don't like the ingredients in the soup mix (it has MSG and a couple of disodiums), try this: http://www.food.com/recipe/copycat-liptons-onion-soup-mix-24952 <S> I rather suspect it's the MSG and disodiums (all of which are recognized as safe for consumption, but demonized by foodies everywhere) <S> that make them taste so great. <A> Add umami! <S> Soy Sauce, miso, and finely chopped mushrooms add a lot of meaty flavor. <A> I'm fond of chopping the green of a green onion into 1/2" lengths and adding that in. <S> Gives it a really great flavour that matches well with cumin, if that's your thing!
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I really like adding lime to turkey burgers, usually with salt and pepper.
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What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken? What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken? I ate at a restaurant in Santa Fe that specialized in brining and the chicken was amazing. Id like to know what the process is and how much variation there is. <Q> I suggest reading this Cook's Illustrated - The Basics of Brining (PDF) article. <S> I use their basic brine all the time. <S> This article taught me two cool things I didn't know about brining. <S> Adjust the amount of sugar & salt downward for high heat applications. <S> Decreasing the amount of sugar ensures that the exterior of the meat doesn't burn. <S> Prior to learning this I had a few "issues" with this mishap <S> Air drying chicken and turkey in the fridge after brining allows the skin to dry out, enabling it to crisp nicely when cooked. <S> If you aren't familiar with Cook's Illustrated, they bill themselves as America's Test Kitchen. <S> They will take a recipe and beat on it with dozens or more variations tweaking and analyzing it as they go, until they come up with the "ideal" something or other. <S> In this case, it's brining. <S> With this as a base you have a lot of opportunity for experimentation. <S> I usually add very hearty aromatic spices to mine. <S> Some possible additions and substitutions: <S> Whole peppercorns Ancho chiles <S> Whole Allspice <S> Cinnamon Cloves <S> Candied Ginger Brown sugar in place of sugar Substituting some vegetable stock for water <S> **Use the lowest sodium stock possible, and adjust salt accordingly. <S> I don't have a hard-and-fast rule here, but I tend to go with about 20% less salt than the "basic", more or less. <S> Another thing addressed by this article is what meats should and shouldn't be brined. <S> The short version is lean mild meats are suitable for brining, fatty meats or those often cooked rare/med-rare do not benefit. <S> Suitable <S> Cornish Hen Chicken Turkey <S> Pork <S> Some seafood <S> Whole side of salmon (grill roasted or smoked) Shrimp <S> Unsuitable <S> Beef <S> Lamb <S> Goose Duck <A> Modern meat not being as fatty as the meat of yore, will appear dry when cooked. <S> Brining helps the meat remain juicier. <S> To brine chicken, immerse it in a 10% salt solution (by weight) and keep it in the refrigerator from 3 to 24 hours. <S> To make a 10% solution, use 1 cup of kosher salt for every 1.4 quarts of water (5.6 cups). <S> Cooks Illustrated , a cooking magazine that develops and tests recipes, has a good brining guide. <S> One may think that making the brine stronger would make the chicken juicier. <S> That is not the case. <S> Above concentrations of 13%, the brine dries the meat . <S> I have tried adding spices to the brine, but I have never been able to detect their flavors in the meat. <S> Sometimes I replace some of the salt for sugar, as suggested by @Adam Shiemke. <S> See the Cooks Illustrated guide for measurements with sugar and other types of salt. <A> I'm going to differ with papin on a few points; I would suggest a 5% by weight solution, rather than 10%. <S> Partly this is economy -- 10% by weight with a gallon of water is .8 lbs, or nearly a whole box of kosher salt! <S> But also, I learned to do a 5% brine from Ruhlman in his Charcuterie book, and this is also what Thomas Keller suggests in his cookbooks. <S> So 5% is good enough for me. <S> From memory, the brine for fried Chicken in Keller's Ad-Hoc cookbook involves a gallon or so of water, (maybe 1.5?), 5% salt solution, 24 <- bay leaves, four or five lemons, a bunch of garlic and quite a lot of thyme, <S> like 6 oz or so. <S> I don't recall if there was sugar in this brine. <S> This is all boiled to get the ingredients mixed, then chilled. <S> The chicken then went in for 12 hours. <S> This brine was a pain to make. <S> It was also nicer than some soups I've made -- it looked gorgeous, smelled amazing, and I froze what I didn't need for the chicken. <S> I would probably be happy to have a picture of it on my kitchen wall. <S> The flavors definitely made it into the meat, including the herbs, but hopefully this helps illustrate how assertive the seasoning needs to be to get any flavor in there. <A> Kosher meat is essentially pre-brined. <S> Part of the preparation of meat for kosher kitchens is to pack it in salt (where kosher salt got its name) to draw out the blood. <S> Many recipes that call for brining the meat first will say to skip that step if you're using kosher meat. <S> Of course, if you want to add flavorings other than salt, kosher meat isn't your best bet. <A> The reason brining helps to make meat and poultry taste different is because it adds moisture to the flesh through a process of osmosis. <S> The basic ingredients are simply salt and water, however, you can also add your own particular flavours to the brine, such a spice mix. <S> whatever flavours you add, will be taken-up by the meat or poultry. <S> The amount of salt and water used will depend, but a good starting place is one cup of salt to a gallon of water. <S> the amount of time required for brining will depend on what you have to brine. <S> A whole chicken, for example, may take 24 to 36 hours, followed by several hours in the fridge for the flavours to 'set'
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Regarding flavoring the brine, the primary impact the brine will have is saltiness, however, if you aggressively flavor the brine, you can get other flavors into the chicken and it can be absolutely delicious.
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What is a good way to cooldown my food and drink without a fridge? So I'm out camping, and I don't have a fridge, what are good ways to cool-down my food or drinks?I've tried mixing salt and water to create a endothermic reaction, but it didn't work too well. What are your tricks? <Q> If you're near a creek or a lake, usually just sticking your drinks in the water gets them well below the ambient air temp. <A> In the cowboy days, the people traveling through the western desert would carry canvas sacks which they would fill with water. <S> The water would seep through the canvas very slowly, and wet the surface of the bag. <S> Evaporative cooling would then keep the water cold (at least cooler). <S> You could try something similar if you are in a dry climate (the rate of evaporation determines the cooling effect, which is limited by the relative humidity). <S> Keep the wrapping wet. <A> Besides what @KevinSelker said, if you have sand available : wrap the food tightly, cover in sand, then add water. <S> You're looking for evaporative cooling, so the water doesn't have to be cool. <S> If you don't have that, and it's summer time, you can dig a deep hole, as the ground temperature will be near 65F if you get deep enough. <S> When I used to go camping, we'd bring some of the food frozen hard, so we'd not have to worry about it 'til it came time to cook it (eg, the next morning). <S> (and then only relied on things that needed refrigeration for the 24hr or so, depending on the weather. <S> (unless winter camping), and made sure to eat everything <S> so we didn't have to worry about leftovers. <A> Get an old wool jumper (sweater), make it wet, wrap it around the container of food and place in the wind, keep wet, wool is best for this.
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Wrap the food or drink in wet cloth, and hang or set in a shady location with some wind.
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How do you keep chicken breast juicy when grilling? Most of the time it ends up dry. Are there any special marination tricks? <Q> Don't over cook it. <S> Aim for it to be a little under done. <S> It will still be hot and will finish cooking after you've taken it off. <A> The longer the pieces of chicken are in dry heat, the more liquid escapes. <S> To keep the chicken juicier without undercooking it. <S> Brine it (increasing the salt content inside the chicken helps it retain <S> it's moisture more). <S> Decrease the temperature difference between when you put it on the grill and the final cooked temperature. <S> At the very minimum, make sure the chicken is thawed all the way through, but consider starting the chicken in a crockpot or wrapped in foil in the oven. <S> Increase the humidity of the air around the chicken. <A> Brining is great to begin with. <S> Use a bone-in, skin on chicken breast. <S> Once it's done you can remove the skin and carve off the bone if you like. <S> Also, set up 2 heat zones in your grill (either by banking your coals or by turning off a gas burner). <S> Brown it for a few minutes over the hot zone, then transfer to the cooler zone to finish cooking, until temp comes to 165-170 degrees. <S> Then remove from heat and wait at least 5 minutes to slice. <A> I have had excellent results with beer can chicken. <S> Start with a 4 to 5 pound fryer chicken, A large roaster (over 5 pounds) will burn before it gets done. <S> Wash and dry with paper towels. <S> I usually just coat all over with any rub <S> I happen to have around. <S> Season salt works good too. <S> I have the grill preheating for 5 min and then on goes the chicken, <S> the can and the two legs form a kind of tripod for it to sit nicely on the grill. <S> The heat goes to low on all three burners and 60 to 70 minutes later it is ready to eat. <S> No fuss, no hot kitchen, year round. <S> I have played around with putting various things in the can, beer, water with "additives" but at least to my taste buds, an empty can works good. <S> I just fish one out of the recycling bin: ) <A> Trust me, if you haven't tried brining, you owe it to yourself. <S> It is so quick and simple, and makes such a huge difference. <S> Brine your chicken about 45 minutes to 1 hour in a cold solution of 1/4 cup table salt, 1/3 cup table sugar and water enough to fill a larger mixing bowl. <S> Do this as your first step in preparing your meal, before you light the grill, cut the veggies, etc. <S> As far as preparing the brine: boil enough water to just dissolve the salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wisk until dissolved. <S> A cup or so of boiling water is usually enough. <S> Next add a generous number of ice cubes to make the brine cold. <S> Add the chicken and enough cold water to fill the bowl, and place it in the fridge, or add another generous helping of ice to let this brine on the countertop while you get the grill ready. <S> The important thing as that the brine is kept cold. <S> == <S> TIPS== <S> Don't brine chicken longer <S> than 90 minutes , otherwise you are wet curing it, and it will start to taste like chicken ham - blech. <S> Longer brining times also make it so the chicken will stay pinker, even when fully cooked, which might gross out you or your dinner guests. <S> You can add ingredients to change the flavor a bit, and for chicken, I like to add a few sprigs of fresh thyme , and sometimes substitute brown sugar for the table sugar. <S> I avoid dried and ground spices because of how they stick to the meat - dried thyme leaves are heinous to pick off a raw chicken breast! <S> Use Kosher salt only if you have to - the flavor difference is imperceptible, and table salt is not only cheaper, but generally has iodide, which you need in your diet. <S> Be creative and try adding other things to the brine: slightly crushed garlic cloves, a tablespoon of peppercorns, lime skins, chunks of hot peppers, etc. <A> You can marinate, or brine it, but you don't need to. <S> I tend to grill pieces (breast, legs, etc) over direct heat to start and get grill marks, then move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish and cook through. <S> I've also heard of people doing it the other way ... <S> I assume to render out more of the fat. <S> If you're cooking chicken breast -- bone in, skin on will help -- taking the skin off robs you of a protective layer of fat. <S> For whole chickens, you could use a "beer can" chicken technique (and you can use other liquids besides chicken) <A> Re-coat in marinade a few times during cooking. <S> And don't pierce the skin and let all the juices run out. <S> Oh, and make sure you start out with good chicken in the first place too. <A> http://www.primalgrill.org/season2/recipes/202_recipes.html <A> <A> Joe has the best answer. <S> Keep a cool side and a hot side to your grill. <S> Brine your chicken for a few hours/up to 12 beforehand. <S> Bring it to room temperature before putting it on the grill. <S> Mark the chicken on the hot side of the grill, transfer to the cool side, let it cook in the ambient heat. <S> I personally don't like beer <S> can chicken, as I have no idea what the burning paint fumes/offgasses from the paint on the can would be doing to me.
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"Beer butt" chicken works by steaming a whole chicken from the inside while it roasts from the outside. A simple brine of kosher salt and water has never let me down. BBQ Expert Steven Raichlen recommends cooking it under a brick.
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How do you cook corn on the cob on BBQ? Do you remove peel and wrap it in tin foil ? Do you put it directly on gril (with peel) ? How much time ? <Q> This lets the husk soak lots of water. <S> Then place the corn, still in husk, on a hot grill for about 10 minutes, ~1/4 turn, 10 minutes, turn... until the husk gets brown, even burnt. <S> You should be able to tell when the corn is cooked by the smell. <S> The sugars in the corn will start to caramelize and brown in the husk and it will give off a delicious caramel smell. <S> You can check them by peeling down the husk to make sure that they are cooking well. <S> Times will depend on your grill and how much patience you have. <S> In general, it is difficult to overcook. <S> You want to watch out for drying, but that usually takes a while if you soak the ears beforehand. <S> Foil is a poor substitute for the natural wrapper. <S> The husk both protects the cob from too much direct heat as well as holding water close to the cob to gently steam the kernels. <S> And its just prettier with the browned and burnt husk, au natural. <A> I've done it a few different ways -- husked, desilked, over indirect or low heat : my current favorite method; brings out the sweetness of the corn without the grassy qualities; have enough time to turn it without charring, but if you're late turning, won't instantly turn into charcoal. <S> Takes maybe 15-20 min. <S> Still works for corn that's been sitting for a couple of days, without much prep. <S> husked, desilked, straight over direct heat : had to work quick, or they'd get overly charred, but very easy to prep, and cooks really quickly. <S> husked, desilked, wrapped in foil : not bad, less likely to char, but I'm lazy and it's extra work (and <S> quite a bit of foil if you're doing a dozen ears). <S> husk on, but trimmed the husk and silk that went past the ear : (unsoaked; the ears were fresh from a road-side stand) : <S> No bad, still had to de-silk after cooking, but gave it a grassy note which wasn't my favorite. <S> (if you're a fan of green peppers, you might like it). <S> husk on, opened, de-silked, then wrapped back up in the husk : much more effort than other methods; gives the corn a grassy quality to it <S> Now, if you're cooking over campfire ... then yes, I'd soak the husks, or go with aluminum foil ... but a grill where I have more control: husked, straight on the grill. <A> I would suggest leaving the husk on, and just throwing it on the grill. <S> Turn is every couple of minutes, and pull it off when it feels a bit soft to squeeze. <A> In the past, I've soaked it as per an earlier suggestion, but not for several hours since my grilling is usually relatively impromptu. <S> I soak it for as long as I can get away with (usually at least half an hour), leave the husk on, and drip a little bit of melted butter on top of a foil sheet, then add some simple seasoning (garlic powder, salt, pepper, whatever) on top of the butter, then wrap it up and grill it for about half an hour, turning every 10 minutes or so. <S> I'm not sure if the butter and seasoning helps, but it doesn't hurt, and you're not losing much. <S> It's certainly not the BEST method, but it works for me. <A> Soak whole ears in the husk in a bowl of water. <S> Gently peel back husk (do not detach), remove silk, rub on some garlic butter if you like, then replace the husk. <S> Tie with kitchen twine if necessary. <S> Grill for 20 mins, turning every 5. <A> when you are done grilling your corn...try taking 1/2 Lime dipped in Sea Salt and rub on to your corn...delicious!!! <A> I husk, add a little butter and salt, wrap in foil and put them on the edge of the grill, turning 1/4 to 1/3 turn every 7-10 minutes or so. <A> I love to put lemon pepper and Parmesan cheese on my freshly grilled corn. <S> (I leave the husks on for a little while and throw it on the grill with all the husk on--I get all the flavor from the butter, lemon pepper, and Parmesan!)
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The best way I have found is to soak the ears in husk for several hours before grilling.
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What do I do with a kohlrabi? I've recieved several kohlrabi from my CSA, and I have no idea what to do with them. I found a recipe for a curry using kohlrabi, but it wasn't great. Does anyone have suggestions on how to get the best out of it? Any favorite recipes? <Q> (Storage note: do not wash the bulbs before storing them; place in plastic bag in the refrigerator. <S> Wash just before using.) <S> Young kohlrabi is great raw. <S> Peel first <S> , then add to salads <S> (sliced or grated) serve as part of a veggie platter w/ dip grate it and add to slaw (but after grating it, put some salt on it & let it sit, then squeeze the water out of it) <S> puree it - here's someone who really loves it <S> pureed: http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/11/recipe-what-to-do-with-kohlrabi-puree.html <S> Cooked kohlrabi can be steamed or boiled. <S> Remove the skin after cooking. <S> You can eat the leaves, if they are still firm and green; use them within a couple of days. <S> Wash the leaves & remove the tough stem parts (ribs). <S> Blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain, chop, and serve with a bit of butter, salt, and pepper. <S> A little vinegar or lemon juice is good on them, too. <A> I found one recipe that called for it to be cubed, salt to taste, and drizzled with olive oil and baked until tender. <S> That's the only way I've prepared it <S> and I thought it was great. <S> Go to the recipes section of Doe Run Farm (the CSA we get our veggie box from), and you'll find the Kohl Rabi recipe. <A> I used to eat them like apples when I was a child, I still like the raw kohlrabi in salads. <S> Basically, it's a sweet'ish/spicy turnip/cabbage/raddish so you can do with it, more or less anything you can do with those three vegetables. <S> As I said. <S> The leaves are also excellent in salads and can also be cooked like spinach. <S> It's a very versatile and tasty vegetable. <A> Most people don't realize that Kohlrabi and Broccoli are in fact different cultivars of the same species of plant (along with cabbage, cauliflower, kale and a bunch of other plants). <S> So it's not just like a broccoli stem - it <S> is <S> a broccoli stem :) <S> I have two favorite uses for Kohlrabi - sliced thinly and used in asian-style wok dishes in a creme soup <S> - just sautee some garlic and leek in butter and olive oil, add chopped Kohlrabi, some white wine, 1 liter of stock and cook until tender, then puree. <A> You can peel it and slice it, add some lemon and salt and eat it raw as a fresh salad. <S> It goes very well with fresh green apple, lettuce and a cold potato salad. <S> It's highly recommended to eat fresh and not cooked. <S> You need to make sure you peel it properly first though. <A> We sliced it into about 1 inch square pieces (like a french fry but bigger) and then just lightly browned them in a bit of olive oil over high heat. <A> It's a lot like a broccoli stem or a cauliflower. <S> Steam, Saute, or Braise. <A> I grow kohlrabi and beets, use the kohlrabi instead of cabbage in borsht, yum. <S> Also eat it raw a lot. <A> Peel and slice the Kohlrabi into slivers. <S> Saute it with a little oil. <S> Spice with salt and pepper. <S> Add fresh small cut dill. <S> Finish off with cream. <A> Aside from the other excellent answers (basically, use it <S> like broccoli stems :)) <S> , it's excellent braised .
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Besides the allready mentioned possibility of eating it raw, I like to make a Kohlrabi sauce to go along with pasta. it's great in salads, it can be steamed or added to stews, deep fried etc.
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How do you clean a pizza stone? I have a charcoal grill (Big Green Egg) that has a ceramic insert that can be used as a heat shield or as a pizza stone. My stone is black from drippings and smoke. I'd like to cook some pizza on it, but I'm not sure what I should do to clean it. <Q> Perfect. <S> Sounds like your pizza stone is nicely seasoned. <S> Scrub it with your stiffest brush, rinse with water, no soap, done. <S> If you're paranoid about germs, cook it before cooking on it . <S> Throw it in the oven at a few hundred degrees, for 15 minutes or so. <A> I concur with all of the people above that the black burned on parts aren't at all a problem. <S> However if you want that buff color back, I got it back on one of mine accidentally. <S> I had a pizza stone that basically lived in my electric oven. <S> During some holiday or another I stuffed it under the lower burner of the oven, and forgot it. <S> Later I ran the electric oven self cleaning cycle. <S> When I opened the oven <S> I was shocked to see a big buff colored disk in the bottom of the oven! <S> It had been black for so long <S> I hadn't seen it when I pulled out the thermometer before cleaning the cycle and had forgotten it was down there. <S> I don't know that it won't break your Big Green Egg Plate Setter. <S> I use the aforementioned pizza stone on top of mine to keep the BGE part cleaner. <S> I have used this technique a few times to clean up pizza stones others thought were "ruined' or "finally seasoned." <S> But with an Egg part I suppose I would worry that it might break, and I would have to replace it. <S> Pizza stones are much cheaper than Big Green Egg parts. <A> As long as the black stuff won't rub off on the pizza, blackness shouldn't matter. <S> You should probably heat it for a while to burn off any rancid fat that has been sitting on it since you last used your grill. <S> After its cool, a putty knife and a Brillo pad should clean it up enough. <A> I scrape any crusted-on stuff (like pizza cheese) then rinse with water to get any soot off. <S> Never use soap on a pizza stone <S> - they're porous, so it'll pick up a soapy taste that'll take forever to get out. <S> Nothing wrong with it turning black - it's just becoming seasoned. <A> I've had many disasters on my stone. <S> I used to freak out and would spend a lot of time trying to clean it. <S> All you need to do is scrape off the crusted on dough/cheese once the stone has heated off. <S> The rest will burn away next time you heat it up. <A> Generally, I prefer putting it in an oven and using the self-cleaning function when there is a fewer amount of oil or baked staple foods stuck on the surface of a pizza stone. <S> You can also use a pizza scrubber brush . <S> Wash with baking soda.
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Ideally, you're supposed to heat the stone (thus sterilizing it) before slapping the pizza upon it anyway (although that requires a pizza peel ).
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What herbs and spices are in "Italian Seasoning"? I'm beginning to grow my own herbs and would like to put together something similar to the "Italian Seasoning" found in the grocery store spice section. (It's an easy way to add more flavor to pasta sauce.) Is there a commonly accepted list of ingredients and proportions, or does it vary between the spice companies? <Q> I cannot +1 Peter V because of my poor reputation, but he is right: <S> in Italian cooking you don't go for mix, what you look for is a balance between a few ingredients, normally one from different kind of foods: one cereal, one vegetable, one spice for example. <S> The main spice (or fresh herb) is parsley: it is so common that it is used in figurative language as well, think about a celebrity you see everywhere, just like parsley. <S> Fresh basil is a must for spaghetti sauce and freshness, as Peter V said, is the only option. <S> I never heard about red pepper in Italian cooking; I bought mine during a travel in Asia and use it for Asian food. <S> Black pepper is for sauces and meat, white pepper for fish, normally. <S> Oregano, thyme, marjoram, are common, and they normally don't mix. <S> Oregano is widely used on the top of some pizzas, especially when they have got anchovies, capers and/or olives on top. <S> Pizza margherita requires fresh basil. <S> Rosemary, bay leaf and sage are used commonly with meat or beans/lentils: in this case you often prepare a bouquet tying together some small branches from these three herbs with a cooking lace and let the bouquet rest in your preparation for some time. <S> You should probably add fennel seeds to the most-common-Italian-spices list. <A> Having taken a look around some recipe sites and taken the intersection of what most of them consider the "core" spices (and leaving out the ones that showed up on too many 'variations' lists), it looks like the canonical ones are: basil marjoram oregano rosemary thyme <A> I applaud your spice growing! <S> But, I would recommend you not mix your spices into a homemade Italian seasoning mix, for a few reasons. <S> First, some of the core mix are better dry, like Oregano -- Oregano needs to dry out to attain full flavor. <S> Others, like Basil absolutely suck dried out, and taste way, way better fresh. <S> Most spices taste better fresh. <S> Second, most legit Italian food doesn't use a big mix-o-spices. <S> Classic Italian spaghetti sauce is actually just: milled tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper, salt. <S> And it's unbelievably good, and indisputably 'Italian' tasting. <S> If you're going crazy, you can throw some torn up basil leaves into the pasta. <S> Maybe you get where I'm going with this -- usually Italians cook with fresh spices, trying to bring out the individual flavors. <S> Having your own herb garden will get you there fast, so don't worry about making the mix. <S> (But do grow all those spices listed here, you'll use them!) <A> I think generally it is basil, marjoram, oregano & sage usually in the ratio 2:2:2:1 although it can differ and sometimes contains rosemary too. <A> I would throw in Bay Leaf as well, along with dried red chilies. <S> Rosemary is not always considered Italian. <A> There is rosemary, thyme and oregano in the Italian seasoning. <A> basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary,thyme, marjoram,sage, sea salt, black pepper. <A> We use marjoram, oregano, basil, thyme and bay leaf in Italian. <S> If you can't have fresh then perhaps roast the dry seasonings together in a hot cast iron skillet, dry. <A> The main three Seasoning are oregano, parsley, and basil. <S> Other can be used rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, sea salt, black pepper, truffle salt.
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I think the standards are Basil, Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram...
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Avoiding grittiness with sichuan pepper I've got a big bag of Sichuan pepper but I've often found that when I cook with them it's difficult to avoid grittiness from the outer kernel. I don't have this problem when I visit Sichuan Chinese restaurants and the pepper was bought from a big Asian supermarket. What do I need to do to prepare them to avoid the grittiness? Is it really as fiddly as picking out the peppercorn from each kernel or is there something simpler that I need to do? <Q> The spice will fall through and the husks will stay in the sieve. <S> Should take about 5 minutes max. <S> Alternatively, buy them pre-ground. <A> Yes. <S> The grittiness is completely due to the peppercorn. <S> Remove it. <S> Usually only the husk is used. <A> Fry whole peppercorns in oil, discard the peppercorns and use the oil. <S> Saves for a few days in fridge with diminished quality. <A> Unfortunately for you, it looks as if you bought one of the cheaper made products that does not remove the seed from the husk. <S> I agree that removing them one by one by hand could be fiddly work! <S> There are three suggestions to fix this though. <S> You can leave them in the sun for an afternoon and the pods will open up nicely and usually will drop the black fruit by themselves than you can you a properly sized mesh strainer to sieve them and get your leftover husks quite easily! <S> Leave them as-is and simply bundle them in a bit of cheese-cloth then add them to your dish. <S> When finished cooking simply remove the bundle and their essence will be imparted in the dish (however, the fun of eating the husk and <S> it's inherent tingling/numbing sensation might be lost, but the flavor should remain! <S> Source them more carefully next time. <S> I suggest buying from an online spice dealer to maximize the quality and freshness that you want. <A> Yup, just checked the berry, hull is flavorful and grinds easy but the black center is pure shiny grit. <S> Learned this the hard way after an otherwise great dish.
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Grind your peppercorns in a spice grinder, then put them in a large, fine meshed sieve and tap them over a large bowl.
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How long is it safe to marinate meat? I started marinating some almost-thawed chicken and skirt steak in the refrigerator on Monday. It's Saturday, and I still haven't gotten around to cooking the meat. Is the meat still safe to cook and eat? I made several different marinades consisting of lime juice, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. I'm not sure if that makes a difference. <Q> I can't see any reason for the marinating itself to make any difference. <S> If it's safe to leave the (un-marinated) meat in the same conditions for the same length of time, then it's safe to marinate it for that long. <S> Five days in the refrigerator is definitely stretching it for chicken - usually no more than a few days is recommended, and that's assuming it was fresh when you bought it (not a day before the sell-by date). <S> Even if it's safe, it's not going to be very good . <S> I've accidentally left raw chicken in the refrigerator and forgotten about it before, and it started to smell "off" after about 4 days. <S> I hate to say it, but I wouldn't use it at this point. <S> As for the steak, you're probably okay, because you only have surface bacteria, but I would cook it <S> well <S> and right away . <S> Again, most cooks I know will recommend no more than a few days in the fridge. <S> P.S. <S> I've heard people say that weak acids such as lime juice "preserve" the meat, but never from a reliable source; <S> even if it worked, every marinade is different and it would be nearly impossible to predict the exact amount of time it preserves for. <S> You have no idea how much bacteria existed at the outset, and even if the marinade somehow helped to inhibit growth of new bacteria, the "spoiled-ness" of raw meat doesn't come from the bacteria itself but from the toxins they leave behind. <S> It's not a requirement for the bacteria to multiply in order for the food to spoil, if enough existed in the first place. <S> Unless somebody has it on good authority <S> that marinating makes any significant difference, I refuse to put any stock in that bit of folk wisdom and recommend that others be equally skeptical. <A> While health concerns for storing meat are very real, in the scope of this question it's actually not an issue. <S> Consider the following: <S> For most marinades, you will get very little difference flavor-wise from 20 minutes or several hours. <S> In fact, you will get the most flavor by doing a short marinating right before cooking, then reapplying a coating of the marinade just before the food is done cooking. <S> For marinades that are meant to soak for more than a few hours, they generally call for about 24 hours. <S> This is not an unsafe length of time. <S> Longer than 24 hours is going to have no positive effects on your food... <S> UNLESS you happen to be brining the meat. <S> For brining you may be leaving your meat sitting for much longer, but it is in solution specifically designed to preserve the meat and kill bacteria. <S> So all in all, as long as you follow general health and safety principles with your food, you'll be just fine. <A> You can store marinated poultry in your refrigerator for 2 days. <S> Beef, veal, pork, and lamb roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5 days. <S> (From http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/marinades.html ) <A> if you have too much soy sauce then the salt in it will start to preserve the meat, and if you marinate it for too long it will end up like eating peat bog man . <S> I've had this just overnight from a soy and ginger marinade with beef. <S> In general though I would think that the beef will be ok, but I would be less certain about the chicken. <S> It probably depends on how fresh the meat was in the first place. <S> Smell it and look at it. <S> If it looks and smells ok, then its probably good. <S> Any doubts and bin it. <A> You were keeping your meat cold in a high-salt, high-acid environment, so I wouldn't be too worried about pathogens. <S> This doesn't mean you're absolutely safe -- there are no absolutes in food safety, even with fresh-killed meat. <S> But, given the conditions you described, it should be safe. <S> However, I cannot imagine that meat would be any good after marinating for 5 whole days. <S> After 24 hours, the marinade will really start to ruin the texture of your meat. <A> I just left the butcher shop and he told me that you can marinate beef for 27 days in allegro which I do not belive <A> Here's the link to Food safety.gov, you can find the definite answers you seek on this page :) <S> http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/marinades.html
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No amount of time you are going to marinate something that will yield a good result is going to pose a health hazard unless your meat is near expiration to begin with. Chicken =2 days...meats such as steaks, lamb, pork = 5 days.
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What to do about yeast that doesn't work? I am using a new container of yeast from the store; I keep it well-sealed (it's a small jar) and refrigerated. I make sure to use warm water in bread recipes - I check the temperature using a digital kitchen thermometer. I follow instructions to let the dough rise in a warm, moist environment - I put it in the oven (which is off, but was recently warmed to 100 degrees or so) with a steaming cup of hot water. However, my bread still doesn't rise - not in the breadmaker and not when made by hand. Should I use more yeast? If so, how much more? (..as in just a pinch more, or as in double or triple the amount?) Should I use more sugar, so the yeast has something to eat? I'm really at a loss here. Should I give it up and use different yeast? If so, what's a trusted brand? <Q> You can proof your yeast to see if its still alive: Heat approx. <S> ½ cup (100ml) of water to about 115°F (45°C). <S> Add a tablespoon (10g) or so of sugar, stir. <S> Water should still be above 105°F (40°C). <S> Add a teaspoon of yeast, stir. <S> Within 5 minutes or so, the mixture should be thoroughly foamy. <S> If its not thoroughly foamy, yeast is bad (dead), dispose of it. <S> (Note: <S> Metric conversions above are rounded, just like the imperial units. <S> Don't use these conversions for baking, but proofing yeast doesn't need anything exact.) <A> In his book <S> I'm Just Here for More Food: <S> Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking <S> , Alton Brown notes (on pg. 37) <S> that if your tap water is heavily chlorinated, hard or high in other minerals, or acidic (especially where there is lots of acid rain) <S> these things can cause strange problems during baking or even kill your yeast. <S> When in doubt, he recommends using e.g. a Pur or Brita water filter, or using bottled distilled/mineral water. <S> I know I've had problems getting yeast to rise with our Chicago/Lake Michigan tap water (which can be so heavily chlorinated that it can smell like a swimming pool!), and more success with bottled water, so it's something to consider. <A> I had some yeast that I have bought <S> almost two years ago it wasn’t completely dead, however when I tested it in a bowl of warm water it had very minimal activity. <S> I hated to throw it away since I had bought a huge package of it and still had about 6 oz left. <S> So I addd a little bit of homemade wine to it and it instantly started bubbling. <S> After ten minutes it had a solid layer of foam on top and you could literally hear it bubbling. <S> Glad i tried this now I don’t have to throw away my yeast <S> and I get to make some rolls for dinner tonight. <A> Red Star is what I have been using for a while, but I have used others in the past with good results. <S> If there is no rise at all, then the problem is the yeast. <S> It can be a bit temperamental to store, and box stores don't always respect this. <S> You could try doubling the amount of yeast in the recipe, and see if that helps, but they whole bottle is probably dead. <S> Another bottle should solve your problems. <S> Some general tips for yeast: add to warm water and let sit for a few minutes, don't add yeast and salt at the same time (add some sugar first, then some flour, then the salt, and the rest of the ingredients), don't use metal bowls or utensils <S> (this is actually pretty important--copper kills them, and stainless isn't great). <A> The 100 degree oven worked for me. <S> I put about 1/2 cup tap water @ 115 degrees, added a pinch of sugar, yeast and put it in the oven. <S> In about 5 minutes it had foamed like I never had seen before. <S> This after going through 3 packets of yeast. <S> I used yeast from the same 3 pack earlier, none oven heated, and it failed ...got to stay with the oven proofing method for sure!! <A> It could be that the water is too warm and has killed yeast. <S> It should feel tepid, neither hot nor cold. <S> It will quickly adjeust to its envirnomental temperature from there, especially if you use a steel bowl. <S> I stretch my sourdough out to a three day rise to get a certain type of flavour. <S> I don't think you need to worry about chlorine, especially with a commercial yeast. <S> I know the modernist cuisine books are not popular around here but Mhyrvold made sourdough with his pool water to prove it. <S> It just slows things down a bit. <S> The thing is, the chlorine becomes "spent", it does not have infinite power. <S> Once the chlorine is spent the rise will proceed as per usual. <S> I used to go to extreme lengths to dechlorinate my water but it turns out I was just an amateur. <S> You probably still want the dissolved minerals in the water <S> but you can still make bread without that.
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Even if your yeast has largely died, if you have some live yeast you can still make bread, although you might need more yeast and more time.
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Techniques to get a nice golden-brown crust on bread How do I make sure the crust of a baguette, etc. turns out a nice golden-brown when baking? <Q> The trick is steam and high heat. <S> Heat your oven up to 450 F (230 C). <S> Bring a pot of water to boil on your stove. <S> Once boiling, pour the water into a deep roasting pan on the bottom shelf of your oven. <S> If you can place it directly on the bottom of your oven (it doesn't obstruct vents) <S> then that is ok too. <S> 1 <S> " (2.5 cm) of water is enough. <S> Let the steam build up for 5 minutes <S> Spray <S> your baguettes with water <S> , they should be rather nicely wet. <S> Don't forget to slash them as well <S> Put your baguettes in the oven on the top shelf. <S> BE CAREFUL opening your oven. <S> Don't let the steam blast you in your face or other exposed body parts. <S> Let it dissipate a bit. <S> 5 minutes into baking, spray the baguettes again (be careful) 10 minutes into baking, spray the baguettes again 15 minutes into baking, carefully remove the tin of water from the oven <S> Let bake for a final 20 minutes <S> Depending on how even your oven is browning the crust you may need to turn the pan at the spray intervals. <A> Crack one egg into a bowl and add about ½ teaspoon of water. <S> Wisk the egg <S> well. <S> After your dough is formed and ready for the oven, brush a light coating of the egg wash onto the dough and put it in the oven. <S> After that, cook as you normally would. <S> Another thing you can try is to use a recipe with a little sugar in it. <S> That will also help brown the crust as the sugar on the exterior of the dough will caramelize and give a nice color. <S> I also agree with the other recommendations of cooking with some steam in the oven. <S> I do that every timeI <A> Another possible method is to bake the bread in an oven-proof pot with the lid on, which will help to keep the steam in. <S> This is essentially the method I use in baking no-knead bread, which uses a dutch oven. <S> I bake the dough for 30 mins with the lid on and 15 mins more with the lid off. <S> The result is crusty brown bread. <A> I use an easy technique ... <S> i mix together an egg wash with melted butter, shove it in a spritzer (a spraying machine) and spray the bread about 5 minutes before it's done. <S> I then switch the heat to broiler for 5 minutes, ..... voila! <A> The technique I use is a slight modification of the one Peter Reinhart describes in The Bread Baker's Apprentice (a must-have for any serious home baker, in my opinion). <S> I put a heavy-duty commercial half-sheet pan on the bottom of my gas oven and a baking stone on a middle rack, preheat it to 500°F and boil some water. <S> Then, when the bread goes on the stone, I pour a cup or so of boiling water into the pan and close the door. <S> This is a great way to get steam burns, so be careful. <S> Reinhart says to open the oven and spray the walls with water a few times at 30-second intervals, but I've never found that makes a huge difference. <S> Use a dedicated sheet pan for this, as after a few loaves it'll look like it was run over by a truck. <S> I've also heard of using a cast iron skillet in the same role. <A> I find that since I've started baking my bread straight on a baking stone, the crust is much crunchier and thicker. <S> I preheat to the maximum allowed by the oven (250 C), drop some ice cubes on the oven floor, slide the loaf of bread in and reduce the heat to 200 C, then bake for ~40 minutes. <A> Here's what I did today to get a browned crust: <S> I added a cube of ice to the beaten egg (instead of 1/2 teaspoon water suggested by Al Crowley) and sprinkled a pinch of saffron on the ice cube (it shouldn't go inside the whisked eggs), then after a few minutes the ice cube melted and made a really nice orangish red color. <S> There you go: <S> Another point is, you must bake your breads in a very high temperature <S> , that's the point of getting golden brown crust. <A> In addition to the other techniques mentioned, diastatic malt will produce more free sugars to undergo browning reaction. <S> The result is a slightly sweeter, more flavorful bread and a more browned crust. <S> Suggested amount: 1 tsp (5 mL) <S> diastatic malt per pound/450g flour. <A> I also mix egg wash with milk in order to get a golden brown.
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A light brush with an egg wash will give you a nice color to your bread every time.
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How to make pizza crust thin and elastic at the same time? For the title: I'm not sure if "elastic" is the perfect word here, so is anyone knows better one - put it in the comment. I like thin pizza crust, but when I've made it myself it was hard and stiff - not very pleasant to eat. I know that making a dough isn't an easy task, but I would like to hear your tips. What should pay attention to avoid hard and stiff crust? I've heard about putting a pot with water into the oven to increase moisture.How about existence of oil in dough, does it change anything?How about flour type? <Q> I generally use a fairly wet dough and add oil as well. <S> One of the keys is to keep kneading to a bare minimum. <S> This makes for a lighter dough because it has more air bubbles - kneading kills them. <S> As for flour type, I like '00' type, but there are advantages to other types of flours - as 00 absorbs less water. <S> If you want to read a completely comprehensive guide to a lot of the factors, this is worth a read... <S> http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm <A> Be careful with temperature and baking time. <S> Bake on the highest temperature available (250C in my oven) for around 10 minutes. <S> Look for golden color. <S> When it gets nice, brownish tone, it's to late. <A> An egg might help keep things moist, and therefore more elastic. <S> I suspect oil won't help much, but I haven't compared. <S> A great pizza tip is to heat a cast iron skillet on high until is starts to smoke, slap the pizza in it, and shove under the brolier for just long enough to melt the cheese. <S> This cooks the crust like a real pizza oven, which is usually something like 600-800*F. <A> I also use '00' flour along with a pizza stone, preheated in the oven for about 30- 45 minutes at the hotest the oven goes. <S> I've heard terracotta plant pot saucers can be used as cheap pizza stones but mine was a present and works well - the only difficulty I have is getting pizzas on it without sticking <A> I can't say this enough: you need to have a strong gluten structure in your dough, or else it will rip/tear/etc. <S> A thinner (more viscous/wet) dough can help with this, but it is not usually sufficient. <S> The gluten structure is what gives dough its stretchy, strong, elastic nature. <S> Oil helps because it helps the crust fry evenly and keeps it from sticking. <S> Don't include too much because it breaks down the strength of your gluten structure. <S> That builds a very solid gluten structure that can pass the windowpane test . <S> If you want the final, baked crust to be softer or "springy" and more bendable : You probably want bubbles in the dough. <S> To do this, make a yeast dough and let it rise for a little while before baking (as opposed to quickbread, using baking powder or baking soda to make bubbles). <S> Knead the dough a lot. <S> Adding too much oil can cause the crust to "fry" in its own juices, but you want enough to keep it moist. <S> One thing I do is I partially bake the crust before putting on toppings (about 5 minutes -- just to make it a little firm). <S> Then I add the toppings. <S> If you wanted the crust to be softer, put a little oil or butter on the outsides of the crust (the edges and even the bottom, but not where the sauce will be). <S> This will help keep it from drying out. <S> You could also try baking the dough at a lower temperature to make it more like a bread and less like a cracker -- but you'd have to experiment with this. <S> As for kneading the dough: knead it a lot, but let it rise. <S> Then you can use a rolling pin to keep it flat. <S> Bubbles aren't bad -- small bubbles can help your dough bend.
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If you want the dough to be strong and stretchable before baking it : What works best for me is to use a high-gluten flour (such as bread flour, and sometimes I even add more gluten) and to knead the heck out of the dough.
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Apple pie: peel or not? Is it okay to leave the skin on the apples when making an apple pie? I'd like to leave them on, but I wonder if there will be chewy strings of peel or if they will cook tender. <Q> Depends on the apple. <S> Apples with softer skins will bake to a more even consistency, but apples with tough skin (the 'shiny' kinds like McIntosh or Red Delicious) tend to get caught in your teeth and throat, and are generally a pain to eat. <S> If you do make a pie with the skins on, use smaller pieces of apple or slice around the apples to create shorter pieces of peel. <S> These are easier to eat and don't get caught in your mouth as much. <A> When making fruit pies your goal is essentially to make a loose jam inside the crust, something that will remain firm and cohesive without resisting fork or tooth. <S> Apple skins are detrimental to this process as they aren't hygroscopic and will prevent the apple pieces from melding with the other pieces on the skinned side. <S> I'm not saying it's impossible to make a nice, firm apple pie with skins on, but it's far more likely for that slice of deliciousness to collapse on your plate than if you peel them beforehand. <A> You should peel your apples. <S> If you don't it gets hard and rough and isn't pleasant. <S> The nutritional value is pretty much lost because it gets cooked. <S> Just eat the peel you've got left :) <A> Try it with the peel pureed. <S> I've made a few pies this way <S> and it works well - also adds a bit of color! <S> Really thoroughly wash the apples Cut-out any bad-spots <S> Peel <S> 'em! <S> Throw some of the apple-slices in with the peel and blend. <S> Use a stick-blender for best results <S> Toss the puree in with the rest of the apple-mix and bake! <A> Cooking at home, though, I often leave them on, especially if I know the apples are organic. <S> I think the peels add flavor and texture, and as you mention, nutrition. <A> I leave the skins on, slice the apples, and soak them in cinnamon, sugar, and a little salt for a day or two. <S> Then I drain and layer the pie with apples, cinnamon, and sugar several times and bake. <S> I've never had complaints. <S> The skins basically turn to mush but the pie is great, not a sloppy mess. <S> Very nice on a plate, holds well while cutting and serving, and saves a lot of time not peeling apples. <S> That's my .02. <A> I always leave on the peel I love how it tastes <S> I also don't remove the skin when I eat a fresh apple. <S> I really don't like any apple pies from the market <S> so I tend to just bake them myself as they are so easy to make and taste totally different from manufactured pies. <A> Been haking apple pies from our trees for the last 3 years. <S> Everyone loves my pies and no one notices that they aren't peeled. <S> They are surprised when I tell them they had skins on. <A> Better Homes and Gardens offers an Unpeeled Apple Pie recipe that looks exactly like a regular apple pie recipe, except that you don't peel the apples. <S> Guess their test kitchen found it edible! <S> I'm about to try unpeeled apple turnovers myself, using my regular recipe. <S> Here's the BH&G link: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pies/no-peel-apple-pie/
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In my experience cookbooks always tell you to peel the apples, and professional apple pies will always have the peels removed.
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