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How do you know when a cultured item is no longer safe to consume? How do you know when yougurt (for example) is no longer safe to consume? Do I know it from the taste, how it smells, or something else? <Q> Cultured milk products rarely become unsafe. <S> It will get moldy as others have said. <S> I culture my own buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, cheese, etc. <S> Many times they stay on the counter for days at a time. <S> They get more and more sour (if they are the kind that incubate at room temperature) <S> but they can't really go bad. <S> Even sour cream doesn't become dangerous- <S> the mold just tastes bad. <S> To second what kajaco said: if I do have cultured dairy get too sour or moldy <S> I will wipe off the mold and bake something with it. <S> It should be noted that non-cultured milk is completely different. <S> Of course it goes bad fast but after even a short time it is too bad to bake with. <S> And never ever EVER use old milk to culture your own yogurt or cheese. <S> The bad bacteria will overwhelm the good and you will end up with liquid that will haunt you in your nightmares! <S> -- Edit -- https://web.archive.org/web/20161129153701/http://nchfp.uga.edu:80/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html <S> (OR pdf ) <S> I did some research <S> and it seems that they can eventually go bad. <S> It doesn't fit my experience <S> but I'll defer to the scientists. <S> Trust your nose. <A> Before something is unsafe to eat, it usually becomes unappetizing or unappealing. <S> This is observed more by how it looks and smells than how it tastes (why would you taste it if it looks or smells bad?). <S> There are exceptions, however. <S> I would not drink sour milk, for instance, but I will bake with it (this requires adjusting or changing ingredients such as baking powder vs. baking soda, but that's another question). <A> "When in doubt, throw it out..." <S> (Or compost it, etc.) <S> Seriously, all it takes is one good bout of food poisoning and you form a habit of not eating anything suspicious. <S> I will still cut off a moldy end of hard cheese and eat the other part, but if milk or yogurt seems at all suspicious, I get rid of it. <A> Personally, I sniff and if it smells right I'll generally take the risk of using it. <S> The hygiene department may not agree though. <S> I really trust my sense of smell. <S> On the other hand if I see an ugly mold growing, I may change my mind. <S> FWIW <S> - It's usually yogurt and a few cheeses where I run into this issue...
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Unless your choice is to eat something unappetizing or to go hungry, most people would not use it but throw it out if it is unappetizing. Yogurt in particular is so acidic and teeming with bacteria already that it can't really go bad per se.
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What are the costs to consider when making jam? I am trying to dertermine what kinds of jam are particularly cost-effective to make at home. I have been given a few bits of equipment for jam making, and am looking forward to getting started. We don't have a garden at the moment so can't grown our own fruit. I have seen blackberries growing wild near us so I will be trying that, but I would also like to try other kinds of jam. <Q> Costs to consider when making jam: <S> One-Time Costs <S> Pressure canner Water-bath canner Large pot for making jam in Strainer (can use a colander-type item or something like a Squeez-o) <S> Jar rack that goes inside the canner <S> Jar lifter Funnel <S> Jars Freezer-safe containers Jar rings <S> Recurring Costs <S> Jar lids Fruit <S> (you can often get pretty cheap fruit in bulk from an orchard) <S> Pectin Sugar <S> Spices Energy usage (stove) <S> Compare costs for freezer jam (no canner required), pressure-canned jam (pressure canners are expensive), and water-bath canned jam. <S> Also compare for recipes that do vs do not contain pectin. <S> If you can get a lot of the one-time cost items free (from grandma's attic, most likely), and if you can get the recurring cost items on sale (or from your own garden), then you can probably come close to commercially priced jam. <S> Personally, here's what I look at: A) <S> The cost of the item I would normally buy at the store - generic, cheap brand. <S> Let's call that price X. B) <S> The cost of the item I wish I could buy at the store - the really good stuff. <S> That price is usually about 2x to 3x. <S> Then, my goal is to be cheaper than 2x. <S> Another Cost Consideration <S> If you give homemade jam as holiday gifts, spending less than you otherwise would on a gift, there's additional savings for you. <A> Jars are very expensive but they are a one time cost (if you don't break them or give them away). <S> If you ever see them on sale or at a garage sale snap them up. <S> Pectin is a relatively expensive reoccurring cost. <S> There's no way around this one. <S> It doesn't go on sale. <S> Ever. <S> The fruit can be expensive or not. <S> Use what you have available. <S> Fruit that goes on a very good sale or that can be gathered in your area is obviously the best. <S> I gather wild grapes and dewberries here in Texas. <S> I also have a peach tree. <S> We will sometimes go to strawberry farms that let you pick your own and do that. <S> We make jam often because we can make homemade jam that is better than anything in the store. <S> For example- when we pick our own strawberries it ends up being more expensive that cheap store brand strawberry jam <S> but we get to pick all over-ripe berries and make a jam that makes the store bought inedible in comparison. <S> Blackberry jam is very easy to make and the recipe and directions that come with the pectin are sufficient. <S> When you cook down the fruit into syrup strain out a bunch of the seeds. <S> Delicious. <A> Here is Washington State <S> it is now BLACKBERRY TIME! <S> Most of the year I hate them, trying to kill back the vines (this year the Himalayan blackberries went nuts, probably some vines grow a foot every night--of our 2 acres, over a half acre is no inaccessible because of them). <S> HOWEVER, right now the berries are ripe! <S> So if you can get the berries for free, especially in large quantities, perhaps it is more cost effective. <S> I say this because the high-quality 'boutique' jams you see in the store for $4-$6 / small jar can be duplicated with really good freshly picked fruit. <S> Overall expense may exceed buying it in the store, but there is nothing as good as jam made from truly ripe good quality fruit. <S> I grew up helping my grandmother make the hot-water bath canned jam. <S> Wonderful. <S> edit: <S> I should add, you might be able to get the overall cost below what you would pay in a store if you can create a large enough batch, especially if you can get some supplies through (ahem) C****sList for cheap. <S> one more edit: someone mentioned using these as gifts, which can be a truly wonderful thing. <S> If you spend $5 at a store for a trinket, and give as "the" Christmas gift, it would probably be pretty cheesy (and received as same). <S> Spend $4 and some labor of love making a half pint of personal label designer jam--with no label, frequently--and your loved ones will be thrilled. <S> It especially goes a long way for giving at extended family parties, where you are expected to bring something for lots of people you rarely see.
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As for economy- unless you get the fruit for free, store bought jam will be cheaper.
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Butter substitute for 1 cup of butter for baking What can I substitute for 1 cup of butter in baking recipes (e.g. cookies, muffins, cakes, etc.)? I'm looking for something that has less saturated fat (and also doesn't have trans fat). Update: Since baking is less forgiving than cooking (i.e. if you don't use the exact amount of each ingredient the recipe might fail), could you please also include the amount you would need to use to replace 1 cup of butter ? <Q> In muffins and quick breads , I have found that you can actually substitute apple sauce for oil or melted butter. <S> This has worked very well for me! <S> Use the same amount of apple sauce that you would oil/butter, if not a bit extra. <A> There are a lot of considerations to make when substituting for butter since it plays several roles that depend on the baked good. <S> Creaming solid butter with sugar is essential for the texture of a cake, because that's where you make all the little pockets that air will blow up later. <S> Anything that you can similarly beat might substitute well. <S> Baked goods that use baking soda and don't require creaming are good candidates for having their butter replaced, especially if they just require melted butter. <S> This is where I'd be experimenting with yogurt or bananas or whatever else sounds interesting. <S> The way the fat melts determines how much a cookie spreads as it cooks. <S> A fat with a higher melting temp would make taller cookies, while using melted butter would make flatter cookies. <S> Oil would be a good substitute in recipes requiring melted butter, just remember that butter is 10-20% water. <S> In pie crusts, pastries, and biscuits, you build up layers of dough and butter when you roll and knead them, and this is what creates a flaky dough. <S> Lots of recipes use part butter and part lard for their different melting points to balance flakiness and tenderness. <S> Using any fat-free substitute would probably be disastrous but I haven't experimented. <S> This is the one place where I really wouldn't consider using bananas, because you need fat to separate the layers. <A> Lard has less saturated fat than butter, and it's great in pie crusts. <S> I can't speak to its other baking applications because I stick to butter for cookies and muffins and such, but experimenting with less butter when combined with lard to produce the total fat called for in such recipes might be worthwhile. <S> Also, About.com has an article on dairy-free baking that you might find useful. <S> It discusses when to use oil and when to use margarine (and when margarine is called for, there are some decent alternatives to traditional margarine on the market); the article has other great tips for baking, as well. <A> I use fat free Greek yogurt. <S> I found it as a recommendation when I was looking up Greek yogurt and everything I have made with it came out as good or better than with butter. <S> Use the same amount <A> Just use vegetable or canola oil. <S> You'll likely need to adjust your measurement a bit, you typically would use less oil than the equivalent amount of butter. <S> You may need to add a bit more water to compensate for the water present in butter (nearly 20% of butter is water). <S> Also note that the finished good will be textured differently. <S> Cookies will tend to be flatter because you cannot cream the sugar into the oil as you can with butter. <A> A way to reduce the use of butter is to make a spread combining butter and canola oil. <S> 1/2 cup butter <S> (softened)1/2 cup canola oil Blend until combined, store in a covered dish in the fridge. <S> Use like butter for baking or as a spread. <S> It has ~ half the saturated fat as butter and negligible amounts of trans fats. <S> Provides mono-unsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. <S> A compromise though and not what you asked. <S> I have found this to be a decent compromise. <A> I typically hate naming specific brand names but Smart Balance is a decent butter substitute for baking and is used in a 1:1 ratio. <S> Unfortunately, there will always be a texture difference because different fats react differently to heat, specifically how fast it melts. <S> Shortening, for example, melts between 115 and 117, meaning it melts pretty fast compared to butter, which melts between 90 and 95. <S> The faster it melts, the flatter your cookie is likely to be. <A> You can use coconut oil instead of butter or in addition to butter. <S> It will flavor the cookies or cake with a very mild flavor of coconut....use the organic brand of coconut oil. <A> I've personally baked with them dozens of times and they work wonderfully for everything from pie crusts to cookies and muffins. <A> 1 banana can substitue for 1 stick of butter. <S> I recently tried this for a banana bread recipe & it worked great. <S> Added extra banana flavor & eliminated a lot of fat & calories. <S> I recommend using a fresh banana (not too ripe) so the texture is still firm.
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Earth Balance ( see this site ) has excellent non-dairy, no trans fat butter sticks (1-1 substitute for butter). Personally I'm considering experimenting with bananas in recipes like this.
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Possible to freeze jam in glass? I have read on multiple canning sites that you can freeze jam in glass jars. Has anyone actually done this successfully? Under what circumstances would it be preferable to putting the jam in plastic containers? It just doesn't seem very safe to me (I fear the glass would break). Previously, I have bought plastic containers to freeze jam in, but they did not seal very well. I'm wondering if glass could perform better? Or, should I just find better plastic containers? <Q> Yes, I've done this. <S> The key is to ensure that the jam isn't filling the glass container completely so that as it freezes it has room to expand. <S> From what I understand, freezer canning is useful when you don't have a pressure canner but want to can lower acid items which otherwise might be dangerous to your health (if not pressure canned). <A> Can and freeze jars are available. <S> The quart jars I use large canning jar lids. <S> Besides the thick glass, the insides are tapered like a plastic ice cube tray. <S> As the liquid freezes and expands, it moves slightly up instead of breaking the jar open. <A> I make strawberry freezer jam every year, and as I have a supply of Bernardin glass jars, I tend to use those. <S> Regular glass freezes very well in general, but cannot handle quick temperature changes. <S> Not really a problem with my kind of jam, when I am mixing at room temperature, then next day putting in the freezer. <A> Make sure you use freezer tempered jar (freeze-safe) and always leave plenty of room at the top of the jar to leave room for the jam to expand as it freezes. <A> I just went on a trip for 2 months and had some great German raspberry jam <S> I did not want to throw out <S> so I just put it exactly how it was in the freezer. <S> It was about half full. <S> I came back and took it out and let it stand on the table and about an hour later it is EXACTLY how it was before I left. <S> It was so great! <S> This was an experiment that worked great! <S> I will continue to use this in the future.
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I used a typical Ball canning jar, which sealed well enough to keep ice crystals out for several months.
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What coarseness of japanese waterstones is ideal for cooking? Depending on the grit coarseness you can sharpen very blunt objects or refine an already sharp edge. Generally speaking, one can expect that a kitchen knife is much less heavily used than say, for example, carpenter tools or a pocket knife used to cut wood. I suppose for a kitchen knife there is no need for very coarse stones (say, below 200). Am I wrong here? <Q> Oh absolutely, you certainly don't want to sharpen a kitchen knife on a 200 grit stone! <S> (Note Japanese grit numbers are different than American oil stones). <A> really rough stones (used for tools) aren't suitable for knives. <S> they can be used to remove chips, but really require a skilled hand to not damange the knife. <S> most knives are sharpened with japanese waterstones (most easily available & cheap). <S> you'll do most of your sharpening with something around a 1500 grit. <S> if you want a real fine edge (e.g. for sushi) you can use a 4000 or even 6000 grit for polishing. <S> but that's what it does <S> , polish to a mirror finish - for smoothness. <S> you won't be removing much material with a stone that fine. <S> usually used for finishing / honing only. <A> Maybe this link will help you find a proper set of grits: Choosing the right grit size of Shapton stones . <S> For example, a 120 grit stone is recommended for grinding of the following: Chopping Knife (deba) Tuna Fish Knife (maguro-kiri) Knife for Cutting Frozen Foods (reito-kiri) Poultry Knife (gara-suki) <S> You can grind the rest of the kitchen knives with a stone of 220 or 320 grit. <S> For sharpening it seems that you can safely use something between 1000 and 2000 grit. <S> Follow the given link to learn more.
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You'll want one medium stone in case you ever need to remove a nick or something (but then you should probably take your knife to a pro at that point), and then probably like 2000-4000-6000 grits for routine polishing.
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Can you freeze soup? I am planning on making soup with my leftover turkey frame. I was just wondering if it is possible to freeze the soup and have it taste good when it is thawed. I am guessing it should be fine as long there aren't any noodles in the soup. Other than that the only ingredients called for are vegetables (celery, can of diced tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms) and spices. What do you think? <Q> Soup freezes great in my experience. <S> To freeze it for long term storage, you'll probably want it to be vacuum sealed. <S> In order to do this I freeze individual sized portions in Tupperware-style containers (make sure to leave enough room for expansion), and as soon as they're solid, vacuum seal those large "cubes". <S> They generally stack pretty nicely in our garage freezer. <S> In general soups should thaw and taste very good, some flavors even seem become stronger or seem to enhance and meld better with the freezing. <S> If you vacuum seal them as above you can throw them (still sealed) into a pot of boiling water for hot soup relatively fast! <S> As an aside, another great option with a leftover turkey frame would be to save it with previous odds and ends (carrot/celery ends, onion pieces, etc) in the freezer, and when you have enough make a simple stock. <S> You can then freeze the stock into cubes (in ice cube trays) for soup-making later, sauteeing veggies, in place of water for more flavorful rice, and a ton of other things. <A> I usually freeze soup in ice cubes trays and when the cubes are frozen, I transfer them to a freezing bag. <S> Small soup cubes defrost faster than big soup blocks, so when I come back home late and tired from work, I can have a hot soup in a few minutes, just putting some cubes in a hot pan... <A> I freeze soup all the time. <S> The only issue I've ever had is that the texture of large pieces of vegetables can change slightly after they're frozen -- possibly because the ice crystals break cell walls. <S> I've noticed this particularly with potatoes and carrots. <S> But only large pieces seem to have this problem. <A> We haven't had any problems with noodles in frozen soups. <A> That will freeze (and thaw) just fine. <A> Soup usually freezes beautifully. <S> Some veggies may suffer a slight texture change, if that is a problem, you can just freeze the meat and broth, and add fresh veggies when you thaw and reheat.
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We freeze soup all the time, either in plastic containers or in freezer bags.
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How to cook a pot roast without it tasting like vegetables I usually cook a beef pot roast by putting the meat and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) in a slow cooker with a little bit of water and letting it go for ~8 hours on low. This works well int hat everything is well cooked, the meat is moist and tender, etc. The one issue I have is that the meat tends to have an overly strong taste of vegetables. I don't really know how to describe it beyond that. Particularly from the carrots. I prefer my meat to taste more like meat. What can I do to accomplish this? Should I try browning the meat first to try and "seal" it up? Add the vegetables later? <Q> I think you've answered your own question. <S> Browning and adding veggies later will both help. <S> Browning doesn't "seal" the meat to keep flavor or juices in, but it does create a very nice flavor that's almost always associated with meat, caused by the Maillard reaction . <S> Of course, then you have to tend your crock pot, which is often not the point. <S> That would decrease the time that the vegetables had to affect the taste of your meat. <S> You could even experiment with which ones to add later and which to add at the beginning. <S> If it's just the carrots that are offensive, that may be the only thing you need to throw in later. <A> I would use a riser in your slow cooker. <S> If you raise the meat out of the water above the vegetables, you won't have as much flavor transference in the one direction while still allowing your veg to absorb the juices from the meat. <S> Since the cooking in a slow cooker is achieved by the low moist heat and not boiling, your meat will still come moist and delicious. <S> I use a vegetable steamer in mine, but all you need is something that is porous and can handle a few hours in the heat (so don't use parchment paper, disaster awaits you down that path). <S> As for browning, it will add more flavor to the dish, but it will not cut down the flavor transference at all. <S> Your pot roast will still absorb all those flavors. <S> Adding your vegetation later will cut it down somewhat, but like yossarian noted, who wants to baby sit a crock pot. <S> Another suggestion for something to use as a spacer is chop sticks. <S> I have used them a few times just laid between and they have worked just as good as the vegetable steamer. <A> Put the meat in a sous-vide bag, and place that in your crock pot with the vegetables.
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This is a little counter intuitive of cooking with a slow cooker, but you can start the meat with a bit of water (or wine, stock, other juices) and then only put the vegetables in much later in the process. I think browning could go a long way to resolving your flavor issue.
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How do I get the best possible texture when making vegetable cream soups? Many recipes call for straining the almost finished soup to get rid of any extra chunky bits and get the best mouthfeel. But I am really confused, because with any reasonably fine sieve I filter out almost all of the vegetable matter and end up with a very thin soup. Not mentioning it's hard to actually finish the filtering process, because the sieve gets all cluttered. The same goes for certain sauces such as Bechamel. Not sure how I can strain the sauce, because it's so thick and doesn't go through the sieve very easily. What's the best way to achieve really smooth soups and sauces? What kind of sieve should be used? <Q> You could always blend before you strain. <S> I find that when making soup of all kinds that a few minutes with my immersion blender does wonders for the final product. <S> Not only does it puree all the solids into much smaller chunks, but it also makes sure that all the liquid is a homogeneous whole. <S> After blending, I also tend to strain just to get out anything that I might have missed. <S> I use a fine mesh strainer and a spatula to force the liquid through quickly. <S> I also own an old flour sifter that I have used quite a few times instead of the strainer, but it doesn't offer any real benefits over the other. <A> A piece of equipment you might really enjoy is a conical strainer (a chinois, pejoratively known as a china cap). <S> They can be hard to find in a home kitchen store, but hit a restaurant supply and they will have them in several sizes of cone and hole. <S> When you strain a soup or sauce through it, you can agitate it with a ladle to move the clogging stuff out of the way and let the goodness through. <S> If you are straining it so thoroughly that it is now thin and unpalatable, you may want a slightly coarser strainer. <S> (Or you can thicken the soup further by reduction or a starch after you strain). <A> This works loads better than a spoon or spatula. <S> I think the advantage is more contact with the sieve due to the shape. <S> Instead of pushing liquids out of the way as with a spatula, you actually push it through the sieve. <S> I was amazed how much more effective this is than using a wooden spoon or something flat-ish. <A> There is actually a specialized tool for making sure that your blended soups are the right consistency: a food mill . <S> I own one that's almost exactly the same as the one pictured, and it's incredibly useful for soups. <S> Other versions have interchangeable bottoms to allow you to mill your food to the exact texture you want.
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In order to get a soup through a sieve, take a ladle and stir it in the sieve while touching the mesh.
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Why does my chocolate seize when I add brandy to it? I have many recipes that require mixing brandy into melted chocolate. I find, in every case, that the chocolate seizes and I have chocolate shards instead of a smooth mass. What am I doing wrong? <Q> Try: <S> Ensuring that the chocolate is thoroughly melted; Heating the brandy first (to just below boiling); Gradually adding the chocolate to the brandy (not vice versa). <S> Chocolate seizes the worst with small amounts of liquid, so you're doing the opposite, adding a tiny amount of chocolate at a time to a relatively large amount of liquid). <A> I agree with Aaronut's answer . <S> Another reason you may be having problems with chocolate seizing is that you aren't adding enough liquid. <S> Are you trying to "go easy" on the brandy and use less than your recipe calls for? <S> If so, that is most likely the problem. <S> A little liquid will cause the chocolate to seize, but a lot will not. <S> Here's an example that will demonstrate what I am trying to say. <S> Think of a bowl of sugar. <S> If you put a few drops of water into it, you will get little hard clumps. <S> If you add a lot of water, you will not get those clumps, and you will have a liquid. <S> I don't know the exact liquid to chocolate ratio off the top of my head, but a matter of a tablespoon could prove to make a big difference in having a smooth or seized chocolate. <A> Are you then adding the mixture to anything? <S> I have just made a "mousse" of whipped cream and melted chocolate, and wanted to add some grand marnier. <S> The first attempt seized, and I just whipped it into the cream as a lump, and it came out fine (with a few tiny solid bits). <S> 2nd batch, I added the melted chocolate to the whipped cream and then added the grand marnier and voila! <S> It was perfect. <A> Yes, when you add water to melted chocolate, it seizes. <S> It's like sugar. <S> If you add just a little bit of water to sugar, it will form clumps as the particles stick together. <S> If you add enough though, it'll turn smooth again. <S> Chocolate particles behave the same way. <S> Try it with some cocoa powder. <S> The same thing is happening, except inside the suspension/emulsion of cocoa butter and chocolate particles. <S> To avoid this problem, melt your chocolate with the brandy. <S> Aaronaut's solutions may be correct, at least the last one I can say is. <S> I don't see why heating the brandy would help, the particles would still behave the same. <S> Seizing has more to do with the ratio of water/chocolate particles.
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My guess is that you're adding the brandy cold, and the chocolate may also only be partially melted.
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What part to use from fresh Basil leaves? I was wondering what am I supposed to cut from basil leaves, do I only use the “blade” until the petiole or I should cut that too? I know some things must be chopped in the right places because it may add sourness. Also, can they be boiled or they should be eaten “raw”? <Q> You can roll the leaves and thinly slice them (chiffonade), that's my preferred method. <S> I've never had an instance where I cut basil and made it sour though. <S> I've never heard of boiling them, but I assume you could get the essential oils out with that method and could make an infused water. <S> You can fry the basil leaves in oil as well to make a crunchy topping! <A> I always just give fresh basil a chop and toss it in. <S> They are fairly forgiving as long as you don't let them spoil or burn them. <A> You can use the entire leaf, and stem - here's the only warning: the stems are very strong and potent!! <S> If you are going to dry them in an effort to use the entire plant, make sure that you chop up the stems very fine and mix with the leaves (as mentioned in other post - chiffonade), spread out the entire mixture and let dry completely. <S> In a couple of days the mixture will have dried out to the point where you can crush them and store in a small container. <S> The mixture will last months!!
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You can use fresh herbs raw or cooked in any fashion you wish and find delicious.
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Are there any substitutes for honey when trying to activate yeast? Are there any substitutes for honey when trying to activate yeast? I have a bottle of corn syrup and was wondering if I could just use that. <Q> maple syrup plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar <S> 3/4 cup (180 ml) light or dark corn syrup plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar <S> 3/4 cup (180 ml) <S> light molasses plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar 1 1/4 cups (250 grams - 265 grams) granulated white or brown sugar plus 1/4 cup (60 ml) <S> additional liquid in recipe plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar Courtesy of Joy Of Baking <A> Well, what about good old white or brown sugar? <S> Yeast needs just warm + sweet + wet place to live. <A> Anything sweet works. <S> Maple syrup, molasses, sugar.... <A> Splenda, Honey, Molasses, Granulated or white sugar, Maple syrup, agave syrup and corn syrup all work with yeast. <S> I've done a science fair project testing which sugar substitutes activate yeast, and these were my results:)
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Yes you can use 3/4 cup (180 ml) of light/dark corn syrup: You can use any of the following substitutions: 1 cup of honey 3/4 cup (180 ml)
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How to make eggplant less oily? I like to make this recipe with thin spaghetti, Eggplant, fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella. 1 pound of eggplant is sauteed in 1/4 inch deep vegetable oil. When the meal is done it's too oily for my taste. How can I make the eggplant less greasy/oily tasting? <Q> It isn't the exact same dish, but it will still be good and substantially less oily. <S> You could also bake the eggplant whole (poke a few holes and bake at say 375 until completely tender), then slice when done. <A> Several authorities claim that salting helps. <S> Here's one method you can use to do that, <S> Cut the aubergine into length-wise slices about half an inch thick; Place them on a kitchen-towel covered baking tray; Salt well using coarse grained salt (it will be easier to wipe off than table salt); Leave for 30 minutes; Wipe off excess salt <S> (rinse off if you used table salt) and dry with a kitchen towels. <A> I usually steam the eggplant first, either in a basket or a dedicated electric steamer. <S> If you are in a hurry, you can first microwave (eegads) sliced eggplant, then sautee it. <S> Use less oil overall in the dish, as the pre-cooked eggplant will need less.
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Another option is to simply lightly oil the eggplant with a pastry brush and bake or grill it, then add it to the rest of the dish as usual.
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What are some of the benefits of electric stoves versus gas stoves? I have recently moved house and one of the downsides is that I'm now stuck with an electric stove instead of a gas stove which was in the previous house. I'm not liking it one bit: It takes too long to heat up (I have to pre-heat it like an oven) You can't do any funky stuff with the open flame, like charring the skins off capsicums so you can peel them Okay, I see some advantages: Easier to keep clean Flatter stovetop means less chance of a pot falling over But seriously - I don't think any professional or keen amateur chef would be able to argue that an electric stovetop is better than gas. I'd like to replace it with a gas stove in the near future. In the meantime, can anyone convince me that electric is better? <Q> Can I convince you that electric is better? <S> No, I can't, because I don't think it is. <S> The issue I have is related to how long it takes to warm up (and cool down). <S> Electric cook tops just don't respond quickly. <S> Little too hot? <S> Too bad, nothing you can do about it (in time to save a dish that's starting to burn anyway). <S> Not hot enough? <S> Check back in 2 or 3 minutes. <S> I find this particularly irritating when a recipe requires varying heats while cooking. <S> Sorry I don't have better news for you. <A> What the others say is true, but ABSOLUTELY <S> NOT TRUE for an electric induction cooker!! <S> I used to think gas was better until I also moved into a flat with no gas. <S> I was soon sick of it <S> but I discovered induction and changed the basic electric cooker for an induction one. <S> Now I know that an induction cooker is even better than gas because: It responds instantly like gas. <S> It puts out more energy than gas and thus boils quicker. <S> It's more controllable than gas. <S> My hob has 19 digital settings, so once you know to set it at 5.5 for boiling pasta, you always set it at that <S> and it's the same every time. <S> It's MUCH easier to clean than gas, since it's a flat glass plate and as it doesn't heat up, any spills don't burn on. <S> It's much safer than gas. <S> No chance of an explosion and no gas smells. <S> Also, the hob only gets hot from the heat from the pans, so much less chance of burning yourself if you touch it. <S> Downside is that you need pans that work with an induction cooker. <S> Almost all modern pans do. <S> Just check a pan with a fridge magnet - if the magnet sticks, it should work with induction. <S> Also, induction is not cheap. <S> However, you can buy small single or double ring worktop models that just plug in to a socket to augment your existing cooker if you don't want to go the whole way and completely replace it. <A> Well, with an electric you get Modestly less fire hazard <S> No gas leak hazard <S> but I'd generally take gas. <A> I found it is much easier to keep the heat quite low with an electric stove. <S> As for a quick response when the pot is too hot, just slide it off the burner. <S> This is particularly easy with the flat tops. <A> Good electric stoves often put out the same or more power (BTUs/hr) than gas stoves, and they are more efficient at transmitting the heat, as it is via conduction not radiation. <S> This means that on a good electric stove, water will boil faster, heavy pans will heat up faster, etc. <S> By a "good electric stove" I mean one that does <S> not have a glass pane over the element, as these are horrible at conducting heat and take forever to heat up. <S> Additionally, as was pointed out above, electric stoves have the ability to maintain a lower temperature than gas stoves. <S> So electric has a better range of heat (cooler to hotter), while gas is quicker to adjust. <S> Still, for the home chef, switching to another burner shouldn't be a problem if you need quick adjustments in temperature. <S> See also this comparison . <A> Besides what @dmckee mentioned : No pilot light, so you're only using fuel when you need it. <S> (except for the clock, if you have one) <S> No chance of explosion from when you tried setting the gas so low the burner blows out. <S> update : doesn't use hydrocarbons, could be make 'green' by using electricity from replenish-able sources (hydro, wind, solar) or nuclear. <S> (unfortunately, you then have the issue of conversion and transmission loss, so if you're in an coal or gas power plant area, it's less green) <A> If I had my perfect stove, it would have an electric oven for more precise temperatures with less variance and gas burners for faster, hotter (and I think more efficient) heating. <A> The only advantage of an electric stove is that you can use it in a place where there is no gas. <S> There are far fewer places that have gas but no electricity. <A> Cooking rice. <S> Depends on the type of stove, but this type is great for cooking rice: <S> Add rice, salt, and right amount of water to a pot; bring to the boil; switch off once boiling and you have perfect rice 20 minutes later. <S> Unfortunately this, and the before-mentioned ability to keep low temperatures, are the only advantages I can think of. <A> Safety Electric ranges do not rely on gas flames, which could potentially trigger a fire. <S> Also, if a pilot light goes out on a gas range, the room can fill up with toxic and noxious gases, which are unsafe to inhale. <S> Many electric stoves come with a light that indicates when one of the burners is on and hot, warning those around the stove not to touch the surface.
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It doesn't heat up your kitchen like gas (or other electric stoves) because the induction effect causes the pan itself to heat and not the hob, so less waste heat. No failed electric starter, and having to go find matches for those that don't have a pilot.
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What role do eggs play in baking? Why do we use eggs in cake baking? <Q> There are basically two types of cakes: butter and sponge (or Génoise). <S> Additionally, the egg yolks have emulsifying action, helping create a smoother batter and more stable air bubbles. <S> In a sponge cake the eggs additionally act as the main leavening agent, helping create and retain the bubbles that will expand during baking. <S> The eggs also add fat, flavor, and color to the cake. <A> Hobodave's edited title is more appropriate, I think, as many delicious cakes do not have any eggs. <S> Eggs have different effects on different cakes, but I would argue that if your dish is simply "cake," then they aren't, strictly speaking, necessary. <S> It's often possible to replace eggs with other ingredients to achieve the same desired effect: adding more baking powder, protein and fat is usually a good place to start. <S> However, it's absurd to talk about what role eggs play in "cake," because this has different answers for different cakes. <S> Eggs in a pound cake play a completely different role than eggs in angel food cake, for example. <A> Coagulated egg proteins in combination with gluten give baked goods the supporting structure they need.
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In a butter cake the egg proteins, like the gluten proteins, help build the structure of the cake.
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How do I incorporate chiles into a chocolate cake recipe? One of the traditional combinations of chilies and chocolate is a Mole sauce or the Aztec hot chocolate drink, it has also made a reappearance in the modern confectionery scene. How can I incorporate chili in to an existing chocolate cake recipe? <Q> Of course, you will need to experiment to get the right level of heat. <S> Adding straight cayenne powder while the chocolate is melted, or shredded would also be an ideal time to ensure even distribution of the spice. <S> In the event your recipe does not use an actual chocolate base, but rather something that replicates the flavor, the time to add the cayenne would be when the 'flavor packet' is added. <A> Have you tried to directly use spicy chocolate? <S> I used chili aromatized chocolate and also black-pepper chocolate in some recipes with very good results. <A> My approach would be to choose a specific variety of chili pepper to give it a more localized flavor that goes well with the chocolate and the rest of the dessert. <S> For example, habaneros are fruity, moritas smoky and so forth. <S> Two ways to go about it: Grind the pepper (or buy it preground) and add to the dry ingredients. <S> Infuse a dried whole or halved and seeded pepper into the liquid ingredients. <S> This will be most effective if there is a melting step involved, like melting chocolate or butter. <S> You would just let it sit in the warm liquid, stirring occasionally, until you found the desired degree of heat. <A> I haven't done this, but I'd try pureeing fresh peppers, then cooking in a small non-stick pan to remove excess water until it is the consistency of jam. <S> Let it cool and add a few spoons to the batter. <S> If adding 1/4 cup of cooked pepper puree, I'd probably decrease the fat in the recipe by 1 tablespoon, and decrease the liquid by 1 tablespoon. <A> I would start with a chocolate cupcake recipe that calls for a ganache as a filling or frosting or use a chocolate cake that has a ganache frosting or uses ganache between layers. <S> Then I would make a chili chocolate ganage by using ground dried peppers (anchos, for example) and perhaps some cayenne pepper. <S> There are obviously other ways, but I think this would be an excellent application.
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An easy way of incorporating a spicy kick into any existing chocolate cake recipe that uses actual chocolate would be to substitute a portion of the called for chocolate (with a matching chocolate type; i.e. dark and dark, milk and milk) that already has cayenne or some other hot pepper ingredient.
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Good (cheaper) alternative to Vitamix Blender I've just got back from a department store where they happened to be doing a demonstration of the Vitamix TNC Blender . Obviously, now I want one. Is anyone able to recommend a good alternative, thats not quite as pricey (this thing was £430 / €500). Basically, the features I'm interested would be: Ability to heat for soups, etc. Ability to blend ice. Really, really fast. Durable Is there anything out there that can compete? Or are the vitamix blenders pretty unique in that respect? Cheers guys,Alex <Q> I don't think it's possible. <S> You are talking about restaurant / bar quality blender (like Vitamix, Waring, or Blend-tec). <S> Cheaper units will not have the horsepower or quality of construction to do things like smooth blends of ice in a drink, generate enough friction to heat a soup from scratch, or grind flour from nuts and grains. <S> Even if your blender will handle some of these things initially (like blend ice, I'm skeptical any cheap mixer will provide enough heat for a soup), I think your blade / motor will quickly take enough abuse that it won't be able to continue to perform. <S> Update: Since initially posting this answer <S> , I've actually bought a Vita-Mix (I'd been lusting for quite some time). <S> I now feel more strongly that my answer is right. <S> I've used it three times in the first 12 hours of ownership: <S> Nut Butter - <S> I made a pistachio nut butter that required nothing more than 2 cups of pistachios and a tablespoon of oil. <S> It came together really quickly and has a lovely velvety texture. <S> Pureed halved peaches - these ended up complete liquid with no texture / fiber left from the fruit. <S> Exactly like Looza Nectar , but fresh. <S> A smoothie. <S> The smoothie had zero ice chunks in it and was professional quality. <S> I have never seen a cheaper blender capable of the quality of any of the first three things I've tried. <S> I'm afraid you're out of luck. <A> Well, you can always try Ebay, or Craigslist. <S> I have a friend that got a barely used Green Star Juicer (a super expensive juicer) for about 1/3rd the cost of new. <S> I just peeked on Ebay, and there are a lot of results, of varying quality/usefulness. <A> Speed is up to 38000 rpm with 3ph. <S> you can even use the vitamix jar on it <A> Have you contemplated buying a cheaper, but Refurbished Vitamix? <S> But in the case of Vitamix blenders , the process of reconditioning machines is a serious, formalized 17-step process, and these certified-reconditioned blenders are what Holly Hacker, director of direct sales and customer experience at Vitamix, calls “truly good as new.” <S> These refurbished blenders aren’t new, though. <S> They’re all technically used and have been returned to the manufacturer, mostly by Costco customers. <A> I was researching this and there are a lot of Vitamix knockoffs now <S> but they don't hold up(they literally look exactly like a Vitamix). <S> It is hard to beat a Vitamix for horsepower intensive tasks(high friction) like making Nut butters or Milling flour especially with their generous warranty. <S> I did learn about a couple options that work almost as well as a Vitamix for much less and would be fine for most users. <S> The Oster Versa Pro and Cleanblend performed well in multiple independent tests that included high end blenders like Vitamix and Blendtec. <A> Food and drink places go bankrupt all the time. <S> You could check asset liquidation web-sites to get your hands on a second hand one.
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Jtc has an alternative with its omniblend blenders at a very attractive price.
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I would like to make homemade Ketchup, how do I prepare the tomato? I've got the rest of the recipe, sugar, vinegar and a few other spices that I was going to experiment with,but I wanted to know what do you need to do to the tomato in order to get it to look like ketchup, not a tomato sauce? <Q> You will want to remove the skins. <S> Make a small cut on the bottom of the tomato and then drop into a pot of boiling water for 30-60 seconds. <S> When the small cut expands to a large split, remove from the pot and drop into ice water. <S> The skins will slide right off. <S> You will also want to remove the seeds. <S> You can do this by cutting the tomato and digging them out with your finger. <S> Cook and process as usual. <S> You can "cook the tar" out of the tomatoes until they completely break down into nothingness leaving a ketchup like substance,. <S> +OR+ you can cooked mixture with whole unpeeled/seeded tomatoes, THEN through a food mill or press through a fine mesh sieve. <S> A food mill and sieve should also catch any seeds and skins. <S> Edited to clarify. <A> Roasting the whole tomatoes, seaoned and cut into halves, perhaps with some unpeeled garlic/rough chopped red onions/herbs (the first I would say is essential), then passing the results (after picking out the extras) through a seive or conical strainer, rubbing through the pulp with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula- <S> creating a passata- can give a much deeper taste than fully preparing before cooking. <S> Plus it's way less fiddly. :) <A> If you use tomato paste the job will be faster, but I don't think it's a good idea to try to make it smooth, the texture will stay but you might be able to whip it in the blender. <A> Try a reduction of the watery part of the tomato. <S> From memory here's the Heston Blumenthal recipe for this, Ingredients: 3kg ripe, on the vine tomatoes. <S> ; Set over a medium-to-high heat and reduce until you get a ketchup consistency; Keep the liquid on the move with a wooden spatula to stop it from burning on the bottom of the pan; <S> Taste before adding any additional sugar, it might be sweet enough without. <S> I usually peel the tomatoes beforehand and save the tomato meat for soups and sauces. <A> Better to select the fully ripped tomatoes which will get easily cooked. <S> We can run through a kitchen hand rotated strainer which will,remove the seeds. <S> The presence of seeds alter the taste, so they have to removed. <S> Addtion of Tamarind, garlic, suger ( or sachrin, or artificial sweetners),ginger etc are personal choices.
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Halve the tomatoes; Scoop out the insides (seeds, juice and the jelly-like part in the middle) into a strainer set over a sauce pan; Push as much liquid through the strainer as you can using a ladle
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How can I make my risotto less firm? I've prepared risotto from scratch a handful of times in the last few months. While I've been happy with the flavor, the texture left a little something to be desired. In specific, it tasted like it was undercooked even though I ended up cooking the rice well past the time called for in the recipe. Any thoughts on what could be causing this? <Q> Time has nothing to do with cooking risotto -- you cook it 'til it stops absorbing liquid. <S> I don't even cook by amount of liquid added, as it's more a cook-it-until-it's-done type recipe. <S> When the rice stops aborbing liquid well, it's generally done, but an occassional check for texture never hurts. <S> Type of rice will affect things, as will elevation from sea level, temperature of the cooking vessel, and surface area of the cooking vessel. <S> See : <S> Why do I need more time and liquid than my risotto recipe calls for? <S> How should I prepare Risotto <A> Altitude could be a problem. <S> Rice will take longer to cook at higher altitudes. <S> My suggestion is to continue cooking and adding broth until the rice is at the texture you desire. <S> Taste often. <S> If you want to make the cook time shorter, you can par-boil the rice. <S> Here is a link that explains how that is done. <S> http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/601758 <A> The biggest mistake I see when people make risotto is they add way too much liquid. <S> If you add too much liquid most of it evaporates than gets absorbed by the grain. <S> While risotto is a "cook it until it's done" recipe as @Joe stated, there are some "rules": 1/2 cup of stock per session and never stop stirring At about the 20 minute mark, with Arborio, it should be close to done, I usually start tasting at about the 15-18 minute mark <S> The right heat, as with most cooking, is paramount to a good outcome, you want a slow and steady simmer on when liquid is the pan <S> It is time to add more liquid when there is none in the sautee pan Without more details as type of rice, process, or whether you are strictly adhering to a recipe, it is a bit difficult to give you the best advice. <A> Short answer is that you forget about the time in any recipe, more or less. <S> When you get around a minute or so from the intended time you start tasting the risotto for doneness. <S> It should have a bite without being hard. <S> If you run out of cooking liquid and the risotto isn't done, just add more liquid. <S> If you are using stock and you don't want any more flavor from the stock, use water. <S> When you are happy with the mouthfeel, your risotto is done. <A> If you already are . . <S> . <S> try cooking it a bit longer before adding the liquid. <S> This helps get the rice cooking earlier and helps it absorb enough liquid. <S> Also note that risotto is supposed to keep a bit of an "al dente" <S> feel to it. <S> If you cook it to mush, it's overdone. <A> I would make TWO specific suggestions: <S> FIRST , you MUST toast the rice. <S> I begin with olive oil, where I brown my yellow onions and garlic. <S> As soon as this is complete, I add my SHORT-GRAINED rice (Arborio, Carnarolli) and "toss" the rice well until it is lightly covered. <S> Allow the rice to slightly toast before beginning to add your liquid. <S> SECOND , you MUST warm all your liquid BEFORE you add it a ladle at a time. <S> This prevents the kernels of rice from breaking open. <S> If you use room-temperature or cold liquid, the risotto temporarily stops cooking when you add the liquid, until the mixture can heat back up. <S> LASTLY, an authentic Italian risotto is almost soupy in texture. <S> It is very creamy but not "lumpy" at all. <S> Good luck! <S> Bon Apetit! <A> Risotto Basics <S> Risotto is made by heating rice <S> so it absorbs liquid, the absorption rate is key. <S> Stopping cooking shortly before the rice is 'full' of liquid results in al dente risotto - stopping afterwards can result in a more liquid risotto. <S> Cheap arborio rice is often overdried and will not absorb moisture properly - resulting in a grainy texture regardless of how it's cooked. <S> If you have grainy textures no matter <S> what you do, try switching brands of rice. <S> The ideal method for introducing liquid to your risotto is to make it 'thirsty', aka on the verge of running out of stock at all points, which results in parts of the risotto frying for periods instead of stewing in the liquid, helping to inculcate flavour. <S> You ladle in liquid as it's nearly gone, from another pot, which is keeping the stock hot (so it doesn't cool down your pan if you put it in cold). <S> Always fry the rice (in olive oil) <S> before introducing the stock. <S> A light 'browning' will vastly improve the flavour and texture of the rice. <S> Learn to identify (by taste or sight) <S> the level of absorption of the rice, so you know when to add extra ingredients such as chicken, beef, mushrooms, peas, zucchini, or broccoli, etc. <S> You can pre-cook them separately <S> , but to a certain degree the rice's flavour will depend on what it is cooked with - and it removes flavour from the other ingredients, also.
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If you're not starting by cooking the rice in butter (and otherwise dry), that could be your problem.
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Is it possible to make a marshmallow that isn't sweet? I've got in mind to make a savory play on s'mores, using morel mushroom paste where you would expect chocolate. The graham cracker replacement should be no problem. But I'm stuck on the marshmallow. If you google savory marshmallow, you basically find a bunch of standard sweet marshmallow recipes that have had some savory things added to them. I want to make one that isn't sweet at all, or only barely so, but with a recognizable marshmallow texture. Any ideas on how to approach this? I'm not asking for the recipe, just a sense of what set of ingredients and techniques have a prayer of reproducing that texture with minimal sweetness. Bonus points if it can be done using some other hydrocolloid instead of gelatin, since ultimately I need to make it vegetarian. <Q> What about using mochi, an Asian pounded rice paste? <S> It's a similar—though not identical—texture <S> , it's available in sweet and savory forms, and it's held together by the starch in rice rather than anything gelatin, <S> so it's vegetarian. <S> You can get plain unflavored mochi at many Asian food stores; it may take some looking, as it's more often sold sweet and filled with bean paste in the US. <S> I've had it in savory Korean dishes <S> and I believe it's used in savory Korean dishes as well. <A> I've used agar-agar recently, and I think it might do the trick for you. <S> A recipe plus some technique discussion is behind this link . <S> In the comments, a reply has been posted that the marshmellow would probably ´taste of the sea´ as agar-agar is seaweed based. <S> This has not been my experience. <S> However, paying homage to its heritage by using some sea-salt seems appropriate. <S> I'm a bit troubled by too many associations with the sea due to your use of mushroom paste. <S> Selecting a flavor feels a delicate matter. <S> As I'm getting a Japanese vibe from this dish, I would probably investigate shiitake as a mushroom. <S> (If you weren't emulating chocolate, I'd suggest enoki as well). <S> I am highly tempted to investigate edible seaweed flowers (the existence of which I'm totally unsure about and just dreamed up - at <S> least this link seems to support their existence ). <S> If their taste matches your needs, great. <S> And, presuming they look nice as well <S> , they'd be an interesting edible garnish on your plate. <S> Update: and for additional savory tastes, I'd look into other savory flavour often associated with seaweed or shiitake in oriental dishes - soy, ginger, cilantro, etc. <A> Originally marshmallows were made from the root of the Marsh Mallow (Althea officinalis). <S> I have not yet tried making marshmallows this way, so I do not know if using mallow root would give you the exact same texture as our modern marshmallows. <S> You may be able to find marshmallow root at a local health store, or there are plenty of sites that carry it online. <S> I was able to find one marshmallow recipe using powdered marshmallow root, about halfway down the page at http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m010702.htm . <S> This too is a sweet recipe, but perhaps you could substitute your chosen savory flavorings in place of the sugar and vanilla. <S> I also found a single Marshmallow recipe claiming to be savory: http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2008-11/anatomy-marshmallow?page=1 <A> This is super old <S> so I'm sure you've moved on <S> but I felt compelled to comment. <S> The Mission Street Food cookbook has a recipe for "mozzarella mousse" in which they put fresh mozzarella through a whip cream dispenser. <S> I bet that would be a pretty good savory imitation of marshmallows. <A> http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078616441/student_view0/food_science_activities/demystifying_meringue.html <S> The problem is you need the sugar for the structure of the merringue. <S> You might consider a sweet and sour or sweet and salty flavor profile for the dish so the merringue adds the sweetness. <S> You may also be able to use some flavored vinegars (not sure what this will do to the structure) to cut the sweetness. <S> Oh, I just noticed when this was posted. <S> What did you finally do? <A> use isomalt to replace some of the sugar since it's much less sweet, but still has the properties of sugar <A> Ok, I know this thread is really old, but why couldn't you use egg whites beaten with lemon juice or cream of tartar for added stability, and then incorporate the dissolved gelatin into the meringue? <S> You'd have to use less water, obviously. <S> Or could you perhaps thicken milk or broth with corn starch to sort of mimic the consistency of sugar syrup? <S> I guess it'd be like mixing in a thin gravy to which gelatin had been added. <S> I'm intrigued. <A> Depending on availability, you might find an interesting substitute using puffball mushroom . <S> The mushroom is white, kinda fluffy, and savory, and can easily be large enough to cut nice marshmallow-ish squares. <S> The fresh mushroom may be difficult to source, though it would be a nice option if season and availability permit. <S> Dried, on the other hand, is easier to aquire, and very light - which might make a good mushroom marshmallow texture. <S> The dried puffball could be re-hydrated or probably even eaten as-is if the texture is preferable (I have found it to have a very light and fluffy texture <S> and I think it could be eaten plain, in the proper context - though the flavor is quite mild). <S> Supposedly the taste if prepared well is mushroomy and cheesy (which bodes well for pairing with mushroom paste for the 'chocolate'). <S> Puffballs, according to the article I found, need browning to unlock the best flavor... and having a white cube with the outer edges toasted to golden brown would not be a bad thing on something imitating smores-style marshmallows. <S> On a completely different note, the article also mentions that if the puffballs are boiled (well, heated in water) they turn into something "a bit like mushroom marshmallows" texturally speaking. <S> It may be worth it to poach or steam the puffball cubes (post-browning, for extra flavor) to get the texture a bit more marshmallowy.
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The only other option I've found was to use a balsamic vinegar syrup in place of the sugar syrup, but obviously that would still add sweetness.
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Dough(s) to hold moist oven dish contents I have a recipe at home that creates an oven dish with fairly moist contents (curry sauce, creme fraiche, cherries from a can). This specific recipe calls for ready-to-use croissant dough, which I use, and the recipe works fine. At one point, I made this recipe with plain old puff pastry, and it turned into a soggy mess. Thus, I concluded that pre-made croissant dough is suitable for wettish oven dishes, and I've been able to use it as such. However, it has a slightly sweet innate flavor, which isn't always appropriate. Thus: what other dough(s) can be used to create oven dishes with fairly moist contents? <Q> <A> I've done pot pies with both puff pastry, and with the refrigerated croissant dough. <S> A few things I've noticed <S> : It will not work from a frozen state. <S> You need to thaw the puff pastry for it to work. <S> (my assumption is that it doesn't get the fast heat it needs to puff, as you've got a heat sink right below it with so much moisture) <S> It will not work as a complete sheet. <S> You want to cut it into smaller squares or triangles, <S> so there's a gap for steam to escape, or at the very least, vent it like you would a pie. <S> I've also done 'drop biscuit' dough in similar dishes ... <S> you might also want to look at dumpling recipies, to see how they compare. <A> You might also be able to seal your puff pastry with a good layer of oil or clarified butter befor adding the filling. <A> Pizza or bread dough. <S> Maybe you'll have to bake it a few minutes before adding the moist contents, but bread can be used as a bowl for soups... <A> Here is a link to a site for suet pastry that can be used for sweet or savory dishes. <S> I hope this helps,all the best. <S> http://www.greenchronicle.com/basics/suet_crust_pastry.htm
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Canned biscuit dough might be a good neutral substitute (you'd have to roll/cut/tear it as appropriate), or just make your own equivalent (flour + butter + milk = tasty).
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How to keep my (deep frying) oil usable as long as possible? I have a new deep fryer. I am pleased with its results so far. I am not a 'heavy user' though - say once every 2-3 weeks. I want to re-use the oil a couple of times. The deep fryer is covered but not airtight, however. The new deep fryer has a cold zone, which means the oil won't become dirty due to particles over-frying. I don't overheat the oil either. So, in principle, I'm frying correctly, I think. So, how long can my oil safely sit in the deep fryer, if I ensure it's thouroughly heated next time I fry? Should I be allowing the oil to cool and store the fat in (sealed) containers instead, if there's going to be this long a gap between uses? Edit: yes, I've seen this question and answers: Frying Oil Reuse <Q> First thing, a cold zone doesn't prevent particulate build up, it just cuts down on the amount that will remain suspended in the oil. <S> You should still filter if you want to keep your oil as long as possible. <S> You can detect bad oil (meaning rancid) by a few ways, like smoke point or smell. <S> Another thing you can do to extend the life of your oil is switch to tallow (beef fat) or rended pigs fat (lard) as saturated fats do last a lot longer than the poly-unsaturated. <S> Once again, you should lose the oil when the smoke point drops, or if it is to dark, or if it develops any foul odor. <A> I would not reuse that oil. <S> The frying-oil reuse that occurs in fast food chains is reuse for the same day or over just a few days. <S> They also store it properly and not just sitting exposed in the fryer. <S> justkt is correct that more saturated fats are less sensitive to breakdown, this is why bacon grease can be kept for a rather long time. <S> Three factors play a significant role in oil degradation: Oxidation <S> Any contact with air causes oxidation in oil. <S> High temperatures, metal alloys, surface exposure, and even UV light act as catalysts to this reaction. <S> Hydrolysis <S> When water interacts with oil it causes it to taste tainted or acidic. <S> This is exacerbated by high temperatures, heating/cooling cycles, and oxidation products. <S> Polymerizaton <S> When frying oil deteriorates, the resulting products form both volatile (or reactive) and non-volatile compounds. <S> Non-volatile compounds remain within the frying oil, and can produce polymerization at frying oil temperatures above 200°C (390 F) or in isolated hot spots within the frying system. <S> These molecules bond together to form large, different-sized clusters that accumulate on the oil’s surface. <S> Since they don’t dissolve, they cause foaming; trapping air under the oil, and increase the possibility of hydrolysis. <S> Given all these, the best environment for any oil is an cold, dark, airtight place. <S> Cold temperatures may cause clouding, but this is not a cause for worry. <S> Source: http://www.heatandcontrol.com/technical%20articles/Maximizing%20Cooking%20Oil%20Life.pdf <A> One important note is to use a more saturated oil to avoid breakdowns that form the toxic compound HNE. <S> See Science Daily for a summary of the research. <S> One of the authors of the quoted research has written many more papers on the issue. <S> If you use a highly unsaturated oil you can only use it for half an hour at frying temperature before HNE begins to form. <A> FROM http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/65f762d0-e4d0-4278-b5cb-2836854a3eda/Deep_Fat_Frying.pdf?MOD=AJPERES <S> If you are planning to reuse the oil, strain it througha cheese cloth or sieve. <S> Store the used oil in a sealedand light-proof container for up to 3 months. <S> For bestquality, refrigerate used frying oil that you want to useagain. <S> If the oil is clouded or if the oil starts to foam or hasa foul odor, taste, or smell, discard it. <A> I keep my old plastic coffee cans for storing the oil in after use. <S> They are large enough and seal tight. <S> I also store it in the refrigerator. <S> It does get a little cloudy but once heated it clears up. <S> Probably use 4 or 5 times in 3 to 4 months unless I fry fish <S> and then it gets thrown away. <S> It tends to get a slight odor after that even if it isn't dark. <S> I always strain it before putting back into the fryer. <A> I use my oil about ten times and never have I taken it out of the deep fryer. <S> It usually sit between uses about 2-3 weeks every time and it is always ok. <A> First let me say that I RARELY deep-fry anything. <S> When I do, I use a large deep saucepan to fry in. <S> When finished, I let it cool down then put the lid on the pan and cool overnight. <S> I then pour through a fine mesh sieve into a large mason jar, seal and put in upper cabinet. <S> It is in the dark most of the time, and away from heat, not over the stove or oven, and this seems to work out just fine for me. <S> I usually discard after about 5 or 6 uses, depending on what I'm frying.
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You should store your oil someplace dark and cool, which could be the inside of your fryer as long as you filter and clean the sides before you stick the oil back in. And as I said before, once you use the oil once, you should NOT use it past six months under any circumstances, if you do, you are taking your gastro-intestinal tract into your own hands.
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Can I replace honey with maple syrup in recipes that require honey? There are many recipes (or recipe variants) that require honey as ingredient. Barbecue Spareribs Honey Lamb Chops Honey Raisin Choc Drops Honey Shortbread Biscuits Chocolate Chip Cookies Krispie Shortcake Honey, Lemon and Rosemary Marinade Pear and Almond Tart May I generally use maple syrup in recipes that call for honey? Are there guidelines for when that substitution will work well? <Q> Generally speaking, maple syrup will work fine in any recipe that calls for honey. <S> They may have slightly different viscosities and water content, but that could be true between two honeys as well, so I wouldn't worry about it a lot. <S> The only thing I think you really have to consider is whether the flavor of maple syrup is appealing in the dish you would substitute it in. <S> In most cases, I think it will be fine, especially if the dish would have worked well with a dark, fully flavored honey. <S> You might also like to try sorghum syrup, molasses, or agave nectar as other possible replacements. <A> If you do use maple syrup, be sure to use 100% pure maple syrup. <S> Any imitation or partial syrup will have a significantly different viscosity and a much, much higher water content and you're not going to get the results you want. <S> The first 3 ingredients in Aunt Jemima Original are: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water , which is going to be pretty far from the taste and consistency of honey. <S> Otherwise, I think a 1 to 1 substitution will be fine <S> , I've done it before in a few dishes and it worked out well. <S> As Michael said there are other options as well <S> , just be sure to taste them and make sure they have a similar flavor profile as the dish you're trying to make. <S> For example, I believe molasses would sub into chocolate chip cookies great, however maple syrup would probably taste a little strange. <S> But, if I was making honey oatmeal cookies and ran out of honey, I would gladly sub in maple syrup. <S> The Wikipedia page for molasses says the following about substitutions: <S> For a given volume of molasses, one of the following may be used (with varying degrees of success): an equal volume of honey, dark corn syrup, or maple syrup, or 3/4 that volume firmly packed brown sugar. <A> It will work, but it will add a significant maple flavor. <S> Many vegans <S> I know substitute agave syrup for honey—same consistency and sweetness, very mild flavor. <A> I use it all the time in my vegan baking.
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100% pure maple syrup is a great substitute for honey.
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What is the most efficient way to squeeze water out of cooked spinach? I'm cooking a bunch of spinach for making a spinach and ricotta filling. I need to get as much water as possible out of the spinach, and I'd prefer not to make a big mess in the process. In the past, I've wrapped a few handfuls at a time in a towel and squeezed out the liquid. This leaves me with a messy, green stained towel and requires a lot of twisting that doesn't seem maximally effective. <Q> Use a potato ricer . <S> Just fill it up with a big handful of spinach, and give it a good squeeze in the sink, or over a bowl if you like to drink spinach water. <S> It extracts a ton of liquid quickly, and is a breeze to clean up when you are done. <A> The important part is to work in small batches. <S> I just use my hands -- grab a handful, squeeze, set it aside, grab another handful, etc. <S> Most things that you'd be tempted to use just have too large of holes, and let lots of spinach bits through, ( <S> and I admit, I miss some spinach as I start getting towards the end <S> and it's mostly water), or they've got too small of holes <S> that it's serious effort to use, and you have to work in small batches anyway. <S> So, if nothing else, my way leaves you with only your hands to wash, and no extra gear to buy. <A> The French method uses a conical strainer ('passoir conique'). <S> It is solid stainless steel, with about a 6" mouth at the top, and holes to let the water through. <S> You simply push the spinach down as far as you feel is appropriate. <A> I use a sieve that can hang over the sink. <S> Put the spinach in the sieve. <S> On top of the spinach put a solid bowl, and in the bowl goes some weight. <S> You can use blind baking thingies if you have them. <S> Wait for about 15 minutes. <A> I learned this from Rachael Ray - use a clean (no fabric softener) cloth. <S> Put spinach in small batches & squeeze. <S> Works great. <S> I use a never before used diaper. <S> use it to squeeze moisture out of shredded zucchini too. <S> After done, I soak the cloth in bleach water to remove the green stain then rinse the bleach out. <A> I use two identical plates. <S> On one plate you can put the spinach and with the bottom of the other plate you can squeeze out the liquid. <A> I use cheesecloth to squeeze my spinach. <S> I put all the cooled spinach in the cheesecloth <S> and then I keep wringing it until all the water is gone. <S> Then I discard the cheesecloth. <A> I make spinach pie all the time and had the same problem! <S> Here's my solution and it works better than anything I've ever tried! <S> I have a Waring Juice Extractor. <S> Works incredible. <A> Alternative Cooking Method: <S> Flash Sauté <S> While frozen spinach can be more convenient, nothing beats fresh spinach (IMO). <S> Fresh spinach flash sautéd in EVO with minced fresh garlic, salt-to-taste and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon. <S> This method alleviates the water left in the spinach because it cooks off in the high cooking heat. <S> Very flavorful to stuff pasta or as a side dish. <A> Salad spinner (centrifuge) for a non-destructive method? <A> I've most recently used a lemon juice squeezer and it worked perfectly! <S> One of these http://www.cajuncookingtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lemon-squeezer.jpg Works a treat! <A> I use my vegetable steamer, open the steamer, put the defrosted spinach in and close the steamer. <S> Press until drained. <A> For frozen chopped spinach, don't open the bag. <S> Make tiny snips with scissors on one side of bag. <S> Place in bottom of sink and press all over, fold it, whatever works. <S> Less mess; no stained towels, no special equipment, and for those who may have arthritic hands, this works better than any other method I've tried. <S> I just "invented" this method today and will continue using it.
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Turn the juicer on and feed the cooked spinach into the juicer and it extracts darn near all the liquid from the spinach! I take the blade disc that usually grinds the vegetables and flip it upside down. I generally use whatever dry stuff I have lying around, which is normally lentils.
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How can I use roses in cooking? I have some very pungent roses in bloom at the moment, on smelling them my first thought was that they smelled like Turkish Delight. My Second thought that was it should be possible to use them in a pudding of some sort myself. I have seen rose water in some recipes, is this the only way to use roses in cooking? What is a good way to get the flavor into food? <Q> Rose petals are edible. <S> During colonial American times they were considered a treat. <S> You can candy rose petals with egg whites and sugar - typical cautions about appropriate raw egg white useage applies. <S> Before using your rose petals in culinary applications, make sure to remember what chemicals you used on them. <S> If they've been sprayed with pesticides, you don't want to be eating them. <A> If you're making a Persian dish with rice, then add some rose water to the cooking water. <S> The rice then becomes very fragrant. <S> I like it with slightly sweet pork dishes. <S> This raises the question of how to make rose water from rose petals. <S> I'm not sure, but I'm guessing you could just put them in a (clean!) <S> cloth bag and add that to the water instead. <A> You can use them to make marmalade, or (with a slightly more complex process), you can perform steam distillation of the petals and extract the essential oils, which you can use as a very pleasant aroma (after dilution) in ice creams and popsicles. <S> Remember that it's very important to have pesticides-free petals. <A> as one of the other visitors mentioned, be careful not to use rose petals that have been sprayed with who knows what. <S> An alternative is to use rose petals (or the green leaves of the rose,for that matter) of organic certified roses from ecuador, check www.nevadoroses.com, or the latest news about edible certified organic roses in <S> this Reuters article Disclaimer: <S> The website is for my company, and the article is about me and my company
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If you look for rose petal recipes, you will find many creative uses of them, including rice pudding with roses - so your pudding intuition was correct.
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How much juice can you get from an orange? I wanted to make fresh orange juice using a squeezer and wanted to know how many oranges it takes to make an 8oz glass of juice? <Q> you know better than I do, it depends on the orange and type of orange. <S> My mom, an executive chef, used to say that you'd allow 1-2 lb of oranges for 1 drinkable cup of orange juice. <S> I really think, that it's highly dependent on the type of orange. <S> I know naval and blood oranges are the juiciest compared to other varieties. <A> A medium sized orange will have roughly 2 oz of juice. <A> Whether you use the pulp or remove all the bits <S> May be you should be asking what oranges are best for producing the most amount of juice and how do I get the most juice from them? <S> The easiest way to find out how many oranges you need is to buy a bag of them and then start squeezing till you have a glass full :) <A> One way to get more juice from citrus is to juice it when warm. <S> Cold fruit doesn't release as much juice. <S> I put a skewer hole in my citrus (for safety issues) and then microwave the fruit for 20=30 seconds before cutting and juicing. <S> I'm also partial to Valencia oranges for juice. <A> With a masticating juicer, I've averaged 56% juice from unpeeled oranges (navel).
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The amount of juice you get from an orange will depend on a number or things: Size of the orange Juice content of the orange
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How do you freeze fresh pineapple? Can you? I cut the up a fresh pineapple and wanted to freeze a portion, will it last and retain flavor/consistency? Also: is there anything that can be done with the Core - the hard part in the middle? <Q> I usually cut the pineapple into bite size pieces before freezing them. <S> IF i'm at my mom's restaurant, I usually put it in the super chiller, and then into the freezer. <A> I cut it into pieces, put it on a cookie sheet, and put it in the freezer of my refrigerator. <S> When it is solid, I put it in bags (1/4 of the pineapple in each) and vacuum seal it. <S> This goes into my chest freezer to enjoy later. <S> If pineapples are a dollar apiece, it only makes sense to freeze them. <S> The cores do make a great ice cream topping if you dice them finely and cook them down in a simple syrup. <A> If you cut the pineapple core into smaller pieces (say, something like a dice), then it's usable. <S> Cutting against the grain will shorten the overall fibers, too. <S> Also, I'd be willing to bet that the core pieces could be used for a tasty syrup. <A> You can use the core and skin (wash the pineapple before you cut it up) to make a great tea - put pieces of skin and core into a medium size sauce pan, add a few slices of fresh ginger, cover with water, simmer an hour <S> and then let sit until it cools. <S> Remove all the solid pieces, pour the liquid into a container. <S> Delicious as a cold drink or heated as a tea - the bromelain in pineapple is a great anti-inflammatory and ginger has beneficial digestive properties. <A> I suppose pineapple should freeze as well as any other fruit as long as it is done quickly else it might go soft when you defrost it. <S> which helps to block excessive coagulation of the blood, reduce inflammation and can reduce the growth of some tumours (from what I have read, I am no doctor <S> so can't say if it is true or not)
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If you have a good blender, you can use the whole pineapple (without the skin of course as it is coarse) including the core - it is very healthy as it contains bromelain At home, I usually drain it, for 20 -30 minutes in a sieve and then put them in air tight freezer bags.
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What is the name of this eggplant dish that is similar to lasagna? When I was at school I made an dish that was like a lasagna but replaced the pastry with Eggplant. It also had sliced bocconcini (I think) and was tomato based. Just wondering if anyone knows the name of this dish? Is it just an Eggplant lasagna? <Q> In Italian we call it parmigiana . <S> Variations made with breaded meat cutlets, such as veal and chicken parmigiana, have been developed in other countries, usually in areas of Italian immigration. <S> In Italy, you can find the variation with meatballs, but the original recipe (being from Southern Italy) doesn't include meat. <A> I always thought of the Greek dish Moussaka as Eggplant Lasagna. <S> Except it is Béchamel sauce on top instead of more cheese. <A> Sounds like it could be the stripped down version of eggplant parm that, oddly enough, eschews the parm. <S> I've had it a couple times in Southern Italy. <S> Essentially, it's just layers of eggplant (with the moisture salted out in a colander, then the rounds dredged and fried), roma tomato passata, bocconcini (or any fresh mozzarella), basil leaves and sea salt. <S> It's baked <S> and it's delicious.
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Wikipedia says: Parmigiana or eggplant parmigiana (Italian: melanzane alla parmigiana or parmigiana di melanzane ) is a Southern Italian dish made with shallow fried eggplant slices layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked.
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Can I preserve fresh potato gnocchi by drying it? I have a lot of potatoes to use, and I am making a large batch of Gnocchi. I plan to freeze much of it, but I was wondering if it's also possible to dry the fresh Gnocchi and store in a sealed container at room temperature (as is done with other pastas). Has anyone tried this? If it matters, the Gnocchi dough will not have egg in it. <Q> Surprisingly, the answer seems to be a qualified <S> yes , however the texture is not the same. <S> The dried gnocchi turned out to be much better if fried after boiling; see below. <S> Here are the results of my experiment: <S> I dried a small amount of the fresh Gnocchi by placing them in a 150 degree (Farenheit) oven for about an hour, then turning off the oven and leaving them in all day. <S> It is very dry here, so that did the trick. <S> I boiled the dried gnocchi after several days of storage. <S> They took about ten times longer to boil than their fresh counterparts. <S> Even after they were fully cooked, they were not as soft as the fresh gnocchi, and they never regained their original size or shape. <S> Overall, they were denser, firmer, and less sticky. <S> Not desirable traits necessarily, but they were quite edible. <S> I decided to pan-fry a small batch in about a tablespoon of oil, and these turned out wonderfully! <S> I have pan-fried gnocchi before, and it tends to be hard to keep them intact and keep them from sticking. <S> The previously dried gnocchi, however, did not stick and held up to vigorous frying. <S> The result were gnocchi with a crispy exterior and soft (if somewhat dense) interior. <S> The crispy outside and flavor reminded me of samosas. <S> These weren't just edible, they were great. <S> I plan to dry about half of my next batch and use the dried gnocchi exclusively for frying. <A> If you could surely dried potato gnocchi would be in the shops. <S> It seems that the dried gnocchi is semolina gnocchi , and not potato although there seems to be a patent for a technique for drying potato gnocchi . <S> If you try it let us know how it turns out. <S> If you are still alive after eating it that is :) <A> I use a regular dehydrator after cooking at 40 degrees Celsius for 7 hrs. <S> I store them dry in a masonry jar. <S> This works fine and doesn't change anything. <S> I also don't use eggs.
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I think the fact that I've never seen dried potato gnocchi, only vacuum packed 'fresh' potato gnocchi means that you can't.
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How long should dry beans be soaked before cooking? I'm guessing there are different answers depending on the type of dried bean (pinto, kidney, navy, white, etc.) and I am interested in all of them. So: how long should dry beans be soaked? Should the water be just tap water, or salted? Should the soaking water be discarded or used later? Thanks! <Q> Overnight is ideal, but even an hour or two will help. <S> If you don't have much time, you can speed the processs by using hot water. <S> Tap water, and not salted - salt toughens the skin of beans if it used before they are cooked. <S> Also, if you have a pressure cooker, you can cook dried beans without a pre-soak and get great results. <A> I found this article in the LA Times with detailed experiments suggesting that soaking beans is unnecessary and it takes away the flavor and texture. <A> This website has an excellent chart showing the soaking and cooking times for various types of dried beans. <S> Some beans don't need to be soaked at all, while others need at least 8 hours. <S> I personally always discard the soaking water. <S> I don't like the flavors, and in some cases, colors that the water adds to the food, not to mention the dirt/rocks that settle to the bottom. <S> I normally soak and cook beans in filtered water, but that is only because the area I live in has lots of chlorine in the water <S> and I don't like the taste. <S> Throwing out the water also removes some of the starch so your beans don't foam so much when you cook them. <A> It depends on the beans: I soak garbanzo, kidney beans for 6-8 hours all others (pinto, navy, white, etc., I cook after 2-3 hours of soaking. <S> Here are the answers to your other questions: Should the water be just tap water, or salted? <S> Yes, just tap water will do. <S> Let the beans be immersed in the water and you should be able to put your fingers till your second knuckle. <S> No need for salt. <S> Should the soaking water be discarded or used later? <S> Discard the soaking water. <S> this will make the beans less flatulent. <A> For most humans, it behooves the digestive process to soak beans at least overnight. <S> Cooking beans w/o overnight soaking is asking for digestive malaise in most people. <A> An alternative to pre-soaking is pre-cooking. <S> I have 200g borlotti beans and tomato sauce in the oven right now in a covered casserole. <S> After three hours cooking at 110C <S> I'll take them out and leave them covered until I get home from work after which time they should be nice and soft. <A> Another Answer <S> Here has a great table for soaking times. <S> Salt or no salt really only has to do with your personal preference, but I never do it because you can always add salt after, but you can never take it away. <A> I read an article once that said about 16 hours is the ideal amount of time-- <S> so 12 hours plus four more. <S> (so if you washed and soaked them at 7 pm on Monday, ideally you would drain and re-wash and cook them at 11am on Tuesday). <S> This is not always possible though, given everyone's busy schedules. <S> Old beans may cook easier if you add a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water (rinse it away before you cook them) because it may help soften the skins and help the water get in there to soften them. <S> Instead of using all the cooked beans right away I freeze some to add to baked goods like muffins (mashed before they go in the muffins).
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I usually aim for 8 hours or more, and try to keep it less than 24 hours. I always soak beans because I don't like having to steam up the kitchen or leave them cooking for a long time. Most folks discard the soaking water, as it is thought to produce flatulence.
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How can huge bubbles in pizza crust be prevented? When making pizza, often the dough bubbles up hugely, displacing toppings and generally making a mess of the pie. Are there any secrets to preventing this? Does the key lie in the dough recipe, the distribution of toppings, or something else? Or is there no real secret, other than watching and popping the bubbles when they form? <Q> From Encyclopizza <S> There’s a difference between bubbles formed from under-proofing versus over-proofing. <S> Bubbles from under-proofing tend to be flat but large in diameter. <S> If unpopped, they can blow up an entire pizza. <S> This is the process by which pita or pocket <S> bread is made. <S> Bubbles from over-proofing tend to be high but smaller in diameter. <S> They rise up like little ping-pong balls and eventually form a hole at the top, at which time they stop expanding. <S> They almost always burn. <S> Most pizza bubbling problems are of the under-proofed type. <S> To resolve a bubbling problem, dough fermentation must be adjusted accordingly. <S> To stop bubbling caused by under-proofed dough, increase the amount of fermentation. <S> In addition to proper proofing, it has been found that reducing the amount of water in a dough formula can help with reducing bubbling when dealing with the under-proofed type. <S> The reduction in moisture aids in creating the pinpoint holes in the cells walls. <S> In addition, you want to make sure you properly knead your dough. <S> Some people poke tiny holes in the dough to prevent overly large bubbles. <A> After the dough has been rolled and stretched, dock the dough. <S> You can buy a fancy docker (a 'spikey' rolling pin type device) <S> but unless you make lots of pizzas, it seems silly to have a specialized tool. <S> A fork will work just fine. <S> I must admit, I've been caught with a fork in each hand <S> "drumming," dancing, and singing whilst making pizza. <S> :) <A> Letting your dough rest in the refrigerator at least overnight and up to a couple of days before rolling out will stop big bubbles. <S> The bubbles are co2 gas being released by the fermentation caused by the yeast. <S> Refrigeration drastically reduces the speed at which the co2 is released but allows the flavor to develop fully. <S> A long rest in the fridge will also make the dough easier to roll out by reducing "bounce back" from the elasticity of the dough. <A> Try docking your dough. <S> A plastic docker is only 4 or 5 bucks at restaurant supply or cooking store.
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To stop bubbling caused by over-proofed dough, reduce the amount of fermentation. As a final resort you could observe your pizza in the oven and poke bubbles as they form.
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What can I substitute for Mayonnaise in a traditional potato salad? I wanted to make a Potato Salad that was going to be exposed to fairly extreme heat during an upcoming picnic and wanted to make sure it wouldn't spoil as quickly as it does sometimes. Is there something other than Mayo that I can use to bind it together - here is the rest of the recipe: 5 cups peeled and cubed potatoes 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon ground mustard 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/3 cup chopped celery 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley <Q> Direct substitution options would include sour cream, plain yogurt, or cottage cheese pureed in your blender to do a one-to-one substitution, but I don't know that these would necessarily solve your issue of having the salad sit out with ingredients that could spoil. <S> This question has a whole list of substitutes. <S> Tofu is one that might suit your needs, although it would change the flavor profile. <S> Consider instead a German potato salad, which does not have mayonnaise to begin with. <S> Yes, this departs from your original recipe, but it will definitely solve your issue. <A> Another option is a commercial product called Vegenaise. <S> You should be able to find it at any health food type store, or Whole Foods. <S> It is really quite a good substitute; not quite as much flavor as say Best Foods / Hellman's, but close, and a near identical texture. <A> I know this may depart from the answer you are looking for but put it in a bowl of ice. <S> Not your potato salad the bowl your potato salad is in. <S> A picnic in extreme heat could only last a couple of hours and as long as you check on your ice and give it a stir every once in awhile <S> you should be gtg (good to go). <S> Anything longer and the people at the picnic will have heat prostration and will not feel like eating anyway. :) <A> I would suggest using a really good olive oil instead of a bland vegetable oil. <S> The salad may also benefit from omitting the sugar, and perhaps adding some good black or green olives. <A> Yogurt gives potato salad a nice tang; if you try it, use a full-fat brand. <A> I grew up on mustard potato salad and prefer it to the mayonnaise variety. <S> It usually has some mayo in it, but you could adjust the recipe and omit it. <A> Another way to prepare mayonnaise is with hard boiled egg yolk, instead of fresh eggs. <S> The cooking will kill salmonella, so this mayo will be safer. <A> It's fairly stable in the heat too. <S> If you wanted to take things in a slightly different direction, a generous spoon of a wholegrain mustard can really work wonders.
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A nice dolop of creme fraiche can bring a 'mayo-free' potato salad together nicely - and would work well with your other ingredients.
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Simple things to do with very tart plums? We got a bag of purple plums from our CSA that have a great flavor and seem ripe, but that are very tart. I'm the only person in the family who really likes sour fruit, and they are pretty sour even for me, so we are not going to get through them eating them out of hand. What are some good fast and simple ideas for cooking them? A compote? Can I make something like apple sauce? EDIT: Speed and simplicity are important considerations. Homemade jam is delicious, and I know how to make it, but jam-making isn't something I am going to do after I get home from work to use up some extra fruit. <Q> Tart fruits work well in jellies and jams, or as candied fruit. <S> These all allow you to vary the sugar content to get the level of sweetness you want, plus you don't have to worry about botulism as much. <S> You could also try a fruit-infused brandy: cut fruit into slices, and layer fruit/sugar/fruit/sugar into a tall lidded jar. <S> Cover with a spirit of your choice, usually vodka, although a milder brandy or white rum also works. <S> Let this sit for several weeks to infuse, strain, and use as a flavoring in cooking or as a mixer in cocktails (or just drink it). <A> I'd consider a plum buckle or other plum cake. <S> As necessary you can up the sugar to compensate for the extra-sour plums. <S> Perhaps blackberries or raspberries? <A> You can consider making plum syrup or plum wine, sure they are of very quick and easy "preparation", but they need some time to "age". <S> One example of Japanese plum syrup and plum wine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlBNdRKNhJI <A> Save some of those babies for summertime. <S> Pit and freeze the plums, and use them to add tang and depth of flavor to smoothies and slushes when the hot weather hits. <S> One of my favorite combinations is prune plum paired with mango in a base of pineapple and grape juices.
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A free-form tart adding berries to the plums as a filling also sounds tasty and like it would have a lovely texture.
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What to do with tofu? Last night I made a delicious vegetarian stromboli and was left with a lot of excess crumbled extra-firm tofu. It was the first time I have ever cooked with tofu, and as such I have no idea with what to do with the (uncooked) leftovers. What techniques/flavors can I utilize to make it delicious? <Q> I usually don't buy crumbled tofu, but since you have that, I would suggest making tofu burgers. <S> Add another hearty ingredient, like lightly roasted finely chopped walnuts, or baked eggplant cubes. <S> Combine with chopped onions, garlic, grated carrots, and breadcrumbs. <S> Bind with beaten egg. <S> Season with your choice of herbs or spices, such as thyme, oregano, basil. <S> Form into patties, fry lightly in olive oil and sprinkle with tamari (or soy sauce) until both sides are browned. <S> Bake until fully cooked in the oven at 375 degrees. <S> Serve on a bun just like a beef patty. <A> The powerful flavor of the taco seasoning counters the neutral flavor of the tofu well. <S> Really, any dish that uses ground meat should work. <S> I've had tofu meatloaf, as well as tofu sloppy joes, and both were delicious. <A> You can also add it to a miso soup. <S> Or try it in scrambled eggs. <S> Or mix it with mayo or everything else and spread on a slice of bread. <S> Or use it as a substitute of feta in a greek salad. <S> Or in almost any other kind of salad, better if it's one with canned corn. <S> Or add to chinese veg noodles. <S> (I would simply sprinkle a lot of soya <S> sauce over it (raw as it is) and eat it with a big big smile) <A> I steam my tofu with broccoli and then stir it into fettuccine alfredo. <S> Steaming it gets rid of a lot of the tofu water taste and is good if you're new to the taste of tofu. <S> The texture with the sauce and noodles is creamy and amazing. <S> I would highly recommend getting a steamer for it because the tofu will turn out much more creamy if you do, but I'm sure it would work fine without one as well. <A> I can't believe this has been missed for so long.... <S> Crumbled tofu is the basis for Scrambed Tofu . <S> This is very tasty and versatile dish. <S> Do some searching around for good tofu scramble recipes and you will find a new staple recipe or two, especially if you like tofu. <A> I like putting raw tofu on my salads. <S> It has a very subtle taste <S> but I like it <S> and it's nice to have protein on a salad. <S> Tofu really takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you use so pairing it with a nice soy can be good. <S> Good Luck! <A> The flavor of tofu is fairly neutral, so it is generally used to add some body to sauces or veggie dishes. <S> Firm tofu can be directly substituted for chicken or paneer (Indian cottage cheese) in Indian curries or any sauce with a lot of flavor (stir fry, Asian chicken dishes with lots of sauce, Thai curries, etc.). <S> To prepare, it works better if the tofu is fried first (it will fall apart otherwise). <S> The tofu should also be drained before it is used. <A> Crumbled tofu is the main ingredient in what's often called "eggless-salad," or sometimes "tofu paté." <S> Recipes abound, here <S> is a simple one. <S> Basically you add some Veganaise (vegan mayo), mustard, onions, turmeric and whatever else you want. <S> Options are endless.
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In my experience, extra-firm, crumbled tofu can be substituted into tacos in place of ground beef or turkey.
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Should I sear meat which is cooked sous vide before it goes in the bag, or after? After reading the beer cooler sous vide hack, I'm tempted to try it probably with duck, but maybe with steak. Should I sear my duck/steak first before I put it in the bag, or afterwards, and why? Or does it not make a difference? <Q> After a bit of googling, I found this which suggests that searing twice (both before and after) might be preferable. <A> I have seen it done both ways. <S> If you sear first then sous-vide the crispness will be gone from the crust. <S> This is really apparent with steaks. <A> I prefer to sear it after. <S> You get a decent additional taste from the Maillard reaction regardless of whether you do it before or after. <S> However, even though your steak isn't directly in contact with the water, it will shed juices during the cooking process. <S> If you sear first, then the meat sits in it's own juices. <S> This means that the sear isn't crunchy when you're ready to eat. <S> I personally like the texture difference enough to sear only after I've cooked it sous vide. <S> Searing after will also help your presentation. <S> Meat doesn't always look particularly appetizing when it comes out of the sous vide. <S> Throwing a sear on makes it look much better. <A> I sear before and after. <S> I blow torch the meat before putting it into the bags. <S> The flame is very hot (around 1.500C) and only affects the surface, it does not cook the meat. <S> This kills any bacteria you might have on the surface of your cut before bagging it. <S> I do my steaks (filet or entrecote) at 50-52C, which is still in the danger zone. <S> 55C and enough time kills most germs, though I tend to find that just a little too medium for my taste. <S> I take the bags out just before serving, pat dry and sear quickly over high heat in a cast iron skillet. <S> Usually 30s per side flipping every 15 seconds in order not to cook the meat much further.
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I prefer mine seared after it has cooked to preserve the crispness of the sear.
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What can I do with apple peel? I made an apple pie the other day and peeled 6 or so apples. I ended up composting the peelings, and it got me wondering, what else could I have done with them? <Q> You could use them, together with the core, to make apple-glaze (for your pie). <S> Cover everything with water, simmer about 30 min, strain, simmer until you reach the desired density. <A> You can do something similar to how low-end vodka is made from potato peelings: <S> Take all the peels, stuff in a blender, and liquefy with as little water as needed to make a fairly liquid slurry. <S> Dump into a large pot, bring to a boil, cover, cool. <S> Dump into a fermenter, add yeast, wait a week, strain, add a clarifying agent, return to fermenter, let rest a week, distill, recombine with water/sugar/apple juice to flavor: bam, free applejack :) <S> This takes some know-how with respect to fermentation, and some effort to set up the fermentation, but if you have loads of apple bits (like from pressing cider from 6 or so bushels), it is kinda worth it for free booze from nature. <A> This isn't exactly a culinary use, but apple peel is apparently a very popular exfoliant . <A> It's made from apples as well <S> , it's not just the peels, but the author specifically mentions that she dumps any extra peels (i.e. from apple sauce or apple pie) in the crock pot in order to increase the yield. <S> I haven't tried to make it, but the photo makes it look pretty delicious. <A> There are some "creative" suggestions towards the bottom of this page . <S> (dietary supplement, jelly, string, ...). <A> Apple peels combined with any citrus slices and/or peels, a cinnamon stick, some whole cloves, and some allspice makes a great potpourri. <S> Cover with water and maintain at a very low simmer on the back of the stove. <S> It makes the house smell homey and comforting from the minute you walk in the door!
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The other day I stumbled across this recipe for apple butter that uses the peels.
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What oils are "required" for a decent home kitchen? What different varieties of oil are really needed in a decent home kitchen? I ask because I've only two right now (olive & sunflower) that I try to use "correctly" but sometimes use interchangeably. I wonder what I'm missing. <Q> At a bare minimum, you'll want at least one "flavoured" and one "unflavoured" oil. <S> Note that for good flavour you'll want extra virgin olive oil, which also makes it unsuitable for frying/sautéing at high temperatures. <S> So I would say that you already have the minimum requirement. <S> That said, even the "unflavoured" oils have subtly different flavour characteristics due to their different fat contents, and you'll want to take this into consideration if you like to cook in ethnic cuisines. <S> A short list (and keep in mind that this is partially subjective): <S> Peanut oil: Asian cuisine, Mexican cuisine (high-temperature frying) Sesame oil: <S> Asian cuisine (stir-fry or deep-fry [refined only]) <S> Olive oil: Italian cuisine, French cuisine (low-temp) Sunflower or Canola oil: American cuisine, esp. <S> deep-frying Grape seed oil: <S> Decent substitute for any of the other oils Walnut/almond oil: <S> Great for fried desserts (watch the smoke point though). <A> If you deep-fry, peanut should be the 2nd. <S> The neutral seed oils (canola, sunflower, corn, etc.) <S> all cook about the same. <S> Peanut has a fairly high smoke point, so is better for deep-frying. <S> Olive has a good flavor. <S> Sesame, almond, walnut and other nut oils are short-lived, and tend to be expensive. <S> They make great additions to salad dressings or as a finishing flavor in some dishes (sesame is great in a stir fry). <S> Olive oil has a low smoke point (especially extra virgin), and will loose considerable flavor if heated, so it isn't recommended for frying (it costs more than the seed oils, and its a shame to waste it). <S> Any high-temp cooking should not be done in olive oil. <S> Since I don't deep fry often, I have two cooking oils on hand: good olive, and canola. <S> The olive is used mainly to finish or in lower temp saute/sweat. <S> The canola is used to fry onions, pancakes, meat, and anything else that takes some higher heat. <S> I chose canola because it has a neutral flavor and a fairly good omega-3 content. <S> Plus it was cheap. <S> I also have some white truffle, walnut, and sesame in the fridge for finishing. <S> They aren't used terribly often, and a bit goes a long way. <S> Also: butter. <S> Although it isn't really an oil, I use lots of butter/ghee(clarified butter) in my cooking. <S> Good one to make sure you always have on hand. <A> Olive extra virgin and sunflower. <S> Same here. <S> Make sure the olive oil is extra virgin though, for flavor and use sparingly. <A> We often have much more than two, but I'd say the two you really need are olive oil and some form of vegetable oil (vegetable, cannola, sunflower). <S> The second type will often have a higher smoke point than olive oil. <S> I find olive oil has much more flavor than vegetable or cannola oil. <S> Olive oil is often used in dressings as well. <S> Once you start to get in to more specific dishes, you may find the number balloons from two though. <S> Sesame oil for asian food, peanut oil for deep frying, a nice evoo for salads. <S> I think we have about 6 different types of oil, but we mostly just use olive and cannola. <A> 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 if you like to cook asian food, and you'll be prepared for most anything. <S> For the justification see my response to What oil or fat to use for different purposes? <A> I've actually come to find lately that grape seed oil is extremely versatile. <S> It has a very light, mild flavor, and when used in cooking you almost can't taste it at all. <S> When used in its "raw" state, the flavor is a little nutty, and makes a very nice addition to salads/dressings. <S> I've used it to make a basil infusion that was great. <S> And, with a very high smoke point, it's safe to use for frying and sauteing. <S> I now use grapeseed oil in place of olive and vegetable oils in a whole lot of recipes. <S> It's become my go-to oil lately. <S> If I had to have only two oils in my kitchen, they would be an olive oil, and grape seed oil. <A> One oil with a high smoke point, plus any with flavors you like. <S> I keep: peanut or canola oil <S> extra virgin olive oil <S> sesame oil and sometime a small quantity of something else if a recipe called for it. <S> Other fats on hand include: butter schmaltz (skimmed from a chicken pot left to cool, rewarmed, poured into ice cube trays to freeze and kept in a baggie in the freezer) <S> bacon fat (poured hot from the pan into a jar by the stove; mostly used for seasoning my cast iron, but also for flavor) <A> Olive oil is a must have in a Kitchen. <S> The only other type of oil that you want to keep is something with a neutral flavor and high smoke point. <S> I recommend Canola oil or Vegetable oil.
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Olive oil is definitely the most common choice for a flavoured oil, and sunflower/peanut/canola oil all have pretty neutral flavours (not to mention similar smoke points).
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What are safe, effective practices for smoking salmon in a commercial smoker? We have been smoking salmon in an electric smoker (a Master Built) for about 6 months now, using a dry rub brine recipe containing salt, brown sugar, garlic and other flavorings (sometimes brandy, sometimes smoked red pepper powder). We have tried to adjust the temperature and time to gain a safe, but moist and smoky tasting end result. We have been using mesquite wood chips. I have read that the authentic way to smoke meat is very slow over a smoky fire and can last longer than what is possible in a commercial smoker. How can I achieve the best results with my smoker? <Q> I am projecting here, perhaps, but I think the question you're asking is "why doesn't my salmon come out moist and succulent like what I get at the store?" <S> A couple reasons. <S> First: you want to properly cure the salmon for at <S> least 24 hours beforehand. <S> 36 is better. <S> To cure, you will need two whole sides of salmon (or one cut in half), with the skin on. <S> Rub your cure into the flesh-- <S> so 2:1 salt:sugar, plus whatever other spices you care to use. <S> The addition of brandy sounds lovely; I like tequila or a nice peaty/ <S> smoky Scotch myself, or maple syrup (but obviously nix the sugar if you're doing that). <S> Place the two pieces together, flesh to flesh, optionally including herbs between. <S> Wrap very tightly in plastic, completely sealed, bung into your fridge to let it cure. <S> Second: when the fish is cured, remove from the wrap, rinse off the cure. <S> Third: time to smoke. <S> If you want dry and flaky, hot smoke--this seems to be what you're doing and what you don't like. <S> Therefore, it's cold smoke time. <S> The two basic ways to do this are either to add LOTS of trays of ice to the smoker itself, or to route the smoke through a cooler filled with ice and then back into your smoking chamber. <S> A quick Google should provide you with diagrams for doing so. <S> Do not over-smoke. <S> Fish picks up flavours quite readily, and will dry out if oversmoked, even if cold. <A> I think you are cooking your salmon for too long. <S> When I hot smoke salmon, I'll do a 1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet at 180F to 200F for about 35 - 45 minutes. <S> Depending on the size of the fish you may need shorter or longer. <S> This is sufficient to get a nice smokey flavor and properly cook the fish. <S> Cooking for hours will make the fish very dry. <S> It sounds like your only real issue is the length of time you are cooking it for. <S> This assumes that you are smoking the salmon to serve and not as a preservation method to keep for a long period of time. <S> I don't know how long this method will preserve the salmon, but my guess is no longer than normal cooking methods. <S> Of course, you may still prefer cold smoked, the end product is quite different. <S> But I don't think it's time to write off hot smoked yet. <A> There is no need to cold smoke to get juicy salmon. <S> The trick is to properly dry it after brining overnight. <S> I put the salmon in my fish dryer till it has a nice pellicle forms, then it's ready for smoking.
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Really for salmon I don't think you need much more than 20 minutes of cold smoke.
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Are there any vegetarian applications for transglutaminase ("meat glue")? Transglutaminase is an enzyme that is popular among modernist chefs for two main purposes - to glue different meats together for special effects (like a modern turducken), and to create consistently shaped and sized portions for even cooking. My question is whether there are any known vegetarian applications for this enzyme? Has it been used with (say) tofu, eggs, or cheese? Is there a way to combine it with another protein to get it to glue lower protein things together like most vegetables? <Q> As a matter of fact, here is a link to a PDF of a technical article that talks all about using microbial transglutaminase on vegetable proteins. <S> This article is not for the scientifically faint-of-heart, and it does not contain recipes, but it does review ways industry has found to use transglutaminase in making vegetable-based food products, using things such as soy, wheat, rice, pea, sunflower, and sesame. <S> I have never tried using it to mix vegetable proteins with animal proteins, but chemically speaking it should work. <S> Unfortunately, I have no source of recipes; you might just have to experiment. <A> As far as I know, most transglutaminase on the market currently is of microbial origin. <S> That is definitely true of the "Activa" brand transglutaminase formulations, manufactured by Ajinomoto. <S> Transglutaminase crosslinks glutamine and lysine amino acids, which are found in almost all proteins - not just in meat, but also in eggs, nut or bean based proteins, etc. <S> transglutaminase: http://www.cookingissues.com/transglutaminase-aka-meat-glue/index.html <A> To answer my own question, years later, it turns out that Activa RM can be used to make a phenomenal veggie burger: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/hi-tech-mushroom-burger . <S> Full disclosure, I work at ChefSteps, but I didn't when I asked this question! <A> I'm relatively certain that transglutaminase will only bond proteins found in animal flesh or products (it is used sometimes to make milk seem creamier, for example). <S> I'm pretty certain, also, that it's derived from animals making it unsuitable for vegetarian applications. <A> Oh, by all means. <S> Take a peek at the two different veggie burger options at ChefSteps.com. <S> Unfortunately everything I read states the enzyme is derived from meat or vegetable products nad I can't find "vegan" Transglutaminase. <S> If anyone knows of a strictly plant based extract of said enzyme, please pass it on!
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In fact, you can use transglutaminase to coagulate nut milks to make a vegan cheese, as demonstrated by Cashewbert: http://www.cashewbert.com/en/transglutaminase-ti.html For more info, Dave Arnold's primer on transglutaminase on the Cooking Issues blog is a wonderful resource on all things
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What do you do with left over tomato paste? I sometimes make sauces that use tomato paste. The problem is that usually I need only one or two tablespoons and I don't know what to do with the rest of the can. The smallest can I could find is 6 oz. and while it only costs 50 cents, I hate the thought of the rest going to waste. It's also not particularly flavorful. Any ideas? <Q> This isn’t really an answer to your question, but I have found that Amore brand tomato paste has better flavor than canned tomato pastes and it comes in a resealable metal tube, which you can store in the refrigerator and take out whenever you need a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. <S> It’s also more expensive than canned tomato pastes <S> but you actually get the opportunity to use all of it rather than just a spoonful or two. <S> America’s <S> Test Kitchen reviewed tomato pastes (subscription required link) and came to the same conclusion: <S> Sold in a 4 1/2-ounce tube and priced at $2.49 (considerably higher than other tomato pastes), Amore Tomato Paste shined in our initial from-the-tube tasting—no cooking, no sauce. <S> Tasters described the product as “intense” and “fresh,” which may be because of the fat it contains. <S> It also scored points because of its tube packaging. <S> Just squeeze out what you need and store the rest in the fridge. <S> No fuss, no waste. <A> I freeze it in ice cube trays or silicone muffin cups, then pop them out into a ziploc bag once they're frozen. <S> It's much cheaper to buy a big can and portion it up like this than to use the tiny cans or tubes. <A> I always freeze it . <S> (zip-lock freezer bags, although at the price your quoting, wasting it might almost be cheaper :) ) <A> Personally I'd just eat it. <S> Toast some bread, stick some paste on top and then a little cheese, perhaps a bit of EVOO. <S> Perhaps a little basil if you have it. <S> Essentially a mini pizza - brilliant snack IMO. <A> I buy tomato paste in a squeeze tube for that same reason. <S> I used to buy the can, and freeze leftovers in 1 tablespoon portions. <S> I'd toss one or two in soups or stews for a little bonus flavor. <S> I've been known to toss the remainder of the can into a bread recipe with a bit of dried basil and garlic.
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For a simple side dish, I have sauteed some onions and garlic, added the remainder of the can of paste, then toss in an undrained can of french style green beans, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
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Why wait for water to boil? I've always heard that you should wait for water to boil before adding pasta/perogies/vegetables/etc. What is the reason for this? Is it because it reaches boiling point faster? If so, why? <Q> The primary reason is for accuracy and reliability in cooking times. <S> Boiling water is guaranteed (not accounting for altitude) to be at 212 F (100 C). <S> With a set temperature you can then say things like "boil X for 9 minutes" with a very high measure of confidence. <S> You certainly can cook things in the water as you go, but it's going to be a lot more hit-and-miss. <S> Pasta, for example, will begin to cook before it reaches the boiling point. <S> You would need to measure the temperature, and check the pasta regularly to determine when it was done. <S> You can't give someone an accurate cooking time with this method either. <S> The time it takes for water to boil will vary greatly with stove heat output, pot size & shape, and the amount of water. <A> If you toss your dumplings or whatever into not yet boiling water, it's the same as just soaking it in cool water before you cook it. <S> You can imagine pre-soaking <S> your dumplings/pierogies would just turn the dough into nasty mush. <S> It's the same thing with tossing them into water that isn't yet hot enough to cook them. <S> Also, once your food is in the water, it's soaking up some of the heat, which means the water will take longer to boil. <S> With nothing in the water, the water gets 100% of the heat from the stove, so it will boil more quickly than if you have the mass of the food floating in it. <S> Consequently, dumping food in "30 seconds before it was going to boil" can actually result in it soaking in sub-boiling water for a lot longer than 30 seconds. <S> Since water doesn't get any hotter the longer <S> you boil it, you should usually wait for it to boil, but there is usually no benefit to waiting any longer than that. <S> Once it hits the boiling point, the heat is used for the phase change into gas. <S> (The actual boiling) rather than increasing the temperature past the boiling point. <A> It all depends on what you are cooking: for example if you are making white stock you can (and probably should) start with cold water which you bring to a quick rolling boil and then reduce to a bare simmer for a long time. <S> If you are making soup and you just need to cook the chicken breast to add to the soup, then start with boiling water. <S> If you are cooking legumes, then again start with cold water. <S> For blanching vegetables, cooking rice, or pasta you should always start with boiling water to avoid the problems mentioned earlier but also avoid overcooking (vegetables) or making mushy dishes (pasta, rice). <S> There is no way to achieve the "al dente" feeling of pasta if you start with cold water. <S> For that matter, you also never add cold water say to rice pilaf once it starts cooking. <S> Assume you made a mistake and need to add some water to the pot, it must be boiling hot.. <A> Certainly one reason is the accuracy/reliability, after all physical laws guarantee that water boiling point is around 100 C, with small adjustment for pressure/altitude, salt contents and so on. <S> Then, another reason is that cooking at different temperatures changes dramatically the end result. <S> As personal anecdotal evidence, cooking pasta at lower temperatures make it feel a lot more gelatinous and "spongy", i.e. horrible. <S> Think also of the different result you get with boiled meat when you put it in cold water or in boiling water.
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When you boil something, you want to efficiently dump heat into it to cook it.
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Does adding salt help water boil faster? I've always heard adding salt to water makes it boil faster. Is this true? If so, why? If not, why do people do it? <Q> No. <S> The amount of salt you would have to add to water to make an appreciable difference is enormous. <S> Salt is added to water for various reasons: to season whatever is being cooked in it; to maintain colour; to maintain structural integrity. <A> Actually adding salt to water makes it boil slower; it increases the boiling point so it takes a little longer to get there. <S> It actually doesn't matter what you dissolve in water (or anything else). <S> Adding a dissolved substance elevates the boiling point and lowers the freezing point. <A> No. <S> See: http://itotd.com/articles/521/water-freezing-and-boiling-myths/ Anecdotal <S> however, I often observed that if you have water close to the boiling point adding salt can make it boil instantly. <S> Not sure why. <A> Some good answers here already, however, there are a couple of small effects to consider: 1) <S> The solubility of gases in water decreases as the temperature is raised . <S> So as you heat water to boiling, the gases dissolved in it become super-saturated . <S> Adding salt to a supersaturated mixture provides nucleation sites for the gas to come out of solution (ie form bubbles). <S> Those bubbles can make the water look cloudy or white, which can be mistaken for the start of boiling. <S> 2) <S> Solid NaCl actually releases heat when it is dissolved in water . <S> Not very much heat, but if the water is on the narrow edge of boiling already, that added heat of dissolution can be enough to get things boiling a half a giffy sooner. <S> Again, these are both minor effects; the first merely looks a bit like near-boiling, the second probably can't be detected without a good stopwatch. <A> I can see why it may be misinterpreted that adding salt makes it boil 'faster'. <S> One thing that the salt WILL do is introduce a surface (on the salt crystal) that helps the dissolved air to release from the water (looks like tiny bubbles). <S> It can lead people to think that this is starting to boil. <S> When water is actually boiling it is because liquid water is turned to water vapor, thus causing bubbles. <A> You guys misunderstood. <S> It doesn't make it <S> Faster <S> it makes it Hotter . <S> This will help you understand. <S> http://www.knowswhy.com/why-does-salt-make-water-boil-faster/ <A> I don't claim that it's true, but here's one more explanation, <S> this one in favor of salt <S> making water boil faster: <S> http://www.swri.org/10light/water.htm <S> Briefly, they say that salt has lower heat capacity than water, and so water+salt will heat up more quickly than water alone. <S> This overshadows the tiny increase in boiling point that the salt will also cause. <S> On the other hand, that same site says that adding salt to water will increase its volume, where I think the opposite is true (not 100% sure on that one). <S> Aside: It's fun how such an easy-to-evaluate experiment has so many different opinions, even with regard to the outcome of the experiment, let alone the explanation <S> (: <S> Here's someone's video of doing the experiment (the water did boil faster with salt): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcrDuc-XjRQ <S> Of course, you can poke plenty of holes in their methodology. <S> We need a large government-funded study! <S> Here is one more link relating to the specific heat of water, when substances are dissolved in it: physics.stackexchange.com <S> There, they did an experiment on cooling water, and found that water+salt cools faster. <S> I think it's reasonable to believe that it heats faster, too. <A> It would increase boiling speed by being a bubble nucleator. <S> We are talking kinetics not thermodynamics. <S> The slight boiling point elevation would make little difference. <A> Therefore more pressure is needed to overcome the atmospheric pressure and for your liquid to reach a boil.
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Salt decreases the vapor pressure within the vessel of whatever you're trying to boil.
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How can I store chopped onions in the fridge without the smell? I am cooking for a large group and am trying to do as much as I can in advance. One thing I would love to do in advance is chop several onions. I have done this before with a single onion; I stored the chopped onion in a plastic storage container (sealed with the lid) in the fridge. About 6 hours later, the smell of onions was very strong both in the fridge and on everything that was in the fridge. I can't imagine it with 4-6 onions! What can I do to avoid the smell, not ruin everything in my fridge, but still be able to do the preparation 6-8 hours in advance? <Q> I regularly store chopped onion in my refrigerator (or at least halves & quarters). <S> I either use tight-sealing plastic containers or zip-top bags. <S> You may want to double-bag in zip-tops to be sure to avoid a smell. <S> Be sure the outside is all clean and dry - no point in having a nicely sealed packet of onion when the outside can get all stinky anyway. <A> The issue is onions have chemicals in their cells that merge to form the compounds that we're used to. <S> First, you need to minimize the damage you do to the onion, as you're otherwise releasing the chemicals too early. <S> This means for the most part using a very sharp knife. <S> Depending on what you're going to be making with the onions, you can put them in the freezer instead of the fridge (but that's generally not needed for this short of a time if you use one of the other recommendations below); if the onions are going to be cooked, you likely won't notice the difference in texture. <S> The cold helps to slow down the chemical reaction. <S> And your last option is to change your onions -- consider 'sweet' varieties of onions, or red onions, that aren't going to have as strong of an onion flavor, but also won't outgas as much as a result. <S> And um ... use a glass, corningware or similar container, with a tight fitting lid. <S> I find the smell seems to permeate through plastic over time. <S> (it might not be an issue for only 6-8 hours, but you never know). <S> And the last option <S> -- don't finish chopping them. <S> Halve them, peel them, and store 'em cut-side down in the fridge, so you've already reduced maybe 1/3 the time to chop onions (assuming you have sharp knives and good knife skills), then just finish 'em at the last minute. <S> Maybe recruit a second person to help. <A> This has the extra advantage of ameliorating the harshness of the onion. <A> This is a well-known 'thing' with onions and the solution is this: Salt them lightly before storing. <S> (You can compensate by modifying the salt in the dish you're going to use them in.) <S> I'm sure it has a scientific basis, but I don't know it - Mediterranean housewives have known this for hundreds of years. <S> Good luck. <A> Jacques Pépin recommends just rinsing the chopped onions, as this will remove chemicals produced by chopping the onion that are responsible for the smell. <S> This was featured on an episode of "More Fast Food, My Way". <S> The episode was "Viva Espana!", <S> episode #201 at about 10:10 into the show. <S> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4YahBNTHdc <A> Foolproof method of storing onions in the fridge without the smell permeating inside and also into the container which it is stored is.... <S> To store it in a glass bottle with a tight lid like a jam bottle. <A> How about just skinning the onions as prep? <S> Storing these will not be create as much smell <S> and then when you need them take them out of the fridge and use a food processor to save time chopping them. <A> I always wrap my onions, sliced, chopped or otherwise, in aluminum foil. <S> Never have a problem with odors in the fridge. <A> I have been storing onions in a glass cup that has a nice secure lid. <S> The onion smell does not infiltrate the fridge, but it's impossible to get the smell out of the lids. <A> Coat the chopped onions in a bit of the cooking oil you'll be using. <A> Drop'em in boiling water for 5 seconds. <S> Place them in a ziploc-style bag an remove as much air as possible. <S> I guarantee zero smell will permeate your fridge. <S> And 100% of their juicy aromatic essence will be retained. <S> Even a week later.
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Store them in sealed containers, in water. One problem you may be having is onion-ness getting on the outside of the container.
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Why is my mac 'n' cheese grainy? I need to make a large batch (to serve 30) of mac 'n' cheese, and rather than bothering with my standard roux - cheese sauce, I thought maybe I could cheat with a short cut. I dug up an old recipe for crock pot mac 'n' cheese. I have used it with great success many times over, and never had it fail. I thought I'd do a small "trial run" of it since it's been a while since I used it. Failure. I have a few theories on what may have gone wrong, but I'd love input from impartial cooks. For what it's worth, the recipe calls for 4 cups cheddar, 1 cup jack, 2 cups milk, 2 cups cream, salt, pepper, dry mustard, few dashes hot sauce (optional), a pound of macaroni and a half cup of sour cream. Throw everything except macaroni and sour cream in crock, cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Stir in mac and sour cream, cover and cook for another hour to an hour and fifteen. When I stirred in the macaroni, the sauce did look a bit "gloopy" but it wasn't really very warm yet, and If I recall correctly, that is how it always looks at this point. I did use all milk instead of part milk/part cream, as I didn't have any cream on hand. <Q> The problem is your putting all your cheese in at once. <S> These cheese is going to settle on the bottom which would cause to clump up and be gloopy. <S> you need to stir small portions of the cheese at a time until it is melted. <S> rinse, repeat and continue. <S> of course this is a crock pot recipe.... <S> your probably best to make the cheese sauce portion on the stove first, then combine in a crock pot after. <A> I hope I'm answering the right question. <S> Your title says "grainy" but then the rest of the question talks about "gloopy". <S> Well aged cheeses tend to get a little bit drier and crystalline, and then they don't seem to melt as well. <S> I've had grainy in that case too. <S> Sometimes I'm happy to live with a little bit of the graininess to get the better flavor. <A> Low on a crock for an hour doesn't sound like much time at all. <S> Perhaps this is a larger batch than last time? <S> Perhaps last time it was on high for an hour? <S> Typically low on a crock is used longer cook times. <A> I think the grainyness may have come from the following- Fat content on the cheese- <S> Was it low fat, Those cheese have wierd stuff in them to supplement the fat in normal cheese.- <S> was the cheese pre-shredded? <S> Preshredded cheese has corn starch and other stuff on it to keep it from caking together. <S> I speculate this could have effected ur sauce.- <S> Use Whole milk <S> I would always recommend starting with a good bechamel sauce and add the cheese you like to that sauce. <S> I do it pretty regularly <S> and it always makes for a smooth, rich creamy sauce. <A> This may sound counterintuitive, but adding flour prior to adding the cheese can smoothen the process of adding cheese. <S> If you look to one of the old Betty Crocker's (or the website under "Classic") <S> you will see that it was a part of the base of the sauce. <S> I typically add it by pinches rather than by any fraction of a cup, but still it can help. <A> It was almost certainly the lack of fat from cream. <S> I once tried to make Alfredo sauce using milk... <S> miserable failure doesn't begin to cover it. <S> The cheese just clumped and turned practically crunchy, it seized so bad. <S> I've since figured out that sour cream is a much better substitute than milk if I don't have cream handy. <S> (With my mother in the house, there is always sour cream.)
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If the problem really is grainy, I think the issue may be that you are using better cheese than in the past.
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Sautéing vs Frying vs Caramelizing -- what's the difference? What's the difference between sautéing, frying, and caramelizing? When I cook chopped onions in a pan with oil until they are brown and have a slightly sweet taste, which of the above is the correct term for what I am doing? <Q> I've never really considered there to be a real difference between sautéing and frying. <S> They both mean to cook in a hot pan with a little bit of fat. <S> However there isn't a lot of consistency online. <S> It doesn't look like there's any sort of definitive answer here. <S> Some points of view: They're the same , although frying might involve slightly more oil. <S> The terms are essentially interchangeable. <S> This is the top hit on a google search "sauteing frying" (although this question is on the first page!). <S> As Aaronut says , sautéing involves jumping the food while frying involves a little more oil and less flipping or stiring of the food. <S> Here's another source for this definition. <S> This definition makes a delineation between pan frying and shallow frying. <S> Food is normally breaded first. <S> There's no distinction between frying and shallow frying. <S> This is Martha Stewart's definition. <S> As you can see, it's really all over the map, and that was just from the first page of the google results. <S> I think we're getting in to issues with language changing beneath us. <S> However, I think the safest bet is probably that sautéing involves a lot of stirring, frying doesn't, and I should consider refining my own definitions. <S> There are many different ways that you can achieve this effect. <S> One of the ways is to sauté or fry (depending on your definition) <S> something until the water sweats out and the remaining sugar heats up. <S> So the answer is that you are caramelizing the onions by sautéing (or maybe frying) them. <A> I would argue the difference between sautéing and pan frying is in the movement of the pan. <S> Sautéing comes from the french, sauté meaning to jump. <S> So sautéing is very much a western form of stir-frying. <S> For pan-frying <S> I generally think of eggs, steak, etc, where the food is put into the pan and left, perhaps being flipped once or twice, but otherwise static. <A> To me, frying can be two things, pan frying and deep frying. <S> Deep frying is using a lot of fat to completely cover the item in question. <S> Pan frying usually implies larger items such as meats (imagine a breaded chicken cutlet or a nice steak). <S> Sautéing usually implies smaller items (onions and peppers). <S> Some people differentiate the two by the amount of fat used - sautéing would have less, and pan frying slightly more. <S> In most cases, you can use the terms pan frying and sautéing interchangeably and get your point across. <S> Both need relatively high heat. <S> Caramelizing , on the other hand, is what you're doing. <S> Caramelizing is generally "low and slow" - low heat, for a longer period of time. <S> If you're extracting a sweet flavor from the onions, that's almost definitely from caramelization, the extraction/oxidation of the onion's natural sugars. <S> Edit: As yossarian pointed out , caramelizing is a process that can occur when you sauté or pan-fry.
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Frying is the same as shallow frying and involves partially submerging the food in oil. Caramelizing (which fortunately doesn't have any of the same confusion) is a process that happens during cooking when sugar oxidizes.
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Why would I use Arrowroot instead of Cornstarch? I've heard that arrowroot can be used just like cornstarch as a thickening agent. If I have both ingredients on hand, under what circumstances would I choose one over the other? <Q> Compared to corn starch, arrowroot: Results in a clearer, shinier texture; Survives the freezing process much better; and Works better in acidic liquids (certain sauces, soups, etc.) <S> Where it doesn't work <S> so well is in many fruit pies and some other baked goods (because it tends to break down under high heat), and in dairy dishes (you'll end up with a "gooey" texture). <S> Use arrowroot in place of corn starch whenever your needs match the above. <S> P.S. <S> Many people are also allergic to corn, and this is probably one of the most common reasons to use arrowroot. <S> If this applies to you, and you're making a dish that is not suited to arrowroot, tapioca flour/starch is another great thickener and actually thickens <S> better than corn starch. <A> Arrowroot is also safe for anyone who has issues with corn. <A> Some people avoid all grains (including corn) due to either intolerance or due to concerns relating to the (negative) nutritional impact of consuming grains OR a philosophical aversion to "neolithic" foods.
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For those folks, like those with corn allergies, arrowroot (and other non-grain-based thickeners) may be a viable alternative.
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Minimum procedure for sterilizing mason jars for canning My wife and I are about to do some tomato canning tomorrow. We have a bunch of mason jars that we didn't have time to sterilize. She thinks that just washing them in hot water is enough. After searching around all instructions require boiling. What is the bare minimum necessary? <Q> Washing them in hot water is most certainly not enough . <S> Sterilization via boiling under pressure is guaranteed to kill every harmful pathogen, particularly Clostridium botulinum , the beastie responsible for botulism. <S> The "hot" water from your tap is not enough to kill the spores. <S> C botulinum spores must be heated to 250 F for at least three minutes to guarantee they are killed. <S> Please do not compromise here under any circumstance. <S> Canning requires sterilization , not sanitization. <S> Botulism can paralyze and kill you. <A> Before filling the jars, you should do the following: Place the jars (right-side-up) on a rack inside a boiling-water canner <S> Fill the canner and jars with water to one inch above the jars Boil for 10 min (or more for higher elevations) <S> Remove and drain the jars, one at a time <S> I toss the lids and rings in there as well, since the lids seal best when the rubbery-stuff is softened first anyway. <S> I have read that some people use their dishwasher's "sanitize" cycle instead, but you should contact the manufacturer (or check the user's guide) to see if it really gets hot enough. <S> I don't know much about using the dishwasher for this purpose; perhaps someone else can elaborate. <S> If you're looking for great canning instructions, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation . <S> They will explain how to can safely, botulism-death-free. <A> You do NOT need to sterilize jars that will be processed in a pressure canner or processed in a boiling-water bath for more than 10 minutes. <S> In any case, you need to wash the jars, lids, and rings in hot, soapy water before filling them -- and be sure to rinse them well so that no soap residue remains. <A> This is just my opinion, but if you're going to go to the trouble of canning in the first place, it seems worth it to properly sterilize the jars so that the food you're putting up will last. <S> The boiling step is the easiest part of canning, really, and it doesn't hurt to do it. <S> It would be terrible to spend the afternoon canning, skip the sterilizing part, and then have all your work be for naught if the stuff goes bad quickly later. <A> http://missvickie.com/canning/jars.htm <S> It says here that presterlization is not needed for tomatoes.... <S> Never doubt the wife ;D
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(Jars that you will process in a boiling-water bath for less than 10 minutes DO need to be sterilized by boiling them for 10 minutes before filling them with product.)
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How do I control the temperature of burnt sugar? I made a burnt sugar caramel sauce tonight that turned out beautiful. It is just what it sounds like; you make a normal caramel sauce but cook the sugar until it is past amber and getting almost black. Making this is such a high-wire act though, especially in a small batch. The difference between not dark enough, just right, and actually completely burned is just seconds. Much too fast to manage with a thermometer, especially because the temperature isn't even throughout the pan. So my question is, is there a way to slow this process down towards the end so that picking the right moment isn't so difficult? <Q> There's a bit of misinformation in the answers and comments here I'd like to clear up. <S> Tobiasopdenbrouw's suggestion in his comment that a thinner pan may work better is a good one. <S> A thin aluminum pan is an excellent conductor of heat which is precisely why it would help in a situation like this. <S> It is far more responsive to taking the pan on and off the heat. <S> A heavy pan has a higher thermal mass and is thus slower to respond to changes in temperature, and it will have more carryover heat. <S> A thinner pan will require more attention from you as it gets near your target temperature, but it's a lot easier to put the brakes on. <S> As you approach your desired temperature take the pan off the heat frequently to check <S> it's temp As soon as you take it off <S> it will quickly stop heating -- there is only minimal carryover heat from the pan, and no magic carryover heat from an other source. <S> Additionally, adding more sugar will lower the temperature. <S> There is no "solution" that can crystallize. <S> A solution requires a solute and a solvent. <S> There is only one substance present in molten sugar -- sugar. <S> Spraying water on it is a terrible idea <S> and I advise against it. <S> At best it simply vaporizes instantly to steam. <S> At worst it spatters molten sugar on you, not fun. <S> If the water gets too hot, you'd add more water or take it off the heat. <S> The same applies concept to molten sugar. <A> I start by adding a bit of water and some corn syrup (the fructose makes the brown more intense, but one can skip it) to the sugar and keep it on a medium burner until it reaches the first caramel stage, at 155°C/311°F. <S> As Michael notes, the sugar can go very fast from this stage to burnt. <S> To avoid this, I place the pan in an oven that has been pre-heated to 180° <S> C/356°F, just above the dark caramel stage. <S> Checking every two minutes with an infrared thermometer (more often as it gets closer to 177°C/350°F), it's easy to get the sugar to the right temperature. <S> This post describes the method in more detail. <A> Ok, as my first answer started without really reading the question , I will give it another go. <S> As you want to minimize the temperature fluctuations , you will want to use a heavy saucepan. <S> As the entire thing is experimental, you will want to minimize the variables . <S> Do all your testing and development with a fixed quantity of sugar that you do not want to vitiate at least until you figure out how to get consistent results. <S> Start making your caramel as normal. <S> As soon as the sugar starts to melt , move the sauce pan on low / very low heat . <S> Pick a heat setting and do not vary it during the experiment. <S> The Aim is to be able to reproduce the result at first, not to get the it right the first time. <S> Start a timer as soon as you lowered the heat. <S> It is best to sit besides it and check at regular intervals .. or even better continually, and take notes ( time-stamp <S> is very important here ). <S> Continue the process until it actually burns and becomes unusable . <S> Now, with the help of the notes and the timer, repeat until the point where it still was as you wanted it. <S> If the time window in that your desired result is to short, try using less heat. <S> If that is not possible, try using more sugar . <S> Hope that this helps. <A> I'm guessing here <S> and I don't know if this will work, but could you try adding some more sugar to the nearly cooked sugar to 'thin' it out a bit <S> and so make it less likely to burn so quickly? <A> The best way will require some effort and repetition. <S> First you need to figure out what your target temperature is. <S> Then you need to figure out how long the heat keeps climbing in the syrup after you remove from the heat. <S> Subtract one from the other, and you should be able to remove from the heat before <S> it's done and allow carry over cooking to do the rest. <S> Along the same lines as roasts climbing another ten degrees after removing from the oven. <A> How about spraying a fine mist of water from a spray bottle into the pan at the critical moment? <S> (Think wisk in one hand, spray bottle in other hand, stove on lowish heat.) <S> I think this would have two beneficial effects: 1) Provide a cooling effect by introducing a lower temperature component directly and uniformly into the pan. <S> 2) Slightly increase the hydration of sugar solution, thereby lowering its boiling point and temporarily retarding the rising temperature and caramelization. <S> I presume that with a spritz or two, you would buy yourself a bit of time to evaluate the result and remove the heat if necessary.
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In short, treat it like you would a pot of water that you were trying to maintain at a specific temperature. To get the sugar caramelized to that perfect dark brown, I start the sugar on the stove top and finish in the oven.
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Is sausage casing edible? I bought some pork sausage and baked them in my oven. The taste was good but the sausage casing were a bit hard to chew. Should I remove casings before I bake sausages? <Q> I also find them hard to chew when baked, but they are edible. <S> To make them easier to eat, you want to finish them up using a different method to get a crunch on the outside. <S> I find you can either: <S> turn the heat up in your oven at the end, or broil them <S> briefly pan-fry them <S> after they're done cooking in a little bit of oil on a skillet (cast iron preferred) <S> grill them after baking <S> I usually boil or bake them first, or simmer them in some water in a pan on the stove (not enough to cover them, just enough to kind of steam them) and then finish them on the grill for best flavor and texture. <S> I'd recommend finishing on the grill over any other method. <S> You can also completely cook them on the grill if preferred, but that can be a bit tricky if they're raw sausage and not pre-cooked, so keep an eye on them and make sure they're done completely throughout. <S> You can definitely remove the casings, and depending on what dish you're making that may be preferred. <S> However I have had success making an appetizing whole sausage using the above methods. <A> It also very much depends on the type of sausage you are using. <S> Some (usually cheap) <S> sausages use an artificial casing which I find makes the sausage at worst leathery and at best a bit chewy. <S> Assuming you have good quality sausages, the best way to cook them (I find) is to fry them on a cast iron grill pan at a low temperature for a long time, 20-30 minutes usually (maybe less if they are thin <S> ) they are done when they start to get sticky and start to "sing". <A> The casings are perfectly edible. <S> If you're finding them chewy, I'd suggest roasting them, you that they fry a little in the fat that renders out, which should crisp them up nicely. <S> It may be the case that you're not cooking them long enough, and giving them a chance to brown sufficiently. <A> I've roasted and fried the Caroline Sausage to hopefully rid of the chewy leather casing. <S> To best rid of this unpleasantness it is best, in my opinion, to remove the casings from these particular sausages. <S> Not all sausages have casings on them that are this unpleasant. <S> Recently, at a church breakfast, there was a sausage that was served that was very tasty. <S> The casing itself was delightful in texture and taste. <S> It was very soft and melted in your mouth. <S> I'm trying to identify these sausages for future purchase <S> but, I have yet to do so.
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Casing removal should only really be necessary when you just want the sausage meat itself.
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How can I replace canned tomatoes with fresh? I have a tomato sauce recipe that calls for 1 can (28oz) of diced tomatoes (including the liquid). How can I replace the can with fresh tomatoes? I'm not sure if there is a particular type of tomato I should use or how many of them to use. Also, what can I do to replace the liquid? <Q> Tomato Sauce made from fresh garden tomatoes can be very much more flavorful than canned tomatoes. <S> If you have an abundance, it can certainly be a delicious improvement. <S> I would follow the directions given in the previous answer for peeling the tomatoes, with the additional suggestion to plunge them in ice water immediately following the boiling water bath. <S> They are much easier to handle that way. <S> The recipe may call for reduction of the sauce, and this can be done with fresh as well as with canned tomatoes. <S> After that you can reduce the sauce with additional ingredients - olive oil, garlic, onions, herbs as desired. <A> If you are really set on doing this, just use the same amount by weight or volume, preferably peeling the tomatoes first. <S> (Cut an x in the bottom, dip in boiling water for 10 seconds, pull off the peel). <S> You'll have plenty of liquid coming out of the tomato, don't worry about that. <S> But honestly, I don't recommend doing this. <S> Fresh tomatoes that are any good are so good uncooked that it is a waste, and <S> fresh tomatoes that aren't good won't get better by cooking them. <S> Even Mario Batali says you should use canned tomatoes for cooked sauces. <A> Whenever you can, use mature fresh tomatoes for sauces. <S> Try tomato concassé . <S> That's the same method @Michael describes: <S> Cut the bottom out of the tomato. <S> Cut an X into the top. <S> Dump it into hot water (nearly boiling). <S> When the skin breaks, dump into ice water to stop the cooking. <S> Remove the skin. <S> Cut through the equator and take out all the chamber filled with seeds. <S> Pass the liquid through a sieve to take out the seeds. <S> Measure the flesh from the tomatoes. <S> You can add a few tomato leafs for added flavor ( according to McGee )
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I have also made tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes by cooking down the unpeeled tomatoes until they are soft, and then pressing them through a food mill.
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Should dry beans be washed before soaking? When making dried beans, generally I wash the beans, then soak them, then drain&rinse, then cook. I realized today that I started my soak without the prior wash (by accident), and then realized it shouldn't matter; after all, I am going to drain&rinse them post-soaking anyway; that should take care of the wash step, shouldn't it? tl;dr Do dry beans always need to be washed pre-soaking, or is post-soak ok too? <Q> It's always a good idea to wash and "pick over" a bag of dried beans before soaking them. <S> You never know what sort of grit or weirdness you might find. <S> It's a lot more difficult to find the stuff-that-isn't-beans once it's all been soaking together for a long time. <A> I don't think there is anything disastrous about doing it in that order. <S> I suppose any impurities might penetrate the membrane of the bean, but the expected impurities (especially if the beans are organic) is just soil. <S> I'd still rinse beans before soaking in general, but if I forgot once, I'd do what you said. <A> I always wash legumes and grains. <S> This may be gross to consider, but in most elevators and plants dealing with legumes or grains, there is at least one rodent or there is one person using a contaminated shovel or other tool. <S> Just for information's sake: rodent feces and bugs will both float to the top if you dump your grain or legumes into a pot of salt-water, and the salt will also kill most bugs. <S> I always use the salt-water dump-and-skim before rinsing; most times it's not needed, but there have been times <S> I was glad I did it. <S> Additional info: The salt-water dump is also great for getting the bugs out of broccoli and cauliflower.
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You never know what is mixed with your cooking ingredient, so it pays to wash just in case.
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Are there other parts of a Lobster that are edible apart from the Tail and Claws? I was thinking of the innards - specifically the white parts inside of the main body and what looks like eggs. <Q> The only parts that you need to avoid are the intestinal tract - the black line that runs through the tail, and the sac right behind the eyes which includes the brain, stomach, and other organs. <S> The tomalley is the edible yellow-green pasty substance which serves as the liver and pancreas. <S> However, there are advisories in place by US federal and state agencies advising against eating the tomalley of Atlantic lobsters due to the high concentration of toxins present. <S> I've eaten it before if that matters; it's delicious. <S> Anything else is edible, but not frequently eaten. <A> You can eat even shell. <S> Ground shell is used in French Bisque to thicken the soup and make it more flavored. <A> Remove the Thorax shell (the saddle shaped one over the main body). <S> Then you can take each leg off by gently wiggling and pulling. <S> There's a nice piece of meat where the leg comes out of the body. <S> Then you suck the meat out of the leg. <A> I do like the claws and tail but the body is my big love. <S> I adore picking it apart and finding that sweet meat as you break the body apart. <S> It is tedious and only small amounts of meat but so good!!! <S> I also like to take the roe and tomalie or lobster paste and put it with a bit of butter on a piece of fish and bake it, it then tastes like lobster!
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The roe present in female lobsters is also commonly eaten.
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Freeze-drying fruit at home? Is it possible to freeze-dry fruit at home without expensive special equipment (or get the same dryness otherwise)? Especially I want to get the fruit to the crisp dryness 1 of freeze-dried fruit compared to the still slightly damp / soggy dryness of hot-air dried fruit. [Edit] Well, turns out, basically no. Freeze-drying not only involves the ability to freeze the food to low temperatures (which can be achieved), but also creating a low pressure environment and controlled heating of the the food in that environment (Not easily achievable or controllable at home). More info from Wikipedia 1. It should feel absolutely dry to the touch, and crumble / break when handled roughly rather than stretch / bend. <Q> Assuming you have a frost-free freezer (which dehumidifies the cold air), I'd experiment by laying sliced fruit on a sheet (maybe on a layer of waxed paper) and putting it in the freezer. <S> Pull out a slice every day or two to check its crispness. <S> The time necessary will depend on the type of fruit, its moisture content, the slice thickness, and the room's humidity. <A> An easy hack to get a similar result is to use dry ice. <S> As far as i know, this works for things that have a low amount of water to start with and do not know how apples will behave as they have a lot of water. <S> For this, you need some dry ice, put 2-3 cm of it at the bottom of a cardboard container that has soles on the sides and place the fruit slices on top of it in a single sheet (no stacking) <S> You may also try to first dry the apples first in the oven in order to get most of the moisture out. <S> You may find a decent guide for that here . <S> Do remember that in order to get the desired humidity (crumble / break when handled roughly rather) you will need to protect them from any moisture after the drying as well as during the storage. <S> I am almost sure that a simple zip-lock bag will not do the trick and that the air inside the bag / jar may be too moist already at the time of sealing <S> and so it may alter your desired result. <A> Most modern freezers are the frost free type. <S> You would know if yours isn't one because you would have to defrost it once a month or so. <S> Ever forget about a bag of frozen veggies for a couple months? <S> (I'm a bachelor, do it all the time) <S> The veggies are shrivelled and there's a bunch of ice in the bag. <S> If you leave anything in there long enough all the moisture will eventually be pulled out and turned to ice.
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The frost-free freezer that kajaco suggested is definitely worth a try is you have access to one.
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Powdered milk in bread recipe I have a book with several bread recipes that call for 1-2 tablespoons of powdered milk. This isn't something I usually use and I was thinking substituting it with normal milk, and putting less water to compensate for the added liquid. Would this be ok? And if yes, how much milk should I put for one tablespoon of powdered milk? <Q> A general reconstitution of milk with dried powder is 1/4 dry milk and 1 cup water to reconstitute milk. <S> So 2 tablespoons is 1/8 cup to 1/2 cup of water. <S> If you want to replace 2 tablespoons, replace 1/2 cup water with milk. <S> 1 Tablespoon is 1/4 cup milk instead of water. <S> I have done this as a replacement for dried milk in bread many times with success. <A> Yes, you can. <S> I use the King Arthur Flour Small Pain de Mie recipe all the time http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/a-smaller-pain-de-mie-recipe , which calls for non-fat powdered milk. <S> An answer to another question here <S> Why is milk powder used in bread machine recipes? <S> says to scald the milk, <S> a concept reiterated by the folks at King Arthur. <S> So as an experiment, I made two loaves of bread, identical in every way except that in one I substituted 170 ml scalded skim milk for the powdered milk and that volume of water. <S> Right out of the oven and <S> three days later, I can find no difference between the two loaves of bread. <S> My package of powdered milk calls for 7 ounces of water to 1/3 cup powder to make 1 cup of milk, so I figured 8 tsp powder + 7 Tbs water = 1/2 cup milk. <S> I converted to metric just to make the math easier, but it doesn't seem to me to require that much precision. <A> <A> Yes, you can substitute as already answered, but you can also just leave it out! <S> I've found it makes no noticeable difference. <A> Just leave it out - least in those quantities. <S> We make bread in a bread maker with and without it, and anecdotally it tends to make for softer, less chewy bread, especially if its a recipe with some sort of fat in it.
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One thing to add to the answers mentioned before: if you leave the ingredients in a bread machine overnight, then powdered milk is better as it doesn't go sour.
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Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown? I'm going to make some barbeque pulled pork in a slow cooker. I've done it a few times with some good results, but I'm always looking for ways to improve. Here's what I've been doing: 1. Brine pork for a few hours 2. Slow cook all day with carrots, celery, and onions 3. Shred and toss with Montgomery Inn or Hickory Brown Suger Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce Here's the question:Would browning the pork help in any way? Could the pan drippings be used to jazz up the bbq sauce? EDIT: this also popped into my head: Should I sautee the onions ahead of time? Thanks. <Q> A few things... <S> I brine for 12-24 hours. <S> It really does make a difference. <S> Don't bother browning the meat... <S> you don't want a crust, you want the meat to break down. <S> Make your own barbecue sauce! <S> There's a zillion recipes, and it always tastes better. <S> When I make pulled pork, I take the cooking liquid (you are cooking in liquid, yeah?) and reduce it right down to almost a demiglace, and use that as the base for my bbq sauce. <A> This is a secondhand answer from a secondhand chef :) <S> but my wife absolutely insists on browning pulled pork and <S> it is truly the worst pulled pork I have ever had. <S> She rarely uses the Internet, so I doubt she will discover that I have said this. <S> After 41 years of getting that pork past my taste buds, I am not about to let her find out how bad it is now. <S> Not from me! <S> :) <S> I am sorry for writing so much <S> but I would just like to give you that anecdote from my life in the hope that you do not follow her lead. <A> I made pulled pork from a boston butt roast on Saturday. <S> I didn't brine it <S> , didn't brown it, did cook it in a crockpot sitting in an acidic liquid (white wine in this case), and sprinkled it with spices and brown sugar for the beginning of a BBQ sauce. <S> After it reached 200F, I removed most of the liquid into a sauce pan (after skimming off most of the fat), added the rest of the BBQ sauce ingredients, and reduced it down most of the way, and thickened it up just a little with cornstarch (didn't want to make it too intense in flavor). <S> Then poured that back over the meat to serve. <S> If you're not using a crockpot, brining is probably a good idea because of how long it needs to cook and how hot it needs to get. <A> For a slight twist, I do a Asian version. <S> I make a broth of chicken stock, chili, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves, soy, sweet soy, fish sauce and brown sugar. <S> Bring this to a boil and pour over pork belly (belly has a great ratio of fat and meat). <S> Cover the dish with foil and cook for 2 1/2 hours. <S> Once cooked let it cool in stock so not to dry out. <S> Reduce your stock after skimming fat and continue to make your BBQ sauce which will have great acidity from all the flavours. <S> The pork will shred beautifully and have a great texture. <A> I just noticed the second part of the question, about the pan drippings. <S> I typically let them cool so I can separate out grease <S> (save it ... <S> it's great for frying up potatoes), and then reduce the rest of the liquid. <S> I then put it in a blender with the carrots and onion (I don't usually add celery; but I do throw in garlic cloves, which I also blend) <S> ... give it a quick taste for seasoning (don't season heavy, though, <S> if it's too loose you might have to reduce it further). <S> I also find that after you pull the pork, it's like a sponge, so a laddle or two over the pork will get absorbed and both help to season the meat and keep it juicy. <S> (if you like your pork wet). <S> ... for my take on browning the pork, see my comment to James Slagel <A> We cook our pork (butt) either in the oven overnight or in an electric roaster, @ 200 - 250 degrees. <S> I have cooked it on the grill and in a big smoker, there doesn't seem to be a big difference in the end product. <S> (the other two methods are so much easier) <S> Although browning the meat would add a little depth of flavor, the crispiness is undesirable. <S> Be sure your cooking pan or roaster is well oiled so the meat doesn't stick. <S> Make your own sauce. <S> If you need, make it on your day off. <S> Cook up a bunch and then freeze the excess in usable size portions, in zip lock baggies. <A> What works for me is to make a slow slow roast with a lovely salty crust (http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/slow-roasted-pork-shoulder-carrots-onions-garlic.aspx with double the veg and half the meat because it's hard to find the 7lb shoulders) works for me, but you can roast however you like. <S> Then we eat the crispy roasty outside the first night, and pull the rest right after dinner. <S> Tne next night it's pulled pork with no annoying crispy bits and amazing flavour - just reheat with the bbq sauce or your preference. <S> I have some in the oven right now and have had a few "snicks" of the crust already - I just can't resist it!
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We do not brown it first as we want ours to basically fall off the bone.
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How should swordfish be prepared? I just purchased one pound of swordfish filet and never cooked swordfish before and have minimal experience cooking fish. Any suggestions on preparation? Also what should I look for while cooking it? <Q> I love swordfish grilled with a little olive oil and Montreal steak spice. <S> All the firm fish are great on the grill. <S> If you do it in a pan make sure there's hot oil or butter (or both) before you add the fish and don't move it around too much. <S> If you fuss too much with the fish it will fall apart. <S> As delicious as swordfish is a lot of the fish on the market isn't being sustainably caught. <S> Make sure to ask where its coming from. <S> Most of the US and Canada fisheries are pretty good. <A> Olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled (on a flame broiler or outside Bar-B-Que) to perfection. <S> Then, when done, squeeze some lemon (or, in my case, lime) on top and enjoy... <S> Most fishes, I think, taste best with the simple additions, but others will disagree because it's a matter of taste. <S> One spice mix, therefore, I personally love on any fish, including sword fish is a nice mix I got on Orcas island: chipotle, ancho, cumin, some green herbs (dried) and salt and pepper... <A> Ginger+garlic paste+red chilli powder+olive oil+salt+lemon & grill it.. <A> When caught we normally gut them. <S> stuff with lemon grass & pit roast.
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Firm fish like ahi tuna and swordfish can pretty much be treated like really good steak, just cook them carefully because you want them left on the very-rare side of things.
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Grilling burgers: flip once, or keep flipping? When grilling burgers I usually flip several times, but have recently been advised to cook forever on once side, flip once, cook and be done. Is that the best way to do it? How do you know when a burger is ready to flip? <Q> I'm solidly in the flip as often as you want camp. <S> As long as it's not over (or under) cooked I find that you get better results flipping often. <S> Plus you can rearrange things to make more room as you flip. <S> To tell how cooked a burger is poke it with a finger or something else that's not too sharp; just like a steak the more cooked it is the more firm it will be. <S> You just need to learn how "squishy" you like them. <S> Also, as fun as it is, don't press the whole burger into the grill! <S> All that happens is that the delicious juices are forced out. <A> Harald McGee says flipping more often will help the meat inside the burger (or steak) to warm without burning the outside. <A> Multiple flipping: more even cooking, thin crustFlip once: uneven cooking, thick crust <S> (Note: by 'uneven' <S> I mean that you will have a much wider range of doneness from crust at the outside to possibly raw in the middle; more crust=less unevenness) <S> So it's a matter of taste really. <S> I personally prefer multiple flipping, in a pan and not on the grill. <A> turn it <S> weight 3-5 minutes then flip it <S> once better diamonds juicier steak or burger is <A> I'm in the flip-turn-flip camp to sear in the juices and for some sweet looking grill marks. <S> FWIW, I used to be a high volume grill cook. <S> After a while you can tell when it needs the flip or turn just by looking at it. <S> It's also really weak to cut into the meat to check the temp since you'll lose all the juices. <A> I prefer "flip once". <S> Assuming you've got the heat right... <S> put them on the grill or pan as soon as they're all on the heat, give each one a little nudge to make sure it's not stuck finish messing with condiments or have a beer or something else for 3-5 minutes flip the burgers, and give them the same "unsticking" nudge as before and wait another 3-5 minutes get the buns toasted serve and eat <S> I think the meat done-ness method I heard was to compare it to each of your "earlobe" (rare), "cheek", "side of nose", and "tip of nose" (well or medium well), going from least to most done. <S> The more firm the meat is, the more done it is. <S> or you can do what my mother does, and get out a knife and cut into one of the burgers and see how pink it is on the inside.
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i feel flipping any thing on the grill once for best results juices stay in side place the burger or steak on the grill few minutes or so depending on temp
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When basil gets brown spots, is it still usable? When I store basil in the fridge, sometimes it gets brown spots. Is it still usable? Is that valid also for Thai basil? Throwing it all away after 2-3 days seems such a waste. Also, how can I prevent this from happening? <Q> You can store it with the stems in a glass of water, like a bouquet, preferably not in the refrigerator. <S> A few black spots that aren't moldy or slimy doesn't make it totally unusable, but it isn't very appealing to eat. <A> This is actually precisely the reason why it's not recommended to refrigerate fresh basil leaves . <S> I would not recommend consuming basil that has turned brown/black, especially if it is "slimy" to the touch. <S> Even though a few brown spots are probably safe, it will be bitter and, well, slimy. <S> Throw it away - and consider using some of the storage methods discussed in the link above. <A> It won't be that nice for salads or drinks, but it will still be perfectly good for putting in pasta sauces or pesto. <A> If it's only been a few days, there's no sliminess or weird texture, and the smell is still fresh and basil-like with no hints of unpleasant decomposition <S> , then what I've found is it's just a matter of presentation. <S> It won't be very good for garnish, but if all you need out of it is its flavor, then it's fine. <S> Blended into a puree or simmered in a sauce at the last minute, it still tastes fine to me. <S> Even just by themselves, the mottled leaves have tasted fine, just a little rougher texture. <S> So it's not necessarily a complete waste. <A> I just finished making a pesto with my brownish basil leaves. <S> It tastes good to me,just like "regular" green basil leaves, only a little browner. <A> As long as they are NOT slimy and well cleaned use them. <S> I blend in food processor with fresh garlic, olive oil and a bit of good Parma just so it sticks. <S> Take a large tray or cookie sheet, cover with waxed paper drop by large spoonfuls (they spread a bit) and freeze. <S> When frozen take off waxed paper and freeze in ZIP lock bags. <S> You have a good beginning pesto for use in soup, stew/goulash pasta or risotto. <S> The sky is the limit. <S> I make this frequently in summer and again winter when I run out!! <A> My garden harvest just turned half black while leaving it to soak in water. <S> I quickly blanched it ... <S> this will stop the blackening reaction. <S> I’ll make pesto tomorrow. <S> NYT Cooking recommends blanching the bright green basil for pesto, as it will keep the final product very green. <S> It true.
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If you have leftover basil you can also freeze it so it doesn't go to waste.
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Can I clean enameled cast iron with steel wool? I've got a new enameled cast iron skillet that I've been cleaning with stainless steel wool along with a standard dish rag. It occurs to me that scratches in the enamel might eventually cause problems. What's the consensus? Is steel wool safe to use on an enameled surface? Thanks. <Q> it is perfectly safe to use stainless steel wool on a Vitreous enamel. <S> I presume that the cast iron skillet has a Vitreous enamel finish. <S> The reason is simple:Vitreous enamel is essentially a type of ceramic and has a hardness of around 5-6 on the Mohs scale . <S> Steel has around 4-5 on the same scale. <S> This means that generally, you can not damage it with the steel wool. <S> Also no not confuse the " grit " of the steel wool with its hardness :P <S> The only thing that will happen is that the enamel will get very small scratches and that things will stick a bit better in them. <S> You can get rid of most of them with a good polishing compound if they disturb you to much. <S> Personally I would advise you " not to need " to clean it with steel wool in the first place, but is something burned up badly and you do not have heavy cleaning agents <S> nearby steel wool is an acceptable solution. <S> If it is just for cleaning leftovers , usually soaking in soap water and a hard plastic brush does a very good job as well. <S> Remember that even thou Vitreous enamel is very hard and durable it may be damaged by overheating or crack if dropped . <A> I can't think of any use for steel wool in cleaning cookware other than getting rust off of cast iron. <S> For just getting off stuck food, you'll be damaging any cookware you use it on. <S> I use the same combo as Michael (non-abrasive scrubbing sponge, occasional Barkeeper's Friend) for most of my cleaning. <S> Barkeeper's Friend particularly helps with burnt-on oil. <S> I've seen recommendations for adding baking soda to the soaking water, but I've never needed to do it. <S> If you've already managed to discolor or scratch your enamel, Le Creuset makes a polish/cleaner that is supposed to restore the appearance of the enamel. <S> Again, I haven't yet needed to use anything like that to clean or maintain mine. <A> I'd recommend a regular scrubby sponge, and when it need a little deeper cleaning, Barkeeper's Friend cleanser. <A> I'd avoid using them on enameled cast iron as it will likely damage the enamel. <S> If you need to do it once in a blue moon, you'll probably be ok, but I'd try very hard to keep those instances as few as possible. <S> For non-enamel cast iron, other stuff will work just as well without pricking your fingers to death but the pan will be fine. <S> I personally never use it because I don't wear gloves to wash dishes and steel wool <S> hurts like mad when it jabs you.
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For cleaning enameled cast iron, all that is usually needed for stuck-on foods is to let it soak for a while in warm soapy water. Steel wool comes in different levels of abrasiveness but all are still quite abrasive.
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What can be done to thin chocolate for dipping? I have been dipping chocolates for many years. I recently tried a new brand of chocolate that has a fantasic flavor, but it is thicker than I'd like when melted. I know adding cocoa butter will help, but I don't have any on hand. Is there anything else I can use that will leave me with a hard (as opposed to ganache-like) chocolate coating? <Q> Most fats work (this is why cocoa butter works) <S> most people recommend Crisco but a small amount of low flavoured oil (or flavoured for that matter) is fine. <S> I like ganache <S> so personally extra thick double cream does it for me. <S> Either way it's easier to add more later than take out! <S> Start with a little bit. <A> Butter will work. <A> Butter, oil, half and half (or heavy cream), reduced, all will work. <S> It depends on what flavor you are going for... <S> My best answer for this is to experiment with all these answers and see what works for you. <A> You can add a little Cream or Milk. <S> I do this for my cake pops and choc sweets. <A> My Mom has made candies since I was a small child. <S> For melting chocolate she always used Gulf (paraffin) <S> Wax ... <S> it thins the chocolate perfectly and makes it easier to work, doesn't effect the taste or how it drys and gives the candy a nice pretty shine. <S> Perfect for Buckeyes like my Mom made. <S> It also acts as a preservative giving your candy a little longer shelf life. <S> Just be careful on how much you add. <S> Use your own judgement on how thick or thin you want your melted chocolate to be. <S> Start out with just a little paraffin and keep adding a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. <S> Warning ... adding to much will make your chocolate thin like water. <S> I've made this mistake when I first started making candy. <S> Albeit it didn't hurt the chocolate flavor, it just made my chocolate extremely thin which resulted in having to double dip everything. <S> Nonetheless my candy still turned out fine. <S> It just was twice the work. <S> Anyhoot <S> I hope this helps. <S> Happy Baking :) <A> Do not use milk, that is to thicken, do not use water (beginners mistake). <S> Using an oil is safest, guaranteed results! <A> found this information on several websites a year or two ago...it melts together perfectly evenly and they cite the fact that the fat content in cricso is closest to that of your melting chocolate, hence no lumps to stir through, no change in its ability to cling to the item being dipped, no change in drying time. <A> 2 teaspoons of shortening to an 11.5 oz bag of semi-sweet morsels worked great to thin the chocolate for dipping to coat and hardened. <S> My guess is less is more here or chocolate will melt at room temperature. <A> We used milk.... <S> lesson learned.... <S> do not use MILK! <S> Now as I type we are adding a little Crisco to see if we can reverse the milk issues....... <S> Now the chocolate is really grainy. <A> I worked for Hershey Chocolate for 15 years, DO NOT use milk like Melissa has said. <S> She is correct, it is the water in it that will rune your chocolate. <S> The It will only take a few drops of water and your chocolate will become very brittle. <S> Your best bet is to use a little Oil or Shortening. <S> Some say to use the Wax <S> but I'm not a fan of eating wax sorry. <S> But do not over do it, as it will affect the candy in a warm room. <S> Hope this helps someone.......... <A> Getting the right amount is a little tricky for me. <S> I have also used paraffin wax. <S> It works perfectly, dries quickly, it looks great and is less tacky when dried. <S> However, I too am not a fan of eating paraffin wax. <S> It just doesn't seem right to eat stuff you burn in candles. <S> but the chocolate mixed with oil is always pretty sticky.
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in coating truffles, i find the best "thinner" is plain crisco (not the "butter" type). I have used oil and it works well.
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Fat contents from different types of ground beef when drained At the grocery store, they've got different types of ground beef: ground round, ground chuck, ground sirloin, etc. They each have different fat percentages. Anything from 70/30 (30% fat content) to the extra lean 90/10. The less fat content, the more expensive per pound. I have heard that you can get the fattiest type, drain the grease as normal, and then rinse the meat with water in a colander to make it equivalent to the extra lean fat content. I'm not sure I buy that, and it seems this would rinse off any seasonings used also. From a health perspective, the extra lean would be best, however, it can be double the price per pound compared to the cheapest / most fat content. If I am going to be using the meat crumbled in a casserole or for tacos, and drain the grease after browning the meat in a skillet, how much does the fat content matter? Is getting the cheapest and then rinsing it with water truly equivalent? Is there a better method that would enable me to save money with the cheapest or perhaps 80/20 but still get the low fat content of the meat I actually eat? <Q> I have heard that you can get the fattiest type, drain the grease as normal, and then rinse the meat with water in a colander to make it equivalent to the extra lean fat content. <S> I'm not sure I buy that, and it seems this would rinse off any seasonings used also. <S> That sounds terrible. <S> Cooked ground beef should be drained if necessary, but not rinsed. <S> It will rinse away a lot of flavor, and I doubt it makes it the equivalent of having bought lean meat in the first place. <S> There is still plenty of fat present in the meat itself. <S> If you want low fat get extra lean. <S> If you want flavor get 80/20 or 70/30 and drain thoroughly for as little fat as possible. <S> Do yourself a favor though and don't rinse it with water. <A> Regarding rinsing, using water will remove water soluble flavors (as hobodave mentions) so this is not advised. <S> Use good beef for recipes where the flavor of the meat comes through more and use more fatty, lower quality meat when the meat is less to the forefront in the dish. <S> For example, a casserole with lots of other flavors could use a lower quality, higher fat meat (with draining), but for burgers, I would use a lower fat meat of the highest quality. <A> If you don't believe that, drain the meat as usual, then, fill the pan with hot water to cover the meat and see what floats to the surface. <S> It does not take away flavor unless you've seasoned it while cooking it. <S> Draining the fat also removes some of that same flavor if it's seasoned before cooking or while cooking. <S> You can brown the meat, drain and rinse it, then add your seasonings, even if it's sauteing onion, peppers or other vegetables in the meat. <S> Rinse the meat, put in your vegetables to saute, and add a little beef broth (canned) to saute the vegetables in the meat. <S> The flavor is still there. <S> You'll soon know how much broth you need to adequately saute the vegetables. <S> Add your seasonings and spices to the drained, rinsed meat as well. <A> Compare 93% to 80% lean beef. <S> My experience is anything under 93% does not have enough fat to cook nicely. <S> If you need to add oil to cook it then why buy low fat in the first place. <S> A hamburger patty will retain more fat than compared to minced up beef for a spaghetti sauce. <S> The finer you mince while cooking the more fat you can drain. <S> I usually buy 93% lean but 80% was on sale for 1/2 the price of 93%. <S> When I fry and mince the 93% for spaghetti <S> sauce <S> some fat still drains so my though was 80% will drain off <S> so it come out the same . <S> I do not rinse with water. <S> If the 93% is $5 <S> /lb <S> then the cost of the meat is $5.38/lb. <S> If 80% is $4.30 the cost of the meat is the same. <S> The 80% clearly drains a lot more fat after cooking. <S> By touch the 80% drained still has more fat than the 93% drained. <S> My gut feel is the drained 80% is like 90% lean and the drained 93% is like 95% lean. <S> The 93% has more flavor (for my taste). <S> I suspect some of the flavor leaves with the fat or maybe the the 93% meat is just more favorable. <S> Cannot not just weigh the drained meat as water content is part of the weight. <S> I guess you could weigh the drained fat <S> but I am not that curious. <S> Drain hot out of the pan. <S> If you let it cool even 5 minutes not as much fat will drain. <S> Have a large drain surface <S> so the meat is not more than 1" high. <S> Cover while draining so it can hold some heat. <S> After 20 minutes you have pretty much drained all the fat that is going to drain. <S> Short of rinse with water you could steam <S> but I suspect that would reduce some flavor.
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Draining fat from browned hamburger is good, but rinsing it under hot running water removes an incredible amount of fat you would not expect to be in it after just draining it.
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How are green and ripe plantains used differently? I see both green and black (ripe) plantains for sale. I'm assuming they aren't used interchangeably. What kinds of dishes or techniques are appropriate for each type? Are the different types favored in different cultures, or do some cultures appreciate both? <Q> Like many fruits and vegetables, the sugar level in a plantain increases as it ripens. <S> Green plantains are very starchy and hard. <S> You must cook them to eat them. <S> They can be used much like a potato (think chopped & put in soups or mashed as a side dish). <S> Fried green plantains are referred to as "tostones." <S> Yellow plantains still require cooking, but they are sweet (unlike green plantains). <S> These work pretty well for frying and steaming. <S> Black (super-ripe) <S> plantains do not have to be cooked; they can be eaten raw. <S> They have soft flesh and a scent like a banana, though still not as sweet as typical bananas. <S> Regarding use by different cultures: Trinidad and Tobago , <S> Honduras and Jamaica : <S> the plantain is either simply fried, boiled or added to a soup. <S> Kerala : ripe plantain is steamed and is a popular breakfast dish. <S> Ghana : boiled plantain is eaten with kontomire stew, cabbage stew or fante-fante (fish) stew. <S> The boiled plaintain can be mixed with groundnut paste, pepper, onion and palm oil to make eto, which is eaten with avocado. <S> Southern United States , particularly in Texas, Louisiana and Florida : plantains are most often grilled. <S> Nigeria : plantain is eaten boiled, fried or roasted; roasted plantain, called booli is usually eaten with palm oil or groundnut. <S> ( source ) <A> Here in Jamaica we also use the green plaintains to make porridge. <S> The ripe ones can be used to make plantain tarts. <S> We also eat the ripe ones boiled as a starchy food. <A> In the South Indian state of Kerala, the ripe (yellow and black) and the unripe (green) plantains are used differently in dishes. <S> The ripe ones are pressure cooked/steamed and eaten with puttu (steamed rice cake) and is a good breakfast item. <S> It is also used in Pazham Payasam (plantain pudding with jaggery and ghee/clarified butter). <S> The green ones are used in savoury dishes such as stir fries ( Ethakka Mezhukkupuratti ) and Avial (dry mixed vegetable curry with coconut). <S> Another popular dish is Kalan which is served during feasts and is essentially yoghurt curry with plantains. <S> The semi-ripe plantains are sliced laterally and fried to make "banana chips". <A> In Malawi, green plantains are cooked as a savory dish 'mbalagha' a stew cooked mainly with beef, pork, and goat meat. <S> In the central and southern cooked as savory usually cooked in alcohol drinking places 'chilabu'. <S> Mang'ina as is called. <S> Ripe plantains are usually eaten for breakfast as a delicacy
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When these super-ripe plantains are fried, they are referred to as "platanos maduros" (ripe plantains) or "platanos fritos" (fried plantains).
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Sous vide eggs - how to get a perfect soft-boiled egg? I cooked an egg for 75 min at 65C, the yolk was PERFECT - holds the shape, but still not hard-boiled. In fact the yolks were perfect after about 60 min. But the whites are still runny. Is there a technique to just firm up the whites once the yolks are done? see Perfect Eggs section here for reference: http://amath.colorado.edu/~baldwind/sous-vide.html <Q> Use fresher Grade AA eggs, this minimizes the amount of thin albumen. <S> If this doesn't work you <S> could perhaps try boiling it briefly when it's done cooking via sous-vide. <S> I'd start with 60 seconds in boiling water, and going up from there to find the proper timing. <S> I've never done this, but the boiling water should serve to quickly cook the runny whites. <A> According to the egg chart in this post <S> this is an issue with eggs cooked sous vide, as the white sets at a higher temperature than the yellow. <S> You could probably solve this by cooking the eggs at the lower end of the spectrum, say 61ºC <S> and then just before you need them put them in a higher temp bath for a few minutes <S> say 66ºC for 5 mins. <S> Obviously you'd need to experiment to get this right. <S> The above chart suggests cooking at 62 then dipping in simmering water to get a traditional egg. <S> Not sure how long you dip for though. <S> Trial and error I suggest. <S> I swear I've seen a post about this somewhere, but can't for the life of me <S> find it now. <S> EDIT: the post about perfect eggs was on a different site . <S> the most interesting stuff in there is in the comments not in the article itself though, and it starts about this comment which gives a technique for getting perfect soft boiled eggs over a long period of time. <S> In a filled dual chamber water bath, set the left hand side to 90 <S> ° <S> C and the right hand side to 55°C [place <S> a lid on the left side] <S> Once the bath is up to temperature, place [66g free range eggs] into the waterbath set at 90°C. <S> These eggs need to be cooked from room temperature [20°C] and re-cover with the lid Immediately start a timer for [7:30mins] Once the timer has gone off, immediately lift the eggs from the left side chamber, and place into the right hand side, set at 55°C Allow eggs to remain in the right side bath for a minimum of 5 minutes. <S> The eggs are now ready to serve ‘Soft Boiled’ The eggs will remain the same upto 4 hours after placing into the 55°C bath. <S> Another solution offered by a comment further down is: <S> I find if I sous-vide eggs at 64.5C for an hour <S> and them crack them open, the yolk is perfect but <S> the egg white is sometimes less set than desired. <S> Very easy resolution, a blast with the propane torch fixes this quickly and the wonderful custard egg yoke stays constant insulated by the now firmer egg white. <A> Interesting. <S> Lets look at what McGee has to say about this . <S> Egg whites begin to coagulate at 63ºC (145F), become 'a tender solid' at 65ºC (150F) and continue until 80ºC (180F). <S> Egg yolks start to thicken at 65ºC (150F) and settle at 70ºC (158F). <S> Sooo <S> ... get the temperature a little higher 66ºC, 67ºC, until your egg is perfect for you. <S> But remember there are some albumen that are not going to settle until you reach yet higher temperatures. <S> Why don't you just steam the eggs for 5-6 minutes with the lid ajar. <S> That should give you a mollet egg. <S> Semi liquid yolk and firm white. <A> I don't have an explanation for it, but I have reason to believe that the white breaks down after being held at temperature for some time. <S> After about 45 minutes the white was firm and the yolk was slightly thickened. <S> As time went on, yolks started getting thicker and whites turning out more liquid.
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I attempted to do a "perfect" egg by placing 6 eggs in a water bath at once and removing them after different durations.
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Blowtorch - hardware store vs kitchen store. Is there a difference? When looking for a blowtorch for the kitchen, you can buy some reasonably expensive tools. When looking for a blowtorch for plumbing, you can buy some reasonably cheap tools. The price is different. The look is different. The principle is the same. I guess the gas is the same. Why pay more? Is there a health issue? Is the kitchen blowtorch more precise? <Q> Yes, there is no real difference. <S> Be aware that if you one from the hardware store, it should be one where the flame does not fluctuate when you tilt the torch. <S> This usually happens with the very cheap ones. <S> This becomes a big problem when you try to uniformly brown something. <S> Aside from that <S> and maybe "esthetically" I see no reason not to use one from the hardware store. <A> Actually, the gas isn't always the same -- in hardware stores, there's both propane and MAPP gas; you'd want to get a propane one. <S> (it's cheaper, but it doesn't get as hot ... <S> you won't need the extra heat for cooking purposes) <S> But well, the hardware store ones tend to be either much larger, or much smaller (they make some little mini-torches for emergencies that are about the size of a AA-battery flashlight). <S> I would think that if you're a caterer, doing smaller parties at customer's houses, that the mid-size 'culinary' torch would be a benefit as it has enough gas in it to handle the job, but not so large that it's going to take up lots of space. <A> The MAPP Gas is your best bet. <S> Even though it may burn hotter, when the MAPP Gas does not completely combust, micro particles of the gas will be emitted from the tank and onto the food. <S> This is also true with the propane burners. <S> The difference is the flavor and smell. <S> You will not taste or smell the minuscule amounts of MAPP gas on the food, whereas with the propane you will. <A> They're not always the same thing. <S> You need a pressure regulated torch; the unregulated ones will shut off when tipped down, making them impossible to use on food. <A> But if you work professionally, you may need one with health code stamp on it regarding the mechanisms cleanliness. <S> I had traded a refillable butane torch to a friend's daughter who was in school and needed one for class for one of her Sherry cakes,Not a big deal. <S> I bought the them for $15 at HF tool <S> store.she was gonna buy the same looking thing for $60-$70. <S> after a month or so. <S> I had heard about the Health code stamp, she had to borrow a friends for the class. <S> but still uses the one I traded her at home.
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For the most part they are the same.
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What is a good way to steam tamales without a "tamale steamer?" I am looking for ways to to cook large quantities of Tamales but I don't have a Tamale Steamer. Anyone do this before with other standard kitchen gear? I would rather not cook them in batches as the recipes call for 2-3 hours worth of steaming... <Q> Alton Brown recommends steaming them right in a normal tall pot with a steamer <S> insert <S> (your typical expanding/contracting one many people have on hand), directly in their husks. <S> Basically, you put a couple inches of water in, and then a steamer insert, and the tamales (in the husks) go on top of the steamer. <S> You can find his recipe/method here . <S> You can also watch the episode on YouTube, go to about 4:45 in to see the tamales in the pot. <S> If you don't have a steamer insert of any kind, I would imagine you could fashion something out of aluminum foil without much problem. <S> The most important thing is that you keep the tamales out of the water. <S> In a pinch, an upside-down colander would work if you have a pot that's large enough to hold it. <S> This seems like a pretty easy, straightforward solution. <S> Edit: as Michael points out in the comments, this seems like it could be a huge mess. <S> I would recommend getting a disposable pie pan <S> that's just smaller than your pot, poking holes in that, and putting it upside down in the pot like a steamer insert - seems a lot safer and more efficient than a large rectangle on top of the pot! <A> I used a roasting pan with a rack. <S> I filled pan with water, put tamales on rack and covered with foil. <S> I used 400 degrees for an hour and did twelve, but could have fit a bit more. <A> My husband stole my cookie racks and rigged them in his giant stock pot uses lots of foil and Saran wraps the lid on for a good steam seal and cooks about 300 tamales at a time in a few hours.
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Another (very low-tech) option is this hack , that basically uses a disposable aluminum pan to create the steamer/upside-down colander part of the rig.
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Are there any other gums that work in gluten-free baking besides xanthan and guar? I'm curious, are any other substances that could substitute for guar gum or xanthan gum in gluten-free baking? Xanthan isn't an option because of allergies, and while guar gum seems to work OK for most things, I'm not a fan of the slick or slimy texture that sometimes results when I have to use a lot of it. Thanks in advance. :) <Q> It's not quite as effective as xanthan gum <S> You can also try locust bean gum or psyllium husk (soak it in water before mixing so that it can dissolve) <S> Those are more starchey than the gums and are meant to be mixed with amaranth, rice, quinoa, or other more coarse flours <S> it gives you that same "slimey" start that hold the bubbles as the bread cooks. <S> That's generally gone by the time it's cooked. <S> When you're using guar gum, try to keep the quantity down to about 1% by weight of the dry ingredients. <S> Also give it time to fully hydrate before adding the rest of the ingredients. <S> I normally mix mine in dry with the flour and then add milk or water to get things wet and then leave it for a couple minutes before continuing. <S> If the gum (or even the arrowroot flour) is properly hydrated it will be more effective in baking. <S> Plus you can use less liquid overall which is good because it's easy to overdo the liquid in GF bread. <A> Carboxymethyl cellulose is a gum that is often used in Australia as a gluten replacement. <S> I sometimes see it in gluten free baking mixes in Canada. <S> Carboxymethyl cellulose info and raw ingredient . <S> As mentioned above psyllium husks work. <S> I use it in unleavened breads. <S> Additionally you can use flax meal or chia seeds. <S> I've never used chia, but I like to add flax meal because it ups the fibre which the gluten-free diet tends to lack. <A> I'll admit I've never used these in particular, but as others have mentioned, some options include: Locust bean gum, Psyllium husk, Cellulose gum(carboxymethyl cellulose), Flaxseed meal, Chia seed <S> All of these are thickeners and emulsifiers and can help make a gluten-free dough more elastic(what gluten usually does). <S> If you wanted to, you could make psyllium husk yourself by finding plantains and collecting their seeds. <S> Aside from xanthan gum, the most successful gluten substitute I've ever used is glucomannan, or konjac flour. <S> If you've ever heard of shirataki noodles(brand names like "Miracle Noodles" or "Skinny Noodles"), this is what they are made of. <S> Glucomannan is a thickener that easily gels water and aqueous solutions and adds elasticity to doughs and batters. <S> It consists entirely of soluble fiber and, in my experience, works better than xanthan gum as a gluten substitute. <S> Like xanthan gum, though, when using it, be careful not to use too much, as it can keep your baked goods from cooking all the way through. <S> The most I could imagine you'd need is around .5 tsp glucomannan per cup gluten-free flour, but it depends what you're making. <S> I'd recommend substituting it on a 1:1 ratio for xanthan gum if a recipe calls for it and adjusting from there if need be. <S> Another thing about glucomannan is that, when using it, you may have to decrease baking temperature and increase baking time to better cook whatever you're making fully and evenly. <S> If a recipe calls for 30 minutes at 350 F, you may want to try 40-50 minutes at 275-300 F, testing for done-ness, and leaving it in for longer if need be, then adjust the procedure from your experience for next time. <S> Glucomannan can be purchased in bags online(possibly under names "konjac flour" or "konjac powder"), or can be found in capsules online or in health stores. <S> If you get capsules just empty them out until you have the amount you need. <S> Assuming you have pure glucomannan capsules(the package will say "pure" or "100%"), the stuff inside is the exact same powder as what you need. <S> Good luck!
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If you live somewhere carob grows, you can also make locust bean gum from its seeds. but I find arrowroot flour works wonders.
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How to Get a Nice, Round Home-made Corn Tortilla My corn tortillas have been turning out great in taste but the shape is not so good. I have a press that works OK, but I think it may be part of the problem. The tortillas always have jagged edges, and are not perfectly round. And I can't get them them to the size I want at the thickness I want. When I try more masa mix, they turn out too thick, and when I use less masa mix, the edges split and they look like stars... I once saw a gal at a Mexican restaurant making tortillas on a big flat grill. She got the mix, rolled in her hands, pressed them out and they were perfectly round and very tasty... I'm not so focused here on the taste because mine taste good, but the shape... Still new to making tortillas and working with masa so any help would be great! <Q> I roll them into a ball and use a cast iron press, similar to this one: <S> I think the official name is a "tortilladora". <S> You can find them online or at restaurant/cooking stores for $10 to $20. <S> I wouldn't worry too much about getting them perfectly round. <S> Store-bought tortillas are perfectly round because they're made by a big machine. <S> If you're still having problems with a press, I would look into a different recipe or maybe use more shortening/lard. <A> you should try using wax paper or plastic wrap on each side of the press which will help keep your smaller tortillas from fraying and splitting. <S> I actually put about a 1/2 teaspoon of oil into the dough mix which helps keep it together better as well. <S> I used to have the same problem, and I was putting my full weight down on the press handle (like the one pictured in the other answer). <A> I use a home made wooden (maple) press, with a couple sheets of flexible plastic to make tortillas. <S> There seem to be two keys to getting nice circular tortillas with non-jaggy edges: 1) Get the hydration just right: Too much water, and your tortillas will tear when you try to get them off the press, too little and they'll be prone to both cracking and irregular edges. <S> 2)Flatten the masa ball with your hand before applying the press plate. <S> A 1.5" (40mm) sphere will scooch out from under the angled press plate asymmetrically, while a 1/2" (12mm) thick disk will yield a nice circular tortilla after pressing.
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When I simply closed the press and pushed much lighter on the press, it helped create a better thickness for my tortillas. But the best tip is probably to just press less hard on those smaller ones.
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Is it possible to substitute Wax Paper for Parchment Paper during baking? If I don't have parchment paper, can I substitute wax paper for baking recipes. What is the difference between the two? <Q> As @MeltedPez mentioned -- melting. <S> (coincindence in the name? <S> I'm not sure) <S> Specifically: <S> Parchment paper is silicone-coated paper. <S> Waxed paper is basically a candle in sheet form -- it'll melt, it'll burn, and it'll make your food taste like you're eating crayons. <S> It'll start to melt near 350F / 175C. <S> Parchment should go up to 500F / 260C ... <S> it might get a little crispy or char at the edges, but won't spontaneously combust. <S> If you had to use something other than parchment, I'd go with 'release foil'. <A> The biggest difference is that wax paper melts and smokes in the oven, specifically when the wax paper is exposed. <S> If you cover it completely with batter, for example, you should be okay. <A> NO!! <S> It's called WAX paper for a reason. <S> It will burn possibly even start a fire! <S> Parchment paper is expensive. <S> Even cheaper is using regular old white computer printer paper sprayed with oil spray or baking spray. <S> Toss it without feeling wasteful. <S> I have used it up to 450 degrees. <S> It will brown slightly, but has never burned. <S> Try it yourself first with nothing on it so that you will be confident to use it with your breads.
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Waxed paper is wax-coated paper.
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When to add diced vegetables when cooking rice I like to add diced vegetables (or peas) when I make rice in my rice cooker, but I'm not sure when is the best time to add them. I find if I add them too early they get mushy and flavorless, but if I wait until too late they don’t cook at all. When is the best time to add vegetables to a pot of rice or the rice cooker? <Q> It depends a lot on the vegetable. <S> For frozen peas, I add them just when the cycle finishes; fold them in and close the pot, and 3 minutes later they are steamed to perfection. <S> For a harder vegetable, like a raw carrot, or one where you want more breakdown, like onion, add it at the beginning. <S> You don't really want to open the rice cooker a bunch of times during the cycle as it loses steam and may affect your results, but if you have vegetables that you feel need something in between, I wouldn't hesitate to open it once, midway through. <A> You can cook diced vegetable separately and add them in the rice just before serving. <A> Rice typically takes about 20 minutes. <S> Carrots take about 10,Peas about 3 or 4,Beans about 5. <S> So add them at 20-t minutes, <S> If you're a bit late, just leave the lid on and let them steam. <A> Softer/frozen vegetables can be added once most of the water has been evaporated or when the cooking stage has just finished (rice cookers usually have an internal thermostat to switch from "cooking" to "keep warm" modes.
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Hard vegetables can be added at the start of cooking, or when the water is bubbling/boiling.
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Is it possible to have sushi pizza? I've found very few places that dare to combine those two in one dish. None of them succeeded, in my opinion. At first I thought it was due to mixing rice and wheat, then thought it was due to the different temperatures. Whatever the reason, I still want to make something that combines both, something that could be considered pizza and that could also be considered sushi. Is it possible? <Q> Circular bed of sticky sushi rice, topped with a drizzle of spicy mayo as the sauce and chunks of sashimi. <S> cut into pizza slices. <A> I know that at Morimoto's in New York he has a pizza dish that is essentially sushi ingredients on pizza dough. <S> This is quoted from a NY Times article : a 'tuna pizza' with raw bluefin tuna, jalapeño, red onion, olives and an anchovy aioli atop a crisp, thin tortilla. <S> I also liked silky slices of "lamb carpaccio," dressed with Japanese green onions, grated ginger and garlic oil. <A> I frequent the Vancouver sushi scene and can't say I see this very often if ever. <S> It seems it does exist though, primarily on the east coast. <S> Wikipedia even has an article , which is proof that it does, in fact, exist. :) <A> It seems to be slightly more popular on the East coast, though I have eaten it both in Vancouver and in Victoria.
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Sushi pizza, as linked and described above, is a very common dish in North Americanized sushi restaurants.
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How can I improve the 2:1:1 margarita recipe? I bought my wife that Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker, and it is awesome. We make a lot of margaritas, but always with pre-made mixes. I tried one recipe to make one from scratch, and it was HORRIBLE. I tried using the 2:1:1 ratio described below - 2 parts tequila, 1 part triple sec, 1 part lime juice. It tasted just like a shot of tequila with a little lime. What are some alternatives I can try to make it taste better? <Q> You probably are used to having a lot of sugar in your mixes. <S> Adding orange juice also helps. <S> Of course, this isn't "traditional", but you'll probably like it better. <S> If you're looking for a ratio, I would try something like 2 parts tequila, 1 part triple sec, 2 parts lime-ade, 2 parts orange juice. <S> Adjust the lime-ade and orange juice until it tastes good to you. <A> My favorite ratio is the simple 2:1:1(2 parts <S> tequila,1 part triple sec,1 part lime) <S> The "official" ratio is 7:4:3, but that's more geared toward a crowd. <S> What I'd recommend is doing 2:1 and then adding lime until it tastes right. <S> You can buy a sweetened lime syrup in the store, if you like the extra sugar. <A> There has been a lot of debate over this topic. <S> It usually boils down to preference. <S> A neat ratio I have tried more than once is as follows: 2 parts tequila, 1 part fresh lime juice (yes, from a lime), 1 part lime juice (from concentrate, perhaps a lime-aid of sorts or a lime juice mix you like) and 1/2 part Cointreau or Grand Marnier (no Triple Sec unless you have no money <S> and you are using Quervo ;--), and 1/4 part simple syrup. <S> Lately, I have been getting into making my own simple syrups for Margaritas. <S> They fit in nicely in place of added sugar or orange flavored liquors or, in my example above, in conjunction with. <S> Just dissolve 1:1 warm water and sugar, let cool, and bottle for later (be careful, though, long storage will lead to spoiling). <S> I like Bob's advice above, and adding OJ to margaritas is very good. <S> One final trick I learned is to add a bit of pomegranate juice for color and tangy-ness. <A> Before you totally give up on the classic 'rita, you should really try it with good ingredients, and definitely feel free to adjust the proportions to your taste. <S> My favorite simple margarita is 2oz Sauza Hornitos Reposado, 1oz Cointreau, and 1oz fresh squeezed lime juice, shaken with ice and served in a salt-rimmed rocks glass. <S> My wife does like a little less sour, so I usually go 1½oz tequila, 1oz Cointreau, and ¾oz lime juice for her. <S> You'll be amazed at how good tequila can taste! <S> The most important thing is starting with a reasonably good tequila. <S> Cuervo Gold is just for shooting at the bar after you're already too drunk to taste anything. ;-) <A> A Margarita can be intimidatingly strong and/or sharp for those with a sweet tooth, if it hasn't been sufficiently diluted. <S> Ice is one of the most important cocktail ingredients and getting it wrong can ruin a cocktail . <S> Shaking with ice will introduce some dilution and will help to smooth out the edges a little. <S> It's therefore critical to add lots of ice to your shaker and shake the cocktail for at least ten seconds. <S> If the shaker isn't covered in condensation and hasn't become uncomfortably cold to the touch, you haven't shaken the drink long enough. <A> Me and my wife had the same reaction to trying it the "official" way. <S> What found really did it for us <S> was 1 can of concentrated frozen limeade mix and then half a can of tequila and 1/4 can of triple sec and just pour it all in a blender <S> and it's delicious as well as super easy. <S> Was also delicious throwing in some fresh strawberries for a strawberry margarita. <A> 2 oz Silver Tequila,1 oz Orange Liquer,1 oz Lime Juice,.5 - 1 tblsp agave nectar
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Use lime-ade instead of lime juice, or add some simple syrup. As well as using quality ingredients, proper mixing technique is also important.
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Uses of leftover vegetables from slow cooker After slow cooking my pork over a bed of carrots, celery and onions. The pork gets eaten, the juice gets reduced to an amazing sauce base. What can I do with the vegetables? They are tasty to eat as-is, but I want something a bit more creative? Some idea (please chime in if you've tried something like this):-puree the vegetables with the juice, then boil, reduce, mix in other ingredients for a heartier sauce-use as toppings (pizza, burgers) Also, with this in mind, are there other veggies I could add to the slow cooker? ie, adding veggies not just for how they flavor the meat, but adding veggies that will taste amazing after being cooked with meat for 12 hours. <Q> My children love this kind of vegetables in a quiche (with some ham and olives as well). <A> Have you thought about using an immersion blender (or carefully using a real blender, noting that hot liquids and blenders can be scary) to blend the juices and vegetables into a thicker sauce and putting it over your pork? <S> The reason I ask is that I've never heard of re-using mirepoix (the trinity of carrots, celery, and onion). <S> Their flavors have likely already depleted into the cooking juices (especially if you have liquid in your slow cooker during the process), though they have picked up pork flavors. <A> Save the veggies in a freezer bag or air-tight bowl (in the freezer) and when it's full you've got most of vegetable soup without it taking so long. <S> Additional veggies that taste amazing after being slow-cooked with meat for 12 hours: rather, ask, Are there any veggies that won't taste amazing? <A> Mushrooms taste amazing after being slow cooked with meat, though they may need to be added later in the cooking time to avoid getting soggy. <A> I've reused the mirepoix by adding it to homemade lentil soup. <S> It's also good in baked Greek green beans with potatoes and gigante lima beans.
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Hearty fall/winter veggies like butternut squash and sweet potatoes would be great as well.
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Is there a way to recover hardened Pecorino Romano? I've had a wedge of Pecorino Romano wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for a while. There are many of you out there that probably have had the same problem. :) I actually cut a small piece and it was quite crunchy! I tried to grate it and it's no longer crumbly. So it's quite hard to grate. The cheese still tastes good, though. Is there a way to get it back to its slightly softer and crumbly consistency? <Q> Try putting it into a vegetable soup; you'll find that it adds a bit of body as well as flavour. <S> You can also do this with the left-over rinds of any hard cheese. <A> We use a microplane grater for cheese. <S> It works great for hard Parmesean or Pecarino. <S> The volume increase is quite high, so it can take a while to grate the right amount. <S> But it makes fast work of hard cheeses. <S> It also melts very easily because the pieces are so small. <S> Obviously, this doesn't get you back to your consistency, which I think is unlikely. <S> But the cheese is still very usable. <A> You could try lightly steaming it, but in all likelihood there's no rescuing. <S> Alternatively, blend it with maltodextrin/dextrose to (re)obtain the powdery quality. <A> Put in refrig. <S> By the next day the outside edges will be grateable. <S> Keep it this way in the refrig. <S> It will continue to solften. <S> I do it all the time.
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I don't think you can rescue it, but you can use it. You can wet a paper towel, squeeze it out, wrap the cheese in it, then wrap it in Saran Wrap. Your best bet is to chop it and throw it in a blender to 'grate' it.
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What are the pros and cons of Convection Microwave Ovens? Are convection microwave ovens a useful item to have? Or are they not good as a microwave and not good as a convection oven either? I understand that a regular convection oven helps to cook things faster. But a microwave cooks things pretty darn fast already so why would you want a convection feature? <Q> Microwave: <S> A microwave heats water and molecules in the food by using microwave radiation. <S> It will heat food efficiently and quickly, but does not brown or bake like a conventional oven. <S> Oven: <S> Fueled by gas or electricity and heats from the bottom (baking, roasting) or from the top (broiling). <S> The heat is from a single direction and not uniform. <S> Convection Oven: <S> An oven that has a fan that circulates heated air. <S> This allows for operation at a lower temperature while cooking more quickly. <S> It also results in a more even bake. <S> Convection Microwave (Oven): <S> A combination of a microwave and a convection oven. <S> Allows for even, quick cooking that is browned or baked. <S> So, at the bottom of the scale is a microwave and an oven. <S> They each have different functions. <S> Then there is a middle tier that would be a convection oven - an improvement over the oven. <S> The top tier is the convection microwave oven that provides all the features: quick cooking, heating, baking, browning, and evenness. <S> If you do a lot of cooking and only have a single oven, but find yourself wishing you had a second, a convection microwave would be useful for you. <S> If you want something truly multi-purpose, then yes. <S> Since each has a set of features it provides and/or lacks, it comes down to what best fits your needs. <A> It is a combination of a regular convection oven with a microwave, so you have both hot air and microwaves cooking your food. <A> There is one large con which probably does not affect all brands. <S> I have frequently heard of combos which have a mode which is labeled as "convection only" but they do not turn the microwave off . <S> The results are clearly like microwaved food, and thus they are unsuitable for baking. <S> I cannot tell you the exact brands and models which have this problem, but for anybody buying such an appliance, I would suggest first to search experience reports about this kind of problem. <S> One of the probable cases turned up here on Seasoned Advice, Why do my pizzas get such hard crusts? , and I seem to remember other question indicating a similar problem, but cannot find them right now.
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So the advantage is you get the quick interior heating of the microwaves combined with the surface browning from the hot air; convection just makes that hot air cooking faster and more even.
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What can I use to replace eggs in the recipe? I'm not a vegan or something, but my stomach can't take many chicken eggs in food. I've got a recipe for an Imeritian khachapuri variant (cheese-filled flat bread) recipe where eggs are used as a "glue" (I think) for the filling. (Sorry, the recipe itself is in Russian, I'll give any details if needed.) Now, this recipe also uses eggs for the dough. That is a bit too much eggs for me. I'd like to replace eggs in filling with something. (Other option is to leave eggs in filling and replace them in dough — but I feel that the taste will change too dramatically.) Note that I'm not interested in commercial (or "chemical") solutions. Update: Ingrediends for the filling: Soft cheese (150 g) Hard cheese (150 g) Two eggs Some herbs and salt to taste Here is a Google Translate version of the recipe. I think it is more or less understandable. Another update: Note that it is not necessary to get the exactly same taste with the modified recipe. I will settle for anything that tastes good enough and is more or less along the same lines as the original. <Q> It looks like you're basically making a cheese custard for the center of the bread. <S> Flax seeds aren't going to give you a firm, egg-like texture. <S> Instead, I'd use something that already has that cooked-egg texture, like tofu, which also won't impart any flavor (so you'll need to tackle that issue separately). <S> Experiment with different preparations, but I'd start off with a silken tofu, then purée the tofu in a blender with a bit of cornstarch (to help it firm back up when cooked). <S> Once the tofu has been processed you can mix in the shredded cheese. <S> and throw the filling in. <S> You'll probably have to do several attempts before you get the ideal preparations and keep in mind that it won't taste like the original thing, but may bear enough resemblance. <S> EDIT: <S> In response to the comment, I would say you could try using tapioca in a high concentration, dissolved in a bit of milk or cream. <S> After cooking (hopefully) the tapioca will help to create the texture you want, and it will actually not affect the flavor. <S> The other (obvious) option is to just leave out the eggs and not replace them with anything. <S> It won't be the same, but neither will any of these substitutions, and it will likely still be good. <A> This question provides several generic vegan egg replacements. <S> One that may suit your needs is flax seed and water. <S> Also, while you mention that you can't take many chicken eggs, how about replacing with another egg? <S> Does that work for you? <A> Eggs have various properties, among them: as a "glue" as you suggest, you can replace them with some sort of gelatin or pectin. <S> You can find it naturally in some fruit seeds or fish/chicken bones. <S> Industrial flans use agar-agar from red algae. <S> as an emulsifier, as in mayonnaise, you can replace them with garlic, mustard or anchovy. <S> Many mediterranean recipes use this (e.g., aioli). <A> I'll post a few of the example I feel would work well for your situation below, but the following page has some great substitutes for eggs in different situations you would use them. <S> http://www.foodsubs.com/Eggs.html <S> If you'd like to substitute the eggs in the dough you could use a couple things: 1 egg = 2 tablespoons liquid + 2 tablespoons flour + <S> ½ tablespoon shortening + <S> ½ teaspoon baking powder + 2 drops yellow food coloring if you want the color from the yolk flaxmeal <S> (Make flaxmeal by grinding flaxseed in a blender until it has the consistency of cornmeal. <S> mayonnaise (Substitute 3 tablespoons mayonnaise for each egg called for in recipe.) <S> gelatin (To replace each egg: Dissolve 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water, then add 2 tablespoons boiling water. <S> Beat vigorously until frothy.) <A> There is similar question and it has accepted answer With what can I replace eggs? . <S> I can't comment <S> so I added it this way.
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Use two tablespoons flaxmeal plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe. For Filling you may want to consider using Silken Tofu as it somewhat resembles the texture of a scrambled egg and takes on flavors very well.
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Is It Possible to make corn tortillas at home without a press? I don't own a tortilla press and until I have more cabinet space, one is not in my future. However I value making as much as I can from scratch and love using tortillas in my cooking. I have made whole wheat tortillas using a variation on this recipe, subbing oil and butter in for the shortening to try and get a bit more flavor out of the tortillas. I'd like to move to homemade corn tortillas, but every recipe that I have seen instructs one to use a press. With flour I was able to roll my tortillas as thin as required, but will I have trouble when moving to masa trying to do it with a rolling pin, or will I be able to get thin corn tortillas without a press? <Q> Place a ball of dough between two layers of plastic wrap. <S> Use at least twice the area of wrap that you think the final tortilla will be. <S> Squish the ball flat with a pan, book, or your hand. <S> Now use a rolling pin to roll the dough between the sheets of plastic. <S> Make sure the thickness is even, and don't get it too thin or it will break when you cook it. <S> Bonus: you can store the uncooked tortillas in the plastic until using and they won't dry out. <A> Just use the bottom of a flat, heavy skillet. <S> I wouldn't try using a rolling pin: they stick to it pretty well. <S> Probably want to put some wax paper underneath, or it'll stick to your counter. <S> I'd never buy a press unless I planned on making tortillas en masse : just one more thing to take up space in the cabinet. <A> How to make thin corn tortillas Water temperature is one of the most important things and is hardly even mentioned. <S> It should be medium. <S> Thinner dough can be achieved with adding touches of warm water. <S> The more malleable the dough, almost to being sticky, the thinner you can get them. <S> Most people use Maza Harina . <S> I use Masteca flour . <S> Don't bother with a press. <S> Use the advice above: two plastic bags (gallon size). <S> Form the dough first into a golf ball size. <S> Put round dough onto a plastic bag and press it out with your fingers into a round shape with a ridge around the edge. <S> Place other plastic bag on top <S> so the dough is between the two bags. <S> Get a pizza stone, a pizza oven slider, or a book. <S> Press down; pound it going out from the center. <S> Meanwhile I use two pans which are heated to medium/high. <S> Lift the book (or whatever) and check the tortilla. <S> Should be beautiful and round. <S> Peel off the top plastic bag, take the other one with the tortilla still stuck to it, and slap the tortilla into the first hot pan. <S> It should peel off of plastic and lay there. <S> I work the tortilla from one pan to the other; flipping sides so both get done. <S> Then I flip it back to the first side in the first pan. <S> After a moment tamp down on the tortilla. <S> Its center should rise a bit, fluff up. <S> It is done. <S> Nothing like what you buy in a store.
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Yes, you can do it without a press.
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Is dry rub necessary in making bbq ribs? Normally when I make bbq ribs in the oven at home, I have to prepare the ribs approximately a day ahead. I usually cover the ribs with a dry rub mixture (made of garlic powder, paprika, sugar, salt, pepper, etc.), wrap it up in foil and let it sit in the fridge for about a day, lather it in bbq sauce and stick it in the oven. While this method produces quite delicious ribs, it does require a lot of effort and planning. My questions are:Is a dry rub really necessary in making bbq ribs? Is there an alternative to this dry rub?Will the ribs taste the same if I just lather them in bbq sauce and cook then straight away? <Q> Your ribs will have a lot less flavor if you do not use a dry rub. <S> However you can minimize some of the time (and only a bit of the flavor) by putting on the rub, wrapping in foil, and immediately putting them in the oven or on the grill. <S> The process of putting your rub together probably takes only about 5 minutes - it's the fridge time that takes a while. <S> Sitting in the fridge allows some of the flavors to permeate, and if you used a more permeable material could allow your ribs to air out a bit. <S> These are good things, but for my rib recipe I don't put the ribs in the fridge and they still taste great. <S> I also don't put the barbecue sauce on until about the last 20 minutes of oven time, when the foil comes off and the sauce goes on. <S> Until then the ribs stay in the foil. <S> I looked up North Carolina (which uses a sauce that isn't tomato based in the eastern part of the state), South Carolina (a mustard sauce), Texas, Memphis (which uses no sauce), Kansas City (tomato based-sauce that is rather sweet) - all of them used a dry rub even with wide variations on the sauce and for both beef and pork ribs. <A> You can certainly do without the rub before hand. <S> Keep in mind though that one of the functions of marinating in an acidic wet rub will be to break down the connective tissues. <S> Going straight to the grill without a marinating wont be as tender. <S> One alternative is to cook the ribs in a slow cooker full of sauce all day while you are at work. <S> This will cut down on the planning and result in a fall-off-the-bone outcome. <A> However, you do not need to leave it on that long. <S> As a matter of fact, if your rub has a lot of salt in it, leaving it on that long will result in ribs that are "hammy" (almost cured like ham or pastrami). <S> You'll notice after 5-10 minutes of putting on rub that the salt has been sucked into the ribs along with some moisture (they'll get a clammy look). <S> That's long enough. <S> With regards to saucing, always glaze at the very end. <S> If you like the sauce baked in a little, put them back in for 5-10 minutes, but keep an eye on them. <S> If the temperature is too high, sauce with a high sugar content will burn. <S> My personal preference is a really thin glaze (or none at all) and sauce on the side. <S> Let the meat speak for itself instead of masking it with sauce, as way too many people do. <A> There are other ways to keep your meat from drying out while it tenderizes, but the rub is just so darn delicious. <S> You could probably get away with BBQ sauce only, but it would definitely not be as robust a flavor. <S> A marinade would get you there in the flavor department. <S> I had <S> Coca-Cola marinated babybacks once, and they were outstanding. <S> Or you could try putting ribs in oven immediately or shortly after applying the rub. <S> A salty rub can begin curing your meat, which would result in a bit of a "hammy" taste to the ribs. <S> I'd say, before anything else, do what you normally do except change the amount of time the ribs sit with the rub on them. <S> This may be enough to get you past your prep time objections, and you're only changing one variable at a time. <A> For most smoked/BBQ/low-slow meats, a brining or marinating process with liquid is indicated, and the dry rub is applied just before the smoking/cooking process begins. <S> You could try vinegar, apple cider (I love that one), watered-down beer, etc. <S> I've made my own marinades from combinations also; vinegar and water with Worchestershire, "liquid smoke", and Tabasco works pretty well on some things, including ribs. <S> I've had great success with this wet marinade/dry rub approach.
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For traditional BBQ (low and slow), dry rub does tend to add quite a bit to the flavour.
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Is there a way to tell if a pumpkin is going to be good for cooking? It's the season for pumpkins and I was wondering if there is a way to tell if a pumpkin was going to taste good enough to cook with. I guess this is a similar situation as with a watermelon - you can't really cut it open to check if it will taste good. <Q> Ask for 'sugar pumpkins' or 'pie pumpkins' at your grocery store, farm stand, or farmer's market, and you should be able to find them -- they tend to be smaller, more squat than round (although, some farmers markets might have other varieties of "pie" pumpkins). <S> If you can't find them -- I'd go with acorn squash, instead of using one of the decorative pumpkins. <A> I think you're right that they're similar to a watermelon <S> in that there's truly no definitive way to tell if they're ripe and good to cook with. <S> There are a few signs you can look for though. <S> Like a watermelon, thump it. <S> It should make a hollow sound. <S> Check the skin out. <S> It should be hard like a shell. <S> Press your thumbnail into it; it should resist puncture. <S> Make sure the vine that is attached to the pumpkin has died and turned brown and woody. <S> This is a good indicator that it is ripe and ready to be used. <S> Good luck! <A> An all-the-way orange pumpkin is a good indicator of ripeness, although with some brands of pumpkin the pumpkin can be ripe before being orange. <S> Things to really look for are: <S> The pumpkin sounds hollow when thumped (like watermelon) <S> The skin dents but does not puncture when you push your fingernail into it <S> The stem is hard <S> There is a long stem (for eating this <S> slows any rotting of the pumpkin) <S> If you are harvesting the pumpkin yourself, disinfecting the skin on picking will kill any bacteria that might cause rot. <S> This is usually done with a 10% bleach solution. <S> Curing a pumpkin for 10 days at 80 degrees F or so in a dark place will extend the shelf life as well. <S> Once you have purchased your pumpkin, store it out of direct sunlight at room temperature for maximum shelf life.
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Many of the varieties of pumpkin sold in US stores in the fall are decorative -- they're grown for their appearance and size, not for cooking with.
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What method can I use to cook pumpkin seeds so that they turn out crunchy? I've always enjoyed eating the pumpkin seeds when I buy them at vendor, but whenever I try to make them at home in the oven, they always seem to turn out either still soggy, or deflated and not crunchy. What am I missing in the technique - I've just simply washed them off, laid on aluminum foil and placed in the oven at 350. <Q> I let mine dry after washing, then toss them in oil, sprinkle with salt, and then roast on a sheet pan <S> I also make sure to get in there and stir them a few times during roasting, to be sure that they all get exposed to the heat, and on both sides. <A> Be sure not to crowd them on the pan when roasting. <A> Be sure and roast them in a single layer, and keep going until they are golden brown, tossing occasionally. <S> If they are soggy, you probably just aren't cooking them long enough to drive off all of the water. <A> Then I lay spread them on a parchment lined cookie sheet, making sure they are single layer (not bunched up) and bake for about 30-40 minutes on 300 checking at 10 minute intervals and turning or moving them around. <S> Before baking, I also sprinkle with salt, salt and pepper, chili powder or onion, garlic or season salt. <S> Anything you like will work. <S> You could even add lime to the salt water and then sprinkly with chili powder just before baking. <S> I've been making them every Halloween for 30 years and have never run into a problem with them not being crunchy. <S> But as others have said, sometimes, depending on your oven, you just have to leave them in and turn them until they're done.
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I soak mine in salt water for about an hour or two (i've left them overnight at times and they're fine, but more salty)
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Are Turkish Bay Leaves "Normal" Bay leaves? I recently saw a recipe that called for Turkish Bay Leaves. Is this any different than the kind I would find in a standard spice bottle labeled "Bay Leaves", or is this a form of exotic marketing? Are there even different types of Bay Leaves? <Q> According to The Spice House : <S> The flavor of these Turkish bay leaves is far milder and more complex than that of domestic bay; it adds a subtly sweet astringency to dishes. <S> Only one or two are needed to enhance a whole roast, pot of soup or stew. <A> I consider them "normal"; they're the oval-shaped bay leaves. <S> There's a "California" bay leaf variety that has elongated leaves and a slightly different flavor. <A> Are there even different types of Bay Leaves? <S> There is the California Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica . <S> Turkish Bay is Laurus nobilis <S> ( https://nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/laurus-nobilis-the-true-bay/ ) <S> We have an California Bay Laurel (AKA Oregon Myrtle) growing in our yard. <S> While looking the same and smelling like normal store bought bay leafs like from Spice Island, it is 10 times more pungent. <S> I used it once and that was the last time. <A> So there are two plants which are called "bay leaves"; the Turkish Bay Laurel (Laurus Nobilis) and the California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica), as other answers have noted. <S> What's "normal" honestly depends on where you live and what kind of recipe you're making. <S> Mexican recipes, and ones from the American West, are going to expect California Bay. <S> For any other region, it's kind of random. <S> If you buy dried "bay leaves", what you get is going to depend on sourcing; you're best reading the label. <S> The two species are largely interchangeable in most recipes, which makes life easier, with one exception: if you specifically need fresh bay leaves, go Turkish. <S> California bay leaves are less flavorful when fresh, and have a waxy texture. <A> Figured I'd check the site of the brand I use. <S> Turns out they are Turkish: <S> The bay tree is native to the Mediterranean region and Asia Minor. <S> The bay or laurel tree grows well in the subtropics and is cultivated today as a spice in the Far East as well as the Canary Islands, France, Belgium, Mexico, Central America and Turkey (where McCormick's bay leaves are grown).
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European recipes are going to expect bay leaves to be Turkish, because that's the tree that originated bay leaves as a spice in Europe.
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How should one go about reheating pasta? Ok, so, I know the answer, "You shouldn't, because it's easy to make it fresh." But on occasion, I end up making too much pasta, not having enough sauce, etc. and the pasta gets stowed in a tupperware awaiting a secondcoming. Usually it just ends up being packed for lunch and eaten cold. But on those other occasions, when I may like to have it warmed up and served with a sauce of some kind, what would be the best way to go about doing so? I haven't really experimented yet, but thought maybe putting the pasta in a steamer basket could work well? Has anybody tried this? thoughts? <Q> easiest way is to mix it with the sauce and heat both up together. <S> Usually I'd do this in a pan, but you could use a microwave. <S> If it starts to stick add a little more water. <S> You could do this in a microwave <S> I'd bet, but I don't have one. <A> For small amounts, I have good luck reheating pasta in the microwave with a little butter or your choice of sauce. <S> The moist heat does a good job of allowing the starch granules to soften back up. <A> I tend to like leftover pasta for breakfast. <S> Yes I am weird. <S> I just heat some butter in a pan, add the pasta, and toss until hot. <S> Maybe some parm or grano padano sprinkled over. <S> It's delicious. <S> Otherwise I reheat in the sauce (so <S> the slightly dried pasta can re-absorb some liquid) in a slow pan until ready. <A> In our previous restaurant, there was no way we could cool the pasta fresh for our lunch and supper rush hours. <S> So here's what we did in a nutshell: <S> Cook the pasta in boiling water for about 5 minutes (way before aldente) <S> put the pasta, and enough water to cover in a container and throw the container in an ice bath for a few minutes ( rechange the ice of necessary) put in the fridge. <S> When you want your lovely pasta:- Drain as much as you need- add 1 to 2tbsp of the pasta water to your application <A> I've steamed my pasta -- in fact, it's how I reheated pasta during my years of living without a microwave. <S> The important part is to not overcook the pasta in the first go through -- pull it when it's al-dente; I'd also toss in some oil or butter so the pasta wouldn't stick together, as you want the pasta loose in the steamer, not a giant glob of fused pasta. <S> I'd get it most of the way heated through, and then finish it in the sauce. <S> On days I was lazy, if it wasn't a really thick pasta, I'd just heat up the sauce, and put the pasta in for a minute or less to reheat. <S> The important part was that the pasta was oiled so it wasn't a giant lump, and the sauce could get in there to heat the pasta up. <A> If it is a lot of pasta <S> I add an inch or so water to the bottom of my pasta pan and reheat it slowly, stirring occassionally, it usually takes just a couple of minutes to heat. <S> If it is just for me <S> I pop it in the microwave with a little ketchup, I tried adding additional sauce and the microwave always tends to dry it out not so with ketchup. <A> I put it in a plastic storage bag (quart or gallon) and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute (depends on amount I'm heating) and do not seal the bag. <S> This works great <S> and you can store it in the same bag. <A> You could also make any kind of leftover pasta dish like a gratin or a frittata. <A> Use a half cup of water to one cup of leftover pasta <S> you intend to plate. <S> Drop desired amount of leftover pasta into appropriate amount of salted/oiled rolling-boil water for 30 seconds (use 1 tsp of EVOO). <S> If you're reheating more than 4 cups of pasta, increase boil time to 45 seconds. <S> Drain immediately and serve with favorite sauce or topping.
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If you have to heat the pasta up on its own, what I usually do is do it in a pan and add a little boiling water, just a couple of tablespoons, enough to stop it sticking, and keep stirring until its warmed through.
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Cookware and methods for large quantities of rice On my next Catering job, I was asked to cook a large amount of rice. I will probably use about 15 to 20 cups of Basmatti or Risotto rice. For the Basmati, my options are to either cook the rice 4 cups at a time (re-season, clean the pots, etc) or use my large soup / gravy pot to do the rice. For the Risotto, I'm not really sure if cooking that much risotto is even possible simultaneously. My question in a nutshell is how much water and salt should I put in? Now I know that water and seasoning depends on humidity, weather condition, type of rice, where was it harvested from, was it drained ? washed ? drained and washed? soaked?, the moon and earth cycles, night and day, and that the amount of water decreases significantly as the amount of rice increases. I'm looking for a ballpark figure (+/- 1 cup) EDIT I'm sorry to be a pain in the rear; however, there is definitely a difference between cooking 2 cups of rice and 20 cups of rice. I ended up resorting to making my spice mix ahead of time and cooked the rice 4 cups at a time with about (5-6 cups of water for each batch). I'll keep researching this and see what I can come up with <Q> I would definitely not do the risotto, very hard to get and hold the right texture in those kinds of quantities. <S> Cook it by the absorption method (bring to a boil with 1 3/4 cups of water per cup of rice, reduce to a simmer, cook covered, without stirring, until all of the water is absorbed). <A> One great way to cook rice is the iranian style chelow or polo . <S> Rice is soaked in salted water for a couple of hours then it is boiled the same way as pasta 'al dente'. <S> Finally it is drained then steamed for about one hour. <S> The question of how much water doesn't hold. <A> For your basmati rice, Cook's Illustrated has a baked rice recipe that - with a large enough pot - you should be able to adapt. <S> You can find it in their New Best Recipe . <S> There's a similar recipe that was written up in Gourmet <S> (via The Wednesday Chef) . <S> I'd skip the risotto. <A> If I was going to cook rice for that many people, I probably wouldn't use stovetop method -- I'd use a pilaf method, and do it in the oven, hopefully in a large, wide pan. <S> The only issues I can think of when doubling amounts of rice, as I know that the more rice there is, the lower the ratio of water to rice needs to be is that maybe as the water gets deeper, the extra pressure allows the rice to cook faster? <S> I'm not sure if the pressure differential of an inch or two would be that significant, but I'd think that a large bottom area and not cooking the rice so it's too deep would help offset this potential issue ... <S> but you could also use multiple smaller containers, if you're worried about doubling, as the oven's going to give you a consistent temp. <A> I cook mine in a Rice Cooker, good quality with variable settings for white and dark rices. <S> Comes out great.
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The basmati rice will work fine in a large pot.
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Can I use the green part of leeks for stocks? Most recipes call for the white and the inner green parts of leeks. I feel like I'm wasting half leek. After googling a little, I've found some people consider it edible if properly cooked. I guess a couple of hours of simmering should be enough, but my book says to use only white and inner green parts for stock. Is there a reason not to use it, if properly cleaned ? <Q> I always ignore the "white and light green parts" instruction anyway, and use the leek up until the point where it feels dried out instead of firm and fleshy—well into the dark green parts—and it's always delicious, even when cooked for significantly less than several hours. <A> There is actually a flavour difference between the white and the green--as there is with any fruits or vegetables with colour variations. <S> With leeks, the white is more delicate and the green more robust, which is why one tends to use the whites for stock. <S> Personally, I think the greens sliced up and then treated as onion rings (dust with seasoned cornstarch and deep fry) are both delicious and beautiful used as a garnish. <S> I wouldn't use the greens in a stock unless I was aiming for a particularly aggressive flavour. <A> I agree the darker green doesn't take 2 hours or more. <S> I've been using all of it <S> chopped in a Quinoa, White Bean, & Kale Stew recipe, cooks fine. <S> I don't distinguish individual flavors real well. <S> But I regretted using all of it in a Potato Leek Soup recently because most of it was pureed & it gave it such a green color that family not used to eating w/more open mind was probably turned off. <S> But I've been wondering,too why most recipes don't call for it. <S> Good <S> to know I'm not the only one trying to use it! <S> :) <A> I've always used the entire leek including the dark green. <S> Why waste it? <S> If it has a more robust flavor that is fine with me because I like bold flavors. <S> The potato and leek soup I make says to discard the dark parts <S> but I don't. <S> I also puree the soup. <S> It does come out a darker green than some people may be used to <S> but it doesn't bother me at all. <S> I think taste trumps the color of your food. <A> If you're trying to make a vichyssoise or a warm potato-leek soup then I wouldn't recommend it as the flavour is a bit strong. <S> But if you're making a robust stock for any other purpose, then go ahead. <S> I like to throw them in whole, so that I can remove them later. <A> By all means you should do this. <S> Do split it and wash the grit out. <S> Sediment in there is too fine for a sieve and gelatin will make passing finished stock through muslin impossible. <S> Plus you'll literally infuse the flavor of dirt (and whatever chemicals were in it) into your stock. <S> When I use onions for stock, I keep their skin on. <S> I don't peel my garlic, I sometimes throw a whole bulb in. <S> With tomatoes, I keep the vine in the pot! <S> It infuses their great flavor ten fold. <A> Yes, I always use the green parts. <S> I only cut the very top off, about 1/4 inch or less.
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I use the green parts for soup and it gives it an absolutely amazing taste, much better than onions!! Absolutely, go ahead and use it.
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What's a good substitute for cilantro? I have several friends with the soap gene (cilantro tastes like soap to them), my father's allergic (it gives him a headache) and because of a lifetime of avoiding the stuff, I find cilantro overwhelming in just about everything. Typically, I substitute parsley, but sometimes it still feels like the dish is missing something. Are there other good substitutes for cilantro, either individual herbs or combinations? <Q> This writeup suggests substitutes:I've quoted the most promising option. <S> It seems that Vietnamese Coriander is not really from the coriander family and closely mimics the flavor of cilantro. <S> Let me know if this works. <S> Vietnamese coriander or Persicaria odorata is a herb, the leaves of which commonly feature in Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly in Vietnam and Malaysia. <S> It is also known by the name of Vietnamese cilantro, Vietnamese mint and Cambodian mint. <S> Though it is not related to mint, its flavor as well as appearance can be said to slightly resemble mint. <S> It is more commonly included in salads and soups. <S> The flavor of Vietnamese coriander closely mimics the flavor of cilantro, and hence, can be used as a cilantro substitute. <S> This herb is believed to be very effective for some common gastrointestinal problems like, indigestion, stomachache and flatulence. <A> I would try Lime Basil or a mixture of 1/2 vinegar, and 1/2 bottled lime juice (small portion). <A> I am one of the people that love the taste of Cilantro (and Coriander) <S> - Cilantro tastes like <S> as if it should be called lemon Parsley to me - so my suggestion would be to replace it half and half with Parsely/Lemon Balm or Pasley/Lemon Thyme depending on the region the dish is from. <S> If it is a SE Asian dish, you might also be able to substitute Lemon Grass and Parsley. <S> I would only use Flat leaf Parsley as it isn't as bitter and tastes more "green" than curly leaf Parsley. <S> Lemon Balm and Lemon Grass on their own taste too much of Lemon, Parlsey on it's own is too dull. <A> If you are cooking a curry or Asian dish, perhaps Thai basil or purple basil would work instead. <S> If you are cooking a Mexican style dish, Mexican oregano might also be a good choice. <S> I have also read that celery leaves are a good substitute, but they can be tricky to find as most stores only sell the stalks. <S> Sometimes you can find bunches at the Farmer's Market that still have the leaves attached. <S> I would also suggest carrot greens, which will have a similar appearance but still impart some flavor. <S> These might pack more of a flavor punch than just parsley. <A> I too have the so-called "soap-gene", but after 8 years living in Mexico, I have come to tolerate cilantro. <S> Still, for several years I sought alternatives. <S> Parsley is not, except visually. <S> A mix of parsley, lemon basil or lime basil, and beet or radish or celery leaves isn't too far off, and lacks the soap thang. <S> A very small bit of yerba buena, mixed with Mexican oregano, and maybe a bit of basil, gets a similar point across, but don't use too much, because it is a member of the salvia fairly closely related to spearmint -- great on a cucumber and onion salad or cucumber yogurt dressing on salmon, but not quite right on tacos. <S> Someone above said fresh coriander, but that is silly -- fresh coriander is cilantro. <S> And ground coriander seeds are used extensively in Mexican cooking, but do not replace cilantro. <A> Papalo - cilantro on steroids. <A> For the special case of just using it as a green, herby garnish on top of an asian dish: In some cases, thinly sliced spring onion greens will do fine <S> (different flavor, same function: be green and provide a visual and flavour-wise contrast to the cooked ingredients). <A> I can't say for certainty how similar they are, because the soap flavor is so overwhelming to me. <S> The wikipedia page says that culantro is stronger. <S> (but I can put lots into a dish, and not gag) <S> I have no idea if it would still trigger your dad's allergies, though. <S> They're both in the Apiaceae family. <S> The only place that I can find it in Maryland is in latin markets, or the larger international markets (that cater towards asian & latin communities). <S> It's a long, narrow leaf (sort of a stretched oval. <S> See wikipedia , although the cultivated stuff is closer to 12" (30cm)). <S> It's often in plastic bags in the store (as it can dry out fairly quickly, but it holds okay in your fridge for a week or two if you wrap it in paper towels and then re-bag it) <A> Out of 3 different recipe books, I see they swap parsley for cilantro. <S> Not sure if you will get the flavor that you are looking for there, though. <A> I'm doing 1/3 each mix of basil, parsley, and lemon peel in my tandoori based dish. <S> I forgot the cilantro and dont have thai basil or those other "exotic" spices laying around. <S> Wish me luck. <A> Also have the soap-taste problem. <S> I agree that parsley is more a substitute in looks rather than flavor. <S> I tend to use either arugula or watercress as they have a bit of a bite that at least let's <S> you know they're there. <S> I like the idea of celery leaves. <S> Maybe will try mincing a three of them up together!
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Culantro (eryngium foetidum) seems to have many of the flavors of cilantro without the soap taste.
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How do you get a nice yellow gravy color when making a chicken pot pie? I'm making a chicken pot pie. Taste is decent, texture is good, however the appearance of the 'chicken gravy' inside is more....dull gray like than a more vibrant yellow. I don't mind it, but most people eat with their eyes first so.... Is the yellow color artificial or natural, and what can be added/removed to create this? <Q> I've only seen that color in canned cream of chicken soup <S> and I'm dubious of its source. <S> I personally don't feel like it <S> has to be yellow. <S> If your goal is just color I would use turmeric- <S> it is my yellow-stain of choice. <A> The OXO cubes are quite heavily colored (not naturally), and will make your gravy yellow. <A> Chicken fat is what you want, and-- <S> this is important--no cream or milk. <S> This will get you a yellowish colour. <S> For extra bonus points, make your pastry with schmaltz as well. <S> They do this at the gourmet supermarket down the road, and their chicken pot pies fly off the shelves. <A> Turmeric can be used without effecting the taste too much, all though I agree with previous posters with the analysis on why the color is yellow. <A> Yellow? <S> Hm... <S> the gravy on my homemade pot pie is a pretty off-white, creamy color. <S> It's colored by the half&half and chicken broth that it starts with. <S> Perhaps if your chicken broth is yellow-y to begin with <S> and you use more of that? <A> Turmeric does work to give chicken soup or pot pie <S> it's yellow color, but the best thing to use is saffron threads. <S> Just a few threads will turn a whole soup a nice yellow, without altering the flavor. <S> Saffron is also what is used to make Spanish Paella (rice with chicken, sausage and shrimp). <S> It can be purchased at specialty grocery stores, like Whole Foods, or sometimes health food stores or online. <S> It is very costly compared to other seasonings. <S> (a small vile which might have 10 threads in it for $10.) <S> Hope this helps you. <S> PS. <S> Do not overuse the saffron as a little goes a long way in coloring broths. <A> Yellow colored chicken soup can be achieved using chicken feet. <S> Old Jewish secret <A> Using a brown chicken stock would help the color and provide some extra flavor. <S> When making your stock, roast the bones before adding them. <S> Brown the veggies before adding them. <S> (Some people add a little tomato paste, too.)
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Usually that bright yellow gravy colour is from using bouillon cubes or powder to make the broth, rather than making it yourself. Use chicken fat to make a roux, and then chicken stock.
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What is the point of a baking rack? I notice when I bake cookies (usually chocolate chip or peanut butter) the recipe often says "place on baking rack to cool". Because I don't have one, I just place them on a plate after removing them from the pan. It doesn't seem to do any harm. What is the point of buying this special piece of equipment? <Q> A cooling rack serves two primary purposes. <S> First, it allows the cookies (or other baked good) to cool faster by letting air circulate completely around the cookie. <S> Second, it prevents the steam escaping from the cookies from soaking the bottoms, and other cookies placed on top. <A> In addition to hobodave's cookie-specific answer, as a general point (since this was asked as a general question) it's also quite important to have a rack if you are baking anything with a significant quantity of fat (i.e. meat). <S> The rack allows the fat to actually drain; otherwise the food would end up being drowned in its own fat and become soggy. <S> In extreme cases the fat may actually burn and seriously taint the flavour of the food you're baking. <A>
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When you place something on a cooling rack you expose more of the surface area to the air allowing your cookies, bread, etc to cool faster than just leaving them out on the pan.
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Can lemon juice concentrate be used after the use-by-date? My lemon juice concentrate's use by date passed a few months ago. It was kept it in the fridge the whole time. Is it still safe to use it? <Q> I also typically use bottled lemon juice, as my budget does not allow for fresh lemons. <S> Stilltasty says you should use the bottle within a week, but I've had success with keeping it much, much longer. <S> That said, this is one item that will not usually work well past its best-by date, I've found. <S> Maybe in the future, you could freeze it in cubes if you can't use it soon enough? <A> and it was fine. <S> Citric acid is literally a preservative. <S> Why not? <S> What is supposed to preserve the preservatives? <A> With any food, when you are getting to months past the use by date, it would be wise to throw it out. <S> Odds are that it is more an issue of the taste deteriorating, but why take any chances? <A> I wouldn't. <S> I tend to be--at home, not at work!--of the "Eh, if it's not actually developing its own language, bung it in a pan and see what happens" school. <S> But months past the best-before is something even I won't mess with. <S> Yes, best-before dates are incredibly conservative, and in many cases (e.g. honey) are irrelevant and used merely as a marketing technique. <S> (Oh no, my X has expired, I need to buy more X.) <S> But for one thing, flavour compounds in fruits (even pasteurised concentrates) break down over time, leaving a flat dull flavour. <S> For another, it has almost certainly bounced around in temperature, possibly been contaminated by molds and yeasts living in your fridge (yes they do, and no <S> it's not really something you need to worry about if there's turnover in your fridge <S> and it's basically clean), and possible been cross-contaminated by other things. <S> Sure, you're not going to dump raw meat in your bottle of lemon juice, but if you have been slightly careless (as we all are!) <S> about putting the lid down on a contaminated cutting board... <A> Even if it is more acidic and concentrated... <S> in the end it is a fruit juice, and fruit juices tend to spoil comparatively quick even in the fridge (very high water activity that anything that can deal with the acidity can take advantage of).
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I just used lemon juice concentrate 1 1/2 years after the best-by date to cook with fish
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Is there a safe way to remove items that have fallen into a Garbage Disposal? I've always been told to never reach into a garbage disposal, for obvious reasons, but always seem to drop items in that I don't want to risk ruining the blades with by grinding them. Is there a tool(s) that can be used to efficiently retrieve items from a disposal? <Q> Circuitry can't just turn itself on; the machine is controlled by a switch. <S> If the switch is not flipped on, the circuit is not complete and the machine will not run. <S> Our switch is up on the wall, under a cabinet. <S> There is no chance of something hitting that switch accidentally, so I just reach in when something falls down the drain. <S> If I thought there was even a chance that the disposal could turn on, I would never reach in there. <A> This makes absolutely sure it can't be accidentally turned on. <S> It is the same principle taught in shop class before changing the blades on the table saw and is well worth the extra few seconds of effort. <A> Well, definitely don't turn it on while your hand is down there :) <S> Seriously though, practically speaking, the disposal is physically incapable of turning itself on or causing you damage when it is off. <S> It is turned on by a switch (like a light switch). <S> What happens when you flick the switch is that a circuit is completed -- this is what turns it on. <S> When the circuit is incomplete, electricity cannot travel to the disposal. <S> In theory, a strong enough electric surge could theoretically "arc" and act momentarily as though the switch were on, thus closing the circuit. <S> However, in practice, this would (as Hobodave mentioned) either fry your fuse (causing it to not come on), fry your disposal (causing it to never come on again), or throw your circuit breaker (causing it to not come ever again on until you reset the breaker). <S> (Any electronics people, please forgive the simplicity of the above. <S> I am intentionally trying only to convey the practical truth and am trying to avoid the full lecture on electronics.) <S> This is not to say that there couldn't be something dangerous in this dark tight space (like a blade, or broken glass) <S> but this is always a potential concern. <S> If you're careful and slow, there is no danger to reaching in as deep as your hand will allow into a disposal. <S> The first time you do it, you will get the willies when you feel those disposal blades, but be careful and you'll be perfectly safe to do this by hand. <S> If your hand is not small enough to fit into the opening, find someone whose hand is small enough. <S> The space down there is tight and oddly shaped. <S> I have thin hands which have been down there <S> way too many times <S> and I can promise that there is likely no tool which can navigate the weird angles and retrieve your lost item. <S> Edit: <S> OChef appears to mention such a tool: http://www.ochef.com/products/alligetter.htm <A> I always used to reach in and grab stuff, but I would always put a piece of tape over the switch first.
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Whatever you decide to use, unplug the garbage disposal first if possible, or turn off the circuit breaker it is connected to.
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How to clean a burnt cast iron pot? I have this cast iron pot that my friend completely burnt. I was wondering what might be done to save this pot. I realize that this question seems similar to this one but in that one his skillet is not burnt and it is seasoned. Thanks for your help. <Q> my 'nuclear option' for cast iron skillets is to put them in a basin of lye solution, and let the pan sit for a week or a month (depending on how fresh and how concentrated the lye solution is.) <S> We keep a plastic basin out back for this. <S> lye is bad stuff, so if you have kids or pets, do please be careful. <S> The lye, however, will take off anything organic, and bring the skillet back to bare metal (well, some scrubbing may be necessary. <S> use a plastic scrubby). <S> in this condition, the skillet will start to rust instantly. <S> I work as follows: after the four weeks, take the skillet out of the bath, scrub it and hose it off, then immediately pour white vinegar on it: the acidity prevents rusting. <S> Then put it in a 450 F preheated oven for half an hour. <S> Then start the reseasoning process. <S> As I said, this is the method of last resort. <S> Here is a photo of a #3 cast iron pan, rolled back to 'year zero' after a few months in a lye solution, next to a seasoned #2 pan. <S> The iron actually looks like metal. <S> In this condition, you can check the surface for pitting, cracks, etc. <S> The vinegar is on hand to prevent rust. <A> I thought that as it was cast iron you could just put the whole thing in a big fire and it would burn off whatever was burnt on <S> and then you could scrub off the ashes, which should be fairly easy to do once the are realy <S> just char.. <S> The second comment here seems to think you can do this as well. <S> You might also be able to do this in a couple of other ways: <S> Put the pot upside down over a high flame to burn off the food. <S> they used to do this at a Chinese restaurant I worked at to clean the woks. <S> The woks weren't cast iron though. <S> Put the pot in a self cleaning oven on the clean cycle. <S> Disclaimer: <S> I haven't done this, but I think it should work. <S> If it gets voted up, then you should be ok, if it gets voted down, [peer pressure] for me. <S> You'll need to re-season afterwards. <A> I had two pans that were in pretty bad shape from an antique store. <S> My "reset" button for them was an overnight camping trip. <S> I stayed in the tent. <S> They stayed in the campfire. <S> I built a large batch of coals and, before I went to bed, I buried the two pans in the fire circle under about 4 inches of coals. <S> In the morning, I pulled them out and scrubbed them down with sand and some steel wool and they went straight to the seasoning process. <S> The fire carbonized the caked on food which then scrubbed off easily. <S> The #8 is now one of my favorites. <A> Scrub the heck out of it with Kosher salt and the tiniest amount of water, then start all over again seasoning it. <S> A fair amount of work, but well worth it to save a good skillet. <A> Biological laundry detergent (just mix the powder into a paste) and leave somewhere warm for a day or so will remove anything organic - this stuff is scary. <S> If anything is left, scrub with a paste of bicarb and water <A> I gave a pan to a friend with a sandblaster to treat it for me, and he never gave it back. <S> So, that's a risk with this method. <S> I have scraped with a table knife . <S> That worked well for burnt-on stuff in a small area, but it's a huge job to clean the whole pan. <S> Coarse steel wool or brass wool can work, too. <S> Many people don't realize how much stuff is burnt on to their cast iron. <S> They're not supposed to be black & rough, but dark grey and very smooth . <S> As others have said, be sure to season as soon as they're clean. <S> Or at least oil them to protect against rust until you're ready to season. <A> Seeing as I am an hard core new Englander, having lived in new Hampshire all my life, and very savvy to the old way. <S> If your cast iron pan gets a lot of build up due to burnt food, throw it in the stove the next time you put fire wood in. <S> When that filling or wood is burnt down and ready for a refill, pull out the pan, using a set of tongs to grab it with. <S> The dam pan is hot and will burn you bad. <S> let it cool and then steel wool it and your good to go <A> I got most off with single edge razor scraper. <S> ( a bit off work, heavily coated). <S> I then thought of oven cleaner. <S> Let it soak awhile in garage and was able to get it clean enough with scraper again and wipe off with rag and one off those scrub pads. <S> Much easier. <S> Rinse under hot water and dry off. <S> I think I'll try to find sandblaster though (local welder?) <S> for outside and touch up inside if cheap enough. <S> Will offer him 5 if he will do next time he uses blaster for his own work. <A> I just thought I would add what to do with an ENAMELED cast iron pot, like a Le Creuset. <S> I had a doozy once, just black carbon scalded to the enamel. <S> After trying everything, I put it on a hot flame (gas range) and kept dripping in white wine and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. <S> Took about a half hour and a whole bottle of wine <S> but it worked... <S> or maybe I was just sipping on the wine as I went, <S> and that's why it took a whole bottle :)
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A sandblaster will quickly remove burnt-on stuff from a cast-iron pan.
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Keeping bugs out of rice Recently, a sack of whole grain organic rice that we bought became infected with small black bugs. We bought the rice in the bulk bins at the same organic supermarket we always visit, but this time we didn't cook it until a few weeks after buying it. Since, the rice was stored in a sealed plastic bag, it seems like the bugs (or their eggs?) must have been in the rice when we bought it. Is this normal? Should I worry about buying rice there again? Is there a better way I should be storing the rice? It was in a plastic sack with a twist-tie. <Q> Those bugs are probably weevils. <S> I would take it back to the store and ask for a refund. <S> The weevils are about 1/4 inch long and they have a little tube sticking out of their head. <S> The larvae take about 35 days to emerge from inside the kernels. <S> A farmer can only control a weevil infestation with chemicals, which would preclude the organic label, and there is just so much frogs and birds can eat. <A> I have always understood that a certain level of egg incidence is unavoidable (and thus is acceptable under FDA standards). <S> Under the right conditions, they will hatch. <S> I learned to always put a new bag of grain/flour in the freezer for 3 days (I usually forget it for a week or two) after which it keeps for months. <A> I occasionally to find bugs in organic bags of unopened rice. <S> I believe this is normal for organic grains. <S> I have also found them in organic popcorn. <S> Not often but it happens. <S> It's Part of nature & organic natural lifestyle. <S> If you want to toss it/ return it, understandable, but not necessary. <S> you can freeze or rinse in colander & remove them. <S> Then cook as usual. <A> I wouldn't be any too pleased. <S> I'd take it back and complain. <S> My guess is that you could have held this down to 'a bit of extra protein' by freezing the rice, but you shouldn't have to do this.
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I've bought bulk organic rice from WFM here in Boston for 20 years and never had this problem. If the rice is the only grain with bugs, chances are the larvae were already in the rice.
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What's the US equivalent of double and single cream? I can find whipping cream, half and half, and even clotted cream where I'm staying in the US but not double or single cream, are these familiar terms or is there a US equivalent term? <Q> In the UK, single cream is a milk product with at least 18% butterfat. <S> Double cream has 48% butterfat. <S> Neither are common in the US. <S> If you can find clotted cream, which is 55% fat, then there is a chance of making double cream at home by diluting it. <S> As some clotted creams have a cooked taste, there may be other solutions. <A> Here's a link to the US specifications: 21 CFR PART 131—MILK AND CREAM <S> From there: Light Cream (18% or more fat) Heavy Cream (36% or more) Dry Cream <S> ( I've never heard of it , 40% or more) From the percentages provided by Papin's answer, it looks like: <S> U.S. Light Cream is likely Single Cream equivalent <S> Some U.S. Heavy Creams may be close to Double Cream <S> U.S. Dry Cream, if you can find it, is something to consider Update , I also learned: Looking at fat content alone is not enough to compare US v. UK creams. <S> Pasteurization practices are also a large factor. <S> Apparently most ( or all? ) <S> U.S. heavy cream is processed using Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), and UHT reportedly yields less flavorful heavy cream than UK double cream. <S> I read Double Cream, when used as a whipping cream, can be problematic. <S> Apparently, it's higher fat content makes it prone to over-whipping if you don't pay close attention. <A> In Canada, we have Half and Half (10%) <S> Table Cream (18%) Whipping Cream (35%) <S> There's also a "Light" cream at about 6%, but that's a newer product. <S> So I've always taken Half and Half to be "Half cream", Table to be single (roughly 2 x 10%) and Whipping to be double (roughly 2 x 18%) <A> and I've had a lot of success, where the cream was intended for richness as opposed to thickness.
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It's not exactly a direct answer, but in terms of practicalities, I tend to use Darigold Classic 36% Heavy Whipping Cream as a substitute for double cream in recipes.
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Looking for a rice cooker, steamer, deep fryer, slow cooker combo that can cook rice and steam at the same time I know this is slightly crazy, but I am a minimalist. I try to get by on as little "stuff" as possible. Basically I want a rice cooker that can steam my vegetables and chicken for a meal all at the same time, and it would be nice if the same appliance could be a deep fryer the few times I need one or a slow cooker. Anything like this? <Q> I want a car that can fly. :P <S> I say you have two options: <S> A quality dutch oven . <S> This can do it all, although steaming might be difficult unless you can find a steamer insert for your dutch oven. <S> It's certainly the closest you're gonna get to a slow cooker. <S> A quality stock pot with a steamer insert (or two). <S> I have a great 12 qt stock pot with 2 steamer inserts. <S> I deep fry in it often, the high sides contain spatter. <S> The only thing it doesn't do well is slow cook. <A> I think you will have difficulty in finding one that will also deep fry. <S> I have a 4 in 1 electric cooker that does rice (with a vegetable steaming insert), porridge (it has a seperate button for this), slow cooking and steaming - no deep frying though. <S> Its a tefal 4 in 1 fyi. <A> Based on my recent experience I can recommend at least for your short-list (or as an addition given the comments above which seem to suggest you can get all in one except the deep-fry part), the Tefal Actifry. <S> Replaces a deep-fat fryer and can do most of the things you can do in an oven and stove-top, and when frying it uses only the amount of oil that's left on the food at the end (i.e. about a tablespoon to do say a kilo of chips). <S> But also does quite a lot besides the obvious chips and meaty things like hot-wings and sausages; some examples posted here: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/L?content=noticeboard/recipes/actifry.htm (stews, curries, fried rice etc) <S> Some reviews have posted concerns about reliability (clips break, fans burn out), which are supposedly fixed in more recent iterations of the design (users reporting that replacement lids have thicker clips; 'Which' a consumer group in the UK has a response from Tefal saying they've fixed the fan issue..), but to guarantee I had one of the newer models I went for the only-recently introduced 'Family' version which also has 1.5x the capacity of the original model. <S> No issues so far, but I've only had it a few weeks.. <S> Overall got it probably mainly as I just generally have a weakness for gadgets, but it's proved a great/very versatile addition to my tiny corner-of-the-studio-flat kitchen and my friends are loving the chips it makes :) <S> And when cooking just for myself I also really like the way you can set the timer and go watch TV while it does its thing.. <A> You could be interested to the Presto® Kitchen Kettle™ multi-cooker/steamer. <A> The Deni Multi Fryer is a combo cooker / fryer / deep fryer / slow cooker / rice cooker / steamer all in one. <S> You will love it I do. <A> NOT all at once, obviously, but a really good quality, heavy-bottomed large stainless steel pan + lid + a steamer inset + a rice ball like this: should fulfil all your requirements without too many gadgets or "stuff" cluttering your kitchen and/or your life. <S> This combination also can be used on any type of stove top. <S> It is important the base is thick, so the heat distribution is even. <S> I used an old pressure cooker with a rice ball and stainless steel cullender for years. <S> This combination takes "one-pan cooking" to a new level. <A> I have this rice cooker, although it's branded "National", not "Panasonic". <S> It has a perforated platform that you can put in after the rice and water, and it sits about an inch above the bottom of the pot. <S> Perfect for steaming salmon filets. <S> It's not a deep fryer nor a slow cooker.
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Yes, there is something like a slow cooker which will double as a steamer and a deep fryer, as well as cook rice.
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Are there any substitutes for Shortening? I was specifically thinking about the Crisco shortening that is used in baking. <Q> You can achieve the same thing with butter, but butter also has water in it, so you'll end up with some extra lift in the pastry, which isn't always desired for recipes that call for shortening. <S> It also melts at a lower temp, so you have to start with it cold and work quickly. <S> ... now, the other use of shortening in baking is for greasing pans -- again, it's because it's solid, so it'll stick to the sides of the pan. <S> For that, you can often use canned cooking sprays, as they have surficants which will keep them from dripping. <A> An excellent substitute is coconut oil, because it is solid at room temperature. <S> If you use vegetable oil, it will give the resulting baked good a much more oily texture. <A> You can use any neutral flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola oil. <S> You can also use butter, but you may have to adjust for the amount of water present in the butter (about 20%), unless you're using clarified butter which is a 1:1 substitution. <A> I bet this isn't the answer you are looking for, but there's always lard. <S> Whole Foods sells an alternative to Crisco that I've used successfully. <S> I don't have a tub here right now to get the brand. <A> I recommend clarified butter, especially if you clarify it yourself, or brown butter, especially if you brown it yourself. <S> It takes a few minutes, and you need to let it cool down again before it becomes solid, which can take a few hours, but it lasts much longer than butter once you do these steps. <S> I've found it a much more flavorful alternative to shortening, and it offers most of the textural advantages. <A> I usually use applesauce instead of oil for banana bread. <S> I was out one day <S> so I used yogurt instead. <S> It works great. <S> I did an even exchange. <S> One note, if you use Greek yogurt, decrease the amount because it will overpower the rest of your flavors. <A> There is an organic shortening just so you know... <S> I recommend coconut oil for the same reasons already posted. <S> Then there is butter. <S> Both of them have the same amount of calories. <S> The same with organic olive oil. <S> I do not recommend canola oil if you are wanting to be organic. <S> It is made from the rapeseed and the rapeseed is a genetically modified product. <S> Clarified butter will not spoil if it sits out just like shortening. <S> But olive oil can go "smelly" after a couple of days which will affect the taste of your baked goods. <A> Rendered bacon fat after it hardens. <S> It's a tasty substitute. <A> Shortening gives baked goods the soft effect that butter would not. <S> Some cookie recipes call for both to get the flakiness of a good cookie and the softening for the softening so it won't be to crispy. <S> Lard will give you a stale flavor as it is a meat by product. <S> And coconut oil does not have the same effect as shortening that I am aware of. <S> We need a chemist, ALTON BROWN <S> WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!! <S> Lol. <A> I always use applesauce in place of shortening in banana bread. <S> Applesauce does not change the texture or flavor. <S> I substitute it for equal measures of shortening.
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Lard. ... and to build on what @bmargulies said: Other coconut oil, lard is one of the few fats that are solid at room temperature, and the only reason for using shortening in baking that I'm aware of is to get the little lumps of shortening mixed with the flour that don't melt until it's baked, which will result in a tender texture.
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What is the preferred method for sanitizing the kitchen? I'm aware of a number of ways for sanitizing. Soap. Ammoniac. Bleach. Sodium bicarbonate. Which of these is the preferred method of sanitation?Which concentrations are recommended?How can you test whether the levels of concentration are correct? <Q> Another route for day to day cleaning is vinegar. <S> I use a spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water at night on my counter tops before bed. <S> (Use soap after cooking or prepping.) <S> The vinegar does a good job cleaning bacteria, mold, and germs. <S> Once you get accustomed to the smell of vinegar, you will realize it deodorizes after the vinegar smell goes away. <S> A nice touch is rubbing a lemon on the counter beforehand, but it really doesn't do much other than smell nice and break down oil. <A> For the family home kitchen don't sanitise your kitchen, you are wasting your time Just use "elbow grease" and a little of the same detergent you wash your dishes in on a plain cloth. <S> You want to mechanically remove food, oil, and fat from work surfaces. <S> The cloth gets washed with your hot towel laundry. <S> Remember the knobs and dials on appliances and handles of cupboards and the fridge too Anything more is just cosmetic. <S> All you need to do is mechanically remove food, oil, fat and water <S> so bacteria can't multiply <S> Also if you don't change your cloths and towels with each cooking session you are really wasting your time trying to sanitise the kitchen anyway <S> You cannot 100% kill bacteria without using chemicals unsafe for humans and pulling apart your kitchen. <S> And then an hour later it will be dirty again because the breeze brought something in, or you have shoes on that have been outside! <S> Your kitchen will be full of your families bacteria if cleaned this way. <S> These bacteria are compatible with you body, and should not become a risk unless allowed to grow in large numbers. <S> These bacteria will compete for food with any new imported bacteria, so you don't want to wipe them out (not that you can). <S> They can help stop imported pathogenic bacteria from establishing themselves <A> MY preferred method (and for the establishments I have worked) has been to clean using soap and water, then sanitize using either a commercial product, or a bleach and water solution. <S> If you are going to immerse items to be sanitized, you should use 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water. <S> Item should stay in solution for a minimum of 2 minutes. <S> Air dry. <S> Sanitizer should be in contact with surface for 1 minute. <S> Air dry. <S> If you don't want to air dry, rinse the item and dry with a clean towel. <S> Due to comments below, I searched for something to back up my statements. <S> The guidelines I stated are from the CDC, and I apparently remember them from when I was worked in childcare (in which we prepared foods). <S> Here is a page that should clarify. <S> http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/5FCFA874-2853-4247-ACC4-F11196C07F93/10596/GeneralSanitationGuidelines.pdf <S> Hopefully someone can make this into a "cleaner" link with a clickable text, as I am not sure how to do that. <A> Soap and water on everything that could conceivably come into contact with food. <S> So... all food preparation surfaces, walls a good 2-3 feet (60cm-1m) up and down from prep areas. <S> Everything in between. <S> Then spray everything with a commercial sanitizing product, such as a multi-quat foodsafe santizer.
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If you want to spray sanitizer onto items, like counter tops, use a solution of 1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water.
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How to make apple chunks in apple pie stay intact? I made an extremely delicious apple pie yesterday, with a puff pastry crust. The only problem was that by the time the pastry was cooked, the apple filling had turned to mush - the texture of apple butter or apple sauce. I used fresh Bramley cooking apples from the tree in our garden, and cut them into what I thought were reasonable sized chunks... I added sugar and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) but nothing else - no water or anything. Should I have cut them into bigger chunks, or is there some other technique for ending up with solid chunks of apple in the pie rather than mush? <Q> The only trick I know of is to use a different variety of apple -- some will turn to complete mush, while others stay firm. <S> Unfortunately, unlike potatoes, they don't tend to be marked at the super market as to which variety they are. <S> Now, I'm not familiar with Bramley, but from what I've found, it's compared to Granny Smith, which tends to hold up well in pies. <S> I'd recommend blind baking your crust, if you aren't already, so the filling isn't in there as long, and possibly going with a thicker slice of apple when you're cooking, in hopes they won't break down as quickly. <S> update <A> Just recalled a pie I made a few years back that may help you out... <S> It was the end of the season, and I didn't have enough fresh apples left for both a pie and sauce. <S> The pork roast in the oven cried out for sauce, but the ice cream in the freezer pleaded for pie... <S> So I cooked up the sauce, and rolled out the dough, lining the bottom of the pie with dried apple slices, covering them with sauce and a solid top crust. <S> The dried apples softened as they cooked, and by the time the crust was done I had a thick, intensely-flavored filling. <S> So if you have apples to spare, slice and dry a few, then mix those into your next pie. <A> The first technique that comes to mind would be to bake the crust "blind" first. <S> That is, you put it in the oven with a weight on it (so that it doesn't bubble up). <S> Once the crust is mostly baked, add the filling and put in the oven for a second session. <S> That way, the filling doesn't need to wait for the crust to be done. <S> In all honesty, I actually like the apples mushy in my pie. <S> However, that's a matter of personal taste. <A> My understanding is that this is mostly to do with the apple variety. <S> Here is a chart of which apples will behave well in pie. <S> I see from Wikipedia that Bramley's are considered a definitive baking apple. <S> Is it possible that your tree isn't really Bramley's? <A> Try mixing your apples with the sugar and letting them drain in a colander over a bowl for 15-20 minutes. <S> Put the juices in a pan over low heat and reduce by at least half. <S> Assemble your pie and pour the reduction over the apples. <S> And check your oven's temperature with a good oven thermometer. <S> You may be cooking the pie too long if it's under temperature. <A> I usually pre-cook the apples in a saucepan, and then assemble the pie. <S> Then I can cook the crust at ridiculously high temperatures to do the crust in about 10-15 minutes, which doesn't allow enough time for the apples to continue cooking. <A> See What is the enzyme that makes apples's pectin heat resistant? <S> And can it be added to other fruits to achieve similar results? <S> ... <S> pre-baking the apple pieces separately for a couple ten minutes at ~60°C can indeed make them hold up better in fillings.
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: in checking CookWise , there's a comment in the apple pie recipe that "briefly sautéing and poaching apples softens them slighly before the sugar, which prevents cells falling apart and preserves texture, is added"
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How do you cook corn kernels on BBQ? I recently had some BBQ corn where the corn was in individual kernels. I'm wondering how this would be done on a BBQ... would you grill the corn on the cob , then cut the kernels off? Or would you do it the other way around? If so, in what would you cook the kernels? Must I use raw corn or can I use corn kernels from a can? <Q> You would use raw corn. <S> You can either grill it on the cob, or use a mesh grill roasting pan . <A> <A> When I use roasted corn kernels in recipes and have access to grilling weather, I find it ideal to pre-soak the heads of corn in water for about 20-40 minutes <S> then grill, husk intact, for about 25-35. <S> Once they are cooked, take off the husk, cut of the kernels with a knife going vertically from stem to tip. <S> You can also freeze corn prepared this way and it makes for a nice taste of summer when you add them to food in February. <A> Roasted Corn in January <S> Snow: <S> If you do not have access to a grill, like during winter time, my preferred method for roasting corn without the fire is to use a skillet and about 1 teaspoon maybe of olive/peanut oil and a teaspoon of paprika. <S> Basically, heat the oil until it is good and hot and coats the bottom of the skillet smoothly. <S> Drop the paprika (or chili powder, ancho powder, etc) in the bottom of the pan, let it roast for about 30-60 seconds pushing it around with a spatula a bit, add the corn from a can ( drained ), and burn the corn a bit (tossing it with the spatula).
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You would indeed want to leave the kernels on the corn and grill it according to the link you cited.
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What is the fastest/easiest way to prepare potatoes for mashing? I've always thought that mashed potatoes should be a really simple thing to make. But I find that with all the peeling, quartering, boiling, not to mention the incredibly messy cleanup, it's actually quite an arduous and tedious process. Assuming I plan to use a ricer to actually do the mashing, is there any faster or at least less messy way to soften the potatoes than boiling them? Any shortcuts I can use? <Q> If you're going to be using a ricer, just halve the potatoes -- you can then put them cut side-down into the ricer, and then press -- the skin will be left behind. <S> (I'd still give them a quick scrub before boiling them, though). <S> Of course, this is easier, but not necessarily faster as it'll take longer for the potatoes to cook through. <S> If you bake them, just clean, bake, then cut in half, and put through the ricer. <S> (Again, not really that much faster). <S> (of course, for red potatoes, they're always going to be lumpy, and have texture, so in that case, I tend to leave the skins on). <S> To reduce the overall time, if I'm going to be going for a smooth mash: Only use large potatoes. <S> Save the smaller ones for applications where you don't need to peel potatoes. <S> Cut the potatoes into slabs. <S> There's no need to get them to cubes. <S> I tend to go to about 2cm (~3/4") thick. <S> Any extra cooking time is made up for by reduced cutting / transfering bits to the pot / dealing with the chunk that fell and rolled under the cabinet / etc. <S> Start the water warming while you're peeling. <S> You don't want to place the potatoes into boiling water, but you can take some of the chill off it. <S> Toss a few cloves of garlic (whole, but paper removed, <S> end trimmed off) in with the potatoes, so you don't have to season afterwards. <S> Use stock rather than milk. <S> I keep boxed vegetable and chicken stocks at room temp, not chilled, so I don't have to heat it up first to deal with the issues of it cooling down the starches too fast. <S> Decide if the ricer's really worth it <S> -- I get good results just tossing everything back into the same pot after straining, hit 'em with a potato masher, add some liquid, then go through a few more times. <S> It saves a lot of cleanup, but it might not be exactly the texture you're used to, <A> I almost never peel my potatoes before boiling them for mashing. <S> So it's pretty much into the pot with some salt, cook, drain, and then mash with a standard masher. <S> A ricer does a lovely job <S> but it's a lot of work and mess. <S> That's pretty much a single pot, 30-45 minute solution <S> and I'm not sure it can get much faster or easier than that. <S> If you really want to use the ricer and loose the skins then try baking them rather tan boiling. <S> If you've already got the oven hot for a turkey, ham, or something else then putting the potatoes directly on the rack for an hour (ish) will get them cooked. <S> Then just scoop out the insides and mash. <A> Tools <S> Those little palm peelers work great for me - your mileage may vary. <S> If you have an apple peeler/slicer/corer , you can use this for potatoes as well, so long as they're fairly uniform. <S> The spiral-cut potatoes will cook faster too, but may also absorb more water - if you're worried, just move the blade out of the way and use the device only to peel. <S> Techniques <S> If you boil the potatoes skin-on the day before and refrigerate overnight, the peels should slip off the cold potatoes easily. <S> Then re-heat by simmering in your liquid, and rice or mash. <S> If you're really after quick, accept dirty results: as both Eric and Joe suggest, don't bother peeling and just toss everything together in one pot. <S> He suggests a masher, but a stick blender or hand mixer can speed this up even more. <A> I NEVER peel potatoes except when making French fries. <S> What a waste of time! <S> I just scrub and boil 'em for 40 minutes. <S> The skins slip off like a charm. <S> Why on earth would you want to go through all the work of peeling? <S> If you're doing something where the shape is important, like potato salad, shorten the boiling time by about ten minutes. <S> I was really ticked during a recent visit when I offered to prep potatoes for my hostess and was told to peel about 50 or so of the small spuds; they were not new potatoes, but the same size. <S> So I spent a good hour doing that. <S> Then they took off minor blemishes and boiled them for mashed potatoes. <S> My opinion is that all that could be done when the potatoes are boiled, soft and amenable. <A> Wash, cut in half, pressure cook 10 to 12 min. <S> Rice, add whatever you like. <S> I use a little butter, milk, garllic, salt, Pepper, whisk with fork. <S> Done in about 20 min. <A> Microwaving is clearly the fastest and easiest way, no contest. <S> Rinse potato (30 sec). <S> Wrap in wet paper towel and put on plate (30 sec). <S> Put in microwave for about 2-5 minutes and make sure it is nice and soft. <S> Cut into pieces then mash with a fork and mix with whatever you like for flavor (1-2 min). <S> Total time to prepare is about 4-8 minutes, depending on the amount of potato you need. <S> I do this twice every day, works great. <S> Doesn't taste quite as good, but it certainly tastes good enough for me to eat twice every day, and great for those of you who don't feel like taking an hour to prepare your food.
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If you're cooking red potatoes, even if you're not using a ricer, there's no need to peel them beforehand, as you can boil them whole, then rub the skin off with a dry towel.
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How to warm plates before serving? I realize that serving on warmed dishes is preferable to serving on cold/room temp dishes, so as not to leach the heat out of your freshly-cooked food. How can I warm my plates? I have two kinds of dishes: ceramic (cheapo from a department store) and Noritake china (circa 1955-60). Neither says "oven safe" on the bottom, but would a warm oven do the trick? Or microwaving? Or a hot water bath? I'm not sure how to achieve warmed plates, but I'm tired of eating cold fish. <Q> We do this regularly with regular dishes and fine china. <S> Neither say "oven safe". <S> My mother has also done it for years. <S> The process is fairly simple: Put our oven on it's coolest setting (about 175°F or 80°C, I think) <S> Wait for it to reach temperature <S> Turn it off Put dishes in and close the oven. <S> We just stack the dishes. <S> As Joe points out, they'll warm faster if you don't stack them. <S> However, I usually do this when I've got 6-8 dishes, so stack is easier. <S> Be careful when taking the dishes out. <S> They'll be hot. <S> We've never had a problem with dishes using this method. <S> However, if you don't think your dishes will stand getting hot, use your own judgement as there's a wide variety of quality and materials used in place settings. <A> Another few ways I do this, depending on what else is going on: If I have just a couple plates, I may do it in the toaster oven, or even just set them on top of an already hot toaster oven Pour a little boiling water in each bowl, then drain and wipe just before serving. <S> Pour a little cold water in each bowl and microwave for a couple of minutes <A> "Oven safe" refers to using them to cook rather than to whether they can be warmed. <S> Be careful putting cold dishes in a warm oven though. <S> I'd put them in a cold oven and turn the oven on its lowest setting. <S> Watch the temperature using an oven thermometer. <S> When it reaches the desired temperature (125-175F) turn the oven off. <S> Don't trust the oven's thermostat. <S> Don't use a preheat or quick preheat cycle if your oven has that. <A> <A> My new Samsung stove has a warming drawer. <S> Keeps food warm on the plate and preheats plates as well. <S> 3 settings of temperature: low, med, high. <S> Update: the model is FE710DRS <S> 5.9 cu. <S> ft. <S> Electric Flex Duo Range bought from Sears in Canada last year. <A> I use the proof setting for my oven which is 100F. <S> I didn't even realize I had a dough proof setting until I reread the manual and suddenly saw it. <S> So I just set the oven for 100F which I'm cooking <S> and it is the perfect temperature as I'm sure my dish washer is hotter than this and is still safe for plates. <A> In my part of the world, dishes are often kept in cabinets that may be hung on an exterior wall. <S> That can make your plates pretty cold during the winter, and putting hot food on them results in a cold meal very quickly. <S> If you're just cooking for a couple people, running plates under hot tap water for a few seconds takes the chill off them. <S> They won't get really hot this way, but at least they won't make your food instantly cold. <A> I do this the way my parents have always done it, by putting some water onto each plate, stacking them and then putting them into the microwave for 1-2 minutes. <S> Even with 4-6 plates this technique seems to work fine. <S> I've not used this technique for fragile plates, but our normal plates (both thin and thick) work fine this way. <S> I presume this would work in a similar way to oven technique, except if you're cooking for a party you're more than likely going to be using the oven for cooking some of the meal, which would leave little/no room for plates, and may be too hot. <S> Not to mention that using an oven for this kind of thing would be quite a waste of energy (IMO) <A> Put them in the bottom of the oven on the lowest setting for a few minutes. <S> If it's a fan oven preheat to the lowest setting, then turn it off and let the plates heat for a few minutes. <S> If you're currently using the oven and you have a grill or another oven above the one you are using you can use that as long as they don't touch the base of the unit. <S> ()you can proof bread this way too). <A> I just stack a few plates in the sink and run hot water over the top for a minute or two. <S> The water clings to the sides as it goes down <S> so it reaches every plate. <S> I'm actually a little perplexed about why this isn't already mentioned somewhere on here yet -- <S> it's easy, no chance of spilling water anywhere, and quicker than heating up the oven.
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You can buy microwave plate warmers - you stack the plates with them layered between and nuke them for a couple of minutes.
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What's the fastest way to seed grapes (e.g., Concordes)? I've got a bunch of grapes, with seeds. I need to seed them for a recipe. Cutting them in half and prying out the seeds with a paring knife makes me yearn for stringing beans. Any suggestions on how to get through this process faster? <Q> Put the grapes on a plate - best if you do as many at one time as will fill the plate in one layer. <S> Cover the plate with an identical plate turned upside down. <S> Using a long knife cut between the plates to cut all the grapes in half at once. <S> I use my thumb nail to scoop out the seeds, but the tip of a vegetable peeler will work better than a knife if your nails aren't long. <A> If you just need the pulp (for pie, ice cream, jam, etc...) <S> then cook them down and run them through a food strainer. <S> If you need them raw, or halved/skins on, then find a good audiobook... <A> I'd say this might be a good time to invest in a cherry pitter, as I'd assume it'd work on grapes, too. <S> Some things to try for speed : crushing them, and seeing if the pots pop free (it works for olives). <S> cut more than one at a time -- put four or five down on your work surface, place your hand over them, fingers up, and slice between your hand and counter with a sharp knife. <S> (although, I've never done this for something with pits, so I don't know how much of a problem it might be) <S> And, when all else fails, buy some seedless grapes, and save the seeded ones for snacking. <S> update <S> : I've since learned a safer method for option #2 : use lids from deli containers or other small items with raised lips (like the bottom of some earthenware plates). <S> Place it lip-side up, fill with items to be cut in half, place a similar item on top, press down on the stack, and slice in between the two containment devices. <A> Here's how you do it: <S> Cut Grape in half lengthwise, either all the way through or just through to the last skin <S> Remove the seeds from each half with a serrated grapefruit spoon. <S> Note: <A> It's easiest with larger grapes, cut through the middle rather than lengthwise. <S> The seeds tend to end up in one half and are easily removed with the tip of a paring knife. <S> I find that the loss of the edible portion of the grape is minimized. <A> Squeeze grape to seperate pulp from skin and seperate. <S> Bring pulp to boil. <S> At some point pulp will release the seed. <S> Then filter to seperate seed from pulp. <S> Combine unseeded pulp and skins. <S> Ready for pie etc. <S> See Joy of Cooking ..old version. <A> Have you tried pushing a straw through them? <S> Maybe a stainless straw would work. <S> I may take a Dremel tool to it, to put an edge on the straw!
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Assembly line is most efficient - pull enough grapes off stem to fill a plate, cut all the grapes in half, then remove the seeds from each grape.
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What happens when you bake Winesap apples? In researching the answer to a question of why the apples in a pie became mushy , I noticed that two of my cookbooks contradicted each other on the Winesap apple, on whether it remains firm upon baking. When the Winesap apple is baked, does it become mushy like a McIntosh or remain firm like a Granny Smith? I have never used or even eaten a Winesap, so I was hoping someone had experience with them. <Q> I went to the farmers' market last week and bought a variety of apples. <S> After cooking, here's the order from softest to firmest: McIntosh, Cortland, Winesap, Yellow Delicious. <S> The McIntosh of course practically dissolve. <S> If you want to make quick apple sauce, or if you like really squishy pie, they're the best. <S> I typically prefer Cortlands for pie, b/c <S> they don't totally dissolve <S> but neither do they keep their shape. <S> I think I'm going to try Winesap, though; I think they'd work great for pie. <S> The Winesap apples I used got very soft, but they still held their shape. <S> Think of it like a ripe banana or pear - it has shape, but you can squish it really easily. <S> After 30 minutes in the oven (making apple crisp), they got soft enough that lightly pressing with a fork would squish them down. <S> They did not stay as firm as the Yellow Delicious did and definitely not as firm as Granny Smith would. <A> I moved to Honolulu 40 years ago, and am so sad that winesap apples are no longer shipped here for Thanksgiving. <S> They are the absolute best for apple pies--firm, tart, tingy--with a little sugar, depending on how tart the batch is (I use the Better Homes & Garden recipe) and a great, home made pie crust--yum! <S> Granny Smiths, in my opinion, are flat and tasteless comparatively. <S> Honeycrisps are what I use now in place of winesap <S> --I found Fujis were too sweet. <A> This page claims they will hold their shape: <S> They're good for eating fresh, for making cider, and for baking. <S> Since they hold their shape well when baked, they're good for making apple dumplings.
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Winesap Apples (Stayman Winesap) are a firm but juicy apple with a wine-like, tart flavor.
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Why does dough break when kneading, and how to prevent/ameliorate it? I'm very new to bread-making in general; don't assume I'm necessarily doing anything right. During my last attempt at making quick (baking-powder-based) flatbread, I was attempting to flatten and knead the dough after having let it rest. What happened was that rather than bending or spreading as one would expect, the dough kept cracking/breaking into pieces here and there. I have several questions related to this, feel free to answer any/all of them: (a) What mistakes might have been made ahead of this point, in the recipe or the technique of preparing the dough, to cause this? (b) On the other hand, what can be done to prevent it from happening in the future? (c) Given a hunk of dough with this tendency on the table, what can be done to salvage and/or rectify matters? This can be in terms of kneading technique, or adding anything to the dough to make it more cohesive. <Q> It sounds like it didn't have enough liquid in it. <S> Assuming we are talking about a normal wheat-flour bread dough, I can't think of anything else that would lead to cracking and breaking. <S> Properly hydrated bread dough should be quite moist and elastic, and the only way you can "break" <S> it is to stretch it hard and fast with a pulling motion. <S> Fixing this situation is hard. <S> You can try to knead more water into it, but it has a tendency to just slip off the surface. <S> Try spreading it out as thin as possible, spraying or rubbing on a little water, folding and kneading and repeating the process. <A> If you hydrate too much and your dough becomes sticky, add more flour again. <A> I had that problem and found a adding both oil (just a little and working that in) and water (same) and repeating the process as needed with water only until the dough became more elastic and less resistant. <S> I worked quickly because yeast has a timing issue (as do I!) <S> and it is a challenge for me to get it just right. <S> I managed to do this without overshooting and having to add more flour which I don't like to do. <S> It seemed to do the trick and bread still rose beautifully. <A> Cracking is caused by insufficient elasticity , which is usually caused by insufficient moisture . <S> Adding more moisture into the recipe would almost certainly help you out there. <S> You can go with a 70% <S> dough hydration for example, utilizing the stretch and fold technique to achieve stability. <S> This would give you bread with large uneven holes in your crumb, like a rustic bread or a ciabatta. <S> I heartily recommend checking out a book called Flour Water Salt Yeast , by Ken Forkish . <S> He also has a very good book on Pizza, if that's of any interest.
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I've found the easiest way to re-hydrate your dough is to simply keep dipping your hands in warm water as you're kneading until you reach the desired texture.
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