texts:
Although I haven't purchased them, I've recently noticed more than one supermarket chain selling packages of "Chicken Paws".

To me, they look exactly like chicken feet, though I've never purchased those either. The definition of "paw" generally refers to the foot of an animal with four feet, but I've never known a chicken to have more than two.

I thought perhaps it's just a marketing ploy to make chicken feet sound more cute and cuddly by calling them paws, but that could also be counterproductive towards encouraging people to eat them.

What is the difference between chicken paws and chicken feet? If there is no difference, why are chicken feet now being sold as chicken paws?

Well, live and learn! — As Sue's answer correctly points out, the United States Department of Agriculture does indeed make a distinction between chicken feet and chicken paws:

The chicken paw on the left does not have as much of the lower leg as the chicken foot on the right.

While the difference may seem subtle to many people, it's apparently very important to consumers in China:

  Most premium jumbo paws are sold in wholesale markets and eventually make their way into high-end restaurants.  Smaller paws, chicken wings, and wing tips, in addition to being sold at wholesale markets, end up at wet markets and processing plants, which use them in finished food products.

  The market for chicken feet is more varied than that of premium chicken paws; larger chicken feet are sold to both wholesale and retail markets and are more commonly used for family consumption (and in barbecue stores), small feet are typically further cooked in processing plants.  Chinese consumers in the Northwest and Northeast tend to favor chicken feet over chicken paws.


texts: Why does custard go runny if left exposed in the fridge, what is the chemical reaction?

texts:
If I leave opened custard in a carton with just the spout open the custard remains thick the next day, but spread out on a plate its like water the following day.

Is it water inside the environment?

UPDATE: 7 days later : the custard from the same carton opened is still thick!


texts: Can a jar that has had botulinum food in it be cleaned

texts: If a home canned jar has botulinum in it can the jar be cleaned and saved? If so what is the correct way to clean the jar?


texts:
I need to make a wedding cake, the wedding is in 5 days. Can I bake it, stack the layers, crumb coat it and the freeze the crumb-coated layers? Ideally, I want to finish decorating the cake on the day of wedding, we are traveling to the wedding site two days prior to the wedding.
I know I won't have anyway to refrigerate the cake once I arrive at the venue the day before the wedding, so I was thinking the frozen cake would have time to thaw and acclimate before I apply the final buttercream. There won't be any fondant on this cake.
I've never tried freezing like this ... can I get away with it, or will the condensation kill the cake?


texts: Is it possible to finish a crème brûlée without a torch? Are there any other creative methods to get the sugar to crisp up on the top of this delicious dessert?


texts: Turning toasted, non-crumbly whole wheat bread into breadcrumbs

texts: I've got some toasted 100% whole wheat homemade bread that I would like to turn into breadcrumbs. How can I do that? It doesn't crumble easily.


texts: Teaching Bread Making to a young student- need new reasources

texts:
Hi Seasoned Advice Forum Members
I am a semi experienced Artisan Bread Baker. I am currently teaching a 9 year old boy the basics of bread making and would like to see if anyone has any  suggestions on where I can find free educational material on Bread making that is not too heady, that would benefit my student


texts: Does cumin contain curcumin? If not, where does the name come from?

texts: According to Wikipedia, curcumin was originally isolated from tumeric.  However, I haven't been able to find why it was  named curcumin or whether or not it cumin is currently known to contain it.


texts: How to avoid the potatoes from sticking to the pan while frying for french fries/finger chips?

texts: Sometimes when I fry the potatoes for french fries, the potatoes stick to the pan which irritates me and I can't separate the potatoes because if I use the spoon a lot, it will cut the fries into pieces. Due to the scarcity of resources, I can't manage to buy a non-sticky pen. Kindly recommend me some solution.


texts: What would cause dough not to rise while making no-knead bread?

texts:
I have made both the classic and the speedy version of the no-knead bread recipe provided by Mark Bittman in the New York Times. The one change I make is that I use active dry yeast rather than instant, simply because I don't typically have the latter at hand. I measure out the amount of water the recipe calls for, take out a quarter cup or so, heat it for a few seconds in the microwave so that it is warm (but not hot), dissolve the yeast in the warmed water, then add the dissolved yeast and the rest of the water to the flour to make the dough.

In the video that accompanies the speedy bread recipe, Jim Lahey suggests using hot water and adding a couple drops of red wine vinegar. The last couple of times I tried the recipe, I tried those suggestions. I separated out the water for dissolving the yeast and heated the rest beyond merely warming as needed for the yeast. I warmed the water for the yeast as usual. I added the hot water and a couple drops vinegar to the flour and gave it a couple of stirs first before adding the yeast water, as I thought the yeast would die if it came in contact with the hot water.

Both times, the bread was disastrous. The dough simply failed to rise sufficiently. Instead of more than doubling in size in four hours, it looked as though it had gotten to perhaps 1.5 times the original size, and it was quite smooth, like kneaded dough, instead of bubbly and stringy as the no-knead dough is supposed to be.

The first time, I thought I had made a mistake and added too little yeast, so I didn't think too much about it. The second time, though, I know I measured out the right amount of yeast and I was pretty careful in following the procedure. So I'm trying to account for the lack of rising. A little research suggested that perhaps the vinegar didn't help the yeast to rise, as it ordinarily would, but overwhelmed and killed the yeast.

I used a stainless steel bowl for mixing dough and letting it rise. I know that using stainless steel is generally fine, but perhaps it's a bad idea to add vinegar to the dough if I'm using stainless steel? Would this account for the lack of rise in the dough?

What other reasons might there be for the failure of the dough to rise? I tested my yeast with sugar dissolved in water and it's fine. Thanks!


texts: The secret to hash browns / home fries / breakfast potatoes

texts:
I have never been successful in making pan-fried potatoes àla the American diner.
It seems like such a simple concept, but they never turn out right! Usually undercooked & oily, with some parts getting burned...

Ideally, I'd like to produce potatoes that are crispy and golden brown on the outside, fully cooked and soft on the inside, and not excessively oily. What are the important factors to ensure this?

Some variables I've considered:

Type of Potato
Shape of cut (grated, thinly sliced, cubed, etc.)
Cooking technique (parboil first, or straight in the pan? How much oil, what temp, etc.)
Type of oil

I have yet to find a combination of values for these variables that produces proper hash browns... What are your guidelines for making breakfast potatoes? Which of the above variables are important? Are there any other keys that I am missing?
It seems so simple when diners do it; I can't figure out where I am going wrong...

Edit: I was afraid this would happen... terminology clarification: apparently I'm looking more for "home fries" or something to that effect. I do not want a solid potato pancake àla McDonald's hash brown; I am looking for pan fried potatoes; the pieces should be seperate (although they may stick together a bit in places). Some pictures I've found that seem to be more in line with my thoughts:

NOT:


texts: Coffee brewing methods - scientific analysis?

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Can anyone point out websites or academic articles analyzing coffee brewing methods?

I can easily identify taste differences between the various methods, but I'd like to know which ones are comparable and what variables are most important.

Methods:

drip
cold-brew (toddy)
pour-over
french press
other?

espresso

Beans:

type (arabica, robusta, other?)
roast (light->dark, freshness)
ground (fineness, consistency)

You can read about all this stuff all over the internet, but it's all anecdotes.  I'd like to see, e.g., the results of mass spectroscopy given different processes.


texts: I recently made a batch of marmalade and Ginger Marmalade and although I used the same recipe as I have before, this batch did not set very well at all. I didn't use any extra setting agent. My question is, can I reheat the marmalade and add in some pectin to hopefully set it ?


texts: If I cook chicken breasts in instant pot for a "longer time" would they come out super tender? I'm thinking 12 minutes or so

texts: I would think pressure cooking chicken breasts in the instant pot for longer, and by that I mean 12 minutes or a little more, they would come out super tender. Am I wrong? Would the opposite happen? I may try it as an experiment.


texts: Will steel cut oats work for oatmeal cookies?

texts: I usually use rolled oats or quick cooking (but not instant) oats for oatmeal cookies. Can they be made with steel cut oats?


texts:
I'm looking for a substitute to milk in the coffee... something that will have the same effect on the coffee (tone down the bitterness of a coffee cup) put that wont turn bad after two weeks.

Here's the situation... I do like to take a good coffee when I'm a little sleepy on the job... that happens, well, maybe once a week.

But if I buy a 1L carton of milk, it will have the time to turn bad before I'm at the halfway point.

So is there a product that I could use to substitute the milk in my coffee that wont turn bad?


texts:
I think it would be nice for me to have a rugged computer based networkable device with a touch screen mounted in the kitchen to bring up those difficult recipes.

Does anyone here have any experience with such equipment and so point me to a reliable one?


texts: Grilling veggies & meat on same surface for vegetarian guests

texts: If I grill veggies and then grill meats (or vice versa) on the same surface, is heating and brushing the grill an adequate method to assure I haven't offended a vegan or vegetarian?


texts: Need help reconciling quantities in this recipe

texts:
Here's a recipe from a package of chocolate chips (edited, but not substantively):

  2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  ½ cup granulated sugar
  1 cup softened butter or margarine
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  2 eggs
  1 package [=12 ounces] chocolate chips
  1 cup chopped nuts, optional

  Preheat…. Combine…. Add…. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto non-greased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Recipe yields approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Now, I figure we can't count powdery ingredients like flour as adding their full volume to the batter: they get condensed when wet. But the liquid ingredients should add their full volume: specifically, the cup of butter should account for a cup of batter. The cup of brown sugar is firmly packed (and it's pretty moist, too), so I figure it should account for another cup of batter, or very nearly. Finally, all the other ingredients — including 2¼ cups of flour, two eggs, and a lot of chocolate — surely add at least another cup to the batter. So we've got at least three cups of batter.

The yield is about two dozen cookies, so each cookie is made of:
(at least 3 cups of batter) ÷ (about two dozen) = (at least one fluid ounce of batter).

Yet the recipe calls for the cookies to be made of "rounded teaspoonfuls", surely not fluid ounces. (A fluid ounce is six (flat) teaspoonfuls.)

Where did I go wrong in my reasoning? (Or is there simply a mistake in the recipe as printed?)


texts: I got an awesome set of copper pots as a wedding gift. They are amazing, but the direct flame has created aggressive burn marks and discoloring. I'm aware that this is always going to occur. Is there a way to restore the original color?


texts: Cooking Turkey Legs and boneless Turkey breast in an electric roaster

texts: Just two people for Thanksgiving.  One wants to eat healthy (I bought a boneless Turkey Breast at Whole Foods) and the other wants Turkey legs (also from Whole Foods).  My oven is broken so I just purchased an electric roaster but have never used one and am new to cooking in general.  I'd appreciate any guidance in terms of how to use the electric roaster to cook both these items.  There is plenty of information out there on how to good an entire Turkey in an electric roaster, but not just parts.  Thank you.


texts: How can you make a lot of water come out of chicken by freezing and denaturing it?

texts:
I have noticed that sometimes when I freeze chicken a large amount of water pours out of the chiken and settles/freezes on the chicken surface.  From what I understand this is the result of ice crystals forming and damaging cells which then causes the liquid to pour out.  Usually we see only a small amount of water pour out however somtimes I have noticed a lot of water pour out.  I have noticed that when a lot of water has poured out if one marinades the chicken this seems to go deep inside the chicken, perhaps because of newly vacant space which becomes available for water.

I want to know, how can one ensure a large amont of denaturing occurs and a lot of water pours out during the freezing stage?  I mean do you have to ensure the chickens are well hydrated in the first place, do you simply just slow freeze, can you freeze-brine-freeze-brine etc in order to get the desired result.

How can one bring out a lof of water when freezing?

Thanks

EDIT:

Thanks for this answer.  Can you please comment on a few things:

I want a lot of water to come out since this suggest to me a lot of denaturation has occured.  Since it is the ice crystals that do the damage, is it correct to assume that if there is more water present in the first place then the better the damage will be?  In this case is there anyways i can increase the original amount of water that is present e.g. do you have to feed the chicken a lot of water or is there anything else you have to do?
You say if the chicken is left unpacked then it will dry out(water will come out due to denaturation?) however you also say to put it in a bag. Is it better to just leave the chicken in the freezer without a bag or to use a bag?  You have also mentioned not to use a bag, am i correct in assuming you mean do not use air tight bags or bags with less air? Again would more denaturation occur just leaving the chicken naked over using an air filled bag?
Is it correct to say that once the chicken freezes then it is frozen and no more damage/denaturation will occur? If my freezer says it will freeze in 24hours, will using the bag as you have mentioned still causes freezing to occur over many days despite what the fridge manual says?  If yes and if i check the chicken will i see more and more water over these days.
Does the denaturation I am talking about cause the pores in the chicken to enlarge and if cooking a soup, does this cause more water/marinade to move into the chicken?

Many thanks


texts: Is it possible to use puree in a siphon whip?

texts: does someone have experience with putting puree in a siphon whip, to achieve a fluffier texture? Does it work?


texts: How can I get salt to stick better to buttered or oiled popcorn?

texts: I make popcorn with butter or olive oil, but still when I add salt, especially kosher salt or coarse sea salt, it won't stick. Is there anything I can do to get it to adhere better?


texts: Can you cook bone stock in two hours, if not what are the problems?

texts:
I tried to make my first stock, used 1 chicken carcass, brought to boil and simmered all in 2 hours.  Regrigerated it and next day everything was gel.  I know recipes say it should be 6-24 hours however isn't my one considered a success?

What things am I missing out on by not cooking for half a day?


texts: Rigging equipment for steaming large amounts at once

texts:
I am making steamed BBQ pork buns for a work potluck. I have some steamer equipment, but small scale.  I'm looking at making 60+ buns, and would really like to cook them as quickly as possible the morning before I go to work.

How can I create a large steamer setup?  I thought my rice cooker and instant pot could be put to use as steamers. It is a standard large office setup, so not sure if the humidity from the steam would be a problem.


texts: Is there a way to bring a loaf of bread that's gone dry, back to life?

texts: It seems that some of the whole grain loafs seem to dry out very quickly, even stored in a plastic bag - if it hasn't started to turn green, is there a way to restore some of the life back into them?


texts:
I've got a recipe that calls for adding a box of instant pudding mix to a box of cake mix (along with eggs, water, and oil) to make a cake moister. And there are lots of cake mixes that proclaim "pudding in the mix!" on the outside of the package.

I'm curious how this works. I think instant pudding is just sugar and cornstarch (and then various chemical things and flavoring), so what's working with the cake mix to make a moister baked cake?


texts: Cleaning tin discoloration on copper/tin lid

texts:
I have a tin-lined copper sauce pan from Rameria Mazzetti, which I love, but I notice the tin discoloring. I have read that it is normal that the tin becomes dull/gray when you cook in it.

My question concerns the lid: it has gotten some weird brown patterns after cooking with it a couple of times. Is this normal? Can it be cleaned without damaging the tin layer? A wipe with a sponge and soap doesn't do anything.


texts: How to understand flavors and when to use combination of them?

texts:
I want to be a home cook and at some stage to become a chef having my own café or restaurant.

Marco Pierre White always says when he likes a dish in masterchef:

  Great dish. It tells me that you understand flavors.

What does he mean? How to understand when to combine salty and sour, sweet and sour and salty, sweet and hot, umami and sweet, and all the other combinations? Should all dishes have flavor combinations?


texts: Chinese cooking troubleshooting: still biting into pieces of ginger

texts:
I'm trying my hand at Chinese cooking.  I doctored a mung bean soup that otherwise turned out okay. I took the spices, veg, added them to stock, waited till boiling over medium heat then simmered away (standard method in Asian cooking...?)

The trouble's the ginger. I chopped up pieces of ginger pretty finely because I assumed that more surface area = more flavor released. However, I wound up wincing every two bites as I'd bite into the bits of ginger.  Not fun.

What to do?


texts:
So im going to be making beef stew again, and most recipes call for it to be browned.
(This is going in a cast iron OLD dutch oven, so maximum season!)

That being said the Dutch oven itself is....narrowish on the inside. So browning a bunch of meat is tedious.

So I guess my main concern is obviously safety. I believe it's brought to a boil them simmered for 2 hours, or somewhere along those lines. Is it still safe for the beef if I don't brown it?

I know the Myth if browning sealing in the juices, but would I be able to maybe....half-brown it, as in not brown every-side but just kinda put it in and let it brown for a little bit and stir it around to make it still taste ok? Because Browning every single cube of beef is kinda a PITA.

Thanks!


texts:
So, in my local supermarket, I stumbled upon these bags of "Wiltshire Cured Ham, Mature Cheddar and Farmhouse Chutney" flavoured crisps (a.o.) and inquisitive as I am I couldn't help myself but to try them out and discover what glorious tastes these produced.

Lo and behold my surprise when they turned out to taste just like many others on this list of flavours. I tried my best, closing my eyes, looking for a hint of cured ham, maybe a vague sense of cheddar, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't make out anything remotely close to it.

Hence my question, how do they make such flavourings?

Yes, here's the list of ingredients:

  Ingredients:

  Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Wiltshire Cured Ham
  and Mature Cheddar with Farmhouse Chutney Seasoning [Contains: Sugar,
  Salt, Natural Flavourings, West Country Mature Cheddar Powder (from
  Milk), Fruit Powders, Spices, Dried Milk Whey, Parsley, Acid (Citric
  Acid), Wiltshire Cured British Ham Powder, Colour (Paprika Extract),
  Vinegar Powder.

But, my point is, apart from there being no "chutney" in there at all, for example, how do people come up with this? Do they boil down a Wiltshire cured ham and dry the slurry to a powder? And what about the cheese? Was it cheese in the first place? And who comes up with this? Is there some cook who says: "Hmmm, this sure is a tasty dish here on my plate, how about I take those chips (fries) and add the rest of the meal to it as a flavour!" and who then goes out and 'distills' the rest of the meal?

I know that "beef extract", which you can find as an ingredient sometimes, is actually boiled down and dried cow, but how about this?


texts: How can I cook a full chicken with skin on it when my oven is broken?

texts: Our oven is broken and we can only use a frying pan. We have started to defrost a full chicken with the skin on it. We are a little new to cooking. How can I still prepare it?


texts: How important is drying hands for sanitation?

texts:
Several sites describing how to wash your hands list drying as the last step. Some say you can use a clean towel or air dry them.

I've been curious about something for a while. What if I'm preparing some ingredient or recipe that requires or benefits from having wet hands? For example, handling ground meat with wet hands reduces sticking; sometimes you want to use wet hands to handle dough, either to add more moisture or prevent sticking. What if I'm just picking up vegetables and sticking them back under the running water to rinse them before cutting and cooking or eating them raw?

Is it unsanitary wash hands and skip drying them before handling food items? What types of contaminants are especially risky when doing this?

I prefer answers with sources from health or food safety agencies or organizations.


texts: Baker's Percentages for Baked Doughnuts?

texts:
I recently purchased an electric doughnut maker and am about to embark on a baked doughnut spree.  Having consulted the few recipes included with the machine along with some online options, I have noticed considerable variation in the recommended batter composition.  I was wondering if anyone has seen or established a reliable set of baker's percentages for baked doughnuts they could share.

The two most consistent ratios among the recipes I've seen are:

Flour - 100% (naturally)

Sugar - 50%

After that, all bets seem to be off:

Fat (some combination of butter/oil) - 20%-35%

Egg - 25%-35%

Liquid (some combination of milk/buttermilk/sour cream/yogurt) - 70%-80%

I'm not concerned with the salt, spice, and leavening amounts - I'm more interested in the variations of the ingredients that contribute significant weight to the recipes.

Aside from the King Arthur and Epicurious recipes I found, no other recipes were able to supply weights so the percentages I supplied above are mostly estimates based on the assumption of a 5 oz. cup of flour (which I know is not universally applicable). My guess is that, as with most quickbreads, the recipe is probably robust with the amounts supplied more likely to correspond to simple volumetric measures and whole egg inclusion rather than weights (I'm pretty sure that the King Arthur recipe is based on volumes and the weighted versions you can query online are just conversions to weight based on their own established system - for example, in King Arthur's world, a cup of flour always weighs 4.25 oz.).

Anyway, can anybody offer me a reliable set of baker's percentages or weights for baked doughnuts that you have tested personally?  I like to have these things worked out before I try new things.


texts: Why would previously frozen steel cut oats separate, where just-cooked version doesn't?

texts:
I make steel cut oats regularly, and eat them daily. I'm still figuring out the best way to cook them. I previously made a regular size batch, stored it in the fridge, and ate from that about a week.

Now I'm doubling the batch, and freezing half. The half that's frozen, once I thaw it out and store it in the fridge -it will separate out, the liquid separating from the solid. I can stir it together again, but it will separate out every day.

Why is this?


texts:
Which varieties of milk cheese are raw food? I mean the well-known varieties of cheese, not the many varieties small vendors can have that are only known in small areas.

I think that a good definition of raw food cheese is that it's made of unpasteurized milk and it's not heated above or 40°C

I've always assumed that feta, queso latino/queso fresco, kashkaval (link2) and Telemea are raw, but maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe these fresh cheese varieties are in general raw?


texts: What is the emulsification power of 1 egg yolk?

texts: How much oil (fat) can one egg yolk hold safely before you risk the sauce breaking?


texts: What is the purpose of oil or butter in bread?

texts:
Specifically in wheat and potato breads, what is the purpose of adding oil or butter to the dough?

I have always assumed it was just for flavor, but I suspect there is some background chemical reasons for adding it.


texts: What spices are used to make a mexican fajita seasoning?

texts:
I'm trying to make my own homemade fajitas, for both vegetarian and non vegetarian tasters.

I know they have grocery store pre-mixed fajita seasoning, but I'd like to know how to make my own.


texts: What cooking/grilling applications are more suitable for smokers than standard BBQ's?

texts: More specifically, I'm looking to determine if there is value in acquiring a smoker to accompany my current grill.


texts: Determining Bundt pan size when recipe gives a loaf tin size

texts: What size Bundt pan do I need for a pound cake that is supposed to be baked in a 9 by 5 loaf tin ? I have a Bundt pan (never used one before) that holds 8 cups of water.


texts: Making salad dressing without acid or high fat or capsaicin

texts:
One of my relatives has GERDs (acid reflux). I'm trying to find / make a salad dressing that avoids

acidity
large quantities of oil
spiciness (i.e. anything with capsaicin or peperine)

But I'm struggling to accomplish this because I don't know what type that would be. I bought a book called Garde Manger by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

For "cold emulsion sauces", they listed

temporary emulsions  (e.g. vinagrettes)
stable emulsions (e.g. mayonnaise)

However both of those examples involve high amounts of fat or acid.

For "dairy-based dressings", these seemed to rely on primarily cheese and cream, both of which are high fat.

Salsas it said tended to have fruits and/or vegetables combined with an acid (e.g. citrus juice, vinegar, or wine). Again, won't work.

So the options left were

coulis and purees
coating sauces: aspic

Would either of these last two options work? It seems plausible since the book doesn't mention high fat or acidity as a requirement for them, but I wanted a second opinion since I've never made either.


texts: How long should I knead bread dough by hand?

texts: Is there a general rule to the amount of time I knead dough? Some recipes will say "until it is considered soft and smooth". Regardless of what the recipe claims, I am kneading the dough for a minimum of ten minutes when it asks for it.


texts:
I've been trying to smoke chicken for many days now, but the problem is that most of the time the chicken tastes like a match.

I've done everything, soaked the wood for a long time, cooked it with indirect heat with a pan of water in the middle. I have tried both wood chips and big pieces (soaked and dry) and, of course, all that with charcoal. Can anyone please advise me?


texts:
I was attempting to make butter by whipping heavy cream in my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I noticed that cream was getting grainy (as the fat was globbing into butter) but then let it whip a little longer. The butter and buttermilk then recombined into what I'm guessing is whipped butter? I decided to stop there, salt it, and use it as whipped butter.

I'm now wondering what would happen if I continued to whip the whipped butter. What would happen?

When cream is whipped (with the assumption that the cream mixture avoids getting warm)…

it first becomes whipped cream.
then separates into butter and buttermilk.
then recombines into whipped butter?
then what?

When whipping cream, does its state continually cycle through various states? Is there a dead end at whipped butter? Or does something else happen?

Serious Eats has a great article Cream Science: On Whipping, Butter, and Beyond but it doesn't seem to go "beyond" butter.

All the article and videos I have found stop at butter and do not whip further.

Please provide answer with links to any other articles, videos, sources to support your answer.


texts: All Clad Copper Core - everything sticks, why?

texts: I decided to splurge on a set of All Clad Copper Core. I have no problem with browning meats with this cookware, but I am having huge problems with many other kinds of cooking. For instance, this morning I made chilaquiles for breakfast, and although I heated the pan, heated the oil, added the tortillas and salsa, the delicious crust (my absolute fave part) was stuck like concrete to the pan and had to be boiled, scrubbed, and sent down the drain. Bacon? all the crusty brown parts adhere to the pan like glue and the bacon remains a flabby slab. Spending 4 figures just to saute a piece of meat is not what I expected, and I'm having serious buyers remorse. Is there something I should know? I am by no means a novice cook.


texts:
I have a ton of asparagus but no time to cook it the traditional steamer way. Is there a recommended microwave method someone would recommend? Earlier today I sliced some into 2 inch bits, put them in a bowl together with lemon juice, butter, and garlic. It was DECENT at best.

Any ideas?


texts: We hear all about botulism in garlic oil and the needed preventive measures. Is this only true of garlic or is it just more common. For example I make a oil packed fish (oil, salt onions, jalapeño, fish) I’ve been making this for years with no problems. Have I just been lucky or is my keeping it in the fridge what’s saved me and if so how long is safe?


texts: Adding Pulses (Legumes) in Powder Form to Bread

texts:
I would like to add powdered pulses (dried and ground) to the bread flour and experiment on the flavour of bread.

Does anyone have any experience with this?
Will fermenting the powdered pulse (with bread flour) have any bad effect (like toxin formation, bad taste, etc...)?
What pulses do you recommend to begin with?

I live in India. And I can only experiment with locally available pulses. But feel free to talk on any pulses!


texts: Substituting skim milk for whole milk in a caramel recipe

texts: I'm planning to make a batch of soft caramels. Whole milk makes up about half the recipe. Since I only have skim milk on hand, can I substitute skim milk for the whole milk?


texts:
Is there a way to handmake alphabet pasta? I want to make the small pasta the is shaped into letters that is sometimes used for alphabet soup for kids.

It's usually about half a cm in length. And I cannot imagine that if I cut letters out they will keep their shape if they are that small. And it would take ages. I would guess there must be a device you push the pasta through so that it would get the right shape, but cannot find any reference of such a device.

Thank you


texts: Today was my first go at dry canning. I canned a few jars of dried pinto beans today. I had them in the oven for two hours at 220°F, and the jars were definitely dry beforehand. After getting the lids on and hearing the ping, I noticed a little moisture on the inside of the jars. It's gone now. Is that normal, to see a little water vapor?


texts: Everywhere I've read about cooking puffed rice noodles says that the soaked noodles need to be fried. I need a less messy alternative to frying. Is there a way I could bake them to get the same or similar consistency?


texts: My husband wants an omelette pan that will allow him to make 2 omelettes at the same time. Does such a thing exist? I have come up empty in my searches. Anybody have a solution for me?


texts:
I cooked broccoli with lemon and it turned purple/brown. It’s been a while but I believe I was steaming broccoli and added lemon to the water. It tasted bad—not like broccoli or lemon. What happened?

Any general rules about cooking vegetables with lemon? Is it always added at the end of the cooking process?


texts: How much gluten for soft, airy, enriched dough?

texts:
I'm making brioche, which are turning out OK, but not at the softness/airiness that I want. I've been trying to research what exactly I need to do to improve the crumb structure to get to my desired texture.

I thought I needed a lot of gluten. I've been using bread flour that is 14% protein. I've also been doing everything I can to make sure the gluten develops well: I add the sugar and salt after most of my gluten has developed (as sugar and salt inhibit gluten development), and I add the fat last (as fat coating flour apparently also inhibits gluten development). I've even went as fast as separating my eggs so that I can add the egg whites early in the process (since it's mostly water), then add egg yolks last (e.g. along with my other fat).

However, some articles I've been reading seem to suggest that too much gluten is the culprit to not-so-soft crumb. Should I be using flour with a lower protein content? Should I not care what order I add my ingredients? Should I replace the sugar with glucose, corn syrup, or honey since they apparently retain more moisture? Should I just add more yeast? Or do something else?

Any suggestions are highly appreciated. I do enjoy learning about the technical and scientific aspects of baking, so including those in answers would be even better.


texts:
Normally, baking powder is preferred to yeast for making cake. I wanted to make simple light cake with yeast (using bread machine), but I face a problem that is not addressed in recipes (at least, I was unable to find).

Bread dough is much harder than cake, and yeast cannot rise such a soft dough. To make it capable of rising, I added extra flour to make the cake dough harder (but not as hard as bread dough). As a result, the dough did rise, but when I started to bake, the dough started to fall down.

My question is: How to adjust simple cake recipe to perfectly work with yeast instead of baking powder?

There a are a few recipes for baking cake in bread machine. However, I am interested to know how to adjust available recipes (which are numerous) to work with yeast.

And I wonder isn't it problematic to keep the cake dough at warm environment to make the yeast work? since it has milk, and this temperature can spoil the milk (can?).


texts:
So this recipe (lemon rhubarb pie), calls for 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt. What would be a good substitute for Greek yogurt? creme fraiche or cream cheese?
And will it affect the final product?


texts: When pan searing, why does all of my oil keep disappearing?

texts:
So it seems that every time that I pan sear something, any oil I have in the beginning seems to be gone about half way through and it turns into me dry searing whatever I am cooking.

My guess is that I have the heat too high and the oil is evaporating or burning off.

Is there a simple way to know when the oil is hot enough to pan sear but not so hot that it burns off?


texts: I have a ceramic oil bottle that I don't use.  It's just not as convenient as I hoped it would be.  I'd like to donate it, but it still has an oil residue inside it.  It has a long curved neck so sticking a bottle brush inside it isn't an option.  Is there a way to get the oil out or are my only options throwing it out or donating it with the oil residue?


texts: how do you replace a flavor on nuts? i did not see the label and bought some cashews that are spicy by mistake. Can the flavor be washed off and replaced?


texts: What is the difference between French-pressed and Turkish coffee?

texts:
The taste and preparation of French-pressed and Turkish coffees are highly different, but I think they are both the same kind of coffee, named coffee Arabica.

Turkish coffee has smaller grains and is prepared by putting the
coffee powder within boiling water.
French-pressed coffee has larger grains and is prepared by placed in coffee
maker in which hot water washing over the coffee powder on top of a
paper filter.

These are my unprofessional experience with these two cases, but what are the actual difference? and is it possible to interchangeably use the preparation methods?


texts: Do onion savers differ from other storage methods?

texts: Santa got me an onion saver this year. It's essentially just a plastic container for a cut onion. Does this differ in any meaningful way from a plastic bag or Tupperware container? It seems a little unnecessary...


texts: Can you wrap spare ribs in foil and convection bake or should it be conventional baking when wrapped in foil?


texts: How long can olives be left out of the refrigerator?

texts: I left a bottle of garlic stuffed olives out overnight. Are these still safe to eat?


texts: What to do with an aubergine (eggplant) that has gone brown inside?

texts:
Sometimes an aubergine that looks fine on the outside has brown meat in the center.
Is the aubergine still edible and will it taste ok? Or should I cut away the brown bits or chuck away the whole aubergine.


texts:
I'm trying to make a vanilla syrup for some flavored coffees, and the recipe I have calls for:

  2 1/2 cups water
  2 cups white sugar
  3/4 cup brown sugar
  1 moist vanilla bean, preferably Mexican or Bourbon (Madagascar)

What does it mean by a moist vanilla bean? Do I soak the bean in water or something before use?


texts:
So this is my first time trying to make a custard pudding(I've watched a video). And of course it came out looking horrible but I left it on the stove for 30mins. I used 2 eggs and 250ml of milk and sugar. After I took out I tried it out but it tastes a little like raw eggs. But it's slightly consistent, I am just afraid of eating it since I've read some articles about diseases that one can get from consuming raw eggs. So my question is: Is it safe to eat it knowing that it was on the stove for more than 30mins ? Although it tastes a little like raw eggs, it was hot enough to burn my tongue when I took it out of the stove.

Note: The water on the pan even boiled.


texts:
I steamed zucchini, green beans, parsley, and celery. Then blended them for a smoothie base.
The fluid was still hot when I put it into a heated glass juice jar and twisted on the top.
I opened it the next day and it fizz popped up some fluid, but I just thought, that's probably from putting hot fluid into a jar and then refrigerating made that happen. Later, I was thinking about this being in an airtight container. I drank a sip...maybe a teaspoon or TBSP. What's the likelihood that the juice had developed a problem in that period of time?


texts: What is the thick black soysauce that they pair with Hainanese Chicken Rice

texts:
In Singapore, whenever you order Hainanese Chicken Rice, they will give you three dipping sauces, including a thick black, slightly sweet soy sauce.

It's very different from normal soysauce. What products or recipes should I be looking for?

Update: I have purchased several brands and types of dark thick black soy sauce for use with Chicken Rice, as well as kecap Manis and will post an update shortly.


texts: How much vinegar can I use in a lollipop recipe without upsetting the  "setting up" of the candy?  There is a remedy for hiccups that uses sugar and vinegar as an instant cure and I desperately need to try to get as much vinegar into the mix as I can.  Never made candy before!  Please help.


texts: Is there actually any taste (especially flavor) difference between Dalgona method and normal method of making instant cofffee?

texts:
The coffee that concerns me is here.

Case 1: Here's a video about Dalgona method coffee.
The video is in Hindi, but I'll translate it in English from 2.35s:
He says, "Let's shuffle/mix it for some time. This shuffling is done because when you do it, the coffee granules/particles release its flavors"
And I've heard similar views about flavor thing heard from a few of my friends.
Case 2: One comment under my this question says you can make this kind of coffee by just adding boiling water and milk and you're done.

If you're going to use instant coffee, just pour hot water on it, add
milk to taste, and you're done

I can use the method suggested by Chris H, as ingredients are same and it will save a lot of my precious time but I'm just surprised I don't see any tutorial on it on YouTube. So I wonder if it is right method or wrong or it is a right method but pretty rare.
Secondly, do both methods actually cause a difference in taste about its flavor or make it more thick? I mean the flavor reason given by the YouTube user is actually a scientific reason? Or could be just his personal opinion?
(Of course, there would be a difference in taste, but I'm more concerned about his flavor logic)

PS: Why I think that the YouTube user is right about releasing flavors thing is because it turns to creamy thing after some time. So it feels like something has chemically changed inside it. So I feel that's the reason it tastes different. But I need to verify this claim.


texts:
At a tappas bar, I had shrimp ceviche. In this dish, the shrimp is "cooked" not by high temperature but by the citric acid of its marinade. This would be really fun to make at home. For such dishes, should you stick to tested recipes? Or is there a way to figure out: what kind of acids will work, what kinds of meats will work, and when the meat is sufficiently "cooked"?

Edit: Added quotes around "cooked" since, as Bob pointed out, the meat is not cooked per se.


texts: Why are my beef short ribs still chewy after 5 hours?

texts:
In short:

Kamado at 250-275f
Short Ribs in for 4-5 hours

The ribs have a layer of meat, then a small layer of fat, and then the meat on the ribs themselves.  The top layer gets reasonably soft and edible, but the main chunk of beef is much too chewy still.

I've had two goes at this, the first time the temperature was closer to 300f, and a bit shorter cooking time.
In both cases, I stuck a toothpick in both parts of meat, and it went in as if the meat was soft and tender.

Basically, what am I doing wrong? Not enough time? Not enough heat?  I worried that I might overcook them and dry them out. So I might try again, but wrap them in foil halfway through...

EDIT: What I did that worked
First of all, it's a shame that I can mark both answers as answers, because they both helped.
What I did was to smoke the ribs at 270-285f for 5.5 hours, and they were bloody perfect.
I started at 270, and opened the bottom vent enough that the temperatures slowly went up to 280 over those 5.5 hours.
Thanks to everyone for the help.

Edit: And thanks to the user who edited my question and made it worse.
At least learn grammar first, and maybe contact the person asking what their intent is.


texts: How do i make frozen pizza crispy and what temperature is required?

texts: I want to know that how i make frozen pizza fresh and crispy.And what temperature of microwave oven is required for this purpose?


texts:
I often make stews with sweet potato. I prepare it by cutting it about 1/2 to 1 inch every time, and stewing it for about 30-45 minutes.

I make sure to keep everything consistent but sometimes it ends up as hard as apple, and other times it turns to mush.

What makes the difference? The age of the sweet potato? The variety? Something else?


texts:
I'm still pretty new to pressure fermentation and have been using it primarily to make sukimono - cabbage mixed with salt under pressure for about a day.

I would like to make a whole cabbage at a time or even a bit more, but I'm unsure what is the best container for this and a matching weight to close off the air.

Also, I would like to avoid plastics if possible.


texts: Gelling agents closest to normal gelatin that set at room temperature

texts:
Does anyone know of a gelling agent that is closest to normal gelatin but can set at room temperature, so that I don't need to put it in the fridge to set. I'm looking for something that when a gel has the same characteristics as normal gelatin eg. elasticity and strength. (I know about agar agar, carrageenan and gellan) I'm looking for others if there are any.
Thanks


texts: Is there something special about bubbly water?

texts:
Based on this answer: Why add salt to potato water?

I always thought that water boiling was about getting the water to a specific temperature.  You can't really get the water to a temperature past that point because as soon as it does it becomes vapor.  You can stick it in a pressure cooker (again, the whole point from what I understand) to reach higher temperatures, but you'll never get past boiling.  Also, it always takes longer to boil things at higher altitudes because of the reduced pressure and thus reduced vapor temperature of water.

But, I don't know everything (almost, but not quite).  Is there something special about water that's vaporizing when it comes to cooking things?  Could you really reduce the energy spent cooking something by lowering the vapor temperature of the fluid you're cooking in?


texts: Is there a difference between mirin (미림) and mijak (미작)?

texts: I was shopping online for a few cooking ingredients and among other items, I bought what was advertised as Korean mirin. However, once I've got the bottle in my hands I noticed it's labelled as "Marinade with Ginger (Cooking Sauce)" in English rather than a cooking wine. Some googling and handwritten translation told me that the bottle's contents are actually mijak. Are mirin and mijak the same thing? Can they be used interchangeably?


texts: How to make meatball style food that keeps its shape

texts: How to preserve shape of meatballs and mince-meat shami kebabs? What ingredients help these items keep their shape? We tried chicpea flour, eggs but the bodies do not keep their shape but some chefs make it so solid that you can literally throw it to someone to catch and it will not loose its shape?


texts: Chocolate molds in shapes of kitchen supplies

texts: I am going to be making a gag gift for some friends. I want to make chocolates in the shape of pots, pans, and cooking utensils as they are in the process of closing on a new house. I have no issues finding spoon, fork, or knife molds. Where I am having issues is the pots, pans, turners (like for flipping burgers) and spatulas. Does anyone know where I can find something like I am looking for? I know they will be smaller than the cutlery, and that is fine.


texts: How would changing the amount of egg affect a pancake recipe?

texts: When I make pancakes, the recipe I use calls for 1 egg and 1c of flour. However, usually I increase the flour (up to 50%) to make a bit more. I've tried both keeping 1 egg, or adding a second one, but it doesn't seem to make any difference...in other words, it seems like there's an awful lot of room to maneuver when it comes to how much egg to add. If so, I could add 3 or 4 eggs to get more protein into the pancakes. How would adding lots of extra eggs affect the end result?


texts:
As the question states, is kimchi still safe to eat after spending a few hours unrefrigerated, the time it takes me to get home ?

I'm mostly concerned because my commute home involves time in a heated bus


texts: Shelf life of refrigerated cream cheese - unclear best before date

texts:
I have an unopened package of cream cheese (store brand: Hy-Top) and the date has no year on it. It shows:

  -NOV 27 135J
  01:20 02P2

I don't think I've had it longer than maybe 6 months but I don't know for sure. It was at the back of a shelf in my refrigerator.

How do I find out if it is this November or last year?


texts: Blown sugar globe with smoke enclosed inside - is it a plausible candy to make?

texts:
There is a candy called "smoke sugar", that was made by a character in a story - it was a bubble of blown sugar, with a breath of hickory smoke in the center.  The ingredients as listed were powdered sugar, grape acid (equivalent to citric or tartaric acid), and hickory wood for the smoke, and probably water as an unlisted ingredient.

I was wondering how realistic this candy is, especially to be made by a home cook.  I did some research into making sugar-glass, which is made by heating sugar and water, and a small amount of acid to make a candy with.  I also saw that blown sugar bubbles are sometimes used decoratively.  I'm less sure if sugar-blowing requires special equipment to keep the molten sugar at the right temperature, or tools work with it without burning anything - or how dangerous it might be, with a possibility of inhaling the molten sugar.  Perhaps the blown sugar globes I saw pictures of are made by commercial kitchens, or at least high-skill enthusiasts, who might have the necessary equipment and skill to make it safely.

I am also uncertain about the feasibility of adding the hickory smoke to the center.  It seems to me that keeping the sugar-glass at workable temperatures for blowing globes with would be tricky enough without also trying to produce, and catch, hickory smoke to enclose in the bubble.  I'm picturing using a mouthful of smoke to blow the breath that expands the globe (drawn into the mouth similarly to cigarette smoke, perhaps?), since the globe would have to be sealed off while still hot.  But perhaps there's a better way?

Of course, the story character had pyromancy to keep the sugar at the right temperature, and control the smoking of the hickory wood, and tolerance to very high temperatures to keep from burning himself.  But is this kind of candy possible for someone lacking these advantages?

I will likely cheat a bit to make something similar but easier by adding a drop of liquid smoke to regular sugar-glass for the flavor profile, to satisfy my curiosity.  But I was wondering about the feasibility of the recipe technique as described in the story.


texts: What is good water-pan placement for offset smoker

texts:
I want to smoke a pork shoulder low and slow: 240 degrees at around 15-20 hours.  I'm using an offset smoker, Oklahoma Joe Highland.

What is a good placement of water pan(s) and why?


texts: Why did my whole milk go bad faster than skim milk?

texts: Why did my whole milk curdle and get yucky and smell before my skim milk when left out?  I thought it was supposed to be the opposite.


texts:
I've bought this for Christmas. It's a boneless turkey and duck rolled together with stuffing. What's going to be the best way to cook this?

Seeing as it's boneless and therefore has no cavities, I'm wondering about sous vide, but it'll need to be long and hot enough to tenderise the leg meat without destroying the breast meat? That's going to be tricky to achieve.

Or do I go for the throw it in the oven at 160 Celcius for a couple of hours then up to 220 Celcius to brown it for 30 minutes at the end?


texts: A stock question for British catering professionals

texts:
When I was a child in the 1960s, we had a Co-operative restaurant that served the most incredible home-made broth. A few years ago, I visited a cafe, and their home-made soup tasted almost identical. Seizing my chance, I asked the proprietor what the ingredients were, assuming they had used lamb or beef bones as I have not managed to recreate this myself over many years of cooking.

I was surprised when they said "Just stock cubes". They weren't able (or willing to tell me) what brand they were, so I am assuming here that they are some commercial variety available in the the UK for the past 50 years or so. I know they are definitely not Knorr or any major supermarket own brand, so what could they be? The only way I can describe them is a very savoury, almost smokey taste that has an incredible depth of flavour. I have tried all the classic ways of recreating this flavour with homemade stock, bones etc. but have not come anywhere close. Both soups were a similar colour and consistency to Heinz lentil soup, and the childhood version definitely had bits of beef in it as I remember the very fine, well cooked shreds of meat.

Any ideas what this mystery ingredient (or possibly technique) could be?


texts: Are fresh, raw cashews different from store-bought?

texts: I have a pen pal in Brazil (is it still a pen pal if we e-mail? anyway...) and knowing that I like nuts sent me some cashews.  Apparently there is a cashew farm near enough to her that she went right to the source and procured me some raw nuts.  I've eaten a few handfuls; the taste is a little more sharp than I'm used to, but in a good way, I have however had some serious discomfort after eating them. I'm not allergic to nuts in general or cashews specifically so I thought I would ask about it before ingesting any more.  Anybody have any ideas or thoughts?


texts:
I just purchased this Berkel GC for $50, which to me is a steal, it was rusty and crusty as can be, running poorly and smoking. The blade moved but it has a ton of resistance, I've taken everything apart, cleaned up all the grease, rust, and dirt and will get replacement parts once I start working again.  I plan on rebuilding and restoring it sometime in Dec.

However my biggest gripe is I don't know the age of this thing. Anyone have a clue? I want to say it's 1940's tech, but i'm not sure. There isn't much if any documentation of these older Berkel slicers at all.

Here is a pic of it.

It came with everything, sharpening stones and catch platter. FYI, it's in my bedroom now, it was outside because I had to strip the paint and also use phosphoric acid to remove the rust.

Here is the serial and motor #.

original file for motor specs.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4579/38288529602_c0f7734dec_o.jpg


texts: Low tannin dry red wine, good for sauces and stews?

texts: I really don't care for red wine, and I have been told that it's probably the tannins that I object to. If that's the case, what varieties of red wine should I look for when a recipe (usually a stew or sauce) calls for "dry red wine"?


texts:
I've read other questions here and elsewhere that talk about the danger of garlic in oil. I'm trying to figure out why this recipe is safe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/amazing-pickled-and-marinated-vegetables-recipe/index.html

The basic recipe calls for a pickling liquid of vinegar, water and salt. The vegetables are boiled for three minutes and then scooped out and placed in a pickling marinade of oil, sliced raw garlic and a chili. The vegetables and marinade (but not the vinegar solution) are placed in jars and stored for up to three months.

As far as I can tell shouldn't this recipe be at a high risk for botulism contamination?


texts: How to replicate golden brown color of McDonalds chicken nuggets?

texts: Does McDonalds use any food color in their chicken nuggets to get the golden brown color? How do they ensure that all the pieces are of same color and would it be possible to replicate the same at home using a deep fryer?


texts:
I recently tried to make a soup recipe that called for bamboo shoots. I found some canned shoots from a local Asian supermarket and attempted to use those---but they were awful. They had a bitter, metallic taste from the can, and no other discernible flavor. I'm pretty sure that's not what bamboo shoots are supposed to taste like, but how can I find good ones?

I'm not asking for specific shopping recommendations, but more general advice.

Do frozen bamboo shoots exist? Are they better than canned?
Am I likely to find fresh bamboo shoots at the Asian market if I ask?
Is there some other recommendation for finding a good brand that I can use?


texts:
Is there a way to fold cabbage in a pot so that you maximize the amount you can fit?

I just split my cabbage head in 8 45° wedges and sort of flatten the leaves to layers. But I still was able to fit only one (albeit large) head plus some add ons and it's a 2 gal pot.


texts:
Almost every salad recipes I've read needs some oil. What's its effect on vegetables? How does it change the flavor?

If oil is not used for the taste, why is it necessary for salads?


texts: Is it possible to preserve color in steamed vegetables?

texts: When I steam green vegetables, like broccoli, they come out bright green. A few minutes later though, and they have darkened and dulled. Is this a symptom of cooking them for too long or is there some other way to preserve the bright green color?


texts:
5 minutes ago I cracked an egg and was surprised with an orange, reddish egg white. It has the color of light fish sauce. The chalazae is red. I would assume that the reddish color comes from the blood. The egg smells fine, no sulfurous smell. Before cracking the egg, the shell was intact. Is this egg safe to eat?

I know the rule "in doubt, throw it out" but I'm interested if the egg is still edible.


texts: For convenience, I like to keep a variety of nuts on hand for cooking and baking. Is it possible to freeze nuts to keep them from going bad?  Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans in particular.


texts:
I have a tempura recipe I want to try, however it calls for "Very cold seltzer". Since I'm not a fan of seltzer normally, I don't have any on hand. However, I do have a bottle of beer left from when I made Beer-batter fish. Can I use "very cold beer" in lieu of "very cold seltzer"? Will it alter the texture and taste of the tempura too much?

Thanks!


texts: What exactly is the salt for when making oatmeal porridge?

texts:
As per the instructions on the oatmeal package, I make it like this:

I take a bowl.
I put 1 dl oatmeal into it.
I put 2 dl water on top of it.
I put 0.65 grams of salt on top of it.
I mix them together with a spoon.
I microwave it at 750 watts for 2 minutes.
I take it out and mix it with the spoon again.
I wait for a few seconds and then apply a spoon of lingonberry "jam" (the kind where you can see individual berries).
I pour some milk over this and eat it.

What exactly is the salt for? Is it purely for taste, or does it actually cause some kind of chemical reaction which makes it cook properly or something?


texts:
I am struggling to find affordable, group cooking lessons where you're not going to learn to make ONE specific dinner dish.  Seems that private lessons may be the only way.

Anyone else do this?  I'm looking at cost comparisons for where I live.


texts: How can I bake these cheese and pimento rolls so they're not gummy inside?

texts:
I'm using a recipe for rough puff/quick puff pastry as the dough. The filling is cheddar cheese and pimentos. After baking at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes, they are a little over done on the outside and gummy on the inside. I've baked these before with different fillings without this trouble. Is the cheese the culprit? Is there too much fat involved? Any suggestions on how to make this work with some modification?

One picture shows the outside of the rolls. The other picture shows the inside when it's cut in half.


texts:
I once read an article by a chef who was tired of the regular ways of eating eggs and "invented" a new technique of first cracking the eggs into a bowl and whisking them before very very carefully and quickly dropping the whole mess into a vortex of boiling water.

The eggs cook in seconds and are retrieved with a strainer, and then served immediately with olive oil/salt/pepper. The texture is like scrambled egg but much lighter.

Two questions: does anyone else know of this article? I'd love to read it again but my Google powers fail me for such a generic recipe.

Second, has anyone else done this or seen it before? I quite like it an I'm surprised it's not better known.


texts: How can I use bitter or hard water for cooking and specially in soaking beans?

texts:
How can I use hard water (with a bitter taste) for cooking and especially to soak dry beans.

Normally beans do not soak well in hard (bitter) water. In that case, what should I do?


texts: Any reason I can't use popover batter to make one huge popover without separating into little cups?

texts: Something like http://www.food.com/recipe/perfect-popovers-189284 but all in one baking pan?


texts: What juicer is best for leafy greens and vegetables (like carrots)?

texts: There are many juicers out there and not any one juicer is best at juicing everything. I am specifically interested in juicing leafy greens and vegetables like carrots.


texts: Why do HK restaurants' wok fried scallops stay big? My pan fried ones at home shrink!

texts:
In Toronto Canada, I've bought different BIG, raw scallop species like at Whole Foods Market. They are big like HK restaurants'. After I add oil to pan on cook top and stir fry them, they shrink. Why?   See photos –

Now see HK restaurants' wok fried scallops  Jade Scallops – 西蘭花炒帶子  in Chinese. Top to bottom – House of Canton in Kowloon Tong (first photo beneath),Ming Kee Restaurant in Wan Chai, 金龍冰室 in Tai Po  大埔, Joy Point Dim Sum in Tsim Sha Tsui.


texts:
I've found that the julienne cut is an important subject when talking about knife skills, but in my recipes (from books, internet etc.) I've never found a suggestion to make a julienne cut.

Which are the applications of a julienne cut? It's just decorative stuff?


texts: When cooking steak should the fat inside be cooked?

texts:
I think that I've undercooked my steak... There are little lumps of fat inside the steak. Should these be melted into the steak? Or is it OK if it's still white?

I use cast iron pan on a regular electric stove.


texts: Pickles are really salty (lactic fermenation)

texts:
I decided to make pickles following a recipe that our crop-share association (CSA) suggested: Three Secrets To Crispy Pickles, And A 'Lost Recipe' Found.

After 4 days, I decided to sample my creation.  While the pickles have a nice texture (crunchy) and aroma, they are quite salty (almost inedible).  Are pickles that are created this way normally fairly (subjective) salty?

If my calculations are correct (4T salt / 1Q water = 79.2g / 946.4mL), the recipe uses 8.4% saline solution.  The concentration might indeed by higher if one adjusts for the water evaporation that occurs during boiling and cooling.  From my reading, other recipes use a 5% saline solution.

What is the ideal saline concentration for lactic fermentation?
Will the perceived saltiness of the pickle decrease as it ages?
Is there anything else that might have lead to this result?


texts: I bought a small wild duck and I don't know how to cook it. I read that duck meat may be tough and hard to keep the meat tender after cooking. How do I avoid this? Should I debone it, or separate the breasts?


texts: How long can I keep thawed vacuum-packed fish in the fridge?

texts: I know that for fresh fish, or fish that was previously frozen without special storage, you should use it the same day.  If I thawed too much, does the fact that it was vacuum-packed add to the time I can safely keep it?  Does it depend on the type of fish?


texts: Why does Green Tea taste sour as it cools down?

texts:
It seems every time I make a cup of green tea, if I don't finish it while it's still considerably hot, it starts to get really sour and tastes awful.

Why is this and how can I prevent this?  What am I doing wrong?


texts: I want to conduct research on the inner part of the pumpkin seeds. I find it difficult to remove the shells one by one by hand. What is the best method for dehulling pumpkin seeds (for research purposes)?


texts: Does flaxseed oil need to be refrigerated?

texts: I bought a bottle of organic flaxseed oil to season some cast iron, and the store keeps it in the refrigerator. Does flaxseed oil need to be refrigerated, or is this just a silly thing that the overpriced organic grocery stores do?


texts:
Peeling the zest doesn't seem like peeling a full peel of an Orange.
Any special kind of knieves to be used? Any special method?
What precautions need to be taken care off?

What is the practical way to peel off zest of an orange?


texts: How to keep fresh-made soft pretzels from getting soggy or stale?

texts:
I've recently learned how to make fresh pretzels and they are quite good. However, they start to get hard and chewy after about four hours. If I store them in a plastic container before that then they get soggy.

If it matters, the recipe uses active yeast and a baking soda wash.


texts: The muffins were rock hard, what did I do wrong?

texts:
Here is the recipe I used, I did not mix it for long, as that make the muffins very hard.

The muffins were very hard, and had a bad after taste and smell. I missed adding some oil, but what else could be the reason ?

Red Millet Flour, 50 g
Whole Wheat flour, 50 g
Toasted Oat Bran, 40g
Whole Green Mung Beans - Sprouted, 100 g
Domino - Light Brown Sugar 50g
Baking Soda, 2 tsp
Salt, 1 Tablespoon
Liquid Egg White, 4 eggs
100% Whey (Vanilla), 75g
Chobani - Greek Yogurt - 0% Vanilla, 5.3 oz (small packet)
Carrots - Raw, 1 cup, grated
Bananas - Raw, 1 cup, mashed
White, all-purpose, enriched, bleached, 40 g

Also I wanted to try yeast instead of baking soda, but due to eggs and other veggies I cannot let is rise overnight (any ideas ?). I was trying to make good protein muffins which are an ideal breakfast, grab one with a glass of milk and done!

They run approximately 160 calories per muffin 25g carbs, 1g fat, 12g protein.


texts:
After I used a baking pan to steam bake (in a moist environment) a cake part of it changed to this
color.
Why is this happening?  Can I still clean it?  (I tired soaking it with vinegar and scrubbing it
but to no avail.)


texts: How to prevent olive oil container from getting oily outside?

texts:
I'm using this kind of container to add just drops of oil on top of my food or whatever:

Problem is it's always oily so after using it I have to clean my hand. Any trick to keep it clean and non oily outside?


texts: Can I use meat thermometers to measure room and oven temperature?

texts:
Can you measure the oven temperature or room temperature for things like proofing bread when better alternatives are not available? How accurate will it be?

I have a TheromoWorks Thermopop which I heard good things about. Just writing this to know if it matters.


texts: Cutting sugar in savory butternut squash dishes

texts:
In making savory dishes--specifically ravioli or soups, I find the sweetness of the butternut squash to be a little much.  I typically roast the squash with onions, and this only concentrates the sugars.

What are my options for adding something to reduce the (for me) overpowering sweetness of these dishes?


texts:
I ran the meat through mincer once, formed burger approx. 3cm high, seasoned it, oiled from one side and put it in very heated pot and I put the lid on it. When I was turning it the other side down, it started to fall apart.

What do I need to change in my process to keep the hamburger whole? I guess the flaw can be that the meat is not enough oily, it didn't taste very oily. But the meat that I have isn't oily, will adding some external oil fix it?


texts: Can panettone paper molds be used for other things?

texts: Can the paper forms used to make panettone be used to bake cake batter? Any cake, a basic dough, sponge cake, chiffon, genoise, etc.


texts: How can I make my Garlic Bread less soggy?

texts: I want to make simple garlic bread pieces without getting them too soggy in the middle due to butter. Most of the restaurants near my area get this wrong - the bread pieces are soggy and yellow due to the butter they use and crunchy and tough on the crust. I want to try and making garlic bread but I want to avoid getting them soggy.


texts: How Deutsche Kuche German bread has 1 year shelf life?

texts: Why does Deutsche Kuche German bread have a 1 year shelf life? How it is achieved without mold developing?


texts: Tamales with rendered turkey fat and clarified butter - No pork?

texts:
A friend of mine is coming back into town tomorrow and I have been planning a dinner for the occasion. I have been planning on making tamales out of leftover turkey. We talked earlier and she told me that she loves tamales, but she reminded me that she doesn't eat pork.

Oops, it's a good thing that I haven't made them yet, I would have used lard mixed with some bacon fat I have in the fridge. I don't have shortening, but I have about half the necessary rendered turkey fat, and I have plenty of butter.

For the tamale dough I plan to follow Rick Bayless's recipe.

Would a mixture of rendered turkey fat and clarified butter be an appropriate substitute for the lard in that recipe? Is clarifying the butter necessary step?

[Edit] after discussion in comments and in chat, I'd like to add one thing. I like tamales per Rick Bayless's method. I'm really not interested in reducing the fat, only in not using pork fat.


texts: How many whetstones, and what different grits, do I need?

texts:
My grandparents never altered their WÜSTHOF 4596-7/20 Classic Ikon 8-Inch Cook's Knife since buying it on Aug 1 2018. It could effortlessly slash coconut and raw Winter Squashes, but now it can't even cut paper or pears! Undeniably they must alter their knife.
This website counsels:

Low grit sharpening stones are also great for a knife that is very dull. If your knife isn’t able to cut paper at all then we’d recommend starting with a low grit.

This counsels

The 1000 grit stone is considered your basic, go to, sharpening stone. If your knives have lost their edge and need a good sharpen, then this is the grit you should start with.
[...]
You shouldn’t use this stone often, as it will wear your knife down. The 2000 and 3000 grit stones can be used more often if you are the sort of person who likes to sharpen a bit more regularly as they are less coarse, but again, they are designed for sharpening and not maintaining your edge.

So my grandparents are baffled. Ought they buy 1 1000 Grit whetstone? Or 2: 1 at 500 Grit + 1 at 3000 Grit?


texts: Can vegetable oil be used in place of butter?

texts:
I just happen to have one of those Betty Crocker cookie mixes on hand today, and the ingredients list at the back calls for 1/2 a stick of softened butter. I don't have any butter to spare today, but I do have a bit of vegetable oil, and I know that the two can be substituted sometimes without incident.

Can I do so here, or should I do as the package recommends and use butter?


texts: Is it safe to leave cooked poultry at room temperature overnight?

texts: Assuming that I've already cooked the poultry (or eggs) to recommended temperatures - does it need to be refrigerated immediately, or is it safe to eat if it's been left at room temperature overnight?


texts: Food safety concerns regarding cooked steak stored in the fridge

texts:
I'm thinking of cooking some steak and storing it for later use in a cold salad. If I cook it to medium rare and cut it into strips and store it in the firdge, will it be safe to eat later? I know any bacteria mostly grows on the surface of the meat so that should be killed when cooked, but is there a higher danger of contamination on the now exposed, less cooked surface area?

If I put it in a clean container I'm guessing the pink parts are just as prone to further contamination as the outer surface.

If kept in this condition, how long should I expect this meat to stay good for in the fridge?

What would be different if we were talking about a partially eaten steak stored for later consumption?


texts: How to pasteurize lacto-fermented hot sauce?

texts:
So, I've got a 2-3dl batch of lacto-fermented hot sauce in the works. Approximately half the vegetables in the ferment are large brown habaneros and the other half is sweet pepper, ginger and some slices of carrot to get the ferment going. So, I expect the sauce to last me quite some time.

Therefore, I'm planning on pasteurizing the sauce to extend its shelf-life. My main goal in the pasteurization is to stop the fermentation already going on. For equipment, I have a thermometer from the brewing supplies aisle, various different sizes of pots and pans, some of which can be nested for a double boiler, and an electric stove. Is there a reasonable process to pasteurize a batch of fermented hot sauce with these?


texts: What can "modified" mean when describing an ingredient?

texts:
I have been trying to reverse engineer a packaged glaze mix for fruit pies. It weighs 1oz/28g, and contains "modified tapioca starch, citric acid, salt, artificial flavors and coloring." The mix can't be purchased in our area, we would have to purchase an entire case online, hence the drive to replicate it. The instructions are to sift the contents with 3/4 cup sugar, then add 1 cup of very hot water (I used water that had just stopped boiling). Upon mixing with the water, it instantly thickens into gel which is thicker than honey, you fold in fruit, and pour over into a crust and put it in the refrigerator.

Tasting the mix, I approximated just shy of 1oz tapioca starch, 1/8 tsp citric acid, and a small pinch pickling salt. The end result was 1oz, and tasted nearly identical to the packaged mix when raw.

Upon adding hot water, with a tiny amount of water it begins to set up similar to the store bought mix. However once you get beyond 1/4 cup of water, the gel breaks and basically becomes  slightly viscous water.

I have tried several times with arrowroot, tapioca starch, potato starch, and I simply cannot achieve the same behavior as the store bought mix. All I can think of is that the "modified" tapioca starch is the secret. But I can't figure out what "modified" means. In the US, in nutritional labling, what can "modified" mean when describing an ingredient?


texts: What makes bacon crispy, when compared to other cuts of meat? For example, if I were to cut a slice of chuck steak and make it identical in shape to bacon, and then cook it the same way I cook bacon, I think it will not be crispy. Why is that?


texts: Is my pork Safe to eat after 3 hours sitting out??

texts: So I put some pulled pork in the crock pot on low for about 5 hours when my boyfriend turned it off without me knowing.. Recipie said 7 hours total on low. So after about 3 hours of it being off we turned it on warm and left it on overnight.. In the morning I turned it back up to low and it cooked for about another 5 hours (I was told you can't really overcook pulled pork, just gets more tender) and I am wondering if it is safe to eat??


texts: My girlfriend and I were talking about the summer produce season approaching and hit on the idea of canning sous-vide. That is, rather than sterilizing by high heat for a short amount of time, you could sterilize with low heat for a large amount of time with a sous-vide setup. Particularly in the case of vegetables, which don't start to cook much until around 170 degrees, we thought that if we could use a lower-temperature process for a day or so we could can pickles and jams without having to boil them half to death. So: why is this stupid?


texts: What to do about yeast that doesn't work?

texts:
I am using a new container of yeast from the store; I keep it well-sealed (it's a small jar) and refrigerated.

I make sure to use warm water in bread recipes - I check the temperature using a digital kitchen thermometer.

I follow instructions to let the dough rise in a warm, moist environment - I put it in the oven (which is off, but was recently warmed to 100 degrees or so) with a steaming cup of hot water.

However, my bread still doesn't rise - not in the breadmaker and not when made by hand.

Should I use more yeast? If so, how much more? (..as in just a pinch more, or as in double or triple the amount?) Should I use more sugar, so the yeast has something to eat? I'm really at a loss here. Should I give it up and use different yeast? If so, what's a trusted brand?


texts:
My girlfriend and I have been experimenting with making different flavors of chocolate truffles. One difficulty with this is that different flavorings have different amounts of sugar, meaning we need to adjust the amount of other sweetening in the truffle to keep it from being overly sweet or bitter (usually by changing the ratio of unsweetened to semisweet chocolate). Obviously getting the sweetness exactly right is going to take some experimentation, but we'd like to be able to start by making the total amount of sugar in each truffle the same, no matter what flavor it is.

We can figure out approximately how sweet most flavorings are are by using their "Nutrition Facts" labels. Unfortunately, alcoholic drinks don't come with these labels, which means we need a different strategy for liqueur-flavored truffles. Neither of us drinks very much alcohol, so we don't have a very good intuition for which potential flavors might be sweeter. Googling gives several sites with widely varying numbers, and I don't know which ones to trust. For example, this site claims an ounce of Kahlua has 11.2 g of sugar, while this site claims it's 15 g.

Is there a good way to determine how much sugar is in a given liqueur? Ideally, I would like either a pointer to a reliable source, or a simple experiment I could do myself to determine sugar content.


texts: I want to preserve curry paste in bottles could you please help me to find out the right amount of additives use in it


texts:
Almost every time I make rice, I make it for just me and my partner. We've found that the right amount for us is 1/2 a cup (125mL, a regular cup not a rice cooker cup) of uncooked basmati rice. I make it in the microwave, with 1 cup of cold water, uncovered, 10 min on high and 5 min rest, but it's never as good as when I make a whole cup. I've tried varying the cook and rest times, but it only seems to get worse (dryer).

What other ways could I cook such a small amount of rice?


texts: Why does my fudge always set up like a rock?

texts: I've followed the recipe for an opera fudge (and several others) as close as I can, yet my fudge always turns out grainy and crumbly. The best results I've gotten have come from not washing down the sides of the pan, but transferring the mixture to a new pan instead.


texts:
I've been making cupcakes for a long time with the same recipe and same brand of paper liners but recently my cupcake papers are pulling away from the baked cake shortly after they cool at room temperature.

Why is this happening now and what can I do to solve this? They just aren't as cute with the papers coming off the cake outwards.


texts: More specifically while cooking it indoors.  My girlfriend hates seafood and hates the smell, is there anything I can do to get this smell to go away faster or reduce its potent aroma when cooking with it ?


texts: Enameled cast iron vs stainless steel for acids

texts: Are enameled cast iron pans or stainless steel pans better for cooking with acids like tomatoes? I am wondering if I can use all cast iron/enameled cast iron pans, or if I need a stainless steel pan also.


texts: All the cold pressed virgin sunflower oil in shop is in transparent bottles. Does it mean it is already rancid?

texts:
All the cold pressed virgin sunflower oil in shop is in transparent plastic bottles. Does it mean it is already rancid because of exposure to light?

Does it make any sense to purchase such oil now?


texts: Couldn't snap the bones in my chicken stock

texts:
I followed Alton Brown's recipe for stock in which he gave a rough estimate of 8-9 hours at a low simmer to extract maximum flavor. At one point, he said, paraphrased, "How will you know you've extracted the maximum amount of nutrients from your bird? Well..." at which point he fetches a rather large leg bone from the discarded remains and easily snaps it in half. Alas I couldn't do that. I'm wondering if I did something wrong or if my results are typical.

I had a half carcass including wings, neck, back, gizzards, skin, and bones. They were raw and I froze them. For the stock, I gathered 3 carrots, 3 ribs celery half a bulb of garlic, and some thyme. I skipped on any salt or acids. I threw these with the frozen chicken into cold water, brought it up to a low simmer, and left it as such for 9 hours. The flavor was tremendous. Certain smaller bones became mushy toward the ends. However, I couldn't snap my bigger bones.


texts: What level of heat is best when caramelizing?

texts: When you caramelize onions, carrots or mushrooms - what is the best heat level for the fire? Or rather - what should be the temperature of the oil where you can caramelize the food quickly yet not burn it on the sides too much?


texts:
Sometimes when peeling a potato, I find that areas of it are a bright shade of green. Does this mean that:
A) The potato is OK to eat?

B) The potato is OK to eat, as long as the green parts are removed and discarded?

C) The potato is not OK to eat (and if so, why not)?


texts:
I have no problem cooking fried eggs to my desired doneness or keeping them intact while cooking and serving.

But eggs cooked by professional chefs and diner line cooks look like this:

The white is round and mostly white; the yolk is basically centered.

My fried eggs look like this:

The yolk won't stay in the center (even though I let the white firm a little before adding the yolk to the pan), and the white looks like the British coastline. (Ignoring, of course, the detritus of the leftover onions and peas - those are attributed simply to laziness of the cook.)

How do the pros get their eggs to stay so symmetrical and pretty?


texts:
Hoping SA would clear some controversy.

I was told that it's bad practice to put anodized non-stick pans in water immediately after cooking; as the water will cause it to degrade

I argue that it's harder to clean after the fat has solidified.

So does adding cold/hot water to hot non-stick anodized pan cause the surface to deteriorate and thus losing it's non-stick abilities?


texts: Does pasta continue cooking after being drained if left in the pot?

texts:
After a pasta is boiled to a desired texture, my friend and I agreed that, if we leave it in the water without adding heat, it would cook longer. We could not agree on what would happen if we drain the water but leave the pasta in the hot pot whether the cooking process would continue.

Is it a good idea to leave pasta in the hot pot to keep it hot while preparing other parts of the meal?

Does the pasta texture change significantly when exposed to low heat without water to absorb?


texts: Why does my chicken go dry when I boil it?

texts:
This may seem a silly question, but it has always stricken me as odd that chicken should dry out when I boil it in water. Intuitively it just seems weird, but thinking about this a bit while cooking just now, it also makes little sense to me from a basic physics point of view. I googled this first of course, but I can't seem to find an answer as to why this could be.

Assuming I don't put any salt in the water in which I boil it, the concentration gradient caused by ions and other molecules in the meat should cause the water to diffuse/osmose into the chicken. Furthermore any minor temperature gradient should also be pushing water into the chicken. The most plausible explanation I came up with is that the chicken is over-saturated with water to begin with -either naturally or introduced during processing of the meat- and boiling it then somehow reduces the capacity of the tissue to retain the liquid.


texts: My roasted chicken bled while it rested under foil. I refrigerated it over night. Can I bake it more today to finish it without drying it out?


texts: How do I avoid hot fudge turning my ice cream into a soupy mess?

texts:
My pregnant wife's cravings have recently turned towards sweets, and this week it is banana splits, with a very specific formula: chocolate ice cream, banana, whipped cream, and hot fudge.

It's not such an extraordinary recipe, I suppose, but the hot fudge is simply not a topping we keep in our house or really have a lot of experience with. So after picking up a jar of hot fudge topping, and zapping it in the microwave, per the instructions, I experienced the obvious result that has presumably been experienced by millions before: hot fudge melts cold ice cream.

Rather quickly, the sundae disintegrated into a soupy mess at the bottom of the bowl, with a rapidly decreasing scoop of ice cream bathing in the pool, and banana bits swimming about. It was not a pretty sight.

What means could I take to mitigate the fudge's effect on the ice cream, or are my wife's hopes and expectations just a dream in the shadow of this bleak reality?


texts: Does marinating fish actually help the spices get in its flesh?

texts:
We fry fish after applying Mustard seed paste, turmeric, and salt to it.

So, if now we apply the three ingredients and keep the fish for certain hours aside, will marinating affect the "taste" of the fish?


texts:
I recognize that Canola, Vegetable, and Corn oil are all Vegetable-Based oils, but many Recipes call for different kinds of oil. I don't know why. Is there a major taste/other difference between Vegetable, Corn, and Canola Oil? Is there any reason why I couldn't just use Canola for everything?

I know of many popular types of cooking oil including: Soy Bean, Coconut, Olive, Palm, Corn, Vegetable, and Canola. There are so many, and I don't want to have 7 different containers of oil.

Are there a few that I really need to have? How are they different and what should I use them for?


texts: I'm trying to do the Greek drink "Caffè Frappè". I'm using 2 tea spoon of spray dried coffee and 2 tea spoons of sugar. I've added a little of iced water and blended with an hand mixer until it's whipped. After that I add water until the glass is full, but the water/coffee is too much diluted. Am I making any mistake? Suggestions?


texts: How are black beans cooked for Mexican dishes?

texts:
In the US, some Mexican restaurants and taco vans offer a choice of black beans served as a topping for tacos or tortilla salads. The black beans are not mashed, like refried beans, but served whole.

I bought some dry black beans, but they did not come in any easy-to-prepare can in sauce with instructions. How can I prepare them just as the restaurants do?


texts: Why are my olives discolouring in their brine?

texts:
Olives are in 10% saline solution for 4 weeks. They are black kalamatas. Notice they are losing the black colour and are now splochy. Why is this occurring?

Thanks


texts:
I bought these, for me, nicely spiral looking dried fruits(?) in a tea-specialized shop in Bangkok in the area of the bridge leading from Phra Khanong towards On Nut (pictured below a cooked product).

I made a gentle tasting tea from these before bed time ; it was very nice for me.

What is this Thai tea, spiral plant-part?

Please share some information you find crucial about it in the answer.


texts: What's the difference in baking bread in a loaf pan vs. in a Dutch oven?

texts: When I bake bread, I always use my loaf pan. Recently, I've seen some people who bake bread in a Dutch oven (or something similar). Why is this? What are the differences between the two?


texts: How do I reconnect cake pieces that stuck to pan?

texts:
I baked a commercial funfetti cake. When I removed it from the pan, a piece of the bottom of the cake stuck to the pan. I was able to remove those pieces with a spatula and place them on the cake.

How do I secure them to cake body? Can I just put a little frosting between the pieces or is there another way that works well?


texts: Does a pizza lose flavor/texture from cooling down and then heating up again versus keeping it warm from the original oven until eating?

texts:
Let's suppose two (identical) pizzas have to be consumed some time after they are baked. One pizza is kept at the same temperature constantly. The second pizza cools down and is then reheated in an oven at a reasonable heat setting and on a bake plate, until it has reached the right temperature again.

Will there be a noticeable difference in taste and/or texture between the two pizzas?


texts: What is the fastest/easiest way to prepare potatoes for mashing?

texts:
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?


texts: Can you roast vegetables before freezing instead of blanching?

texts: I don't like the texture of green beans after blanching and freezing, I'd like to know if you can roast them in the oven instead of blanching.


texts: When should one knead dough in a food processor vs. a stand mixer?

texts:
Every now and then I come across a bread recipe that calls for a food processor to mix and knead the dough. I know it's very quick, but is it actually the right tool for the job? This recipe calls for a food processor, and every time I make it I'm worried I'm going to destroy the machine: the thing shakes and wobbles alarmingly, so that I have to hold it steady the entire time, and I'm always worried about burning out the motor. And this is a sturdy, 14 C (3.3 L) Cuisinart machine.
So: is it actually preferable to knead dough in a food processor? It just doesn't seem like it's built for that job.
(I'm assuming here that there's an answer beyond "individual preference," but maybe I'm wrong.)


texts: I'm making pecan bars in the morning and I was thinking I'd get a jump on the work by toasting the nuts tonight. Is there a downside to toasting the pecans and then letting them sit overnight vs toasting them tomorrow and tossing them right into the recipe?


texts: Can I leave a cake / cupcakes frosted with cream cheese frosting out on the counter?

texts:
I need to frost a cake and cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting for a late morning party tomorrow. I do not do a lot of baking so I'm concerned about when I should frost the cakes. For the sake of time tomorrow I'd prefer to frost the cakes this evening, but am worried about overnight storage of a cream cheese frosting.

Can I frost the cakes tonight and leave them frosted on the counter?
If left on the counter do they need to be covered?
Would it be better to place the cakes in the refrigerator?
Is my best bet to wait until tomorrow before frosting?


texts: What is the acceptable vanilla:vodka range for homemade vanilla extract?

texts:
I am extremely bad at getting the seeds out of my vanilla beans. So I started putting the "used" beans (which still have at least 1/3 of their seeds) in a small jar with some vodka, and using the liquid as "neverending vanilla extract".

There are recipes for vanilla extract out there, but they assume that one would put an exact amount of vanilla beans and vodka together once, then wait, so they give a single ratio. I can't meet this ratio always, but I want to know what the acceptable range is. So:

what is the lower bound of vanilla per ml of vodka so that below that bound, the extract will give a baking good more of a vodka taste than a vanilla taste?
what is the upper bound of vanilla per ml of vodka so that above that bound, the aroma isn't getting extracted due to oversaturation?

I want to know these bounds so I can adjust the vodka a bit whenever I add more vanilla beans.


texts: I have some sushi rice, In the packet the expiry date is given as Jan 2016, But the rice seems fine. Is it alright for me to use it to make sushi with it ?


texts: What is bakery emulsion and how is it different from flavoring extract?

texts:
I was in Ross for Less and saw (and bought) a bottle of lemon bakery emulsion because it just sounded good.  Looking online it seems that it is a one for one replacement for extract, but I have not found a real difference online.  I haven't had the chance to try it in anything yet.

What is the difference between bakery emulsion and a flavoring extract (there were other bakery emulsion flavors on the shelf, so it is not just lemon that comes this way)?  Are there certain types of recipes that benefit from emulsion over extract, and why?

I've added a bounty for this question, but I need an answer based on experience.  I know how to search the web.


texts: When spicing rice, should you add the spices in the water beforehand or after the rice has cooked?

texts:
Newbie cook here. I use a small inexpensive rice cooker to cook my rice.

Are you supposed to add your various spices to the water when you put the rice in the pot? Or should you add the spices in at the end when the rice is fully cooked and stir them in?

Does it matter what kinds of spices you are using?

Edit: Please explain why. Is this only for aesthetics or does it actually affect taste?


texts:
I need soup help.
I am unable to make a homemade soup with pasta.
If I make chicken noodle I have to add cooked noodles just before we eat it. Otherwise all my soups turn out like a goulash. The pasta absorbs all the water .

Today I cooked a very tasty, successful, tomato based, beef macaroni soup with zuchini.... o.m.g. yum! It did look like soup at one point. And I'm so glad I snuck a bowl while it was soup cuz I turned the burner off to let it cool, came back to goulash. No more soup. Ugh!

I've also failed at freezing left over homemade chicken noodle soup. The pasta turns to mush.

It sure tastes good. But not what I wanted
Help!?
Thanks guys!


texts: Fat free oil substitute for frying/sautéing and curries

texts:
I want to reduce fat for health reasons. Can someone please tell me a fat free substitute for oil in cooking (not baking) that will not compromise the flavour of the dish?

I am asking for a substitute in frying/sautéing vegetables and cooking curries. For example, when cooking chow mein what do I use instead of oil?


texts: How could buffalo chicken dip be stabilized?

texts:
I frequently see buffalo chicken dip showing up at parties. The idea of it sounds pretty good, but more often it ends up all separated with pools of grease like this:
 (Source: browneyedbaker.com)

What could be done to stabilize the dip so it remains creamy and unseparated. I had the idea of adding egg yolk, but I suppose you'd have to at least be careful with it to prevent the egg from curdling.


texts: How to Make many pizzas for large party?

texts: I have to make 20 pizzas for a large party and am using wood fired oven. How do I do prep ahead of time so I'm not punching dough the whole time and not being able to talk to people? Could I shape the pizza dough after 2nd fermentation ahead of time and put them in the fridge, then pull out and let up to room temperature before putting toppings on? Suggestions please! Thanks!


texts: Simmering, rather than caramelizing, onions (plus garlic and ginger)

texts:
I can caramelize onions, garlic, and ginger over 30 minutes, stir frying.
But this requires me to stand in front of the stove for 30 minutes. Instead, I prefer to spend 90 minutes, adding a bit of water and a touch of oil, then letting them simmer, with the onions taking half the time alone before the others are added. I can then do something else during that time.

Does this process have a name? Does it still qualify as caramelization? Would a self-respecting chef do this once a week with larger quantities and freeze small containers with the mixture for use throughout the week?
Update
I say the following only half in jest. Since Tetsujin slapped the entirely derogatory "fairgrounds" term on boiled-down onions, I'm wondering whether I can elevate this method ever so slightly by giving it another term, and a French one at that.
Isn't boiling down onions exactly how you make French onion soup?
Update 2
Correction to self: as pointed out by Preston in the comments, French onion soup is caramelized onions plus (beef, usually) stock. The description above is my past-years attempt at reducing the time I spend preparing F.O.S., and it stuck in my mind as a correct method.
Well, now I know why I complained about onion soup tasting with overwhelming onions. It's because I multiplied the quantity of onions in an attempt to avoid the caramelization step.


texts: I saw a terrine recipe that looks interesting, but it calls for aspic. I'm not sure I can get hold of the bits and pieces I would need for that. Could I just dissolve a few envelopes of gelatin and use that instead?


texts: My Fudge Is Crunchy! Where Did I Go Wrong?

texts:
This is the recipe I'm trying to follow, but from what I've seen it's a fairly standard fudge recipe. I watched a few videos online and I felt like I had the general idea of what to do.

The fudge came out pretty good except there are a few very small, very crunchy 'bits' mixed in. It's not that the entire thing is 'grainy', the texture is pretty much what I'd expect...it's just a few small crunchy bits mixed it.

I want to try the recipe again, but I don't know what I could have done wrong. So I'm afraid I'll repeat the mistake. Can anyone speculate what might have gone wrong? I've come up with the following....

The Mixture Wasn't Smooth

When I first mixed the milk, sugar and cocoa, even after a fair bit of stirring I could see small clumps of sugar. Could this has been the cause? Do I just need to stir it more?

I Burned It

After bringing the fudge to boil, I reduced the heat to simmer. The temperature was 212F and I was aiming for 238F. I have a gas stove, but I struggled to get the flame set correctly....it would either boil or stop simmering. After 10 minutes or so of simmering it was still at 212F. I ended up with a 'very light boil' and the temperature started rising again. In total, I probably spent 30 minutes heating it. Right before it hit 238, I thought I smelled 'burning'. I turned off the heat, moved it, and went along as normal.

Or possibly something else?