texts: Is it possible to have chocolate chunks in ice cream that aren't waxy?

texts:
My wife loves mint / chocolate chip ice cream. It hasn't been my favorite because of how waxy the cocoa butter in the chocolate becomes when it is cold.

Is there a type of chocolate that won't become waxy when it is frozen?

Alternatively is there a good intensely chocolatey, chunky, ingredient that can be mixed into ice cream? And in particular, mint ice cream.

I'm wondering about solid ingredients not syrups.


texts: How to avoid onion sweetening when sautéing?

texts:
As you know if you sauté onions they'll start to get sweeter the more they stay in the frying pan.
So is there a trick to avoids this sweetening, maybe keep more of the onion taste?


texts: Is it possible to make french fries out of potatoes and tomatoes?

texts: In the same way that they make tomato tortillas, is it possible to create french fries with a homemade recipe that is made from potatoes and tomatoes both? My idea is to create something that does not require catsup.


texts: What do you use to get the vegetables out after steaming?

texts: When you put a steamer in a pot of boiling water and put vegetables inside the steamer, how do you get them out after they are done? What tool do you use?


texts: How do I cook radicchio to make it taste less bitter?

texts: Although I like the basic taste of radicchio a lot, I frequently get heads that are so bitter as to be basically inedible. Can you suggest some cooking techniques that are particularly effective at reducing the bitterness without masking the other flavors too much?


texts: Is cooking with an air fryer similar, nutritionally, to baking?

texts:
Irrelevant context: I've been borrowing a friend's air fryer, and I love how fast it cooks!  So much that I'm considering getting one of my own to cook 80% of my meals with.  But, my girlfriend is concerned because of how unhealthy "frying food" is.  So I've done some Google searching, and found a few articles claiming that it's a step up from deep frying, but is still significantly worse than most forms of cooking.  These articles specifically recommend baking, grilling, and boiling along with sauteeing and steaming, which seems suspect to me and I feel like I'm being given a line here.  These articles claim that the temperature at which the food is cooked causes carcinogenic by-products and removes nutrition.

I'm confused as to how air frying is different from baking or grilling, in terms of the nutritional effects on the food.  If I don't add oil (which, incidentally, I do add when baking, to keep the food from sticking to the tray), it seems to me that I'm just heating food up using air.  I'm using similar, or lower, temperatures as baking, and I am definitely using lower temperatures than grilling.  And my understand is that boiling also tends to involve removing nutrients as well.

I apologize if my question is OT - I realize that it's close to a general nutrition question, which is why I'm trying to specifically compare it to other forms of cooking.


texts: Why you can't reverse cheese curdling in fondue?

texts:
I was wondering why you can't "fix" or reverse a "curdled" cheese fondue sauce?

As some of you know - I am taking a scientific approach to cooking and am now fiddling with cheese fondue.

I got three small saucepans, poured some wine to simmer and tried adding in different cheeses to see which would melt in a fondue-favourably fashion, while stirring constantly.

I'm surprised to say two of the three cheeses melted with no problem while the third - Emmentaler, no less, became a stringy, lumpy mess from the start.
Well, since the same happened to the other cheeses the minute I took the saucepans off the heat I thought the reverse reaction should be possible if I return them to the heat, but it did not.

Irreversible reactions aren't something new or strange to me, but I wondered what IS it in this cheese-wine sauce that would cause such an irreversible reaction?


texts: Morphy Richards new Intellichef, states boil at 240 degrees C?

texts: just bought an Intellichef by Morphy Richards,instructions state boil temperature is 240 degrees C,slow cook temp 120 degrees C;this seems to be too high for slow cooking;my old slow-cooker just bubbled away slowly,this one appears to be boiling almost straight away.I have contacted the company but not had a reply yet,does anyone else have one of these new multicookers?


texts: Beating egg whites over a double boiler for increased leavening?

texts: I know that whole eggs and egg yolks whip up greater and have more air when beaten with heat, but does the same hold true for egg whites? Would it be beneficial to whip them over a double boiler or not? Thanks!


texts: How long is homemade spiced apple cider good for in a sealed Mason canning jar?

texts: I bring the cider to a boil and simmer the spices for 15 minutes. Immediately after, I pour the cider into canning Mason glass jars with the lids that have the button. How long should I expect the cider to be good for unopened?


texts: Getting some rum into a commerical fruitcake

texts:
I have purchased an inexpensive (Costco) 1.6kg (3.5lb) fruitcake. Some folks have recommended adding rum to the fruitcake to moisten it up a bit and give it more flavor. Some process involving cheesecloth and inverting the cake was mentioned. I have a bottle of Cuban rum that was gifted to me and I think it might fill the bill.

What is the best process for doing this? At room temperature or in the fridge?


texts: Can you make soup or stock with just Canada whelks, no meat?

texts:
Many Hong Kong whelk soup recipes use meat, even Michelin 3 stars Lung King Heen!

Can I make soup or stock with just whelks and vegetarian ingredients? I don't want meat!
When I skipped meat in this recipe, theresultant soup taste weird and fishy. Why? What can I add or replace?

I live in Toronto. Supermarkets here carry Canada whelks. I don't know if the issue is the whelks. Are Hong Kong whelks different from Canada whelks?


texts: Are they the two main reasons why I never got a good steak crust?

texts:
I always pat dry my steaks(often about an inch thick or close to that) and get my pan really hot but every time I cook a steak on the stovetop I either get a steak with mostly gray look but has my desired doneness, or a steak with a great crust but it's overcooked. I do constantly think of the reasons I can't get both desired doneness and crust, and there indeed are two things I think I should bring up.

The first thing is that I use grape-seed oil but I only pour very little of it into the pan so it barely covers the bottom. The other thing is that I don't let the steak rest in room temperature, I just take it out from the fridge when I want to cook it.

Come to think of it, the temperature of the meat surface may matter a lot, maybe the surface needs much more time to develop the crust when it's cold than it does when it's not that cold? And does the amount of oil also play a big role in achieving a good crust on the steak?


texts:
I found this nice vegan croissant recipe: http://www.sabjimatablog.com/2011/05/17/recipe-vegan-croissants/ I am quite happy with the end result, but I wish I can bake a flakier pastry.
I have a feeling that I didn't get the folding quite right. I used kremelta vegetable shortening that made from coconut oil and soya lecithin. I rolled kremelta into a thin-dough like, and fold it inside the dough. The shortening blend in quite well into the dough after 3 folds, although I can small lumps of kremelta in my dough. I put it inside a 200 degree oven, bake it for 15 minutes. I notice that I had a lot of oil on my baking pan. I suspect that all that oil came from the Kremelta.

Is this normal? I suspect that this why my dough didn't turn up into a flaky croissant dough. Does anyone have any tips on how to make a flaky croissant dough ?


texts: When boiling water without any other ingredients in it, why start from cold?

texts:
A question about probably the most mundane subject in cooking: boiling water.

For cooking techniques where you drop ingredients in simmering or boiling water - such as for vegetables, pasta, many rice recipes - I have often seen the recommendation that you start by putting cold water into a pot, then bring it to a boil. Why would you not start with hot water from the tap? It's going to be quicker than heating cold water, and your water heater is going to be way more energy efficient than your stove top at heating the stuff.

In particular, is there any physical or chemical process that starting from cold water encourages or prevents from happening?

(To reiterate: in the case where you add stuff to cold water and then start heating it, there clearly is a difference with starting with hot water; this question is about the case where you drop your ingredients in pure water that's already boiling.)


texts: What is the difference between genoise sponge and victoria sponge?

texts:
Just wanted to find out the differences between Genoise sponge and Victoria sponge. In particular, I was interested to find out which one turns out softer.

Here are the 2 recipes for comparison.

Genoise sponge - http://eugeniekitchen.com/chocolate-swiss-roll/

Victoria sponge - http://utry.it/2013/11/decorated-coffee-swiss-roll-with-step.html

The Victoria sponge recipe has you mix the egg white (albumen) mixture separately from the yolk mixture and then fold them, while the Genoise sponge has you beat the eggs whole. I was under the impression that the Victoria sponge method would turn out a much softer sponge because of how much air is worked into the whites. Is that true?


texts: Food that is high in protein and is not solid for people with wisdom teeth removed?

texts:
I recently got some of my wisdom teeth out and I'm trying to cook food that is not solid due to my oral surgeon's instructions. I have found a bunch of food I can make including pasta, mashed potatoes, ice cream (to cool the swelling), variety of soups, rice porridge, etc.

However, I am having trouble finding/preparing food that is high in protein that isn't solid. I know there are things like hummus, but it's really high in fat. I'm trying to avoid too many carbs specifically because I have so many options already. I was also suggested protein shakes but I would rather cook something rather than just throw powder into a smoothie.

Any suggestions on how I can prepare certain foods high in protein to fit my agenda? I believe the only requirements include that the food has to be soft and non solid. I think pasta is an exception because of how soft it is and it won't have issues getting into the holes of where the teeth were.


texts: Why does dark chocolate turn white after being in cold for some time?

texts: Why does dark chocolate turn white (and not so tasty any more) after staying in cold for some time? Usually this effect can be seen after storing chocolate in fridge.


texts: Is it safe to smoke with oak treated for oak wilt?

texts: Trying to find a source for wood logs to smoke with Ii found a guy selling oak on craigslist but he says it has been treated for oak wilt. Is it safe to smoke with?


texts: Can I use live yoghurt to kick-start fermentation?

texts:
I am making a type of fermented sausage from the Faroe Islands. The recipe says to keep them above 20 degrees (Celsius) for the first 12 hours, to make sure the lactobacilli multiply enough to initiate lactic acid fermentation.

Included in the sausage mix is 500ml of milk. Would replacing some of this with live yoghurt help to ensure a good colony of lactobacillus is present, thus reducing the risk of the fermentation not starting quickly enough?

And could I extend this to other lactic acid fermentation recipes e.g. sauerkraut?


texts: How long to store slow-cooked chicken in liquid in fridge?

texts:
I cooked some chicken in the slow cooker and stored the leftovers in the fridge. I put it all into a sealed tupperware container, but I put the chicken in with the liquid.

It just occurred to me that storing the chicken in liquid might have been a bad idea. It's been about 4 days now, is it still ok to eat? Does the liquid or the slow cooker change how long it could be stored for?

Thanks!


texts: Are eggs in the US safe if stored at ~45°F for a week?

texts:
I have moved my eggs to a mini-fridge and, despite attempting to get a good-quality one, it seems as though the temperature even on max cold doesn't get below 40°F throughout the refrigerator. I really hate food poisoning and, especially now, would very much like to avoid going to the hospital or damaging my health. Are US eggs (high quality, from Alexander farms) left in a fridge above safe temperature for over a week still safe to eat? Does the float test work to detect salmonella? Is there something I can use them for that's high enough temperature to eliminate the risk?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I need to store a no yeast dough (water, flour, butter, salt) for verenyky for about 40 hours.

What would be the best place: fridge or freezer?


texts: Comparison between cast iron and forged pans

texts:
I am on the search for a good general purpose frying pan.
However, I can't seem to find a comparison between cast iron and forged pans. I know that cast iron pans perhaps have longer life span but need seasoning while forged pans are lighter with less maintenance needs.
Is there a more thorough comparison between these two types or any advice why a person should go for the one vs the other?


texts: Making sourdough bread in a warm and humid climate

texts:
I live in a warm and humid climate - average temp is mid 80's.  I have been making sourdough and like the flavor, but the loaves are flat, very dense texture and crunchy crust.  Even when I bake in a bread pan the loaves don't rise much.  I use whole wheat WW in the starter and equal parts of white and WW in the bread.  Starter is working nicely and quickly, about 3 hours to double/triple in size.  Am thinking that I need to start using some yeast, but would like to bake acceptable loaf without it.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks, Mike


texts:
I've recieved several kohlrabi from my CSA, and I have no idea what to do with them. I found a recipe for a curry using kohlrabi, but it wasn't great.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to get the best out of it? Any favorite recipes?


texts: why does coconut ice turn brown after a couple of days

texts: Please can someone help or give advice to solve my problem. I have tried using sorbex but with no advantage


texts: Converting fresh chilli pepper to ground?

texts: If I normally use a fresh chilli pepper but decide to use the ground version, how do I convert for measuring the amount of ground? For example, 1 fresh pepper = 1 heaped teaspoon ground pepper.


texts: I'm making an ice cream cake for my brothers birthday. I was putting the ice cream on the first layer of cake and put it in the freezer. I couldn't finish putting the icecream on because it was melting, I tried putting more ice cream on it 15 minutes later but it was melting all over the place. I put it in the freezer again. I think at the beginning my ice cream was way too soft. How do I fix this?? Any help will be appreciated! Thanks.


texts: How to get rid of chili-peppers on fingertips?

texts: When I cut chili-pepper, it takes more then a day for the chili to disappear from my fingertips. It is particularly hurtfull when I put in my contactlenses. Is there a way to get rid of this chili more quickly?


texts: What ingredients do you add to your meat to help to reduce (bad) bacteria?

texts: I've heard that adding lemon juice to your cooked meat can help to reduce bad bacteria. Is that true? What other ingredients that one can add to meat to reduce bacteria?


texts: Used Pan.... Old Oil.... Can this pose a risk before washing?

texts: After frying Pierogies in oil in frying pan for dinner Wednesday evening, I left pan on the stove to cool and meaning to wash later.  Got caught up with different things and went to bed. The next day I was out all day never to set foot into the kitchen and Friday night after work went to kitchen to clean any dishes in sink and noticed the pan on the stove!!! I put it in the sink to rinse before washing dishes.  Then the dreaded thought came to me!  Could that pan with the left oil oil have collected the botulism toxin and then by pouring water in the pan did I contaminate my sink, my sponge and other dishes?!  I know it may sound stupid, but I'm nervous as I don't want to harm anyone!  I've never done such an absent minded thing and am very concerned.  Please advise.


texts: Using an electric deep fryer does the food need to be totally immersed?

texts:
***Edit**** So there seems to be much confusion about the way I worded the question and how I described the situation. So I will try to clarify. The max fill line is about halfway down the fryer. The minimum fill line is very near the bottom. I am unclear whether this fill line is for ONLY oil or for oil and food both. Originally I assumed it was just for oil. There is no marking higher up as some have asked/mentioned.

I put a whole chicken that was wrapped inside the vessel. I then covered with water until the chicken was covered by an inch or two. as I put the water in I was calculating how much water it was I added. I added 8 qts of water on top of the chicken to cover it. I then removed the chicken and noticed that by chance the 8 qts of water reached the max fill line.

A commenter mentioned that the more food you have (a turkey compared to chicken for example) the less oil it will take to cook as the item will displace the oil. This should have been fairly obvious but I wasn't thinking correctly.

The box of the fryer says 22 qt capacity. I have no idea what this references. The box mentions cooking turkeys up to 14 lbs.

At this point in time I assume the max fill line is for oil only as it is halfway down the vessel and it takes 8 qts to reach that point which isn't much.

When I buy a turkey I will do the water test again (unwrapped) and see how much oil it takes. I am going under the assumption the max fill line is for oil only. I am assuming it is possible to cook a turkey since it is marketed as such.

I am hoping for the best and if you see a plume of smoke coming from Columbus, oh then pray for me lol.  Thanks to all

Hello I have an electric deep fryer that will hold a maximum of 8 qts of oil.

I put in a whole chicken (young chicken) and added water to measure how much oil would be needed to cover the chicken and it takes the whole 8 qts to cover it by an inch or two.

The problem is for thanksgiving we want to deep fry a whole turkey which is significantly bigger than the chicken. The 8 qts to cover the chicken is by chance the maximum the fryer can hold.  The box of the fryer says it can fry a turkey up to 12 pounds.

I understand the oil may bubble up as it's cooking. But the 8 qts barely covers the chicken. How can we cook a turkey with the same amount of oil that barely covers the chicken?

Would it be okay to do this?


texts:
I'd like to make a mustard bread that I can get at my local coffee shop:

It's got mustard swirls in it but is a normal loaf shape. When and how do you incorporate savoury sauces like mustard or pesto, and are there any tricks I should know about?


texts: Can I substitute yeast with baking soda/powder for my bread dough?

texts: I have all the ingredients to make a dough except for the yeast, can I use baking soda or powder instead of using a yeast for making a bread dough (high gluten)?


texts:
I wanted to ask if anyone have any idea what is the name of that snack that can be seen on top of a salad, between burgers.

I know the name in my country, but now, in Canada I can't find it anywhere.

Appreciate any help!

Tom


texts: How are mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese) formed?

texts:
I love string cheese.

I have had some success making homemade mozzarella but I am not particularly skilled yet at kneading the curd. My mozzarella balls sometimes end up with an uneven texture.

How can I knead the curd to end up with sticks where the cheese grain is all parallel along the length of the stick?

** First image hit on Google **


texts:
So here's the scenario: Bought chicken and put immediately in the freezer like 3-4 weeks ago.

I pulled the chicken out yesterday afternoon and put it in the fridge to let it thaw to let it cook for dinner. Ended up not using it so I put it back in the freezer this morning.

Is this safe to do? The chicken was still somewhat frozen-ish when I put it back in the freezer, although the Chickens expired date was 10 days ago, but it has been in the freezer since.


texts: Can powdered citric acid be used instead of baking soda?

texts: So I couldnt find baking soda anywhere, went to a shop and the guy gave me citric acid saying its the same thing? I bought it anyway but I want to know if its same because I use baking soda in face masks as well.


texts:
Does anyone know a technique to prevent rising steam from burning you when you are dumping hot water into a sink?
For example, putting a strainer into the sink and pouring off water from spaghetti.   The rising steam hits your hands and face.  I have tried running cold water into the sink as I pour off the hot water.   Helps some, but not enough.


texts: Does using a heavy based cook pot stop things from burning on the bottom?

texts: I cook things in a pan on the hob, sometimes for an hour or two, and end up with a thick black layer on the bottom. If I used a cast iron pot, would that still happen?


texts: Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts?

texts: Many recipe for a hot water crust I have seen calls for something like 15%-20% of the flour to be bread flour? Is going AP flour fine, or do I need to do more/something else to make the substitute?


texts: Can you preserve canned kidney beans so that they still have their shape?

texts:
I buy kidney beans in a can, but the amount is always too big. Normally, I throw away the leftover beans, thinking that freezing them will turn them into mush (thinking the water will expand and make the membrane tear).
Is there a way to avoid this? Or another way to preserve them longer than a few days (preferably a few months)?

Note: I haven't actually tried this, so if they hold their shape nicely after freezing, please inform me.


texts: Taste-wise, is there a difference between tomato from a blender vs. chopped tomato?

texts:
A chicken curry recipe and a mixed vegetables recipe require chopping tomatoes and frying them immediately after the onions and ginger-garlic paste are fried. But since this causes the tomato skin to be left behind as thin spindles, I considered making the tomatoes into a paste in a blender.

Although it formed a nice gravy, I noticed that the tomato taste was more prominent, and the taste of the green chillies, pepper and few other spices were not very noticeable.

I'm not sure if it was the blending of the tomatoes that caused this or whether I added too many tomatoes (I added just enough of them that the recipe required). So I wanted to know if blending tomatoes can actually make such a difference in taste that it can overpower the flavour of other spices? If anyone knows about this, I'd just like to know the technical difference between using blended tomatoes vs. chopped tomatoes. Being Indian, I enjoy the "hotness" of chillies and spices, and don't want the tomato to hide those flavours and tastes.


texts:
What are some good substitutes for horseradish?

I've heard mustard is one, but I still struggle a bit to see how it would do a very good job...

Anybody ever try mustard with success?

I've also seen online that some people suggest wasabi, but let's be honest, the "wasabi" that most of us are familiar with is actually horseradish.

(Oh, and please don't suggest horseradish sauce -_- . That one is obvious).

Update:

I like horseradish, but horseradish is not available at my local market.

I'm just trying to achieve the same sharp/pungent "kick" that horseradish typically brings. The flavor is almost immaterial; I just want the "kick".

As such, I'm not particular to trying it in any specific dish. I'm just curious what other foods can produce a similar feeling/tasting "kick" as horseradish.

Note: Wasabi is also not available at my local market.


texts:
I washed a part that should not be washed in the washing machine. Now the metal part is no longer shiny and gives off an oily substance. How dangerous can this be? In terms of toxins and to the other things in the dishwasher? I did a quick wash without soap after I found out.

Edit:
Awaiting answer from tech support, they might have to ask the factory. I think its strange that the inside of the cog is covered in oil, if its from the part above. There is no visible oil on anything else, even on the plastic or the blades. I think it may be a coating on the cog, reacting to water and soap, may be completely wrong here.


texts: Can I bake a regular loaf bread recipe in a Dutch oven? Do I need to change the temperature or time?


texts: Does the fruit label get put on a bad spot, or does the bad spot develop as a result of the label?

texts: So often when I take the little barcode sticker off the piece of fruit when I'm washing it, I discover a blemish under the sticker.  Is that because the sticker was placed so as to cover up the blemish, or because the act of putting on the sticker tends to result in some local damage to the fruit?


texts: After refrigerating cookie dough overnight, should i leave my dough at room temperature or go straight to the oven?

texts:
I usually leave my cookie dough in the fridge overnight.

After taking it out, should I leave it at room temperature for a while or should I scoop it and go straight to the oven?


texts: Difference between cooking apples and eating apples

texts: What is the difference between cooking apples and eating apples? With so many varieties of apples to choose from, how to choose the apples that are suitable for baking and cooking.


texts:
The flavour enhancer E635 is a combination of E627 (disodium guanylate) and E631 (disodium inosinate) and is in Fantastic Noodles (Chicken).

If I am correct, the flavour enhancer 627 is isolated from sardines and/or yeast extract and 631 can be prepared from meat extract and/or dried sardines. If 635 is made out of 627 and 631, is it considered vegetarian as 627 and 631 contain sardines and/or meat extract?

If not, does this make the noodles non-vegetarian?


texts:
Are there any techniques to aerate homemade taffy, particularly saltwater taffy.

The professional saltwater taffy makers in Atlantic City, NJ and Ocean City, NJ use machines that pull the taffy over and over. But they are making massive quantities at a time.

I need a tip, trick, hack or technique that would do the same thing, but on a smaller scale.


texts: How to eat raw brown rice, yellow peas, black beans

texts:
The USDA nutrition data says these foods have much better nutrition raw than cooked.

Can I make them safe to eat without cooking?

Expand them and soften with water so they don't grow after being eaten
Remove anti-nutrients and indigestible parts.

Can they be sprouted? Or soaked with lemon juice?

Or if I boil them, does the water contain the removed nutrients and can I eat that?


texts:
I started marinating some almost-thawed chicken and skirt steak in the refrigerator on Monday.  It's Saturday, and I still haven't gotten around to cooking the meat.  Is the meat still safe to cook and eat?

I made several different marinades consisting of lime juice, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper.  I'm not sure if that makes a difference.


texts: How significant is the Pickle Spice blend to a corned beef?

texts: I was out of pickle spice and Kroger did not have it. So I looked up a few recipes and averaged them with the spices I had on hand. I used ground ginger and apparently that made the solution cloudy, I have a Bay tree so it is pretty heavy on the bay. I used prepared mustard as I had no seed. But how much flavor difference can there be when it is done and I then simmer it with garlic, etc . It may be a little different as I am making the corned beef from a pork loin.


texts: Recently, I bought a pack of miso paste. It contains 1kg, far more than I actually need. Is it ok to freeze what I don't need? If so, how long could I keep it frozen?


texts: A recipe instructs to boil a whole head of cabbage, can I boil individual leaves instead?

texts:
In Madhur Jaffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking, her recipe for Cabbage leaves stuffed with potatoes instructs you to boil the cabbage leaves by submerging the entire head of cabbage in a large pot of boiling water.

This sounds like an accident waiting to happen to me, and I was wondering if this method affects the flavor, or will it be just the same to remove the leaves and boil individually.


texts: What's a good substitute for sport peppers?

texts:
Sport peppers are a key ingredient in the Chicago-style hot dog.
From Tomato Growers Supply Company's page about Sport peppers:

Sport: This Capsicum annum type of pepper is popular for its use as a pickled pepper to go on hot dogs and other sandwiches. It is especially well known as an essential condiment in a Chicago-style hot dog. Peppers resemble Tabasco peppers, but the Sport pepper is larger, about 1-1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. They are medium-hot and produced in great abundance on sturdy plants. 75 days.

These are not readily available outside the US (at least in my region). What is a good substitute, particularly for making the hot dog?


texts: What does it mean, when packaged meat depressurizes itself?

texts: If I keep meat for a few days after it's use-by date, the packaging starts to look sucked-in, as if the amount of air has been reduced. Since it is a sealed package, I can't think how that could be. What causes this de-pressurization, and does it mean the meat is no longer safe to eat?


texts: Is this the centre of the stem of a mushroom or different kind of mushroom?

texts: This long skinny mushroom appeared on the cutting board. I'm not sure if it is from the centre of the stem in the picture or a different kind of mushroom. I'm a bit worried about a stray inedible mushroom but I think it's from the stem but not sure. It's a bit water-logged because I wash them. The other stems are white and woody and don't look like the brown one on the left. If it is from an inedible mushroom is it safe to eat the ones that touched it? (Sorry photo is so big).


texts: can I make a dry ingredient waffle mix with dry egg powder & powdered milk?

texts: I want to make a dry waffle mix that you can store and later just add water to make ready. is it possible to do it with all dry ingredients?


texts: I'm really interested in what the different types of rotis you may find in India. Is the roti basically at a base flat-bread made with wheat flour and then basically flavored with any other flour. Off course you would then get different spices added to it, but what exactly is the difference between the various types of Indian roti?


texts:
I usually make vinaigrette by adding  typical ingredients (garlic, a mix of olive and oil, etc.) and mixing all that together with a blender.
I once added (I am not sure why anymore) some onions to the mix and after blending I got some kind of thick paste. I do not remember the taste anymore but it was probably not extraordinary.
I am curious if such a paste of blended onion and oil (and garlic, spices, ...) is actually used for something useful in cooking?


texts: How do I get good results with marinaded venison?

texts:
I had some deer ragout and let it marinade one day in wine, brandy and with some spices. Then I added some fresh vegetables, cold water and put the heat on. Let it simmer for a couple of hours.

The result was OK, but not great (and don't we all aspire for greatness?). How can I improve on this technique? Should I have pan fried the meat first?


texts: Food Scientists: Please Explain the Final Dough Temperature (FDT) Formula

texts:
This is undoubtedly a question for a food scientist. I have seen online a formula to calculate the water temperature needed to achieve a final/desired dough temperature:

water temp = (FDT)*(mult. factor)-(room temp)-(flour temp)-(friction factor)-(preferment temp)

So for a desired dough temp of 78ºF on a straight dough (no preferment, mult. factor = 3) worked by hand (friction factor = 0) with room temperature flour (say 72º), you would need to make your water 90º, i.e.,

90 = 78*3 - 72 - 72 - 0

I've practiced this a couple of times now, and it seems to work to within a degree or so...magic! I'm baffled as to why, though. It seems quite suspect that no weights are contained in the formula. And, getting even more scientific, no specific heats.

Can someone please explain where this useful formula comes from? I'm a physicist by trade so this is really fascinating, and I would love to know the derivation. (Math doesn't scare me.)

For reference, here are two of the places that I found this formula:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2018/05/29/desired-dough-temperature
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/common-bread-baking-calculators/

Thanks!


texts: I have recently been diagnosed with celiac, so no wheat flour whatsoever.  Also, I am allergic to corn....  I have read that arrowroot would not work in a roux; it is not just the thickening I want, but that flavor that a well browned roux has.  Any alternatives?


texts: Keep fettuccine from sticking/clumping while cooking?

texts: This question addresses how to keep pasta from sticking after it has been cooked. This question is what I want, but was wrongly closed. All the answers from the first address the sticking post-boiling, and my problem is the sticking during boiling. How can I prevent this from happening?


texts: Why wouldn't you strain hamburger grease after cooking?

texts: So I've got a friend who makes many dishes involving hamburger but doesn't ever strain it.  The grease is added to a dish like Shepard's pie which to me just seems very gross.  I see alot of posts about how to strain but nothing to discuss why you should/shouldn't strain and what you should do as an alternative if the grease must be used.


texts: Chemically, what happens when you temper an egg?

texts: Chemically speaking, what happens when you temper an egg? Why doesn't it simply cause the eggs to solidify or scramble?


texts: Is it possible to use a commercial oven range in the home?

texts:
I'm moving house soon, and the kitchen needs a complete re-fit. I've always been disappointed with the power of my current gas hob, where even the 'fast' ring is only 3kW, and while looking for a more powerful hob noticed that you can get commercial oven ranges for much the same price as decent domestic equipment.

For example, the Lincat OG7002/N has 6 x 6.1kW burners and can be picked up for little over £1000 if you shop around.

I realise that the commercial oven ranges tend to be a bit deeper than normal domestic kitchen equipment (~700mm rather than 600mm) but assuming that can be designed around, are there any other potential problems with installing a commercial oven range in the home?


texts:
I made chicken katsu tonight following this recipe. I added peanut oil to the pan, let it get hot, then threw in my semi-frozen breaded chicken thighs. As you can see, I cooked them longer than called for because they hadn't totally defrosted yet. Surprisingly, they came out very moist and delicious!

Anyway, I noticed a foam forming in the pan about midway through cooking. I took the picture below at the very end when I was taking out the chicken, and the foam was still there. What's the cause of this?


texts: Can raw chicken share a top loading cooler next to RTE food like cheese and also Raw Ground Beef?

texts: The picture is of a top loading cooler ( freezer. Heh..) ground beef on the right. Raw chicken in the middle and RTE cheese on the left


texts: How long does sealed unagi eel last in refrigerator?

texts: So I defrosted the sealed cooked unagi eel from the store like a week ago and left it in the refrigerator. It says I should keep it frozen. How long do you think it's safe to eat if I kept it in the refrigerator and it's not opened yet?


texts: I love "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Can someone recommend similar books for other cuisines?

texts:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking does a fantastic job of teaching what you need to do to cook all of the classic French recipes and why you need to do it the way that is recommended.

Can anyone recommend similar books for Northern and Southern Italian, Spanish, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese (Cantonese, Szechuan ...) ... etc?


texts: Why does broccoli turn brown when steaming?

texts:
I steam my broccoli until it's 'al dente' and some buds turn brown. I've done a small search, but haven't found anything.

I'm thinking maybe the steam is too hot or I'm steaming too long. What do you think?


texts: Should I purchase and use a grease or oil splash screen?

texts:
I use a sauce pan often for grilling chicken or frying bacon, and a lot of grease tends to splash out. There are fine mesh screens available with a handle designed to cover the pan without creating a seal.

Are these a worthwhile investment, or do they just wind up being one more item to clean?


texts: Braided bread: how to prevent ropes from springing back

texts:
I've been making challah regularly for years and would like to find a way to make the ropes longer before braiding so the end result can be a longer loaf, but they always shrink up. I've read that letting the dough rest will accomplish this but I have not had luck with that. My challah is always delicious and I'm happy with my recipe. I just want to have more flexibility in forming the loaves.

My method: I use a bread machine "dough only" cycle. I use either all AP unbleached flour, or half AP flour - half whole wheat flour.(I adjust the amount of water accordingly to make sure the dough isn't too dry.)

To make a rope, I either roll it on a floured board, or I hold it in the air and roll between my two hands.

How can I get the ropes to not spring back?


texts: How dangerous is mold at the bottom of container with fat

texts:
My friends from a farm gave me some clarified butter, about half a liter in a plastic container. I used it for some time, mostly for frying. A couple of days ago I saw mold spots at the bottom of the container. Obviously, this means that butter was not clarified properly and some non-fat components remained at the bottom.

What should I do with the butter? Is it unsafe? Or I am ok to use it if I don't touch a bottom level? Can I transfer untouched butter to another container?


texts: How can I maximize the storage life of fresh beef in the refrigerator?

texts:
I bought a 7 pound beef tenderloin at Fresh Market that the butcher just cut and packaged for me.

What is best way to store it in the refrigerator? Will it keep for 5 days or longer?


texts: Making cake icing look professionally smooth

texts:
So you've got a nice, flat-topped cake after learning on Seasoned Advice how to eliminate doming and now you wish to ice it as perfectly smooth as you see it sometimes done commercially: no ridges with a even sheen.

Any secrets beyond patience and an artistic flair?

I already use a long, flat icing spatula.


texts: What happens if I add corn before bringing the water to a boil?

texts:
I accidentally added vegetables and water to the pot from the beginning instead of bringing water to a boil then adding the fresh corn kernels

What happens if I do this? Will my end result be ruined?


texts: Making a goats cheese tart more substantial

texts:
Last night I made a goats cheese tart using pesto, puff pastry, finely chopped onions, peppers and courgettes.  (Spread pastry with pesto, put veg on, break up goats cheese and bake in a 200 degree oven for about 30 mins).

It was very nice but not filling enough for a main course.

What can be added to bulk up the tart but that does not need (significant) cooking before hand  and doesnt alter the cooking of the tart too much.

Ideas include - small cubes of potato (not sure if it would cook enough), and eggs (creates more a quiche rather than a tart).

Anyone else have any ideas?


texts: What is the best/easiest method to peel peaches?


texts: Will lobsters caught in June be shedders?

texts: I am planning to visit Maine at the end of June. Can I expect the lobsters I buy there will be shedders or will they be hard shell?


texts: Pea protein in a yeast dough. No rise in oven?

texts:
Spent whole week making no rise no kneed pizza dough (1.5Tbsp yeast + 1.5 cup water + 4 cups flour etc). Gets pretty puffy in the oven.
Today tried adding pea protein (70g, but with less flour to achieve same level of sticky consistency) and it completed killed it rising in the oven.
Too much pea protein or some properties of pea protein specifically? Besides being pretty fibery it seems pea protein also binds water easily.


texts:
Given a recipe for bread/buns, what can I do to make it softer and more moist? From what I have gathered in various recipes on the net:

scald the milk
use buttery sweet dough emulsion
use diastatic malt powder
use bakers special dry milk

For #2, #3, and #4 -- are there any guidelines on how much to add for a recipe that doesn't already include these?


texts: How to cook tarhonya in a pressure cooker or rice cooker

texts:
Is it possible to cook tarhonya (Hungarian egg barley) in a pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, to cut down on cooking time?  The only pressure cooker recipe I've found neglects to mention the cooking time, and also doesn't mention sautéeing it first, which I find strange.

If pressure cooking after the sautée isn't a good idea, can I instead use a rice cooker (or the rice-cooker function of my multi-cooker)?  Or is cooking tarhonya fundamentally different from cooking rice?


texts:
I buy ricotta in large quantities (1kg) and I'm always throwing it out when it gets yellowish on the top border, and I'm pretty sure that yellow stuff is toxic.

Since I always eat ricotta with lots of seasonings (most of which are also used to preserve meat in more humid places), I'm wondering if it would do any good storing it already seasoned.

Usually I use za'atar and olive oil. But I'm open to pretty much anything if tasty and will help preserve it longer.

I'm already doing the basics: airtight container, store at back of the refrigerator, do not leave it out more than necessary.


texts: How much cake batter to make two 6"x2" cakes?

texts: I have two 6"x2" cake pans, and am wondering how many cups of a box cake mix batter I need to put into each pan?  Thank you!!


texts: Can an opened pack of dried yeast be stored for later use?

texts: I purchased a 25 gm active dry yeast. It says to use it with 500 ml flour. However I just want to make a couple of pizza bases, 100 gm each max. So can I use 40% of it today, and use the rest later? How to store the open pack, do I need to seal it and pack?


texts: How to make a passion fruit mousse without gelatin?

texts:
I am Brazilian amateur cook.

I wonder if there is any original recipe to make passion fruit mousse. Every time I do it, consistency is too runny and slightly aerated. Maybe the consistency to stay firm with the use of gelatine, but avoid using because I don't like to do it.

Most recipes that date make use of:

heavy cream;
sweetened milk and
passion fruit juice or pulp.

At the same time all mixed in a mixer or in a blender. Apparently, using too much juice or passion fruit juice is what brings more acidity and taste the result, making the more liquid mousse. I don't know if the climatic condition here change something.

PS: Use whipped cream would make the consistency of mousse more aerated and firmer too? What could I do (without gelatine) to make the mousse as expected?


texts:
I am wondering if baking bread longer results in more dryness of the crumb. It seems like the more "artisan" recipes often push the crust to near the point of burning, presumably for flavor, but does this reduce moisture?

I would assume it does, except I read in "The Science of Good Cooking" that the internal temperature of bread will not exceed around 210 degrees F because of the moisture it contains.

Also, is this related to achieving the shiny, "fully gelatinized" interior I have seen praised? My breads never look that way - do I need to bake longer?

Thanks

Here's a picture


texts: Should rice cooker bowls be refrigerated?

texts:
Whenever I can't finish all the rice in the rice cooker bowl, I place the bowl (with the lid on) into the refrigerator, to shirk transferring the rice to a container (e.g. Glasstock).

Does this refrigeration damage the bowl?


texts:
I am using the following list of ingredients in trying to make gluten free, grain free, egg free, sugar free muffins. The texture turned out a bit too dry. Increasing which ingredient would give a moister texture? Bananas or date puree?

1/2 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 cup Potato starch
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup date puree
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup yogurt
Pinch of cinnamon


texts: The date on cream cheese does not say sell by or use by or best by. I wanted to make home made pimento & cheese, but I am somewhat reluctant to use it.


texts: What is an appropriate water to yeast ratio for hydrating yeast for bagels?

texts:
I've been doing a lot of bagel making lately... my bagels are "on point", except they aren't rising as much as you would see in a typical bagel shop... in fact, I've noticed they kind of "deflate" a little as time goes on.

Is there a liquid/yeast ratio I should consider when "hydrating" or "waking" my yeast? I'm thinking about adding another gram or 2 of yeast, but I don't want to "drown it"... I don't even know if that makes sense as a thing, but I thought I'd ask before I start wasting flour.

540g High Gluten (12-14%) Flour
140g Cold Water
7g Malted Barley
7g Fine Kosher Salt

-- Yeast Mixture--

7g Active Dry Yeast
20g Sugar
150g Warm Water

I let the yeast, sugar, and water "activate" for 20 minutes.

I put the "dry ingredients" into the mixer and mix them up... then I up the speed to medium and add the yeast mixture and the cold water... I mix for up to 4 minutes... then when a cohesive ball is formed I put it on a granite counter top and knead by hand for a further 3-5 minutes...

After that I let it rest covered with a damp dish cloth for a least an hour...

After resting... I punch down the dough... measure out equal portions... then I make rings...

I boil each bagel on each side for 1.5-2 minutes...

After boiling... egg wash, toppings, bake for 25-30 minutes on 425.


texts: How can I add more "chew" to veggie burgers with only vegetables?

texts:
I, like many, have been on the search for the perfect veggie burger. And to my mind, there is a difference between "burgers" derived from a combination of legumes, grains, and/or fungus (ex. tofu, tempeh, and seitan) and "burgers" that are recognizably and predominately vegetables. In other words, there are  burgers that qualify as vegetarian, and then there are vegetable burgers. It doesn't mean that these other foods can't be part of the mix. But when you rely too heavily on them, it stops feeling like you are showcasing the vegetables.

The problem is the lack of "chew." You know, the satisfying gets-stuck-in-your-teeth-like-grizzle experience that's hard to replicate without meat--and even harder if you bar the usual meat substitutes. And then there is the related problem of veggie burgers always falling apart.

So can it be done? For instance, I've tried incorporating shredded potatoes and carrots into the mix, trying to create a kind of mesh, but no dice.


texts: How to use and is there a good thermometer for very small small fish?

texts:
I'm trying to check whitebait temperature after cooked and it always seems to be a lower temperature than expected e.g. even after boiling the fish, removing the fish and adding the thermometer, the thermometer can show 40-50c.

I'm currently using this thermometer, however, although it goes in the fish(seemingl fully), perhaps as the fish is so small air is getting to it and so an accurate read isnt been given.

Is my current thermometer inappropriate and are there any specific thermometers which can be used specifically to check small fish such as whitebait.  I imagine the needle has to be very small considering the fish size and most thermometers i find are not much different than the one I linked.

Is it possible that the fish reaches the safe temperature e.g. 62c however as soon as I remove the fish from the water it rapidly cools so by the time the thermometer goes in the fish tempertaure already decreases to say 40c?  If yes how is it best to check fish temperature?  I know you can look for texture and opaquness of of fish however I'm not good at judging with my eye so I'd rather use something more objective like a thermometer.


texts: Can I add milk to tea while it is steeping?

texts:
Can I add milk to tea (bagged or loose) while it is steeping? Or will it stop or otherwise mess with the process?

If so, does the temperature of the milk make a difference?

Ideally, I'm looking for solid info on the chemistry, or effects of milk in the water on diffusion through the tea bag or out of the leaves.


texts: I've tried scrapping with a knife (scissors), but it's hard work and slow. Any other idea?


texts: Baking chicken while respecting maximum olive oil temperature

texts:
I normally cook chicken on a pan with some olive oil (which supports a maximum temperature of 160C) but I am trying to bake on the oven instead.

I've found a recipe where some olive oil placed at the bottom of tray together with some balsamic vinegar and some spices but the recipe indicates to set the oven temperature to 200C.

Knowing that the maximum temperature for the olive oil is the 160C I set the oven temperature to that and increase the cooking time for the chicken (instead of 20 minutes I used 1 hour). On the last 5 minutes or so, I increased to 190C.

The chicken looks cooked inside but I am concerned now if whether or not it had reached a safe temperature after reading Can I safely roast a chicken for 4 to 5 hours on a low heat? .

If I set the oven temperature to 200C, will it cause degradation on the portion of olive oil, considering its maximum recommended temperature of 160C? Likely the oil will not reach the 200C but what temperature should I use?
How safe should it be to eat this chicken now? Should I apply some extra cooking to be sure?

thanks in advance


texts: Can I substitute granulated sugar for caster sugar in Marzipan?

texts:
I'd like to make marzipan, but I don't have caster/superfine sugar, only "regular" white sugar. Will it work, or are there any tricks to make it work without a grinding implement?

I just finished a batch after using a blender to grind up the sugar (the almond was already in powder form). The consistency might be a bit coarser, but I'm not sure I can tell the difference.


texts: Do breadcrumbs really act as a binder in meat preparations?

texts:
I routinely hear that breadcrumbs are added to burgers and meatballs to bind them.  For example, see the answers to this question: how to stop meatballs falling apart. On the other hand, I have heard professional chefs say that the bread does not bind the meat. The egg is added to bind, the bread is added as filler.

I have never put bread or breadcrumbs in my meatballs or burgers and I don't have problems with them falling apart. I do however, put an egg yolk in and work them long enough that they don't break when pressure is applied.

So which is it? Filler, binder or both? If it's a binder, by what mechanism does it bind the meat?


texts: Concern over whether roast chicken is safe

texts:
I prepared a roast chicken for the first time today. The chicken weighed about 2 kilograms and I cooked it for about two hours at 190 degree Celsius.
My concern is that the vegetables that I stuffed into the chicken cavity don't seem to be cooked. I cut a huge potato(25g roughly)  into two along with some small onions and put it into the cavity, they're still crunchy and the potato isn't cooked...
Should I be worried about whether my roast is safe for consumption? When I removed it from the oven, there was juice flowing out, is this alright? My family doesn't really eat roast chicken, in fact where I come from, we're most likely to boil it than to roast it. So I don't really have anyone to ask about it.
Can anyone please help me?


texts: What's common to pie crusts and deep fried battered foods?

texts:
A member of my family gets migraines when he consumes certain foods. I'm trying to nail down which component of these foods is the trigger. What do pie crusts and deep fried battered foods (eg onion rings, fish and chips) have in common?

It's really puzzling me since there are so many similar foods that don't cause migraines for him, such as other fried foods (whether in oil or in butter) and other baked goods. And to make matters even more confusing, not all pie crusts and battered fried foods trigger him. I've looked through some lists of common dietary migraine triggers and none of them seem to fit. Gluten seems to be fine for him.

I made an all-butter pie crust tonight (just flour, butter, salt, and water) to see if it went over better than store bought crust, but alas, it triggered a migraine. I'm going to try making an all shortening one next.

What could be a common denominator in these foods? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!


texts: Does any other cultures have a food similar to jewish Chulent?

texts:
Chulent is usualy made from beans, barley, potatoes, meat, and carrots. Generaly spiced with garlic, paprika, and black peper and cooked for 24 hours

Do any other cultures have a similar food cooked for a simelar leangth of time?


texts:
We were told that yellow flour (Italian) can be added to normal white flour to make a good crispy pizza dough?

What is this yellow flour?


texts: What is the proper oven rack height position for baking cakes and cookies?

texts:
My oven has five rack positions.  When baking a cake mix, at what height should the oven rack be placed at?  If it helps, I usually bake using two 9" round pans.  The box of cake mix typically doesn't specify.  Is there a norm?

Also, at what height should the oven rack be when baking cookies (e.g. chocolate chip)?


texts:
I'm a huge fan of sausages, bratwurst especially. It always says to brown all of the sides, but I always find that they roll around quite a bit while I'm searing them. This makes for an odd assortment of cooking, and I sometimes lose the juices into the brine.

How can I properly sear my sausages on all sides?


texts: What's the secret for Chinese fried rice?

texts:
I see a lot of recipes for fried rice, but never seem to be able to give the gorgeous lightly browned color (and therefore flavor) to my rice.

This is before adding soy sauce or anything else. Is this a question of heat, or quantity of oil? How do they do it in the restaurant (e.g. young chow fried rice)?


texts: Would sous vide-ing tomatoes result in a deeply caramelised tomato sauce?

texts: I am looking to take the effort out of slow-cooking tomatoes for several hours over the stove and wondered if sous-vide may be a possible method of doing this. I understand that the end result may be slightly watery but this sauce can then be reduced in a pan at the end, could it not? Is it possible that the end product could have the same depth of flavour a tomato sauce slow-cooked in the traditional way would? If so, what kind of temperature and timeframe would I be looking at?


texts: How do you cut/process a whole pineapple?

texts: I wanted to cut up a whole, fresh pineapple, but wasn't sure exactly where to start without butchering it up badly - I wanted to cut it up into nice pieces!!  Are there any techniques that would work that would enable me to be able to cut it up into nice chunks?


texts: What's  the best way to tell if eggs are fresh when you don't have access to a glass of water (I.e at farmers market)? The teaching has been eggs from the farmers market are fresher than those at the store. I recently hard boiled eggs from both the farmers market and the store. The farmers market eggs had a big air pocket at the bottom ( conveniently making them easier to peel). I was always told that this is a sign they are not as fresh. I fed my baby the ones from the store instead.


texts: How long is yogurt good after the best by date?

texts: I have a large, unopened container of yogurt that is a couple weeks past the best by date and I wondering if it is safe to eat. It still smells fine. How long past the best by date is yogurt usually still good?


texts: Can you safely use a cast-iron grill pan as a heat diffuser?

texts:
We recently got an earthenware tagine. However, being earthenware, it can't be directly exposed to the stove flames. The manual calls for a heat diffuser, but those are apparently impossible to find (there's a store 45 minutes away in another city that might have some).

I know you can use a cast-iron skillet as a heat diffuser in a pinch, but we don't have one large enough. What we do have, however, is a large cast-iron grill pan. I initially thought that the ridges inside it would be a problem, causing uneven heating, and thus dismissed that idea -- but after some searching it looks like the overwhelming majority of heat diffusers actually have ridges, domes, holes, or other surface features that would produce uneven heating anyways!

So...can I safely use a cast-iron grill pan as a heat diffuser? If not, why not? In either case, what's the purpose of the various surface features on heat diffusers that prevent them from uniformly contacting the cookware on top of them?


texts: Is designating knives to avoid cross-contamination necessary?

texts: I have a friend who assigns one knife for cutting raw meat, another knife for cutting fruits and vegetables, another for cutting cooked meat, etc. Is washing one knife after each specific use not sufficient to avoid cross-contamination? (Note: different cutting boards are assigned for different food types as well)


texts: What does 'white' alone mean in cocktail recipes?

texts:
I've come across the two following cocktail recipes:

  East Meets West

  Absolut Raspberry vodka, Cointreau, St-Germain
  elderflower liqueur, pomegranate juice, lime juice, white

  The English Writer

  Tanqueray gin, Aperol, pink grapefruit, acacia
  honey, lime juice, white

what does 'white' mean here? white rum? white wine? white liqueur (if there's such a thing)?


texts: Why did my ginger garlic paste have a bitter aftertaste?

texts:
I cooked a base for indian sauce based on lots of onion, homemade ginger garlic paste, some veggies (I used carrot, a little napa cabbage, bell peppers) and spices. After cooking, the sauce had an unfortunate bitter aftertaste. Nothing burned, I cooked over careful heat.

First I thought it wasn't cooked enough, so I cooked some more over low heat. The bitter taste did not disappear.

After considering this some more, my suspicion turned to my homemade ginger garlic paste. It turned green after grinding the ginger and garlic, but that didn't bother me, it's a fairly common phenomenon. But I fried some paste in two batches, and then tasted the result. One was fried until it browned. The other was just fried for 2-3 minutes, and remained quite green. Here's a picture showing (clockwise from lower right) raw, lightly cooked and browned ginger garlic paste:

The browned batch was sweet, followed by the pungent ginger. The lightly fried batch was quite bitter, and also pungent.

So I think the bitterness in my sauce was caused by my ginger garlic paste. But why? What happened?


texts: How to prevent homemade soy milk separating in hot tea?

texts:
How to stop my homemade soy milk separating in my hot cup of tea. I'm not giving up my lovely hot sweet one cup a day black tea!

What do I need to do to make the ideal organic soy milk for hot beverages?

Please don't advise me to cool the tea. That is NOT what I want.


texts:
I tried making homemade bounty bars twice but there is a problem I can't seem to get the solution to this problem right. What I do is as follows:

I first mix a can of sweetened condensed milk with some coconut powder until a thick batter is formed. Then I put it in a mold and in the freezer (or in the fridge for a longer time). Cut into small bars, and finally covered with melted chocolate (tempered).

The problem is, as I try to coat the coconut bars with chocolate, they lose their shape and some of the coconuts pours in the chocolate and everything gets messy. I don't know how it must be done so that I can easily cover them with chocolate so that they keep their shape perfectly.


texts:
Why and how are the feet of the French almond meal macaron generated? (I'm interested in the physical process.)

I am a little confused because I know that the piped macarons shells, after drying for 30-50 minutes, become inflexible so they can't expand outward. They also can't expand downward because of the baking tray (which blocks the expansion in that direction). So how, after all, are the feet created?


texts: What can I do to add more flavor into my beef barley soup?

texts:
This time around my beef barley soup is tasting a bit on the plain side. It has the right amount of saltiness but is lacking in the flavorful department. The ingredients used thus far have been:

Beef Stock, Water, Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Seasoned Pepper, Rosemary, Onions, Carrots, Barley, and Cubed Beef.

What can I do to help boost its flavor?


texts: Is it possible to store Homemade pie crusts - if so what methods are there?

texts: I wanted to make pie crust for a cheesecake recipe but didn't want to make all of the actual filling at the same time ( doing it for two different events that are about two weeks apart), is it possible store the extra crust, and if so how?  Crust is a simple sugar, cracker variety...


texts: Preventing Diced Vegetables Added to Simmering Liquid From Becoming Mushy

texts:
I like adding yams, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and pumpkin, all in 1/2 inch cubes, to soups/beans and other dishes with simmering liquid.

I generally add them 10 minutes before the end, so that they do not overcook. Even then, however, if the hot soup/beans sit off the heat for 20 minutes, the vegetable cubes begin to lose their structure.

Roasting the diced vegetables beforehand helps somewhat. What I would like is to have the structure of the roasted diced vegetables (caramelized harder exterior with cooked softer interior) hold up for as long as possible.

Does anybody have any tips to achieve this?


texts: Preparing chicken burgers for sous vide then freezing while keeping shape

texts:
I am having a hard time finding good, reasonably low fat precooked chicken burgers currently, presumably due to COVID; I used to buy these for reference. As such, I figured I'd prepare my own.
I'm shredding (in a Cuisinart) raw, boneless/skinless chicken thighs (with most of the fat removed that's external but leaving the intramuscular fat), and then adding caramelized onions, cooked garlic/bell peppers, and spices or BBQ sauce, then forming into patties, placing in a vacuum bag, sealing, and cooking in my sous vide at 150 for an hour or so.  Then I let them cool for a bit, and put them in the freezer.  I prepare them from frozen in a pan (directly, no oil or steam beyond what they produce themselves).
Batch one went well, except that they don't keep their shape well.  Between sous-vide and freezer, they end up  in really odd shapes or even bent (presumably because I don't have a perfect spot).
Are there things I can add to the recipe, or to my technique, to help them stay a bit more flat and less thin?  The main thing I've seen that I'm not including is bread/breadcrumbs; I'd prefer to not include that (as it's empty calories), but if this is the specific reason it's in there I could reconsider.  I'm also using thighs, not breasts, in part as they have the fat profile I think is best - but if breast meat would do better in this application, I could certainly switch.


texts: Botulism risk from anchovies in the refrigerator?

texts:
A few months ago, I opened a can of anchovies, and to avoid wasting the leftovers, I pureed it into a paste and saved in a container in the fridge, in olive oil.

The anchovies are very salty and the pH is somewhere between 5 and 6, based on a litmus test strip. It's been kept in the fridge the whole time. They also smell fine, no hint of spoilage.

But: could this be a botulism risk? The original product was commercially canned, so it was probably safe (and eating it then was fine). My understanding is that these conditions ought to prevent botulism growth, if there was even any to begin with. But since the consequences are so serious, I'd like to be sure.


texts: How do I convert a powdered seasoning into cube (bouillon) form?

texts: I have created seasoning in powdered form and would like to also make it in a bouillon form. How do I do this?


texts:
I've sprouted mung beans (many times) and a few other seeds successfully. I understand the process well. I've now tried sprouting soybeans a number of times but I can't make it past soaking.

After soaking them overnight, I found the beans were soft almost to the point where I could mash them between thumb and finger. Most of the skins had come loose which I expected but quite a few beans had also separated into halves. The first time, I carefully picked through them, trying to remove obvious non-sproutable ones. After the first rinsing, it was hopeless and I tossed them. I bought fresh beans at a different places thinking it might've been a fluke but the same thing happened.

I got thinking and wonder if the soybeans may have been heat treated to prevent sprouting. Monsanto has GMO soybeans but I have no idea if the majority of soybeans sold in stores are theirs. Monsanto zealously guards their products by legal means and it made me wonder if they also guard against consumers growing their seeds by heat treating, in this case at least.

Has anyone an idea if that might be the reason I can't get beyond the soaking stage? If so, I'll buy some non-GMO soybeans from a health food store. If anyone has had success, please let me know. I've bought soybean sprouts from a Chinese market before but the closest one that sells them is at least an hour drive away.


texts: For preparing squid , with traditonal masala type receipe , it was kept for 1 steam in pressure cooker. But squid got hardened after making the dish. Is there a way to keep it soft with preparation? Squid roast


texts: Is it really that easy to make safe cured salmon with a 3 min sugar/salt brine?

texts:
The reason for this question is that I live in a landlocked part of the US, thus; the salmon I have access to isn't "fresh off the boat", and there aren't really any places I have access to sushi grade sushi (which I would just eat raw without curing). The recipe originates from this YoutTube video (written recipe here).

In which the process it takes to make raw salmon edible is simply to dunk 1/4 inch thick slabs of salmon into:

2 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 cup Kosher salt – I used Diamond Crystal brand
1/3 cup sugar

The author Chef John claims:

  This technique works great with frozen salmon, which apparently kills potential parasites, so that’s one option. Anecdotally, I can tell you I’ve done this, and similar procedures, countless dozens of times with fresh salmon ("sushi grade" from a reputable, local purveyor), and have lived to tell the tale. Good luck.

Do you think it would be safe to do this with average store bought Salmon?

I'm not all that scared of parasites in the salmon, b/c the process in which the salmon is cut into strips would make it very easy to see if there are little "worms" in the fish. I'm more concerned with the actual bacteria that might be on the fish and whether this 3 minute brine would be sufficient.


texts: How to prepare tiny salted squid for cooking?

texts:
So, I have a bag of tiny salted squid. I love squid, but I've never cooked them and have no idea what to do with this. They're whole, and the bag says that they've been steamed, but I don't know if that means they're ready to eat as is or if they need further cooking.

At the moment, my best guess is to look up the squid cleaning instructions in Hazan's Classic Pasta Cookbook or in Time-Life Pasta and hope they apply as well to tiny squid as they do to the larger squid pictured in those books, and then use them in some sort of pasta dish, and hope the fact that they're tiny and already steamed doesn't interfere.

So -- can I clean them in the same way as full size squid? How does the steaming affect their preparation? And what can I do with them? I realize the last question is pretty broad, so I'm mostly interested in answers to the first two, but I'm also open to suggestions for what one can use a bunch of tiny salted squid for.


texts: Does the biological classification of food have a relation to taste?

texts:
As a concrete example, both tomato and potato are in the nightshade family as defined by their biological classification.

However, I don't think a tomato tastes like a potato at all.

Obviously the biological classification is based upon physical characteristics as well as the genetic make up of the food.

In particular, I'm thinking about the various families in the plant family.  Is there a relation to taste and biological classification?


texts: How do I fix and prevent a baked custard from weeping?

texts:
I made a rhubarb custard pie that turned out  nicely; the custard was flavored with orange zest and 2 tablespoons of orange juice and 1 teaspoon of orange flower water.

I wanted a baked custard made of the filling without the crust.

I doubled the recipe and baked it in a souffle dish, using a water bath under the souffle dish. I baked it at 325F. It took almost 2 hours for the knife inserted in the center to come clean.

The custard was a  good texture when removed from the oven and cooled, but when I scooped some out, clear sugar fluid accumulated  where I scooped.

The fluid tasted only of sugar, not the rhubarb or the orange flavors.

I tilted the souffle dish. Overnight approximately 2/3 cup of fluid accumulated in the space where I had scooped .

My question :

Why did this happen?

What could I do to avoid it happening in the future?


texts: I'm making pumpkin custard and it calls for 1 can evaporated milk AND 3/4 c.sugar. I have a can of condensed milk. Can I used the condensed milk instead? Add a little milk or water?


texts: Sometimes I want to avoid oil and oil-related food. How do I remove oil from soup?


texts:
I tested my yeast using the method explained on this video: https://youtu.be/p8ydC1Of_Zw (go to 2:05 min)
Here is the method in case you can't access the video:
1) dissolve 1 tbsp of sugar in half a cup of warm water
2) add 2 and 1/4 tsp of dry yeast and stir
3) wait 10 min
4) if foam rises to 1 cup mark yeast is good. Otherwise it's not.

It turned out to be good.

I don't like to waste food or ingredients, so I was wondering: can I now use that mixture instead of yeast in any recipe that requires yeast? Can I use it in place of a sourdough starter maybe?

If yes, how can I best store it to save it for future recipes?

Thanks


texts: Using sous vide to warm canned vegetables

texts: Has anyone attempted to plunge a can of vegetables into the sous vide bath given it is already vacuum packed? I would, of course, take off the label.


texts: How to toast whole nutmeg to put in coffee?

texts: Playing mad scientist a bit, I tried putting some ground nutmeg in coffee, and I really thought it tasted neat, especially with brown sugar. I think it'd taste even better if I used whole nutmeg, toasted/roasted it a little, and ground it up with the coffee beans. Since nutmeg comes in whole...nuts....how can I break off a little chip of it? Also how can I toast it without having to get a whole pan dirty? Thanks :)


texts: Why can applesauce be used in place of oil?

texts:
In many recipes, mostly desserts, it is suggested that you can substitute oil with applesauce to reduce the fat content. But why applesauce?

Is there something special about applesauce or are there other ingredients than can be used?


texts:
In the American South, Hoppin' John is a popular New Year's meal. In honor of the Chinese New Year, I would like to make a Chinese variation on Hoppin' John.

In place of bacon, I thought I'd use BBQ Pork. However, I am unfamiliar with legumes (beans) used in Chinese cuisine other than soybeans. What are some other bean choices that would work for this?

Also, not sure about tomatoes being used in Chinese cooking. What would an alternative be for tomatoes?

Thanks.


texts: I've been looking at recipes to prepare in bulk and store in mason jars for a few weeks. A company called Honeyville Farms sells a bunch of freeze dried stuff for this purpose, as well as 'quick cook' beans in different varieties.  They claim that the beans are dry, but can be fully cooked in 20 minutes.  Sounds great, but they are also quite expensive.  Are these actually cooked and then freeze dried beans?  If not, is is possible to prepare 'quick cook' beans myself without buying the expensive cans online?


texts: Recipes for cookie cutters vs drop cookies

texts: Today I made a batch of sugar cookies using my new snowflake-shaped cookie cutters; when I pulled them out, they had puffed so much they became flower-shaped instead. What should I look for in a recipe to use cookie cutters on versus one that would be better for drop cookies or a sliced log? Specifically, I suppose I don't want them to rise much after cutting - do I want less leavening? Smaller flour to butter ratio? How much?


texts: How to make homemade bread machine mixes for long-term store?

texts:
I bought a bread machine that makes delicious bread, but in the weekday, I rarely have time to put all of the ingredients together. I would like to prepare many batches for a whole month, all at once.

Many years ago, I could buy box mixes, for use in the machine, but the cost has gone up considerably. Would it be possible for me to measure out the ingredients for the bread, store them in zip-lock bags, to later be throwing into the machine?

Typical recipes include such ingredients as these:

- water
- butter
- honey
- salt
- bread flour
- nonfat dry milk
- yeast
- granola
- Italian seasoning
- mozzarella cheese
- sun-dried tomatoes

I suspect cheese, butter, water, and milk cannot be added, but can all other ingredients be added together, then stored in zip-lock backs, to later be poured in the machine? Will this result in less quality taste? How long can it be stored?


texts: Using stainless steel utensiles on aluminum

texts:
I roast vegetables in aluminum baking pan.
To remove these, as they do get crispy, I use stainless steel spatula.

I have noticed slight scratches on the baking pan.

Will this affect baking in the baking pan?
Does this matter other than esthetics?


texts: How to recover vegetables that get "refrigerator crisper chill"?

texts:
Sometimes my fridge is set to be too cold and if there is not much in it, I find the vegies in the back of the crisper start to freeze. This week it happened to mushrooms, bok choy, and radishes.

I tried to "recover" them a bit by letting them sit in warm water for 5-10 minutes before chopping up for a stirfry or pasta sauce (i.e. not heaps of cooking time). (Although not the mushrooms - I have some idea you're not supposed to wash mushrooms because they go slimy, although soaking might be different.)

The mushrooms were OK even though frozen...but the radishes were horrible. They still had heaps of ice crystals inside, and even some I cooked, I thought the ice would melt and they would be OK, but somehow they were unnaturally crunchy and it was quite unpleasant to eat them.

So is there anything else I should try in this case, or is prevention the only answer?

(And yes I turned up the temperature on the fridge ;))


texts: Searing after sous viding - what temperature?

texts:
I just got a sous vide supreme for christmas and I am super excited to use it.  Many of the recipes I have seen online suggest to sear the meat after cooking to provide a crust.  No problem.

My question is about doneness - If I want a medium rare steak, I would cook it to 125-130.  With a sous vide and an after bath sear - should I still cook it to 125, or should I cook it to 115 and let the pan finish cooking it?

Thoughts?

Thanks


texts: Why does Anova sous vide tell me to cook salmon to unsafe temperatures

texts:
I started using the Anova Sous Vide as a means to cook more meals at home and so far I really like it.
I wanted to try out some salmon so I did it with olive oil and tyme in a sealable bag using the slow immersion and then sealing at the top method. The guide said 45 munites at 120F which I did. When I pulled the salmon out and blotted it with a paper towel to get it dry, my thermometer was about 120F as expected.
However looking at the USDA food safety regulations they say salmon should be 145F in the middle. I have always been paranoid about food safety so I have not eaten this yet. Instead I took off the skin like the guide said and refrigerated them.

So what is the deal with this pretty major temperature disparity. Doing some research I get that some people eat salmon at this temperature, so what's the deal with 145F? Will I get sick eating this? Anything I should look out for? Thank you.


texts: Emulsifying oil-soluble flavour compounds in homemade soft drinks

texts:
Commercial soft drinks seem to often use rather exotic emulsifiers (brominated vegetable oils, quillaja) to mix flavour bearing oils into the drink - I would assume that is how you get citrus tastes beyond what just adding citrus juices can achieve.

Is there a method that is viable for the home lemonade maker, without using too-obscure ingredients? Will the oily phase (eg lemon zest steeped in coconut oil) stay emulsified if it is first mixed with a small amount of alcohol - or would a small amount of a food-grade soap (from food grade oil and food grade lye) work without upsetting the taste intolerably?


texts:
Looking over several chocolate macaroon recipes, several of them use coconut in conspicuous amounts (such as this one or this one).

What is an appropriate substitute for dried coconut here? It seems like it's used as a dry ingredient, so I would suspect substituting other dry ingredients (flour or oats) might make sense. But I'm not sure, since coconut stuff tends to be oily.


texts:
Whenever I cook a dish with either no meat, or when I can't get any of the juices from the meat, I tend to make a gravy based on onions.  I'm wondering what alternatives there are to onion gravy.  To be clear, this is a gravy to compliment a meat dish (that is, I'm not looking for vegetarian or vegan options, necessarily).

I have seen mushroom gravy options, but I have a feeling that would taste strongly of mushrooms and overwhelm the dish.


texts: Help! What have I made? Is it safe to eat?

texts:
Ok so here’s the problem, I have an instant pot that has a yogurt setting.

The first time I made it I just added some heavy cream and half and half milk with a couple generous tablespoons of yogurt, I pressed the yogurt button and put the lid on and left it.  It turned into very delicious yogurt that almost had a sweet taste to it.

I discovered after that the yogurt I had used for the starter didn’t list the ingredients as active bacteria.  So I was concerned that perhaps my yogurt was just cream that has thickened from heating.

I decided instead of using existing yogurt for my starter I would purchase cultures for health Greek yogurt starter and I used 2 litres of homo 3.5% milk.  Before I began the process I went through a sterilization process of my instant pot which used some lemon juice and vinegar in an attempt to get rid of any nasty bugs that might be present from regular cooking in it. I then began the yogurt cycle on my instant pot after thoroughly drying the pot with paper towels(discovered after it should have air dried).  Then I added the milk and waited and waited and waited for the instant pot to bring the milk up to temperature...I had pressed the yogurt button and every time I checked it the yogurt would be a couple of degrees warmer.

After two hours of this and the temp only getting to 93F, I decided enough of this and I put my instant pot on sauté and I brought the temp up to 165 F then I took the pot and put it into an ice water bath and stirred it until the temp dropped to 110F at which point I stirred in the white powder from the little packet and put the instant pot back on and I pressed the yogurt button and just left it to do its magic.  When I got back to it the machine had shut itself completely off but I noted that the inner liner was still quite warm to the touch. I then tried the spoon test to see if it would stand up and sadly it didnt and appeared quite liquidity and had a really sour smel to it. I then dumped it into my new mesh strainer and put the lid on and put it in the fridge, I took the remaining yogurt as is and just put it into a glass container with a lid.

I did have a taste of the yogurt and it tasted really sour almost like some sort of cheese I was thinking.  I have not figured out how much “yogurt” I will have remaining once the whey has been strained from it.  Now I’m wondering what exactly is it that I’ve made and is it safe to eat?  I did discover that I had inadvertently used UHT milk.


texts: Does the strength of the barrier between egg yolk and white indicate freshness?

texts:
Often you can plop eggs out of the shell on a pan nicely, so that the yolk remains whole and doesn't leak out to mix with the white. But other times, the barrier between the yolk and the white is so fragile, that there is some disintegration and some of the yolk leaks out when you try to get it on the pan. Also it becomes difficult to separate the yolk and white.
Does this indicate the eggs are less fresh?
I have the eggs sitting in ambient temperature of 30°C (around 86°F for those using exotic units), this is the room temperature. I have a suspicion that this (egg yolk leaking) happens more for eggs which have been sitting more days since collection, but I am not sure yet if there is a correlation.


texts: Cooking sirloin steaks with Anova sous vide gave me leather tough steaks

texts:
I'm new to the Anova sous vide machine and have successfully cooked tenderloin steaks beautifully with the device.
The other day I saw nice thick sirloin steaks in the supermarket which I then cooked at the same temperature as the tenderloins but for 15 minutes more (This was all using the temperature and time guide in the Anova app so from 45 mins for tenderloin to 60 minutes for strip as there are only guides for porterhouse/ribeye/stri/tenderloin)
The one thing I did differently is I forgot to season the tenderloins before I sealed the bag.
Seasoned before I seared and sat down to enjoy my tender juicy steak and it was like eating a piece of leather. As in it was totally uneatable. The temperature was spot on but the chewiness was horrible.
One bag did end up getting pushed around in the pot and was touching the Anova for most of the sous vide time but boh turned out the same.
Any helpful advice on why the steaks turned out so tough?
Thanks in advance!


texts: Separated, grainy ganache (Dark and Stormies from Grewelings's book)

texts:
I tried making "Dark and Stormies" out of Greweling's book (Chocolate and Confections). The center is a white chocolate ganache infused with vanilla and ginger and with rum. Both times I tried it, the ganache came out grainy or almost spongy in appearance.

I've never had this problem with ganache (although I'm aware that it is very common). I've also never used Greweling's technique for ganache. It has two primary differences:

The chocolate has to be tempered prior to using it for the ganache.
The chocolate is melted at 86 F (for white chocolate) before the cream is added.

Normally, I would use chopped up unmelted chocolate and pour hot cream over it. I wanted to try Geweling's method, though.

Attempt 1:

I know the chocolate was over heated (probably to around 130-140) during tempering, but the chocolate didn't show any signs of burning.

Attempt 2:

This time the chocolate was kept at the right temperature. I also stirred the ganache slightly less. The result seems to be better, but still separated.

Thanks!


texts: I recently had an apple cake at a restaurant that was delicious.  It tasted like a gooey-er version of a spice cake with apples and coconuts.  I think I can recreate this at home using a box spice cake mix.  I have three questions.  I know to keep the fruit spaced through-out the cake, I want to dust it with flour.  Since it's a box mix, I'll probably use either plain or create a spiced flour to dust the apple bits.  Will that flour cause me to increase the liquid in the cake?  Will it make the apples taste flour-y?  And should I cook the apples (at least partially) before dusting and adding or will the cook enough when baking the cake?


texts: Can I use citric acid instead of lemon juice when canning?

texts: I am making wine jelly and have run out of lemons. I have some citric acid in the pantry. Can I use the citric acid instead? The jelly calls for half a cup of lemon juice. If I can use it, how much citric acid would I use?


texts: Can I make a neverending Soup in an instantpot?

texts:
I'm a truck driver, and I have a minifridge, a microwave, an Instant pot, and an electric water kettle on the truck with me. I've been experimenting with various ideas on how to best feed myself. So here's my version of the question. If I cook the soup with some veggies and meat, scoop some out to eat, and seal the lid and keep the instant pot set to "Keep Warm" (145-175 degrees F) will it be safe? It stays sealed except when I'm dishing out a new dish, it stays above 140 degrees, and each time I add new stuff to it, I'll re-cook it, but will whatever I've left in there still be good?
I was just reading through this question: Never ending soup; is it actually safe? and I had a modified version of it to ask, but since that question hasn't been active in over a year, I thought I would make a new question.


texts: What differences are there between Chia and Flax Eggs?

texts:
In substituting Flax Eggs (milled/ground flax seeds in a water slurry, after they congeal) for regular eggs, I have found them to be a versatile aide in baking and thickening any number of dishes.

I have begun to hear tell of using chia seeds instead of flax or something like Ener-G egg replacer. Can chia be used in the same fashion once the seeds are ground as flax?

Is the chia composition the same as a flax egg (1 part milled flax seed to 3 parts water, in slurry)?
Do they set the same, i.e. congeal in the same time?
Can they be mixed for super supplement-y egg substitutes?
What differences are there in how you make or use them, and which is preferred for different uses (if either)?


texts:
We received a turkey recently which was meant to be 'fresh'. When it arrived it was frozen on the inside. We are told that the fridge was probably set a bit low so the turkey froze on the inside.

I'm not rocket surgeon, but I would have thought that meat would always freeze from the outside in, and then thaw from the outside in. Meaning in this case that the only way for the turkey's inside to be frozen would be for the whole turkey to have frozen and then partially thawed.

My question: is it possible for meat to freeze on the inside first or is by butcher pulling a fast one?


texts: Can one get quality whipped cream by putting only 250 ml (1 cup) whipping cream into a half litre (1 pint) NO2 whipper?

texts: I just bought a 500 ml whipper (Mosa), which is designed to take up to 500 ml whipping cream and a single NO2 cartridge. I'm not sure I want that much whipped cream available to my family at all times; too tempting! Will the whipper work just as effectively with 250 ml (1 cup) of whipping cream or should I consider getting a smaller whipper designed for 250 ml maximum?


texts: I pushed the dimple down after taking jars out of water bath.  Some popped after that and the second day I heard many very loud pops.  Are they sealed and is the jam safe?


texts: I find that sometimes my rice will come out chewy no matter how much water/more cooking time I add. What makes rice come out chewy and how do you prevent it?


texts:
I have some leftover turkey (still) and a jar of pesto, so came up with an idea to make a kind of turkey pasta pesto bake: my thoughts were to end up with something along the lines of baked ziti (only discovered when Googling this).  However, having had a quick search, there seems to be a consensus that pesto shouldn't be heated.  Are there any recipes or techniques that might be applicable to what I'm trying to achieve?  I was basically just going to switch the beef for turkey, and add pesto to the sauce.

In this case, I'm using red pesto; although I'd be very interested if the answer differs between pesto types.


texts: How do you bring ingredients to room temperature when its winter?

texts:
It's freezing in here and it takes forever for butter or eggs to come to room temperature. My questions are:

1) How to bring ingredients to room temperature quickly when its winter?

2) How do you know they are room temperature?

3) Why should ingredients be at room temperature?


texts:
I have some spare egg yolks that I want to use and not throw away and I've decided to make some vanilla custard. But I have no use for the custard right now and might decide to make Portuguese tarts later.

So, is it possible to freeze custard and for how long will it keep? If yes, are there any tips to thaw it?


texts: how to clean my enameled cast iron pot I burned soup dry in

texts:
A week ago, I left soup simmering in my new Staub cast-iron pot (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/2507416/) for too long, and all the liquid evaporated and what was left burned on the bottom. I've scrubbed and soaked in hot water overnight for a week but there are still black, charred remains stuck to the bottom (see photo).

My questions:

Based on the photo, can you tell what is on the bottom? Is it burned food, or the enamel, or "seasoning" (I've never seasoned it myself...), or rust, or something else?
How do I clean and restore my precious pot to full health?


texts: How to clean pulp collector of a fruit juice extractor

texts:
Not sure if my problem is directly related to home improvement, but this problem at home is making trouble for me.

I have a New Life juice extractor of model FJU-30W-310 which has a pulp collector like this:

The pulp collector is beneath a rotating disk. The problem is I cannot find a way to take out the collector to wash it with water. Does anybody know how to clean this device make and model?


texts: Does anyone know what it is in my apple cider vinegar?

texts: I bought it in December. Is it spoiled? I hadn't noticed that until today. The smell is normal.


texts:
Blue food is notoriously hard to find, but I'm working on a dish that basically resembles a lighthouse, and I need something blue to act as the water. Mustn't be wet. The dish is sort of breakfasty (egg, bacon, mushroom & so on). Any ideas? I've heard you can make cabbage turn blue, but I don't know how. If I can't get blue I might have to go with green (in the form of some micro-herbs.)

Any suggestions for something that would fit?


texts: Coating a silicone mold in chocolate glaze

texts:
I wanted to make chocolate-covered quark sweets, using a recipe from Youtube. The recipe involves mixing 160 g melted chocolate with 60 g oil, then coating a silicone mold with it and placing it in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.
In the video, the silicone mold gets coated with a brush, and it seems to work.

I used a 6-nest mold, and until I had reached the sixth nest, the chocolate in the first one had flowed completely to the bottom. I don't have a straight-side mold, but it doesn't look as if the decorative shape is the problem - if anything, it slows down the flow somewhat.

Are there techniques which will allow me to use this mold successfully for glazed confections?


texts: Post harvest treatment of organic limes vs conventional limes

texts: If both come from Mexico to Europe in the same amount of time on a ship, how do organic limes stay unmoldy while conventional ones need fungicides?


texts: What's the formula for cutting vinegar acidity?

texts: I have a vinegar based bar-b-que sauce recipe that calls for 3% acidity vinegar which cannot be found. How do I cut 5% vinegar to 3%?


texts: Are residues from seasoning coating harmful when using carbon steel pan?

texts: I seasoned this carbon steel pan a few months ago, but after several times I cooked, the seasoning coating started to flake. I wonder are the residues harmful? Can I remain the way it is or should I scrub off all of them and re-season again? Thank you so much!


texts: Which ingredient gives Chicken Pate its flavor?

texts: I just made my first Chicken Pate using the Old-school chicken liver parfait recipe. It tastes amazing just as I was hoping. My question is, where does the unique Pate flavor come from? I find the Pate flavor quite different from each of the individual ingredients. It is definitely livery, but it tastes different from cooked livers.


texts: Fixing a beef broth with too much celery seed

texts:
I cooked a large crock pot of beef bone broth. I didn't have any veggies so I used garlic salt, onion powder, celery seed and bay leaves with my beef bones and about 4 quarts of water.  I didn't measure anything, just poured spices in.

It has been simmering now for 18+ hours. I decided to taste and it is very bitter from all the celery seed. Now what can I do to try and fix the taste from all,the celery seed? I really hate for the broth to go to waste.


texts:
I made this recipe for dark chocolate ice cream. I did a double recipe, using 3 egg yolks + 1/2 cup cream instead of 12 egg yolks, and I left the cocoa nibs in until right before  churning to try to extract as much flavor as possible.

The taste was excellent but the ice cream had a somewhat gritty/sandy texture. I am fairly sure that the sugar was all dissolved, as I cooked the custard slowly and whisked constantly. I think the issue is either the cocoa nibs or the cocoa powder. I was originally planning to leave the nibs in for a crunch, but I tasted one after cooking the custard and it was not good - starchy and bland. Why did my ice cream turn out gritty?


texts: How to tell doneness of a boiled egg besides time

texts: I live at 7000 feet, so when I want to make a soft-boiled egg, I either undershoot the boiling time when I follow times online, or over shoot it into hard boiled by adjusting too far up. Is there any real way to tell the doneness besides time (or the obvious crack one open)?


texts: How to keep a rolled cabbage leaf (stalk leaf not the outer leaf) in place?

texts:
I am growing white cabbages and have an idea to use the stalk leaves (not the outer leaves of the cabbage) in the same way as fried zucchini/courgette flowers.

I want to roll the (raw) leaves (including stem) to form a tube and stuff with anchovy and mozzarella, dip into a batter and shallow fry.

However, I need a way to keep the leaf rolled up (and perhaps even sealed at the end).

Note that the leaves from the stalk of the plant are very different to the leaves which make up the cabbage itself.  The stalk leaves are not stiff and easily roll to form a tube/cone shape without boiling.

Here is a top view of a cabbage growing.  The cabbage heart in the centre will continue to grow and form the final cabbage which is sold to the public.  The stalk leaves of the plant which surround the cabbage heart are discarded when the cabbage is harvested.  I want to use the stalk leaves (and of course the eventual cabbage proper).  In the picture, the stalk leaves are larger than mine and so will be tougher and not as flexible (but will still be pliable compared to the leaves of the cabbage itself).  I plan to use my leaves when they are smaller and easily roll up (but needs something to keep in the rolled shape, preferably edible).

I would prefer an edible solution, so toothpicks/skewers are a last resort.

Ideas

Slice an onion into rings and use a ring or two to keep the leaf rolled in place.  The open end may stay sealed by folding the end over itself with an onion ring holding in place.
Sacrifice a stalk leaf and cut into long, thin strips (discarding the stalk/stem) and use that as string (inspired by using shredded leek). Update: Tried using strips of a leaf, but they break when tying.


texts: Can I use Choice Ethanol Gel Chafing Dish Fuel to cook marshmallows, or do I have to use a certain kind.


texts: Chicken in Tin Foil in the Oven: Any tips or advices on spices or wrapping?

texts:
[I'm an amateur that experiments.]

I recently realized I like chicken wrapped in tin foil after using salt, pepper and oregano on it, in 250C for up to 2 hours.

Also, I used sliced lemon on parts of it [during cooking].

However, I wonder if any other spices would be suitable and if any other wrapping would be better.

I heard the roumor that tin foil is unhealthy compared to cooking paper but I don't know if it's correct.


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I recently made a moderately successful gluten free loaf of bread from a recipe for Japanese Milk Bread from the book Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread. Respecting the author's trade secrets, I won't copy the recipe here, but suffice it to say the dough ends up very much like wheat bread dough.
EDIT: a little detail: the recipe uses whey protein isolate, pectin, and modified tapioca starch to emulate gluten, a water roux, and for leavening, yeast + 1 egg. I used active dry yeast, not instant yeast, but followed the cookbook's direction of multiplying the amount by 1.25~1.5. The dough also undergoes bulk rising in the fridge over a period of two days.

However, it's not perfect—a little heavy. I could allow longer proofing times, but I was worried about the bread becoming too sour. Other Seasoned Advice questions say that mixing synthetic leavening (i.e. baking soda or baking powder) and yeast generally is ineffective or causes bad flavor.

However, baker's ammonia (unlike baking soda) decomposes completely into water and gases, so I'm wondering whether it would provide a good alternative that wouldn't "ruin" the bread while still helping the yeast, which doesn't seem quite up to the task of making a light, airy loaf.