texts: Are there any tricks to making a light-textured "whipped cream cake"?

texts:
During a web search, I found a cake recipe that uses heavy cream instead of butter.

However, when I made it, the cake texture was terrible; thick and doughy even though I tested the cake with a toothpick and the toothpick came out clean.This is the recipe I used:

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
dash salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 8" cake pans; line with parchment paper; grease again.

Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, whisk the cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after the first before adding the second. Stir in the vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then invert on to cooling racks; re-invert so that the tops of the cakes are facing upwards. Cool completely.

I live in Boulder County, Colorado, so I decreased the sugar to 3/4 cups (I do this routinely, eve when I lived in southern Indiana, because I believe excessive amounts of sugar are used in American baked goods (leavened without yeast).

I WEIGH all ingredients and mixed the cake according to the directions; I folded the flour mixture just until there was no dry flour. What did I do wrong? Are there adjustments that should be made to the recipe, such as increasing the baking temperature? I understand that this type of cake should have a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture. How can I make this type of cake successfully?


texts: What heat should I use to BBQ red/green bell peppers?

texts:
What heat should I use to BBQ (gas/charcoal grill) red/green bell peppers?

Should it be:

direct or indirect
high/medium/low
duration?


texts: How is basil prepared for pesto most efficiently?

texts:
I'm typing this with a case of "pesto-finger" - the stubborn stains that take a few days to fully wash off my thumb and fingertips from hours of picking basil leaves (mostly after harvesting all the remaining basil in the face of a frost.) I always wonder (for a few days a year while I'm doing it) how basil is prepared (before the grinding in a pestle or food processor) both "traditionally" and/or in a large-scale or even commercial operation to make pesto, as I'm tediously picking leaves off of the stems in my annual home production. Is there a better way than tedious hand-picking?

My personal pesto has wandered fairly far from "pesto Genovese" but that really has no impact on this question, as it's still mostly basil.

Looking carefully at the picture Lars provides, it would appear (upon examining the picture at full scale) that the basil is being harvested fairly young (no flowers) and simply being cut off (you can see a sickle-bar type cutter at the base of the harvester) and pulled up (unfortunately the picture appears to be posed, with the harvester stopped and not actually harvesting, based on nothing on the belts nor coming out the chute.) This actually makes some sense - the stems at that point would be fairly tender and might not be objectionable when ground up. While it will take some discipline to finish off basil that could grow more (after years of trying to give it as long as possible and getting it right before frost), I'll have to try some this way next year. I might also try a side-by side taste comparison with some (of the same age) hand-picked (or fist-stripped) from the stems and processed, to see if there's any detriment form the young stems.


texts: Wok and electric hob - which ring to use?

texts:
I've a flat electric hob (the gets-very-hot type, not induction) upon which I cook.

When using my wok (which is flat-bottomed) I place it on the largest ring, but obviously the pan only covers a relatively small potion of the ring. I hadn't really thought about it, but for some reason yesterday I was cooking away and it dawned on me maybe the smaller rings would work better.

Do the larger rings normally produce more thermal energy, or the same amount just more spread out?
Would it be better to use the ring that is about the same size as the base of the pan?


texts: What kind of tray or tray coating to use for pretzels?

texts:
I've been making traditional German pretzels with a lye bath, but the pretzels tend to bake onto the baking sheets. I've tried a few different kinds of trays, all with less that perfect results.

Non-stick coatings actually stick to the bottom of my pretzels and
get pulled off the trays.
Some pans without coatings react visibly with the lye solution, i.e.
bubbling. Unfortunately, I'm not sure which metal this pan was made
of. On the other hand, the pretzels stick less.
Wax paper sticks to the degree that I have to cut it off.

I would like to find a solution that prevents my pretzels from sticking and me from ingesting any Teflon, metal, or paper.


texts: Considerations for prepping breaded chicken for freezing

texts: I have chicken breasts. I want to cut into strips, bread, freeze and later bake or fry. The binder will be egg. The breading will be semolinia bread crumbs. There will be parmesan and italian herbs in the breading. Any special considerations compared to breading with the intention of cooking immediately?


texts: Balancing out a good souffle and burnt cheese on top

texts: I have a  souffle egg recipe that calls for grated Parmesan cheese on the top. I want to also have the cheese slightly burnt without having the souffle collapse. Is there a way to do this? My ideas: If I use the upper part of the oven, wouldn't that overheat the souffle? Or Should I slowly bake the souffle at a low temperature and then for 60 seconds or so use the upper part of the oven. I don't have a blowtorch, if that's a possibility.


texts: Homemade flour tortillas without cast iron

texts:
My wife and I love making things from scratch, but we're just starting out without a lot of equipment. We don't have a cast iron pan, especially because my wife has a neuromuscular disorder, so she can't lift really heavy pans.

Can you make good homemade flour tortillas in a regular stainless steel saucepan? What should we watch out for?


texts: Where can I buy online spices, sauces, extracts, etc. with international shipping?

texts:
I already know Penzey's spices, which is good, but they don't sell sauces. Ebay won't work for me because it is too expensive to ship to Russia (judging from one bottle from one user). Amazon is also not an option as they will only ship books.

In particular, I'm looking for worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, pure extracts, sesame oil.


texts: What is the difference between a hen and a chicken? In terms of cooking, flavor, price, and anything else culinary related.

texts: I have a recipe from James Peterson for chicken stock that asks for a chicken carcass and a stewing hen. So I'm wondering what the difference is. The problem is that my local grocery store only sells Cornish hens(I don't even know what a Cornish hen is.


texts: Should i fridge my expiring meal bars by best used by date?

texts: I got some unopened meal bars, which are best used by today. It's package doesn't say keep in fridge. Is it ok to put it in bedroom with heating? Or keep it in fridge?


texts: My induction adapter left stain on my cooktop. I use the hob cleaner, vinegear but nothing seems to work. can anyone help. It’s new hob.


texts: How to prepare vegetables for a sandwich that can last for several days in a fridge?

texts:
I'm not much of a cook but neither am I a complete stranger to the kitchen. I like to prepare sandwiches to take with me to work in a box. Since I do it often, I like to make them more "interesting" than just plain bread-meat-cheese. So far however I've only come up with the idea of putting in various off-the-shelf sauces/dressings/whathaveyou that I can buy in the supermarket.

Whenever I buy and eat pre-made sandwiches, they taste a lot better than what I make myself. I've tried to figure out why this is and I think it's because they contain vegetables. I like vegetables in a sandwich - cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, avocado, bell peppers, etc.

The problem with adding them myself is that it just takes too much time to do. I usually make the sandwiches in a hurry in the morning, so I have about 5-10 minutes to do it. Washing-peeling-slicing-storing - that just takes too much time. Sometimes I add pickles, but most of the time I consider even that too big of a hassle.

So I was thinking - if I could pre-slice the vegetables and store them for several days (ideally - up to 5 days), that would do it. I'd just have to grab them from a box and throw them on the sandwich. I'm afraid however that sliced vegetables won't keep so long, even in the fridge. I haven't tried it though.

Are there any tricks out there that could help me? Some way to make sure they last longer, or perhaps are much quicker to prepare in the mornings? We can skip tomatoes, I think a sandwich with tomatoes in it would be a mess after several hours in a box anyway.

Or perhaps other ideas to quickly give a sandwich an interesting taste? (Subjective, I know, but I'm not picky and will try different things)


texts: Why does tomato sauce spatter more than other sauces?

texts:
Of all the (thick) sauces and creams I prepare in a hot pot, tomato sauce is the most jumpy.

When it's hot, it's impossible to cook properly without having it jump everywhere and repaint the walls, and in general the surroundings.

Of course, using a lid helps to solve the problem, but I'm curious:

Why is a hot tomato sauce so prone to jump out of the pot and repaint everything around?


texts: Bread and butter pudding - but with juice?

texts:
Bread and butter pudding is bread with milk (indeed, usually milk-egg) baked.
In fact, could you make bread and butter pudding with juice rather than milk-eggs?
So, essentially, imagine a baking tray, layer in some bread, add some juice, and bake it.
(I could imagine adding some layers of say pineapple on top, and drizzle w/ chocolate afterwards.)
Is this a thing, or would it just be stupid?  ("Here's your hot soggy bread.")
If it is a thing, is it another name?


texts: should I let my sourdough loaf proof in the fridge or on the counter?

texts: I've been watching tons of videos on making sourdough recently, and quite a few say to let the sourdough loaf do its final proof, or rise, in the fridge. Is this necessary? Would it speed up if I just let it rise on the counter? Thoughts?


texts:
It's getting colder outside and I have a lot of jalapenos in my garden.  I like eating them fresh (not cooked) on homemade tacos and omelets, etc.

If I freeze them and thaw them out later in the winter, will they still be as spicy and crunchy, or does the freezing and thawing take some flavor away from them?


texts: What do sushi bars do with left overs at the end of the day?

texts:
Just walked past a sushi bar in Bangkok, 20 minutes before closing, no customers but still lots of plates going around on the conveyor belt... so that got me wondering - what do they do with those leftovers?

Considering most of them contain raw fish I'd assume (and hope!) that they don't reuse them... but it's a lot of wasted food.


texts:
Random, but I haven't seen this anywhere else.

I realize this can't apply to every "no-bake" cheesecake recipe for good-reason, but I'm wondering if it would be safe to try.

Has anyone ever done it?

Note: This isn't asking for opinion, but rather whether baking a specific "no-bake" cheesecake is plausible to some extent.

I just don't like the mousse consistency in the no-bake recipes.

But, then I got to thinking of how the cheesecakes offered at The Cheesecake Factory all seem to be baked, even the ones that have no-bake versions up on YouTube.


texts: Is it ok to include garlic when I can hot peppers?

texts: I followed the Ball Blue Book recipe for canning hot vinegared peppers. I left the peppers whole, and forgot to discard the garlic from the vinegar recipe before I filled the quart size jars & gave them the bath. I made them 10 days ago and I just moved them to the refrigerator because I was scared the garlic would ruin them and possible set them up for the spread of botulism. Are they ruined?


texts: What are "goes well with" recommendations based on?

texts: I heard a lot about what food goes well with some sauce or drink. Why does someone say that? Based on what? Do they only try those foods together or is there any sort of property on the food that indicates what it goes well with?


texts:
I'm storing spices and dried herbs, as I always did, in glass containers into a spice only-drawer. It always worked fine.
But looks that this house is particularly humid, because ground spices, and even seeds like fennel, started to become moldy, and they're not THAT old...
I don't always have access to new spices, so I must buy them all around once in a year.
Is there amy storage  tip for avoiding mold?


texts: Is there an alternative wrap for spring rolls other than rice paper?

texts:
I've been making spring rolls (the deep-fried variety) for some time now, and they are really good, but I've noticed some Asian restaurants use something else for wrapping them than the generic, translucent 'rice paper' I get at the store. Theirs are often smoother, yellowish and opaque, like in this photo from Wikipedia. A new book on Thai cuisine I got just recently also has them looking like that in the pohotos and it mentions some mysterious "spring roll wads" which I've yet to come across in any store in my country. Anyways, what is it exactly, can I make some of my own and if so, how?

EDIT: Also, does the preparation of the rolls differ any when using an alternative wrapper, or can I just deep-fry them just the same?


texts: What are things like Bread, Rice and Cereal collectively known as?

texts:
I'm not sure if this belongs here or in the English language stack exchange but here goes:

We have broad classifications like "Fruit" and "Vegetable" and "Meat"/"Protein". What do you collectively call bread, rice, pasta, cereal etc. My first guess was "Grains" but that feels like referring to the unprocessed thing rather than the food.


texts:
Last weekend, I bought a bottle of passion fruit jenever.
Normally, this tastes very sweet and has a nice fruity flavour.
But unfortunately, I had to buy a brand with which I'm not familiar with.
The taste of the alcohol is too present and it has an after taste that reminds me of medicine.

I don't want to throw away my bottle, but I won't drink it like that.
Can I add something that would make it better?
I don't want a cocktail (but 2 things together is de facto a cocktail I guess).
I was thinking of adding a bit of grenadine or (flavoured) sugar syrup.

Would this help or does anyone knows something that helps?


texts:
I have  recipe that recommends 160°C fan forced for approximately 1 hour.
I have a convection feature on my stove, so should I use it at 325°F with the convection on or just 325°F direct heat?  It is a gas oven.


texts: It is tough to store chocolates during summer season. Is there any way to prevent chocolate from melting ?


texts: Is it okay to remove oil/grease stains from anodized aluminum pan using vinegar?

texts:
I bought a brand new hard anodized pan for making roti. I used some oil while cooking. After cooking, washing I saw these stains (most likely grease) that would not be removed after washing with my usual dish washing liquid.

Pan photo

I heated the pan hoping that oil would come off. It didn't.

Then I gently scrubbed vinegar soaked toothbrush on the greasy spot. Some of the grease got removed, (50%) but it remained there in other spots.

Is my cleaning process correct?


texts: My toasted couscous didn't soften properly. Why?

texts:
My wife bought some toasted Israeli couscous at a specialty store recently, and we decided to cook it last night. Unfortunately, it did not seem to cook like we are used to, and some of it was still uncooked after other bits were breaking down from overcooking.

We used a recipe that we'd previously had success with using regular Israeli couscous: cook a little shallot in butter, toss couscous in the butter when the shallot is soft, add some chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes, finish with toasted pine nuts and golden raisins.

The couscous itself was a little odd--some pieces were very dark, and they all seemed very rough on the outside, not smooth like I'm used to.

So the questions are:

Is uneven cooking likely to happen with toasted couscous? Does toasted couscous need different cooking techniques from what we used (recipes I'm seeing don't seem to say so)?

Is it possible that the uneven toasting/roasting caused the uneven cooking (the darker ones cooked less, for the most part)?

Was this even actually couscous, or something else that isn't meant to be cooked the same way (wish I had a photo of the raw item)?


texts: How to make Coconut/Chili Sauce (based on Photos)

texts:
This is a Vietnamese dish described in the menu as "Scampi with Coconut/Chili Sauce". Can anyone tell me what ingredients I would need to make this sauce at home?

I enclose two different variants from two related restaurants, where the sauce varies slightly. The one above which is thicker tastes better.


texts: Can I tenderize my chicken before I vacuum seal it

texts: I want to infuse more flavor into my chicken (skinless breast). Should I use my Jaccard tenderizer then pour my marinade on the chicken and vacuum seal it.


texts: What do eggs do in enriching and glazing

texts:
I have got thinking about this and now I want to know an answer.

In most functions of eggs (coating, thickening etc) all are from coagulation but glazing and enriching do not.

What is the function of the egg in those egg uses because the egg doesn't coagulate.


texts: When pureeing tomatoes for a fresh tomato sauce, should you throw out the juices or not?

texts:
One benefit is reduced cooking time since you need to evaporate all the juices before the tomatoes start caramelizing. On the other hand, wont these juices contain flavor you might waste if thrown away?

How much flavor will I miss out on if I throw the juices?


texts: How to stop icing from running off iced buns?

texts: Recently I've attempted to make iced buns and as a first attempt, they went well. However, after one night my icing began to slide off the top of the buns, leaving me with either bare or patch-worked buns and a pool of dried icing. Can anyone tell me why it happens and/or how to stop it?


texts: Should I drink pasteurized milk that has a yellowish colour?

texts:
I somehow found a packet of "full cream" pasteurized milk in the fridge. It was in the bottom section, not the freezer. (My fridge has an ice-making compartment at the top, where I generally keep pasteurized milk.) I have no idea how many days ago it was bought.

The milk wasn't frozen, as expected. It was a slightly cool liquid.

When I poured the milk into the pan, I saw it had a yellow tint to it, but no lumps. As the milk was being heated, the corners began to turn a bright white. Slowly and slowly, the white part was increasing and centering the yellowish part. After I took it off the stove, it had again turned a creamy yellow colour. I shook it, and the cream collected on top. The milk below, however, was white.

I find this very odd—pasteurized milk is usually pure clean white. I can't afford to take risks in such matters.

Is the milk spoiled? Should I drink it?

The smell was perfectly alright. I took a sip: the milk tasted very creamy and delicious.


texts: What type of rice vinegar is more often used in Asian dishes?

texts:
I occasionally come across recipes that call for rice vinegar, but they don't specify which of the many varieties they mean.
Is there a "standard" or implied type of rice vinegar that should be used when a recipe simply calls for rice vinegar? Or is it assumed that the chef will be familiar with the flavor profiles of the dish they are trying to make and will be able to choose an appropriate rice vinegar by their own knowledge and discretion?
Some example recipes:

http://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/slow-cooker-general-tsos-chicken/
http://onadimeandoutoftime.com/sweet-and-sour-chicken/
http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2015/07/27/asian-chicken-lettuce-wrap-spring-rolls/
https://food52.com/recipes/3869-chinese-roast-pork
http://carlsbadcravings.com/asian-sweet-chili-sesame-chicken/
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/06/thai-crunch-chicken-salad/

I only have white rice vinegar and dark rice vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar).


texts: Why does food cook differently in a double-boiler?

texts:
I understand that food cooks differently in a double-boiler than when cooked "directly" - but don't know why that is.

How does utilizing a double-boiler change how food cooks?


texts:
My local store only carries pre-cooked conch meat. I cut it very thinly for my salad yet I still find it tough.

My question is: Can I recook my conch meat to tenderize it? I have tried to find fresh conch meat locally but there is nothing available.

I know that I could easily go buy some to try this method; however, at the price per lb. I hate to throw away the money.


texts: My wooden cutting board bent. Is there a way to fix this?

texts: I'm not sure about the humidity in the apartment, but I don't think this was a problem. However, the board took quite some water one day and slightly bent on the front and back (so it has a slight U shape when seen from the side). It seems to have receded a little bit but it is still noticeable.


texts: Is the meat curry powder mentioned for use in Malaysian curry puffs similar to western chili powder

texts:
I was going to make some curry puffs following this recipe, in which some "meat curry powder" is used to flavor the fillings. I was just gonna use the regular store-bought curry powder I can find in my local supermarket, but then I started wondering if there is a significant difference between what I have and what is used in the recipe. The mention of "meat curry powder" in the ingredient list may suggest that it is a particular brand of curry which is especially suited for meat? As you can see from the images below, there is a slight color difference between the two at the very least.

Can someone with experience of Malaysian or similar cooking let me know if there is something in particular I should pay attention to when choosing the spices for the fillings?

The curry powder depicted in the recipe:

The curry powder I wanted to use


texts:
I wonder if anyone mixes turmeric in milk, almond milk or water, and if you still have those insoluble bits interfering in the beverage.

What I've been doing is mixing milk, turmeric powder, honey and vanilla together, then filtering it through a very fine strainer (something you might use for straining curdled milk). However this process is tedious.

I was wondering if I'm one of the few that has this problem, and most people have access to a soluble kind of turmeric.


texts: Let's say I'm using a 100% white bread flour 70% hydration dough (with or without oil) for pizza to be baked in a home oven; how should I change the formula, or how can I tweak the recipe for a reheatable pie instead of one to be eaten fresh out of the oven? The aim is to avoid dried out crust, fat separation from the cheese, and burnt bits.


texts: Has anyone had experience canning with "Quattro Stagioni" Jars?

texts: I am in the midst of canning a variety of items that require either boiling water bath  processing or pressure canning. I usually use a two part lid and screw band (Ball or Kerr) with jars, but this year I found some really pretty jars made by Quattro Stagioni, that have one piece lids. There are directions for canning included, but they don't really advise whether the lids are appropriate for pressure canning. I am hoping that someone may have experience and can lend their advice to me.


texts: I have a bag of Bridgeford frozen rolls.   Defrosted the whole bag and realized it's too much.  Can I refreeze it before it rises?  It's still in the refrigerator.


texts: Milk vs. Dark vs. Semi-sweet vs. Bitter-sweet chocolate?

texts:
What's the difference between the following chocolates?

Milk
Dark
Semi-sweet
Bitter-sweet

If a chocolate only lists the % cocoa solids used, can I figure out which of the above types it is?


texts:
I have a fruity beef stew with plums, carrots, beef, onion, beef stock and far too much lemon juice and lemon zest.
It tastes too lemony, what can I do to counteract it?


texts: How long can I store Cooked Turkey in Refrig before Freezing?  I bought an Organic Turkey early for Thanksgiving and cooked it.  It's been in my Refrig for a week and I'd like to trim and freeze parts and also make a soup.  Is my timing on this acceptable?


texts:
Based on this question, I got to thinking about alternative ways to blind bake, especially since I always have issues with butter crusts slumping.  One thing which occurred to me is: why not use two matched, nesting glass pie plates?  This would seem to provide maximum support to the crust, as it would exactly mirror the shape of the pie plate on the bottom.

I always thought that the reason why nobody does this is that the crust needs to vent moisture, so the weight on the inside needs some porousness.  However, Stella Parks uses aluminum foil filled with sugar, which would have no ventability at all.

So, my question is: is there any reason not to use a nesting pie plate as the weight for blind baking?  If so, what?


texts: Is there any trick to make sweet potatoes as regular potatoes?

texts: My question is how to change the taste of sweet potatoes into regular potatoes as my younger siblings don't like it whenever I cooked they leave dining table without finishing.Is there any trick to make sweet potatoes to the regular potatoes?


texts: Sous vide meat without seasoning - strong flavor

texts:
I tried the beer cooler sous vide hack just now. On both a veal entrecote and a piece of lean beef braising meat. Both turned out OK, but as the sous vide technique does not impart flavor, most people found the veal a bit underwhelming.

So - if I want to serve an unseasoned piece of meat using this technique: what animal, and what cut, should I take for maximum inherent taste?


texts:
A lot of western recipes call for developing a generous, nicely browned fond on a cooking surface after browning meat. Sometimes I get none, sometimes i can tear the surface of the meat off altogether.

What are the factors behind reliably achieving a great fond?


texts:
My range (oven) does not have a broiler (grill), but I've been coming across recipes lately (for pizza, in particular) that require one.  Any suggestions on how to fake it?

One thing I've tried is to preheat a baking stone, placing it above where I'll put other things.  Unfortunately, it didn't work too well.


texts:
I'm looking for the names of "Rollfondant" and "Modellierfondant" in english.
I'm new to the métier but as far as I can tell, Rollfondant is used to cover a whole cake, while Modellierfondant is used for modelling small figures to put on the cake. Thanks!


texts: What is this bread making technique called?

texts:
I saw a video wherein a baker made a well in his flour, poured all the formula's water and yeast in the well, then let that sit for a while before proceeding with the rest of the incorporation of ingredients, kneading, etc.

What is this method called? And how does it compare to autolyse (which is from my understanding just flour and water fully incorporated - no well - and without no yeast)?


texts: Is there a table that shows the cooking temperature and the duration for different meat types and its bones?


texts:
We buy ordinary, American-style white sandwich bread from a national supermarket chain.  I just had a look at the ingredients and was surprised to see that, in addition to wheat flour, it contains lupin flour (Lupinenmehl in German):

I know that lupin seeds are edible when prepared properly, but what are they doing in ordinary white bread?  I can't imagine that they're any cheaper than ordinary wheat flour.  And this isn't some sort of fancy artisanal bread where the use of exotic grains is a selling point; it's just the regular store-brand sandwich bread.  Does adding lupin flour in white wheat bread have a particular benefit in terms of taste, texture, preservation, etc.?


texts: How many times can cheesecloth be reused?

texts:
I've only needed to use cheesecloth a few times in the kitchen and was curious to know if it's reusable.

If so, how is it cleaned and how many times can it be reused?


texts: What's the worst that could happen when fermenting sauerkraut?

texts:
I've been wanting to make "REAL" Sauerkraut for awhile now but im really averse to food borne illnesses.

So obviously fermenting something is sorta scary to me! But tons of people make sauerkraut all the time. So I guess im asking what's the worst thing that could happen?

I mean is there anything that could kill me? or would something that would get that bad smell so foul that there is no way I could eat it?


texts: How to veganize and improve this cake recipe?

texts:
I have the Build-a-bear cake pan from Williams-Sonoma. The cake recipe is as follows:

3 cups (470g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
16 tbs (250g) unsalted butter
2 cups (500g) sugar
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients; cream butter, sugar, eggs; combine milk+vanilla; add flour to butter mixture alternating with the milk.  Bake at 325F for 45-55 mins.

This cake made in a cake pan with two wells.  Each well is a vertical half of the seated teddy-bear.  When it is done you trim the cake with a knife then glue the halves together with icing.  This recipe makes a basic vanilla flavoured cake which is a bit on the dry side.  When it's slathered in mocha icing the dryness is ok but when I use fondant icing to decorate it's too dry overall.

This year I want to make a bear cake again, however there are two changes I need to make.  First, I'd like to make the cake moister without sacrificing its physical durability (it needs to be able to sit up without crumbling apart).  Second, I need to replace the milk, eggs, and butter with non-dairy/non-eggs because my new son is allergic to milk and eggs.  I'd ask two separate questions but I think they both need to be addressed at the same time.

How can I make this cake better tasting AND vegan?


texts: Can refrigerated shredded mozzarella cheese go bad if the refrigerator door was left open overnight?

texts: A bag of shredded mozzarella cheese was in my refrigerator. The door to the refrigerator was left partially open overnight. Can I still use this cheese or should I discard it?


texts: How quickly do I have to use my thawed pizza dough?

texts:
I have never used frozen pizza dough before so I didn't know how long it would take for it to thaw out. I plan on using it tonight for dinner (in about 7-8 hours) and I thought it would take much longer for the rock hard dough to thaw out. I have had it covered and sitting on the kitchen counter and it's almost completely thawed out!

So once it's thawed can I keep it in the fridge until I'm ready to use it?


texts: I'm making tonkotsu ramen broth, cooked over twelve hours (some people cook it even longer). I'd rather not leave my gas stove on overnight, so I'm wondering whether the same effect - breaking down collagen in meat and bones - can be achieved by cooking the broth in intervals of four hours over a few days. The broth would be refrigerated in between. It's not ideal, but I would think that the same collagen-gelatin conversion would take place... right? Is there a downside to trying to slow cook in short intervals? If this were braising meat, the meat would dry more, of course. But since we're mostly talking liquid, bones and fat, the change in temperature (and congealing then liquifying of fats and collagen) shouldn't make a big difference right?


texts: What is the secret to avoid bitter-tasting rapini?

texts:
At a certain pick-your-own-food-and-stamp-your-card-then-pay-at-the-exit restaurant, the salad bar includes a delectable rapini, even though it looks like it is prepared with nothing more than steaming or boiling, followed by sprinkling with olive oil and toasted sesame.

Yet my many attempts at duplicating the flavor have all resulted in an unpleasant rapini that is quite bitter.

I've tried steaming and boiling. I've used a lavish amount of water. I've cooked the stems twice to three times as long as the leaves/tips/flowers, as one might do with asparagus, all to no avail.

What is the secret to preparing rapini correctly?


texts: Is it possible to ferment milk Kefir using water Kefir liquid?

texts: Can I add water Kefir to cow milk to ferment milk Kefir?


texts: How much chilli puree should I add to get 43 ppm pungency?

texts:
I know about the pungency Scoville heat unit. Different chillis have different SHU.

I saw one chilli sauce specification where a 43 ppm pungency units were 'required'. How much chilli puree should I add to get a result of 43 ppm pungency in the final product (chilli sauce)?


texts:
I asked a question about a "Wonder Pot" a bit ago, and this item came up on a search. I don't think it's a wonder pot though. The center hole is effectively much smaller, and there are not any vents in the lid. There isn't a "flame tamer" either, although this part may be lost.

I keep seeing cookware like this in thrift stores, and I'm pretty sure it's for one specific task. What might that task be?


texts: Baking cakes in the Microwave ovens as compared to Electric ovens

texts:
Is there a difference in the output or in the procedure when baking cakes in the Microwave ovens as compared to Electric ovens?

What are the basic and crucial differences found among cakes baked in the above mentioned different equipments?

Question: If we run the microwave (which has a convection feature) on "grill and convection" mode only, does it become same as rectangular "Electric ovens"? Please explain why and how too.


texts:
I take a tumbler with an ounce of water and add a teaspoon of salt to it and then add this salty water mix to the curry or dish I am preparing at the moment. I repeat with lesser quantities of salt with each iteration until the dish tastes good. However this approach means adding salt multiple times, before the salt feels right. Not that repetition is bad, but I find people who sprinkle salt either by years of experience or by muscle memory tend to be much better with salt.

What approaches do you follow for adding the perfect amount of salt?


texts:
So most traditional falafel recipes call for "soaked chickpeas", and particularly warn against using the canned version. I've been experimenting with making falafel out of lentils (mostly because they are more likely to be in my house), but have mostly struggled.
One key difference between the two is that many lentil-based falafel recipes say to cook the lentils first, but of course this makes them very soft (much softer then soaked chickpeas), and they tend to dissolve when fried (although they can be baked this way).
So, I'm really interested in the difference between soaking and cooking for chickpeas vs lentils. Are they totally equivalent? Is there any danger in soaking lentils (but not cooking them further) before turning them into falafel? Does frying uncooked (but soaked) chickpeas result in "cooked" chickpeas, or are you basically just eating raw chickpeas?


texts:
I recently made and canned blueberry jam for the first time, using this recipe and canning instructions.

I filled all my jars & canned them, but there was a little jam left in the pot. It was a bit grainy, but I thought it was just from being the last bit in the pot.

I just opened one of the jars, though, and the jam inside is grainy as well.

Does anyone have any idea what I might have done wrong?

EDIT: I don't think it's the sugar. Could something about the pectic make it grainy?


texts: I want to buy the type of bread which last longest. It should be toastable, so no zwieback and other dry types. Which is the best bread for this purpose? Is the standard toast slices or loaf of bread better?


texts:
Is there any reason why soy milk is so popular compared to other bean milks? I mean, there really aren't any other bean milks sold in grocery stores unless you make it yourself. For example, why not use garbanzo bean milk or pinto bean milk? Is it simply a matter of tradition or is there a specific reasoning behind it?

Take almond milk for example. The reason why it's popular is simple: it's typically less expensive compared to other nuts, it tastes good, and it's versatile.

But if you look at the price of soy beans compared to other beans, they are about the same price per pound in the grocery store. And soy beans taste pretty much just like any other bean, so it doesn't get any bonus points there.

If there is a unique property of soy that makes it truly distinct from other beans, please share.


texts: At what stage should Dark Soy sauce be added while making noodles?

texts: I'm new to soy sauce and have heard that it's essential in chinese cuisine. But it doesn't seem to add any flavor to my noodles. I'm adding the sauce before I put my cooked noddles in. And what's the optimal quantity to add without darkening the color of the dish?


texts: Which leaves of Savoy cabbage to use in smoothies?

texts:
In Germany we don't have kale all year, only in winter. I am substituting it with Savoy cabbage.

I am wondering if I should use the outer leaves which are very green or just the inside. Also are there any drawbacks of using outer leaves?


texts: I recently got an iSi whipped cream container that charges with nitrous cannisters. I don't really understand how the thing works, which I think would help my use of the system. How does this actually whip the cream upon dispensing? What does shaking do that will make a solid foam / mousse? Why does over shaking turn it in to a solid in the cannister?


texts: I have a muffin recipe for Almond milk but I'd like to replace it since Almond Milk is only good for 7-10 days, I can't find small enough containers, and no one in my household will drink it.  Outside of replacing it with other forms of milk, what are some substitutes for Almond Milk?


texts: How to make sure that I do not break the glass bowl in a double boiler?

texts:
I used a glass bowl as a double boiler for making scrambled eggs and it broke.  I know that rapid cooling and heating caused glass to break.  for some reason I thought the thick glass bowl would not break.

so how do I ensure I do not break another glass bowl while double boiling?


texts:
Sambal Oelek is an Asian chili paste made and marketed by a Chinese American producer in California (Huy Fong Foods, with a rooster on the jar). I've been using it as an ingredient in mie goreng, the Indonesian fried-noodles dish.

The name "Sambal Oelek" on the jar doesn't carry a trademark symbol, so I don't know if it's a generic name or a brand name.

Everything about it - the recipe, this product, and my satisfaction with this dish - is perfect, except that I don't know how to pronounce it.


texts:
From this whole wheat ciabatta recipe:

  Once the dough has rested, knead the dough with the dough hook
  attachment at medium speed for about 15 minutes, until the dough has
  pulled away from the sides of the bowl. It should be smooth and
  elastic at this point.

Is is possible to knead the dough by hand?
Any advice on kneading by hand? Do I need a mixer? I have strong hands.

Long term if it works I will get a mixer but I have no other needs for a mixer so I want to prove it out first.  I am trying to create a low fat, low salt, whole wheat ciabatta. I have never been a baker and I know ciabatta is involved but it fits in for what I want to do with a few menus.


texts: What causes yogurt in sauces to split? How to prevent it?

texts:
A lot of my favorite curry recipes have a yogurt based sauce in them, but on a pretty regular basis when I make them, the yogurt ends up splitting into basically curds and whey. What causes that, and how can I prevent it?

As an illustrative example, last night I made a simple tofu curry as follows:

warm evoo in a pan
add chopped onion, saute briefly
add curry seasonings, allow to warm/season the oil
add cubed tofu, toss to coat
cook for a while, tossing periodically to lightly brown the cubes
turn heat off
add plain greek yogurt
stir to combine

In the few minutes it took to finish the rest of the meal and start plating, the yogurt had separated so I had a clumpy, lumpy, yogurt soup instead of a smooth creamy sauce.


texts: What does buttermilk do to fried shrimp batter?

texts: I have been using ice water in my shrimp batter and it seems to make the batter too hard after frying them.  Would replacing the ice water with buttermilk make the batter less hard but still crispy?


texts: How to successfully make candied ginger?

texts:
I tried to make candied ginger from fresh roots, but the result didn't turn out like I was expecting.

The recipe I followed had me simmer the slices of ginger in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar melted in water, for 35 minutes.

Then I leaved the slices to dry on a drying rack overnight. Then I rolled the pieces in sugar to coat them (I found the recipe online).

The result I was expecting to get is something very candied, almost transparent, like this piece (bought in a store):

what I actually ended up getting was much darker and the sugar didn't stick to the pieces at all:

It still tastes quite good, but it isn't as sweet as the one from the store, and didn't look quite as good.

I would love to know how to salvage this batch, or have more tips on  successfully candying ginger to a perfect result next time.


texts:
Why are brick ovens used to make pizza? I have seen restaurants advertising "brick oven" pizza as though it was better than pizza made in a deck oven. Is there any basis to this?

One caterer I talked to said it was because the brick oven is hotter, but as far as I can tell pizza is normally cooked at 600F and all professional deck ovens can be set to that temperature.


texts: How do I make semisweet chocolate more liquid?

texts:
My wife and I were making some dipped cookies in semisweet chocolate. But the chocolate was too thick. We tried cream and butter to improve the coating of the cookies, the results did not turned out.

What could I add to semisweet chocolate to allow it to smoothly coat cookies?

Thanks!


texts: How to minimize the impact of unpopped kernels and kernel shards in popcorn?

texts:
I've always had a fear of eating popcorn. The idea of breaking my tooth on a popcorn kernel is terrifying, the thought of getting a kernel shard lodged between my teeth or gums makes me squeamish, and I cringe at the possibility of chomping on a burnt piece. I suspect this all stems from some badly-made Jiffy Pop that my mom would serve up as a kid. It's not a debilitating fear or anything, I just avoid eating popcorn.

I don't really talk about my popcorn-phobia, so I can't really blame my brother-in-law for getting me a subscription to a "popcorn of the month" club for Christmas. But that said, I'll be soon stuck with bags and bags of popcorn. I could offload these to my co-workers, but instead I've decided to overcome my fear of popcorn as one of my New Year's resolutions.

It's been a solid few decades since I've tried popcorn, so I'm taking some baby steps and any tips would be appreciated. Specifically, my questions are:

How do you avoid breaking your teeth? Does shaking the bag force loose kernels to the bottom? Is there a type of popcorn that doesn't "shard" as bad?


texts: Why does my red palm oil seem to have such a low smoke point?

texts:
I bought some red palm oil from an African grocer (no brand... it just comes in an unlabeled plastic milk jug), and it seems to have the lowest smoke point of any oil I've used despite every online source claiming red palm oil should have a pretty high smoke point of 450F (I've checked to see that it seems to start smoking faster than EVOO even!)
I'm assuming this means it's an unrefined oil, and that all the sources claiming 450F as a smoke point are using a refined oil. Unfortunately, I can't find any info about what the smoke point for unrefined red palm might be, and I'm kind of worried about using it a bunch of recipes now because of this.
Does anyone here know what the smoke point of this oil I'm using might actually be, or whether I can safely use it despite all the smoke it's giving off?


texts:
I frequently make a pasta sauce with red bell peppers that I roast in the oven. All of the other ingredients are staples in my house and always available, but it's frustrating to go to the store for red peppers.

Would it work to freeze and then roast the red peppers? If so, then I could keep a lot of frozen red peppers in the house and not have to go to the store so much.


texts:
What is the cooking time for a stuffed turkey at 350 degrees?
I read that it should be 20 minutes per pound, is this correct?


texts:
I want to make a smaller batch of a soda syphon batter recipe as a trial.  The batter involves flour, vodka, honey and lager, and is put into a CO2 soda syphon.
The full batch is too much for a trial run (300g of Vodka)
Can I scale it down or does that mess up the working of the syphon?  The full recipe calls for three charges, can I do 1/3 of the batter with one charge?  Or do I still use the three charges.  I’m not sure of the science here


texts:
I have high-ish blood pressure and the doctor said keep the salt under control.  It is easy to ration controlled amounts of salt when cooking large amounts of stews and similar foods and you add salt by teaspoon.  But I don't really make stews that much, most of my cooking are single or double servings that I just salt with a sprinkler.  I do have a nice salt sprinkler, about 8 oz, however, it is very difficult to gauge a proper amount of salt approximately so I often either over- or under-salt.

Is there a device that will accurately measure portions of a teaspoon and at the same time allow me to sprinkle them evenly? Because, if I measure maybe a quarter of a teaspoon, sprinkling it between fingers doesn't distribute salt as evenly as using my sprinkler, which is, like I said above, prone to inaccuracy.  Is there any way (a device of some sort) to reap the best of both approaches?


texts: Why not use a polypropylene dish with carbonated drinks?

texts: I found a polypropylene (♷) measuring cup in my home today, of the sort that comes with an immersion blender for preparing drinks. Printed on it is the warning "not to be used with hot or carbonated products". Hot I understand: the heat can warp the plastic, or cause chemicals to leach therefrom into the food. But why not use it with carbonated liquids?


texts: Fresh cream versus butter and buttermilk

texts: I buy fresh cream and shake it off to get butter and buttermilk for baking.  Would there be any difference if I add the fresh cream directly into the dough instead of the separated butter and buttermilk?


texts:
I recently picked up this Bodum "French Press" style coffee maker and so far, I'm really enjoying it for its simplicity. But I'm curious how I should be grinding my coffee.

When I bought it, I grabbed a bag of pre-ground coffee at the grocery store and this worked well. But recently, I bought a can of beans and put it thru the coffee grinder at the store and I may have chose too coarse a grind as I seem to be getting very weak cups of coffee now.

The manual said pick a "coarse" grind, so it turned the dial all the way to the left labeled "coarse". I'm thinking it should have been somewhere in the middle, like "Percolate".

Any advice on the optimal grind?

EDIT: Also, What ratio of Tbsp to oz of water? (or grams to ml, if you prefer metric.)


texts: How do I cook brain to achieve a firmer texture?

texts:
Most of the time we fry brain and eat it. But due to its semi-solid state, it doesn't seem good.

Also Wikipedia says:

  Consuming the brain and other nerve tissue of animals may be hazardous to health.

How can I cook brain and avoid both the semi-solid texture and the potential health hazards?


texts: Help me understand why my stainless steel skillet becomes non stick after frying one egg?

texts:
I've been playing around with making my stainless steel skillet stop sticking to my food. I found that seasoning with oil that's just about to smoke works a bit, but doesn't work that well when frying eggs at high temepratures (to get a good crust with a runny yolk).

However, one thing that's been working with great success in frying an egg with very minimal sticking is to fry an egg beforehand in the same cooking session (even if the first egg sticks completely). I really don't understand why this happens. I don't think the second egg cooks at lower temperature because I leave the pan to heat after taking out my first egg and I can also tell by the way it reacts when it hits the oil.

My best guess was that the cold first egg causes the open pores of the hot pan to close and capture the oil in the pan and that this action is too slow to make the first egg not stick. I tried to replicate this by putting my oil in freezer 20 minutes before cooking and pouring some before the pan heated and then more after it was hot to simulate the first cold egg, but the eggs stick stuck, and the next eggs still didn't. Please help me in figuring out this mechanism so that I can utilize it properly without having my eggs stick at all.


texts:
I've read numerous forum posts and mini-articles about substituting applesauce for oil in brownie mix, but for some reason it went horribly wrong:

(Okay, that's actually after trying to salvage it by putting it back in the oven after grabbing some good slivers off the edge)


texts: what are the Cheap substitute of menthol that can be used in mint?

texts: i am preparing some candies and want to add some menthol for Cool effect in mouth but while searching on net i found that menthol is very costly so is there any cheap substitute of Menthol which can provide Cooling effect in mouth ?


texts: Is this white flaky powder in this tea "vanilla flavor"?

texts:
I got some tea from Thailand as a gift, and it has some vanilla flavor to it:

Obviously, it smells a lot like vanilla. This is how the tea looks like:

Is the white powdery stuff (looks a bit flaky when it's larger), mostly on the left this "vanilla flavor"? Is this natural vanilla, or synthetic? If it's not the white stuff, what is it?


texts: Is it possible to mature shop-bought hard cheese?

texts: Is there a way in which I can continue the maturation process for blocks of shop-bought cheddar (or other hard) cheese of around 190g "packed in a protective atmosphere". The cheese is too bland for my taste.


texts: How long will reconstituted beans last in the refrigerator?

texts: Dried beans.  Soaked overnight.  Drained.  How long can I keep them in the refrigerator before use?


texts: How do I cook a frozen hamburger in the microwave?

texts:
I bought some hamburgers (I mean the meat, not the full sandwich) in vacuum packing and I froze them in the freezer.

Can now I cook them in the microwave? If so, how and how long?


texts:
When I was young, someone taught me how to make this powder you find on candy.  It's acidic and seems to "sparkle" in the mouth, but I don't know the name and so I can't find a recipe.

I suppose I need to use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), but aside from that, I can't remember what's in it.

What's the name of this powder and how is it made?


texts: Sous Vide Brisket Interrupted, is that safe?

texts:
First of all, sorry for my bad english, I'm a foreign.

I'm new at sous vide world, and have a doubt, and I'm wondering if someone more experienced can help me.

For days I was looking for the ingredients to make this recipe: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/smokerless-smoked-brisket

I did all like the recipe says, including using the Prague Powder nº 1 (very difficult to buy in Brazil since the sell was restricted by law).

The Problem:

After the meat rested for 3 hours with Prague Powder, was a little late, about 12:00 am, than at 12:30 am I put pre-heated water over 50ºC (122ºF) on the container, and also the meat, programed to cook at 68ºC (154,4ºF), timed for 24 hours. About 01:00 AM, the water reached the target temperature and cooked ok until about 9:00 am, when power was out and obviously turned off the equipment.

I wasn't at home and just figured out when was already 06:00 pm and the water was at 35ºC (95ºF) when immediately I started to heat the water again, with take about one hour to reach 68ºC (154,4ºF), after reached the temperature I let it cook for more 16:30.

Relevant Facts:

I tested, in same container, with same water volume that was cooked the meat, how long it takes to drop the temperature to the critical 54,4°C (130ºF), and the answer is at least 55 minutes;
Based on that test I think the meat keeped in critical temperature for about 8 hours;
I used well-prepared vacuum packaging, which left almost no air inside.
The meat has about 70 mm thickness.

Questions:

The first cook (8 hours at 68ºC (154,4ºF)) was enough to pasteurize the meat?
Prague Powder can help to prevent pathogens?
Is it safe to eat this meat?
What can I expect with the interruption of cooking in terms of loss?

I appreciate if someone with more experience than me can help me.

Thx.


texts: What temperatures do low-medium-high on the stove correspond to?

texts:
I'm quite suspicious that my electric stove runs hot.  Recipes that suggest medium-high on my stove are incredibly, incredibly hot and you can feel 'high' radiating heat from across the kitchen.

As such, I've semi-recently purchased an IR thermometer - what pan surface temperature should low, medium-low,medium,medium-high, and high approximately register as?


texts: Why does tallow taste overpoweringly different from saturated fat from the same animal?

texts:
I enjoy the fat(saturated) that comes out of meat and chicken so decided to try tallow(the fat from suet that the butchers usually discard) and add more of it to my my curries.  However I noticed that tallow tastes overpoweringly different from just fat of meat, why is this so when it seems the dripping are essentially the same thing, or is there a reason why they taste different?

Is there a way to neutralise the taste of tallow?  I added it directly to a curry and it changed colour blending with the curry however on tasting I could tell it was the strong flavour of tallow rather than the flavour of the curry.


texts:
I have some bags of dried beans.  The instructions say, for overnight soaking:

  OVERNIGHT SOAK: Rinse and sort beans in a large pot.  To 1 lb. of beans (about 2 cups), add 6-8 cups cold water.  Let stand overnight or at least 6 to 8 hours.  Drain soak water and rinse beans.

What does it mean to sort beans, exactly?


texts: The importance of timing to adding spices

texts:
From beer making, we learn that the earlier in the brewing process we add an ingredient, the more it contributes to taste, while the later we add the ingredient, the more it contributes to aroma.

Does this translate to other cooking, too?


texts:
Last time I made pizza dough I was a bit...generous with the ingredients - not a problem, I thought, as I'd read before somewhere that pizza dough is nicely freezable. So, I broke the dough in half, sealed up one piece and placed it in the freezer - this was done immediately after kneading, with no time given for rising.

Now I've got a frozen lump of pizza dough in the freezer, and I'm not sure how I defrost it so it also then rises correctly and cooks well.

If I just leave it out uncovered it will presumably rise inconsistently because the middle will take much longer to defrost?

So should I leave it in the fridge first?
Or, is it better left somewhere warm through the entire defrost to help fire up the yeast?

Or have I "done it wrong" and may as well dump this particular piece?


texts:
I was hoping someone would be able to help please?

My brother has started making chocolate bars, we are using cargill 30% cocoa chocolate- we fill the prefamac chocolate machine with approx 7kg and leave the chocolate to melt for about 6 hours at 41-45 degrees. Once melted, we bring the temperature at 30-31 degrees and seed this chocolate and maintain the temperature- we allow the wheel to consistently mix the chocolate. As we fill our chocolate bar moulds we keep topping off the chocolate in the machine with more chocolate which we melt in the microwave at 30-31 degrees.

The issue we are having is that that the chocolate- once we eat it, it won't melt in our mouths like other chocolates melt when you let them sit in your mouth.

Are we doing something wrong? How can we make the chocolate so it is the type which can melt when sitting in ones mouth?


texts: What other cut of meat can replace pork shank?

texts:
I have really been wanting to trying this recipe Braised Pork Shanks with Mushroom Dumplings, but I have not been able to obtain pork shanks.

Can another cut of pork meat be used instead?  I was considering using pork shoulder.


texts: If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help?

texts:
Ok, so yes - the best way to keep your coffee fresh is to just buy fresh coffee regularly, and not use it two weeks after the roasting date.

However, some people don't drink a lot of a coffee (or don't drink coffee at all!), but want to keep some 'nice coffee' in the house for when guests arrive.

In this situation, will keeping ground coffee in the freezer help retain freshness/flavour?


texts: Will adding more yeast to a dough mean I need a longer time in the proofer?

texts: For example if one dough has one tsp. and the other has two tsp. of yeast, would they need the same amount of time in the proofer?


texts:
Is there a good, satisfying ovo-lacto substitute for meat for recipes like meat & cheese lasagna? Or can I just skip the meat and expect the dish to satisfy without it?

I understand that tofu would add protein - but would it add flavor?


texts: Add spices/herbs early or late to a chili or stew in a crockpot slow-cooker?

texts:
Should spices and herbs be added early to a chili/stew in a crockpot slow-cooker to maximize their flavors? Or do the spices/herbs cook-out over a long time, effectively disappearing, and should instead be added late in the cooking process?

Or does the timing vary by particular herb/spice? I'm thinking of items such as bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, chili powder, clove, and such.


texts: I'm wondering if it is possible to bake on a SilverFire rocket stove, ie. by attaching a metal box to the top, or any other way? I have researched it- Google search, YouTube etc, but can't find any relevant info.


texts: What are "Honey Bubbles" and how are they made?

texts:
I recently had the thrilling privilige of eating a Kaiseki meal at Kichisen in Kyoto. One of the meal's many highlights was a desert course consisting of a large citrus fruit filled with jelly and topped with what the apprentice chef serving us called "honey bubbles" (see the attached picture). The bubbles tasted sweet and did not pop of their own accord but turned to air when consumed.

Does anyone know how this foam is made and what it is made of? It was delicious, and if I could even come close to replicating it at home I would love to give it a go.


texts: Can I swap soy milk for cream in a chicken pot pie?

texts:
I'm going to be making a chicken pot pie for a friend who is trying to eliminate dairy. Part of the instructions call for making a roux, then adding chicken stock (5 cups) and heavy cream (1/4 cup) to create the sauce for the filling.

I can substitute an oil for the butter, and I think that the relatively small amount of cream is more for appearance than flavor or thickening. If I use soy milk instead of heavy cream, will the consistency stay essentially the same? Are there going to be any impacts on the flavor?


texts:
I'm trying to make loaf bread with filling swirled into it.... I had issues with the chestnut paste because it had butter so it left gaping holes...the redbean paste held up better..but it was really dry and I need to make it wetter...

On an other thread, Why does bread with filling separate and how do I prevent it? they mentioned using slashes but I don't know how it would work?
Do you slash before you let it rest for the final proof or after? If you cut after, wouldn't it deflate everything?

help please


texts: Is there a general algorithm for calculating the amount of time to roast meat?

texts:
Often, when you buy meat from the store, it comes with guidance on how long the meat needs to be roasted, presumably calculated as a function of its weight. Is there some well known general algorithm for calculating how long to roast various types of meat (e.g. for display on packaging).
Perhaps something like:

roasting time = c * weight of meat

Assuming the algorithm is this simple, is there some reference of ideal oven temperatures and scaling constant c for each type of meat (chicken, beef, pork etc)?
Relatedly, is there a well known set of algorithms for converting between say, fan oven, AGA, and/or gas mark standards for oven temperature?
I'm assuming these facts must be well known in meat supplier's product development departments, due to the labeling I see on meat that I buy. However, having Googled it a fair bit, I can't find these details summarized anywhere.


texts: why does soy milk curdle when salt is added

texts: Why does soy milk curdle when salt is added? Does it have something to do with starch?


texts: Is soy milk in America similar to the type in East Asia?

texts:
Finding soy milk in the States isn't very difficult - it's generally stocked in supermarkets and used as an alternative to dairy. However, I'm not sure if the flavour of typical American soy milk (even the "unsweetened" variety) is sufficiently similar in taste to the soy milk I've had in East Asia.

As an example - in Hong Kong, if I remember correctly, Vitasoy sells unsweetened soy milk with the ingredients listed as:

  Water, soy beans

Comparatively, the Silk brand that sells non-dairy alternatives lists additional ingredients on their soy milk (even the "original" variety or the "unsweetened" one), such as additional vitamins and sea salt.

Is the soy milk commonly sold in supermarkets in the US (outside of places such as Asian supermarkets) similar in taste to the type found in East Asia? I've heard that there might be some differences, but I don't have enough "experience" with this to judge if those accounts are correct.


texts: Too much water in cake mix but it’s already baking! What should I do?

texts: The cake looks done but it’s not in the middle.  Should I just keep baking it?


texts: Is mixing coffee with milk directly unhealthy?

texts:
Scientifically speaking, is there a reason not to mix coffee with milk directly?

I remember reading once, that milk is like the antidote to coffee and there is a bio-chemical reason why this makes an unhealthy mixture.

A reference would be appreciated.


texts: How interchangeable are fats in yeast bread recipes?

texts: I know that unsalted butter has a water content - can I substitute clarified butter, vegetable oil, or shortening in equal amounts? If I do use unsalted butter, do I need to adjust the hydration percentage? Adversely, if I use a fat with no water content, do I need to adjust the hydration level up a bit? Or do I just rely on how the dough comes together, and tweak as I go?


texts:
Does it matter what kind of pan you use when flambéing something?

I want to flambé something and I was planning on using a non-stick pan.


texts: I work as a kitchen aide in an assisted living community. I assist the cooks in some aspects of kitchen prep (mostly non-cooking), but occasionally I help in the actual cooking of food. For breakfast, oatmeal is served every morning. The residents enjoy the creaminess of the oatmeal when milk is added, but for those who are lactose intolerant I cannot take that risk. So what alternatives to milk can I use to create a creamier oatmeal?


texts: I read that giving strawberries a vinegar bath will keep them fresh for up to 2 weeks, but will they be sweet? I haven't tried this yet, but would like to make chocolate covered strawberries for the holiday and don't want to ruin it.


texts: Cooking a chicken and vegetable curry using a curry paste

texts: Can I substitute green Harissa paste for Thai green curry paste in a chicken curry and in what proportions?


texts: Advice on use and care of Le Creuset cast iron skillet

texts:
Below is a picture of my current cast iron skillet from Le Creuset.  As a relative cooking novice, could someone let me know if I have possibly damaged my pan, or if this is normal?  I have a Le Creuset dutch oven, and have always cleaned with soap/water and it is perfect, I thought I would do the same here (since both are enameled), but it looks like it may be in need of special treatment.

If this isn't normal, what is the recommended process of keeping this pan clean (daily use and/or the occasional deep clean).


texts:
I want to make this recipe for a luncheon tomorrow: http://eatnorth.com/eat-north/karine-moulins-red-bean-cream-puffs
I have three concerns.
First, the local Asian grocery store was closed early yesterday, so I didn't get adzuki beans in time to soak. If I get them today is there a safe way to skip the soak?
Second, to avoid the puffs getting soggy, what should my timing be like? Should I make the pastry and filling seperate tonight and fill them in the morning? How should I store everything? It's a work luncheon so I'd be able to fill them at 7 am at the latest, to be consumed at 12:30.
Third, I have mung beans and wet Tamarind. If I'm unable to secure Adzuki, would a direct substitution of mung taste alright? Or a tamarind flavored cream? If I went either of those routes, should I skip on any white chocolate topping ?


texts: Are sushi rice and arborio rice valid substitutes of each other?

texts:
Sometimes I have only one sushi rice and want to prepare risotto, sometimes is the other way around.

Both varieties have a lot of starch, but I don't know if it's the same starch. Is it?


texts: How to convert a recipe calling for active dry yeast into rapid rise yeast?

texts:
I have a recipe for rolls where the first stage calls for 2 packages active dry yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water to be mixed until the yeast is proofed, and then 1/4 cup cubed butter is added to the proofed yeast.  Then all of that is added to half of the flour (2 cups) and 2 tsp salt and allowed to do the first rise.

If I wanted to use rapid rise yeast instead of active dry, could I skip the proofing step?  Would I need to add the butter at all?  Could I just mix all the dry ingredients, add the warm water and start the dough that way?  What effect would this change have?


texts: Am sprouting beans in machine is the color normal

texts:
I have been sprouting my beans for three days now I am not sure if it is ready to harvest and is the color normal and what is the best way to store it? I've attached photos.
Thank you


texts: What is "Fish Sauce" typically used for?

texts: A while ago I bought "Fish Sauce" for a recipe (that I've long forgotten) and ended up not using it. Now we don't know what to use it for because none of the Asian cuisine recipes we come across seems to use this stuff. It says the contents are anchovies, salt, and sugar, and it comes in a little bottle with a cap. The smell is pretty strong and fishy. What is this used for (soups, stir-fry, bbq, everything)?


texts: Sous Vide effectiveness of trapping residual air above water bath?

texts:
(Note: this is a continuation of this question: Sous vide effectiveness without using a vacuum sealer?)

What is the scientific impact of trapping small amounts of residual air in a pocket above the water bath?  This assumes that there is still a very strong thermal coupling between the water bath and sous vide item.

In the photo below, you can see at least a 2-inch gap between the air pockets above water level and the actual short ribs. The food does not float.

From a heat transfer perspective, I can't imagine that a vacuum sealed bag can perform significantly better—certainly not relative to a 48hr cook time.

Is there (scientifically) something fundamental about vacuum pressure with sous vide, or is it only continuous, stable heat-transfer? What kind of "oxidation causing off flavors or promote spoilage" is possible in the described scenario?

Is there a possibility of bacterial contamination?

What would happen if I cut a small hole in the bag above the water level and let the trapped air escape--as long as the food does not float and water does not leak in?


texts: Non-spicy flavors for a spicy-hot food lover?

texts:
For medical reasons, my friend who adores spicy-hot food, is trying to cut down.  What can we do to food to make it taste "less bland"?

Inspired by this post from a stranger


texts: If I cook an individual stuffed pork then immediately after at same temp cook an asparagus casserole will this affect the casserole flavor?  Both items cook for approx 20/25 mins each.


texts: Which foods are most likely contaminated by dairy due to processing methods used?

texts:
I am Vegan but also highly allergic to milk and wondered if anyone is familiar, or has come across any knowledge about which foods and food groups are typically processed in a factory which also handles dairy, other than the obvious like milk, cheese and products labelled with dairy.

So for example, a lot of different chips/crisps have been exposed to dairy as have dark chocolates even though these products don't always have dairy in their recipes.

I am essentially, trying to eliminate dairy from my diet but sometimes products inadvertently are contaminated with diary by the lines they are produced on etc.


texts: Have egg yolk sizes changed over the years?   I have an old recipe from the 1950's I believe.  It's called Norwegian Crowns.  It calls for 2 hard boiled egg yolks.  You force them through a sieve and cream them with butter.  Then mix them with sugar and cake flour.  You then put the dough in a cookie press.  The dough never comes out of the press right.  I've been using large eggs.  Should I use smaller or larger eggs?


texts:
Yesterday I tried to prepare shrimp for the first time. Basically the idea was to prepare shrimp and pasta. I bought frozen shrimp and followed the recipe. It was something like this:

  Heat olive oil and fry garlic.
  Add frozen shrimps and fry them until they become soft.
  Add cooking cream + Parmesan or Parmesan cream.
  ...

The problem was that I fried the shrimp for 30 minutes and they never got soft enough. They were pretty hard. Obviously something went wrong.

What is the best way to prepare shrimps?


texts: Thicker tomato sauce on the pizza makes the cheese more slippery

texts:
After reading the advice about tomato sauce in this answer, I decided to try straining the sauce to remove water and see what it did to the crust.

I let the water drain out of a jar of tomato sauce by leaving it in a cheesecloth-lined colander. The sauce went down to almost half its volume, and I had to trowel it on the crust almost like spackle.

As usual, I used a pizza stone, and an oven that at about 500°F. The pizza takes about 7 or 8 minutes to cook, like this, rotating it twice in that time. I don't pre-heat the crust.

For this pizza, I used supermarket whole-wheat pizza dough (Stop and Shop makes a wonderful dough, incidentally), half-skim mozzarella, Barilla marinara sauce, fresh basil, and sauteed mushrooms and garlic. The pizza was delicious! The crust was thicker than usual, and lighter.

It seemed to me that the cheese was, for want of a better description, a bit looser than it usually was, and had a tendency to slide off the rest of the slice when you took a bite.

If I repeat this (and I will), I'll likely use even more of the same, strained sauce, since I got some requests for "more sauce, please, I could barely taste it." How can I "anchor" the cheese a bit? Mix a little cheese in with the sauce so it'll grab ahold of the cheese? Pre-bake the crust with sauce on it for a minute or two? (I'm not sure what that would do.) A staple gun, perhaps?


texts: Can sunflower or coconut oil be substituted for vegetable shortening in cake icing?

texts:
I was reading this recipe for cake icing and was wondering what would happen if I substituted sunflower oil or coconut oil (which is thicker and may better model the texture of the shortening) for vegetable shortening. I don't eat vegetable shortening/margarine/crisco and am looking for a way to adapt this recipe.

4 lb powdered sugar
1 TB cream of tartar
1 1/4 c. of white shortening (crisco ... the sticks are easy to measure)
a pinch of salt
1 TB extract of your choice
3/4 to 1c. of water (maybe more depending on humidity)

  Put all ingredients except the water into a mixer. Add 3/4 c. water,
  and slowly add more to make the consistancy of your choice. Mix on low
  speed 'til mixed, then on #6 or 8 for 6 to 7 minutes. Consistency
  should be "creamy" -- like cream cheese when soft. Stiff icing should
  be creamy also.


texts: High hydration breads end up with gummy/undercooked interior

texts:
Whenever I make bread with hydration from 80%-120% the interior is always gummy and undercooked. They have a decent hole structure, but collapse easily when pressed.

I typically use

Whole Wheat Chakki Atta or Maida
Filter Water
Instant dry yeast (1 tsp per kg of flour)
Salt

Following recipes like  https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/recipe-for-80-hydration-baguette/

Tried kneading (by hand), no knead, normal rise, refrigerator rise, varying rise/rest durations etc. all with similar results. Atta breads are gummier.


texts: Baking lots of bread - keeping a yeast starter

texts:
Like many people sheltering-at-home, I'm baking more bread than usual. My yeast supply is running low, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get more on demand. I'd like a simple way to make sure I have yeast on hand for my next batch. Could you all recommend a method for storing a starter culture?

Specifically:

How should I store it (how much? where? I have a fridge ~4C and a
wine cooler ~13C)
How often should I feed it? With what? Should I
divide the culture when feeding?
How much should I use when baking?
Can I treat it like dry active yeast, or does it need more/less
time?

For some other context, I'm a novice at making bread (I've made it a few times, and others in my family make it more often). I see lots of advice on sourdough starters, but am interested in something that's a replacement for dry active yeast (unless sourdough starters are actually easier to maintain). I found a prior question that was similar, but it focused on long-term storage of yeast and the answers did not describe how to use the starter.

Your advice is appreciated.


texts: Meringue Imitation to practice decoration

texts:
Does exist a product in market of imitation of not eatable meringue with the same consistency?

This in order to practice decoration and re-use several times the " practice meringue" without the need to make and waste real meringue.

Thanks for any advice


texts: How do you control the caramelization of sugar?

texts: How do you control sugar caramelization?


texts: How long should meat be brined for in a 10 percent solution?

texts:
I use a 10 percent salt solution for my brines. It just seems the easiest. 100 grams of salt per liter of water, but I have read that this is a bit high as most books speak of a 6 percent solution.

So I would like to know how long should you brine meat for at this solution? What time with this solution should you brine per kg of meat and does this differ between poultry, fish and red meat?

Just a rough estimation would be great as I don't want to over salt the food.


texts: Would the same mixing principles that apply to paint work for Food Coloring variations?

texts: If I wanted to create different shades using Food Coloring, is there a different method of mixing them or would the same principles apply as with paint.  Is there a standard mixing chart that details the different variations that would break down the process?


texts: Should rice be washed with hot water or cold water?

texts:
For both long-grain (Jasmine) and short-grain rice I typically rinse the rice with cold water to remove some of the starch and to clean the rice a bit.  What temperature (hot/warm/cold) should I use to wash the rice, and why does it matter?

Thanks!


texts: Cooking thawed fish when it says cook from frozen?

texts: I have a pack of fish in the fridge that says cook from frozen, is it safe to cook now it has defrosted. I have had it for one day in the fridge


texts:
I am looking for recipes that I can put in the slow cooker before I go to work and have them done (not over cooked) when I get home.  This is about 9-10 hours of cooking.  Most recipes that I am looking at have cook times of 4-6 hours.  Most contain chicken or beef.

Is there anything wrong with keeping recipes cooking longer than 4-6 hours?  Is there anything I can do to prevent this?


texts: Why does my homemade hemp milk smell like sulfur?

texts: I made some hemp milk in my Joyoung the other day, and it smells like sulfur. It doesn't taste bad, but the smell is a little off-putting. Is this normal? Have I let my hemp seeds go bad? Should I filter it better?


texts: Why is my lemon juice fizzing and smelling like yeast?

texts: I have an open bottle of lemon juice that I've been keeping in the fridge. I just took it out to dress a salad and it fizzed like soda when I opened the bottle and smells like... took me a minute to place it... yeast. What's going on? Should I throw it out?


texts: Base gravy for British Indian food - is it useful at home?

texts:
The UK has a lot of 'Indian' restaurants, which tend to be staffed by people from Bangladesh.
The menu will often have 100+ dishes available, which they need to cook using as few staff as possible, so it is my understanding that these will be made from a sauce (which seems to contain lots of onions, then garlic, ginger and spices) usually referred to as a 'base gravy', which the relevant meat and vegetables for the dish ordered will be added to.
Obviously this is an essential process in a restaurant, but there is a large community on social media of British people not of South Asian extraction who want to replicate their favourite restaurant food, and overwhelmingly this involves making a 'base gravy' first.
I live in Indonesia and know how curry is made here, and often the best places to eat might specialise in ONE dish, which is cooked from scratch ahead of time, and indeed any place that's preparing a curry from scratch after you order will tend to have bad flavour.
I'm slightly confused by this 'BIR' system, because most of the gurus (of people who want to make 'Indian restaurant' curry at home) seem not to be of South Asian origin, and nor are the people cooking it. So I'm slightly doubtful about the whole process. I'm assuming that South Asian families would tend to cook curry from scratch in much the same we do in Indonesia.
I can see that it could be advantageous if you want to eat a different curry every day for a week, or if you want to create four different curries and plate (ahem) them into aluminium foil trays to eat at the same time, as if you had just ordered an Indian takeaway. And generally, I suppose, if you create say 20 portions of 'base gravy' and then make 'curry for one', with the other 19 portions in the freezer then it could be useful. But that I think is not specific to curry, it's just meal planning, like people making 20 portions of tomato sauce or whatever else.
So the question is is there really an advantage to this as opposed to simply making a curry from scratch, or is this more a case of slavish mimickry? I presume that this cooking technique is not particularly common among British Bangladeshi people at home, for example.


texts: How long can I let a steak rest after seasoning and before cooking?

texts:
I read over at Serious eats that when seasoning a steak, you either need to cook it immediately after salting, or after 40 minutes and more.

(To sum up the article, this is due to a process of osmosis that starts after salting, drawing out the liquids, and it takes at least 40 minutes for enough of them to be reabsorbed)

Anyway, they say that after the 40 minute mark, the longer I leave the meat to rest, the better it will come out at the end.

My question is: How long is too long? I imagine that at some point the meat will dehydrate (less likely) or go bad. At which conditions should I leave it and when is the point of no return?


texts: Is there any cooking oil mister designed such that the oil is never in contact with plastic parts? I just don't like the possibility of having any plastic chemicals dissolved in the oil.


texts: kansui powder vs. lye water, which one is better for noodles?

texts: What is the difference between kansui powder and lye water? Can they substitute for each other?


texts: Because of mildew we waste breads. How can I save breads from mildew?


texts: How do you make the sauce that is underneath Flan?

texts: My favorite Flan always has that nice light brown sauce underneath, is there a way to prepare that from scratch?


texts: What is the best way to making a great pavlova base?


texts: Can I make my chips crunchy again after they have gone soggy?

texts: Sometimes I forget that bag of salsa chips open and with the summer weather they go soggy.  How do I get them crunchy again before the guacamole is all gone?


texts: Will skim milk powder go bad when mixed with peanut butter?

texts:
I love to make those peanut butter energy balls to take with me on camping trips, or even a day fishing or after a long run. If I add skim milk powder to them is there anything that will make the skim milk powder spoil? I never refrigerate these and won't be able to.

By the way, these are really cheap to make, taste amazing and offer loads of energy and protein while being healthier than candy bars

I have my own recipe but the standard recipe appears as a Google result when searching: peanut butter energy balls

It is basically: oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and then whatever you want. No need to bake them.

I would think since there is no water, the skim milk powder won't go bad. I always thought it would be great to add a little bit of it for extra protein to help keep me feeling full on long camping trips without buying a lot of expensive products like beef jerky or protein bars.

I couldn't find this question asked via Google so I joined here to ask :)


texts: How to correct bitterness in blended homemade salsa?

texts: Anybody know what might work to correct the bitterness I got from Blendtec blending fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic salsa?


texts: Vermouth for use in Drinks - can I freeze it?

texts:
I have a well stocked bar at home so from time to time I mix some drinks.
Many popular drinks list Vermouth (e.g. Noilly Prat) as an ingredient. Basically, Vermouth can be compared to a special kind of wine as it also produced from wine.
This is where the trouble starts: As soon as you open a bottle Vermouth for the first time, you have to store it in a fridge and after 2-3 weeks have to throw the bottle away because you can't use it anymore. So to really empty the bottle, you have to drink a lot.

This is a common problem for many people and there are many ideas for solutions (spraying some protective gas into the bottle, filling many smaller bottles, sucking the air out of the bottle, writing to companies and asking for miniature bottles...) but none of them really works.
Now I just had another idea: Can I just fill an ice cube form with Vermouth and put it in the freezer and then just take out the amount I need? Or will it loose it's flavor due to the freezing process?


texts: Why the common basic taste of energy drinks is tutti-frutti?

texts:
With extraordinary exceptions, most of the basic energy drinks has the same basic flavour: tutti-frutti.

Why was it chosen instead of an already known flavour, like cherry or something?

Is it like a marketing idea, like the unique taste of cola or Dr. Pepper?


texts:
As someone with few opportunities to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I try to do as much preparatory work as possible on my day off and then just have things I can throw together and stick in the oven/pan/microwave when I'm ready to eat. I'm also trying to up my consumption of fish, so I've got some bags of frozen sardines in my freezer at the moment, and I want to do something with a bit more flair than thawing them the day-of and then sticking them in the oven.

I have interest in pickling the tasty little buggers whole in a mason jar--for small fish, I'm a fan of eating the whole thing, guts included--and pulling them out for a quick roast in the oven on the day I intend to eat them. I have three questions.

1) Is there any reason frozen fish would not be suitable for pickling after thawing?
2) How long could I expect them to last if pickled? Really, I only need them to stay safe for 1 week.
3) Any suggestions you fine folks may have for flavorings.

Cheers.


texts: What are the effects of heavy cream and milk in ice making?

texts:
I want to make ice cream at home with my simple ice curner. I found the NY Times article which states
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
⅔ cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 large egg yolks

Now there have been claims about the ratio of milk and heavy cream that

More milk makes it smoother
More cream makes it smoother

I wanted to clarify what is true. Moreover in case the freezer temperature effects the consistency  my freezer is set to -18ºC.


texts:
I got a large batch of walnuts and started cracking them using a standard hinged lever nutcracker (ostkaka from IKEA). It is pretty messy and either the whole thing gets squashed to pieces and it's hard to pick out the nut pieces from shell pieces.
Or it can be split in two, but than the nut is still stuck in the shell and it's a long process to carefully get it out of there (even if I don't care to keep the nut intact)
Does it just take more practice or is there a technique or better tool to crack walnuts?


texts: How to achieve fall-off-the-bone lamb with browned bits in oven?

texts:
I am trying to replicate a method to cook lamb I experienced in a North African restaurant in Paris. The dish was called "mechoui" (which is a whole-hog ... hmm... lamb outdoor roasting tradition), but when I asked the chef he said all he did was cook the lamb pieces at 300F (180C) for 1hr in the oven with no fat, just some coarse salt.
The lamb (typically a sub section of lamb shoulder with some bone) was served just about fall of the bone tender, with plenty of delicious browned bits. It was clearly roasted and not braised.
Each time I have tried to replicate this I end up with a messy & disappointing situation: plenty of liquid released in the pan, no browning, and tough meat.
What would people recommend?


texts: Is it possible to make souffles that rise without beating egg whites?

texts:
TLDR: Is it possible to make a souffle that doesn't have beaten egg-whites, but still rises? Leaveners don't seem to work.

Longer version:

I've never eaten "real" souffles (at a restaurant). I tried this recipe, which tastes great, but doesn't deal with beating egg-whites. This (beating the egg-whites into stiff peaks and folding) seems to be something of a fundamental or hallmark of souffles, which is credited to their rising.

The recipe's souffles don't rise much (not even out of the pan). I also tried a variation with baking powder, which had a negligible effect.

Is it possible to make a souffle that rises, without folding in beaten egg whites? Would baking soda work?

NB: these (from the recipe) are also not baked in a pan with water with them.


texts: I forgot to turn my slowcooker on overnight w/ chicken in it, can I eat it still?

texts:
I put chicken breasts and a bunch of salsa into a slow cooker to be cooked while I slept. I forgot to turn it on. When I woke up I noticed and put it back in the fridge.

I plan to cook it tonight (and hopefully not forget to turn it on).

Is this a bad idea?

I will note that the salsa appeared to insulate the chicken because it was still cool to the touch (not COLD though) when I discovered it in the morning.

Total time out of fridge would be about 9 hours.

EDIT: This is not a duplicate of the suggested question because I had a thought that it might be ok due to the chicken being slightly insulated and still cool. I have realized it is still not safe from the answers.


texts: Does adding flour before egg coating and breadcrumbs help sticking?

texts:
When deep frying chicken, assuming:

flour and seasonings
egg and milk mix
breadcrumbs

does the first layer of flour help the egg to stick better? Why not just add seasonings to the breadcrumbs and skip the flour layer entirely?


texts: How can I get sweet potato skin to caramelize without baking?

texts:
I love sweet potatoes, and cooking them in the microwave for 8 minutes is much faster than waiting an hour or more for them to bake. But when I microwave them, the skin doesn't caramelize like it does in the oven.

I tried using a kitchen torch on the skin after microwaving, but it started to look more burnt than caramelized.

How can I get the skin to caramelize when cooking a sweet potato in the microwave?


texts: Windowpane test - Why does my dough fail it, and what is it good for?

texts:
I am very new to pizza making, but after only 5 tries I am pretty pleased with the results.  (I get passable Neapolitan-style and thin-crust pies.)

However, one thing I've noticed is that my dough has never passed the "Windowpane test," even after kneading (hand-kneading) my dough for much more than 10 minutes.

I have two questions:

What am I doing wrong?
What do I gain by getting my dough to the point where it does pass the test?


texts:
The other day I went to PapaJohns and noticed that they had a roller that had spikes on it and they rolled it on their dough to make some impressions in the dough.

Last weekend I decided to take a fork and try it and I made dents all over my dough.

I don't normally make dents, what are the dents supposed to do?

One of my family members theorized that it might let the heat travel up faster and help with the cooking.

I'm under the impression that the dough was softer once cooked, but I don't know if that's psychosomatic or not.

What does making small dent impressions on pizza dough actually do?


texts: Undercooked center of a cheesecake baked at altitude

texts:
After two tries making a baked cheesecake, the center is undercooked.  The outside is fine, but the center remains undercooked.
I have increased the cooking time from 45 minutes to one hour, but still the center of the cheesecake is underdone. I am cooking the cheesecake in a pan surrounded by boiling water but the center is underdone.  I am wondering what effect our location (4000 feet above sea level) might be having as water boils here at around 195°F (about 90°C).  Any advice would be appreciated.


texts:
I mixed equal parts of semolina and bread flour. Then I kneaded it for about 2 minutes. I flattened it out as well as I could, then passed it through my pasta machine on the widest setting. I did this 5 times by folding lengthwise after every pass through the rollers.

The noodles had great bite when cooked al dente and still held together wonderfully when cooked a little more. Cheese sauce nicely coated them, they were great! Could have been the best pasta I had ever tasted.

I didn't let it rest...not even a little.

Chefs and home cooks alike tell us time and again that you must rest your pasta dough for at least half an hour. Some say 2-3 hours.

So... Does pasta dough really need to rest? Please educate me.


texts: Crushed tomatoes - sub with diced or whole?

texts:
I have a barbecue sauce recipe that calls for 1 can of crushed tomatoes. I have cans of whole & cans of diced. Could I just run one of those through the food processor and deem it "crushed"?

EDIT: I also have a few pounds of fresh Roma tomatoes.


texts: How do I know if condiments in refrigarator are good?

texts: no not about cooking my refrige broke  getting a new one tomorrow at what point does all the condiments start to go bad its at 60 degrees and has been for several hours just wondering if I have to start from scratch and throw away everything


texts:
I made this today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9gncvPpQKA

The first time I made it, the mushrooms and steak came out great. First cooking the steak, then cooking the mushroom in remaining (steak juices + oil) + butter + thyme on high heat. The mushrooms were a bit shriveled and not plump. They had a nice crunchy texture.

The second time, I decided to cook mushrooms without the steak juices. Also instead of putting the butter and thyme in immediately after the mushrooms, I fried the mushrooms in olive oil on high heat first, then put in the butter and thyme.

This time the mushrooms were disgusting... there was a very strong earthy taste , like the juices inside the mushroom weren't cooked out... Except the problem is, the mushrooms were also starting to get dry, so I couldn't cook them any longer.

What made the difference the 2nd time around that the mushrooms tasted so bad, and how can I avoid dry / earthy-juice mushrooms in the future?


texts: Vietnamese Coffee (cocktail) - what to sub for condensed milk?

texts:
If you've ever enjoyed a Vietnamese Coffee, they're to die for.  Blend:

crushed ice
shot of espresso
condensed milk
... avocado

(add dark liquor like bourbon if a cocktail)
blend them together and this is where the condensed milk and avocado shine:  ends up this buttery sweet thick ice cream texture, from a blender.  I add bourbon to it (which really doesn't matter unless it impacts the substitution ingredient).
Question:  if you are serving a milk-intolerant (not vegan) guest, what could you sub for the condensed milk?  I'm thinking I could replace condensed milk with honey or sugar mixed with soy/almond milk.  Maybe blend the whole crushed ice and all together ahead of time in order to avoid heating milk substitute.
Edit: here's a credible-looking recipe, as it says, this drink is quite common in SE Asia.


texts: Could oxidation of oil in frozen fish be causing smell which I am mistakening for overcooking?

texts:
I posted some questions about overcooking whitebait and am wondering if the cause of this smell, since it appears so quickly is overcooking or fish oil oxidation.  I found the following which makes me think it could be due to oil oxidation when freezing and hence not due to any overcooking:

"In frozen fish, bacterial action is reduced to negligible levels but oxidation of the oil, especially in oily fish, will continue during storage and will lead to a loss of eating quality. Some of the proteins in fish undergo changes, not fully understood, during long periods of frozen storage which lead to undesirable toughening of the flesh."

It's extremely difficult to get fresh whitebait so I have nothing to compare it against or verify that this is a frozen fish oxidation issue.  I am also sensitive to chemicals\smells so it could be that I can sense the oxidised oil wherease most people can't.


texts: A family member gave me a couple rabbits to cook and I'm not sure how to prepare them. I'd prefer something on the smoker or grill. Do I marinate, rub, brine? I'm just not sure how to prepare it.


texts: Why let a pressure canner vent, before putting the weight on?

texts:
Most instructions for pressure canners mention, that you should let the steam vent for a while, before placing your weight on it.

What is the purpose of this? Why not start with the weight on? And how can I determine how long exactly I need to let it vent?

Example:

Source: https://www.thechoppingblock.com/blog/under-pressure-pressure-canning-for-advanced-preserving


texts: Re-Heat meringues after having them in the fridge for a long time?

texts: Three weeks ago I tried to make meringues. Unfortunately I left them in the oven for too short, and thus they were quite soft. Thus I put them in the fridge. Now I took them out again, and noticed that they were quite soft again (due to taking water). I put them now again in the oven (@100 °C for 3 hours). Are they still safe to eat, or should I throw them away?


texts: How can I examine fruits or vegetables in a market, while minimizing mechanical damage?

texts:
From this answer and the discussion in comments:

  [T]he problem is mechanical damage: every time someone picks up a
  piece of fruit and puts it down again it may cause small soft spots
  and local damage - And think about the shoppers that try to judge
  ripeness by pushing or pinching the produce. This will cause damage,
  invisible at first, but rotting soon, either in the store or at other
  unsuspecting customers’ homes – Stephie

I had considered the harms of pushing or pinching the produce before this, and tried to avoid doing either, but hadn't thought of the damage from simply picking up something and putting it back down. And now that I think of it, I can't come up with a way to examine fruit without causing such mechanical damage. Even rolling it around in-place could be just as, or more, harmful.

What can I do to examine fruit without causing avoidable damage?


texts:
My daughter says cocoa is not chocolate. I've always believed that cocoa is chocolate, or part of chocolate, or whatever makes chocolate. I'm confused.

So, if I make brownies with cocoa powder only, are they still chocolate brownies?


texts: How can you change flavors in store-bought frosting?

texts: I'm in a time crunch and I bought pre-made frosting for some cupcakes I'm bringing to a potluck (I know, shame on me. The cupcakes are homemade at least.). Because I was rushing, I accidentally bought 'whipped cream frosting' when I was trying to go for 'cream cheese frosting'. I tried the frosting and I think it will be too sweet on my cupcakes. Is there any way I can fix this?? I think I have a tiny bit of cream cheese, could I add it to the frosting in some way to try to tone down the sweetness? My cupcakes are butternut squash spice (kind of a play on pumpkin spice) and they're rather sweet, which is why I was thinking the tang of cream cheese would go well.