texts: Does power give a like-for-like comparison between different brands of stand mixer?

texts: I've noticed that the KitchenAid stand mixers (which are supposed to be one of the best, if not the best, brand out there) have significantly lower power rating than their counterparts from other brands. For example the popular KitchenAid Classic has a power rating of 250W and the KitchenAid Artisan has a power rating of 300W. Even the top-of-the-range KitchenAid Professional stand mixer has a power rating of 325W. Meanwhile, other entry-level stand mixers from Kenwood or other manufacturers have power up to 1000W or 1200W. Is this a true like-for-like comparison (i.e. a 1200W stand mixer from another brand is 4 times better at cutting through a thick mixture than a 300W KitchenAid stand mixer) or is it just one factor among several that could impact the true performance of the stand mixer? Simply put, I was rather surprised at the comparatively low power rating of the KitchenAid products, and thought I must be missing something.


texts: How can I check if a blind baked dough is done?

texts:
Often, when I'm blind baking things, I'm always unsure whether or not the dough is finished. I always put a piece of foil between the crust and the rice.

Is there an easy way to check the middle of the crust, or do I need to rely on timing or remove the rice on top to see? Removing the rice is difficult without making a mess, so I'd very much like to hear some tips :-)


texts: Temperature to disable enzymes in soy beans

texts: When making soy milk, I've understood that you should disable some enzymes and that you do that with boiling heat for minimum of 15 minutes. Since boiling soy milk usually result in a messy boil-over, I'd like to use a lower temperature instead but haven't found any information about what temperature/time to use?


texts: Freezing meat in Tupperware vs freezer bag

texts:
What's the difference between freezing meat (mainly, but vegs not excluded) in a Tupperware instead in freezer bags? Does the space and air between the meat and the recipient imply any change in texture, taste?

I'm conscious about the environment, but I also think it can be more convenient storing boxes in the freezer than bags.


texts: Jar opened once - is it still good for pickling?

texts:
I have recently been making pickled beetroots and they mostly came out fine except for one jar which has failed to get a vacuum seal. Now I put it back in the pan and simmered the jar for a good half hour, but that didn't seem to change anything.

I then gave up on it and thought that I might as well just eat the beets in the upcoming week. And so I opened the jar and took out one slice and then put the jar in the fridge. To my surprise, after a few hours the jar has actually sealed itself, but I have no idea what to do with it.

Is it still safe to pickle it as normal after it has been opened once? Or should I keep it in the fridge and eat it soon?


texts: What is the best flour to use for pizza dough?

texts: I've been making pizza dough and the recipe says to use "good quality flour" but I'm not sure what it means? Are there differences in quality between different types of flour and how can I tell?


texts: Is it possible to make soymilk without a "beany" taste?

texts: I've made soymilk several times using dried beans. I've done it using a pot of boiling water to cook the pre-soaked beans, blending in a blender, and straining. I also have a SoyaJoy soymilk maker. No matter what I've tried, I always wind up with a "beany" taste, certainly like nothing you get at the grocery store which always tastes so delicious. I honestly don't know how they make soymilk taste so unlike soybeans! I've tried blending with oats, adding sweetener (which I don't like doing), etc. Does anybody know if it's possible to make home-made soymilk taste like store-bought?


texts: Is it possible to keep a samosa which is ready to be fried, frozen for a week or more and edible? If so, what is the process? Thanks.


texts: Eggless Belgian Waffles become unbreakably hard

texts:
I am a big admirer of Belgian Waffles and hence have been trying to come up with the perfect recipe to prepare them. However, I cannot use eggs in waffles because majority of my cousins are vegetarian.

My Recipe:

389 gms All Purpose Flour
5 gms salt
12 gms baking powder
14 gms sugar
500 gms milk
50 gms oil
111 gms cornstarch
Vanilla Essence

I took this recipe from a website and later replaced eggs with 2 tbsp flour & water, 0.5 tbsp of butter and baking powder.

The only problem seems to be hardness. Using this recipe, I get crispy waffles but within 2 minutes, one cannot break the waffles because it turns chewy like rubber. I keep my wafflemaker at 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Waffles are quite crisp but not airy I suppose and one cannot break the waffles apart just after 2 minutes.

I would be glad if you may help me out in any way to prepare Eggless Belgian waffles.


texts: How to prepare shirataki noodles to more closely resemble classic pasta?

texts:
I've tried shirataki in spaghetti with meat sauce but the noodles' texture and flavor didn't fit with the sauce very well. Perhaps there's a way to make it work that I'm not aware of?

I'd like to figure out how to prep and use shirataki noodles so that they take on a texture of classic pasta which would open many culinary possibilities. Any hints and ideas?


texts: How can this "Bloody Brain" cocktail be made without alcohol?

texts:
I found this recipe for a Halloween cocktail known as a "Bloody brain", here's a link, and I was wondering how I would go about making a non-alcoholic version.

The recipe involves strings of Bailey's Irish Cream that do not mix properly and form tendrils that bunch together and look like a brain. I would like to know how to achieve the same effect with no alcohol.


texts: How do I add flavor to this amazing looking dish?

texts:
I have made an ancient pre-WWII recipe titled "Slovakian-Style Eggs." They look like fried eggs on static electricity. The whites are whipped into what is in effect a meringue, without sugar or any seasoning other than salt. This looks amazing, as you can see in the linked photo, but the failure of the recipe is the flavor is bland. I have searched in vain for any hint at how to add flavor and still maintain the amazing texture and appearance.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wikipix/4190731688/in/photolist-7ojAwC-9yqaRg-7oCSrh/


texts: Does frying a lot of oil out of Twice-Cooked Pork leave it with much less fat?

texts: Family had a small dispute about twice-cooked pork. Our grand chef said that she fried out a lot of the oil from the pork so there wouldn't be much fat left. However, if the oil that comes out from the fat (I think that's where it comes from at least) gets rid of all of the fat, then what is the "fatty part" left behind after this frying? Wouldn't it still be fat?


texts:
I've never baked wings before in an oven and would like to try out this recipe, however it doesn't state whether you start with frozen or thawed wings, nor does it speak to their internal temperature so that I know when they're done. I bought some wings from the store and the bag says to bake them frozen for 50 mins, whereas this recipe calls for a total of 30 mins.

So I ask: when baking wings, do you start with them frozen or thawed, and what is the proper temperature for them to be at the very end?


texts: What makes it possible to store this uncooked fish product in the fridge for up to a month?

texts:
I have bought what looks to be a defrosted raw salmon product in airtight packaging:

On the back of the package, it is written that this product can be stored in the fridge for up to a month from the day it was thawed, which is given.
Usually, this is not possible. For example, according to this great answer, raw proteins, specifically fish, can be stored in the fridge for 1–2 days.
I was unable to find more information on what makes this possible. I would like to learn what could make it possible to store uncooked fish in the fridge for up to a month.
I tried searching the internet, but I could not find any information regarding this, including in the Food Safety FAQ here.


texts:
I bought fresh, ripe peaches, and I don't eat them super fast. I want them to last fresh for as long as possible. How should I store them?

Helpful details would address:

Under what parameters would I use plastic? Should I seal it? Can the peaches touch the plastic?
If I refrigerate, what drawer should they go in?
What other foods should or should they not be near?
Should I store them submerged, moist, dry, or with absorbent material?


texts: I was following this recipe to make some French Vanilla Icecream. I had to prepare some home-made cream from scratch, for I was very short on ingredients. After completing the cooking, during the freezing time, the mix became more jelly like - wobbly and rubbery. I kept stirring and breaking the mixture every 30 mins for the past 4 Hrs. I've followed the recipe as accurate as I could, but the home-made cream might be the trouble. Not only is it not setting, but is still in a runny consistency. Could it be the case? Is there anything that can be done right now?


texts:
I want to make vodka or liquor which tastes similarly to Brennivin. The taste which dominates Brennivin is cumin so you can say that I can basically want to prepare cumin-flavored vodka or liquor.

The question is how should I process vodka to achieve such taste?


texts: Vacuum sealed ham left out for 9 hours, is it still safe to eat?

texts: I accidentally left a vacuum sealed ham steak out on the counter for 9 hours. If I reheat it is it still safe to eat?


texts: I have a stainless steel sort of double boiler made in Israel, but the top only has one cylindrical steam vent sticking up about 3 inches off center.  What would it be used for?


texts:
My whole life I've been buying small squid (maybe 4-6" long bodies without the head and tentacles), which are very mildly chewy and tender.  All it takes is sautee them in a little OO and they are good to eat, IOW, no additional tenderizing is needed.

Yesterday I got some large squid, about 1 lb each before cleaning, probably 10"+ long without the head, probably 5-6 times as much meat as the little ones I usually get.  I remember trying to cook that before and they came out very tough and with a bit of unpleasant odor.

Is there a way to marinate and tenderize large squid and to somehow neutralize the odor?


texts: Why does pistachio ice cream not taste like pistachio nuts?

texts:
I have eaten pistachio nuts (roasted, salted) many times and I like it. I also like pistachio flavoured ice cream, but I don't find it much similar. If it wasn't named like that, I would probably not make the connection at all.

Why is the flavour so different? Is it similar to "Banana" flavoured ice cream, which often uses some chemical compounds supposed to taste like banana, but which doesn't really either?


texts: Could rice or pasta be cooked without hot water?

texts:
I moved in a brand new house. I have no stove, microwaves or hot water for a week or two.

I'm vegetarian and I've already prepared fresh veggies wrap, salad, hummus, sandwichs, .. but I'm wondering if you could cook any kind of pasta or rice without hot water.

A long time ago I read pasta could be softened in cold water before boiling it to cook it quicker.


texts: Using steam to make a dry version of turkey juicier

texts:
How effective is steaming a turkey tenderloin the size of a brisket to make it tender and juicy?

I'm considering this because turkey has a tendency to dry out as it's cooked.


texts: I have frozen raspberries in the freezer. Can I defrost them and use them in muffins...and then freeze some of the muffins?


texts: Can I bake a cheesecake using only a water bath?

texts:
I don't have an oven, but I want to make a cheesecake; however, I do not like the "no bake" cheesecake recipes.

A lot of cheesecake recipes require a water bath before baking in an oven. I was wondering if the cheesecake could be baked only in the water bath.


texts: What are the most common uses of piri piri sauce (other than with chicken)?

texts: I have experimenting in the kitchen. I decided to use some extra hot piri piri sauce with some bacon on a Stottie cake. It tasted magical and I am tempted to repeat the process sometime soon. What else goes with piri piri, other than chicken? What are the most common uses of piri piri sauce?


texts: Making doughballs (dumplings) with strong brown flour and shredded suet

texts:
In Scotland (and other parts of the British Isles) when making "mince and tatties" (cooked ground beef accompanied with boiled potatoes) it's not uncommon to cook doughballs, or dumplings in the mince near the end of the cooking process.

Normally I'd do this with self-raising white flour, shredded suet (using a product branded as Atora), water and a pinch of salt. However due to supply chain problems these days all I could get was strong brown flour and suet. What do I need to add to the mix that would give me the "self-raising" action? I'm thinking baking powder, but I don't know how much to add per 100g of brown flour to create "self-raising brown flour".

Any guidance would be appreciated.


texts: How to peel boiled quail eggs without breaking

texts:
I can peel chicken eggs fine, but boiled quail eggs are much smaller & easier to break. I tend to use my finger nails to help with peeling but it's easy to cut it too much due to the thin egg whites. Sometimes, even just pulling a half-off shell piece is enough to break the egg in half.
I've tried thermal-shocking the shell with cool water right after boiling & lightly cracking the shell before peeling, but the shells tend to come off as small pieces rather than whole big ones, making each egg take >10 seconds to peel, which adds up really quickly. Even peeling them underwater doesn't seem to help much, as it doesn't separate the shell from the white.
What's a good way to more quickly peel such small & delicate quail eggs without breaking?


texts:
I just baked this bread using sour dough. Why is there a large hole in it? What can I do to prevent this from happening next time?

Pre oven:

Post oven:


texts:
I've finally put down the money to buy a quality knife and it's sharpness is amazing!

How do I take care of it so that the edge lasts and the knife stays sharp?


texts: Coating/skin on Quorn Sausage - is it edible?

texts:
I bought some frozen Quorn Hot Dogs (Frankfurter style). After boiling some there was a transparent, filmy outer skin/coating that came off when I was cutting them. It felt plastic/rubber/paper-like but I wasn't able to distinguish it properly. I had a look at some of the frozen ones in the pack and was able to peel the skin off some of them but not with others.

There is no mention of this skin on the package or in the ingredients. I searched online but only found a few posts/comments mentioning the skin peeling off the sausage.

My question is, what is this coating and is it edible?

Here's what the packaging looks like if anyone else wants to check: http://www.ocado.com/productImages/840/84090011_0_640x640.jpg?identifier=a6c3b6a50e16995b0ceea7cecdca4490


texts: I have store bought jam (still sealed) that has been sitting in my car for over a month, but it has been super hot and humid, would it still be good under the hot temperatures?


texts: Hard and brittle fat as cocoa butter alternative

texts:
What are some hard and brittle fats, similar to cocoa butter, that could be used as an alternative?
Taste is secondary but the more neutral the better. Preferably the fat should also be reasonably easily accessible and not extraordinarily expensive.


texts: Cooking ground beef without the fat rendering off

texts:
I like to cook ground beef by putting it in an oven safe dish and baking it at 350 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. This works great for my purposes, but so much of the delicious fat is rendered to a liquid, e.g. there is a little island of beef in a pool of fat.
I would very much like to consume this fat rather than waste it. I do not fare very well directly eating the liquid/(semi-liquid after cooling) fat.
Can you think of any way to cook ground beef that does not result in rendering the fat? Maybe what I am asking for is impossible - if the ground beef needs to reach an internal temperature of 165, and fat starts to render at 135-140, ..
Alternately: can you suggest a method of cooking that results in smaller fat loss?


texts: how to use CSA vegetables most efficiently

texts:
I belong to a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) and get a basket of assorted vegetables every week.  I have very little cooking experience, and if I search the ingredients online I get a ton of recipes that have only 1 or 2 of the ingredients I need to use.  So far what I've been doing is putting most of the stuff together and making a stir fry (perhaps adding onions and mushrooms as a friend recently suggested) with spices.  Results have been mixed (no pun intended!).  Another idea I've tried is soup, but I'm not as comfortable with that as of yet.

Any general strategies (not necessarily recipes) besides just "stir fry"?  I'd prefer to be able to use all of it with a minimum number of recipes (preferably just 1 or 2)

Here are 2 examples of baskets I've gotten.

example from Oct:

Arugula
Beans
Beets
Carrots
Rainbow Chard
Garlic
Kale
Kohlrabi
Okra
Parsley
Peppers
Radishes
Tomatoes
Winter Squash (Butternut or Delicata)

example from Aug:

Fennel
Tomatoes
Summer Squash
Okra
Onions
Black Radishes or Purple Turnips
Peppers
Chard


texts: What is tofu that's crispy outside and fluffy inside called?

texts: I sometime eat asian dishes having tofu cubes. The tofu looks a bit fried, it is a bit crispy on the outside but quite soft and fluffy inside. I love this texture combo, I would eat a whole wok of it! Unfortunately I know neither how this kind of tofu preparation is called nor how it is made. What is the name of this preparation style so I can learn how to make it myself?


texts:
I've ordered these a few times, and had wildly varying results - hardly surprising, given the general lack of training among bartenders around these parts, but confusing none the less!

So now I'm curious: what should a Manhattan be composed of?


texts: Induction surface started making a barely noticeable high-pitch whining noise, even when it is not in use, is this dangerous?

texts: We have been using a 4-slot Amica induction surface for 4 years now, and it started making a barely noticeable high-pitch whining noise, even when it is not in use. Is this dangerous? Can aging induction surfaces pose a danger of electrocution, fire or something else?


texts:
I have received a few packs of dough mixture for German black bread from a friend (Vollkornbrot, black rye bread). All I have available to make it is a bread maker and a microwave oven (probably known as microwave "grill" function, works with actual heat, not microwaves, but is still no real oven). The bread maker is much too weak to move the heavy dough around, so I have to knead it by hand. That's not a problem though, but I have had very little success actually baking the bread using either the bread maker or the microwave oven.

Even after baking the final product remains very heavy and grows very little. There remain some very doughy pockets, which seem only half baked to me. I'm turning the oven almost as high as it goes (around 240℃, according to display) and tried baking the bread for a longer time. I also tried to make smaller rolls instead, with the same result.

Is it possible to make such heavy bread using such weak equipment? If so, what can I change to make it work? Or is the ready-made dough mixture simply no good?


texts:
I wish to make mac & cheese using real cheddar (not processed cheese). I am familiar with the usual process of making a base out of butter, milk and flour and then mixing the grated cheese in to get a thick and creamy sauce.

This time I wish to skip the flour. Is it possible to pull it off this way? I have a bunch of eggs I could use for their yolks if it helps.


texts:
I prefer extra-virgin olive oils with fruit and grassy notes, rather than the peppery back-of-the-throat flavors that some folks enjoy. Are there particular olive varietals that are more likely to be fruity and/or grassy? Obviously when possible I taste before buying, but in the event that I need to choose just based on bottle info, is there any way to increase my odds?

EDIT: so just to be clear, I know well some brands that meet my needs. For example, Frantoia is widely available and hits just those fruit, grassy notes. My question is more for those situations where I don't have my own supply; maybe on vacation and just need to pick a bottle among the 6 at a small town-grocery, which ain't gonna give me a taste. At that moment, do I have a better shot of getting grassy and fruit with say an arbequina vs. kalamata oil? Or is there some other method of reading the bottle that might help?


texts: Various meats can be "cooked" using lemon juice. But how does lemon juice actually "cook" the meat?


texts: What is the term for the "amuse-bouche" at the end of the meal?

texts:
At several restaurants I've been to, in addition to  serving an amuse-bouche at the beginning of a meal, there is an equivalent complementary small desert served at the end, sometimes before or after the check.

What on earth is the name for this "course"?


texts: Homemade yogurt hygiene; can the results be dangerous?

texts:
I'm late to the Instant Pot homemade yogurt game, but have been having fun eating the results. I'm relatively careful about cleaning the pot and implements, but I assume that at some point I'll let some microbe(s) slip by, and end up with an unlicensed ecosystem.

Here's the question: if (when?) that happens, will the results be unappetizing or inedible, or could they actually be dangerous? For example, this answer states that he got food poisoning from his homemade yogurt.

And, if this is possible, and it happened, how would I know? Fuzz on the top? A mysterious green glow? The yogurt climbing out of the pot and menacing me?


texts: Why do most precooked frozen fries smell bad and what to do about it?

texts:
Something like 4/5 of frozen fries brands in the store essentially smell like synthetic piss to me when you start cooking them and it doesn't go away. They taste fine but the smell is just vile. This isn't just one or two bad experiences I've had but its been a trend as long as I can remember.

The other 1/5 brands don't smell bad, yet have the exact same ingredients - potato and some mixture of plant based oils, usually palm and/or rape seed. The price range seems to make no difference, I've found examples of either smelling or not smelling in both cheap and expensive brands. Uncooked frozen fries never smell bad, even if they have oil already included, this makes me think its something to do with the cooking process.

Does anyone have an idea as to why this is? And if there's anything I can do about it?


texts:
I have been looking into some recipe without yeast. Jamie Oliver has a recipe in his 30 minute book that does not need yeast.

Will pizza have less crunch or flavour without yeast?


texts:
I am making a pasta dish at school that has courgette in it. The recipe says grate the courgette and because I don't have much time at school to do it, I want to do it at home.

I do not know how to keep them fresh when they have already been prepared.I heard that if you keep grated courgette in water, it stays fresh. I am leaving the house at 7:50 and my lesson starts at 9.


texts: Should a roast be covered in liquid in a slow-cooker?

texts:
My roommate put a hunk of beef roast in the slow-cooker for a good 6 hours.  It's a fairly large sized slow-cooker, at least 8 quarts.  The meat was cooked through but very chewy, and I never remember my mom having that issue with a slow-cooker.

My roommate tends to put only enough water to get halfway up the side of the roast, and always uses a slow-cooker 'bag' (another thing my mom never did).

What advice can I offer them to get a better outcome?


texts: Cleaning out residue from thread of sport mixer base

texts:
I am talking about the following accessory:

The problem is that in the thread (i.e. the "cracks" onto which the bottle is screwed on when blending the fruit) some fruit remains got stuck. No amount of scrubbing with dish soap/sponge and rinsing removed them so far (they just get wet, maybe even loosen up a bit then dry out again; maybe it is even worse now, because now it is fruit remains soaked with dish soap, which could end up in the fresh smoothie...).

Although I was able to winkle this residue out partially with the tip of a knife, I am looking for a better solution, because that way is neither effective nor perfect (I think about 40-50% of the residue is still there, and it is a pain to do this process anyway).

Long story short, the problem is that the thread is too tight and too deep to effectively reach and clean out with the usual means.

So I have basically two questions:

is there some effective practice to remove this stuck and dried residue? (I was thinking about soaking it into vinegar, but maybe that would damage the unit too? E.g. make the knife rust, or remove the lubricating oil from the shaft. And I'm not sure it would even remove the residue in the end...)
is there a way to prevent this residue from forming in the first place? (Like soaking the base immediately after use? But again, won't that remove the oil from the shaft?)

I tried to do some research, and I found the suggested way of cleaning out blenders is to put water and some dish soap in it, turn it on, and let it do the rest. But I don't think it would work in this case, because when the blender is running, this thread is theoretically sealed by the bottle which is screwed on. (Which is a good thing by the way, because in this way, in theory, the residue can't get into the fresh smoothie. On the other hand, the question arises how did it get there in the first place then?)


texts:
I made a pickle by placing cucumber in a solution of water+vinegar+salt, and left it for 3 weeks. When I opened it, it was covered with white mold all over the solution.

Can I skim the mold from the solution and use the pickle? Does it go inside the solution and cucumbers?
What is the reason for the formation of mold, and how can I avoid it in the future?
Can it be kahm yeast? If yes, how can I tell it from mold?


texts: A friend of mine is on vacation and found these in their condo. I love to cook and now I have to know what kind of utensils these are. Please Help.[


texts:
I have two recipes for bread; one is Julia Child's Sandwich bread and the other is honey wheat bread using the recipe on the back of the King Arthur wheat flour bag (can't find the recipe online for some reason).
I've made both breads twice and I have the same problem: the dough is always too sticky. When mixing the ingredients together, it looks like dough but almost like a batter (if that makes sense). But as soon as I try to knead it, it becomes super sticky, getting stuck on my hands and work surface the more I try to work with it. So I ended up adding A LOT of flour to get it manageable, sometimes almost double what the recipe calls for. And even then, it starts to stick to me so I add more flour. The last time I made the breads, I used a stand mixer and after 4 minutes the dough was becoming more batter-like and drooping from the dough hook, so I ended up kneading it by hand (and adding a lot of flour).
Yes my bread always ends up a crumbled mess when I try to cut it and I know I shouldn't be adding so much flour but I don't understand why my dough is so liquidy that I have to add more flour.
I have done a few different things. Like using less water at the start and sifting the flour before using it, and I even made it at different times of the year (summer vs winter in south-central US), and the dough is always too liquidy.
Someone told me I should wait awhile for the flour to absorb the water before I start kneading it (by hand or in a stand mixer) but I'm worried that would affect the yeast.
I'm also a novice baker (I guess you could call bread making baking?) but I run into wet dough issues all the time, and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas what I'm doing wrong (aside from adding way too much flour for kneading).
For reference, I always do the scoop and level method and use the same measuring cup for measuring water.
Edit: thank you all for the tips and suggestions! I've never used an actual cookbook or used any books for cooking, just online and occasionally videos. So I will definitely look into getting a book for properly making bread especially.


texts: Should these be placed in refrigerator: tomatoes, and banana?

texts: Should these be placed in refrigerator: tomatoes, and bananas, just like green leaf vegetables?


texts: Can we (safely?) use salmon after storing it (in deep freeze?) for two years or more?

texts:
I'm from Poland (in case there is no such thing in other countries) and a few days ago I bought a quark cheese mixed with salmon and some herbs, produced by some German milk factory for one of local big malls network.

When I looked at factory-printed "best before" information, I was shocked. Though actual "best before" date was fine (still a few days left), there was a clearly printed notice that fishing period for salmon fish used for preparation of this quark was in... June-August, 2012.

If this isn't a printer mistake (and there should be a June-August 2014), then what? Can we really safely store (deep freeze?) fish for two or more years? Is it still usable for food preparation processes? And -- finally -- what is the reason for doing so? Wouldn't it be easier and better just to use... a fresh fish?


texts:
I was surprised by the added stone in the soup of this question:

"Also, for irony, a large (cleaned) stone is always left in the pot"

What would be the reason for this? For the minerals in the stone? As far as I know, minerals do not infuse water directly out of a stone.


texts: I make yeast roll dough in my bread machine, then form them into rolls and let them rise. They are delicious but when rising they seem to spread out and not rise very high. What can I do to make them taller?


texts: What are the consequences of dishwashering a cast iron skillet?

texts: I know that with cast iron skillets, one isn't supposed to put them in a dishwasher to allow bits of what was cooked (called seasoning) to build up, since some people think that that produces better tasting food (maybe it does, I'm not taking a stance on this), but what would happen if one dishwashered it? Can it then be used like a stainless steel skillet (meaning spray some olive oil cooking spray to prevent sticking at each use) that isn't so sensitive to overheating and can be put in the oven, or does it cause some sort of problem, like a release of toxins or rust?


texts: Though I read a lot about vegan substitute of cheese but I have not come across one that can be described as its perfect replacement especially in places where cheese is supposed to melt, like in Pizza. Does anyone has any experience with it ? Is it possible to make such vegan cheese at home ?


texts: How can I reconstruct my Grandmother's recipe from just ingredients?

texts:
My grandmother would always create her famous Sticky Buns every year around christmas time. Since she has passed, I would like to carry on the tradition. However, all she left behind was a list of ingredients. She had the process tucked away in her head. The ingredients are:
Dough:

2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
3 tablespoons butter/margarine, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons instant non-fat dry milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 - 3 1/4 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)

Filling:

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margerine
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans

I have a bit of baking experience, and have found some similar recipes online, but not the exact same ingredients.
My grandfather knows a bit of the process, but not completely. He said:
"I'm assuming you make it just like any other rolls (1). Because it has yeast in it, you have to let it rise. Flatten it out with a rolling pin and then put it on a cookie sheet, cover with a towel. Then let it rise for maybe 30 minutes, it should double in size. Roll it out with a rolling pin and spread the filling on it; roll it up into a pipe like tube; slice it into the thickness you want (2); place the rolls in 9-inch pans all together (no space between)(3). Spread sauce on top (4). Bake at 350 F for 20-25 min - good luck!"
Before I go and waste a ton of ingredients trying to figure it out, is there a way I can find out what best process might fit for this?

What process should I use for the dough?
What thickness would be preferable for the rolls to bake properly without being raw in the middle in that time?
Do I really need to leave the rolls stuck together while baking, or should I keep them apart and let them expand into each other?
It seems like the sauce shouldn't go on top before baking, that would make them soggy, no?


texts: How many grams of almonds are in a tsp of almond extract?  Looking for equivalency or concentration rations for almonds to almond extract.


texts: Are there accurate meat scales which interface easily with a computer?

texts:
I raise duck and sell to the local restaurants.  I have a digital scale that I use that does not interface well with computers. The only way to interface with it is via an RS-232 port.  I would like a scale that I can connect to a computer, preferably via network (wireless card or Cat 5 (LAN)) but bluetooth would be great, or even USB.  Does anyone know of an accurate scale that I can use for such a purpose?

If you are wondering I am also a software engineer.  Please advise if this is an inappropriate forum for this type of question.


texts: I'm making a dish that calls for six cardamom pods added while cooking. After the dish cooks, should I make the effort to locate and remove the pods? I'm assuming they're like Bay Leaves, unpleasant to chomp on but otherwise harmless.


texts: Differences between the oven stone and the pizza oven?

texts:
I'm undecided between buying an oven stone, or a pizza oven (like http://j.mp/YXeiTr).

I can't find any helpful suggestion - does anybody have any comment?
I'm aware of the major differences - for example, one has to pre-heat the stone before usage. Some things may not be obvious though, for example, does one has to wait some time between cooking pizzas if one has to cook many with the stone? Any other differences?


texts: How to properly prepare a weeks worth of pasta and microwave it at work

texts:
I've been making a pound of pasta on Sunday and eating for lunch at work throughout the week, where we just have a microwave.

The first time I did this, I cooked a jar of pasta sauce and combined both the sauce and the pasta in a big Tupperware. Before work I would transfer a portion to a smaller Tupperware and microwave it at work. The pasta I ate on Sunday was wonderful, but what I had at work was dreadful.

The second time I did this, I didn't cook any pasta sauce (except for what I ate that night), only the pasta. I brought the pasta and a jar of pasta sauce to work. At lunch I combined them and microwaved it which was marginally better than before. The next day I microwaved the pasta for 2/3 of the time, and then added the pasta sauce for the final 1/3 of the time. This was much better -- however, it is still nowhere comparable to the pasta I eat Sunday night when it comes straight off the stove.

Given I don't have a stove which I could reboil the pasta for a few minutes or to cook the pasta sauce, how should I consume my left over pasta to maximize its taste?


texts: Keeping noodles from absorbing all the soup

texts: I cook in the summer for a week for about 30 people,and we serve buffet-style over the course of about an hour. This summer, my plan is to make lemon chicken orzo soup for one of the meals. However, I've found that if you put the noodles in the soup, they do what noodles do and absorb all the moisture. Because it's buffet-style, though, I'm having difficulty imagining putting the noodles in a separate bowl (which is what I'd normally do) for people to serve themselves, because I suspect they would turn into a starchy, uniform Borg of noodle. Any solutions?


texts: Accidentally used high heat on Teflon pan!

texts: I accidentally left a Teflon pan on high heat to the point where oil was smoking a lot. Is the Teflon pan still good to use? I'm afraid I destroyed the protective coating. I visually inspected the coating and it seems to be intact and in good shape.


texts: Is there any truth to the idea that you shouldn't multiply seasonings when multiplying a recipe?

texts: I often hear cooks discuss that idea that if you are multiplying, say, a recipe for 4 to be a for 32, that you shouldn't multiply some herbs, spices, or salt. I've never understood any reason why this should be true. Maybe something to do with surface area to volume ratios, or cooking times? Does anyone have a real explanation, or is this nonsense?


texts: How long does doughnut dough need to chill? What is meant by "chill over night?"

texts: In the recipe it says chill over night, but how many hours would that mean?


texts: What ingredient or method causes a mixture to be a bread versus cake?

texts: Sometimes I try to make a bread but the texture comes out more like a muffin even when I use a loaf baking pan. I have even tried premixed bread (similar to premixed boxed cakes) and while the taste is nice, the texture is not what I am looking to have. I'm trying to figure out what ingredient gives bread that coarse texture versus the smooth texture of muffins. I am thinking along the lines of coarse crumby breakfast type breads or dark breads you generally have with coffee such as Friendship Bread. b


texts: How do you figure out how much oil to use for pan frying?

texts: How do you go about figuring how much oil to use for frying? Off the top of my head, I can think of a number of factors such as the type of food, how well you want to cook it, the type of oil, the size of the pan and how much food you are trying to cook. Which of these factors should I worry about the most and does anyone have any general rules for figuring out how much oil to use?


texts: What kind of pan works best with a waterbath?

texts: Whenever I bake cheesecake or flan, my springform pan always leaks into the water bath or vice/versa.  Is there a better type of pan to use when baking with a water bath?


texts:
Yesterday, I was on the cusp of baking my bread (I had just begun the final shaping process of the dough, putting it in banettons to rest at room temp. for 3-4 hours) when I had to leave for work. I remembered that my recipe said I could delay or "retard" the process by putting the banettons filled with the dough, in the refrigerator for up to twelve hours. Well, when I arrived home seven hours later, I took the dough-filled banettons out of the refrigerator, heated up my oven, filled pans with water and put them on the lowest shelf of the oven, tossed the dough into the Dutch Ovens, scored the tops of the dough and put the lids on the pots and waited twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, I took the lids off the Dutch Ovens and let the bread bake for another twenty five minutes.

I never got the "oven spring" out of these loaves and the crumb is rather dense. Should I have let the dough warm up after removing it from the refrigerator? How long should I wait in this situation?


texts: Adding xanthin gum to regular flour containing gluten

texts:
I'm using regular bread flour and adding additional gluten when making pizza dough to get a nice stretchy dough.
Will adding xanthin gum provide any additional improvements to the texture when using flour containing gluten?


texts: Apple pie making...how to add the crumble crust on top of the mound of raw apples?

texts:
We made two apple pies for Thanksgiving. Both recipes called for adding a mixture on top of your apples to create a crumbly top crust for the pie.

Mixture one involved butter, flour, and sugar. (I cut the dry ingredients into the butter)
Mixture two involved melted butter, crushed graham crackers, crushed walnuts, and sugar

There was about 2 cups of each mixture.

Mixture one was stickier and had larger chunks due to the solid butter that we were working with. It was easier to add to the top of the mound of apples.

However, we found that it was almost impossible to pour mixture two on top of one of the pies. We couldn't contain all of that on top of the mound of apples. We essentially just mixed most of it into the apples and then poured the remaining on top for the crust.

Are there any suggestions for making crumple crust for apple pies? I guess one idea could be  to add the crumble crust after the apples has reduced down a bit during baking.


texts:
What is the best way to preserve potatoes for a long time with minimal loss of nutritional values?

I tried freezing, but the potatoes lost their taste and were unsuitable for cooking.

I tried cutting and drying, but the result was again tasteless.

When I just put the potatoes on the shelf, sometimes they remain good for a long time, but sometimes they rot. How can I lengthen their shelf time, and what is the maximum shelf lifetime I can hope for?


texts: In a tomato sauce recipe, how can I cut the acidity?

texts: It seems that every time I make a tomato sauce for pasta, the sauce is a little bit too acid for my taste. I've tried using sugar or sodium bicarbonate, but I'm not satisfied with the results.


texts: Should sweet potatoes be peeled when preparing them?

texts: I want to make a sweet potato dish -- maybe candied yams.  Should I peel the sweet potatoes before cooking or are these recipes intending for me to keep the skin on?  None say to peel the potato first.


texts: I plan to sous vide lamb chops, which is going to take 3 hours.  Since I have to work, it will be too late for dinner if I start cooking after work.  Can I sous vide it for 2 hours the night before, put it in the fridge, and continue cooking for another hour the following day?  Do I need more time on the following day as the temperature of the meat is lowered in the fridge?


texts: Can the Cadbury Creme Egg's filling be bought independently?

texts: I want to buy the filling of Cadbury Creme Eggs to use it in another dessert. I remember that being available but I cannot come up with the keywords to search for it. Maybe something similar is sold by another company with another name?


texts: To which internal temperature should I cook beef for rare/medium/well done?

texts: I am going to cook a beef roast: To which internal temperature should I cook it for rare/medium/well done?


texts: Is "parboiling" chicken stupid (or wasteful)?

texts:
I realize the question can be considered inflammatory - use the latter wording (wasteful) if it helps...

When I learned (taught myself) to cook and first figured out that meat does indeed have a flavor of its own, I struggled and finally learned how to retain those flavors - everything from making broth with bones to slow-cooking to release natural fats and connective tissues. However, a friend uses chicken that is "parboiled" in many dishes, and this seems quite wasteful to me.

I understand that parboiling can be done to reduce cooking time. However, help me either understand this preparation mentality, or explain to them how to do things better...

My friend puts chicken breasts into a ~3-6 qt saucepan on the stove in warm water, turning the burner to high. After the water is boiling, heat is reduced to medium (50%), and left to boil for 30 minutes or so. The pot is drained and the chicken either shredded or cubed for use in a pulled-chicken or similar dish (perhaps enchiladas or similar). The chicken is fully cooked, but usually lacks taste - as I figure, it was all boiled out of the chicken during cooking.

This seems wasteful (stupid) to me - as the friend often goes through extra effort to use high quality ingredients, spices, seasonings, fresh herbs, and selects healthier meals. The only potential gain I see to preparing the chicken in this fashion is that the cooking can be done relatively unsupervised (plop chicken in, adjust heat once, and walk away). However, taste is lost when instead there certainly must be a better way to prepare the chicken. Perhaps in the case of the aforementioned enchiladas, the chicken could be placed in a skillet, half-covered with a mix of enchilada sauce and water, covered and cooked on medium for just about the same amount of time. This would flavor the chicken more instead of removing the flavor, and with little additional touch-time.

This friend comes from a background of much prepared food and poor cooking habits growing up, but has taken the time to advance their skills greatly in other culinary areas aside from meat preparation. I'd like to encourage them with evidence (and gentle pressure if necessary) to improve this facet of their cooking as well. Perhaps they are used to canned chicken which is precooked, as I believe this method for cooking chicken originated out of one snack-dip-related dish, which was a staple for them previously.

Bonus points: is this technique even parboiling? Above-quoted answers cite parboiling to be boiling to speed-up preparation of the parboiled food, but don't mention the intention of completely cooking it.


texts: What was this pickled vegetable which I was served at a middle eastern restaurant?

texts:
I was eating at an Iranian/Persian restaurant and they brought a bowl of pickles to the table. Among them was the usual wild cucumber, green tomato, pink turnip, etc. but there were also several strange ones I had never seen before.

They were small, between the size of a cherry tomato and a small plum, with a smooth (not ridged) shape. They were round/oblong (again kind of like the above fruits). They had a very fine coating of fuzz/hair. The taste was not pronounced in any way (it tasted much like the other pickles). The colour was muted green.

I thought they might be gooseberries but the texture was a lot firmer than a berry.

Do they pickle greengages, or unripe plums, or unripe apricots, etc.? If so, does anyone know the Arabic/Persian/Farsi/Pashto/etc. name for these?

Thanks


texts: How to prevent food absorbing smells from other food?

texts:
I want to bake cakes to take into work tomorrow. But I also have a broccoli and half an onion that need eating soon, and was thinking of having broccoli and sausages with onion for dinner. Is there a way of baking the cakes and cooking the dinner on the same evening without the cakes absorbing broccoli/ onion smell, or do these activities need to be done on different days? Which is it better to cook first?

Possibly relevant information about this specific situation (though I think more general answers would be better):

There is an extractor fan which can be used if necessary (though it's very noisy and annoying).
The cakes would be cupcakes/butterfly buns with buttercream.
I prefer to do the sausages and onions in the oven rather than the frying pan, but don't have to.


texts: How to prepare salsify (schwarzwurzeln) to minimise sap?

texts:
This morning I tried cooking salsify (aka Schwarzwurzeln) for the first time.

It needs to be peeled before cooking, which I did rapidly and with a bowl of water nearby, as per advice on various internet sites.  However, it still left an unpleasant, sticky, orange sap over my hands and the utensils.  It lasts for a long time and is very difficult to remove.

What is the best way to prepare salsify to minimise the amount of sap??


texts: Moose Drool Beer Bread in a Bottle OVER 10 YRS. OLD

texts:
I bought Moose Drool Beer Bread in a bottle which contains flour and yeast while vacationing up north in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan over 10 yrs. ago.  I never uncapped it and was just wondering if this could still possibly be good.
There is no expiration date on the bottle.  I checked on line but could not find any info on this product.


texts: Are there any special techniques for tempering dark chocolates with different cacao percentages?

texts: I want to use up some chocolate I have on hand, and don't have enough of either one for the recipe I plan to use for truffles, so I thought I'd try combining the 3 chocolates.  One is 54%, one is 63%, and one is 86%.  Any suggestions or warnings would be appreciated!  Thanks!


texts: Flambe, alcohol percentage and water residue

texts:
In Norway, the strongest liquor allowed to buy is 60% (120proof?). I try to flambé my Crème Brûlée as suggested in Can I make Crème Brûlée using a flambé?.

Problem is that my tests on a pre-made chocolate pudding with the 60% alcohol still leaves too much water.

So for a newbie in flambé, is there a way to prevent all this water?
Do I use too much alcohol ?

Or might the access water come from seeping from the pudding in addition to what is coming from the alcohol residues, meaning it wont be a problem when doing it with a properly made Crème Brûlée?


texts: How to transport fresh ravioli to office potluck?

texts: I made some fresh ravioli to take into an office potluck. I only have access to a microwave at work to reheat the food. I also don't want my ravioli to stick to each other once cooked. I'm thinking of boiling the ravioli at home, immersing them in tomato sauce in a microwaveable container, and then reheating the entire container in order to serve. Any other ideas/suggestions?


texts: Is there any difference between dry yeast and fresh yeast?

texts:
Can you generally substitute dry yeast for fresh yeast and vice-versa?
Is there any desirable result that can be accomplished by one, but not the other? Or are they completely equivalent if you just find out the correct conversion ratio?


texts: Canning Jar bottom pops off during canning

texts: Each canning season I have a canning jar that the bottom cracks off during the canning process. Anyone know why?  The jars are checked for cracks, chips and sterilized before each use.


texts: The role of fat (butter, oil) in caramel-required recipes?

texts:
Why in some recipes with using caramel, like, for example, caramelized walnuts or chinese caramelized apples, its required to melt sugar in oil or butter instead of making caramel with water or just melt the sugar per se?

typical recipe scheme looks like this:

melt and caramelize sugar in fat
put pieces of food into and cover by
this caramel
put the final product to nonsticky surface and let it
cool

so, question:
What the role of fat in such recipes? is it possible to use sugar caramelized by itself or with water? or it has influence on covering abilities of caramel? or smth else?

Thank you for your answers and time.


texts: How can I get more flavorful jasmine rice?

texts:
I'm used to cooking basmati, which can stand on its own with just a few spices and a little butter.  With jasmine rice, I come away disappointed; the rice never seems to bring anything to the dish, and generally comes off a little bland, even with fairly potent flavorings.

Is there some technique or trick specific to jasmine rice that I should be using?  Are there particularly good flavor/ingredient combos for jasmine rice I can use?


texts:
I'm trying to understand if it's safe to eat tea leaves. Not as an evening meal, more about if I make a drink with loose leaf tea and leave the leaves in the bottom of the drink and drink some, will it cause any ill effect (drinking 10 cups a day).

My research on Google brings up many results, but everything I've found is about eating green tea leaves (and even that matcha is a powder made from green tea for consumption). My question is about white and black tea.

Some sites I've read explain how little difference there is between the teas, and ultimately I can't find anything on non-green teas to confirm that it is safe (despite my instinct saying "hey, it's still tea, yes it's safe").

Is it safe to eat white and black tea (before or after it is used to make tea)?


texts:
I want to make matcha green tea. If I just stir it in a mug with a teaspoon it doens't mix in very well so I know I need a whisk. The most popular ones are the traditional bamboo ones but it seems you need a bowl for them as well and I'd prefer to use a normal mug.

Has anyone used a normal whisk, does that work? Or I was thinking of trying a cooking brush.

UPDATE: has anyone tried with an electric whisk?


texts: I made sausage and corn chowder the other day. I added both corn starch and Knorr's instant leek soup as thickeners. It simmered over the stove for 25 mins. I thought it may have been too thick, but I resisted the urge to add any more liquids. I let it cool, then took it to work to share. It was reheated in a crockpot at low for several hours and became very soupy or watery. What happened to my chowder?


texts: What is the best way to store fruit in bulk to make smoothies?

texts:
Next year for university I'm moving into a new house with a large chest freezer (a big upgrade from my current freezer drawer). I've always been a fan of making fruit smoothies with banana, milk, yoghurts, berries and what not however the biggest problem with this is that since I've moved out I can't afford to keep buying fruit for it to go off. So I have essentially 2 questions

Firstly is it realistic to buy fruit from the market where its cheapest, I'm thinking all fruits from apples to bananas and from berries to mangoes and then just throw them straight in the freezer, will this preserve them ?? Then the next day get them out and throw them straight into a smoothie.

Secondly and more preferably would I be able to buy a lot of fruit make it all into smoothies then put these into containers and freeze them, then get them out the night before so they will defrost and I can drink them for breakfast in the morning.

Thanks in advance


texts:
Beer bread is bread wherein beer is used for liquid and leavening. I tend to use a basic pilsner, but I'm a beer snob, and I've taken to wondering what would happen if I substituted something a little more exotic.

Has anyone tried this? I don't want to do trial-and-error with expensive beer if I don't have to.


texts:
Does pizza normally get made with Butter?

For example, if someone is allergic... or has an intolerance, to butter do they need to avoid pizza?

What about individual pizza companies like Pizza hut, Domino's, Jets Pizza and so forth?


texts:
Kind of a strange question, but say something has spoiled, i.e. smells bad, tastes bad, etc.

Will it actually always make you sick? Like for instance spoiled dressing, let's say it tastes sour, smells nasty and you eat it, will it make you sick?

If so what actually makes you sick? The toxins/bacteria? or it just being unappetizing?

I ask because I tried a TINY bit of ranch and while it tasted mostly fine (it was a bit tangy) it smelled quite tangy but looked fine. I also saw this article about people eating bad food and not getting sick.


texts:
I accidentally let all the water boil off in my standard glass kettle (if it matters, it's a Medelco WK112 OneAll Stovetop Whistling Kettle). It didn't crack, and cleaned up fine.

But might there be a lingering chemical change that's left the glass unsafe? (E.g., is there anything it might leach into the water I'll be boiling day after day?)

As per the suggestion of @moscafj, I asked the manufacturer, which replied:

  Hi- we do not recommend you to use that kettle any longer if it was
  boiled out dry as stated in our instructions."

But I am still interested in the question. (I'll get a new kettle to be on the safe side, but not because I "always trust the manufacturer.")


texts: I significantly over-baked my cheesecake today (I forgot to check the temp extra early to compensate for the fact that there was a baking stone in the oven).  Now I'm trying to decide if it is possible or worth pursuing  trying to reincarnate the cheesecake into something else.  My first idea is to mix it with whipped cream to make a filling to pipe into lace cookie trumpets/cones.  I'd appreciate any insights into turning a cheesecake into a cheesecake filling or any other ideas of how to repurpose an over-baked cheesecake.


texts: Compensating for extra moisture from cold flour

texts: I've been baking Hallah of late from a high-precision recipe: weights and percentages provided for all ingredients. I store flour in the freezer. Typically, the dough comes out considerably stickier than intended. End result is OK, but process is messy. So, based on other reading, I assume that my chilly flour is busily absorbing atmospheric moisture. I'm wondering if anyone can offer a rule of thumb for how much water to subtract or flour to add to compensate for this effect over 795 grams of flour?


texts: Do I add salt to my sunny side up eggs before, during, or after cooking?

texts:
I was wondering if it makes any difference to the taste, texture, or any other factor.

I tried googling but there are very few resources and some of them are contradicting. If anyone could enlighten me, that would be great.

Thanks!


texts: How can I avoid from turning mushrooms brown while freezing it?

texts: When you freeze mushrooms they will turn brown.  You can't keep them for long time in the fridge though. On the other hand I can't buy it everyday! I love mushrooms in anything and I want to have some always ready to cook. Any suggestions? Is the only way to buy it everyday? I don't like canned mushrooms or similar preservation methods.


texts: Rice has water inside after being cooked

texts:
I have this Rooster A.A.A. Scented Jasmine Rice that I recently bought and after a few days, water starts forming in the middle for some reason.

A little background, I had a bag of Thai rice that when I leave the rice cooker unplugged (and rice not kept warm), the rice becomes sticky which is what I like. Now with this new Jasmine rice, I do the same thing but instead the water forms.

Am I misinterpreting something where Jasmine rice does not have the same effect as Thai rice?


texts: Should I season a Teflon-coated stainless steel frying pan

texts:
I am not sure if I am allowed to say the brand & model, but here is the spec

Can also be used in the oven since it is made entirely of metal.
Thick base with one layer of aluminium between two layers of stainless steel. Gives an even and energy-efficient heat, which reduces the risk of food burning and sticking.
Made of stainless steel, which makes the pan durable and easy to clean.
Treated with Teflon® Platinum plus, a very hardwearing non-stick coating that makes the pan suitable for everyday use.
The exterior is made of brushed steel which means that stains do not show as much as on a high-gloss surface.

Should I season it?

Related question: What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet?


texts: How long do I need to freeze the freezer bowl when making the second batch of ice cream?

texts: I have made one batch of ice cream, and now I need to make another. I have rinsed out the freezer bowl, and when I dried it I noticed that the water had frozen to a thin film of ice. So it is obviously still pretty cold. I am hoping to finish the second batch tonight (at the time of writing it is 7 pm here in Sweden). Is a couple of hours in the freezer enough, or do I need to wait until tomorrow morning?


texts: Should I under-cook vegetables if I plan on microwaving them the next day?

texts:
I usually make chicken and stir fry veg for my lunch the following day. Obviously I cook the chicken fully but I was wondering if I plan on only eating the meal the following day and heating it in the microwave for 2 mins @ 1000w, should I under-cook the vegetables a little bit?

The vegetables are usually onions, peppers and spinach.


texts: I want to know how to express the result of reduced liquid.

texts:
I want to know the best way to express the result of reduced liquid.
Example; 5 quarts reduced to 3 Cups. Should it be expressed as ratio or percentage? How do I do the calculation?


texts: How much gelatine to use instead of xanthan or guar gum in ice cream

texts:
I bought a Cuisinart ICE-30BC ice cream machine and I am experimenting with it. Some ice cream and gelato recipes ask for xanthan gum.

I can't find any of it in my county, but I read that I can replace it with powdered gelatin.

My question is, if a recipe calls for 3g of xanthan gum, how much gelatin should I use to replace it?? Is it less or more?


texts:
Long story short,

Is lemon peel thickness sign of the fruit age?

Long story: half-cutting lemons (this worth for oranges and other citruses, as well), I noticed younger fruits have thicker peel (the white spongy flesh between the exterior skin and the internal juicy pulp) than older fruits.

Thus the question is: is there any correlation between this thickness of lemon peel and the age of the fruit?

NB: I am aware of the fact that exists different varieties of lemon, thus the peel thickness would be a natural physical aspect of the fruit; the question above relies on the fact I am talking about two identical lemons.


texts: How can I remove the peel and pit of an avocado without the whole thing turning into mush?

texts: Making solid pieces out of a ripe avocado is a difficult business (for me, anyway). What is the best way to remove the peel and pit without ending up with a pile of green mush? I can sometimes remove the peel without too much difficulty, but that pit always gives me grief.


texts: Faulty recipes: omitted ingredient or unused ingredient

texts:
I'm looking at ways of enhancing the production of my recipes, and a couple of quality control items have come up.

I've seen recipes where there's an ingredient that never gets used; and some where the instructions call for an ingredient that was never listed. There are also problems I've seen with bogus amounts (eg 7lb instead of 7oz) or amounts expressed in units that don't get used that way (eg 27 tsp of something or 1/32 cup of something).

Is anyone aware of any guidelines or software for recipe-writers to address things like this? I have seen a page at https://diannej.com/2010/7-more-most-common-recipe-writing-errors/ which identifies some editorial problems, but I'm looking at more concrete technical approaches.


texts: Is there a way to keep chocolate chips from melting in chocolate-chip waffles?

texts: My memory might be playing tricks on me, but I swear I've had chocolate chip waffles (or maybe pancakes) where the chocolate chips were still somewhat hard - in other words, not completely melted.   Every time I try, even if waiting for the batter to start cooking before adding the chips, they always seem to melt completely.  Waiting for the chips to harden would also mean the waffles get cold.  Any solution?


texts: How much meat should I serve per person?

texts: Catering a small event tomorrow for twenty people. Serving beef brisket, pulled pork, and veggie lasagna. Question is how much brisket & pork should  allow for each person? also serving  three sides, rolls, etc.


texts: What happens if you cook pureed pancakes?

texts: Okay to begin with, I know this is an odd question, but I've been reading The Flavor Bible and they mention an experiment where they made pancakes, pureed them with milk so it looked like batter again, then squirted that onto a frozen griddle to firm them back up. What would happen if you cooked this mixture again? Would you get bubbling? Would it burn right away?


texts: Is this olive oil lid sealed and safe to use even though the side looks bumpy? It looks sealed at the top but do tiny dents or slight bulges on the side of the lid matter? It was covered with plastic but I haven't opened the metal lid yet. (Above the 'R' and 'O' in POUR OUVRIR).


texts:
At a local shop, I regularly get burritos.  They come in a wrapper that is paper on one side and aluminum foil on the other.

They consistently put the aluminum on the outside.

This seems incorrect to me.  The aluminum should go on the inside to reflect heat back into the burrito, and the paper should go on the outside so that it doesn't absorb burrito goop.

Am I correct?  If so, are these reasons correct and exhaustive?  If not, why?


texts: Why is my dry rub almost tasteless when the meat comes off the smoker?

texts: I have a very good dry rub that imparts an excellent flavor to pork, chicken and fish. It is pungent to the nose when in the bottle and is always made fresh. It is applied liberally, covering the surface of the meat being smoked. The situation is this: I apply the rub approx. an hour prior to cooking. This allows me time to get my charcoal heated and prepare my smoker. The smoker is kept at a constant 200-225 degrees and I use various types of wood (oak, hickory, maple, pecan) depending on the type of meat and flavor desired. When the meat is ready to come off the smoker I always try a small portion at that time and I find that the rub is almost flavorless, however if I allow the meat to cool down considerably the flavor begins to assert itself. My usual method is to cook the day before, put the smoked meats in the fridge in either a plastic storage bag or wrapped in foil, place the meats in foil pans, covered, and reheat the next day for 1.5 to 2 hours at 200 degrees, either in the oven or on the smoker. The flavor is magnificent and the aroma is to die for! I am just curious as to why the rub flavors are absent right out of the smoker. Thanks for your input.


texts:
I need to have a birthday cake ready on saturday night and am trying to figure out how early I can make it without it impacting the quality of the cake.

If I make the the cake friday night or saturday morning, will it be noticeably less good on saturday night than if I make it saturday afternoon?


texts:
I have discovered century eggs while living in Thailand, and instantly fell in love with these treats. Unfortunately, I haven't lived in Thailand for a few years now, and I desperately miss century eggs. It's impossible to purchase them anywhere within 1000 km radius, so I guess the only option is to make them myself.

So, I need an advice, how can I recreate this mesmerizing gift of Asian cuisine?

What have I tried so far — I have followed this recipe on Instructables, which in short was:

Made brine by combining 42g NaOH + 72g NaCL + 1L water, boiled, dissolved and let it cool down. I have used pipe drain cleaner (100% NaOH).
Carefully put four chicken eggs in a glass jar, poured brine until eggs became fully submerged.
Put a small glass weight on top to prevent eggs from floating.
Kept them in brine for 10 days at approx 18°C.
Removed eggs from brine. Found two eggs to crack, with only disfigured yolk remaining inside.
Thoroughly washed two remaining intact eggs with tap water, then dried them up completely with paper towels.
Tightly wrapped eggs in few layers of clear thin plastic wrap, then covered them in modeling clay shell.
Kept them for 20 days this way.

After time was up, I opened them, to find out to my own disappointment that my experiment had failed. The eggs were filled with a foul-smelling opalescent runny fluid about the density and viscosity of water, and the eggs themselves had shrunk away to the size of the yolk. The egg whites had stayed white, dense and opaque, and only a thin layer of it was left around the yolk. The yolks themselves were still yellow with a slight blue tint, and had overall texture of hard-boiled yolk.

Obviously, this was not the result I wanted, so I threw them away without tasting :(

Since then I have done a few more attempts, still with no luck. I have even discovered scientific papers on this matter, e.g. "Effects of alkaline concentration, temperature, and additives on the strength of alkaline-induced egg white gel.", Zhao Yan et al, doi: 10.3382/ps.2013-03596, however I was somewhat hesitant about experimenting on myself, as the paper gave no conclusions whether the provided metal salt concentrations are safe for human health with prolonged consumption.

So, can anyone point out any mistakes I've made during my attempts, or provide me with the right technique to make Century Eggs that I can follow? It is surprisingly difficult to find English recipes for these on the Internet.


texts: How do you reduce static in a coffee grinder?

texts: Is there a way to reduce/eliminate the static buildup in a burr grinder?  I've tried a few different coffee grinders and inevitably on removing the grinds bin, I get a spray of coffee all over the counter.


texts: Does dairy-based marinade increase the amount of browning (Maillard reaction) in meats?

texts:
On Food and Cooking mentions that the Maillard reaction begins with a carbohydrate molecules and amino-acids. Dairy products are rich in carbohydrates and meats are rich in amino acids.

I wonder whether soaking meat in a dairy-based marinade (sour cream is a popular ingredient) amplifies that tasty browning during grilling.


texts: Tips on how to freeze a no-bake cheesecake

texts: Good day! I have made a no-bake cheesecake in a glass container. Since I could not find the parchment paper, I used a substitute- aluminium foil. Now, the dish has been in the freezer for past two days and still the cake is not firm. On the top, it's a little firm but from the corners, it's runny because of which, I cannot take the cake out of the foil. What should I do to ensure that my cake turns out like a normal cheesecake?


texts: Is it necessary to cook porridge (oatmeal)?

texts:
It is possible to just eat porridge (oats) after soaking in water for a couple minutes.

However, cooking it makes it creamier and softer.

I'm interested in knowing if cooking the oats actually changes them in some way (besides the heat), and if there is technically a difference between cooking vs. not cooking.  (e.g. is it the case that if I leave it to soak for a longer period without heating, it could achieve the same softness?)


texts: Is there a rubric for what ingredients go into a Chinese stir fry?

texts:
Looking at these two recipes:

https://omnivorescookbook.com/tofu-and-broccoli/
https://omnivorescookbook.com/ginger-chicken/

they are quite similar but have minor variations. This seems to be the case for a lot of Chinese cooking - there are many recipes that use slightly different quanities or omit a single ingredient but are recognised as a different dish.
For example the ginger chicken contains
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

but the tofu stir fry by the same chef contains
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine

And then for another ginger chicken recipe (https://thewoksoflife.com/ginger-chicken/), the sauce has
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)

What confuses me is that distinguishing between ginger chicken and another chicken stir fry seems to rely on these small variations in flavours.
But these variations aren't consistent between chefs, so is there really just one "mother" stir fry recipe that you can tweak to your preference? Or do the variations actually result in something that you could tell apart by what you get on the table without knowing what its called?


texts: Is it safe to warm bread in the oven with plastic wrap?

texts: I bought a loaf of Italian bread that came with plastic wrapping. Not sure if it was made intentional for toasting in the oven. Should I just get rid of plastic and put bread in the oven (I ran out of foil)?


texts: Raw chicken is generally considered not safe to eat. A lot of people eat sushi/sashimi though, and they are made from raw fish. So, how come that's safe (if it is)?


texts:
It’s summer and watermelon time. I know how to pick a good one (pro tip: a good greengrocer who has preselected the best batch on wholesale market). Then I cut myself a nice fat slice - and the problem starts. I am not a fan of watermelon seeds.
I grew up with watermelon served in wedges and then eaten by slicing off bite-sized chunks with a paring knife, removing the seeds as they appeared. But I would prefer to pre-cut the whole fruit in chunks, ready for portioning and then eating with just a fork or spoon.
No matter how I cut, there will always be seeds in the chunks and by the time I am done poking around with a paring knife, the pieces look like a crater landscape and there will still be some seeds left. Or I get small pieces floating in a lot of juice. Now, at home I can spit out the remaining seeds, but in the office, I’d rather spare my desk neighbor.
So how can watermelon be cut and deseeded cleanly and efficiently?

“Buy a seedless watermelon.” is explicitly excluded as an answer. Let’s focus on handling watermelons with seeds.


texts: I want to make a cake filling consisting of sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice so I thought of adding egg yolks to make it more dense, but the condensed milk and lemon juice doesn't need cooking then should I cook them over a double boiler? if so, up to what temperature? Or there is other way in my case?


texts:
My parents' oven is having issues (the bottom element has stopped working.)  One idea I had to keep cooking was to make Tuiles on the stove top.  It seems to me like it might work.

I'm assuming that I'll have to either cover the pan or flip the cooking tuile.

I can't find any recipes for a stove top variation.  Anyone have any experience or advice?


texts: I boiled sliced yellow squash with ravioli, and it turned bluish-green -- why?

texts: Boiled cheese ravioli for 10 minutes.  Added sliced yellow squash for the last 3 minutes.  Nothing else in the pot but boiling water, not even salt.  It looked fine cooking but after I drained everything in the colander, the squash rind stayed yellow but the flesh turned bluish-green on most pieces.  Not all pieces though.  It tastes the same as usual.  The color is freaky.  Why did this happen?


texts:
In this sourdough recipe, it suggests basting the bread with a cornstarch slurry. I would assume this is meant to promote crust development, but how does that work? I usually see such a slurry used to thicken liquids.

Other recipes that use this method:

Yankee Harvest sourdough
"Secrets of a Jewish Baker" glaze
Jewish Sour Rye on The Fresh Loaf
What's Cooking America bread machine tips

It appears to be a presentation thing (makes it look "professional") and possibly a Jewish tradition.

Edit: Do note that the question is "Why cornstarch? How does that work?". I understand the desire for a good crust, and I understand that the slurry is meant to promote crust development, but I fail to understand what it is about cornstarch that mimics good crust development.


texts: Trying to improve a vegetarian wrap by adding spinach

texts:
I am trying to come up with a recipe for a wrap (in a tortilla) and my idea features slightly fried vegetables and spring onion, sour cream, spinach and mozzarella.
I would usually try out different approaches and come up with a recipe through trial and error, but this time I don't have this luxury and yet I want my wrap to be tasty and well balanced.

The current plan is to slightly fry the vegetables in a pan with the lid on. After that, while still hot, I plan on adding the sour cream and mixing it up. The mozzarella is added inside at the end so it melts while the wrap is in a closed toaster or on a grill.

The main idea is super simple and actually my only concern is about the spinach. I don't want it to dominate in the dish, but still give that hint in the wrap. I don't have any specific amounts for the the other products.

What suggestions would you give me for the preparation of the spinach and how much should I use?


texts: Will the silver get broken down (disappear a little bit) when cleaning silver utensils with boiling water, baking soda and aluminium?


texts:
I have a 2.7 pound block of Angus beef bottom round roast that I need to cook expediently (meaning not 7-8 hrs in the slow cooker). What's the fastest way to prepare this meat without it tasting too chewy or tough? Ideally, I would like to be able to use it in beef tacos or burritos of some sort, but I'm open to other ideas.

I'm looking for an answer that contains a cooking technique which takes less than 2 hours total.


texts: Why is my pastry cream (custard) grainy?

texts:
I made a simple pastry cream from a recipe that I've used once before uneventfully, and this time it turned out with a grainy texture.

The procedure was basically to: whisk together 3 egg yolks and an egg together with sugar and cornstarch in one bowl, separately bring milk with butter to a boil, temper the egg mixture with the hot milk, and then add the warm egg mixture to the milk and boiling for three minutes.

What might I have done wrong that would cause a grainy temperature? Did I not get the eggs warm enough before adding to the boiling milk? Did I boil for too long or too short a time? Are there any other potential culprits I'm not considering.


texts: Where did the thin, smooth plastic spatulas go?

texts:
20 years ago, the most common type of rigid spatula (or "turner") was smooth, thin (as in 3mm or less with a sharp edge), and generally made of nylon.  These spatulas were not very durable (leading edges tended to melt), but they were very very good for making eggs and other delicate non-stick-pan dishes.  And they were dirt cheap ($1 or so).

Here's pictures of the kind of spatula/turner I'm talking about:

By 10 years ago, these excellent egg turners had completely vanished from store shelves.  At this point, I can't find them, even at thrift stores.  Today's plastic turners are thick, blunt-edged, and rough ... absolutely terrible for crepes or omlettes.  I'm down to my last 2 hoarded smooth thin plastic turners.

I've searched online, and I can't find any kind of health scare, trend or other information on what would have caused manufacturers to universally change how they made plastic turners.   I also can't find anywhere to buy the old style.

So, this question is two-fold:

Why did manufacturers stop making thin, smooth plastic turner spatulas?
Where, if anywhere, can I buy this style of spatula?

AMENDED PER ANSWER BELOW: I am not talking about melamine spatulas, which are rigid.  Both of the spatulas in the picture are semi-flexable.

Amended for more clarity: Per the discussion below, I did some actual measuring. The spatulas in question are sharp edged at the front, around 1-1.5mm on the edge, and no more than 3mm in the center.

FOR THE BOUNTY: either tell me where I can buy a new spatula like the ones pictured, OR explain why they're no longer available ... with a reference.  Thanks!


texts: Cannabis Grapeseed Oil Infusion from Non-Decarboxylated Plant Matter - When is infusion done?

texts:
So I live in a legal state and I'm allowed to grow up to 6 plants of varying maturity and also produce my own grapeseed oil infusions. So legality is not an issue for me. I'm stating that right off the bat. I'm not asking about legality. I'm asking about the chemistry behind it.

Now first off, which is the correct term? Infusion or Extraction? Whats the difference?

For now however I'm going to use the word infusion for the rest of the question.

When making the infusion I'm using a ratio of 2 oz of dried but NOT decarboxylated plant matter to 1 quart of grapeseed oil (Any brand will do). Mainly the plant matter is the Buds/Cola's. These bud's have gone through the curing phase already and are dry.

I put the plant material in the oil inside of a small 1.5 qt crockpot. The last time I did this, I let the crockpot sit on high for 8 hours before switching to low for 3 days (72 hours).

A lot of tutorials/online videos will say leave it sit for 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours... all the way up to 72 hours and more.

My Main question is this... At what point is the infusion done? When are all the cannabinoids infused into the oil? The time I'm asking for is when the plant matter has little to no cannabinoids left and all/a large majority of the cannabinoids are now in the oil... Thus making the infusion done.

I'm assuming that there is a breaking point where the plant matter is done decarboxylating, and the oil has extracted all of the cannabinoids.

I'm worried however that the oil at some breaking point will stop infusing the cannabinoids (because they're already infused into the oil), and will start infusing things such as the chlorophyll, and unwanted plant matter into the oil (non-cannabinoid molecules and structures).

I've done this exact infusion using Coconut oil and I didn't get the same potency as when I did the infusion with grapeseed oil. Is there a difference molecularly that allows grapeseed oil to infuse cannabinoids more easily? There is a lot of heated debate about this (coconut vs grapeseed oil infusions) within the cannabis industry/community, however i'm looking at this from more of a chemistry stand point. Which is 'better' to use?

If this is the wrong Stack Community to ask this, please refer me the the correct one. Thanks.

(Question posted on both Chemistry and Cooking Stack Exchanges as this question does pertain to both areas. Since these are different communities, I hope this is ok to ask both communities)


texts: I am canning my green beans and I have my camp chef in the garage that I am pressuring them on. So I go distracted and didn't realize they had already met their 13 lbs and had been there for... I don't know how long, so I guessed. Now I am nervous I didn't pressure them long enough. I cooked them 10 more minutes from the time I realized they were already pressuring. They look fine. Should I pressure cook them again to make sure? AND, what if I don't re-pressure them, will they make us sick?


texts: Is there any reason I can't make a Meyer lemon curd without adding sugar. Is the sugar doing anything structural or is it just taste? Should I adjust the number of eggs?


texts: Does adding salt before cooking toughen scrambled eggs?

texts: I have been told by two different cooks who's opinions I trust that adding salt to a beaten egg mixture before cooking will dry out and/or toughen the eggs, but also that adding salt at this stage seasons the eggs, and does not affect texture. I can't tell the difference in texture, but my palate isn't the most refined. I imagine the salted eggs taste better, but it's a slight rather than dramatic difference, if there is a difference. Can anyone with a golden tongue or superior scientific method tell me whether to season before or after?


texts:
I have some cut up chicken placed in a hotdog bun with sauce and veggies. Can it be called a "roll"?

Since I saw a photo of a lobster roll, and it's lobster meat also placed in a hotdog bun.


texts: Why does some mayonnaise burn when toasted?

texts:
I've been toasting sandwiches with mayo on the outside, and Sir Kensington's Classic Mayonnaise leaves burnt/black stain on the toaster.
Other mayo (kraft...) leaves no black/burnt residue.

Sunflower Oil, Egg Yolks, Water, Lemon Juice, Salt, White Vinegar, Raw Sugar, Ground Mustard Seed, Black Pepper, Citric Acid.

Which ingredient is burning?


texts:
I was making an old recipe to serve and it is with pineapple, cream cheese, dream whip and other ingredients and it says to beat 2 egg yolks and mix in then beat the 2 egg whites and fold in at no time do you cook this recipe.  You put vanilla wafers for the crust and then layer this pineapple mixture until you have used it all and top with dream whip and refrigerate for at lease 24 hours.

My question is will the egg yolks and egg whites be ok not being cooked?  It has been over 30 years that I have made this and I just can't remember ever using raw eggs.


texts: Baked Raisin Cinnamon Bread and shipping

texts: I have been baking and selling breads and rolls this year locally. My question is can I freeze the bread prior to shipping or would it make bread soggy during shipping?  I am mailing from Texas to New York


texts: What is the most efficient way to remove kernels from a corn cob?

texts:
I have access to as much sweet corn as I want, so I would like to remove the kernels and store them in the freezer.

What is the most efficient (low time, high recovery) way to remove the kernels from the cob? I would prefer to get whole kernels if possible.

I have been using a paring knife, slicing down the sides of the cob onto a cutting board but I find that this slices through most of the kernels, leaving a good bit on the cob and allowing the liquid to escape.


texts: Is it safe to store dry food products under the sink?

texts:
I'm in an apartment with limited kitchen storage space. I want to store some dry food products like tea, coffee, cereal, rice, etc. but the only place I found for them is basically under the sink (actually, it's not directly under it, but it's one of those sketchy areas with a bunch of pipes; next to the dishwasher):

I've always been wary of storing food down there for no other reason than it feels like a dirty place. Will dry food be safe down there assuming I don't also store cleaning products down there?


texts: Parmesan Crusted Steak - Replace olive oil with honey

texts:
I've recently been making a parmesan crust for my steaks, the recipe I'm using calls for olive oil on the steak itself, before cooking. It works well for the crust, but its hard on the grill, cause the oil starts an oil fire, which chars the steak quicker than I'd like, giving us tougher meat.

I'm thinking of substituting the olive oil with honey, still allowing the parmesan crust to stick, and add a little flavor, but avoiding that oil-based flame from charring my steaks.

Any suggestions to any other ingredients, or cautions against using honey?


texts: I'm wondering what beef roasting joints will come out of the slow cooker best? I'd like to be able to slice it rather than pull it though. I've tried before with Brisket, it was delicious, but fell apart on carving. I'd like a cut that is soft but still sliceable.


texts: How long should I cook a 1 lb pork sirloin roast?

texts: I was given a 1 lb pork sirloin roast, but no instructions about cooking it! I want to roast it in the oven, but the charts say 20 minutes per lb. That doesn't sound right to me. What do I do? TIA


texts: Substituting table salt or sea salt for kosher salt?

texts:
The roasted chicken recipe I'm following of course calls for kosher salt, but I don't have any, and getting some is out of the question.

I have sea salt and table salt on hand.

Can I substitute one of those instead, and if so, what is the proper ratio of the kosher salt the recipe calls for to either sea salt or table salt?


texts: I observe lots of bubbles on the noodle surface after frying. What causes this and how can I control it?


texts: What type of cheesecake is the most common in southern US SuperMarkets?

texts:
I know there are dozens of types of cheesecake. But I have noticed supermarkets seem to all be making the same type of cake. It has a firm white creamcheese texture that is never tart.

What type of cheesecake is normally found in supermarkets?
The ingredients include (heavy) cream


texts: What kind of equipment do I need to turn dried chilli flakes into powder?

texts: What kind of equipment do I Need to turn dried chilli flakes into powder?


texts: A spicy vegetable which stays in a sandwich?

texts:
I make a vegetable sandwich which I find very good. It has tomato, red onion, avocado, and cucumber. However, it lacks spiciness. I want to avoid spreads and use a vegetable for mild heat.

I tried an anaheim pepper. It has some kick but the texture does not work. It slides out. With the cucumber I cut them the length of the sandwich so they have structure.

Is there something with texture of cucumber but the spice of mild pepper?


texts: Are roasted nuts nutritionally different from raw nuts?

texts:
If I roast a selection of mixed nuts, does it significantly change their nutritional content?

Also: Are there any potential food safety issues around roasting nuts (e.g. does it damage the oils)?


texts:
The Problem: Recently, I've been on a pulled pork kick. My go-to method has quickly become pressure cooking, since it's relatively quick and it allows me to set the timer and forget about cooking for a while. The problem is that my meat frequently ends up being greasy, occasionally up to the point that it's nearly inedible.

The Info: I'm using bone-in boston butt roasts, between 3 and 5 pounds. I typically cut it into three or four pieces, and brown them before cooking. I pressure cook (using an 8 quart InstantPot) for 110 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for about 20 minutes before opening the pot and shredding the meat. I shred it in the juices at the bottom of the pot (usually just a few tablespoons of broth/liquid smoke is left after cooking, along with a bit of rendered fat).

The meat is always super tender and shreds easily, and I have no complaints as far as taste or texture. It's just so damn greasy! I can't eat more than a few bites before feeling sick.

I'm looking for;

1.) How do I correct this BEFORE cooking? Different cut of meat? Should I trim it more? Cook it with some other ingredient?

2.) How do I correct this AFTER cooking? Is there something I can add to either remove, or mask the greasy flavor?

So far I've been liberally using a vinegar-based bbq sauce to cut the greasiness, and keeping my dryest red wine handy to wash the flavor out of my mouth. Can you think of any better options?


texts: I baked breads, rolls, pizzas, marinated meats starting with a cold oven to use less energy. Is my “strategy” unpromising when baking sweet desserts?

texts:
My strategy is as in the topic, plus near the end, I switch the oven off and then use the still accumulated heat to cook food. I think I have a good intuition as far as baking savoury items is concerned.

I make notes on how long it took to cook and I write it down so that I can replicate my results in the future (at least with the same oven) without constant checking (to save my time, and to save on heat loss when opening the oven door) - which works, my results are replicable. I make sure not to cut into baked food for some time (also written down), as even after taking it out of the oven the cooking on the inside still continues.

Now I'm not sure how my intuition would apply to sweet baked desserts, because I'm not knowledgable when it comes to the chemistry of baking. I know how yeast behave (in practical terms), but don't know how baking powders and baking sodas do - for e.g. would my brownies collapse because due to initially low-temperature steam trapping crust didn't form on top? Etc...


texts: I made a chocolate cake and recipe calls for buttermilk and oil which makes the batter liquidy,but when I bake it, they turn out rubbery or they become very dense and when I press it feels like soft boiled chocolate paste like texture and also they crack on top, it only happens with the runny batter recipes and thick batter recipe cakes are perfect and super fluffy,what could be the problem?


texts:
Many recipes for chocolate baked goods call for instant espresso powder. I rarely bake, but I always have coffee in the house. What might I use as a rule of thumb for substituting for instant espresso powder?

I know I could substitute regular coffee for any liquids, but that could add too much liquid to some recipes. Would double or triple strength brewed (or French Press) coffee work? Is the flavor significantly different in the instant powder than in brewed coffee? Or is it simply the quick dissolve and the lack of liquid that makes the powder appealing in baking?


texts: Tonight's dinner was a beef with rice wrapped in lettuce leaves. It was tasty, but very messy and time-consuming to wrap. Is there some trick to this that makes it easier?


texts: What does "rap" mean for brownies recipe?

texts:
I just made Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies last weekend and I omitted the "rap" step: "Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough."

What did they want me to do, push the pan against the back of the oven? Thanks.


texts: I am wondering what the pros and cons are of keeping a sourdough starter inside the fridge or outside the fridge. Certainly, keeping the starter in the fridge reduces the frequency of feedings, but does keeping the starter in the fridge negatively impact its quality?


texts:
I have bought a 3 kg vacuum-sealed package of ribeye steaks. The steaks are very fresh and are essentially floating in blood.

I would like to repackage the steaks one by one, so that I can thaw them separately. Should I wash them before freezing, or is it ok to directly package them in plastic wrap as they are?


texts: I found pantry moths in my sesames, and their webs between the sesames on the top part. Should I throw them out? Are they still edible or useful in other ways? Thanks.


texts:
I have a frying pan and I want to fry 3 sausages.

I want to heat them thoroughly, and want to know the most effective way to distribute
heat when frying multiple items in a single frying pan.

Do I put them together, or do I spread them out across the pan?
What is the most effective way to heat multiple items, and why?


texts: Vanilla Pudding: Could someone explain this recipe to me?

texts:
Recipe in question

  Ingredients
  1/3 cup granulated sugar
  2 tablespoons cornstarch
  1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  2 1/4 cups whole milk
  3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  Preparation (relevant parts)

  Place a mesh strainer over a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl with a spout and set aside.
  (... cook the pudding ...)
  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted and completely incorporated. Pour the pudding through the prepared strainer. (...)

I was hoping someone could explain the methods to me, since in my eyes they are bizarre.

Firstly, why would one use sugar and salt together? Does the salt have some special needed properties?
Secondly, why cook the pudding until it is thick and then add the butter and vanilla extract? Wouldn't that make it harder for them to mix and why not add them before?
Lastly, why pour the pudding through a strainer at all?


texts: How to make ice cream without a machine?

texts:
I recently made a poor-man's ice cream by making an egg custard and freezing it in the freezer in a metal bowl, stiring about every half hour. I was expecting it to freeze it 2 hours, but three hours later, it was too late, still not frozen solid and I went to bed.

The resulting ice cream was edible, but had more crystals than one might want.

What other techniques are there for freezing the ice cream short of buying an ice cream machine? Or can this recipe be improved?

This was the general recipe I was using.


texts: What's the best way to propagate baker's yeast?

texts:
My neighbor who also bakes has run out of yeast and can't find any in the store. We went shopping this afternoon and couldn't find any either.

I have a fair-sized jar of the stuff in my fridge, but I'm also baking a lot. I'm worried about it running out, plus I'd like to share with my neighbor.

Is there a recommended technique for propagating it myself so I don't run out, and have enough to share?


texts: I waited two hours before starting my slow-cooker. Will the food be safe to eat?

texts:
What I did:

I browned some beef cubes and put them in the slow-cooker. I then added some spices (a lot of spices), tomato juice, olive oil and vinegar.

For all kinds of reason, I waited a total of over 2 hours since placing the meat in the slow-cooker (mostly covered) before turning it on.

I then turned it on high. I plan on cooking the food for at least 7 hours.

Is it safe?

Thank you!


texts: Can I pause halfway through coking boneless shoulder?

texts: My other half put the shoulder in the oven to cook so that when I got home I could finish it, but my food delivery hasn't come. Can I pause the cooking and go get the stuff that I need and then carry on cooking as normal? Bearing in mind that it will take me 45 minutes to come back from a shop.


texts: Peeling cupcake liner from chocolate mold

texts: I am trying a new recipe that creates a chocolate mold by brushing chocolate inside a cupcake container. The challenge now is to get the paper off the chocolate mold. It seems to be sticking to the point I would have to mess up or break the newly formed chocolate mold. I have them in the freezer now to help harden the chocolate but don't know how I will get the paper off.


texts: Does capsaicin lose potency with oxidation?

texts:
I have a packet of ground garam masala and if I make a stew with it it tastes very bland and has no taste.  Two of the ingredients in the garam masala include pimento and cinamom which I know contain lesser amounts of capsaicin.

However even so I cannot taste any heat in the stew.  Is this because the capsaicin content is too low or does the capsaicin lose potency with oxidation and time?

The problem with saying yes is that most chilli powders seems to be hot even after they have been oxidised over time.


texts: how can I get guar gum to smoothly blend in juice?

texts: I watched a demo clip of a guy who simply tossed a tbsp of guar gum powder into a cup of cold water and 5 minutes later, it looked and acted like a glass of slightly opaque jello. Yet, when I've tried to replicate this with white grape juice, both hot and cold, it keeps turning out lumpy and 'snotty', with tapioca-like beads of undissolved gum suspended in it. Any ideas on how to avoid this? I'd rather use juice since we're touting "100% fruit popsicles", so I'm hoping somebody's got a better plan than 'buy a mixing bat'. Maybe, slaking it gradually, like mixing plaster? Grazie ...


texts:
I was recently watching a television show where a reference was made to "pastry butter".
This was in the context of making croissants saying that normal butter was incorrect type to use.

After searching for some time I have been unable find any information about "pastry butter" being a specific type of butter.

Has anyone come across pastry butter and know what the difference is between this and normal butter?