texts: What's the better substitute for Shaoxing wine?

texts:
We've had a number of questions about Shaoxing wine, including this one.  However, I have one that I haven't seen directly addressed either here or on the outside websites I've been able to find:

Is straight dry sherry actually the best substitute for Shaoxing wine?  Or would a mix be better?

Details: I live in the US state of Oregon.  Due to liquor import restrictions here, I cannot buy real Shaoxing wine; just the awful "cooking" wine.  In addition to its low quality, I have to cook for someone on a low-salt diet so salted cooking wine is unacceptable.

The conventional recommendation for replacing Shaoxing wine is pale dry sherry.  However, this advice is usually based on the assumption that the asker has no access to Chinese ingredients of any kind.  So I'm asking if some mixture of sherry, sake, and/or Chinkiang vinegar might be a better flavor substitute. Since I plan to use this in a sauce where the wine would normally be the majority of the liquid, I'd like to do better if possible.

So, would a mix be a better substitute than straight sherry, and if so, what proportions?


texts: Why do you put celery in a bloody mary? Is there a chemical reason for this or is it done just for garnish?


texts:
I'm looking to get into making my own chilis, stews and spagehtti sauces, but I wonder if there is a better way to store my cooking. I currently use plastic containers that are probably the depth of a typical freezer, which makes it difficult to do just single servings. Mason jars were my first thought, but was told that it was easy to do it wrong, which opens you up to botulism, which doesn't sound too fun (not to mention the issues with glass and storing in cold areas.

So I"m wondering if anyone has any recommendations at all storage wise that would work for what I need, and would allow being able to continue to cook up some food in bulk and maybe save some money in the long run.


texts:
To get a marinated chicken to be golden brown on the outside, maybe a bit crispy, and tender on the inside, which is a better approach:

Cook it on high heat until it browns, then cover it and cook it on very low heat until done
Cover it and cook it for a couple of hours on low heat, then uncover it and blast it on high until it browns
Other

In the past I've cooked it on low heat, circa 190 celsius, for three hours, uncovered. It's tender and juicy, but it doesn't crisp.


texts:
I have been given a gourmet hamper which includes a chorizo sausage.  There are no instructions on the packet to say what it is.  I have had cooking chorizo before and know what it looks like.  This chorizo is about 8 inches long, has string at both ends and is quite soft.  I don't want to give anyone a stomach upset.  To cook or not to cook.

Regards Carol.


texts: How long can coconut milk last in the fridge?

texts: I opened up a can of coconut milk the other day and was unable to use it all. I placed the remainder of the coconut milk into a sealed container in the fridge. I was wondering how long this would be good for?


texts: How to make sorbet have a snowy texture?

texts:
I have a plastic ice-cream machine (two quarts).

I water, sugar and lemon juice, cool it until it just starts freezing, and then put it into the ice-cream maker for an hour.

As a result, it comes out with ice clumps and if I put it in the freezer, it comes out hard.

One time, I made it actually come out with a "snowy" texture, and that can be placed in a freezer without hardening it. However, I don't remember what I did special then.

What should I do to get my sorbet snowy?


texts: What is the difference between ground coriander and coriander seed? Can you use coriander seeds instead of ground coriander? If yes, Can you use whole coriander seeds?


texts: I have a water-logged meat thermometer (non-digital) How do I dry it out?

texts:
I recently and very stupidly ran an analog (non-digital) meat thermometer through the dish washer. It came out full of water, like a fish tank or a pimp's aquarium heels, and it has not dried a milliliter since then (over a week).

The brand name is Thermo Geneve, if it matters, and the dial reads from 140 to 190 Farenheit, with each 10-step temperature segment (except the 190) featuring one, two or three cuts of meat optimal at that temp. For example, 140 F has ham, rare-cooked beef to 180 F that just lists fresh turkey.

Here's the image: Photo of Thermo Geneve Meat Thermometer

Imagine it foggy and water logged to the physical 160 or 170 F level, and maybe a tiny goldfish swimming around.

Any ideas on getting it dry?

Many thanks for reading fellow home cooks!


texts: Electric cooktop for sous vide-level precision?

texts:
Yes, I know, but bear with me here.
I've been thinking about getting an electric cooktop, and reading about them online a lot of people seem to mention that on some of the low settings, their cooktop will keep water at a constant boiling/simmering temperatures, like, say, 90 C (194 F)
In order for that to happen, it must mean that the heating element itself is only heating up to that temperature, high? And thus of course the temperature cannot get higher than the hot plate itself.
By that logic, if an electric cooktop happened to have a setting that would leave it at around 74 C (165 F), does that mean I could use it to cook some chicken breast precisely to its safe internal temperature?
Would be like a sous vide - no risk of over- or undercooking it! Right? Or am I missing something?
EDIT: For further clarification, when I say electric, I mean traditional ones with a solid plate burner. Sorry!

EDIT 2: Okay, so not sous vide-level precision. I've learned a lot from your wonderful answers, and my new plan is to lower my standards and attempt the following:

Putting a pot of water with a lid on the electric coil cooker (so it's an enclosed space filled with a great thermal conductor)

Cycle the device on and off figure out a rate for, erhm... manual time modulation that would keep the coil at X+Y Celsius (where X is the temp I want and Y is however many more degrees it needs to be to compensate for heat loss, which I would need to figure out for that setup as well)

Turn it on and off again at regular intervals according to the rate I found (yeah impractical but I could get a smart outlet to do it for me if it works!)

Maybe I could get a large pot (more thermal mass, less temp variation) and exclusively use it for this (more consistent setup, less temp variation), and figure out a reliable duty cycle that keeps it at a given temperature for three different quantities of water (such as a third, two thirds, and nearly full capacity).
Hopefully I can end up with water consistently at maybe +-4 C of a target temperature, and finally achieve hands-off, dummy-proof cooking! (useful since I can be a bit of a dummy sometimes). If you're wondering why I don't get a circulator, I've made a comment down below to clarify.


texts: Correct procedure to thaw frozen pizza dough?

texts:
I have frozen leftover dough. I put it in the fridge over night for like 11hrs. Then I placed it on the counter for 3 hours. My mom saw the dough was rising and thus opened the container so it deflated. Later on I saw bubbles on the side.

My questions are:

Is the thawing process correct? I.e. overnight thawing in the fridge for 11hrs then countertop for 3? Should those hours be amended in any way?

Should my mom have opened the container? Does it make a difference at all if oxygen is introduced to it?

Are the bubbles on the side good or bad?

I have one more in the freezer and I want to make it right.


texts:
I have several friends with the soap gene (cilantro tastes like soap to them), my father's allergic (it gives him a headache) and because of a lifetime of avoiding the stuff, I find cilantro overwhelming in just about everything.

Typically, I substitute parsley, but sometimes it still feels like the dish is missing something. Are there other good substitutes for cilantro, either individual herbs or combinations?


texts: When making dried apples, how does one control for whether the apples come out crunchy or chewy? Is it a matter of equipment (eg: dehydrator vs oven vs sun dried), the type of apples, additives, something else?


texts: Why do tomatoes react with sourdough starter?

texts:
I sometimes make sourdough and have found by accident that by adding fresh tomatoes to the dough, it seems to swell substantially more during proving, or more quickly.

There must be some chemical reaction and I just wondered if anyone knows more about it?


texts: Giant meringue French pastry - what are these called?

texts:
A few months ago we were visiting Paris, and in Montmartre, there were several pastry shoppes with large meringues. And by large, I mean the size of someone's head, or an American football. They were usually swirled with a pastel food coloring to give them a frosted look. But otherwise, they were just a gigantic meringue.

For the life of me, I can't find what these pastries are called. It came to a head this morning when I made a recipe which left me with 18 egg whites, and I'd love to try making them. So, does anyone have any idea what these large meringues are called??


texts: Can you store oil in a container that is not airtight?

texts:
I've have seen that several chefs and home cooks (e.g. my mom) store oils like canola and olive in ceramic or glass bottles with pour spouts that are not sealed. An example of this can be found on Serious Eats

My girlfriend asserted that oils should only be stored in air tight containers as leaving them open to the air (even through a small pour spot opening) leads to oxygen getting into the container and affecting the oil.

Is it true that (1) oxygen can affect the quality of the oil, and that (2) an airtight container can prevent this in a noticeable way relative to the storage mentioned above? If it is, are most of the people using non-airtight containers going through their oil so quickly that it doesn't matter?


texts: I'm buying a iSi Gourmet Whip Plus and I'm not sure which size to go for. The difference in price is only $4 so cost is not a factor. I'm a home cook and mostly cater for 2 or sometimes upto 6. I'm worried that the 1l is too big. Is there a minimum fill amount to successfully charge? Whats the smallest number of servings from the 1l?


texts: I made turkish delight ice cream but the bits of commercial sugar coated turkish delight I folded through were rock hard when frozen and a possible problem for unsuspecting guests.  So, I was wanting a solution and thought maybe making a thick sauce or a much softer turkish delight may be the answer and folding that through after churning.  Any advice on how to fix this please.


texts: How to change the texture on dulce de leche?

texts: I recently made dulce de leche using the can in boiling water method.  It came out tasting delicious but it was way to runny. I boiled it for two hours and used sweetened condensed milk and was expecting something that would be able to hold up a spoon. Instead, it was more like a thin sauce. Anyway how do I fix this? or is this the way that it is supposed to come out?


texts: Do meat grinders need to have cutting blade

texts: I got a Game Winner meat grinder #8, but it did not come with cutting blade. Do you need this to grind meat?


texts:
I was in the fish section at the local supermarket this morning.  There was a pile of fish that looked really delicious.  So I asked the attendant what it was.  He told me it's skate wings.  Having never had it before I asked him for a piece.  It was really cheap.  Cheaper even than the hake.  When I asked him why he said it's that people don't know how to cook it, so they don't like it, so it does not sell well.

Being the first time I cook this fish, I really don't want to mess it up.  What's the best way to cook it?


texts: How do I pick the best fillet mignon at the supermarket?

texts: What should I look for when I'm at the store picking out fillet mignon?  How can I tell by look which pieces are more likely to be higher quality pieces of meat?


texts: Can I keep it in the freezer without issue for days? Weeks? Months?


texts: Is there a simple way to make refried beans?

texts: This is a dish that I always eat when dining at Spanish style restaurants, but never seem to be able to replicate at home using black beans and olive oil.  The main problem is that the beans seem to cook down to a soup consistency to quickly - any tips?


texts: Can I substitute Maida Flour for All Purpose Flour for making Tortillas?

texts:
I'm attempting to make a Hot Cheeto Burrito. I've already subbed the Flaming Cheetos with a local substitute (Kurkure), and I'm going to make the Tortilla myself too. I have both Maida and Atta at hand.

I've seen answers that say it's an okay substitute if you're baking.

This is the recipe I'm going to use:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/157642/homemade-flour-tortillas/

https://tasty.co/recipe/hot-cheeto-burrito


texts: How to go about reducing sugar in a butter cake recipe?

texts:
Recently I made some cupcakes that turned out mostly great. However, even other people than me – I have an aversion towards overly "sugary" desserts – said they were fairly sweet, and for me it seemed to obscure the other flavors.

(The other flavours being vanilla or rose in the batter. You could certainly smell them so I don't think it was just that they evaporated while baking, and I use a fairly heavy hand with those ingredients for baked goods.)

Is there any rule-of-thumb on what the "correct" ratio of sugar to other ingredients in a cake recipe is so I could tell if the recipe was using too much? (The recipe was: cream butter and sugar, add flour and baking powder, add eggs, add milk, stir until just combined, bake.) Or how far I could reduce sugar from the standard recipe without negatively affecting texture / moisture? And is it necessary to adjust any of the other ingredient amounts along with the sugar?


texts: Is there a term for the blending of different recipies of the same type?

texts:
One of the things I do when cooking is I look at several different recipes for the same dish. I take a "base" recipe "A" and add these ingredients from recipe "B" and maybe even a unique ingredient from recipe "C." By doing this I often get the best of all the recipes I am combining.

A friend of mine said that she thought my cooking was "fusion" is this the right term?


texts: What brand of roasting dish would you recommend?

texts:
Over the last few years I've gone through at least 3 roasting trays that have some kind of coating that has worn off - mostly ones bought in supermarkets.

I'd like to get something that will last, having discovered that decent cast-iron pans and casseroles are worth the investment.

What will it be used for? Mostly chicken - sometimes dry, sometimes in stock and wine - but reasonably often for duck and beef, so preferably something that has a rack.

I'm based in the UK, so preferably not a US-only brand - although many US brands are imported.

(More importantly - any seriously bad experiences with stuff not living up to it's reputation?)


texts: Emergency Coffee via Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans?

texts:
Scenario:
I am out of coffee, both whole beans and ground. However I've got a back of chocolate covered coffee beans.
Possible solution:
Toss the choco covered beans in my grinder and then put them in my drip-brewer... Is this a terrible idea? I don't imagine it would damage anything, since I would have a paper filter in there, but maybe there would be too much chocolate for the coffee to actually brew. Is there any reason to not attempt it the name of science if nothing else?


texts: How is one supposed to properly eat multi-level hamburgers?

texts:
Well my question is exactly what is says in the title.

I come from a culture that has hamburger-style meal. Unlike hamburger, our plyeskavitsa (or pljeskavica using another type of transliteration) tends to grow in diameter when the portion size increases. That is to say, when I order a small plyeskavitsa, the patty will have (for example) diameter A and thickness B. When I order large plyeskavitsa, it will have diameter 3 A and thickness maybe 1.5 B. This way, the eating procedure is same for all sizes: You start biting at one end, you bite off a piece through the bun and the patty and basically repeat the procedure until it's consumed. If you buy a bigger portion, you'll just need to repeat the procedure more times.

On the other hand, with American burgers, when the portion size increases, the diameter will stay the same, but the thickness significantly increases as well as the number of patties (for example let's think of say BigMac or BigKingXXL). When I try to apply procedure for plyeskavitsa or say regular hamburgers, what happens is that when I bite down, the middle layers get pushed out of the sandwich, making a total mess of everything.

So my question is: How am I supposed to eat thick hamburgers without having the middle part spill out?


texts: I wanted to buy a large stockpot for canning tomato sauce and be able to use the same pot for the double purpose of beer brewing. I'm considering Update International Stainless 40 Qt. stockpot. It has stainless encased aluminum base to make thickening sauce less likely to stick. Does this sound like a reasonable solution? I also would use the pot to make meat or vegetable stocks which I freeze ahead in portions for later use.


texts: tinfoil at the bottom of the oven (to catch crumbs) is ruining my pizzas

texts: I put a sheet of tinfoil at the bottom of my oven to catch crumbs because I cook pizzas on the rack all the time.  This is ruining my pizzas though, because when the top is done the dough is still gooey.  Should I raise the pizza higher? Use a different material?  I donno if a pizza stone is an option... I often get papa murphies pizzas which say to cook in the tray and are usually quite large (16"), but am willing to try breaking the rules if someone has some good experience with other methods.


texts: breading/crumbing: mixing the eggs and flour?

texts: i was wondering why the recipes for crumbed/breaded foods always say that we should dredge in flour first, then dip in eggs, then coat with crumbs. Would it work if I mixed the eggs and flour to make a kind of batter, and dip the item (chicken wing, for example) in this batter, and then coat with crumbs? Is there a reason for them being done as separate steps? Cos , by the time i get to the last few, the eggs are all full of flour anyway... so why not just mix them up from the start?


texts: Chia seeds as replacement of oil in bakery

texts:
I found that chia seeds mixed with water form a somewhat gelatin mixture that can be used for bakery instead of oil or butter.

I would like to try it but I have no idea if I should replace 1/3 cup of oil with a 1/3 cup of this mixture and what would the proportion of water/seeds be.

Can anyone give some pointers.

Thank you.


texts:
I just made arepas for the 2nd time ever.  Here's the abbreviated version of the recipe I used:

1 cup masarepa
1.5 cups hot water
pinch salt

Mix together dough.  Knead, then let set 5 minutes.  Roll in to balls and flatten into 1/2" by 3" disks.  Fry on a griddle until crusted lightly on both sides, about 6 minutes per side.  Finish by baking in a 350F oven for 15min.

These were decent enough, but they didn't "puff" up like I'm used to tortillas doing.  As a result, they were pretty dense, and were hard to split so that I could stuff them.  They were definitely more dense and fragile than I'm used to restaurant arepas being.

I'm wondering what I can do to make them a bit more airy and easier to split, while still sticking to a traditional recipe.

hotter griddle?
more time on griddle?
make sure they don't cool before baking step (they did)?
this is just what arepas are like?

Advice?


texts:
A few weeks ago, I had a very strange experience making udon noodles. Almost instantly after adding the dried noodles to boiling water, and giving a slight stir, they began to break apart. After a few minutes, there was not a single piece longer than one inch. They didn't taste much like udon either, as they were not in the least bit plump or firm.

This was a different brand than I've used before, and they were labeled "organic". We assumed they were just bad noodles (they tasted somewhat of soggy cardboard), and threw them out.

Last night, I was trying to make udon once again, from a different pack (of a different brand). The same thing happened: noodles broke up, and tasted bland and mushy. The only thing this brand had in common with the previous pack is that they are both labeled "organic", and they were both in a cabinet for several months. One brand was American, but the other label was mostly in Korean. Also, I think my wife bought both of these packages, whereas I've always bought them before.

So, my multipart question is:

Has anyone had this happen with any kind of noodle before? Any explanation?
Is there some difference in "organic" udon that makes it do this? Some additive that is omitted? I don't have another package in front of me right now to compare, but my two failed packages only contain wheat flour and salt. How could that be wrong?
Could the age of the noodles caused this? I've never seen old spaghetti noodles fall apart like this...
Should my wife be banned from buying udon noodles?


texts: So, a bit of an odd question, but it's been bugging me for a while; could you put whole eggs (shell and all) into a blender if you're making something like scrambled eggs?  In a sufficiently powerful blender, would the shell bits damage the blender at all?  What about your digestive tract?  Is there anything in egg shells that could nutritionally help/harm you?  I know it only takes 5 seconds to crack eggs, but I'm curious.


texts: How can I mimic glutinous rice inexpensively in Latin America?

texts:
I know that certain rice should be bought for cooking meals like sushi (glutinous rice which is almost 5 dollars per kilogram). In Latin America the most common rice is about 1 dollar per kilogram.

Is there a possible way to get the same sticky effect with regular rice instead of glutinous "expensive" rice?


texts: I was at a local brewpub and they had made a peach soda. I have 5 gallon kegs to carbonate with, but how do you make peach soda?


texts:
When I buy some Gouda, can I expect that it only contains the original fermented milk?
E.g. cheese usually tastes somewhat salty and sometimes nutty. Is this because of seasoning or because of the properties of the milk that was fermented?

If it is seasoned, how does unseasoned cheese taste?


texts:
I tried boiling some water and dropping an egg in, as said in a guide I was watching. But my issue is it immediately sank to the bottom instead? How can I keep the eggs floating at the surface the whole time?

Thanks!


texts: I don't have a large cutting board, but I do have a large table with a wood top

texts:
So I want to start making bread, specifically, brioche.

But I don't have a large wooden cutting board. I do, however, have a table with a wooden top.

Are there any consequences(negative ones of course) to using your table as board for making bread?


texts:
I recently opened two cans of pinto beans from the same brand (whole foods organic). One can looked perfectly normal with a fair amount of liquid and no visible beans until drained.

The second can however was quite dry. The beans looked hydrated and cooked, but there was almost no excess liquid in the can.

Any idea what caused this? Would these be safe? I threw them out, but curious for the future.

Thanks in advance


texts: I made some beef jerky, and I am wanting to mail some to family and friends.  I don't have any of those silica gel packets to absorb moisture - is there anything else I can put in the baggie that will absorb any moisture as effectively as those silica gel packets?


texts: What is the conversion rate between plum tomatoes and "regular" tomatoes?

texts:
I have a recipe that calls for 12 plum tomatoes (seeded, skinned, and pureed). Can I substitute regular tomatoes, and if so, in what ratio should I substitute them?

Here is a picture of what I mean by "regular" tomatoes:


texts: What would cause the peel of a lime to turn yellow?

texts:
About a week ago, I purchased two limes, a lemon, a couple of kiwi fruits, and some oranges. When I got home, I placed them in a bowl. One of the limes ended up at the bottom of the bowl but there were still enough gaps between the fruit that it wasn't completely hidden, and there weren't enough fruits above it that the lime was in danger of being squashed.
I've since used up all the fruit but the limes. This afternoon, when I picked up the lemon to use, I noticed that the lime that was partly underneath had changed color from green to yellow. Here is a photograph of the two limes:

Why has the lime on the right turned yellow? It was purchased at the same time as the one on the left and stored in the same bowl.


texts: I know wheat is the common problem when avoiding gluten, but what about other grains, like barley, rye, or oats?


texts: Can you steep tea for longer in more water instead of doing multiple steepings?

texts:
I make jasmine green tea sorbet… anytime I run out of the previous batch, and then use the remaining steepings of the tea to make iced tea. (Usually steep for ~10 minutes each time, starting a bit lower than the recommended temperature; at a guess this works out to compensate all the sugar and lime juice and cold temperature dulling the tea flavour.)
The tea I use is good for about 2-3 steepings this way. However, doing this in multiple steepings is a bit of faffing around I’d like to dispense with.
Is it possible, instead of using say (just shy of) an ounce of tea for four cups of water three times in a row to use a bigger pot, put the same amount of tea into three times the amount of water, and steep for longer until basically the tea is spent in one go? It’s a lot easier for me to keep the pot of water in a given temperature range than to heat it up to said range.
(What I do is I stick my Thermapen into the steam venting hole in the lid, heat up the water to say 65C, move pot to smallest burner on low, and it works out that the temperature rises by about 1C in one minute. I set a timer for five minutes, turn off the burner which makes the temperature drop at around the same rate, restart the five minutes, strain. What I want to avoid is the part where I have to keep watching the Thermapen constantly to arrive at said 65C. Maintaining the temperature afterwards means I can do whatever else until my timer beeps then run off to the kitchen for one second.)


texts: Can a charcoal grill maintain a constant high temperature?

texts:
In the example in this question I mention getting the grill to 400 Fahrenheit. This example is not in a vacuum. I really do need to roast my brussels sprouts at 400 Fahrenheit and I won't necessarily have oven space as it is Thanksgiving. So my question has evolved. Most charcoal grill recipes I have read involve temperatures in the 200 to 300 Fahrenheit range. Can I get a charcoal grill (for this example consider a Weber kettle grill) to 400 Fahrenheit and keep it there consistently?

Also, if I add smoking wood, will that change a lot? I am glazing brussels sprout in black pepper, bacon, and maple syrup if it matters and I will smoke them with whatever is available at the house. The recipe I am using involves roasting them in a pan, so I would prefer to keep it that way (lest I have to clean the grill).


texts: Should the lid be closed when boiling masala tea?

texts: I guess with the lid closed, tea boiling is faster, but will it have an adverse impact on the taste of the tea?


texts: Does store-bought Kombucha spoil? If so, how can I tell?

texts: I recently bought Ginger Kombucha for the first time in a reputable health food store. I'd never heard of it, but my doctor feels the probiotics will help my chronic digestive problem. Because of the strong taste, I only drank a small amount each day. I did this by pouring some out, not by drinking from the bottle. On the fifth day, it smelled and tasted so much like alcohol I was afraid it was rancid. I took it back to the store for advice. One clerk told me it was supposed to smell like that, just to use it for seven days and discard any remainder. Another clerk said it can't spoil, and as long as I keep it refrigerated it will last indefinitely. Can someone with experience please help me? It's expensive, so I don't want to throw it away if I don't have to, however I don't want to poison myself or use something that's no longer effective. Thank you!


texts: What, apart from gravy, can you make with chicken giblets?

texts: I just smoked a whole pile of chickens for a Memorial Day BBQ, and have a whole tupperware full of giblets in the fridge. You can use giblets for broth, and for gravy. Is there some other way to use them? Perhaps as an entree?


texts: Does anyone know of where can I find the flavour profile of most known fruits?Something like blueberry is a sweet-tart fruit as well as raspberry,etc.


texts: Is sterilized milk safe to use with a breadmaker's timer function?

texts:
I recently started making bread with a breadmaker and was wondering if it's safe to keep sterilized milk in the machine for a few hours before the program starts. I'm using the timer function to have a fresh bread ready in the morning. I know that it is recommended not to use perishable ingredients, like milk and eggs, when using the timer function. Does this also apply to sterilized milk?

Where I live, the average room temperature in summer is 28 degrees Celcius, which probably does not help.

Update: I did some more searching and found this:

  When an increase and then a rapid decrease in heat occurs, bacteria
  such as lactococci and lactobacilli can form. [...] Milk actually
  spoils when bacteria converts the lactose into glucose and galactose,
  which results in the production of lactic acid.

  http://ehow.com/how-does_4572637_what-makes-milk-spoil.html

Basically the question boils down to:

Are these bacteria also present in sterilized milk?
Can these bacteria be introduced from the air or from the bread flower?
Are there other bacteria or toxins that will develop in sterilized milk when exposed to room temperature for a few hours?


texts: How to cook and store fresh okara for safe consumption?

texts:
I just made soy milk for the first time in my slow juicer and want to utilize the leftover okara. I've heard that without cooking it and breaking down the enzymes, okara can be toxic to consume. I juiced the soybeans before boiling the milk, so the okara hasn't been exposed to heat yet. Apparently you're supposed to cook it down for 25 minutes or so.

I want to cook the batch and store it in the freezer so I can easily add it to meals later. What is the best method for cooking down okara that you're not ready to eat yet? Steam? Boil into a mesh? I live in a student flat and unfortunately do not have a stove, only a stovetop burner, so I cannot dehydrate it.

Much thanks!


texts: Why is the dishwasher not recommended for my All-Clad MC2 line of pot and pans?

texts:
I just looked on the All-Clad website (faq 7 and faq 13). It says that because the MC2 has a brushed aluminum alloy exterior, it mush be hand washed. Why is the dishwasher bad for it?
It's just soap and water (and sometimes rinse aid) right? Is it the rinse aid that does something to the pot/pan? Is it because the jets of the dishwasher too strong for the pot?


texts: Can you ferment tomatoes in a fermenting crock with water seal?

texts:
Going all the way, fermenting everything...

Can tomatoes be fermented in fermentation crock?


texts: How well does it work to just throw in all the ingredients and boil?

texts:
I'm wondering about this recipe.

It tempts me because I'm really lazy. But I'm skeptical because I've always been taught to sauté onions first, then progressively add other ingredients, starting with those that take longer to cook, and saving water for the end. For example when I cook lentil curry, it's onions, garlic, carrots, wait a bit, tomatoes, wait a bit, and finally lentils, water, and perhaps potatoes. This way the onions (and to varying degrees carrots and tomatoes) get a nice 'roasted' flavour which they wouldn't get just being boiled from raw. Is my intuition correct? Does the linked recipe work anyway because of a specific combination of ingredients?


texts: Why did this fondue become grainy and lumpy?

texts:
We made some fondue the other night, and instead of being a nice smooth dippable fondue texture, it came out grainy and lumpy.  What went wrong?

Here's the recipe that we used:

1 clove garlic
3/4 cup Dark Ale or Other Beer
1 cup Emmenthal Cheese, Shredded
1 1/2 cups Gruyere Cheese, Shredded
1/2 cup Appenzeller Cheese, Shredded
1 tbsp Corn Starch

Slice garlic in half, rub in fondue pot.  Warm beer without boiling.  Mix cornstarch and cheeses.  Stir cheese into beer, one handful at a time, allowing to melt in-between additions.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it possible to bake a cake without an oven?

I'm a poor lady who can't afford an oven. I have pots here, charcoal, and aluminum foil. What could be tricks to use charcoal as an alternative for me to bake? I really want to try bake cookies.


texts: How to make chocolate cigarellos in a quicker way?

texts: I wanted to make chocolate cigarellos from scratch and looked it up but all I could find was this, which the author describes as being time consuming. Can someone suggest any other way to make them that might be quicker?


texts: How to make part bake baguettes and rolls?

texts:
I'm not sure if these are available everywhere but in the UK we buy these part baked bread rolls from the supermarket and after about 10mins in the oven, you essentially have fresh baked bread and they're really good.

I use a breadmaker often at home and have tried in the past to make my own part baked rolls by shaping the dough and freezing it but on cooking the dough remains very dense and the inside does not cook properly.

Are there any methods that people have tried to successfully make their own? Would cooking them for a certain portion of time help before freezing?


texts: Does boiling water deactivate malt enzymes?

texts:
Will mixing boiling water with malt flour deactivate the malt enzymes?
I’m trying to adapt a recipe for mämmi that involves mixing mixing a combination of malt+regular flour with boiling water in a 1:2 ratio (by weight) and need to understand whether the point is to stop the enzymes or to encourage their action.
Overall it is add 3 parts boiling water to 1 part malt, then 2 parts regular flour, off the heat. Mix and let sit.


texts: Is it feasible to smoke meat with spruce needles?

texts: I am thinking of constructing a makeshift smoker and smoke some meat out in the woods this weekend. When burning spruce needles they produce a lot of smoke; is it suitable to smoke meat with spruce needles or are there any health concerns I should be aware of?


texts: How long will flour keep in the freezer in Food Saver Vacuum Sealed Bags?

texts: I found some flour in my freezer that I stored 5 years ago in Food Saver vacuum sealed bags.  Do you think it's still safe to use?


texts: Would Annatto mixed with oleoresin paprika cause an allergic reaction?

texts: Is it safe to mix annatto powder with oleoresin paprika to get a better color.


texts: What is the difference between custard pie and custard tart?

texts:
What's the difference between a custard pie and a custard tart? I looked at "Pie" vs "Tart"?, but it doesn't really answer my question as a custard pie does not really have a lid.

I would think that the pie is baked and the tart not but then again Portuguese custard tarts are indeed baked.


texts: No Shortening and No Refrigeration, Buttercream Frosting

texts:
Can anyone tell me what I can add to Buttercream frosting that doesn't include shortening and will still allow me to keep the cake at room temperature?

I hate the taste of shortening


texts: Should I write Steak or Beef Tenderloin on the menu?

texts:
I am trying to write a simple menu. One of the dishes is "Pan seared sliced beef tenderloin".

Is sliced beef tenderloin considered steak or would that cause confusion? My concern is if I write just "beef" it could be confused with beef stew or any other type of beef. There is only one beef dish on the menu.


texts: What would cause bubbles in confit garlic stored in oil?

texts: I made confited garlic. It was simply garlic simmered in sesame oil.  When I opened the mason jar at room temp, it bubbled fairly rapidly,  to the point where the oil overflowed.  My first instinct was botulism.  Could something more innocent cause this?


texts:
A friend and I have been doing research on a recipe and he encountered a statement to the effect that the result should be around "6% acidity." I am not familiar with what this would mean in the context of food, and need help parsing what this phrase means and how to tell when a resource is using the taste sensation, as opposed to the pH, sense of the word.

To my understanding, acidity in coffee (as an example) is not actual acidity; "acidity" refers to [the] flavor note, not to the actual acid content; coffee is relatively low in acid. Its pH averages around 5.0 - 5.1(src).

That said, pH:dilution of vinegar is directly regulated based on it's percent acidity.

If a cooking resource refers to a percent of acidity, is this a measure somehow related to the pH of the food? Or is it possible the resource is making the same "flavor note" comparison (i.e. where coffee turns between having a bright tongue, or not)
Either way, how would I go about trying to prepare some solution that would replicate the taste/sensation of "6% acidity"?

I am roughly imagining some quantity x of [consumable acid, e.g. vinegar] and y of water; would that approximate the taste/sensation?


texts: Will gum arabic stabilize a watery sorbet?

texts:
I’ve been struggling with getting an iced tea based sorbet to not end up as a chunk of ice; I believe the canonical answer here is “use a stabilizer.”
I grabbed some gum arabic (mastic to be specific) recently to play with gomme syrup for cocktails, which gave me an idea: will it stabilize a sorbet? It should have the nice advantage of not requiring cooking the way gelatins do, AFAIK it can be activated by blending.
Will this work to make a sorbet less icy? If so, what concentration should I use?


texts: Is tomato sauce safe if the water evaporated in the canner?

texts: When I opened my canner after the allotted time, I became aware that water had evaporated and the lids were not immersed in the water -as when I started. Most likely evaporation the cans sealed almost immediately. Is my tomatoe sauce safe?


texts: What part of meat is mince meat made from?

texts:
It seems to me mince meat contains connective tissue(i.e white bits) and a lot of fat also comes from it.  Therefore I imagine it is not a lean cut of meat.

What part of meat does mince meat usually come from?


texts:
I was making Waffles the other day, and was whipping egg whites in a plastic Tupperware, but after an extremely long time, they hadn't stiffened. I looked in the special help section of my cookbook to find out why and I noticed that it says that egg whites can be beaten in glass or metal, but not plastic.

Does anyone know why this happens?


texts: What can make a gluten free sponge light and fluffy?

texts:
I've tried 5 recipes for gluten free lemon cake and all of them have a tight brick like texture.

What would make a cake fluffy if it is gluten-free? How do I recognize a recipe which produces a good cake?


texts: Does any blender also do up-down shaking movement?

texts: I have a blender. When I try to blend vegetable, I need to hold the blender, shake the blender up and down to make sure the blade cut the vegetable. Does any blender do all for me?


texts:
My ceramic pie dish broke recently and I only have stainless steel as well as cast irons in the approximate size of my desired pie.
Can I bake my pie in these or will something go terribly wrong? And what precautions ought I take (baking at a lower temp, etc.) using pans to cook a pie


texts:
There were some oreo chips in the 100 calorie bags that were very good (they have since ruined the recipe) but I liked the taste/texture of them.

I want to figure out a way to get the same texture, with the flavor of a milk chocolate brownie.  How do you get something that is very much like a cracker (not quite as flaky, but not soft and chewy).  Think Cheez-it crunch, and milk chocolate brownie flavor......

I've tried spreading the same batter over a larger surface, but it never produces that crisp texture.

When I cook brownies, the first part to be eaten is always the crunchy edge (usually by me), I just want a way to make a whole brownie recipe more crunchy.

What do you have to do to get that?


texts: Difference between Potato Pancake and Hash Browns?

texts: I was wondering what was the difference between these two potato recipes? Both of them seem to be near same but are referred differently. Is there even a difference or is it just word play?


texts: Out of Salt! But I've got a seasoning blend. How do I figure how much to use?

texts:
I'm making fried chicken. I'm sort of following a recipe that adds 1 TBS salt and other seasonings to buttermilk to brine the chicken, and then adds 1 tsp salt and other seasonings to the flour dredge.

OMG! I'm out of salt. But, thanks to a well meaning friend, I've got a big container of Tony Chacherere's Original Creole Seasoning. It has all of the spices that my recipe calls for, it also contains salt.

I'm sure the spices will be fine at whatever ratio I end up with (my purpose is just fried chicken), but I want to at least get close to the "right" level of salt (Brining and dredging? Being way off with my salt could be a very bad thing).

So how do I go about estimating how much of the seasoning blend to use? The rest of the ingredients aren't much of an issue, but I want to know that my salt level is going to be OK.


texts: I saw at the butcher's shop today that they sold the head of the lamb, cut in half down the middle. I became really interested because the brain was fresh, and I believed it to be really nutritious. However, when I told my family about it, they were rather freaked out. They argued that the brain portion could contain BSE (mad cow's disease), and that eating the head is inhumane. I have no idea whether the BSE part is true, and if it is, whether or not cooking will remove the BSE. I'm interested in a way to properly cook a lamb's head (ie boiled in soup, broiled, or something else), and convince my family to try it out. Thanks in advance.


texts: Vegetable Oil vs. Canola oil in DIY Spreadable butter

texts:
I've been scouring the net for DIY spreadable butter recipes but nearly all of them use Canola oil, but all I've got available here is Vegetable Oil and Coconut Oil. What's worse is that none of them really seem to say anything about substituting either oil for spreadable butter.

Is there anything wrong with using either in a spreadable butter recipe?

UPDATE: So I probably should've mentioned that I was in the Philippines. That apparently makes a difference, as even the vegetable oil is actually coconut oil :-/. Palm oil and coconut oil seem to be all we have here.

I attempted it with the palm oil I had and while the softness was what i wanted the final product had a funny smell and a weird taste. I'm getting ready to try again.


texts: What types of cured meat are ethically sourced?

texts:
I am looking for cured meat, especially ham, which I can buy in Germany and eat with a good conscience. There are two aspects that I am concerned about:

Animal maltreatment: I particularly wish to avoid products from intensive animal husbandry or any maltreatment.
Environmental efficiency: I see this less as a reason to avoid a product, than to moderate one’s consumption of it, in particular to reduce one’s CO2 emissions.

I enquired about Parma ham in German Wikipedia and was told of secret filming of maltreatment by the Italian animal rights organisation Lega Anti Vivisezione (see also 1, 2, 3, 4). Jamón ibérico sounds better, as they apparently prescribe extensive or free-range animal husbandry, but on German Wikipedia I read that Spanish TV had reported that extensive manipulation lead to 80% of co-called ibérico being factory farmed.

In his comment below J Crosby suggests trying local farmers, which may well be the best course, but I am also interested in what one can buy in supermarkets and/or on holiday and/or if time is short, so general guidelines are welcome.


texts: Do you need a rice cooker to cook sticky rice?

texts: I know that cooking sticky rice uses a steamer setup. But do you need a rice cooker to cook sticky rice property, or can it be done using regular kitchen tools, e.g. pots and pans?


texts: What is this fungus/lichen in my Garam Masala? (“Trifle”/truffle?)

texts:
I just bought a lovely bag of Garam Masala, and was all ready to grind some when I got home!  But when I opened it, I found something I didn’t recognise — at first I thought something had gone mouldy, but there’s enough of this in there that whatever it is, I presume it’s supposed to be in there.

It looks to me like a fungus or lichen of some sort.  The list of ingredients includes “trifle” — could that be a mis-spelling for some Indian species of truffle, perhaps?


texts:
I used egg whites to clarify chicken stock. I filtered the stock through cheese cloth and fine mesh colander two times.

After I pressure canned them I noticed that there was egg white on the bottom of the jars. Is this still safe to keep or should I open, restrain and then pressure can again?


texts: What sort of rice and noodles are "brown rice" or "brown noodles"?

texts:
I am a university student about to enter his second year. At my school, only freshman are given (relatively cheap) access to the Dining Commons, and I recall, near the end of the year, a nutrition specialist held a table inside with recommendations to students about convenient ways to cook when thrown to the lions den their sophomore year. She said something about brown rice or brown noodles, cooked with my choice source of protein as well as vegetables, as a default meal when time is scarce during the work week. I thought it sounded like an enterprising idea, but my family and I are baffled at its execution.

What sort of rice and noodles was she referring to?

Also, what sort of meat and vegetables can I put into it?

Finally, how do I cook this?


texts: How should I adjust oven temperature/time to have two dishes ready at the same time?

texts:
I want to cook two vegetable dishes at one time for a dinner party.

The first, a vegetable loaf, has to be cooked at 325° F for 1 hour
The other, a casserole, requires 350° F for 30 min.

How can I adjust temperatures or time to have these two ready at one time?


texts: How long to warm taco bar dishes in a roaster

texts:
With beef, mexican rice, and refried beans in a roaster that has 3 separator bowls, how long does it take to reheat these taco bar dishes, and what would be the best temperature?

I intend to prepare them the night before, the next day I fill the roaster with hot water and insert separator pans with the taco dishes for reheating. This will be presented in a lunch room with no stove/oven, but it does have a microwave.


texts: Is it possible to sweeten chocolate without making it gritty?

texts:
I read the following question earlier:

Converting pure chocolate to “bittersweet” chocolate

In this question, the OP asked if he could change pure unsweetened chocolate into bittersweet chocolate for cookies. In the answer, it was recommended not to add the sugar into the chocolate because the chocolate will take on a gritty texture, but to instead add the sugar to the cookie itself.

My question is, is there any way to change a darker chocolate into a sweeter chocolate without the grittiness? Likewise how would one change a sweeter chocolate into a darker chocolate?


texts: What's the difference between hollandaise, mayonnaise, and aïoli?

texts:
I was following a recipe by Gordon Ramsay, that included a hollandaise.
However while making it I couldn't help but think I was making a warm mayonnaise.

This brings me to my question: What's the difference between mayonnaise, hollandaise, and aïoli?

(Gordon Ramsay did say he was making a "modern version" of hollandaise using olive oil instead of butter, so I expect what he did isn't a hollandaise in the usual sense?)


texts: How can I susbtitute unseasoned rice vinegar for seasoned?

texts: I have unseasoned rice vinegar but a recipe that calls for seasoned.  I assume I should add sugar and salt to substitute for seasoned vinegar, but in what proportions would mimic a typical seasoned rice vinegar?


texts: Is there anyway to make agar less brittle, I have tried using locust bean gum and this did make the agar softer, but it was still quite brittle. Is there something I can add to the agar to get it as close to the properties as normal gelatin (soft, elasticity).


texts: I bought vacuum packed green and black olives in brine. I drained them, seasoned with garlic, oregano, and dried chili. I put them in sterilized mason jars, topped with olive oil, and sealed the jars.  Can i keep them over winter?


texts:
Because bread is basically brick sized and shaped, it'll take a long time to get cooked properly.

Assuming I don't care about the shape, does it make sense to cut the bread dough into small pieces and then place them all separately on the baking sheet?

How much cooking time reduction should I expect? Do I need to take care of anything else in this case?


texts:
I got a flat-bottomed iron wok a few weeks ago at a local Asian supermarket. I seasoned it on my electric stove, based on information I googled up: heated it up, put a thin layer of peanut oil on it, turned the heat down and let it sit for 15 minutes. This worked pretty well and formed a nice dark layer, but even after cooking in the wok a couple of times, I thought the seasoning could be better, so I decided to start over.

I used soap and a sponge scourer to get most of the patina off. To get more off, vinegar seemed like a good idea, so I boiled vinegar and water in the wok for about five minutes, let it cool, and scraped most of the remaining patina off. The wok looked (almost) good as new, so I dried it and proceeded to re-season it.

I applied my original seasoning procedure, which went well, but then the trouble started. I rinsed out the wok with hot water and rubbed it with a kitchen towel. In the center (where the metal gets the hottest, presumably), some of the patina stuck to the towel, and left iron-colored spots. I tried again twice, but the problem remained.

I thought maybe cooking in the wok would build up some patina, so I stir-fried some vegetables. Then, I rinsed and wiped it, and unfortunately, black flakes came off again. I can't seem to keep the entire bottom covered in patina.

So, any thoughts? Did I ruin my wok? Did the vinegar maybe form an oil-resistant layer or something? Anything I can try, or should I just get a new wok? Thanks.


texts: Why does does vegan pulled pork specifically require jackfruit?

texts:
I'd really like to try a vegan pulled pork recipe, but all of those I've come across require jackfruit. This ingredient comes from the other side of the planet, so I'd like to avoid adding it to my carbon footprint, and replace it with something more common in western Europe, with similar properties.

Can anyone tell me the reasons why those recipes use jackfruit, and if/how I can replace it?


texts: How to dispense thick, intense hot sauce without getting residue on the bottle?

texts:
I have a bottle of Dave's Insanity Sauce. I enjoy putting it on my food in small quantities and have no trouble handling the heat... in my mouth. The problem is that the outside of the bottle seems to have some capsaicin residue on it. Even when I wash my hands after handling it, I later experience pain if I touch my eyes or my nose or, um, other body parts.

I suspect the problem is that it's a thick, viscous sauce and I'm not able to dispense just a drop or two without getting some on the lip of the bottle (where the threads for the cap are), and from there it seems to spread. Is there a good way to 1) dispense sauces like this cleanly, or 2) make the bottle less hazardous?

Washing the bottle with dish detergent may have helped temporarily, but it would be great to not have to do this every time I use the sauce.


texts:
I just bought refrigerated salmon fillets from a supermarket. They are in the kind of packet you'd expect to be vacuum packed. I have bought fish here before and it's always vacuum packed.
This time, didn't notice in the shop, but I notice now (as soon as getting home, 10 mins), that the fish is "loose" within the packet. There is clearly no vacuum, even though the wrapping conforms to the shape of the fish it isn't really "sealed" (it's not skintight to the fish, the packet doesn't seem to have any holes or openings anywhere though). The fish can slosh around, there are air gaps.
Is it safe to eat?


texts:
So I have a recipe for simple pastry dough that takes four cups of flour, 1/4 cup  oil, 1/4 cup vinegar and water little by little - after combining, we open the dough up and spread margarine on every layer, fold - once done we cool for it to harden the repeat.

My question is regarding the fats and acidity. Whats the difference of using butter vs margarine in this recipe? Also, to help with creating flakes, how does vinegar compare with bottled (store bought) lemon juice? does it make any difference at all? lastly, am I adding enough acid/oil considering the amount of flower in base dough?

Thanks in advance


texts:
I've seen multiple recipes which say to saute onions, peppers, green beans, etc. Why not microwave the food to the temperature you want and then mix it (along with the oil previously used to saute) straight into everything else -- skipping the saute step?

In other words, what does the sauteing accomplish?


texts: When do I add the chicken stock in this recipe? The author doesn't specify

texts:
I've found a bunch of morels this weekend and wanted to make a simple sauce with them.  The simplest one I want to try directs me to cook a medium shallot in butter until translucent, then add morels and a pinch of salt stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.  Follow this with 1/2 cup of white wine and reduce by two thirds.  Finally add heavy cream and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon.

However the ingredients list also includes chicken stock, but there is no mention of it in the directions.  When would be the right time to add the stock?


texts: Are there any other gums that work in gluten-free baking besides xanthan and guar?

texts:
I'm curious, are any other substances that could substitute for guar gum or xanthan gum in gluten-free baking?  Xanthan isn't an option because of allergies, and while guar gum seems to work OK for most things, I'm not a fan of the slick or slimy texture that sometimes results when I have to use a lot of it.

Thanks in advance. :)


texts: What is a suitable Low carb rice alternative?

texts:
For the first time since i started dieting, I'm making a stir fry dish for dinner. Usually, I include white rice with the finished product to absorb some of the sauce and provide that fluffy texture.

What is a low carb, or even carb free, alternative I can use that provide a similar texture and absorbent quality?


texts: Does vinegar increase the iron we can digest from Spinach?

texts:
I heard tale of people using vinegar to break down or concentrate the digestible iron in spinach. Is this true?

If it's true, the key things to know would be:

What vinegar do you use?
How do you prepare it?
Does it impair the flavour?
Is the benefit measurable and significant?

My thoughts are there is something in it in a similar manner to this question.


texts: Can I make cabbage rolls (I use ground beef, rice, seasons, egg and sour cream as the filling) the night before I am going to cook them at 11 the next morning.  Will it be safe?


texts: What are the major differences between yams and sweet potatoes?

texts: I was just wondering what the major difference between yams and sweet potatotes. I know yams are more orange and I love yams!


texts: How to deal with strong, sizable spices?

texts:
I've been making a lot of Indian food, and I've repeatedly had problems with certain spices being "overpowering" when you get a bite of them. I'm talking specifically about cardamom and cloves, although cinnamon is also problematic since you can't really eat/chew it.
Usually, recipes have you add them in great enough numbers that you can't really just sift through and pull them out by hand. I saw a recommendation to stick them with toothpicks to make retrieval easier, but I'm not sure that would work with cloves (and I'd be worried about someone accidentally biting down on said toothpick).
I've considered using powdered spices, but I'm not sure if it's the same flavor - and most recipes I've seen call for whole spices, not powdered.
I've tried peeling away the cardamom pod and using the tiny seeds inside, but I end up with the same issue - even the tiny seeds give an overpowering lemon-ish flavor when you eat them.
How can I prevent large spices from overpowering all other flavors when they're consumed?


texts:
I've recently tried to make maple butter with the following recipe:

Heat maple syrup to about 110 - 115°C
Cool to about 20°C (by putting the pot in an ice/water bath)
Stir manually for 20-30mins

I have the following questions:

Most of the recipes that I've seen warned that you have to keep it as still as possible during cooling...otherwise the result will be grainy. Why? (I'm guessing the "grains" would be sugar crystals?)
What is the chemical transformation taking place here? Why is the result "creamy" (and only after lots of stirring)? My best guess is that the sugar is crystallizing...and by stirring it, you're keeping the crystals tiny (preventing them from forming larger masses)?
Why do these precise temperatures start the change (115°C heat, then cool <40°C)? I've tried it twice, and both times I must have taken it off the heat just before reaching the right temperature...it stayed very thin after cooling, and didn't change with stirring (but worked after re-heating to the right temperature).
Many recipes say to use light maple syrup (not dark). Why? I tried it with Amber and it came out fine...


texts: How to fry big potato pancakes for hungarian pancakes?

texts:
Good hungarian pancakes use potato pancakes the size of a big plate as base under the goulash. I never managed to successfully flip such a pancake. I can make small ones that occupy 1/3 of the pan just fine, but if I try anything bigger, they tear, roll, leak the batter... I have a hard time sticking the spatula under them to let the oil in and keep them from sticking to the pan without destroying them in the process - I can't flip them right for the life of me.

I know there are techniques involving two pans, or a plate, where you flip the whole pan (and somehow miraculously not end up with hot oil all over your kitchen) but I do know people manage to flip them using just one pan and some kind of spatula. What's the art?

I guess it involves batter just right, the right temperature, oil depth and pancake thickness, and waiting just long enough so that the batter solidifies all across the pancake during frying the first side. In my case the batter from the surface tends to leak off it as I'm halfway through flipping, or splash everywhere when the pancake lands, or just tears. I nearly burnt one side of the pancake yesterday trying to get it hard enough that it wouldn't depend on spatula underlying most of its surface, and still the other side was quite runny. I don't want to buy another pan just for that, and I'm afraid I'll end up with oil all over the kitchen if I try flipping it onto a plate (I found only using a plenty of oil I'm getting any reasonable results, otherwise it's just thin burnt crust under runny batter.) I just can't get it to the right state to be flippable.

What's the secret?


texts:
I soaked some wheat berries for a bit more than 24 hours and now some white stuff comes out of it.

Is it safe if I boil and eat it as I usually do?


texts: I did nothing to it before I cooked my pizza, and the pizza stuck bad. I need to know what I was suppose to do, and I need to know how to clean it properly?


texts:
We have, because of Corona, started to make our own bread daily. This means we have dough in a round bowl in the fridge all the time, taking up a lot of space we can't use (on top of it, but also around it, because of the corners).
I was wondering if it's possible to buy a square container with a completely closing lid, to make space on top of it in the fridge, as an extra shelf.

The problem I see, is that the yeast is creating air bubbles in the dough, basically filling the container with gas and therefore overpressure.

What kind dough-containers would be suitable? Do they need an air-valve to prevent overpressure in the container?


texts: How much fat does "low fat" cheese have?

texts:
I was wondering how low is a "low" in low-fat cheese. It can't be 0%, because then cheese wouldn't exist, right? :)

In my country, there's something called "fresh cheese", and fat percentages are in range of 5-10%, but in dry matter, fat percentage is higher, like 20%-30%...

Any thoughts?


texts: How do I add a strawberry swirl to my cheesecake without cracks and craters?

texts:
I have recently experimented with adding a strawberry swirl to my cheesecake. I am using homemade strawberry jam to swirl in the flavor. Everything has gone great with it other than I get a bunch of big red craters! What am I doing wrong? How do I make a strawberry swirl without having the cheesecake full of the cracks and craters?

Here is a second picture after it cools a bit. Some of the crack come back together and others are still wide open.

Edit:

I was using this recipe and then added my own swirl: https://sugarspunrun.com/best-cheesecake-recipe/


texts:
I like to soak white buckwheat and do some raw recipes from it.

It is said that the optimal time for soaking is 1.5 days. I'm not changing the water
because of rutin preservation. What is the maximum
time it is eatable yet and why?

Now it's two days in the water and I wonder if tomorrow it will
be spoiled or some kind of bacteria in it.


texts: Looking for a way to make a cone shaped cookie

texts:
I am trying to find a way to make a cross between waffle cone and fairy gingerbread. You might call it  gingerbread flavored Krumkake or Pizelle.  And if possible do it without a special waffle cone or krumkake iron.

The basic idea is to have a cookie that comes out of the oven soft and can be rolled into a cone and allowed to cool and hold it's shape.


texts:
Say I wanted to make a large amount of dough, then divide it into smaller portions to send to cafes, etc. How would I package the divided dough? Do I just put it in a plastic bag or something similar?

Note sure if this matters: the dough will come from an overnight cold rise. Refrigerated shipping will be required.


texts: How long overnight oats are safe/ok to eat

texts: So I forgot my bowl of oats in the fridge and it has been 15 hours, I can either throw them away and make another bowl but I wanted to ask if it is safe to consume a bowl of oats that have been left in the fridge for 15 hours?


texts: I was boiling water in two pots, presumably stainless steel. I got distracted and the pots completed overheated and dried. After cooling down the pots, I find them both have brownish grey residual inside (I don't care about the outside), and one of the smells strange. Are they still safe to use? Thank you!


texts: I made kubideh kabobs with saffron rice for my fiance and I last night, and it was a huge success.  However, my fiance wished we had some mast o khiar (yogurt-cucumber sauce) to go with it, as what we would normally get from a kabob takeout place.  Now, given that this is the first time Persian food has ever been made in this house, I have concerns about any reasonably sized batch of this yogurt sauce being consumed in time.  Assuming that all of the following ingredients are fresh and well within their use by date, roughly how long might this be safely stored in a refrigerator?  The common components are plain yogurt and seedless cucumber.  The latter might be diced or grated.  Fresh mint is a commonly found, though many recipes do not use it either.  Any advice would be most welcome!


texts: Can I sous-vide meat (at a temperature between 40ºF and 140ºF) for more than four hours?

texts:
According to the USDA cooking chicken at 145ºF (63ºC) for 13 minutes (i.e. maintaining an internal temperature of 145ºF for that long) will bring about a "7 log10 relative reduction of salmonella".

A recent question made me wonder whether this can be considered safe for sous-vide applications where it takes 4+ hours to reach 140ºF since the FDA recommendation (which only applies to commercial kitchens) is that once food enters the 41-135ºF zone (5-57ºC), it should be "cooked and served" within 4 hours. The USDA rules for home cooks are much stricter recommending that food should not remain in the 40-140ºF (4-60ºC) zone for more than two hours.

I always imagined that food left in this, so called, danger-zone for too long has given bacteria time to multiply and produce enough toxins in the food for it to become dangerous.

Another idea occurred to me, that after four hours the bacteria count has risen enough that a significant number of bacteria will be present even after a 7 log10 reduction.

Frankly my first guess still seems most likely to me, but really I just don't know. If my second idea is correct, then it would presumably still be safe to eat meat left in the danger zone for 4+ hours, as long as it holds an internal temperature of 140ºF+ for some time longer than the USDA time-temperature tables otherwise suggest.

Can anyone say which, if any, of my guesses is correct? I think this is equivalent to asking whether there exists a type of bacteria that can produce a dangerous amount of toxins in food within four hours at temperatures between 40ºF and 140ºF.

Update: In earlier revisions of this question, I attributed the 4 hour rule to the USDA which caused an amount of confusion. As the text now states, the 4 hour rule is set by the FDA in their Retail Model Food Code and pertains only to cooking in commercial establishments. While I did find that the USDA guidance for school food authorities also has a 4 hour recommendation, this is no doubt because school kitchens can be placed on an equal footing with commercial kitchens.

There has also been some discussion regarding whether the USDA's 2 hour rule encompasses cooking time, or pertains only to time spent in the danger-zone during storage or preparation prior to cooking. For anyone interested in the details, please read the comments on this question and those on @Athanasius' answer.


texts: Will an IPA beer work properly for beer bread?

texts:
Is there any reason an IPA beer would be bad or not work for a beer bread dough?
Does it take longer, the same or short than a typical beer bread to rise?


texts:
How can I turn excess wine into delicious wine vinegar at home?  For those who have done it, are there any useful tips to get the best results?

I do not have access to any "mother of vinegar" starter culture, and am not likely to spend money on it; however, I DO have a well-stocked home kitchen and a lot of patience.

Edit:  To be more specific about my questions

How long should it take to ferment, and when do I give up if it's not vinegary?
Do I need to add sugar/water for low-sweetness or high-alcohol wines?
How do I collect Mother of Vinegar for use in fresh batches?


texts: Why do frozen greens get fibrous and tough in the microwave?

texts:
When I microwave frozen spinach or amaranth greens to cook them, they sometimes get tough and fibrous.  There doesn't seem to be a consistent pattern in when this happens, so I can't figure out how to avoid it.

So I ask you: why do frozen greens get tough and fibrous when cooked in the microwave, and how can I avoid it?


texts: Replacement for sun-dried tomato pesto sauce?

texts:
I'm crazy about the Barilla sun-dried tomato pesto.  However, the local store where I was buying it has dropped it.  Can I get a similar effect by putting in a blender or food processor the sun-dried tomatoes that come in oil in a jar?

Note, I have not found another dairy-free brand of sun-dried tomato pesto.  (I'm allergic to dairy.)  The Barilla version seems to be the only one.  (I am in the U.S.)

I see that there is a close vote.  Feedback would be helpful so I can recast the question or avoid asking off-topic in future.


texts: What are properties of good whole bean coffee?

texts:
I'm in search of a great new (commercially-available) brand of coffee for home-use in making both espresso and drip coffee. I used to frequent a local roaster, but I'm a poor grad student and I have to start finding something less artisanal that fits better in my budget.

I know what coffees I like in terms of taste, but I thought I would ask the foodie experts what some "rules of thumb" or properties are of a good whole bean coffee.


texts: How to make a meringue cake layer that is not cracked?

texts:
I have been trying for some time to make a meringue cake layer (like for Pavlova, but flatter, thinner) and I have not had any luck.
The recipe I use is 50 grams of sugar per one medium egg white, and 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar if using 3 egg whites.
So I use 150 grams of sugar, 3 medium egg whites, and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar. (I stopped adding flavourings because I think they might contribute to my failure.)
I use glass or metal bowl that has been washed, dried, and lightly wiped down with a lemon sliced in half. The mixer beaters are also washed and wiped with lemon juice. The egg whites are at room temperature when I start mixing.
How I make it - I use a hand-held electric mixer and beat the egg whites (oh high speed) until somewhat stiff peaks form, and then I start adding in the sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating well between each addition (15-20 seconds on high speed) until it becomes almost shiny.
I draw four circles on the baking paper (15 cm in diametre), divide and spread out the egg whites with a spoon, and put it immediately in the oven at 100C (212F), for 60 minutes, then I turn off the oven, leave them in for 15 minutes more, and take out.
I have tried baking (drying, essentially) them at 90C, at 120C, all with varying results, but they almost always come out cracked and not white.
I know I am doing something wrong, but I do not know what... If anyone can help, I will be greatly thankful.


texts: How to get a synthetic cork back in a wine bottle?

texts:
The past couple times I've bought wine stopped with a synthetic cork, I've had a very difficult time reinserting the cork after opening the bottle. It seems the cork expands after leaving the bottle, and it's made of such a rigid material that sometimes I can't squeeze it back in. (And no, inserting the back end doesn't work, as it sometimes does with real cork.)

Is there a trick to getting an expanded synthetic cork back in a wine bottle?


texts: Risotto question - what does "translucent rice" look like?

texts: Recently I've tried my hand at cooking risotto. The results are always delicious, but one step in the process has me stumped - the instruction to cook the rice until translucent. I've tried cooking the rice for different amounts of time with different amounts of oil and I honestly can't see a change in the rice. Could someone describe what to look for here, or even better upload some before and after photos? And how does one achieve "perfect translucent rice"?


texts: Why is salt sometimes added to straight coffee?

texts:
Sometimes a pinch of salt is added to a cup of coffee - but why?

Is this only done for low-quality or mediocre coffee?  When is the best time during the coffee-making process to do this?


texts: Do you need more yogurt starter for more milk?

texts: I bought some Yogourmet yogurt starter packages and it says to use 5g per 1L of milk. However, if I am making a gallon at a time - is more starter actually required than it would be for just 1L?


texts: Can you make vegan garlic bread, if so how does the use of margarine effect taste and texture?

texts: I enjoy a nice garlic baguette so much, but I have to drink a pre-emptive, schedule 5, painkiller not to die from being so lactose intolerant. I was wondering if a solution can be found that does not include narcotics, maybe substitute the butter for margarine? I know the French would call it barbaric, but can you do it?


texts: Why are there white spots appearing on segments of canned tangerines?

texts:
I recently opened a tin can of tangerine segments, only to find that the segments contained little white spots throughout the segments.  Can anyone tell me more in regards to what the white spots are? Are they poisonous, or known to be recognized as a food borne pathogen, disease, illness, etc.
I tossed them out before realizing I could ask Seasoned Advice, so I don't have a photo.


texts: We have a chocolate cake (brownie) recipe from France and calls for a packet of levure.  We have been putting in yeast but not sure if it is wrong or right.  Yeast, baking powder, other?


texts:
Many grains (and some starchy non-grains) can be popped or puffed.  Corn can be turned into popcorn, rice into puffed rice, etc.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffed_grain)

Can potatoes be popped/puffed?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do you cook a steak like those found in fine steakhouses?

hi,

I have tried several times to cook steak at home but they were not as delicious and good as they were at restaurants. I used pan to cook that and just a little oil so that it wouldn't stick to pan. the heat was at the low level.

what is your advice on this? what type of equipment should I use? grill? thanks.


texts:
Fudge is arguably the most delicious substance known to man. With its rich, creamy taste and seemingly endless variety of flavours, I can't be the only person who really likes this stuff. Oddly enough though, it's very difficult to find anybody who sells it, and it's usually pretty damned expensive.

I had no idea what fudge is actually made of. But when I looked it up, the recipe says, basically, throw three ingredients in a pan, boil it for a while, let it cool, done. As recipies go, that's pretty damned simple!

So I gave it a try. And it... didn't really work. The result was like fudge... but no, not really.

So then I went and did some more research, and found this other site that claims that you have to do all these complicated rituals and that you mustn't try to make fudge on a cold day and the moon has to be in the right phase and... seriously?? It's this hard?

The long and short of it is this: How hard is it to make good fudge? Is this something that an average person, with no expert training, working in a normal domestic kitching, should be able to pull off relatively easily? Or is this for the hardcore experts only? Is it realistic for me to be attempting this?

I honestly can't tell whether I just need a little more practise to get this right, or whether I'm attempting something so hopelessly difficult that I'm doomed to eternal disappointment.

(FWIW, my first batch was nearly inedable. I changed a few things, and my second batch was better, but still not quite right. If there's some hope that this could work, I can ask more specific questions. Right now I just want to know whether what I'm trying to do is feasible in the first place.)


texts:
So im a little scared, I was cooking some italian sausage links on my cast iron skillet.

I cooked them 8-10 min a side on medium , then turned to low and cooked 7-8 minutes a side.

I checked the temp on the very middle and they all registered about 170 degrees (This was after they had been on low, at the very end)

Anyways I ate them, tasted fine etc...

But upon eating another one later, I discovered that there was still a pinkish color in the middle. (More towards the edges). It wasn't a lot....but the thing is I know this thermometer is accurate and I always use it.....Plus I cook them like this all the time. So I didn't understand why it was still a little pink on the inside.

Just for reference I stuck the thermometer on the inner most part, I made doubly sure. And they were all checked and all were 170-180 after they had been cooking on low (So it was prolly a high temp earlier when they were on medium)

Any ideas? Im kinda scared. For reference these were Sweet Italian Sausages (not sure if that would matter)


texts: I defrosted a package of unopened sealed ribs outside for an hour and a half because I was short on time. I did not think it would be a problem, but after reading all the different posts, I am a little concerned. The package was sealed, so are they okay to eat? i rinised them and salted them and they are in the oven...


texts:
Last fall I tried my hand at making a homemade hot sauce. Essentially: roast peppers, blend with vinegar, garlic, salt and other spices, put in jar for three weeks, strain and you have hot sauce.

The sauce was great, but after about a week of sitting in a jar in my fridge it separated and became rather unsightly. Of course, after shaking it up it returned to normal. Is there a way to keep a sauce like this from separating?

Thanks!


texts:
I'm trying to make Custard Bun following the instructions from :

How to make Custard Bun- Milk Yolk Buns

Everything goes well except the color of the dough and the bun. I can't make it so white as it looks in the images. Both the dough and the bun I made were white but yet a little bit golden.

What makes the bun so white? Any guess what step I might do wrong and by that get the little bit golden bun?

Thank you


texts: I'm trying to develop a recipe for homemade sport drink as Gaterade and the like contains unhealthy and/or unnecessary ingredients that I dislike.  I found a base recipe I'd like to work with to variate and tweak: http://wellnessmama.com/2575/natural-sports-drink/ .  Is there any obvious aspects in this recipe that need modification and/or can be improved?  One particular question is if the tea liquid will be chemically reactive to the calcium tablets and be health-wise unviable?  The goal is to make the drink all at home and let it be healthy and well suited for drinking during performing sports.


texts: How long and at what temp should I roast a 22lb fresh ham?

texts: I’m roasting a 22 lb fresh ham and want it to be tender. I’ve been told low and slow.


texts: What's the purpose of adding water to a skillet when cooking solid food?

texts:
I recently came across a recipe for cinnamon skillet apples. One of the steps was to put the chopped apples into a skillet, along with half a cup of water and ground cinnamon. This reminds me of the instructions on seasoning packets, which involves stirring the contents into water, and then pouring it on top of meat in a skillet.

Is there a technical term for this cooking method? Does the water impact how the apples cook, or is it there for the sole purpose of evenly distributing the seasoning?


texts: What limitations are there to sauteeing with water?

texts:
I was recently helping with some recipes and was instructed to use water for "sauteing" onions, celery, garlic, etc. in place of oil (scare quotes on "saute" since it involves frying in oil or other fat by definition).

The technique is meant to parallel sauteing in oil, water is measured by the tablespoon in a large pan, and although you replace water as it evaporates the vegetables are never submerged in water. Only enough water is ever used to inhibit sticking of the vegetables to the pan.

The results were good and light but I haven't had much of a chance to push it further and experiment with the upsides and downsides (the three dishes meant to just soften the onions, garlic, celery and I had to follow the directions). Obviously, using oils imparts that flavors that you otherwise won't have present if using water. More importantly though, I would like to know which reactions would be inhibited in some way; for instance, would browning and caramelizing happen at a different rate, or at all? Are there any other preparations that would be impossible without a fat to saute in? What are the limitations when using water to saute?


texts: I tend to mix in some onions when making burger onions, before putting on a rack and letting it sit in the fridge for an hour before cooking. With that said, if I dry brine at the same time, will the salt interact with the onion already in the meat during that hour?


texts: Why is there so much baking soda in scones?

texts:
I am a German living in Australia and I am generally quite happy with Australian food.
However I do not understand why there is so much baking soda in scones. One would buy self-raising flour and even add more of the raising agent.

I wonder, if there is a reason for that other than the taste. Does baking soda preserve food especially well under certain conditions?
Or were scones historically just eaten with a dish, that needed to be contrasted by the flavour which some describe as soapy, slight spicy or salty?


texts: Are there any resources specifically on cooking with high-heat wok burners?

texts:
I recently got myself a high-power wok burner, like the ones they use in professional Asian restaurants. Cooking with it is a ton of fun, but sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the heat output. The wok is getting too dry, the seasoning is burning off, stuff starts to stick like crazy, and so on.

Are there any books/video guides/websites on specifically cooking with high-power wok burners? I know there are many Asian cooking channels on Youtube, but the ones I found just cook, and don't explain any theoretical basics.


texts: Can I keep canned peaches in the fridge if water got in during processing?

texts: I followed all the rules to a tee.  Unfortunately, before immersing jars for final boiling, I apparently did not tighten the lids enough.  I just took them out of the boiling water after 30 minutes and the screws lids were loose and looks like water got into jars.  I understand that I can't keep them like this but if I removed them from the jars and put the slice in the refrigerator are they ok to eat within a few days?


texts: What does the clock-like symbols under plastic containers mean?

texts:
Under many of my food storage containers of plastic, there are circles with numbers and an arrow in the middle pointing at one of the numbers. What does these symbols mean?

Could it be recycling information? Plastic type? Production date? Serial number? Suitable for a special type of food?

Here is a picture of a food storage container of plastic from IKEA:

(click for full size)


texts: Are there food combinations that are dangerous?

texts: Is there a combination of ingredients that will chemically interact to create poison?  I am interested in whether this possible with any common preparation method (e.g. via cooking, blending, whisking, microwaving) but not by burning the food or leaving the food out to be contaminated by bacteria.  I am interested in any ingredients that on their own are approved by some country's government as safe.


texts: What is important to keep in mind when making a white sauce?

texts: White sauce is dairy based, but what is it exactly? What are the main ingredients? Is it thickened somehow or not? How thick should it be? Should it contain herbs or oil?


texts: Are white potatoes the right type for hash browns? I guess not as I couldn't get them to adhere, without using eggs or flour etc.


texts: what noise is the water boiling pot making when boiling water?

texts: I tried to boil water in a Whistling boiling water kettle tea pot on a stove. The stove has electric stove top coil burners. So when boiling water with those,  there is some noise and sometime a sudden big noise like something hit the pot. I been living with the phenomenal forever but today, I just wanted to know why? what is the noise that the pot is making?


texts:
I'd like to cook my mother a nice lamb shoulder roast (cooked in the oven), I've cooked lamb before but always with mixed results. I want Lamb that's juicy, tender, flavourful and falls off the bone. How do I achieve this?

My questions:

What temperature should I cook it at?
How long should I cook it for?
How do I make sure the shoulder retains it's moisture and doesn't become dry? I hear a lot about low and slow, would this help me achieve my goals?
Do I tent the lamb in foil at the beginning, middle, end? Or at all?
Do I have to put any liquid in the roasting pan along with the lamb so it doesn't dry out?
Any other suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks!


texts:
I recently ventured a bit outside my usual European cooking and started making recipes from a "westernized" Japanese cookbook I was gifted.

Some recipes for salads call for "vegetable oil" in the dressing. I usually make salad dressings with olive oil and didn't have canola or sunflower seed oil at the time, but I wondered: would Japanese cuisine clash with olive oil? Most dressings in the book use soy sauce and sesame oil, which are very aromatic ingredients anyway, so would olive oil be "masked" by those anyway, or do Japanese sauces/dressings nnecessarily need a more neutral oil?


texts:
I was making mashed potatoes the other day and one of the potatoes I had was a little old. It was not as firm, and was slightly wrinkled than the potatoes I'd just bought. I didn't use it at all.

Is there a way to revive an old potato? For instance, with celery, I sometimes stick it in a cup of water for re-crisping.


texts: If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C?

texts:
My understanding is that pickling destroys Vitamin C. However, apparently Sauerkraut is very rich in Vitamin C and is used by the German Navy to offset scurvy. What am I missing here?
Because early sailors suffered from scurvy and I must assume they brought preserved fruits and vegetables with them but that wasn't enough (or maybe they didn't? But if they did not I do not know why unless Europeans did not know about pickling but that seems unlikely). What is it about Sauerkraut that is different?


texts: Replacing quick-cooking oatmeal in a two-ingredient cookie recipe with cooked steel-cut oats - why doesn't it work?

texts:
Right now, I have cooked steel-cut oatmeal, water, banana, cinnamon powder, sugar, and dark chocolate in my cookie batter in the following amounts:

2 cups of cooked oatmeal
1 banana
half teaspoon of cinnamon
~30 grams of chocolate
~2.5 teaspoons of cane sugar
enough water so that the batter is somewhat sticky

This is an adaptation of the "healthy two-ingredient breakfast cookies" recipe on CafeDelites.com.

When I baked it (at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes), however, the cookies came out as leathery, chocolate- flavored skins encasing a blend of bananas and chocolate- flavored oatmeal. It seemed as if the insides hadn't been cooked at all. I tried baking it for an additional five minutes, but doing so didn't change anything.

Why did this happen? And what should I do to fix this problem? Thanks in advance!


texts:
For Valentine's Day this year I attempted to make my wife a Key Lime Pie.  I followed Emeril's recipe, with one small modification: I replaced the granulated sugar in the crust with a 1:1 ratio of light brown sugar.  The key lime juice was freshly squeezed, not packaged.

In case the link ever goes away, the ingredients are:

Base: graham cracker crumbs, light brown sugar (original called for white), 1/2 stick butter melted
Filling: condensed milk, key lime juice, whole eggs
Topping: sour cream, powdered sugar, lime zest

The pie was delicious and held together great.  I'm a good cook, but a very inexperienced baker, so overall I was very happy with how my first attempt turned out.

However, after about 3 hours in the fridge this viscous liquid started seeping into the pie pan (see picture below).  My assumption is that this is lime juice and/or sugar somehow escaping, but I don't really understand how or why that would be happening.  My other thought is that it might have to do with the molasses from the brown sugar in the crust, although that seems less likely to me (I've made plenty of pies with similar crusts that didn't have this problem).

As described in the recipe, I baked the crust by itself, put the filling in, baked it for 15 minutes together, and then put it in the fridge for 2 hours before cutting.

So, my questions:

What is seeping out of my pie after about 3 hours of refrigeration?
How can I prevent this in the future?


texts:
I live in a big city, and there are not many fresh butcher shops here. Meats are found on supermarkets and they are passed by a frozen proccess to be able to stay longer on shelfs.
I would like to know how to identify a fresh meat ?


texts: What is the secret to getting a charcoal grill very hot (900F)? Is it even possible? What is the highest temperature attainable in a charcoal grill and what type of wood will produce this? I want to be able to cook Neapolitan pizza.


texts: Baking concentrate using Hard Alcohol ex Jack Daniels

texts:
I am trying to find a way to use hard alcohol such as Fireball, Jack Daniels, Sailor Jerrys and so on and turn them into a baking concentrate. This means the flavor of the alcohol cannot burn off at a high heat. Will xanthan gum or gum Arabic used to make baking concentrates with fruit juice provide the same effect? Or is there a way to take the flavor of the alcohols and turn them into a food concentrate? I just need the flavor not the alcohol itself so if burning off the alcohol which is the actual part that seems to be burning off since it boils at a much lower temperature than water I can do that. Thank you in advance for your time and help.

Cheers, Savannah


texts: Where do I buy a large amount of dried vegetables?

texts:
I'd like to buy a large amount of dried vegetable matter to stock up on backpacking supplies.  I'm interested in almost any kind of edible vegetables, including the generic, assorted, mixed, ground-up, and processed kind.  I'd just like to have a lot of options to look at, but CHEAP above all! Wholesale retailers are also of interest to this OP.

And why vegetables? For flavor, fiber, and vitamins.


texts: Will my bread dough that has already gone through first rise be okay to bake after three days of refrigeration?

texts: I was making a loaf of bread in a bread machine on dough setting. This includes the first rise. Removed dough and put into a pan for second rise then bake. My oven died before second rise so I refrigerated the greased and covered dough. It has been three days will it be okay to bake?


texts: Why did my vinaigrette emulsify so quickly?

texts:
When I make salad dressing, I usually don't expect my vinaigrette to emulsify particularly well. I don't do any of the steps described in this question about vinaigrette emulsification, such as drizzling the oil into the acid slowly with much stirring.

However, last week I decided to try to make a vinaigrette using some aged balsamic vinegar that I just bought. I've used aged balsamic in the past and had the same experience that I normally have with the vinaigrette -- that the mixture doesn't stay together -- I need to stir just before dressing the salad.

I poured olive oil into my bowl, added my new vinegar, and some salt, pepper, and herbs -- and almost immediately, the mixture turned into the texture of thin mayonnaise. No matter how much oil I added later to thin it down, it didn't break the emulsion. (I ended up saving it as a sauce for chicken, since I don't like thick salad dressing.)

Why did this emulsify so well? Could there have been something about that vinegar? (It's aged and thicker than most, but not so much that it compares unfavorably with other aged balsamic I've bought. It's just vinegar -- no added ingredients.)


texts: What are the visual signs of uncontaminated margarine spoilage?

texts: What are the safety thresholds for uncontaminated margarine? How does the type of emulsion system affect its shelf life?


texts:
I would like to make smoked chicken as it is not available here in UK - I used to be able to get it in S.A. and I think it is fab. I live in a small flat in cold, very cold UK.  My question is;
Can I smoke chicken breast in a "Go Chef" cooker or my oven maybe and how would I go about it if I do not have a smoker. (do not have space for one) I read somewhere that you should cook the chicken first and then smoke it, is this correct?  Thanks. Rose


texts: Cleaning my cast iron from exploded battery and plastic

texts:
I am a baker and just moved houses. I used my cast iron to hold my electronic scale, which is made of plastic and had batteries in it, and without checking put the whole container into the oven at 450. I realized my mistake not soon enough, and while the plastic was not molten, the batteries had certainly exploded by the time I took everything out. Uh oh.

How could I clean battery acid/plastic off my cast iron to make sure its safe to eat from?


texts: Can I save the seasoning on my cast iron skillet or do I need to strip it and start anew?

texts: I have a Lodge 12" cast iron skillet that I have been cooking in almost every night for about 6 months. I recently scrubbed a little to hard and created a "bald" spot into he middle of my pan. I wanted to know if I can save it or do I need to strip it and reason it. Thanks!


texts: How to reheat pork belly: keep the crackling crackly?

texts:
I cooked a kilo pork belly yesterday with a very nice crackling in a roasting pan with a rack so that the pork does not touch the pan. Once we had dinner, I put it in the fridge without covering (in the same tray with the rack I roasted it).

I have reheated pork belly in the past in a microwave but that just makes the crackling chewy. Is it possible to reheat pork belly without losing the crackling or over-drying the meat?


texts: Baked tortilla chips: how to make them quicker and more consistent?

texts:
I like to make corn tortilla chips by cutting up store-bought tortillas and baking them at 350 for ~20-25 minutes without oil or salt. However, I've found that the last few minutes are highly variable - they go from perfect golden to burnt brown very quick. I've had to toss quite a few sheets because giving an extra minute or two resulted in burnt chips.

I also try to flip and rearrange the chips about halfway through because another large source of variability is the chip's placement within the oven - usually chips near the front crisp up much quicker.

These issues are further compounded if I'm baking two sheets of chips at the same time, which is often the case.

I've thought of a couple things, but haven't tried yet:

Bake at a lower temp for longer.
Dehydrate the tortillas somehow before baking.

I'd rather avoid the first option, and I haven't thought of a means of doing the second.

Does anyone have suggestions for baking tortilla chips in a more consistent manner?


texts: What can I do with the fat skimmed from chicken stock?

texts:
Two days ago I prepared some chicken stock. During the preparation, I took care to skim the grayish foam (as per procedure) and all went well. I usually freeze it for future use but this time I didn't have the time, so I put the stock in the fridge.

Later on I noticed a thin yellowish crust formed at the top of the cold stock. My guess is that it's fat that separated from the rest of the stock, so I skimmed it and saved it.

Is it really fat?
What can I do with it?
Should I return it to the rest of the stock?
Would the lack of fat adversely affect the stock?


texts: Should I store root vegetables with or without the dirt?

texts: When you buy vegetables at a farmers market, often you will get root vegetables (e.g. potatoes, carrots) that are unwashed and with its dirt still clinging on them. I heard somewhere that this will prolong its shelf life. Is this true? If so, how?


texts: Getting Potato and Turnip Patties to hold together... how?

texts:
So I just tried this recipe for fried potato and turnip patties and completely blew it.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, but the patties didn't hold together at all.  The outside burned and the inside remained uncooked.  When I tried to flip them, they fell apart.  What can I do to get them to hold together?  More egg and flour?  Higher Potato to Turnip ratio?  More or less oil?

How can I fix it?  They taste really good -- the parts that aren't burned -- I'd like to get them to hold together.


texts: To make avocado oil, how ripe do your avocados need to be?

texts:
I'm interested in making pure avocado oil.  (No additives).  I plan to do this in a recipe that was posted on StackExchange here: How do I press avocadoes to make avocado oil? (Anthony Njoka's answer.

My question is about the necessary ripeness of the avocados.  It would make things very convenient if I could pick the avocados before they are ripe.  They sit on my table a considerable amount of time before they are ready for guacamole, and when the tree decides it's ready to give up its fruit, I get hundreds of unripe avocados.  Making avocado oil seems like the perfect solution.


texts: What makes the 'Cat poo' coffee (Kopi Luwak) flavour worth drinking?

texts:
I'm actually on the hunt for this coffee in Melbourne, being it's such a coffee-oriented city:
Where can I buy a cup of 'cat poo' coffee (Kopi Luwak) in Melbourne?, but while discussing it in the travel.SE chat room, we were wondering what it is that makes it worth drinking?

From Wiki and other sources there's some talk about cherries with some beans cause certain enzymes to be produced, but they seem to insist that this wouldn't happen with the same ingredients in another beast? So is it the beans + food, or the animal itself, and what is the resultant flavour - more bitter / sweet than regular coffee, or what?


texts: Is deep-frying silicone oil safe for home use?

texts: Perhaps it is due to confusion surrounding silicone, but what studies exist that document the safety and best practices of using silicone oil? I understand it is used for as an anti-foaming agent in deep-frying, and also has medicinal purposes (as an anti-flatulant); but in a high temperature evironment, does it remain inert and safe?