texts:
I often make fried chicken fingers the traditional way with an egg and milk covered cutlet dredged in seasoned flour, however my girlfriend is now on not only a gluten-free diet, but also a hypo-allergenic one which excludes eggs and dairy as well.

My questions is, what are some ideas for an egg-less batter for fried chicken?

For the dry mix, I'm mostly using rice flour as a GF alternative to standard all purpose flour, which is okay.

My concern is with the wet mix, some things I have already tried for the wet potion of the mix:

3 parts cornstarch to 1 part water to replace the same quantity of eggs: This resulted in a good flavor, but lacked the flaky texture I was going for, the batter was very crunchy but smooth on the outside.
A mixture of prepared mustard and water thickened up a bit with some of the dry mix: This resulted in the perfect flaky texture that I wanted, but I dislike the taste of the mustard in the batter.
A mixture of apple sauce and water, thickened up with some of the dry mix: This resulted in a flavor that was better then the mustard, and a texture that was better then  just the cornstarch, but I feel as though the apple flavor makes this option better suited to something like a pork schnitzel than a chicken cutlet.

I do have gluten free bread crumbs as a last resort to help get the texture I want, but I usually prefer to have a bread crumb free batter in my chicken fingers.

What might be a good egg alternative or a good wet mix substitute that will allow for a flaky texture with either a neutral flavor, or one that lends itself well to chicken.


texts: How long will canned cooked clams last in fridge after opened?

texts: How long will canned cooked clams last after can has been opened- and been refrigerated? OK to eat after 7 days? (No weird smell detected)


texts: Can excess salt in a cured gammon joint be removed after it has been roasted?

texts:
It's my first time of cooking cured gammon joint and I wasn't aware of how salty it is until after roasting it in the oven.
I need to know if the excess salt can be still be removed even after it has been roasted in the oven.

If it can, what is the best way to remove it?
Will it still be ok to eat after excess salt being removed after it has been roasted?


texts: How can I rescue a soft boiled egg that is too soft?

texts:
I love a boiled egg, but it has to be soft.  On occasion I get it just too soft, so some of the white is still 'snotty'.  Oviously I only discover this once I have opened the egg, when it is too late to put it back in the pan.

Is there some trick I can use to continue to cook the white a little and rescue my egg so that the white is set but the yolk is still runny?


texts: How long can i cook a bone in Pork Shoulder?

texts:
I have cooked bone in pork shoulder many times before and I am about to do it again but I feel the need to experiment slightly...
My plan is to cook the pork shoulder in the oven for 8 hours at 100 degrees celcius (212 degrees faranheit) then transfer it to my smoker, where i shall smoke it for another 8 hours between 90-100 degrees celcius (194-212 degrees faranheit).  I'll have internal thermometers etc so i know it will hit the correct temps, i am just wondering if I will end up drying the crap out of it.  I can't give a weight on the pork shoulder as I don't have it yet, it will be the entire shoulder though around 4.5 kg maybe

What do people think, good plan or bad plan?

I will be using a temperature probe, I forgot to mention that there would also be a cider bath in the oven and smoker as well. Can't change the order of the cook as I won't be there for the time it spends in the oven (I would have just gone for smoker straight through if I had). Thanks for your advice, I'll let you know how it goes.


texts:
I have found what looks like a wonderful recipe for a low carb yeast bread that I really want to make. It only has 3.4g of net carbs/slice, which is gonna be pretty hard to beat! Especially if this is as good as it looks! Gabi's Low-carb Yeast Bread I only have one problem. One of the ingredients is soy flour. I'm simply completely uncomfortable knowingly eating any soy product that is not fermented.

So my question is, is it possible to substitute another product in its place, and if so what? Could I possibly increase one or more of the other dry ingredients already used in the recipe? (ie: vital wheat gluten flour, cup oat flour, flax seed meal,coarse unprocessed wheat bran) I am also curious what soy flour "brings to the table", so to speak. What it does for a recipe that makes it such a "go to" ingredient in low-carb recipes.

I would greatly appreciate anyone's knowledgeable assistance!


texts: How important is it to roast nuts in a single layer?

texts:
In every recipe I see for roasting peanuts/walnuts they tell you to put only a single layer of nuts on the plate that goes in the oven. How important this instruction really is?

If you have a large amount of nuts it's much more efficient to pile them all up on the plate and be done with it.


texts: Are these Red Beans or Red Kidney beans?

texts:
Hello
I would like to ask the community, if this the kidney beans are (which are good for rajma) or these are the red beans. The package says RED BEANS only..
Thank you


texts:
I came up with a recipe of granola bars where I melt

10 tbsp of brown sugar
4 tbsp of honey
4 tbsp of soy oil
2 tbsp of water
Vanilla extract

and mix with 4 cups of rolled oats + 1 cup of rice crispies, put it in a pan and bake it for 20 min at 200ºC/330ºF. After cooling, I get a nice and firm granola bar for about one day, after that the bar gets soft and starts crumbling.

How can I adjust my recipe to make my bar more solid and for longer?


texts:
Every time I get my cappuccino in the morning, the guy that makes it takes the cup of milk, shakes it, then hits on the table a few times, then does the same thing for a couple of times, only after that pours into the cup.

Why does he do that? Why shake, then hit a few times, then shake again?


texts: Why is a 4 lb bag of sugar at the grocery store hard as a rock?

texts:
When I purchase sugar the bags are often brick hard.

How does this happen?
Is the sugar 'damaged' some how?
Is it safe to    use?


texts: How to preserve herbal syrup or herbs that will be used to make syrup?

texts:
I want to preserve my windowsill herbs before the plants die back, and my idea is to make herbal syrups for lemonades or cocktails. (Possibly even meat sauces.) The method I'll use is a cold, dry maceration - bruising herbs in sugar and leaving them in the fridge for a day or two for the sugar to absorb the flavour, and only using enough heat to dissolve the sugar later.

While this makes for superior flavour, the lack of boiling makes this prone to spoiling - my previous batches had weird gunk floating in them eventually.

I've read in other questions that freezing herbs alone can diminish their flavours. Can I, say freeze 1:1 or 2:1 syrup without this happening as well? Or maybe just freeze the sugar-herb mush once it's done macerating? (I'm hoping the flavours being bound in the sugar might help.)


texts: Why are most circular pizza peels designed with holes in metal

texts:
I am looking to buy a pizza peel. In the UK, I'm noticing a difference in styles, and was curious if there was a reason more than design
There is the "paddle" design, which is more rectangular and a solid piece of metal

Almost all of the longer handled circular (rounded) peels seem to have holes in the metal as per below.

This design seems counter intuitive to me - the dough could easily sink into the hole making it more difficult to slide the pizza off. Not only that, but by having holes, there is less area to be floured before putting the pizza on top of the peel
Given both of the designs are (as far as I know) designed for the same purpose (to transfer the pizza), is there a reason why circular peels with longer handles seem to all have cut outs like the picture above? If any one has used them, does it hinder transfer (or at least, sliding the pizza off)


texts: Is it better to air fry and refrigerate my wings or to wait to air fry them tomorrow?

texts: I'm going to make some chicken wings in my air fryer (https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/air-fryer-chicken-wings-5565422). I have 1.5 lbs of wings which is too much for me to eat in one sitting - so my question is is it better to cook them all now and then refrigerate and reheat some tomorrow or cook half now and cook the other half tomorrow?


texts: What fish have deliciously edible skins?

texts:
I love salmon skins, especially when fried or oven roasted. I also always eat the skin when I have a filet.

What other fish have deliciously yummy skins that can stand on their own like a salmon skin can?
Are there fish whose skins are generally avoided? Examples?


texts: Can you eat red tomatoes' seeds that turned black?

texts:
I bought bright red tomatoes from a supermarket that looked fresh, ripe, edible on the outside. I descry no evidence of Blossom End Rot; the tomatoes isn't blemished like pics below.

When I cut open the tomato, the flesh remains red and feels normal and fresh. But most seeds are black, rather than Goldenrod Yellow.

Why did these seeds turn black?
What, if anything, can be safely eaten? Just the flesh? Or even the seeds?

I forgot to photo-graph, but please edit this if anyone finds a picture of this snag.


texts: How to cook with capsaicin and avoid chemically bombarding my housemates?

texts:
I tend to add a copious amount of spice to the meals I make. I mostly cook simple stir fries with high heat. Whenever I add ground cayenne pepper or liquid hot sauces, the spice seems to aerosolize. I sometimes notice it, but it never really gets to me. But my housemates are more sensitive, and although they haven't told me to stop, I certainly don't want to discomfort them.

Running the fan above the range doesn't seem to help, and I can't cook my meal while it's covered the whole time. Any ideas to mitigate the spread of spice in the environment? Should I add the spice and cover immediately, letting it sit for a while? What do you think may work?


texts:
I've seen creme fraiche recipes for quiche and I have some store bought creme fraiche on hand that was bought for me a few days ago.   My concern is that it's not real creme fraiche, it's half way towards butter - it's perfectly fine, but it tastes like it's closer to butter than real creme fraiche, which I imagine helps with the shelf-life.

A friend brought over a tiny tin of caviar and 8 oz of creme from the store (pre-packaged) so I have about 6 oz of the stuff and I don't know what to do with it.  It doesn't work on toast as butter, I tried it.  It's just wrong.

Will I ruin my quiche if I make it with this stuff?   Let me state that I'm not a low calorie quiche person, I use heavy cream and that's a proper decadent quiche in my opinion and if I have it once every 2-4 weeks, I don't worry about the calories.

The idea of a butter flavored quiche sounds kinda gross, so I'm leaning towards not doing it, or experimenting with just 1 egg and 4 oz of the creme - I think I'll try that.

Any advice is welcome on the store bought creme fraiche quiche idea or other things to do with the stuff that don't include more caviar, cause that's not in the budget.

I mean no ill will toward the product and I think Vermont Creamery is a good company, but I don't think this will make a good quiche and there's numerous creme fraice quiche recipes available.


texts: What can I substitute for vegetable oil in a recipe?

texts: Is there something that I can use as a substitute for vegetable oil in a recipe? I'm actually making cornbread (I think it matters), and normally the recipe calls for 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Unfortunately I just realized that I'm out. Can I use butter or shortening instead? If so, roughly how much would I try?


texts:
The title explains it all, is there a kosher substitute for blood sausage?*

Blood sausage is not kosher due to the inclusion of blood, the consumption of which is forbidden by Jewish law.


texts: Will storing salted steak overnight ruin the meat?

texts: I've salted the steaks, but I can't get the grill going. If I store them in the fridge and cook them tomorrow, will the fact they are salted already ruin the meat?


texts: Stopping sous vide to drive to relatives, then restarting

texts:
I want to sous vide some ribs at ~152 degrees for about 18 hours for Father's Day.

Unfortunately we're supposed to drive to my dad's tomorrow before dinner to serve them. I can't go over there tonight so I want to start it tonight at my apartment, then drive over there before serving.

The drive is about one hour long. We were going to put the ribs in an insulated bag for the drive. They'll be cooked for about 16 hours at 152, then one hour drive, then 3 hours in the cooker, then 40 mins in the oven, then dinner.

Will the ribs be safe to eat if I do that? Will they taste okay?


texts:
Can I replace baking soda with bread flour in a cake recipe that already has baking powder?

Google was no help and I really need to make this birthday cake today. Buying baking soda just isn’t a good use of my time or money, and I don’t have the time anyways.


texts: What type of flour is ideal for sourdough?

texts:
I have found a recipe for sourdough starter culture that calls for 50 grams of flour with 50 ml of water, but the recipe does not state what specific type of flour you should use. Can you use any type of flour for the sourdough starter or are there types of flour that will give a better result?

EDIT: I'm especially curious if Self-Raising flour would be suitable?


texts: what is the best vegan substitute for lard?

texts: I am attempting to re-create a heart-of-palm torte I had while in Brazil and while it is pretty simple, I am having difficulty finding a vegan substitute for the lard that will still make the crust flaky. Any ideas what the best substitute is?


texts: How do you know when the batter is fermented enough but not too much? Is it to taste/preference?


texts:
I have a pot that is really nice, and I was silly enough to use a metallic spatula. It is not Teflon but looked ceramic, and it has scratches now. Can any repair be done?

Edit: I am including an image below


texts:
I have found warm water to be a great way to quickly defrost meat and fish as opposed to just letting it sit outside the freezer, which is what my mom does.

But I wonder if there are any negative side effects to the method, as in, for example, compromised taste or compromised food safety.  I do understand that the water shouldn't be too hot as to avoid actually cooking the frozen food.


texts: Why do yolks break so easily (sometimes)?

texts:
Separating eggs without breaking the yolk isn't one of those problems that keeps me awake at night. Nevertheless, there are occasions where I can't get a single damn yolk to hold together and other times when I can do anything short of play a round of tennis with 'em.

Could the freshness of the egg determine how likely the yolk is to break? Or maybe the temperature of the egg?

Generally the problem comes not when I crack the egg, but when I start to transfer the yolk from shell to shell.


texts:
Normally we use charcoal in the BBQ

I want to use wood for BBQ and this may generate a lot of smoke. One way to handle it, is to first make charcoal from wood, and then use this charcoal to BBQ.

But is there any design for a BBQ that removes the smoke, so we can BBQ while burning wood?


texts: Counteract the negative effects of spicy ingedients with other ingredients

texts:
I love spicy foods.  Anything with ghost pepper is going to be gobbled up instantly.  I however do not like the negative effects when it comes to getting rid of the waste.

Is there anything you can put in your spicy dishes that maintain the spiciness, but neutralize it during digestion?


texts:
I have a couple of weeks off of school, and thought I would try my hand at some dim sum, specifically lotus leaf wraps, but first I need to figure out how to make the sticky rice.  So:

What type of rice would be best for this purpose?
What is the optimal way to prepare it (i.e. to be as sticky as possible while still being firm)?
Anything else I should know before trying it out?


texts: How do I avoid a burnt underlayer with pressure cookers?

texts:
I use my pressure cooker a fair bit but sometimes I struggle in translating a regular recipe to it and I get a charcoaled underlayer at the bottom of the pressure cooker.  Some of the time the rest is still edible, sometimes it has to be thrown away.

For example, with a split pea soup recipe I ended with some extremely burnt bottom layer which gave a nasty chemical smell that took a while to clear from the apartment.  Obviously the whole thing had to be thrown out.

Not all recipes will necessarily turn out well in a pressure cooker, I get that, but at least I would like to find ways to minimize this particular problem.

I guess I should watch cooking duration and also turn down the heat once the pressure's up.  But ideally I would like something that kept the ingredients from contacting the bottom of the pan and allow only water to circulate there.  Does something like steam wok bottoms exist for pressure cookers?


texts: Choux pastry (Chocolate eclairs) doesn't rise

texts:
Last time I tried to make Chocolate eclairs (similar to cream puffs), the choux pastry just sat in the oven and basically fried.

It didn't rise/grow and so I couldn't hollow out the shells.

Any suggestions?

Recipe was from The Australian Women's Weekly Original Cookbook (Golden Press Pty Ltd, 1977) p. 204

It is almost identical to the one published on their website http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/food/cookbooks/787237/chocolate-eclairs, with the exception that the cookbook recipe used 1C water and 1C plain flour.


texts: Would brining help the texture/flavor of ribs?

texts:
I'm trying to get more flavor into my Memphis dry rub ribs. I'm cooking them slowly in an Applewood smoke oven, but I was also considering soaking the ribs in brine before cooking, to add flavor and moisture.

Would this have the same effect as (for example) brining poultry before roasting? If not, what effect would it have on the ribs?


texts: Are there unwanted effects to simmering vegetables for days?

texts:
Simply put, will continuously simmering vegetables for days, even up to a week or two, in a perpetual stock lead to unexpected or unwanted results?
Since even the longest stock recipes I know don't take more than a day to make, I assume flavour extraction will stop after a few hours but does cooking veggies beyond that point generate off-flavours?
I've also looked up safety concerns of perpetual broths; in this case, since it's a vegetarian one consistently kept at a simmer to which I will regularly add boiling water, I don't think it will be an issue. I'm still new to food-science though so I might have missed something there.
Some answers, for example this one by barbecue or that one by jeabp, partly answer this question, however, I don't think it's specific enough to render this one a duplicate.


texts: Kind of apples for apple purée / apple sauce

texts:
Recently I made a thick apple sauce by cooking apples with some juice. The cooking process took less time than expect - after about 20 minutes or less the apple pieces were soft enough to mash them.

The apples I chose were a bit sour and had a dark green colour (unfortunately I don't recall the brand / kind of apple I used), by accident a good choice.

Are some kind of apples better suited than other to cook apple purée? Why is that so? And how do I recognize these apples in the supermarket?


texts: What can I substitute for hot Korean chili oil in this pork noodle recipe?

texts:
Our local supermarket sells fantastic pork, normally also on offer.  Yesterday I bought a kilo of cubed pork (magro). Yesterday we had kebabs, today perhaps Asian.

So, I've thought about making this Korean noodle dish.  I have never been that good at replicating authentic Asian food, but I'm always willing to have a go.  It's Sunday and the shops aren't open around here.  The recipe calls for - 'Hot Korean Chili Oil', is there something 'different' about it or can I substitute it for what I have in the cupboard?


texts: Fruit Flies and Storage of Fresh Produce

texts:
What is a good way of keeping fresh produce (in particular, from the garden) and herbs in the kitchen without attracting fruit flies? We dispose of tomatoes etc as soon as they start to go bad, but it seems like leaving out the produce that would be kept out is attracting fruit flies.

There weren't fruit flies before so I am wondering if there might be a better way (ie a ventilated canister?) of keeping the produce?


texts: In reference to baking bread, what is a "mother culture"?

texts: I saw this question entitled "How can I bake bread using a mother culture?", but I have no idea what a "mother culture" is.  Can someone explain what the term "mother culture" means?


texts: Black tea develops cloudy dregs; how to avoid?

texts:
I'm not much of a tea connoisseur*. But I do know what I like — strong, sweet black tea, and lots of it — and at present, the method I'm using is to boil a cup or so of cold water and about nine cheap tea bags, then turn off the heat and let the whole thing slowly cool on the burner (usually enough that I don't need ice to bring the result to a slightly warm drinking temperature). Then I pour it in a pitcher with some sugar and enough water to bring it to half a gallon; I generally squeeze the bags a bit to avoid waste, although I've tried avoiding that a few times to see if it makes a difference. This tastes nice and stout, and gets me through the average day. I've read some things that suggest steeping tea this long and aggressively will make it horribly bitter, but either those are exaggerations or I have a barbaric tongue, because I haven't noticed any such problems.

The problem I do have is that, especially after a bit of refrigeration, the last half-cup or so of tea has a lot of nasty-looking and nasty-tasting particulates in it. They're fine enough it's difficult to settle them out, even trying various slow pouring methods without disturbing the pitcher much, so presumably the bags don't filter them out either. What can I do about them other than throwing out the dregs? Is there some flawed part of my process that's producing them?

*To say the least.


texts: I often see TV shows, for example on the Food network, which showcase a restaurant. They will have a particular recipe which they make, and specify some of the ingredients but of course not in the exact proportions. What are good techniques for reverse engineering recipes, whether from on TV or at a restaurant? I'm not interested in stealing recipes or competing, just in making fun things at home, and I think this sort of thing would be a fun challenge.


texts:
I was planning on making some stuffed mushrooms for a halloween party at work (I am going as Mario), however there aren't any suitable ovens at work and my commute is long and in the early AM so they will obviously not stay hot en route.

So the question is, how can I adapt a recipe to be cold or room temperature and that it will still taste good?

Should I still bake the mushrooms, but then add the cold stuffing mixture later when I get there? Just not sure how to go.

I am making 2 kinds, veggie and crab. I have crab meat, broccoli, cream cheese, green onions, salt, parsley, garlic powder, and a bunch of seasonings. I was going to try and come up with a good mixture...

Got any ideas?


texts: How to substitute vodka in home-made vanilla extract?

texts:
I came across this recipe for making my own vanilla extract.
However, the vodka in my country isn't very cheap. So, I would like to replace it with a cheaper alternative.

We discussed this in the chat room already and decided that there must be some alcohol in it and vodka works good because it's quite a neutral flavour.

Anyone knows what I can substitute the vodka with?


texts: How do I modify cooking methods for a markedly smaller roast than most recipes state?

texts: I purchased a small boneless leg of lamb roast for my husband and I to enjoy as an Easter meal. It's about 2.5 lbs. (1.3 kg). I have experience dry roasting larger cuts of beef in the past, but nothing quite this size, and this is the first lamb roast for me. What cooking temperature and timeline should I target for a roast of this size? I know about the temperature I want the roast to be once it's done, just not sure how to get it there. I'm hoping for rare to medium-rare and I'm rather fearful of overcooking it.


texts:
Spanish Migas is a stale bread based regional dish. It's prepared with different ingredients all over the peninsula. The Portuguese have their own variant.

How can the bread be cut with the least amount of crumbles? (does it depend on the bread type, the time the bread has gone stale, should the bread be fresh or completely dry, etc)
How can you fry the bread in such a way that the outside is fried and the inside is moist? (is there an amount of water that can be measured, how hot should the pan be, which pan should be used, how much oil should be used)


texts: Pickled/preserved lemons/limes - grams of salt per kilogram of fruit?

texts:
[
I think this question here was originally too unclear.
because I was still researching and figuring out exactly what I wanted to ask when I posted it.
I edited it a few times,
but I think my editing has changed the question enough that it's no longer clearly the same question as when I first posted it,
so I decided I should probably post a new, separate one.
]

I make sauerkraut with 20 grams of salt per kilogram of cabbage.

Is the proportion different for pickling lemons/limes?
I would guess maybe lower because of the citric acid already there...?
I found one site saying 5~10% for "North-African style",
which is what I think I'm going for.
(I used to get them at Morrocan stores,
but the city I live in now doesn't have any.)

But if that "5~10%" is really by weight in the same way,
then that's a lot more than the 2% for sauerkraut,
which is surprising and confusing.

Also, I don't add any water to my sauerkraut,
but maybe that's necessary for lemons/limes?
In which case I would just salt the water at the same salt/water ratio as the salt/fruit, I assume?

The ones I used to get, I'm not sure, but I think they used nigella.


texts: How do I cook large quantities of sliced bacon?

texts: This question is pretty straightforward. Are there ways to take a sliced slab of bacon (i.e. a whole large package) and effectively cook all the slices to be used in standard scenarios, like breakfast? Non-microwave methods are strongly preferred.


texts: When to add salt in sourdough bread mix?

texts:
I was reading around and seems that a lot of forums are saying to delay adding the salt in your sourdough mix.

I dissolved the salt in water and then I poured the sourdough starter in the water and gave it a light stir and then I poured them in the flower and mix them all together. Did I just killed the yeast? Will my bread still rise?


texts: salted butter or not in a recipe that doesnt have salt

texts: I have a shortbread recipe that calls for butter, but doesn't say salted or not, just butter. Also it doesn't call for any salt. Which type of butter would be best?


texts: Does cooking in a nonstick pan affect the finished food?

texts: Whenever I cook in a nonstick pan, the food doesn't seem as crispy as compared to when I use simple aluminum pans. Is this due to the pan material or is there another factor behind it?


texts: Why use 2 types of flour in this Hooters Hot Wings copycat recipe?

texts:
SEE: http://www.copykat.com/2009/02/02/hooters-hot-wings/

I'm wondering what the purpose is of using whole wheat flour and all purpose flour in the breading recipe. Is there a benefit to this? Does it have something to do with the different protein content and gluten formation? Any insights would be highly appreciated.


texts:
I'm well aware that bacteria can grow on food left out overnight and should probably be thrown out afterwards. But, what about in instance of soups or stews, where the soup/stew goes directly from the cooked pot to a CLOSED pyrex container.

I would think since the food is starting off quite hot and immediately put in a air-tight container it is semi-akin to the canning process.

So all in all is there any scientific evidence that would allow me to believe that the way this food was "left out" is safe or nearly safe?


texts: Can you cure pork belly with skin and not replace the water?

texts:
Steve Lamb in his book 'The River Cottage Cookbook' mentions a recipe for pancetta where he removes the skin of the pork belly and then cures the belly in salt. He does not replace the cure and after a while, the salt removes the water from the meat and it becomes a wet cure.

I understand that when you roll the pancetta you don't want to roll it with the rind, but I want to know if you make unrolled pancetta can you cure it with this hybrid dry / wet cure with the skin ON.


texts: Is it safe to mix vegetable and animal fats?

texts:
There are so many russian internet-resourses that - without any proof - warn about mixing the above, because it can "drastically increase the fat absorption", but I couldn't find the same claim in english internet.

So now I am confused, if it is safe or not and, more important, why.


texts: How much difference is there between brands of flour?

texts: How much real difference is there between flours (specifically all-purpose) such as King Arthur, Gold Medal at a considerable savings and a store brand which is even less expensive?


texts: "elven slices" - What is the real name (if any)?

texts:
In the video game "Sacred" (2004), the player can find recipes. They are usually written in a fantasy-like manner. In the German version I found a recipe called "Elfische Schnitten aus Tyr-Hadar" ("elven slices of/from Tyr-Hadar"). I was curious and tried it out. Here is the description, roughly translated from German:

  Take 8 tablespoonful of honey and heat it up to make it liquid. Add 12
  egg yolks of hard boiled eggs. Add pepper and 175g bread crumbs. Mix
  everything with an egg whisk until you get a homogeneous mass. Form a
  block and let it cool down. Cut it into slices. [...]

That's how it looks like (I used a bit too much bread crumbs / too little honey, so it's quite crumbly):

It tastes sweet, much like regular cake.

Is there any real-life recipe for this? If yes, how is this food called?


texts: How are commercial protein bars made so dense?

texts: I am trying to make protein bars at home from protein powder and natural sweeteners. I have basically all the ingredients mentioned on the pack, but mine come out much softer, whether or not I cook them. How are they made so dense? Are they processed under pressure perhaps?


texts: issues with mexican restaurant-style white cheesedip

texts:
Recently I was trying to replicate the Mexican Restaurant-style white cheese dip that can be found in mexican restaurants around the south east United States.  (Specifically I was thinking of the cheese dip found at the El Toro chain around Atlanta, Georgia)

I used the following recipe:

* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 cup white flour
* 2 cups whole milk
* 1 tsp. ground cumin
* 8 oz. canned chopped green chiles, like Chile Ortegas, drained
* 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tsp. olive oil
* 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped OR 1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles chopped
* 8 oz. monterey jack or asadero cheese, grated
* salt to taste
* fresh ground pepper to taste

I Used a mix of Monterey Jack/Asadero/Queso Quesadilla cheese and omitted the jalapenos since my girlfriend complains about anything spicier than a bell pepper

First making a roux, then adding the spices and chilis, and finally stirring in the cheese.

However, the result was extremely bland -- I could taste the green chilis and not much else, including cheese.

What can I do to get something with more flavor?  I'd love to be able to make this at home.


texts: Is it possible to acquire salmonella from consuming royal icing?  Is it better to use a powder substitute?  I am afraid to serve egg whites that have not been cooked in a recipe.  What do you think?


texts: What does it mean for a flour to be "strong" or "reinforced"?

texts:
When describing flour, I sometimes see people comparing flours and saying that one is strong or stronger than another.

I also see flours that claim to be reinforced such as the Antimo Caputo 00 Rinforzato, where Rinforzato = Reinforced.

I had my own idea of what it meant, thinking it had something to do with higher gluten content, but right now, I'm not sure if that is correct.


texts: Black flakes coming off cast iron after it was used in the oven

texts: I put my Japanese made Snow Peak cast iron pots in the oven and they cam out full of black flakes. Even after i washed pots and water was running clear, paper towel was completely black after i dried my pans.  Any idea how to fix this problem? Is it safe to use pots now?


texts: When I steam my tamales, the masa becomes mushy. What am I doing wrong and how can I prevent this?


texts:
I have a freshly made shrimp broth.
 Onions, parsnip, tomato paste and white pepper corns along with shrimp shells.

https://www.msc.org/where-to-buy/product-finder/products/cfpsproduct-19BA7EBA-B7E7-40E4-8C33-8566D3AF25A0  is similar to the shrimp I have used.

It was simmering for about 15 minutes, then I strained it.

It is my experience that more simmering makes it turn bitter or too compact  (I'm lacking a better word).

Can I simmer/reduce the liquid to about half without imparting any off flavours?


texts: how do I cook sausages without poking holes through them?

texts:
I hear that when cooking sausages, you shouldn't poke holes in them as it will allow the flavour to spill out.

But whenever I don't do that with fat sausages, I end up getting the outside charred but the inside uncooked.


texts: Freezing soup, then transferring it to bags

texts:
So I don't freeze the soup directly in the freezer bags. I find the hassle of getting the liquid soup into the bags too messy. But other people may be better at that.

I freeze the soup in small containers that are freezer safe.

Then so I don't have to own like 50 of these small containers, I take the frozen soup out of the container.  And wrap it somehow before putting it back into the freezer.

I'm thinking placing multiple hunks of frozen soup into the same large freezer bags is probably going to be the easiest way for me to do it,

But I'm wondering if I should at least wrap the frozen soup in Saran Wrap before placing them in the freezer bag.  What would be the benefit of wrapping them in Saran Wrap?

Also, does anyone have an easy method of getting the frozen soup out of the small containers? I'm currently using 2-cup size round glass containers made by Pyrex.  They may actually be made of Pyrex, not glass. I'd need to go check.  But how I get the soup out of the containers is turn them upside down and run hot water over them until I can push the frozen soup around and get it to fall out. It's kind of a pain.


texts: How to cook chicken cutlets in a cast-iron skillet

texts:
We want to cook healthy chicken cutlets and were wondering if the best is to use our cast-iron pan rather than a regular pan.

Any advice on best practices for chicken cutlets cooked in cast-iron? Cooking time? Heat level?

We want to avoid the breaded version so we keep it even healthier.


texts:
A recent date left this for me to find...a surprise gift, how sweet! I'd love to know just how sweet :)

It's 1 3/8 inches, 3.5 cm thick. The larger piece weighs 143 grams or 5 ounces.

It tastes pretty good (but I am definitely no connoisseur) and it's certainly in the semi-sweet/bittersweet range.

I just discovered one more possible hint, WinCo Foods sells chocolate block pieces in their bulk food section, there are WinCos in my date's home state of Idaho. They carry both what they call dark chocolate and bittersweet chocolate.


texts:
Many regions have special devices or at least custom namings to brew tea and similar beverages:

Teapot in Western countries
Caydalnik in Turkey
Samovar in Russia
Samavar in Kashmir

Is there any special appliance, either a corresponding naming of such for brewing masala chai?


texts: How do I stop my pans from boiling over?

texts:
Yesterday the wife and I decided to boil some potatoes in a normal non-stick pan.

We added salt,  potatoes and boiling water.  We put this on an electric hob, with no lid at maximum heat (marked at 6, which is ~10 times hotter than our 5 setting.  From experience, the remaining settings decrease operating temperature linearly). When come to the boil we cover with a lid.

Almost immediately they boil over,  spilling water across the hob. We remove the pan from heat, remove the lid, put the pan back on heat, turn down to setting 3, and wait.  Once at the lower temperature,  we replace lid. The pan boils over.

I know the basic mechanism behind boiling over.  Some agent increases the surface tension of the bubbles, causing many bubbles to form and then boil over. I am guessing that it is the starch. I don't know what factor the lid plays,  as occasionally the pan boils over without the lid on.

Is there anything I can do? Are the pans not clean enough? Not enough/too much salt?  Wrong type of salt?

I've heard of the wooden spoon trick, but I actually want to tackle the root cause.  Plus most of my spoons are silicone, and the trick doesn't work with them.

So what can I do to prevent boiling over?


texts: Dividing Pizza dough to balls before baking

texts:
I see in a lot of recipes for Pizza baking that you need to divide the whole mass into several balls before the first proofing or before you make the pizza. I find it more convenient to just have the whole mass together until I actually need to bake and then I just take a chunk and leave the rest in the container.
Anyone know why they recommend dividing it before? What's wrong with the method I mentioned?


texts: Why does inside of cooked canned chicken always taste cold?

texts:
Recently I’ve been getting canned chicken and then frying it, baking it etc.  What I notice is that the chicken in general feels cold and the inside always feels colder.
You might say that’s normal but if I get raw chicken and then cook it the whole thing always feels tastefully hot inside and out.
Canned chicken(cooked or not) always seems to have a mushy texture unlike raw chicken.  Do you know why and why does it feel like cooking still leaves the inside quite cold compared to other cooking methods.  As you can see from pic, Even visibly the outside might become dark and crusty but the inside still looks very pinkish though I know these are precooked. Had it been raw chicken then cooked it would have all become at least white inside.
Thanks.


texts: How to Remove Garlic Ginger Paste smell from refrigerator

texts: When I put paste of garlic and ginger in the fridge the smell of paste spread in all the fridge and the other things too which are in the fridge.Kindly help me how to get rid of this to avoid the smell spreading in other products


texts: Is it a good idea or a waste to fry with olive oil?

texts:
A NY Times article says it's a waste:

  After I’d heated them, none of the olive oils had much olive flavor left. In fact, they didn’t taste much different from the seed oils.

But How to Cook Everything says it's a good idea:

  There is a myth that olive oil is not good for frying; on the contrary, it adds a delicious flavor to many savory fried foods.

OMG which one is it?


texts: How much is a cup of graham cracker crumbs in crackers and weight?

texts:
I have a recipe that calls for one cup of graham cracker crumbs.   How many crackers am I going to need to crush?

I'm having trouble finding an answer partly because different people consider a "cracker" to be of various sizes.  I would consider a cracker to be a full sized sheet like this:

 (image source)

It would also be helpful to know what a cup of graham cracker crumbs weighs.   My box of crackers is 14.4oz.   I could estimate what portion of the box to use if I know how much a cup of crumbs weighs.


texts: How to reheat sauce made from cream reduction

texts:
I plan to serve a sauce made by reducing 950g cream until it splits, then whisking in 50g cold cream to form a homogeneous thick sauce.
The recipe I’m referencing estimates the reducing time to 1.5 hours, and I wonder how to add some flexibility to my timeline, so that I can serve the sauce warm.
I have considered refrigerating the broken cream and reheating it before finishing with the cold cream. Alternatively, I would just finish the sauce completely, and reheat it gently in a pot.
Can anyone share some experience with reheating this kind of sauce?
My Norwegian cookbook says that this is a French sauce, and lists the French name as “Crème Triple”. I was unable to find this sauce when googling. Is there a common English term for it?


texts: What are some alternatives to using acetate strips?  I'm not interested in a specific application here, so feel free to give ideas for all types of techniques.  Under what culinary circumstances, if any, can they be substituted with a silpat?  Parchment paper?  Other types of plastic?


texts: Will frozen pearl onions caramelize as easily as fresh ones will?

texts: Will frozen pearl onions caramelize as well as fresh ones will? Besides draining the frozen ones, is there anything that I should do to them to aid their caramelization?


texts: What ratio of rice is needed for lentils to be a "complete protein"?

texts:
From what I understand Lentil needs Rice for the maximum benefit of its high protein quantity, of course that will then increase the carbs. What is the minimum ratio of rice to lentils to maximize protein to carb ratio while making the protein complete?

  Incomplete vs. Complete Protein
  Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids. The main sources of complete proteins are from animal based food, such as meat, seafood, eggs and dairy. Soy and quinoa are also complete proteins. Although incomplete proteins sounds like they are lacking and not as nutritious, they just need to be paired with another type of protein. For instance, adding peanut butter to bread creates a complete protein. According to Columbia University, the proteins do not need to be eaten together to receive the health benefits but any time within 24 hours will suffice.

  Lentils and Protein
  Lentils are rich in amino acids and high in protein. However, regular lentils are lacking in two essential amino acids. Because lentils do not have enough of these nutrients, the healthy legumes are an incomplete protein. However, lentils can be sprouted which changes their nutritional components. Sprouted lentils have an increase in all nine amino acids, although the exact increase is variable. To sprout your lentils, soak the seeds in cool water for eight to 12 hours. Rinse the lentils and store in a jar in a cool place for a few days, rinsing every eight hours.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/527529-myth-of-lentils-as-an-incomplete-protein/

  Grains
  Grains, such as rice, oats, wheat, rye and corn, can act as complementary proteins for legumes such as lentils. They contain the cysteine and methionine that lentils lack, and lentils provide the lysine that grains do not contain enough of. Whole grains are a more nutritious option than refined grains. Legumes and grains are one of the most common pairings for complementary protein. Indian daal with rice is an example of a lentil and grain dish.

Source: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/foods-mixed-lentils-provide-complete-source-amino-acids-1195.html


texts: I bought some tofu at the store about a month ago (or was it two months?). Anyway, I haven't eaten it all and it's sitting in my fridge in tupperware. How long is it good for?


texts: what is the reason for adding tomato paste when making a brown stock?

texts: I'm studying for an apprenticeship test and I know one of the questions is about why you add tomato paste to brown stock.  I have been taught that it's for depth of flavour and colour.  However, the choices on the test are separated into a) flavour, b) colour, C) acidity d) to speed up cooking process (?!)  I'm curious if anyone knows the actual ONE reason we add tomato paste to the bones?


texts: Dry crispy skin on sourdough starter: is it mold?

texts:
My sourdough starter is 2 months old. Some week or two ago it started to have a crispy skin on the top. The smell changed a bit, but it is still sweet-acid smell. I cover a jar with the starter with a kitchen paper towel. I replaced the jar with a clean one but the skin persists.

The bread I got from it is still decent.

Is it
mold?


texts: Reducing the moisture in cooked rice for making fried rice

texts:
I am aware that in order for fried rice in Asian dishes to have the typical consistency and texture, it is best to use rice that has been cooked and stored for at least 24 hours.

However, it's often difficult for me to plan anything a day in advance for certain reasons, and so I was wondering if there are any tricks to either improve the texture, or to speed up the process that happens to the rice, that reduces the moisture?

(Should it be relevant, I cook the rice in a rice cooker, using a cup of rice and 1.5 cups water. I have tried using less water than advised, but understandably this produces an unpleasant result.)


texts: How to cook the food such that no acrylamide is formed?

texts:
How to cook the food such that Maillard reaction doesn't form acrylamide?

http://sciencefare.org/2011/06/01/maillard-reaction/

  When food is cooked quickly at a high temperature, the Maillard reaction takes place within the food.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/10/10/162636059/100-years-ago-maillard-taught-us-why-our-food-tastes-better-cooked

  There's a downside to the Maillard reaction in cooking, too. In certain circumstances, the reaction produces cancer-causing substances, like acrylamide and furans.

Which type of cooking can prevent or minimize Maillard reaction's production of acrylamide?


texts: How should I handle food that sticks in stainless steel pans or woks after cooking in sunflower oil?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why does my food turn out poorly using an All-Clad Stainless-Steel Fry Pan?

Is there a way to prevent food that is cooked in sunflower oil from sticking to the pans / wok? Would a low heat help? If the food does stick, how could it be removed?


texts: So I always put bread in my brown sugar just because that what my mom always did, but I never understood why? I think it's supposed to make the brown sugar not clump. How does it work?


texts: Can I dilute double cream with milk to get lower fat content?

texts:
I need close to 900 ml of cream 30–35 % for a mousse recipe (which requires part of the cream to be whipped). Is it possible to dilute double cream (48 % fat) with whole milk (3.6 %) to get an average in the range I want?

Using the numbers above, I calculated that mixing 600 ml of double cream with 300 ml of milk should give me 900 ml (if they add up like that) of something with 299 g of fat, which is about 33 %.

Does this make sense or are there any complications I need to be aware of?

Note: The cream/milk packages actually give grams of fat per volume (e.g., 100 ml of double cream has 48 g of fat), but I've taken it to be about the same as percentage by mass since the target fat content is a range rather than an exact figure.

APPENDIX: Since this was mentioned in the answers/comments and it might be useful to other people, here's the formula I used to calculate the necessary quantities to achieve the target fat percentage.

Given two milk or cream liquids with different fat percentage (I will refer to the one with lower fat content as "thin" and the one with higher fat content as "thick"), a liquid quantity Q_target and fat concentration TargetFatConcentration can be achieved by mixing

and

The fraction is a ratio (pure number), but I'm using the word "concentration" instead of "percentage" (which is normally used for fat content) because the products you have (as in my case) might be giving you grams of fat per volume, which is, technically, not a percentage. The point is that units need to be consistent, whatever they are.

Either volume or mass can be used for the "quantities".

It should go without saying that the target concentration can only be between the "thin" and "thick" one; i.e., you cannot dilute a cream by adding a thicker cream to it and vice versa.


texts: Help making multigrain bread for first time

texts:
Just bought a home bread-maker and I would like to try baking a multigrain bread which recipe is included in the machine booklet. The ingredients of the recipe, which include 3 kinds of flour, are written below:

Flour (240 g).
Strong whole wheat bread flour (140 g)
Graham flour (40 g).
Butter (20 g).
Salt (1 3/4 tsp).
Linseeds (2 tbsp).
Quinoa, wash in water (3 tbsp).
Water (280 ml).
Dry yeast (2 tsp).
Sunflower seeds (60 g).

I went with the recipe to a bio-shop and after discussing it with someone there they told me that:

Strong whole wheat bread flour refers to "type 150" wheat flour. I bought it.
Plain "flour" they suspected that it refers to just white flour. They do not sell white flour (since it was a bio shop) but offered me "type 75" wheat flour instead, which I bought.
They did not know what is Graham flour. Apparently this is not easy to find where I leave (Belgium) and nobody seems to know what is this about.

So my questions before starting my first bread making experiment are:

Is correct the assumption that in my recipe plain flour should be just white flour? If that is the case I would like to replace it if possible since to the best of my understanding white flour is not very good for health. Is a good idea to replace it by the "type 75" wheat flour I got (the actual name written on the product (in french) is: "Farine de froment 75%")? Or maybe another alternative is better ?
What is the best replacement for the Graham flour that seems to be difficult to find in Belgium ?

Thanks.


texts: What are the options for thawing a frozen turkey?

texts:
I'm aware of a few methods (many days in the refrigerator, hours under cold water, etc.) for thawing a whole turkey before cooking it. However, I don't know how these methods balance against each other for,

Speed (do we have days or hours to thaw this turkey?),
Safety (something about bacterial growth),
Ease (is there a trick to this that makes it way more convenient?)
...?

What are the options?


texts: Is it ok to freeze a chicken carcass to make stock with another time? And if so, after I make the stock with it, is it ok to then freeze some of that stock or would that be refreezing & thus unsafe?


texts: I wash breakfast plates for about 800 people every morning, I scrub the plates before putting them in the dishwashe, is there some kind of chemical I can use to break down the egg protien and no longer have to scrub? - tired hands and all!


texts: Safety of coffee in thermal flask, long periods of time

texts:
How long is it safe to hold coffee in a thermal flask?  Is coffee (prepared in a cezve, Turkish method, no sugar) carried in a thermal flask for 24 or 48 hours still safe?

I'm asking because black tea, for example, goes really bad in just a few hours.


texts: Why does gelling sugar lose its gelling property after some time?

texts:
Gelling sugar (also called jam sugar or jelly sugar) is used for making fruit jams. It is a mixture of sugar and pectin. Properly stored sugar has a near infinite shelf life but gelling sugar only has a shelf life of a few month. Aferwards it still works like usual sugar but does not work as a gelling agent anymore.
Why does that happen?


texts: Best way/temperature to get maillard reaction on meat/steak

texts:
Background

In relation to this question/answer. What temperature does the Maillard reaction occur?

The answer to the question above states that over 400F/200C there is basically no maillard, only caramelization. It also states in the chart that you get most flavor full result between 250F/110C and 300F/150C. This goes against what I believed; I though the hotter the better (within reason). Therefore I use a blow torch. But maybe what I like is a mix of some maillard and some caramelization.

Question

With respect to the temperatures described in the previous question. Would my meat taste better if I used a 300F/150C pan instead of a very hot blow torch?


texts: How-to Cut Baking Chocolate bar clean for perfect squares

texts: My recipe calls for 1/2 square of baking chocolate per cookie. But trying to cut thru the bar into the indicated squares just crumble and are not neat or exact. Is there a method of somehow either warming the chocolate or softening it, so that it will cut easily/nicely from the solid bar?


texts: Can I use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk for pumpkin pie?

texts: The recipe calls for evaporated milk, but I only have sweetened condensed. Can I use it instead?


texts: How does one glue together fried onions with an edible, savory adhesive?

texts:
I'd like to make a bar that consists of fried, crispy onions (also known as “Bawang Goreng”) that are glued together. The glue should be edible and savory. I wonder what the best recipe would be for this kind of glue. With some quick googling, I found that some people use a mixture of water, flour, and salt as an adhesive paste. I'm afraid, however, that the fried onions won't be that crispy anymore if I apply this mixture to it.
So my question is, do you have any other ideas for a savory food glue? In particular, one that would somehow fit the taste and bite of fried, crispy onions?


texts:
I need a little liquidy version of Nutella for a recipe, how can I achieve this?

I tried blending Nutella with milk but its a messy procedure, is there a clean way to make Nutella more liquidy?


texts: Are sundried tomatoes regulated in the EU?

texts:
There are different methods for drying tomatoes, and I suppose that using a dehydrator is most convenient in an industrial setting. Still, many dried tomatoes are sold as "sundried tomatoes". I have heard the skeptical opinion that these are probably tomatoes which were not dried in the sun, or maybe spent only a nominal amount of time in the sun.

Is there a legal norm prescribing what constitutes a "sundried tomato"? A special process to be followed? Maybe a minimal time prescribed for the tomatoes to spend in the sun (or at least under the sky outdoors, be it sunny or cloudy) after they have been picked?

I am interested in EU legislation, either on the level of the whole union or of states in it (I don't expect answers to list the details for each state if it is regulated on the national level).


texts: Idiomatic combinations of peanut butter, jelly, and bread

texts:
Is there a reason why, at least in the US, that:

1) on dry bread, we typically eat peanut butter AND jelly, not one or the other;

2) but on toast, we typically eat either peanut butter OR jelly, not both?


texts: Separate cutting boards: Cooked vs Uncooked meat

texts: I know it is common knowledge that one should using different cutting boards for meat and vegetables (cross contamination), but should you also use a different cutting board for raw/cooked meat? Or at least clean the raw meat cutting board first? My roommate thinks the different meat/vegetable cutting board is absolute, so as long as you cut meat on one board you are safe. But I'm pretty sure a surface where raw meat was on can't be safe can it? Thanks.


texts: When did the US start refrigerating eggs on a regular basis?

texts: Does anyone recall when refrigerated eggs became the norm in the US?  I seem to remember buying eggs in the large grocery stores off the shelf--not refrigerated--as recently as the 1990s.  I lived in the Detroit area so I'm talking big city, not country stores.  I know it is required now by the FDA.


texts: I'm sure everyone's seen this - that brownish stuff left behind when you grease an area of a baking dish that gets left exposed to the heat. Soap doesn't bother it too much, and it likes to gum up my scrubber. What's going on there, and are there any easy ways to get it off?


texts: I'm trying to determine conversion for US. - dry teaspoons to ounces and grams, namely 1 tsp, 1-1/2 tsp, and 2 tsp. Every conversion table I've seen shows different values. The one I often found was: 3t, 1/2 oz, 14.3 g. If there is consensus, I'll just work it backward, but I really want this to be right!


texts:
I don't cook myself, but I watch a fair few cooking shows. Recently the theme of gold and silver leaf has been quite recurring. My first thought was "Well it can't be actual gold. Who would eat gold?" But it looked very shiny and metallic; like it was actually made out of metal. I thought maybe it was made of chocolate, since I'd seen it in a lot of desserts, and the closest thing I could come up with was "chocolate coins are covered in gold foil -> the gold leaf is in a dessert -> you'd think it has to be something edible -> maybe it's chocolate?"

Well, finally I just looked it up. I found this website which goes into a good bit of detail about what gold leaf is. And...it's gold! I was definitely surprised. So my research uncovered that it was indeed made of gold, but now I'm left with another question which I did not find the answer to:

  Why do chefs use gold and silver leaf?

I mean...you're eating metal. I'm sure it doesn't taste bad, or else professional chefs wouldn't use it. But I can't imagine it tastes good either, it's metal! I've tasted tinfoil before (not swallowed it, but come into contact with it enough to notice the taste) and it certainly isn't pleasant.

So all I can think is that they add it because it looks pretty. And okay...sure, I'll give you that. It does look pretty. But you're eating metal, expensive precious metals at that! The world's gold is going down our digestive tracts? Curiouser and curiouser.

So I suppose I'm looking for an objective reason why chefs would use this item. I see a lot of new and interesting and odd things on these food shows, but this is a real strange one for me. Is there an aspect I'm missing that makes the use of gold leaf make more sense? Or is it really just as simple as "it's pretty so we're putting it on there"?


texts: Can I use red wine instead of white wine for chicken scallops?

texts: There's dry white wine used in chicken scallops , is it possible to substitute it with red wine ?


texts: Baking with regular skillet vs. cast iron for apple pie

texts:
I have a recipe for apple pie I want to use. The recipe asks for a cast iron skillet.

Can I use a regular skillet in the oven instead of the cast iron skillet?


texts:
I've been trying make my own sausage patty recipe for some time now. But recently, after eating a Sausage McMuffin, I wondered if Mcdonald's uses brined pork sausage for their sausage patties.

After all -- I think sausages are really brined, originally?

So the question is. Is the pork in sausage patties brined and/or cured? If so, does the brining occure before grinding the meat or after?


texts: Are the NAAN flatbread {from simply chef} ok to eat without warmed up in the microwave or oven?

texts: So I was getting something to eat. I didn't think they had to be warmed up. So yea is it safe to do that.the ingredients are enriched wheat flour, wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron,enzyme,ascorbic acid added as a dough conditioner ,thiamine mononitrate,riboflavin,folic acid,water,sugar,baking powder,sodium bicarbonate,cornstarch,monocalcium phosphate,inactive yeast, wheat gluten, calcium propionate (preservative)vitamin D2 Bakers yeast,potassium sorbate,preservative,fumaric acid,lactic acid,calcium lactate. (Contains wheat) may contain soy milk and eggs


texts: Will whipping sour cream result in something with a texture similar to whipped cream? How about a mix of whipping cream and sweet cream? I want a pie topping with a sour taste.


texts: How does the carrot in deep fryer trick work?

texts: So I just heard about putting a carrot in the deep fryer so as to pick up the burnt junk and keep the oil clean for longer. I tried it. It works! Now I'm wondering how it works, and what other veggies or whatnot can be substituted in place of the carrot?


texts: I was reading the discussion about "Pastry flour for bread" and noticed that several types of flour were mentioned.  I looked at my bread flour and noticed that it says 4%.  I looked at the AP flour, a common brand, it says 3%. My question is, is it possible to add gluten to increase the protein content in the flour?  I am relatively new at making bread.  I am trying to bake an Italian recipe for crusty bread by translating the ingredients into what is available in the US.  The recipe calls for Flour 00.  Thanks for the advice.


texts: How do I prevent tomato making quiche soggy

texts:
I have made a simple quiche using a Martha Stewart recipe (http://www.marthastewart.com/336904/spinach-and-gruyere-quiches) several times, sometimes altering the filling to include variously bacon, ham, mushrooms, cheddar, and today, tomato slices with basil leaves.

I typically half the amount of filling and make only one quiche. Usually, this comes out quite well (although sometimes a bit overly fluffy like a souffle) and makes for a quick supper. I use prepared pastry (usually Pillsbury) and it typically comes out well-cooked and not soggy, despite not blind-baking the crust which is apparently something I should be doing based on this question: Why is my quiche soggy?.

Until today, the only time I had a problem was when I used spinach without pressing out some of the moisture, and then the quiche filling and crust were both soggy.

Today, I added sliced plum tomato on the top of the quiche before cooking, but found I had to cook the quiche for an additional 10 minutes and still had a somewhat overly gooey filling (but the crust was basically fine).

Unlike spinach, it seems silly to squeeze out tomato slices so that they don't add additional moisture to the quiche. Is there a strategy to avoid this problem?


texts: How is unsweetened plant-based yogurt possible?

texts:
For plant-based (soya, almond, cashew, etc.) unsweetened yogurt, how does the yogurt bacteria grow and develop without sugar?

From online recipes for soya yogurt, one tablespoon of sugar per 1 liter of unsweetened soy milk is needed to promote bacterial fermentation. As these plant-based milk alternatives themselves do not contain sugar (lactose/ milk sugar), for which is the basic food for yogurt bacteria (eg. Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus/ Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus/ bifidobacteria).

Also, there is not much sourness in some brands of soya yogurt (eg. Sojade etc). I wonder instead of sugar, what is added to cover the lactic acid that was produced by the yogurt bacteria during fermentation?

Would like to try making unsweetened soya yogurt at home. Appreciate any insights :)


texts: Garlic press with minimum force required

texts:
What type of a grarlic press would require the minimum amout of force to operate? (for people with hand problems)

Would this one where the pressing part is pivoted require less force than one with a fixed pressing part?

Any other designs which requires less force?

(one could extend the handles attaching something to them to get more leverage obviously)


texts:
If I make a frozen meal and then save the leftovers in the refrigerator, is it OK to reheat it the next day in the microwave? Since it's already been frozen (or freeze dried, whatever they do), it seems like it may not be the best thing to do.

And I realize this is hardly "cooking", but I figure it loosely fits under the site's umbrella.


texts: How do you properly defrost frozen fish?

texts: I recently bought a package of frozen cod that contains about 6 pieces. How do you go about properly defrosting them? Thanks.


texts: We all know that besides what vegetarians don't eat (meat and fish), vegans also don't eat eggs. But do vegans eat honey, and, if not, then what do they consume in place of honey when they have a throat problem? And what if they happen to be also diabetic?


texts: What are the best cuts of meat for grinding burgers?

texts:
I recently bought the grinder attachment for my Kitchen-Aid mixer. I tried grinding some chuck steaks but it was tedious as I constantly had to clear out stringy tendon/gristle pieces (not sure of the exact term, sorry). They did taste decent however. Next I tried some top round. It ground easily but seemed to have less flavor.

What are the preferred beef cuts for grinding tasty burgers?


texts: How can I save sweet from ants without refrigerator?

texts: Sometimes when I don't have refrigerator, I didn't save sweet from ants. How can I save sweet things from ants without refrigerator?


texts:
Many people say you have to slow ferment your bread after shaping to give it better flavor, but I can never understand that.  Why not just slow ferment the whole batch then shape it when it is done fermenting?

This way is way safer as you can't ruin the proofing if you forget it a bit longer than intended and it has been giving me the desirable results I am after.

Are there any advantages in slow fermenting individual breads instead of the whole batch?

I am talking about crusted white bread. After the slow fermentation for the whole batch, I will just shape the bread, put it in a dutch oven and let it proof for 10-20 minutes, slash it then pop it in the oven to bake. For the other method (which I don't use) they just get it out of the fridge, slash it and pop it into the oven.


texts: How do I minimize the risk of bacteria growth in bean sprouts?

texts:
I have been experimenting with sprouts lately. Most recently I've been sprouting mung beans.

Last week I had a salad with a larger than usual portion of bean sprouts. I spent the next day with a delicious case of food poisoning. I don't have any proof that the sprouts were the cause but I have since read online that sprouts are prone to bacterial contamination and they were the only potentially risky thing I ate that day.

My process is simply:

Rinse the beans,
Place them in a mason jar with a mesh lid
Cover with water,
After one day drain the beans,
Twice a day, rinse them with fresh water and allow to drain,
Eat the sprouts after 3-7 days.

If bean sprouts do have an elevated risk of bacterial growth, how can I minimize that risk?


texts:
I have a recipe which calls for a cup of blanched baby peas.

Now, I know what blanching is. It concerns cooking the outer layer of green vegetables (James Peterson), but how long should I blanch baby peas?

It seems that even a few seconds would cook them all the way through.


texts: Do I need to use sterilized jars straight away?

texts: When making jams and preserves you obviously need to sterilize the jars. After the jars have been sterilized do you need to use them straight away or can you sterilize them in advance and keep them for when you're ready to use them?


texts: Using half-eaten bones to make stock -- sanitary?

texts: Is it safe use half-eaten bones from a family dinner meal to make stock? Or is this unsanitary, and it's better to just obtain bones through filleting and deboning while raw or after slow or pressure cooking?


texts: What green chilli is being referred to in an indian lamb sheek kebab recipe?

texts: I'm looking at a recipe for an Indian lamb seekh kebab and it says green chilli without specifying the variety.  I am assuming green chilli can mean anything from green bell peppers to hot green peppers.  So what would this typically be?


texts: Techniques and ingredients to make marinara sauce from canned spagetti sauce

texts: My wife dislikes the flavor and thickness of canned spaghetti sauce.  She finds it thin and tasting like vegetable soup.  Can one spice and cook this down to make it the taste and texture of a marinara sauce (say like Prego)?


texts: I make fresh pasta regularly and it usually works out well. There is one exception. If I make sheets of pasta for lasagna or cannelloni they tend to stick together during cooking so that I have difficulty separating them from each other and themselves. Does anyone have a suggestion? I have heard that adding oil to the water may help. Thanks.


texts: How to keep cream cheese for a long time?

texts: I discovered that I can buy cream cheese at 1/4 the price per pound, but only if I buy it as a solid 10 cm x 10 cm x 40 cm brick. Assuming I only eat 1/10th of this brick per week, is there any way I can store it so it does not go moldy in the meantime?


texts:
I need to roast some hazelnuts to use later for other preparations.
How do you do it?
In a cooking pan or in the oven, and for how much time?


texts:
Whenever I fry hamburgers I can't help but notice that they create a lot of smoke. I have brand new non-stick pans, and an electric stove. I cook them on setting 6, where the stoves max is 8. I don't add any oil because if I do it pops and goes everywhere.

I have a thermometer that I use when cooking, and I keep cooking until they reach 170 all around. I think I'm doing it right, I put the burgers down, let them cook for about 4 minutes, poke the thermometer in to create some venting holes, flip them over. Repeat this process until they reach 170. Usually about half-way through they start to smoke pretty bad. Am I cooking them too high? It already takes what seems like forever to cook them through.


texts: I have an iron kettle that is pitted with rust in pits. How do I get rid of rust so I can cook chowder in it? We have tried using a wire brush, filled with water and boiled it. Saw vinegar can be used but don't know how long to leave it in kettle or if needs to be diluted.


texts: Yorkshire pudding - how do the proportions of the ingredient affect shape, texture and taste?

texts:
Some very interesting posts, like this one, which has links to some more extensive discussions and websites that I consulted, too, describe some aspects of the method used to prepare and bake the batter, affecting the end result.

However, a sentence in one post:

  You can play with the ratio of ingredients every which way and still end up with a batter that rises tall.

left me quite baffled, because I thought: surely the composition of the batter must matter to some extent...

From a little research on the topic, I found that, indeed, the proportions of the ingredients vary widely between different recipes, but I could not find any extensive account of how that impacts the outcome.

See below the links to each recipe I looked at, and the % of ingredients, in order of egg to flour ratio.

Allegra McEvedy
Egg = 19%, Flour = 24%, Milk = 57%, Water = 0%, Egg/Flour = 0.80

Tom Kerridge
Egg = 26%, Flour = 29%, Milk = 45%, Water = 0%, Egg/Flour = 0.89

BBC food
Egg = 22%, Flour = 22%, Milk = 44%, Water = 11%, Egg/Flour = 1.00

Serious Eats
Egg = 36%, Flour = 27%, Milk = 32%, Water = 5%, Egg/Flour = 1.33

Mary Berry
Egg = 31%, Flour = 21%, Milk = 47%, Water = 0%, Egg/Flour = 1.50

James Martin
Egg = 33%, Flour = 18%, Milk = 49%, Water = 0%, Egg/Flour = 1.78

However you look at it, Egg/Flour ratio, (Egg+Flour)/(Milk+Water) ratio, there is a huge variability.

I experimented a bit, although I did not make all of them.
Allegra McEvedy's version is my favourite so far, whereas other recipes (I won't say which ones) gave me stodgy, undercooked puddings, a completely different thing, despite the fact that the method was to all practical purposes the same.

Q As per title of this post, would anyone be able to please point me to posts or websites describing how the batter composition affects the end result, e.g. in terms of shape, texture and taste?


texts: How old is a chicken when it's time to be cooked?

texts: How old is a chicken usually allowed to grow before it's ready to be used for cooking?


texts: How much smoke is normal for pan cooking steak?

texts:
I am on a quest to make the perfect steak on a stovetop. Today I took my first step and frankly there were a few things that were really concerning.

I am using an induction cooktop and a stainless steel pan and no oil. All the instructions said to put the steak on high heat so I cranked the stove up to 9/10 and was surprised when smoke started billowing off of the pan. I took the pan outside to cool and avoid setting off the fire alarm. Then I brought it back in setting it at 6/10 which is about where I cook my chicken breast.

After leaving it there for 5 minutes still a Heft amount of smoke was generated and I eventually turned it down to 5/10. When I flipped the steak that side was still over cooked. I had hardly reached what I would consider “high” temperatures (especially compared to how I cook chicken) and the steak was already smoking and burnt.

So I guess my question here is how much smoke is normal when cooking steak in this matter? What is that “high” temperature that will lock in some amazing flavor without creating too much smoke or burn? Surely it cannot be at a 5/10 on my stovetop.

Is induction cookware effecting anything here?


texts: I am making a dairy- and gluten-free cake. What can I use to replace vegetable butter?


texts: Sous vide stopped heating water overnight, is it still safe to eat?

texts:
Started some beef short ribs yesterday morning at 185f for 24 hours, went to bed with about 11 hours left on the sous vide but when I woke up this morning the water was only at 133f according to the sousvide, and my other thermometer in the water read 127.5f.
I put them in an ice water bath right away for about 20 minutes until they were cool and they're now in the fridge.
Are these still safe to eat? I have no idea how long they've been in the water at under 130f, but it's probably 10L of water and it's wrapped in towels and had a lid on it to keep the heat in so I assume it took a long time to get down to that temp.


texts: How long can I soak red kidney beans for?

texts: I have had red kidney beans (dried) soaking for 2 days now as I didn't get around to cooking them yesterday. Will they still be safe to eat if I cook them up tonight? Thanks!


texts: What is the absolute maximum salt-to-water ratio of a brine for Lacto-Fermentation

texts:
There are various lacto-fermentated sauce or pickle recipes making use of a salty brine. And depending on the food item that's going to be fermented and also depending on the sense of taste of the recipe developer, the salt-to-water ratio (salinity) in such recipes varies quite a lot.
What I'm wondering is, what is the maximum amount of salt you can have in a brine; so that you can still have the lactic acid bacteria develop. Where's the cut-off point (in terms of salinity) that stops the fermentation?


texts: What vegetable for sauteed zucchini could I use instead of tomatoes?

texts:
I like to fry or sautee onions, garlic, chilis, spices (for flavor) and zucchini (the main ingredient); then stir them in a can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. The tomatoes are a way to add a sauce with some thickness that brings all the ingredients together. I want to get close to the texture and consistency, but I'm looking for something else so the dish does not always taste the same.

Is there another vegetable or fruit I could use instead of the tomatoes?


texts: What is the white swirl in my bread and is it safe?

texts:
I just bought a loaf of wheat bread and in an attempt to use it I noticed that there are thick white "swirls" throughout the whole loaf.

I thought it might be that it was not mixed properly but I have not found anything stating what it could be.

I am just wondering what it is and if it is safe to eat?


texts: Is it ok to eat from a microwavable container that has melted?

texts:
I was handed a food container with a plastic covering on top. I was told that to pierce a hole through the plastic and plonk the container into the microwave for 5. minutes.

After heating, I discovered that the container had melted quite a bit: I am wondering is a sign that plastic chemicals had leaked into the food?

In addition, when heating the container with the plastic cover on top, isn't it plausible for chemicals from the cover to get into the food?


texts: Can I ferment black garlic intermittently?

texts:
Following this black garlic tutorial and in reference to this SA question, I would like to try making myself black garlic, and to try fermenting the garlic to different time to test out difference in flavor

The tutorial suggest that garlic has to be fermented for 40 days continuously to become black garlic. It would be difficult to leave my oven, slow cooker, or a rice cooker unused for other cooking for a month. So my question is: can I ferment it intermittently - take out the garlic, use the cooker for something else, then restore the garlic and resume the heating.

Would that still give me black garlic?


texts:
Is it possible to have a keto stew?
I would guess no since you need a starch eg a fair quantity of onions and carrots?
Is there anyway it can be accomplished?


texts:
I'm using Ramsay's recipe from the US version of his Home Cooking book. The recipe is:
4 cups bread or 00 flour
Two 1/4 oz packets of yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup EV olive oil
1 and 1/3 cup warm water for the yeast

The first few times I've made this I just used AP flour because that was what I had on hand. I bought some bread flour to see how much of a difference I noticed. With the AP flour after about 10 minutes of kneading it gets nice and smooth. But with the bread flour it was tough, rough, and just wouldn't get into a nice consistency. I added water little by little to try to get it right, but it still never became smooth.

Does one need to use more water with bread flour?

(I've only been cooking for about a year, so when things aren't consistent I get confused.)


texts:
What is the difference between Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate?

Does Dark Chocolate not have milk? What are each made out of that make them different?


texts: Can I add more cream to my thick and ready ganache?

texts:
The answer to this question might also answer this question.
I made ganache and it's ready, but to thick to work with (I probably messed up the chocolate-cream ratio). Can I add more cream to it if it's already ready? If yes, can the cream be warmed up before mixing it in?


texts:
Smoothies are traditionally known to be a thick and sweet beverage. My question is, were they initially made with

(a) fruits and cream
(b) fruits and yogurt
(c) fruits, ice, and milk?

What I mean is, which of the recipes above are more "traditional" or more original, as with the first people who did it with blenders. Was it first done in the US?


texts: Can I still cook this white king hot cake without using any eggs?

texts:
So I have a hotcake mix in a box, White King Hotcake Creamy Classic, but I ran out of eggs.

It's 1:10 AM here in the Philippines and there are no stores open so I'm asking if I can still cook this Hotcake without eggs.


texts: Water repellent-like residue on pot when cooking vegetables

texts:
When I boil vegetables including broccoli the pot gets a water repellent-like residue at the water line that is very hard to remove. There is also residue similar to when cooking beans on the sides of the pots. This is in decent, newer stainless pots including the instant pot. My mother's older stainless pots don't seem to have this problem.

Does anyone know why this is and what is the best way to clean them? I wonder with time if it will become easier to clean. Or if the manufacturer coats them with something.


texts: What year was the Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich first made available for sale?


texts:
I followed a brining recipe tonight for the first time. I added water, salt, sugar, worcestershire, and various dried seasoning to a saucepan, brought to a rapid boil, let cool, then refrigerated. I am going to use part of this on the 2 turkey legs I bought today, but that will leave me with a lot of leftover, unused brine. (I didn't realize it until I started, but the recipe I followed produced almost 6 quarts of brine.)

What can I do with this 'extra' brine? Would it be safe to store it in the fridge (if so, for how long?) or the freezer? What would this do to the effectiveness of the brine?


texts: Wikipedia says they're cooked by steaming or boiling. Searching further, I've found plenty of people saying their way is the best way. Assuming they're well-made and won't leak when boiled, why would I pick one method over the other?


texts:
I bought a quart of soy milk for the first time ever last week. It has been sitting unopened in the door of my refrigerator since. I pulled it out today to use it in a bowl of cereal and it was frozen solid.

My refrigerator is not particularly frigid; regular milk and juice products stored in the back do not freeze. It's even more shocking to me that it froze in the door of my fridge, since that is the warmest place.

Is this normal for soy milk? If not, what went wrong? How should I store soy milk?

*The expiration date is sometime in March 2011


texts: What the gluten look like when kneading for long time on a texture basis

texts:
If developing lots of gluten make the dough harder to be rolled out, why some bread recipes calls for long kneading process, like the brioche dough and pizza dough, and then be rolled out into long size?

And another question, if I did the same dough recipe, the first one is kneaded for 2 minutes, and the other for 10 minutes and then baked, what would be the texture difference between both breads ?


texts: What the advantage of a 'bakers couche' for proofing bread and is it safe?

texts: A bakers couch is just floured fabric, whats the advantage to using it?  King Arthur's site says that it promotes chewy, crunchy crust -  how's that?  If I'm just keeping it floured and not washed all the time, isn't there a risk of some kind of bacteria, or should it just be too dry?


texts: What are the advantages of serving fries in a metal cone?

texts:
We ate at BURGR a few weeks ago.  And we had a burger and fries.  The burgers were good - 7 out of 10.  The fries were served in a cone.

Now when my wife and I were eating the (truffle) fries we both thought they were dramatically under-seasoned.  Now I can eat salt straight so I felt like maybe I shouldn't complain but the wife doesn't like much salt on anything.  Of course we ate the fries (because we paid for them - BURGR just gives you a burger).  As I got to the bottom of the cone I got a surprise.  Little fry piece, garlic salt, salt, truffle powder, pepper, and other deliciousness (that should have been on my fries).
Me having no manners just ate the bottom part.  The wife didn't partake.  So my question is - is there any taste benefit in serving fries like this? I strongly get the feeling if someone on Ramsey's show served him fries like this he would say something like, "You dumb cow.  You don't understand how gravity works.  Where in the bloody hell do you think your salt will fall?"
Note: There are some pretty good comments about it being normal for fries to be served inside a paper wrapped cone in some parts of the world.  Yes.  But this is different.  First the seasoning is not a dressing/liquid, second with a paper wrapper you can shake the fries around, and third the paper cone can be sat on its side more or less.  The configuration here cannot be adjusted without spilling condiments and people looking at you funny.


texts: I put my mug which has a golden handle by mistake in the microwave. Then the microwave sparked so I disconnected the microwave. Is the microwave still safe to use? The microwave is only 3 months old.


texts: potato and carrot dumpling,how would you make it diabetic frendly?

texts: not sure how to put this recipe up for others to cross-reference but it's on food.com if anyone wants to find it. the recipes name is carrot and potato dumplings and my question is how would you make it diabetic friendly? I'm honestly not sure myself, thussly my question here.  Also I'm diabetic myself, so ANY advice as to how to make it diabetic friendly would be nice! I'm not sure how to make it better for diabetics in anyone's interested.


texts:
So our apartment has an oven that, without fail, creates considerable smoke when we use it.  And we've been trying to clean it as best we can with baking soda and vinegar, along with Bon Amie powder cleanser, but we can't get it to come out.

Here's what the inside looks like:

Other than hours upon hours of scrubbing, is there anything we haven't tried yet that we could do to get these burn stains out?


texts: Recommendations for leak proof containers?

texts:
I regularly take lunch to work which requires a leak-proof container. The food doesn't necessarily need to be kept hot or particularly cold. An example meal would be a bean salad.

I am struggling to find a container that is leak proof.  The container will be upended and shaken (not too much!) when in transit from home to work. The container will ideally have a wide mouth to allow me to eat directly from it.

Have you got any suggestions for a suitable container of capacity approximately 500 mL (17oz)?


texts: This is a screen-shot of "Chopped", a show on the Food Network that I watch a lot. Most of the pans on the show are stainless steel, but it seems that these pans are always the ones the chefs grab when I would grab Teflon. They don't seem as non-stick as Teflon, eggs especially seem to stick to these pans, the show doesn't seem to have any Teflon pans. What surface is this?


texts: How do I add menthol flavoring to this gum?

texts:
My boy's birthday is coming next week, and I was thinking of making some homemade. I read the ingredient of gum on the packet and one of them was menthol flavoring.

I'm using this basic recipe:

  Heat the ingredients. Place the gum base, corn syrup, glycerine, citric acid and bubble gum flavoring in the top part of a double boiler. ... Create a powdered sugar well. Pour the gum base into the well. Make bubble gum dough. ... Roll out the dough. Finish the gum.

So, how do I add menthol flavoring to this?


texts: What is the base of a seasoning blend for something like roast chicken?

texts:
I'm not looking for the recipies, I'm just looking for the principle behind this idea.

There is a product that I love which is a seasoning blend that you put in a roasting bag with chicken that then goes in the oven for an hour. The sauce that you end up with in the bag is thicker than water but not very thick at all.

The seasoning blend is floury with lots of herbs and spices in it and I'd love to try and replicate it so that I can get the taste without all of the preservatives in the store-bought version.

I guess that I'll have to experiment with the spices, but can anyone tell me more about the floury base? Is this just flour or is there something like corn-starch in these things?


texts: I have a recipe for an apple-strawberry crumble that calls for "1 vanilla sugar." I don't have any, so I'm looking for advice on how to substitute vanilla and sugar for the vanilla sugar - as well as estimates on appropriate amount, since the recipe left that out!  For estimating guidance, it's supposed to be a 9x13 pan.


texts: How deeply will the flavors in a brine penetrate chicken?

texts:
I'm not asking about salt or "juiciness". I think there is enough evidence here and elsewhere to answer that question with "pretty deep, or all the way to the bone". My question concerns spices and other flavorings in the brine. I want to know not only how far the flavors can go, but also what qualities in specific flavorings help those flavorings penetrate more deeply, and why?

There is yet another question within my answer. I hope that someone can shed more light on the subject. I'll happily accept an answer that clarifies things, even if it debunks my hypothesis as to "why".


texts: Name for turning ingredients to powder / mush, and then molding back into their original shape

texts:
Is there a name for the technique of turning an ingredient into a homogeneous mass, and then molding it back into its original shape, or the shape of a less-processed form of that ingredient? Examples:

Pringles are made by turning potatoes (and some wheat) into powder, and then molding them back into a shape of a potato that was sliced up and fried.

The McRib consists of homogeneous meat that's been shaped to resemble a more natural configuration of meat.

Harvest Snaps are peas that have been turned to powder and then pressed back into the shape of a fresh pea pod.

Bonus Question: All the examples I can think of are industrially processed food. Are there any traditional or home recipes that use a similar technique?


texts: if a chicken has been in the freezer from November 18 till now July 2 is it safe to cook it and eat it??I'm old and I don't understand


texts: Loved my tramontina 3 piece induction system from Costco until this happened.  Was boiling some eggs as I do every morning and had done for 9 days in a row with this system.  This morning I might have had the temperature a little higher but not much more. When the water came to a rolling boil I put 2 eggs in. When it was time to pull them out I shut off the cooktop and went to pull off the lid, but I couldn't because it was stuck. I thought that maybe it needed to cool down so I left it alone now 12 hours. However the lid is still stuck to the pot. I do not wish to force it. I have even held it upside down as pictured.


texts:
I want to make a pizza on my charcoal barbecue. I saw a few videos from Weber, but none show how to get a thin crust.

What is the secret to a thin crust pizza and can it be done on a charcoal bbq?


texts: Sanitization, disinfection, sterilization of Dishwasher?

texts:
How to do more then just clean of dishwasher ? I mean: how to sanitize or even disinfect or sterilize ?

"Many people are misinformed about the difference between clean, sanitized, disinfected, and sterilized." - quote from ANFP

In place I currently rent there is Electrolux GA55LV220 Dishwasher and I am completely puzzled which methods are both: safe for dishwasher (it's not mine, rented...) and will clean bacteria&friends safely to our health after previous unknown users.

I allowed myselfe to post here, as maintenance category of this site feels like good fit, because regular sanitization of dishwasher (e.g. every 1-3 months) is recommended in couple of places like good idea.

So far reseach:
For example, I see in this and other articles, advice to use chlorine bleach, because of it's disinfection properties. However there is always warining to "not use it for dishwasher with a stainless steel interior" as it will erode metal. I tried to find if that applies to Electrolux GA55LV220, but the only note I found in user's manual on page 58, is "There can be water on the sides and on the door of the appliance. Stainless steel becomes cool more quickly then the dishes", so I am not sure if they meant it's stainless steel (IMHO it should be verbatim on other pages, like technical specs) of if they copied this part from other manuals.

Also we've bought "Javel Wasser Plus" substance for desinfection with following description of ingredients: "Inhaltsstoffe: unter 5% Bleichmittel auf Chlorbasis (Natriumhypochlorit)
"(according to Google Translate : Ingredients: less than 5% chlorine-based bleach (sodium hypochlorite)". So it looks to me like recommended in previously mentioned articles, but still I am not sure if it will not erode dishwasher and if there are other good alternatives.


texts: Is sugar a necessary ingredient to feed yeast?

texts: I consider myself a reasonably successful baker, including making my own bread dough from scratch. Lately, when searching for some new and different recipes,  I notice not all dough recipes call for sugar, or any form of sugar. I was always taught that sugar is food and life for yeast and crucial for a proper rise?  What would be the reason for this omission?


texts: How can I determine canning processing times?

texts:
I know safety is paramount with canning, and best answer is always to find a trusted recipe. But that's obviously not possible for every conceivable food one might want to can. Besides, trusted recipes came from somewhere (and work even though for example exact pH of fruit varies), and there are plenty of companies out there canning all kinds of things. So:

Given pH, jar/bottle size, and hot vs cold pack, can I determine whether boiling water or pressure canning is safe and what processing time is necessary? What if I err on the side of safety and assume pressure canning is required - then can I determine a time?
Is there some sufficiently long processing time of pressure canning that will make anything safe, or at least anything meeting some broad criteria? (The idea being not to have to measure pH.)


texts: Why does my Wonder Pot now bake unevenly?

texts:
I've been using a Wonder Pot for a year and a half, mainly making cake and the occasional bread.

Recently my cakes have started baking unevenly, with one half of the pot completing the baking before the other half. I usually end up turning the pot 180 degrees when it is a little more than half done, in order to evenly bake. This was not an issue when I was first using it.

Anyone experienced with Wonder Pots know why this might start happening, and what can be done to fix it?

I have recently changed stovetops, and it is possible I'm not getting the flame height right, or the positioning (although it is pretty centered).

It was already used when I got it, so perhaps the metal disc is worn out and no longer distributing the heat evenly. (Does that even happen)?

You can see pictures of the top and bottom of my disc here. I'm not sure if corrosion or rust is the right way to describe it, but you can see that there is some kind of something on the disc, and it appears a little uneven. It doesn't seem all that different from the picture on wikipedia, though.


texts:
I put a frozen beef roast (about 2 lbs) in the crockpot with some sherry and onions, but forgot to turn the crock pot on.  The lid was on, and when I got home about 6 hours later the roast was still mostly frozen (I could only get a fork into about ¼ to ½ an inch) and the outside of it still felt very cold.  I immediately put the whole crock pot in the fridge and I'm wondering if I can cook the roast today, or if I need to toss it.

Thanks!


texts:
I found various contradicting sources as to whether coconut oil can be used for frying or not. Some claim it is "The ideal oil for frying" as it has a high smoking point, while some say it is not suited for frying, since it has a low smoking point. So which is true? Please give trustworthy sources - the more scientific the better.

Thanks in advance


texts: What would give Swiss Chard a gritty texture?

texts:
I made Swiss chard rolls last night and when we would bite into them there would be this gritty bite once in a while, almost like biting into a small gravel. Swiss chard itself has a gritty texture but this was definitely "stone-like".

When I was washing the Swiss chard leaves, I did notice its texture to be grainy but not to the point of "dirty". Has anyone else encountered this? Do you think I just didn't wash the leaves thoroughly enough? I can't imagine it coming from any of the other ingredients from the recipe. Sure I had some stalk from the Swiss chard, chopped mint, and chopped arugula but it sounded like a stone.


texts: Roasting rack? I'm stumped as to what this is....Help! :)

texts: A friend gave me a bunch of her old inherited cooking accoutrement and I'm not entirely sure what the function of this is.  Anyone know?


texts: Can I make my spaghetti sauce with puree instead of sauce?

texts: I have been making the same spaghetti sauce for about 50 years now.  It calls for 2 small cans tomato sauce, 1 can tomato paste and 1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes.  For the first time in all these years I purchased tomato puree instead of tomato sauce.  How can I adjust my recipe to use the puree or should I just bite the bullet and purcahse the sauce.  I'm not sure what I'd ever use the puree for.


texts:
I'm trying to make mozzarella at home. I'm following this recipe (without citric acid), but I also tried this one (with citric acid), without any result. I think my italian is sufficient for understanding the above recipes. I'll summarize the video recipe for you:

I took 2l milk, (exact type below) and heated to 40°C
Add 1tsp natural yoghurt for each liter of milk (I doubled this)
Add the rennet dissolved in cold water (exact type below)
wait 1h, cut up the curd (so far seems to be ok)
wait 20min, till the curd and the whey separates (bit suspicious: the curd does not sink)
break the curd into small ("piccoli-piccoli") pieces, and let them separate for 4 hours (very suspicious: does not sink, floats on top of the whey)
remove whey, put the curd into a sieve, and let it drip-dry for 18 hours (suspicious: when it seems dry, I put it onto a plate for the remaining time c.a. 4h?, but the plate fills up with whey)
now I should be able to form the cheese in warm/hot water, but I do not get to this point, because the curd/cheese falls apart, it stays in little crumbs, like cottage cheese

What am I doing wrong? The materials I use:

milk: 3.5% fat, pasteurized (not UHT or ESL) and homogenized
rennet: c.a. 0.5ml for the 2l milk

I'm planning to try to get natural milk, only cooled, no pasteurization and homogenization, but before I do that, I'd like to know, what went wrong.

Note: I've looked around here before placing the question, I found these:

this does not apply, because the milk I'm using is not UHT pasteurized
the other questions are mainly about microwave recipes, which I try to avoid


texts: Pizza Dough Ingredients too runny even after adding flour

texts:
My husband is trying to make pizza dough as I speak. He prepared the yeast properly. After adding all of the ingredients, he claims the mixture is runny on the top and thick and gooey on the bottom. I am at a standstill as to how to save this dough. He added more flour.

Can the dough still be salvaged?


texts:
Most recipes for yogurt indicate that you should heat/boil the milk, then cool it.

Is it possible to skip this step, and use milk straight from the fridge?  Would the result be terribly different?