texts: Which fresh herbs goes well with an omelette?

texts: I'm playing around with omelettes, and was wondering which fresh herbs (and fresh spices) are commonly used in omlettes?  Also, are there some that are often avoided? I'm looking for personal experiences from people who like to experiment.


texts: How long should I let my new sourdough starter ferment until I can use it?

texts:
I am making my first sourdough starter (and bread of course). I started it 2 days ago, and it looked quite good while in the fermentation process. I only made a small quantity with approx. 1/4 cup of all purpose flour (as I didn't have any Rye Flour) and about less of 1/4 cup of water.

I then let it rest for 24 hours in my kitchen cabinet. I don't want to discard any of the starter, so I want to know what is the minimum time-frame I should wait and leave it to ferment until I can use it. The first day the fermentation seemed very good, with that frothy consistency, and with that ugly fermentation smell, I however, didn't test by floating it by the way.

EDIT: seems already dead my starter after the third day, so i gonna try to make a new one again :P, its my first time making this though...


texts: What to do when too much liquid added to flour mixture?

texts: I seem to have a bad habit of mis-calculating ingredients, particularly the liquid ones. Can I just boil off excess water that I've added to a flour mixture (in this case a pizza dough)? Any other tricks, other than adding more flour (= huge amount of dough)?


texts:
What's the best way to incorporate prepacked oreo bits into a tested chocolate chip cookie recipe?

Mix with dry ingredients or wet ingredients?

Consider weight of oreo bits equivalent to flour, or equivalent to chocolate chips?

Am I mistaking my oreo fantasy and should just incorporate some sweetened cream cheese instead?

Or are oreo bits never meant to bake with cookies, at all? Right now, I substituted 50% of my weight in chocolate chips to oreo bits. The result: not as delectable as I imagined. It's getting done a bit faster than my normal recipe as well.

I know this is a long post -- thank you.


texts:
What is the reason that Yorkshire Puddings are considered to only be served with roast beef / or perhaps as the batter for Toad-in-the-hole? (NB For non-UK residents, this is a baked dish consisting of sausages enrobed in Yorkshire Pudding batter.)
Background: I'm considering using a single large Yorkshire Pudding as the vessel to contain fish fillets in a creamy, buttery sauce.  Should I be dissuaded?  If so, for what reason(s)?
I await your answers with battered breath.


texts: Should calcium propionate be disolved in a liquid when making yeast bread?

texts:
There isn't much information online for home bakers regarding the use of calcium propionate. I've started an Etsy shop and selling various yeast breads and other sweets. I'm going to start testing to see which percentage of the preservative works best for my recipes and gives me the best result.
I need my products to last a minimum of a week. Would it work better being dissolved in a liquid? Would my yeast survive the preservative better if the calcium propionate was mixed dry into flour? Any tips or insight into the use of Calcium Propionate in yeast breads would be extremely appreciated.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How dangerous is it to bake food with plastic?

I baked a cake with a piece of plastic in the oven. Is the cake safe to eat? Were the dangerous chemicals in melted plastic absorbed by the cake?


texts: What is the difference between white and brown eggs?

texts: I always use brown extra large eggs, but I can't honestly say why I do this other than habit at this point. Are there any distinct advantages or disadvantages like flavor, shelf life, etc?


texts: How can I tell if a steel rod is for sharpening or honing?

texts: I bought one of those rod tools before I fully understood the process. Now I'm not sure if the steel rod I bought is meant for honing or for sharpening. Is there a way to tell the difference simply by the look/feel of the steel?


texts: At what temp does mayo and salad dressings spoil?

texts: My compressor is going out and milk spoils.  The repair man says it will take a week to 10 days to get a new one.  It is still cool in there but not cold.  I just opened a new jar of mayo and some salad dressings. I want to be safe but no wasteful.


texts: How should baked potatoes be reheated in order to most closely approximate fresh-from-the-oven   quality?


texts: Is there a substitute for chocolate graham crackers?

texts:
Where I live, we don't have any kind of Graham crackers. I've used other cookies before instead of the regular Graham crackers without a problem. I now came across a recipe that asks for chocolate Graham cracker crumbs.

What do I do best?
Should I use a regular chocolate cookie? Add cacao powder to regular cookie crumbs? Something else?

Is there anything special about the chocolate Graham crackers?

FYI, I would need the crumbs for this recipe.


texts: Low Carb Pizza Dough Recipe - How Will This Make Dough?

texts:
I have found a low-carb pizza dough recipe where you add 6oz of Cream Cheese and 6 eggs to make the dough (also includes some garlic, spices, and cheese).  The recipe claims to be deep-dish, but I just can't see this recipe working out, or tasting good.

I would like some feedback on this, because I really don't have much time when I come home to cook, so if I make it and it doesn't turn out right, I won't have much of a backup plan.


texts: I want to remove the bread after it is kneaded and then bake it in the oven. When will I know that it is fully kneaded? I have a rosewill 2 pound bread maker


texts:
I have a recipe that uses a 20cm round tin (7.5cm deep), I want to make the cake in three 20cm shallow tins, do I need to alter the time and temp?

Hope this makes sense.

Trish


texts: I want to make some garlic and jalapeno infused oil. Maybe not jalapeno but some kind of Chile.


texts: Is it possible to ferment fresh coconut or its water?

texts: Has anyone ever fermented fresh coconut or its water and produced an edible probiotic that tasted good and did not make you sick?


texts: How can I preserve Winged Beans until my next batch matures?

texts:
I am very proud that I have managed to grow a healthy crop of Winged Beans ( Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) in my small backyard garden. And the crop is quite reasonable. I was wondering if anyone had tips on how the beans could be stored. I am tempted to flash freeze them in sealed vacuumed bags.
Edit: These will be beans that I want to reserve for cooking... The beans that I am retaining for planting need to remain on the stake till the pods completely mature and dry.
Edit #2: Recipe added here for clarity, the beans are cooked and consumed pods and all.
Stir-Fried Winged Beans (Kacang Botol) with Tomato and Garlic

1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
dried red chiles, to taste
1 pound winged beans (kacang botol), cut into bite-sized lengths
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large tomato, diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat a wok or your largest skillet over maximum heat. Add the oil, and when it is shimering, add the garlic and chilis. Stir-fry for ten seconds, without burning, and immediately add the winged beans and salt.
Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the beans brighten in color.
Add the tomatoes and stir-fry about 30 more seconds, until the tomatoes just slightly begin to break down and form a sauce. Remove from heat.
Stir in the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve immediately.


texts: How to prevent fish disintegrating in frying pan

texts: Twice now I've tried pan frying fillets of white fish (Swai and Flouder) in olive oil and butter.  Both times the fish has disintegrated into unsightly mush.  Is there some technique I'm missing?  How can I pan fry without the fish falling apart?


texts: What are the different flavors of sources for homemade baker’s yeast?

texts:
I have been making sourdough bread for about five years now, and have made my own starter several times.  I've been beginning to use baker's yeast, but between an interest in not paying for things and an interest in not being limited by stores' supplies of yeast, I'm looking to make my own baker's yeast culture.
From what I've read, there are a variety of sources one can get such a culture from, including boiled potato water, garden-fresh tomatoes, and a variety of fruits.  I've also heard that the resulting flavor of starter is a little different for each source, but I haven't been able to track down what those differences actually are.  I'm considering just making one starter from each source I can get my hands on, but before I delve into that, does anyone know the differences in flavor between different sources?


texts:
I sometimes make Bulgoki where I use Kimchi powder - the Korean chilli powder Gochugaru.

However, I can only buy Gochugaru in one kilogram bags. Due to this, I can only get to use about one-third before the expiration date. Does anyone know if I can freeze the Gochugaru in individual portions?


texts: American recipe using 'a can of tomato sauce'

texts: I have an American recipe which lists a 'can of tomato sauce' as an ingredient.  Does anyone know if this just means chopped tomatoes or is an actual sauce maybe onion, garlic, tomato, seasoning?  Do we have an equivalent here in UK?


texts: Why does frozen food still have an expiration date?

texts:
In a below 0°C environment, no bacteria or fungi may grow. How could time "spoil" frozen food?

edit: More concretely, I have lobsters and pizza dough that stayed really long in my freezer, are they completely useless now?


texts: Is it safe to eat food cooked on a dish on which breaded chicken has been cooked and which wasn't washed?

texts:
I cooked a frozen breaded chicken steak on a baking tray over 12 hours ago and I have absent-mindedly put something in the oven without washing the tray prior.

Am I in danger of giving myself food poisoning, should I eat this food? (I plan to have it in the oven at 200 Celsius for 30 minutes)


texts: How does vacuum sealing something in a mason jar help?

texts:
I use a vacuum sealer for sous vide cooking, and also have a lot of mason jars I use for juice glasses, storing leftovers, etc. I noticed a mason jar attachment for my vacuum sealer, but I'm a little confused as to the science and benefit behind it.

Obviously after you use the attachment and seal the container, there's still air left in the container. How is this better than just screwing something in the jar?

Would I see benefit using this method for storing items that might not be practical to vacuum seal in a bag, such as stews?


texts: How to distinguish between different types of squash?

texts:
Last spring I planted two seedlings that claimed to be pumpkin. They've grown long tendrils and lots of leaves, and have made several flowers, and I thought that was that (I subsequently found out you're supposed to pollinate pumpkin manually).

Having now cleared some of the weeds from around them, I've discovered that they have in fact fruited.

One plant has two fruits - both very dark green, spherical, one about 3" or 4" diameter and the other one about 6" diameter.

The other plant has two fruits - both yellow, spherical, about 1" in diameter.

Are these in fact pumpkins or maybe some other sort of squash (presumably it's possible the two seedlings are not the same variety)? How can I tell? How can I tell when they're ready to eat? Will the mini ones continue to grow now the weather has turned cold and wet?


texts: I was wondering if there is a way I can mix the two and put it in a spray bottle? I would like to use water + baking soda in some cases to spray a little rather than have large amounts. Is it possible? I've tried, but the nozzle always ends up clogged.


texts: Can you make nut butters without dehydrating nuts?

texts:
It's normally recommended to soak nuts, then dehydrate them and at some point in the future make your nut butters.

Now what if you want to bypass the dehydration process, I understand there will be more water (or whatever solution you used to soak your nuts in) however will it just make your nut butter slightly thinner rather than thicker?

Or is it not possible and all moisture should be removed regardless?


texts: What cut of ground beef is ideal to mix with ground lamb for kofta?

texts:
I'm attempting to replicate kofta that I had at a Mediterranean place last week. They were a mix of beef and lamb, yet neither flavor was more pronounced than the other, in fact it had a sort of flavor all its own. It wasn't at all fatty, yet it had an amazing seared crust on it.

I've tried, in vein, to replicate this recipe (which apparently they keep as a closely guarded secret). I've got the spices right, at least I think, the usual cinnamon, cumin, clove, etc that you'd find in kofta. To be clear, I can make kofta, getting the lamb and beef proportioned seems to be where I'm failing.

Where I think I'm going wrong is the fat content of the beef. I've tried chuck and round, and the results were kofta that tasted completely like lamb (round) and completely like beef (chuck). I'm using a 50/50 mix.

When mixing ground with lamb, what cut should I be using that has the best shot of balancing? Should I be going heavier on the beef or lamb in the ratio? I can keep going with trial and error, but after a lot of error, I thought it wise to look for a little help :)


texts: why does toast smell and taste different than bread?

texts: Besides the obvious fact that toast has less moisture due the toasting process, how is it different than regular bread?  Why does bread taste different in toasted form than it regularly does?


texts: What physically/chemically happens to a vegetable when it is cooked?

texts:
I've discovered that if I eat raw vegetables, I can't digest them well if at all. If I steam, boil, nuke, bake, grill, or otherwise cook the vegetables, I feel fine.

What are the physical/chemical differences after cooking, especially those that assist in digestion?


texts:
I bought some fresh eggs the other day which don't expire until next month.

They've remained in the fridge in their carton. I just realised that a few of the eggs are cracked.

Is it still safe to hard boil and eat the eggs from that carton that haven't been cracked?


texts: Is it possible to make a beverage that evaporates on contact with the consumer's tongue?

texts:
In one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation Guinan makes a Tzartak Aperitif, which is described as:

  When made properly, the evaporation point of the drink's main ingredient was one-half degree lower than the body temperature of the consumer. Thus, the liquid evaporated immediately after it touched the tongue, and the flavor was carried entirely by the vapors.

Now I know that this drink is completely fictional, but it got me wondering if a similar effect has ever been achieved in the real world?

Are there any (edible) substances, which can be used to create a beverage that evaporates on contact with the consumer's tongue?

And for bonus points, are there any such substances which make a beverage that actually tastes good?


texts:
I'm just learning to cook, I'm from India so sorry if my question is too stupid.
I made a sandwich following the recipe given on some blogs, using chicken salami but my sandwich is DRY and many sandwiches I ate felt like creamy. I don't think its cheese, I mean besides cheese there is something else! How to make sandwiches like those? are there any categories of sandwiches?


texts:
Some time ago while traveling, I had some brand of a local bottled green tea with peach. It was not overly sweet, was mild but good - seemed a good mix of tea and summer peaches and was very refreshing. Then I had a cup of hot green tea while dining elsewhere. I added a sqeeze of Mio Lemon because I didn’t want to add sugar (but wanted a little sweet).  This was good, a little stronger, with a hint of “green fresh”, but then I expected vegetal as green tea isn’t fermented and there wasn’t any peach as in the first try.  I decided to add green tea to my home tea options. We don’t have a tea shop, wanted to hold off on online ordering, thus the grocery was my only option.  They had the Matcha powder but someone mentioned  it might be strong (for a newbie) & could get musty/old from slower turnover in the grocery due to being more expensive.  For health reasons, I figured I would eventually go to more concentrated Matcha and Sencha powders but I thought I’d wait for a dedicated tea retailer to help me with a choice. There was nothing in my usual tea brand, Twining’s, and no loose teas, so I chose the more expensive  of what was offered - “Steep” by Bigelow in individual bags. I followed directions: boil water, pour over tea, steep 4 minutes. From the moment I bought the cup to my lips, all I could think, smell, taste was summer grass clippings. I have had “green” before but to me this had absolutely no tea flavor - mild, strong, or otherwise, and certainly didn’t taste like what I had before. It was just like I cut the backyard and dropped it in a cup with hot water. I tried it at different steep times and temps, added honey, and even opened the bag and used less. Nothing helped.

So, a long way to get to my question — can anyone recommend a brand(s) that they themselves drink that won’t have this awful yard grass taste? Don’t care if it is loose or bagged. OR, is it just impossible - that either the other two (tried while traveling) weren’t really green tea, or maybe they were super diluted.  Or is it possible the Bigelow “Steep” is a higher quality, or stronger/fresher than the other two and I got a real taste of green tea and just don’t like it.  I drank each cup I made,  but there must be something better in order to get the benefits I’m looking for w/o feeling like I just ate the backyard. Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated but please only what you drink yourself or use in your immediate family.   Thanks.

PS: I’m brand new here so I don’t know where this question will land, but in another question, someone said green tea was a fad and in 6 months it would be something else. Someone answered that they “didn’t think something done for 300-400 years could really be called a fad” - Loved this come back, couldn’t believe someone would say something like this. It always amazes me that us Americans think everything we do is new and fresh but actually we are many times behind everyone else. I see examples each day -it is almost funny.  Maybe we just forget our world history. But if anyone wants to know how far back the “green tea fad” has been around try at least: China (loose leaf green tea has been the most popular form of tea in China since the Southern Song dynasty 1127-1279; Korea (introduction of Chinese tea culture and systematic planting & tea farming by Buddhist monks as early as 4th century); Japan (first seeds introduced as far back as 9th century by Buddhist monks).


texts: What does it mean when dough is referred to as "short"?

texts: I saw this term pop up in a quiche recipe concerning the crust - How can you tell if the problem is too little/too much shortening, or too little/too much liquid? If it's out of proportion, can it be "fixed" without creating an inedible cardboard thing?


texts: How do I thicken tomato-based pasta sauce without adding starch?

texts:
I like to cook from scratch and I like to make my tomato-based pasta sauce (marinara) by cooking fresh tomatoes with herbs etc.  However, the cooked tomatoes are always too runny for my taste and lacking the thickness that jarred supermarket alternatives do add to the pasta.

I have tried cooking the sauce longer to get more water to evaporate but never was able to reach the "processed" level of consistency/thickness. I am familiar with other forms of thickeners, such as roux or corn starch, but I'd rather not add starch.  Is there another thickening agent I could use in my home-cooked marinara sauce?


texts: How to whip up a small quantity of Italian meringue?

texts:
Sometimes, I want to make a recipe (or train one) that involves Italian meringue, but I find it very difficult to whip one up when using small quantities of egg whites.

I find it very hard to whip Italian meringue without using a stand mixer.
My experience with hand mixers is that it's difficult to properly beat the whites when adding the sugar syrup.
It's hard to ensure I'm getting the beaters to evenly cover the bowl, and then the max speed of a stand mixer is not too fast either.
Should perhaps I use a bowl that's deeper but not as wide for this purpose; would that work?
Is there some tip or trick to doing it with a hand mixer?

On the other hand, if I do use my stand mixer with too little egg whites in the mixer bowl, the whisk won't quite reach them and I'll be left scratching my head.
Should I 'pre whip' the egg whites to gain volume before dumping them on the stand mixer bowl, so the whisk can reach them?
Is there some other tool or way to circumvent this?

Any tips on whipping small quantities of Italian meringue are appreciated.


texts:
Tonight I tried to make some butter from some raw cows milk.  I followed the instructions here, and let the cream I skimmed off a gallon of milk sit for about 24 hours to "culture."  It didn't really smell "slightly sour" yet, but as I had already gone twice the prescribed time, I decided to move on anyway.  I divided the cream between two quart jars, and shook them for about 20 minutes each, as described, and although solid clumps formed in each jar, there was no yellow tint.

So I transferred the contents of each jar into a mixing bowl, and used an electric mixer, per the instructions here, but it made no real difference, except to move the stuff around, so I finished off the batch by straining the butter milk from the solids, rinsing the butter under cool water, and adding a little salt.

The final result looks like this:

In the silver bowl is the finished "butter", in the bowl to the right, the strained off buttermilk, and I'm holding a stick of store-bought butter (Ingredients: Cream, Natural Colors) for color comparison.

This "butter" tastes okay, but doesn't have much of a buttery flavor.  It is is also the whitest "butter" I have ever seen.  But is it really butter, or did I make something else?  To get "normal" yellow butter that tastes butterier, what should I do differently?


texts: Food safety of low temperatures like sous vide and slow cooking

texts:
While I really like low temperature cooked dishes, I ask myself whether all microorganisms are killed with these methods. I'm worried that not all parasites and bacteria are killed at 60-70°C.

Is there a table with meat cooking temperatures and the corresponding surviving species that might remain in the products?


texts: What could possibly happen if I overmix the butter and sugar in a cookie recipe?

texts:
I knew that the point of the creaming method for cookies is to use granulated sugar to create small air pockets in butter. But what happens if I overdo it.

I usually use melted butter and there's no problem with overmixing, but this time I didn't melt the butter before mixing.


texts: Is there a baker’s ratio for crackers? I can find one for just about every dough recipe under the sun, except one for crackers! I suppose I could just research a bunch of recipes and come up with my own, but if there’s one out there that any of you know about, it would sure save me some time and headache!


texts: I want to buy a wok. Someone recommended I buy a cast iron wok, but I know it is very heavy.


texts: Can a spice grinder be used for coffee permanently?

texts:
My father bought a spice grinder thinking it was a coffee grinder. He is very stubborn and does not want to return it (also it was the most expensive grinder from the store) Can it still be used for coffee? I feel like it will break sooner since spices are softer than coffee so the grinder is not design the same.

This model

Also, there is no mention of coffee in the manual


texts: Can a regular cake such as from a cake mix be baked in a springform pan?  If so, will the results be the same as a normal cake pan?


texts:
How can I bake a pizza without an oven (or any other fancy stuff, so no suggesting of charcoal, sun oven, and so on).

Just using a plain heating element on the bottom, like a burner, what are the alternatives? What is better than a pizza on the frying pan?

Can I put a pizza stone on a burner, or would the direct heat crack it?


texts: Lemon vs lime in choc chip cookie recipe

texts: Can I use lime instead of lemon in my choc chip cookie recipe? It calls for 1/2 teaspoon and I have no lemons. Would it be better to just omit or use 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice?


texts:
Often I cook frozen oven chips and frozen fish (in batter) in the oven at the same time. The cooking instructions for the chips usually say 20 minutes (or less); the fish usually more than this. They require the same temperature, usually 220C
Why is it that (if I follow the instructions) the chips are always undercooked and the fish is always overcooked? It's the same with any manufacturer's product; the coking times always seem to be wrong. I have tried using different positions in the oven but always the same result.


texts: Is it safe to fully cook a stuffed turkey the night before thanksgiving?

texts: If I empty the cavity of stuffing after I cook it thoroughly, and reheat the turkey and stuffing separately the next day, will its consumption be hazardous?


texts: What is the difference between cheesecake and NY cheesecake?

texts: I believe it's density but I'm not sure. What make cheesecake a NY style? Is there different ingredients. Some people call their recipe NY Cheesecake and they are not.


texts:
I have successfuly made a Lemon Drizzle cake (recipe at end) several times, but the last 3 attempts have all collapsed in the middle to some extent.

One of the attempts collapsed in such a way it almost ended up like a ring, with a 6 cm chasm in the middle.

The ingredients and techniques have mostly been consistent

mixer: kitchen aid
oven: Aga
fat: originally used butter, 2 of the failed cakes used soft margarine. The last used butter. Uncertain whether any of the butter was salted.
flour. last techniques have used a new brand of Self Raising flour

Ingredients

225g unsalted butter , softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
finely grated zest 1 lemon
225g self raising flour

topping (although it collapses before this)

juice 11⁄2 lemon
85g caster sugar

Recipe

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top.

Bake @ 180 c for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then serve.

Note it collapses while cooling in its tin and isn't directly related to pricking the cake.


texts:
I can never tell whether this color means the chicken needs another 30 seconds or a minute to finish or if it's properly cooked. I don't want to over-fry the chicken so that it doesn't end up dry.
Is the color in the following image properly cooked or not?


texts: Is wasabi considered to be spicy or to be a spice?

texts:
I was just talking to a friend about what to eat for dinner and he said he didn't want anything spicy.

He then mentioned that Japanese food doesn't have anything spicy and I said "Wasabi".

Apparently he doesn't regard wasabi as spicy while I do.

So which one of us is right? Within the fields of gastronomy and the culinary arts is wasabi considered a spice, or something else? Is it right to describe it as "spicy"?


texts: How can I prep a large amount of garlic quickly?

texts:
We're doing a food place for college students so the quality doesn't need to be top class, whereareas speed & cost matter more. We may need to prep a kilo or two of garlic for stir-fry and such (mainly Asian style).
Do we have to cleanly peel every garlic clove? Can we just cut off the hard & brown bottom and chop the garlic without peeling? What's a good way to prep large amounts of garlic quickly?


texts: I am considering using a disposable foil plate to bake banana bread. Is this advisable or can it be harmful? If it is acceptable, how will I amend the temperature and cooking time versus the original 350°F, 55 minutes.


texts: How do eggs relate to the texture of the cake?

texts:
But to answer your last question, eggs role in cakes isn't necessarily
  to contribute flavor, but more as a binding agent, which ultimately
  determines the texture of your cake (e.g. light and airy, or thick and
  dense).

http://www.chowhound.com/post/eggs-put-cake-700653?commentId=5538121

So, does lots of eggs mean light cake or dense cake? How does this work? What can happen if I put too many eggs in the cake?


texts: Bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce

texts:
The basic bean meat chilli is as follows

Brown Garlic + Onion + ground meat (any) + boiled beans + tomato sauce + spices (e.g. chilli powder etc).

Now I want to know if there another sauce that can swap out for tomato sauce if I get tired of it. I need something suitable for students or working professionals who don't have the time to "make their own special sauce". But tomato sauce just seems to be a good combination of liquid + thickening agent that I don't know what can be its equal.

Sorry if the tags aren't accurate, I wasn't sure what would be appropriate.


texts: What to look for when buying muffin tins?

texts:
Because honestly, I wouldn't be nearly so in love with my dutch oven without the advice I got on this site. And I really believe in getting one good lifetime tool, rather than a bunch of cheap ones.

I'm kind of creeped out by Teflon, and will probably skip coatings. I've read here that baking with the silicone cup-type things isn't necessarily any better than a metal pan.

Are there any metal types or finishes that give better baking results?


texts:
I have a recipe that requires pumpkin, but I would like not to use it.
Are there other vegetables, or combination of vegetables I could use? I would like to get the same consistency; if then the taste is similar, that is a bonus.

I report the list of ingredients used for the recipe:

Tofu (250 gr)
Onion (1)
Pumpkin (200 gr)
Parsley
Pasta (400 gr)

The pumpkin is cut in cubes, cooked covered with few water for 15 minutes, and then the other ingredients are added. All is cooked for 10 minutes more.


texts: I'm growing some Bhut Jolokia's (world hottest pepper aka ghost pepper) amongst other hot peppers. Anyone have any recommendations what I can do with them? I picked one off the plant last night. I'm looking for something other that hot sauce or chili.


texts: Why is rock sugar used in Chinese cooking?

texts: Why do some Chinese dishes, namely braises and soups often call for rock sugar instead of regular sugar. Does rock sugar have any properties that would make it behave differently than regular granulated sugar?


texts: Apparently the ratio of water to rice for brown rice is 1.5:1. I simmered my rice for about half an hour with the lid on the pan and the rice was still hard and the water nearly all gone. What am I doing wrong?


texts: Placing a cookie sheet under my pyrex baking dish in a convection oven

texts: Can I place a cookie sheet under my Pyrex baking dish to catch drippings from my lasagna if I use a gas convection oven?  I wonder if it will bake in the same amount of time.


texts:
This question is for a raw pizza base using sprouted buckwheat.

I love having something crunchy, savoury carb-rich to eat. This is why I am trying to get my sprouted buckwheat pizza base to a point where it's actually yummy.

I am failing. I mean, it's "OK" with lots of topping, raw tomato sauce, raw cheese, olives, capsicum, etc. But... in all honesty, the base in itself is just not very good, mainly because of the bitterish starchy-ish taste of buckwheat.

I am using:

1 cup buckwheat
1 cup linseeds
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup of dates
1 cup of water
Salt

What can I blend the taste of raw buckwheat with, so that it "works"? I thought the dates would help, but...


texts:
I'm curious if there's a best choice for what burner to use (mostly for electric bill, but I'd be curious about any other unforeseen consequences), given that I have 2 options of burner sizes, and my pot of water is big enough for either one.

Of course if the pot is smaller than the burner, any "excess" burner size (any of the heating element touching air instead of the pot) results in waste (I would guess very close to 100%). But when the pot is large enough that the hearing element will reach out in both cases, that shouldn't be an issue.

This question and its answers note that the wattage of a small burner is lower, and it produces less heat. So to get a pot of water boiling (in a similar amount of time), I would set the smaller burner to a higher setting. Does that end up using the same amount of electricity?


texts:
So, I have always been salting the water first when cooking pasta. Another amateur cook friend insists on salt after boil because it raises boil temperature elsewise. I keep telling him I don't care since it only raises it about one Fahrenheit for an ounce (damn imperial system...) so not a big deal. Just now I heard Gordon Ramsay say "What's the number one rule when cooking pasta? Salt in first" to his son and I wanna know if I can substantiate my claim to salt in first. Does anyone have a clue why he might have said this? Is there some chemistry going on there that can help?
Edit: Not why but when. Stop flagging duplicate please.


texts: When a recipe calls for 'individually wrapped caramels', are these soft caramels (e.g. Jersey caramels) or hard candies (like werthers cream candies?)

texts: I am in Australia but the recipes are from the US. I can't seem to find out what kind they would be.


texts: Can I save a Creme Brûlée with a soggy crust?

texts:
I wasn't thinking, and put the top layer of hardened sugar on my creme brûlée last night. Now it's a little bit soggy, and I'm trying to figure out how to save my dessert for a party today.

By the way, I originally used powdered sugar. Not sure if regular or powdered is best

I can think of three approaches:

Leave as-is
Re-apply another thin layer above the existing soggy layer
Re-melt the existing soggy layer, hoping that it sets in crunchy.

Any alternative ideas or suggestions?


texts: Plum preserving/storage method that tastes like plums, not prunes (I just picked 30 lbs)

texts:
I just did some neighborhood foraging and picked 30 pounds of red plums.  They are delicious, but even I will have trouble eating them all this week.

Last year we made jam/preserves but it ended up tasting very prune-like, i.e. not the tasty fresh plum flavor.  We tried varying amounts of heat and sugar and the prune flavor prevailed.  We're open to canning, freezing, drying, making jam, etc. but want to do the best job to capture that tasty plum flavor.  I've read some other answers on what to do with tart plums and peaches, but our plum challenge is a little different.

Question: what is the best method to preserve the fresh plum-like flavor?


texts: Making Kombucha - problems and questions

texts:
This is my first attempt at making kombucha. For the 2nd  fermentation I had one bottle and one jar.  When it tasted ok I put the bottle in the fridge and am drinking it now and it's pretty good (although maybe a touch vinegar-y). The jar I left in a cupboard at room temp because there was this film on the top after several days, I didn't know what it was, it was creeping me out a bit, so I avoided the whole thing. Now, about 10 days later, I just need to deal with it.

In the photo, the top scoby (and the one at 4 o'clock position) is what was in the jar at room temp with a long 2nd fermentation and never put in fridge until just now. They are both totally soft, flabby and fragile, not at all firm like the pictures of scobies that I see. That brownish stuff in the middle that reminds me of chicken livers was on it and I sort of pushed it off. The kombucha in that jar is, I'm afraid, too strong although once cold in a few hours I'll see how it really tastes.

The bottom scoby is the one I grew and used for the first fermentation. It has been sitting at room temp in a jar soaking in some of the 1st ferment.

I'm relatively new to even drinking kombucha let alone making it. I liked what I bought so I thought why not make it. But I have to admit I'm a bit squeamish about these scobies that just aren't what I expected, plus the food safety aspect is making me hesitant.

So here are my questions:
- Do those thin, fragile scobies look healthy and why do they look and feel the way they do?
- If I want to make another batch, do I use all three?
- Neither jars developed any carbonation. Any ideas why?
- Any other advice or comments are welcome!!
- Are there any recommended threads on making kombucha that might help me?


texts: What cheeses work well for pizza that will be refrigerated and reheated?

texts: I make pizza pretty frequently, and I always have leftovers. I have a few go-to crust recipes that reheat well after being refrigerated, but I'm never happy with the cheese upon reheating. Usually I use freshly grated, part-skim, grocery store mozzarella and the leftover pizza never gets good and melty again. What other cheeses might give me better results when I reheat the pizza after a day or two in the fridge? I'm open to outside-the-box choices; I can tweak the other ingredients to complement the cheese. What I am looking for is a texture in the reheated pizza that is as pleasant (although, not necessarily the same) as it was fresh from the oven.


texts: Dented can of iced tea fizzed when opened

texts: I just opened a can of iced tea that got dented about a week ago I think from hitting the ground. It fizzed a bit when opened, like soda sort of and sprayed on my hand, after that it was flat. It's apparently not carbonated (Brisk). This is not a botulism risk is it? I put it down the drain but not sure how much cleaning up I need to do. I would guess that it has enough sugar but not sure. Or could it be fermentation from a possible tiny break in the lid? Thanks!


texts: When should or shouldn't you use pasta water?

texts:
Every sauced pasta dish recipe I ever read calls for using the water in which the pasta was cooked for the purpose of thickening the sauce, as the water contains a lot of starch which helps the pasta adhere to the sauce

In this recipe, this step is skipped and the pasta is added without any water/starch

What was the reason for not using the pasta water? Or in other words, when should you not want to add pasta water? (other than in cold pasta dishes like salads)


texts: How to get instant pudding to come out smooth?

texts: How can you make instant chocolate pudding come out smooth and even consistency instead of having little chocolatey clumps in it? Could something be wrong with my technique? The box says to beat pudding mix into cold milk and then whisk for 2 minutes, should be simple, right? Whisking longer doesn't seem to remove the lumps, so it must be something else.


texts: Why didn't the whey separate from the curds when I tried to make Shankgleesh cheese?

texts: I frequently make yogurt at home, and I decided to try to make Shankgleesh, a spicy Middle Eastern cheese that is difficult for me to find at local markets. Several recipes said to heat the yogurt until the proteins coagulate and separate from the liquid. They should look like clumps or curds. Then the liquid is drained off and the curds strained for several days. When I heated the yogurt, it just got soupy. It never formed curds or separated. I simmered it for more than a half hour. There didn't seem to be anything difficult about the recipes. I wondered why I could not get it to work. The only thing that is unusual about my yogurt is that it is fermented for 24 hours so that the bacteria consume all of the lactose. Could this have affected the coagulation of the proteins? Thanks for any help.


texts: Is it safe to use olive oil that has gone cloudy?

texts: I have some olive oil that has gone a bit cloudy. What causes that to happen, and is it still safe to use?


texts: What is the best way to find a reliable pepper mill?

texts:
After someone posted a link to a hand-turned coffee grinder, I was reminded that I needed to replace my pepper mill. My third one in about seven years.

After reading the 1 through 4 star (and skimmed 5 star) reviews of mills from $12-45, they often come down to the grinding mechanism wearing out quickly, the plastic around it somehow messing up, or something falling off while reading more pepper and rendering it nearly inoperable (which is my current predicament: some ring fell off during a refill, and now the knob that holds the top in place ends up dictating the grind coarseness loosens itself after 2-3 uses, and if you over-tighten it, you get no pepper).

What properties should I be looking for in a pepper mill, and why are my pepper mills failing so quickly?


texts: Using melted butter vs rubbing it into flour?

texts: Let's say I'm making a crumble topping or some biscuits.  What, if any, differences would it make to the finished product if melted butter was used instead of rubbing it in to the flour? Thanks.


texts: Is it ok to use plastic containers to bake in an electric oven?

texts: Can I use a microwave safe plastic container to bake in an electric oven?


texts: Why clean a pot (used to cook rice) with cold water?

texts: Some people have told me that it's better to clean a dirty pot (used to cook rice) with cold water, rather than the hot water I use for all the other dishes.  What would be the purpose of this?


texts: What product can I use to thick a filling that is sweet and does not get heated? The filling is made of butter and homemade marshmallow.


texts: Cooking raw chicken beside heating quesadillas

texts: In a kitchen that has only a flat top to cook with, is it safe to cook raw chicken on it and at the same time heat a quesadillas on the same surface but on opposite side of the flat top?


texts: Lemon juice as drinking water preservative

texts:
I drink water at work from a plastic bottle, refilled at cooler. I wonder if putting lemon cuts (0.25 lemon/L) in it will preserve it and decent way to keep water safe.
Is there a chance that lemon can go bad if left in bottle for two or three days?


texts:
When should flavorings to brown sugar-caramel be added: during caramelization of after?

I make caramel regularly for inclusion in coffee based drinks. The caramel recipe is simply: brown sugar caramelization via heating with water (up to 260 F on a candy thermometer), then the addition of honey (invert sugar) and a butter vanilla oil/flavoring.

I haven't gotten around to testing, but I wonder if there's any knowledge on whether flavorings like butter vanilla assimilate into the total flavor better if added during or after caramelization?

Or the chemicals of the flavoring don't integrate with the chaining of sugar molecules so it doesn't matter? The butter vanilla liquid I'm using seems to be a polar substance since it mixes well with water.


texts:
In recent weeks I have made both duck leg and pork belly confit with rich tasting and great texture results. I want to experiment with this technique further but to do so, and avoid wasting meat and fat, I'd like to understand the science behind the technique.

In particular what makes the result of confit so different to the result of braising for the same period at the same temperature?

Do different fats have different effects on the meat (other than the flavour they impart through the flavour of the oil). For example will a fat that is liquid at room temperature (olive oil etc) result in a different type of confit to cooking it in lard or duck fat?

What are the characteristics of meat that suit it to confiting? Is there a particular fat content or other factor that determines the success of this method?


texts: How do I prepare arabic coffee in a stone Dallah?

texts:
I purchased a lovely stone Dallah from Jordan.

.

The first and obvious question is: is it safe to prepare coffee in?

However, once that question is answered, the pot certainly looks functional. Therefore, using the resources of an Australian household, how do I prepare coffee in one of these strange pots from a different continent?


texts: Making a dark, suspended chocolate sauce

texts:
I melted some dark chocolate at a low temperature and added whipping cream to keep it liquid at room temperature. I added more whipping cream after the mixture was at room temperature, but it thickened the mixture, rather than thinning it. It also reduced how dark the chocolate was to a large degree.

I understand the fat in the milk/cream helps to keep the solid chocolate particles in suspension to keep it from settling.

My goal is to make a very dark chocolate sauce at room temperature in which the solid chocolate particles remain suspended, and I would prefer also to not use starches or gums as they change the flavor. I would also like the consistency to be "squirtable," but a maybe a little thicker than Hershey's syrup. I also don't want a sweet sauce.

My questions are these: 1. Why did the sauce thicken instead of thin and 2. What means should I use to achieve the goals of the sauce and 3. If I reduce the fat content of the liquefier by using milk or water, does it reduce the suspension qualities?


texts:
What is the function of glyceine in fondant?

Is there a specific grade of glycerine used for fondant?  I ask this because the one I buy in the bakery store looks no different than the one I see among cosmetics


texts: What’s the definition of “cultured butter”?

texts:
In my search for cultured butter I found butter that lists

  culture distillate or lactic acid

as ingredients. Should these butters be considered cultured, even though the package nowhere actually says “cultured”?


texts:
I'm making beef stew in a cast iron dutch oven for the first time. I have some stewing meat, and have oiled the bottom of the dutch oven.

The problem is my cast iron dutch oven is a small size, so that the meat was a bit crowded. Still I made sure that all the sides looked brown.

My question is when people "brown" beef stew or cubed beef for stews. Is this actually really cooking it, or is it more for a searing flavor?

Taste aside, will my beef be safe to eat if I leave it on low simmering for 2 hours (is "simmer" even enough to cook it?). I'm using 2 hours because that's what the stew seasoning told me to do.


texts: Is it safe to microwave Pyrex containers immediately after removing them from the freezer and removing the plastic lid?

texts: I am attempting to bulk prep some frozen convenience food and have determined that a standard Pyrex glass container would be ideal for freezing (non-liquid) meals (think burritos or tacos), but I want to ensure it is safe to induce a huge temperature swing, or if there is a better way to do this.


texts: Is there a general strategy to cooking a stew?

texts:
I've looked at a couple of stew recipes with the aim of learning a general approach that can be applied to whatever I have on hand, but I can't see one. I was expecting something like:

brown meat
add hard vegetables after X minutes
add soft vegetable after Y minutes

Is there a general approach like this?


texts: Can this Kitchen Art Non Fry Pan, made in South Korea, be seasoned?

texts:
Today is my first time learning about seasoning pans. Doubtless, "season" here doesn't signify "Add salt, herbs, pepper, or other spices to (food)".

What kind of pan is Kitchen Art, Professional Nonstick Fry Pan/Dishwasher Safe Cookware, 30 cm? It's made in South Korea. Chowhound has a thread.

Or is it Carbon Steel, Cast Al, cast iron Mineral B, Teflon-coated stainless steel, etc...?

Can it be perfectly seasoned or restored? Ought a new better one be purchased?

They've been using this pan purchased merely 1 year ago for all their foods, partly to shun washing multiple pans. They thought that with 2020 technology, cast iron pans can support liquids and sauces of any pH level. They always turn heat to the maximum.
Six days ago, they noticed that their pan's bottom was uneven, blemished, and no longer non-stick. When they scratched its bottom gently with their fingernail, black smut/soot comes off and adheres to their fingernails.


texts: Fondant recipe with egg white. Are there health risks?

texts:
I use this fondant recipe to make Peppermint creams.
The mixture uses one egg white to make 35 candies. The candies are left in the fridge for 24 hours to set.

Questions

1)  What makes the candies set? Is it just drying out?

2)  Is there any health risk to the raw egg white?

3)  How long can you keep the candies in the fridge without ill effects?


texts: Why would you Parboil Some Vegetables Before Stir-Frying them?

texts: An example would be green beans - some recipes call for parboiling green beans before stir-frying while others do not?  Is there a reason behind this?


texts: Clean an entire fish before or after storing in a freezer?

texts:
After buying an entire fish from the supermarket, I was wondering if it is better to clean an entire fish before or after putting it to a freezer for storage (not long, abound a few days)?

Or the solution depends on the kind of fish? Today I bought some butter fishes. Before, I have bought porgy, bluefish, mackerel, pomfrey, ...

Thanks and regards!


texts: Are my patially green and budded potatoes safe to eat?

texts: I got some potatoes. Some are partially budded, some are partially green. Are they safe to eat?


texts: How do I thicken my Japanese curry after the fact?

texts:
I made a lamb based Japanese curry in a slow cooker and unlike my previous efforts (using many of the same ingredients, though in different proportions), it turned out runny and underwhelming.

What techniques exist to "beef up" a curry after the fact? Would putting it back in the slow cooker with more veggies for another half-day help? Would adding another portion of curry mix help?


texts: Cold Brewing coffee - does it use more beans?

texts:
Our Percolator is about to break down and we're in the midst of making a decision about our next coffee solution:

a universal percolator
a new percolator
a keurig (with our own coffee)
cold brew.

How coffee efficient is cold brew? I understand that one gets a concentrate from it and depending on the recipe it can vary greatly. However I want to know if we switch to cold brew and consume the same amount of coffee, will we be using more coffee (beans) as a result?

How feasible is it for a couple that consume 3 three cup servings+ each a day to have enough supply where we're making a brew once every say 5 days?


texts:
When I look for the calorie count of ground beef, for example, I see 480 for 8oz 85% lean ground beef. Fair enough. But this site shows 34g of fat, precisely 15% of the 8oz I started with. Seeing how much liquid is left in the pan, I imagine some of the fat had to have melted out. Yet, I'm unable to find a site that will at least hint at a better estimate based on the cooked product. Another site shows cooked calorie/fat count but the fat calories are actually higher for 8oz than with the uncooked from the first site.
Clearly, I'm missing something. I was expecting to find a pre-cooked count, then a post-cooked with a warning "based on medium well" or similar. Obviously the cooked products won't be identical.


texts: how long can I store beet brine in fridge

texts: Can I use the pickling brine I made last year for beets this year. I kept it in a sealed mason jar in the refridgerater, but I did not process it in a hot water bath. Is this brine safe to use for pickled beets this year ?


texts: Why did my chocolate icing exude its cocoa butter?

texts:
I tried making Corriher's "Luscious, creamy chocolate icing" for the first time.

340 g milk chocolate (I love Hershey's)
225 g semisweet chocolate
28 g light brown sugar
a pinch of salt
5 ml vanilla extract
45 ml light corn syrup
366 g sour cream

In a mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and corn syrup.
Stir in the sour cream with 1 or 2 strokes only. Add the melted chocolate.
Beat on low until very smooth.

I did have a few substitutions. First, I used pure semisweet chocolate only, no milk chocolate. Second, I used creme fraiche, because it's richer than sour cream (and because I seldom have sour cream). Third, I used agave syrup and white sugar, because I can't buy corn syrup, and figured that with the taste from the agave syrup, I don't need the brown sugar. I can't get the usual American type here anyway.

I also didn't think of taking out the creme fraiche early enough, so it was at maybe as low as 15 Celsius when I made the icing. But note that the recipe doesn't say anything about temperature. I also overlooked the "mix on low" part and mixed on medium speed at first.

The icing started out just as it should. But during mixing, it expelled the cocoa butter much in the same way that just-a-little-overheated mayonnaise expels its oil. Basically, I ended up with a good mass of icing swimming in a puddle of melted cocoa butter. The chocolate was not seized, distempered or anything else - a few drops of it on the counter hardened to perfect consistency. I was luckily able to save it by heating it again to 35 Celsius, adding two pinches of lecithine, and mixing again on high.

Does anybody know what contributed to the problem and what didn't? Can I expect that it will work next time if I only use warm creme fraiche? Or do I also have to use sour cream, is the liquid in the creme fraiche maybe not sufficient? Or could it be that this type of icing only works with emulsifiers, and it works for the author because Hershey's is full of them and my european organic chocolate doesn't have them?


texts: Is there a general algorithm for calculating the amount of yeast while making bread?

texts: I've had this question for a long time. I have several books with different recipes and the amount of yeast changes a lot. I know for a fact that it is better to work with less yeast and wait for a longer time for the bread to rise. But does it depends on the quantity of water, butter, sugar, etc? Thanks.


texts: Where should I store nori or laver after opening, and for how much time?

texts:
My brother has given me laver for making Korean kimbap and there are ten “foils” or “sheets” in the package.

I have only used four of them today and I don't know whether I should cool or not the remaining ones. In my opinion the fridge might be too humid and humidity might have sheets stick to each other…

Thank you for your advice.


texts: Does tempered chocolate remain tempered and only needs liquefying?

texts: I tempered a few bars of chocolate yesterday and it was a successful experience. Then I stored the remaining in the fridge. If I liquefy it, is it tempered chocolate and can be used as desired or should I do it all again?


texts: Can grocery store chocolate be used as chocolate coating?

texts:
Suppose I want to coat a random object in chocolate.

(Because, let's face it, why would you not want to do this??)

Can I simply buy my favorite brand of chocolate, melt it, and pour it over stuff and wait for it to set? Or is that likely to ruin the chocolate in some way?

(The obvious follow-up question being "if that's not the right way to do this, what is?")


texts:
I've been curious about pink salt for a while now and I was wondering if it would be ok to use it for cooking steak? Or should i just stick to the regular table salt?

sorry for the confusion, guys. My mom's friend gave her himalayan pink salt and I'm supposed to prepare steak for them so i was just wondering if I could use the himalayan pink salt that she has. I normally cook with iodized salt and have zero idea about other salts. Hope my question makes sense this time. Thanks!!


texts:
We have the question about peeling apples for a pie, and the accepted answer is "depends on the apple".

I seldom make desserts involved baked apples, so I am not well versed in the baking cultivars. A seller recommended Boskoop for pies and baking in general, and I bought the apples, but I did not think of asking how thick their skin is.

Are Boskoop the type of apple which has a thick, unpleasant skin after baking, or does it have a soft skin? Also, how likely is it to fall apart if baked after peeling?


texts: My question is a kind of follow-up to this.  When apples have turned soft or have started to shrivel, is it possible / advisable to but them through a juicer?  From the linked question is would appear that they have started to dehydrate, so I wouldn't expect to get much juice from them.


texts: I'm trying to make yogurt, but it won't turn out. Can someone help?

texts:
I followed this recipe. It follows the pattern outlined here but with different temps:

Get milk. – I’m using 1 cup of 2% (no powdered milk).
Get a starter. – I have tried Dannon Oikos plain greek yogurt (made with whole milk), and Yoplait Very Vanilla, and some other brand of plain greek yogurt. The “other brand” yogurt was at least a couple weeks in the fridge before I tried using it for starter.
Heat the milk to 175-180°F ( instead of 190°F).
Cool the milk at to between 40°C (110-120°F).
Mix in the starter. (I used ¼ tsp for 1 c milk.)
Keep the mix warm for 6-10 hours. – For the heat source I used a crock pot on “keep warm” with 2-3” water. The milk/starter was loosely covered in a class measuring cup. I monitored the temp with a thermometer and kept it around 110°F. (It probably varied from say 105-115° as I tried to keep the temp 110°)
Strain your yogurt. – The one batch that solidified, I successfully strained with a coffee filter. My problem is just getting to this point.

The first time I made it, I heated my oven to 170°F (as low as it goes) and then turned it off. I wrapped the still warm milk/starter (in a glass bowl) in towels in an oven that had been heated to 170°F and then turned off. I used the “Very Vanilla” starter and in the morning it was still milk, so I added some plain greek yogurt and transferred it to a crock pot on keep warm, with the crock pot lid on and a towel over the lid. After several more hours it had solidified but was beige colored. At that point, a temp check revealed it was 170°F. Oops. After straining it, the texture resembled ricotta cheese. It smelled nutty and delicious, but didn’t taste nutty or delicious. I think it was getting all that smell from the whey. The taste was not unpleasant, but not pleasant either, and definitely not tart like yogurt.

The second/third times I made it, I just used plain greek yogurt starter. Incubated in a crock pot with a water batch for 8-10 hours. The result was milk. When I poured out the milk I could see some solids (what looked like the starter) at the bottom.

So now I’m wondering what went wrong. Several questions come to mind:

Is my starter too old? If so, how do I get fresh yogurt?
Am I using enough starter?
Am I getting the milk hot enough in step 3?
Am I keeping the milk too hot/cold during incubation?
Does the humidity from the water bath help/hurt my chances of producing yogurt?

Can anyone offer some guidance? I have a hunch that the starter is too old since I don’t really know how old yogurt is when I buy it from the store. But I also don’t know how to do any better than buying it from the store and making yogurt right away.

There are so many variables I’m not sure of that I just thought it would be good to get some advice before proceeding.


texts: Why is the chicken in Indian food so tender?

texts: I used to go to an Indian restaurant that had the most tender chicken I've ever had. In general, it seems like Indian curries have very tender chicken. Could somebody explain if there is a secret? Is it marinading in yogurt, the tandoor, an industrial tenderizing agent? The closest I've ever achieved is in a recipe I have where chicken is marinaded and cooked with pineapple. I know pineapple contains a protease enzyme which helps tenderize meat, and in extreme situations, will entirely dissolve shellfish proteins. Is there a spice or something that is used in Indian food that works similarly?


texts: What can I do with leftover "Sweet and sticky" marinade?

texts:
I've been cooking SWEET ‘N STICKY BAKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS, though instead of marinading the chicken, and baking it separately while reducing the marinade, I've been cooking the chicken with the marinade together, effectively half boiling it, half baking it.

The result is quite satisfying but I'm left with a half a Pyrex roaster of marinade.

Can I reuse that in a completely different dish instead of washing it down the drain ? (First thing that came to mind was a salad to use as a dressing)


texts: Should dry beans be washed before soaking?

texts:
When making dried beans, generally I wash the beans, then soak them, then drain&rinse, then cook. I realized today that I started my soak without the prior wash (by accident), and then realized it shouldn't matter; after all,  I am going to drain&rinse them post-soaking anyway; that should take care of the wash step, shouldn't it?

tl;dr Do dry beans always need to be washed pre-soaking, or is post-soak ok too?


texts: Is it bad to leave the crock pot on "warm" (not low) all day?

texts: I just bought all the ingredients to make a soup in the crock pot. I was planning on having it cook all day, but I just realized the recipe only calls for it to cook on low for 3-4 hours. If I cook it on low for 3-4 hours, and then put it on warm before I leave for work, will it be a bacteria minefield or will it be warm enough to keep the food safe from bacteria?


texts: Split pea soup won't soften. Any way to soften the peas without burning?

texts:
I am trying to make split pea soup.  The first time I did it the peas softened just fine but the soup was scorched.  I am trying again but at a lower heat, and the peas are refusing to soften.

Ingredients are 1 bag each of split peas, frozen carrots, and frozen onions, plus a small amount of Spike seasoning.

How can I soften the peas without scorching the soup?  Is a slow cooker the best option?


texts:
So Im paranoid when it comes to raw meat/undercooking stuff. Sometimes however I want to stick with something simple: IE chicken in a skillet w/ a simple glaze (like sesame/etc....)

However like I have no clue "How long" I should cook it to get a rough idea?

Is there like a good way to tell by looking when chicken is cooked through?

I cook most stuff via cast iron skillet if that matters?


texts: What is the following cooking utensil used for?

texts:
I am interested in knowing what the top pot is used for. I have a similar pot with holes at the bottom. I used this one to steam vegetables while I come something on the bottom pot. This makes sense, however the pot on the picture has no holes so I don't know how it would be used. The boiling water will not be able to pass into the top pot. What is this used for?

If this is not a good question to ask please help me make it better.


texts: How can this kebab have so much protein and so little fat?

texts:
All my life I've been told that kebab (the meat, not the dish) is high-fat.

However, I was in the market the other day, and I found the following pack of frozen kebab. Below is a picture from that market's website. You can see that it's got 166kcal per 100 grams, only 6 grams of fat, and a whopping 25 grams of protein.

That sounds ... super high protein, and relatively low fat, to me. Not as much so as chicken breasts, but it's close.

What's going on here? Is this fraud, are they lying? Or can kebab really be like this?

Note that I've found similar packs of frozen kebab in other stores, and never did they have 25 grams of protein per 100g, and the fat content was always higher than the protein content.


texts:
I made this cake in a borrowed bundt pan (i.e., I'm not used to baking in it), which I greased with cooking spray. This was the result:

Not only did large sections stick to the pan and tear out upon removal, but there's that thick semi-burnt crust on the surface.

The tear-out suggests that the pan wasn't greased properly, but I typically get pretty good coverage with that spray.
The semi-burnt crust suggests that the oven was too hot, but, while I've never actually tested the oven, I've used it for years with no problems, so I'm pretty confident that it's accurate.

Does anyone have a thought as to what happened here?


texts: I purchased a Corned Beef Brisket from the store and forgot to put it in the refrigerator. It was sealed. The package was cool in the morning. Is it safe to still use?


texts: Homemade chicken nuggets: How to keep the breadcrumbs from falling off

texts:
I've tried several times to make chicken nuggets. Basically, I've tried coating a small piece of chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs (and various combinations). However, when I bake them, or the first time I turn them over, the breadcrumbs on the underside usually come off.

Is there a method of preventing this from happening?


texts: I recently decided to try lactose-free milk to see if I might have a problem with lactose.  I was happy to see Organic Valley has a lactose-free milk.  I bought the 2% and it has a sweet taste to it.  It tastes like cereal milk - that slightly sweet milk left in the bottom of the cereal bowl.  I didn't buy vanilla flavored milk and the ingredients don't have any sweetener that I can see.  Is the chemical or process they use to remove the lactose from the milk sweet?  The sweetness of the milk doesn't make the tea sweet, but it does give the tea a different taste (I can't place it, but maybe nuttier).  Do other lactose-free milks have a similar slightly sweet taste?


texts: How should I adapt a recipe if using very new dried yeast versus slightly older dried yeast?

texts:
I make bread and pizza bases using "fast action" dried yeast (like this: http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/index.jsp?bmUID=1287396076254 ).

My bread recipe calls for one sachet, my pizza dough recipe for two sachets. I notice that when I have just purchased a packet that still has a few months to go on its "best before" date, I get really lovely fluffy bread and pizza. As the yeast approaches its "best before" date, it gets less and less effective, but simply adding more of it doesn't give the same results - should I change the recipe in some other way? For example, add more sugar, or less salt?

I saw this similar question: Does active dry yeast really expire? but it doesn't quite answer my query.


texts: How to harvest peppers and tomatoes for later use in sauces without harming taste

texts:
Is there anyway I can pick my peppers and tomatoes now and freeze them immediately for later use to make hot sauces and tomato sauces? I am trying to find the most efficient way to process my pepper and tomato harvest.
The pepper stems and seeds would be removed, the tomatoes would be halved and cores removed before freezing in vacuum bags. Once I have enough peppers and tomatoes, I would thaw them and make hot sauce and tomato sauce respectively. Furthermore, I want to smoke my peppers to make chipotles (for chipotle hot sauce), however it is not really efficient to smoke 2 pounds of peppers every couple of days. I would like to smoke all 20+ pounds of peppers all at once. Its just that 20+ pounds of peppers don't ripen all at once.
I have several pepper varieties I use to make hot sauce and I have a couple different paste tomato varieties to make tomato sauce. I do not have enough peppers and tomatoes to pick right now, but over the next 3-4 weeks I will have over 100 pounds of tomatoes and over 20 pounds of peppers to harvest.
I know the peppers and tomatoes will be soft when thawed, I am worried that the tomatoes may taste sour due to the freeze. I am not sure how the peppers will take the smoke flavor when soft. I was considering dehydrating the ripe peppers as I pick them over the next few weeks. But when I want to smoke them, the dehydrated peppers might not take the smoke flavor. If I had to rehydrate the peppers before smoking, the "waterlogged" peppers might not take the smoke flavor.
I understand the flavor will not be the same as making sauce with fresh produce. It just doesn't make sense to make small sauce batches every 3 days for the next 3-4 weeks.
Let me know if you have any suggestions or how I should tackle this feat in a different way that I may not have even considered. There has to be an easier way to accomplish this. If I must freeze the produce, I would greatly prefer to freeze them the same day I harvest versus picking everyday for a week then a big freeze on the weekend. Those peppers I picked on Monday might start to soften by the weekend.
All sauces will be canned and spend 30 minutes in a boiling water bath.


texts:
I want to brine a frozen chicken but I'm unsure if there is any reason why brining frozen meat is bad?

Can you brine frozen meat, or do you first have to defrost it before you can brine it, or does it not matter?


texts: Make espresso in office kitchen- just have a kettle and microwave?

texts:
I'd like to make espressos for lattes in my offices. However we don't have a stove or coffee maker -- just a kettle and a microwave, and that's about it.

Is it possible to make a decent espresso with just these appliances?


texts:
Got a electric smoker recently.

Are there any differences that one should consider in terms of recipes when using an electric smoker?

Or are there any processes that one must take additional steps when utilizing a smoker?

I want to make sure that there isn't any additional work I need to consider, things I must consider to maximize flavor and tenderness.


texts:
I use a sourdough starter to bake my breads. I read somewhere that adding a touch of vinegar will help with the oven rise.
What are the implications of adding vinegar to my recipe?


texts: Does the airflow pattern in a hot air popcorn popper matter? / What should I look for in a popper?

texts:
I'm interested in purchasing a hot-air popcorn popper. I grew up with a Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper, which holds the unpopped corn in a metal cup with angled slots for air on the sides (so that the corn spins as it's being popped).

On the other hand, almost all of the poppers I've found for sale today (I admit, I only looked on Amazon, and a lot of them seem to be the same thing in different plastic) are described as having the air coming in from the bottom, moving directly upwards.

I also notice that the reviews of these poppers often talk about unpopped kernels being blown into the bowl (which I know happens even under the best conditions) or debris falling through the grate and burning up on the heater (!).

Is the vertically-blowing design actually inferior so that I should be trying to find a better grade of popper? More generally, how do I evaluate a hot-air popper (absent trying it in person)?


texts: Coating meat in flour before browning, bad idea?

texts: For a long time, before browning meat that would then braise, I've coated it in flour as to ensure the right consistency for the resulting sauce. Are the downsides to this method? Should I just brown the meat for braised dishes without the flour coat, then thicken the simmering liquid with a slurry?


texts: Often recipes ask for caramelised onions.  What are some good techniques for cooking them this way, as it seems to take a while, and often even if they are on a low heat they can brown a bit too much if they are not stirred continually.


texts: Ginger starting to sprout - can I still use it?

texts:
I have two beautiful ginger roots (rhizomes) which I had planned to turn into gari (pickled ginger). But I also have two children and the ever-changing schedule that goes with this. So the ginger sat in a bowl for a while, waiting.

While Wikipedia states that the rhizome

  ...it is immediately scalded, or washed and scraped, to kill it and prevent sprouting.

mine obviously weren't and appear to have gotten spring fever and started to sprout:

Now, I could put them in a planter, let them grow and harvest in fall when they start to wither, but before I sneakingly sell them to hubby as the latest addition of our ever-growing collection of plants I'm wondering:

Can I use sprouting ginger? Just like regular/dormant ginger? Or is there something to keep in mind?

My main focus is on the culinary aspect:    While sprouted ginger isn't toxic, I'm wondering whether it requires special or different preparation, how to handle the sprouts, and do sprouting ("growing") and mature ("dormant") ginger taste differently in dishes.

(Should I decide to plant my ginger, I will ask the guys over at Gardening SE for advice, if required...)


texts:
Everytime I make meatballs they fall apart during cooking them. I used a several recipes such as a chinese lionshead meatballs and an indonesian recipe
and even a recipe from  a michelin 3-star restaurant. Always they fall apart. please give me tips. I like to make lions heads or indonesian meatballs.
But they fall apart all the time. it drives me nuts. I use the recipes to the letter so it must be technique or something.
The meatballs look oke when i construct them, but during cooking they all apart.


texts: Pot for cooking long grained white rice on gas range

texts: I do not want to buy a dedicated rice cooker and I have been told by some people that a rounded bottom thick Dutch pot is best for rice cooking on a gas stove I have also heard that a tall aluminium pot is best, what do you think?


texts: I've heard Jeffrey Steingarten, on Iron Chef America, mention that he finds honey quite bitter. I've never noticed that myself. Maybe if I really try I can notice a slight bitter finish, but for me the sweetness and floral aroma dominates. Is honey actually bitter in some quantifiable sense? Are some particular varieties of honey better known for this characteristic?


texts: How do I keep my zoodles from being too watery?

texts: Everytime I make zoodles, I spiralize the zucchini and sauté them in a pan but they're always too watery. I've tried removing the moisture with napkins, but they still release a lot of water. I would like them to have the consistency of pasta. Is there any way to achieve this?


texts: Name of an Indian dish with stuffed whole potatoes

texts: I had a lovely Indian meal which I would like to find the name of. There were small whole potatoes with a little hole cut into them and filled with spices and (I think) some lamb mince. They were served in a spicy tomato sauce. Any idea what this dish is, or how I could figure out how to make it?


texts: I like to occasionally, but not regularly, have a carbonated drink such as soda water. Buying these in small containers is more expensive and uses more packaging. Big containers go flat before I have finished them. How can I keep my carbonated drinks from going flat for as long as possible?


texts: Correlation between perceived sweetness and sugar content

texts:
A couple of months ago I started to take note that the perceived sweetness of foods isn't always correlated with its sugar content. One stark example was yogurt, where yogurts that tasted mostly plain or even tart would sometimes have higher sugar content than yogurts that were appreciably sweet.

Unfortunately, I don't have any great examples to show at the moment.

I was munching on one of these: Kirkland Protein Bars which got me thinking about this topic again. The bars are fairly sweet, but the product claims to only have 1 gram of sugar and it doesn't have any artificial sweeteners.

I understand that serving size is a confounding factor, especially given that I don't have any good examples to show on hand, but from what I recall, the serving sizes for the yogurts were comparable.

TL;DR: is there a strong correlation between how our tongues perceive sweetness and the stated sugar content? Are there other ingredients that can contribute to sweetness without contributing to the net sugar content?


texts: Does the sugar used in the curing process of Gravlax add to the caloric value of the final product?

texts:
When making Gravlax, a mixture of sugar and salt is used to coat the fish and cure it. After the curing time has passed, the curing mixture is washed off together with any spices used and the excess fluids secreted from the fish.

Does the sugar penetrate the fish and add to the caloric value of the final product, or is it used only to draw fluids away and is all washed away? And if yes, to what extent?

A similar question goes about the salt and sodium content of the final product.


texts: Why is pork pink after roasting to 205 F?

texts: I have browned then roasted a 6 lb. pork shoulder in a covered pan in an oven set to 275 F for 5+ hours. The results were excellent , very tender and moist and high gelatin/protein stock. I started with one cup+ of liquid ( wine, lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, liquid smoke, Worcester , etc). It reached 205 F internal temperature , measured with an accurate electronic thermometer . When cool and sliced it was pink below the surface.  Is pink color normal for well done pork ?


texts: Reformulate a marshmallow recipe to remove lactose and HFCS

texts:
I'm trying to modify the marshmallow recipe in this post to make it vegan:

http://moleculargastronomy.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/molecular-gastronomy-carrageenan-kappa-and-iota/

The first hurdle is removing the lactose. I did a bit of reading to try to understand its purpose, and wondered if I could replace it with something like calcium lactate? In the post, it mentions that carrageenans are very effective even at very low concentrations in milk, and I remember reading about the presence of calcium salts being a factor, which was why I guessed at the calcium lactate substitution.

Also, this recipe calls for HFCS. I wasn't even aware that you could purchase that (I guess I thought it was more industrial). Regardless, I think the people I am marketing these marshmallows to would freak out if they saw HFCS on the label. How might I go about replacing that? Would invert sugar perform a similar function?

Thanks for any advice! I know this will require a lot of testing (the fun part!), but I figured I'd ask since I am very new to this area.  =)


texts: How long can we preserve yogurt using a refrigerator?

texts: How long can we keep yogurt in the refrigerator and still consume it?


texts: Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels substitution

texts: What can be substituted for Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels in a recipe, I don't have any in my home.  I have not been able to try anything yet.


texts: Why does dough and its ingredients need to be cold?

texts:
Recipes keep repeating on how the ingredients you add (at least in pie crust dough) should be cold. A quote:

  If your dough gets too warm, send it back into the fridge to chill out. When you take it back out, it should roll more easily.

Why is temperature so important in making a dough more workable?


texts: I'm not sure if it's either too thick, not baked alone long enough, or a reactuon to adding a hand made sauce....


texts: What is a stable frosting for a cake that will be in warm temperatures at an outside party?

texts:
I'm hosting a party for my son who's turning three at a park. We'll be under cover but not air conditioned - and we're in the middle of a hot Texas summer. The party is early in the day so it's likely to only be around 80-85 Fahrenheit. Still not an ideal temperature for my go-to, a simple American buttercream.

Is there a frosting type that will keep looking good on cupcakes and be stable for assembling a small two-layer cake at this temperature for the two hours of the party? It's also the only part of the cake my son is likely to eat, so it should taste good and I'd prefer to avoid shortening-based frosting.

I'd read that Italian buttercream does well at warmer temperatures but it's also got uncooked egg whites, which isn't great sitting outside for a while and with kids (2-3 years old), I'm hesitant to use it.


texts:
I just received a couple kilograms worth of raw lamb suet from a butcher free of charge. My understanding is that the fat surrounding the kidney (which this is) is suet and that rendered fat (starting from suet or otherwise) is tallow.

Tallow, to my understanding, has a much longer life that this raw suet that I have. I'm planning to render the suet down but was wondering if I could still use in recipes that call for suet after it has been rendered? Is it better in the raw state or does it make no difference?

My main usage would probably be in pastries and tortillas.


texts: How do I need to alter a recipe if I am using a convection oven?

texts: How do I need to alter a recipe if I am using a convection oven as if a recipe calls to use a regular oven? Do I need to alter the recipe or there would only be the differences of baking time/temperature.


texts: How to sweeten ganache for a chocolate lining

texts: I'd like a chocolate lining in a banana cream pie, very similar to this recipe. However, I notice in the final pie that the chocolate lining is a little on the bitter side. What is a good way to sweeten it up? I'm no expert on ganache, but my understanding is I shouldn't just add sugar as it will turn grainy.  If I melt sugar into the cream before the chocolate, how much should I use?


texts:
I am seeing blotches on my cast iron pan.

Are these just water stains after the pan has been dried by heating on the stove top? Or do I need to season my pan more?


texts: What size cake pan could be substitued in place of muffins?

texts:
I have a recipe that the blogger said made 24 mini muffins and had enough batter left for 4 regular sized muffins.  If I want to make it into a cake or loaf, what size pan would I need?  I know it would need to have the baking times adjusted.  The recipe, below, is topped with a streusel topping.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3  mashed ripe bananas

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter


texts: My mom says to knead bread doutgh after rising

texts: My mom's bread making bread process is to let the dough rise before kneading. She mixes well, then lets the dough rise, about one hour.  After that, she kneaded it briefly. Then immediately formed into roll shapes and placed into the oiled pan. Then she had a shorter rising time, about 30 minutes. Her bread is always wonderful and light.  Please explain why you say to knead before rising, and my mom always rises the dough before kneading. Thank you.


texts: Why in this one recipe parsley is used in 2 different ways?

texts: I found a "Shrimp and Pasta" Recipe here.  It's a nice and simple, but I don't quite understand the way it uses parsley.  Why part of the parsley is fried with shrimp and the rest are just mixed with pasta?  And what does TB mean?


texts: What coarseness of japanese waterstones is ideal for cooking?

texts: Depending on the grit coarseness you can sharpen very blunt objects or refine an already sharp edge. Generally speaking, one can expect that a kitchen knife is much less heavily used than say, for example, carpenter tools or a pocket knife used to cut wood. I suppose for a kitchen knife there is no need for very coarse stones (say, below 200). Am I wrong here?


texts: I'm an amateur cook and an aspiring Culinary Manager. I'm almost done with my program and I'll be opening my restaurant soon. I'll be hiring soon so I wanted to know what are the certain requirements that make a chef great. What differentiates a great chef from the mediocre chefs in the field. Please Note: I'm not fishing for resumes I'm just a curious manager looking for a good chef.


texts:
I've got a bunch of cucumbers from my CSA and one can only make so many pickles in a season :) Can we prepare a large batch of tzatziki sauce and freeze it to use later? Cucumbers have a lot of water, so I'm not sure it'll turn out well. Anything we can do to make it turn out better?

(You can't can this stuff... can you?)


texts: I've had excellent Macaroni and Cheese that I was told was made with a "roux."  What exactly is a roux, when is it used and what are the benefits of using it versus other cooking methods?


texts: How do I grind almonds for making marzipan?

texts: I want to attempt making marzipan, and the recipe I'm considering calls for 200 grams ground almonds (link to full recipe). How fine should the almonds be ground? Is it something that I can accomplish at home (I have a food processor or a coffee grinder), or should I be looking for a store-bought product to get the right consistency (if so, what's it called)?


texts: I put my pork loin roast in the Crock-Pot with the juices and seasoning last night at about 10 it was on for about an hour. I think it accidentally got unplugged around 11 and sat till 6 in the morning . I turned it back on. Is it safe to eat?


texts: Similar cheeses to Queso fresco in Belgium?

texts: I am a mexican~american living in Belgium, what would be the best substitute for the Fresco mexican cheese? Thank you!


texts: Do you season a cast iron waffle pan before using?

texts: I just bought a cast iron waffle pan.  I've seen conflicting advice about whether it should be seasoned. I have several old cast iron pans and my instinct would be to season it but I've also read that in a waffle pan the seasoning will get gummy and the waffles will stick to the pan.  Some sites recommend just brushing the pan right before pouring the batter in.  What are your thoughts?


texts: Does fresh mackerel have more omega-3 fatty acids than smoked mackerel?

texts:
Are there more omega-3 fatty acids in fresh than smoked mackerel?

Is there something in process of smoking that would cause the mackerel to lose some of the fatty acids?

In other words, does the quality or amount of the omega-3 fatty acids (or other 'healthy' oils) in fish decrease over time? Is fresh fish have more or better omega-3 / polyunsaturated fats?


texts:
Since the ingredients of margarine tend to be vegetable oil hydrogenated to be firm, is there any point in using it over vegetable oil in baking where it will be melted into liquid anyway?
Same question for any other applications where it's not spread on toast


texts: Ascorbic Acid (Vit C powder) with Baking Soda = Single Acting Baking Powder?

texts:
For my gluten free baking, I "have to"* make my own single acting baking powder. I use 2 parts cream of tartar and 1 part baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). It's been fairly successful.

I would like to know if ascorbic acid powder (pure - just vitamin C - nothing else) could be used in place of the cream of tartar. If so, is the Ascorbic acid stronger? Do I need to change ratio to baking soda?

(EDITED TO LEAVE OUT UNNECESSARY RAMBLING)

*Why I "have to":
Baking POWDER - I react to something in commercial baking powder. Maybe the sodium acid pyrophosphate or monocalcium phosphate. So I make my own single acting powder to avoid this problem - and have had no health issues so far with that.

Thanks for your help on this baking powder question!


texts: Adding beer to my chili gave it a spoiled taste. How can I salvage it?

texts: I added beer to my chili and now it has a very bad spoiled taste! How can I fix it without tossing it out? I have tried using baking soda, but it didn't work.


texts: Do I thaw frozen sea food before cooking?

texts: Do I need to keep prepared frozen sea food frozen before cooking?  I purchased cod, shrimp, and scallops.


texts:
I've got one in my freezer.  The whole heart.  After a cool defrost...

How should I cook this heart o' cow?

Steaks are the only application that come to mind.


texts: Recently, a sack of whole grain organic rice that we bought became infected with small black bugs. We bought the rice in the bulk bins at the same organic supermarket we always visit, but this time we didn't cook it until a few weeks after buying it. Since, the rice was stored in a sealed plastic bag, it seems like the bugs (or their eggs?) must have been in the rice when we bought it. Is this normal? Should I worry about buying rice there again? Is there a better way I should be storing the rice? It was in a plastic sack with a twist-tie.


texts: In the 50s, my mother used to whip Jello and Evaporated milk together, pour it into single serve bowls and refrigerate.  The result was a creamy foam that separated into two layers, forming a lighter foam on top.  She always said it was simple to make but never taught me how she made it.  I've tried simply stirring the Jello into boiling water to dissolve, cooling to room temperature and before it sets up, adding the evaporated milk and beating but it doesn't work.  I've been looking for a very long time but all the recipes I find are much more complicated than this simple, elegant foam.  I'm thinking she may have halved the amount of water the Jello box calls for.  Maybe she whipped the milk separately and then added the dissolved Jello?  Has anyone heard of this?  If so, how is it made and does it have a name?


texts: My bread sometimes burn and I've checked my thermometer and it works fine. Does the oven size affect the baking?


texts: How can I relably work out the largest cut size of vegatables X and Y so they roast in the same amount of time?

texts:
I'm interested in making an ultra simple seasonal roast vegetable dish. This site tells me that the vegetables:

  Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Red Cabbage, Swede, Watercress, and Winter Squash.

are totally in right now (but answers should related to any selection of roastable vegetables)

I'd like to be able to throw some of each in a roasting pan and put in the oven.  However I am aware that each veg will take a different amount of time to cook (assuming I like them all equally soft/crunchy).

I believe that I can make them all be ready at the same time by cutting them into different sized chunks: leeks should be bigger than potatoes.

How can I find relably work out the largest cut size of vegatables X and Y so they roast in the same amount of time?

Ideal answers show me where I can find a look up table that either gives the values, or gives values that I can put through some maths to get the values I'm looking for.


texts:
I've been following a recipe, and two things confuse me. One is the "what" for most steps, and the other is a "why".
The recipe is here.
But look at the steps, which I've abbreviated here to save reading.

Whisk flours and yeast together. Dissolve honey in water. Using dough hook on low speed, slowly add water mixture to flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl and hook as needed. Cover tightly and let dough rest for 30 minutes.

So what happens if there's no dry flour left, but a cohesive dough hasn't formed, or vice versa? Keep mixing? Stop, because I've gone 3 minutes and the recipe said only two? Give up and throw it away and start over?

Add salt to dough; mix on low speed for 5 minutes. Increase to medium and knead until dough is smooth and slightly sticky, about 1 minute.

Same deal: what if the dough was smooth and slightly sticky when I started? Do I still mix on medium for a minute? Or do I skip that step?

Transfer to lightly greased bowl, cover, let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Same deal: suppose I've waited 2 hours, and it still hasn't doubled. Do I toss it?

Using greased bowl-scraper (or your fingertips), fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees and fold dough again; repeat turning bowl and folding dough 2 more times (total of 4 folds). Cover tightly with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes.

A new question: What is the process above (repeated below) supposed to achieve? And in general, what does allowing multiple rises achieve? And why don't we just punch it down each time -- why the fancy folding for two of the rises?

Repeat folding, then cover bowl tightly with plastic and let dough rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

[Form rolls and put them in a cake tin, cover, and...] Let rolls rise until nearly doubled in size and dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, about 30 minutes.

Again: what if they double in size, but the dough sticks to my knuckle, or it springs back a lot, or doesn't spring back at all?

Mist with water, bake at 500 for 10m; remove from oven and separate, bake at 400 for another 10-15 min on a baking sheet. Cool.

Thankfully, this last step makes total sense to me. :)


texts: Why is microwaving at full power for half the time, not the same as microwaving at half-power for twice the time. What's happening that's beneficial when the pulse is off half the time?


texts: How can I improve the 2:1:1 margarita recipe?

texts:
I bought my wife that Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker, and it is awesome.  We make a lot of margaritas, but always with pre-made mixes.  I tried one recipe to make one from scratch, and it was HORRIBLE.

I tried using the 2:1:1 ratio described below - 2 parts tequila, 1 part triple sec, 1 part lime juice.  It tasted just like a shot of tequila with a little lime.

What are some alternatives I can try to make it taste better?


texts: I put frozen veg back in the fridge instead of freezer.  This morning I put them back in freezer.  Will they be ok to eat when I cook them.


texts: How many jumbo double yolk eggs should I substitute for large eggs?

texts: If I only have jumbo double yolk eggs, should I reduce the amount of eggs called for in cake recipe (which calls for large eggs), and if so, by how much?


texts: Coconut Shrimp-fry ahead for dinner party?

texts: I see a few opinions on my question, from a few years ago. Just wondering if anyone has an updated idea. I want to serve fresh and crunchy coconut shrimp as part of a dinner party for 12 people. I would prefer to not have the smell and time of frying, as my guests are in attendance. Can I fry two hours prior to dinner and have them sit at room temp....with a very quick flash-heat in the oven? If so, how long and at what temp (450 or so)? Wracking my brain to try and come up with the best viable option. Thanks so much!!


texts: How many times can vinegar (after soaking onions in it) be reused again for soaking the fresh onions?

texts:
How many times can same vinegar (after soaking onions in it) be reused again for soaking the fresh onions?

Do I need to take any special care w.r.t Vinegar for maintaining its freshness?


texts: What can I use as a substitute for Nori Wrapper on a Chocolate Dessert Sushi?

texts:
I'd like to make a chocolate dessert sushi but I'm stuck trying to come up with a substitute for nori or rice paper.  I know some people like to use plastic chocolate like in this question.

However I'd like to do something different to compliment the chocolate on the inside of the roll.  Nori and ricepaper don't seem like they would work well for a dessert.

So if anyone has an idea, I'd love to hear it.

As a bonus, has anyone tried using something other than coco rice krispies for crunchy?  They tend to get soggy and lose their crunch if you wait too long to eat them.


texts: Can I include carrots in Tortilla de Patatas and can I use a casserole dish to make it taller?

texts: I want to make Tortilla de Patatas but I have extra carrots that I would like to use somewhere. Can I include them in the frying phase? And can the dish be cooked in a casserole dish in the oven to make a very tall 'omelet'?


texts: My cheesecake is runny, how do i fix it?

texts: I made a no bake cheesecake without gelatin. And instead of the parchment paper, I used aluminium foil to cover the container. Now, the dish has been in the freezer for two days and the cake is still runny. How can I insure that the cake is not runny?


texts: How much juice can a mango yield if run through a juicer?

texts: If I know the weight of a mango, or the weight of a bowl of mangoes, is there any way to reasonably estimate what volume of juice the mango, or bowl of mangoes, will yield if run through a juicer?


texts: Are red lentils and split red lentils the same?

texts: I have a recipe for vegetarian Moussaka which calls for red lentils, but it doesn't specify whether these are split red lentils. Is there such a thing as whole red lentils (I have only ever bought split ones) and will using split red lentils instead, confuse the measurements in the recipe?


texts: I've got a lot of frozen vegetables that I need to use (you name it I probably have it).  Can these be used in soup stock?


texts: Spice combination(s) excluding salt, oil/butter, sugar, msg, vinegar, onion/garlic/alliums?

texts: What spice combination(s) work well for someone who (for health reasons) can't have salt, oil/butter, sugar, msg, vinegar, or alliums (onions, garlic, etc)? This person is additionally (for religions reasons) a lacto-vegetarian.


texts: Subsitutions for Monterey Jack cheese in the UK

texts:
At one point in the US I had some Monterey Jack cheese which was tangy and yummy and delicious.

Here in the UK they also sell cheese labelled "Monterey Jack" but it is bland and tasteless and horrid. Are there any other similar cheeses that I could use (for eg melting onto nachos, grating into burritos etc.) that would have that same tang and flavour?

Or any UK-based suppliers of Monterey Jack that is not bland and tasteless? (I tried Sainsburys and Tescos and they are both the same).


texts:
I like putting peanut flavor in my sauces and wanted to make a big batch of crushed and pulverized peanuts.

I was wondering how long I could keep these, before they went bad.


texts: Safe to use pot that has a scratch inside?

texts: My pot has a scratch in it, is it still safe to use? I attached a picture of the scratch


texts: What are the differences between using whole wheat flour vs. all purpose flour in batter for frying?

texts: There have been many questions related to whole wheat flower on this site before, but nearly all of them focus on baking. I'd like to know what is the effect of frying with whole wheat flour in terms of flavor, texture, and the complexity of executing the frying properly. I have heard anecdotally that whole wheat flour leads to a crispier batter, but can't find any reliable sources that back this statement up.