texts: Does using a larger slow cooker than called for by the recipe make a difference?

texts: I have a recipe that specifically calls for a 4-quart slow cooker, however the slow cooker that I own is a 6-quart. Will using a 6-quart slow cooker make a difference, or does it not matter?


texts:
Why did the meringue in my pavlova roll turn out rubbery in consistency.
Was it baked for too long. It was baked  at 170 deg for 10 min then at 150 deg for an hour. then switched off the oven and let cool in the oven

Update
The temp was Celsius I had the fan on also. it was baked as a flat rectangle on a tray and then rolled. Today I made another one and it was a lot better,not rubbery and I only baked it for 30 mins.


texts: Why does oil transfer heat to food more gradually than water?

texts:
While working on the homework for week 2 of Harvardx's Edx course, SPU27x Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science, I came across this question:

  The difference in the specific heats for water and oil is important
  for cooking. For example, oil heats faster and you are less likely to
  overcook food if you cook it in oil than water. Briefly explain these
  observations, using the scientific ideas from this week.

We are asked to write a short response to it, and after submitting it, we are given a grading rubric and asked to do a self assessment. Here is my response:

  While it is true that oil heats faster than water due to its lower
  specific heat capacity, it is not true that food is less likely to be
  overcooked than water. The boiling point of oil is generally much
  higher than that of water (about 250-350 degrees Celsius compared to
  100 degrees Celsius). This means that when cooking food in oil, it is
  very likely that your food will reach temperatures much higher than if
  they were cooked in water. Knowing that a liquid's temperature stays
  constant at the boiling point, food cooked in water will never go
  beyond 100 degrees Celsius, so you are less likely to burn food in
  water than if you were to cook in oil, as the reactions that result in
  burns do not occur at that temperature, but do occur in the boiling
  point of oils.

and the rubric we are given states:

  A full answer contains at least two of the following ideas :

  Oil has a lower specific heat than water.
  Oil can be heated to high temperatures with relatively smaller input of energy than water.
  At a fixed temperature, oil transfers heat more gradually to food than water at the same temperature.
  In liquid form, oil can be heated to a higher temperature than water.

  You may use different words to express these concepts, so judge
  your response based on the meaning of your answer, rather than
  expecting your wording to match this exactly.

So it looks like my response is quite different from the suggested answer. In particular, I am confused that the provided answer does not explicitly address whether it is true that food is less likely to overcook in oil. I am also unsure why oil transfers heat more gradually to food than does water.

I would really appreciate it if anyone could clarify my questions, and also give me some feedback on my response.


texts:
I’ve been making sourdough bread regularly for over a year now. But since about half  a year ago, the bread has consistently come out badly because the gluten doesn’t seem to develop properly:

the dough doesn’t hold its shape: immediately after taking the dough from the proofing basket it flattens out considerably and doesn’t rise evenly in the oven (mostly in the middle)
the resulting bread is way too dense (in some places it’s almost gelatinous rather than doughy)
all the gas has concentrated into big bubbles.

I’m following (more or less) the recipe for the Overnight Country Blonde from Ken Forkish’s Flour Water Salt Yeast, performing 4–5 folds. My modifications are as follows:

I’ve reduced the water by around 40 ml because I’ve found the dough to become too hydrated otherwise.1
I store my starter in the fridge and take it out to feed around 12h before starting the dough. This means that I do only one feed, rather than Ken’s two (skipping step 2 from p137).1
Bulk fermentation happens in the fridge because when I do it at room temperature, it gets ruined (see below).
I proof for around ½h rather than several hours. I used to proof for longer but the dough overproofed every single time. The finger test indicates that my proofing time is sufficient.

A word on fermentation and proofing: if I perform bulk fermentation or proofing at room temperature for the indicated time in the recipe, I get a hopelessly over-fermented … “jelly foam” rather than a dough. The result is completely unworkable, sticks to everything (even when dusted way too liberally with flour), and can’t be shaped: it either fails to develop a skin when pulling the dough together, or it develops a skin that breaks immediately, repeatedly, and the sticky dough almost “pours out” (I’ve thrown away several batches).

As far as I can tell my sourdough starter is extremely active and produces strong fermentation with lots of gas. By contrast, it seems that no matter how diligently I perform the folds, the gluten structure is too weak to make a fluffy dough which holds its shape. I also tend to get a dough that’s too elastic to perform proper folds: I used to get a dough consistency somewhat more like wet clay, which somehow simply felt “right” and had just the right elasticity to pull out and fold over. Nowadays the dough has lost all its clay-like consistency and, as indicated above, it feels more like a foamy jelly.

Here’s the problem: with the exact same procedure I used to be able to produce much better loaves, some of which were darn near perfect (though I didn’t always get there). Now, without having changed anything in my procedure, the result is consistently terrible. I have no such issue baking other, yeast-based breads.

What could be responsible the sudden change, and the weak gluten development?

1 I’ve also tried adhering strictly to the recipe in this step. It didn’t change the outcome.


texts: How to make pizza that has a fat outer rim?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Shaping thick crust pizza dough

When I make pizza, I stretch my dough to the wanted size and shape, with even thickness all around...
I'm finding it difficult to understand at which point I leave room for the outer rim...
As I see it, to make a outer rim that is fatter than the rest or the pizza I either:

Leave a thicker outer rim in the dough before putting it in the oven,
Roll the edges inwards to form the outer rim after I stretched the dough evenly, Or
Do nothing and simply leave the edges without sauce, and the crust will form by itself?

Which is it?

And in case it's the first one, how do I accomplish this while stretching the dough?


texts: Can grilled steak be eaten next day if refrigerated and the heated in the oven?

texts:
I grilled a few beef steaks on the electric grill and then kept it in the freezer. Can it be eaten for next few days , by heating in the oven? Thanks!

FF


texts: Making Cream cheese and Mascarpone cheese at home

texts:
I’ve been trying to make Mascarpone cheese and Cream cheese and I’ve tried various recipes but all have failed. I think the problem is with my starting ingredients.

All my cream cheese/mascarpone end up too stiff and rubbery along with some grains. Its not velvety/creamy like store brought versions.

For cream cheese i’m using whole milk/lemon juice and straining it. For mascarpone i’m using 25% cream.

The recipes I am referring call for 35% cream, but I don’t have those here where I live. Will adding butter and a bit of Xanthan gum to emulsify it (have that already) increase it to 35?

I have tried playing around with the acid contents (lemon juice, citric acid and varying them up and down by 20%)

Whats always missing is the velvety texture for both the items. Any clues would be greatly appreciated.

Also I have tried warming them to soften them up a bit before using but to no avail.

Note - recipes I’ve tried for making the mascarpone and cream cheese.

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/mascarpone-cheese-recipe/

https://food52.com/blog/12319-homemade-mascarpone-cheese

https://fankhauserblog.wordpress.com/2003/05/29/making-mascarpone-at-home/

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-cream-cheese/


texts: Do recipes which measure flour by volume assume that I'll sift the flour?

texts: I would like to try some baking recipes where the flour is specified by volume, with no alternative measurement for weight.  Do recipe authors generally assume that I'll sift the flour to measure it?


texts:
I’ve recently started having overnight oats for breakfast which works great as they are so simple and easy. I was wondering though, as the mornings get darker and colder it would be nice to have them warm, I’d most likely do this by microwaving them for a minute or so. I’m hesitant however as I’m not sure how all the ingredients would react to being microwaved. I’ll put my standard recipe below;

Porridge oats
Milk
Greek yoghurt
Fresh strawberry
Golden syrup
Banana (optional)

Thanks


texts: I'd like to make mustard soon. What's the basic process to start with?


texts: What are some good ways to treat frozen vegetables such that they behave like fresh vegetables when stir frying them?

texts:
Forgive me for being a novice. I like having frozen spinach, onions, broccoli, and vegetables since they're convenient and don't spoil. But I only know the practices for cooking, and in particular, stir frying fresh vegetables. As a basic example, you heat up the oil, toss in the onions/garlic, then the leafy greens (with maybe some salt to reduce them), then the other veggies like broccoli.

How can I treat the frozen veggies such that they behave and cook like normal freshly chopped vegetables? One thing in particular is I like them getting seared by the hot oil.

The only method I have now is to microwave them for a bit (with perhaps a bit of water), and then to use them when they seem sufficiently unfrozen, but this usually leaves 30% of it frozen, 40% fine, and 30% vaporized by the microwave.

Any advice? Bonus points for speed, convenience, and simplicity (I'm a lazy college student who likes using pre-chopped vegetables and only one cooking vessel).


texts:
I am considering switching to beef tallow for my high heat cooking, as it has a high smoke point and is a saturated fat (which means, that it does not oxidize easily). Also recent randomized control trials suggest, that saturated fat on its own is not causally linked to heart disease problems.

From what I have learned, is that unsaturated fats, even those with high smoke points, oxidize easily, because of their chemical property of being unsaturated, which means, that they have "space" for other electrons and react easily. From the unsaturated fats, the polyunsaturated fats have twice as much potential for reaction and oxidization as the monounsaturated fats, because they have two "arms".

With beef tallow for example, it seems to be the other way around: It has a high smoke point, but even more important: It's a saturated fat and it doesn't make new bonds easily, because it has all its electrons.

Now, my question is, how are trans fats being created? Are they the product of oxidized polyunsaturated oils? Where do trans fats come from? Or are companies intentionally putting them in food for economic reasons?

I am aware, that trans fats are banned in the US, but they are not banned in EU yet.


texts: Can I substitute Soy Milk when a recipe for baking calls for regular milk?

texts: If a baking recipe calls for regular milk, can I substitute Soy Milk...


texts:
I have an Oven Toaster Grill by Oster in 10 litres capacity. I am new to baking and every recipe for egg muffin says you have to preheat the oven but none of them say for how long. This is very confusing baking jargon. So if any recipe calls for preheating, how long should I preheat?

P.S: I know there are similar questions posted but none of them seem to answer in general, they are specific to a recipe (bread/cake et al).


texts: Why do scrambled/fried eggs stick less when cooked with butter instead of oil?

texts:
Whenever I'm doing scrambled or fried eggs, I use butter and a regular frying pan (aluminium I think) without any special non-stick coating. They never stick to the pan, it's as if they're floating on top of the butter within the pan.

My wife usually uses oil, and whatever she does, the eggs always stick in the pan, and it's a pain to get them out, and fried eggs usually become a broken mess.

So, why would cooking eggs with oil make them stick to the pan, and doing it with butter wouldn't?


texts: What's the difference between fajitas, enchiladas and tacos?

texts:
I'm not familiar with Mexican cuisine, but I enjoyed the things I've eaten so far. To me, they are all quite similar. Is there a real difference between fajitas, enchiladas and tacos?

The taco is perhaps most distinguishable, because of the hard shell, but I've seen pictures of soft tortillas as well. But fajitas and enchiladas are both rolled up meat + veggies + sauce in tortillas, no?

I've checked some websites and pictures, but I can't find a good criterion.

Is there a real difference? If so, what is it?


texts: Can I use Star San "no rinse" for sanitizing canning tools and utensils?

texts:
I've been brewing beer (totally amateur) for a few years as a hobby. I now want to get into canning my own garden-grown veggies.
I've bought several books and watched several videos (like this one from Ball) which recommend:

Using hot soapy water to clean all jars, lids and bands/rings; as well as all other utensils (ladles, jar funnels, jar lifters, cutting boards, etc.)
Keeping the lids in hot water (not boiling) until ready to be used

In brewing there is a product called Star San that is a "no rinse" sanitation solution. You basically dip your utensils into a tub of it, take them out and they are ready to be used.
I'm wondering if this product would be safe and effective for use in canning. Any thoughts?


texts: Is there any substitute for vital wheat gluten?

texts: There's pizza dough recipe which calls for vital wheat gluten and I can't find it anywhere in India. Is there any substitute for it? Can I use seitan as a substitute?


texts: How should baking soda be used to tenderize meat?

texts:
At some Chinese restaurants, I've had beef dishes where the meat was unusually tender.  It also has a somewhat unusual texture, which is hard to describe.  I understand that this is a result of using baking soda to tenderize the meat.

How should one use baking soda to tenderize meat?  And can the technique be applied to other tough meats like chicken or pork?


texts: Why is salt sprinkled on top of soft pretzels?

texts:
For the sake of this question, I am referring to all lye bread. I want to make this clarification since outside of the US the term "pretzel" is usually referring to the shape one would typically attribute to the American concept of pretzels rather than the style.

As far as I know, pretzels are the only "bread" that I personally am aware of that gets sprinkled with coarse bits of salt on top. When tasting the pretzel, it has a unique "pretzel" flavour yet it is generally very bland. Is the salt sprinkled on top to make up for the "bland" bread?

Is there anything about the pretzel dough that would prevent more salt from being added into the recipe?


texts: Is it still possible to make cast iron skillets as good as the old ones?

texts:
You always hear people talk about old cast iron vs. new cast iron: the old stuff is lighter, smoother, and generally better, while the new stuff is heavy, pebbled, and generally a poor imitation of what cast iron ought to be.

So fans of cast iron go to great lengths to find the old stuff, pay good money for it, and look down on Lodge Logic and similar pans.

So here's my question: why is this?

If we can make high-quality knives at a relatively affordable price, why can't we make cast iron pans as good as the old ones? We're not exactly talking about Damascus steel.


texts: Can jasmine rice and basmati rice be cooked together?

texts: I only have one cup of jasmine rice left, but plenty of basmati. Can I just mix them together in the rice cooker?


texts: What is the purpose of the storage beneath an oven?

texts:
In most instances, it seems people use these to store cooking sheets, extra pans, and sometimes lids. However, most (all that I have used) of these storage compartments have terrible tracks and don't seem to support holding heavier items without a lot of strain.

Is there an intended manufacturer use for this storage? If there is no intended use, is there a reason manufacturers neglect making them sturdy (other than the obvious: cost savings)?


texts: Removing the onion layers in an intact way without cooking them

texts: I was wondering if there is a way to remove the onion layers in an intact way so they're not broken or damaged. I've done this before by slightly baking the onion until it softens


texts: Why do chicken wings turn chewy if cooled between cookings?

texts:
I prepared some chicken wings by:

Place chicken wings, raw, in cool oil.
Heat corn oil to ~180°F, hold at ~180°F for 3 hours (in the oven).
Heat peanut oil in deep fryer to 370°F (as high as the deep fryer goes). Time such that deep fryer is heated by the end of the 3 hours.
Drain now-cooked chicken wings
Deep fry (while still hot) for 4 minutes, flipping half way through.

These came out good. While somewhat dry (but not overly so), they had very tender fall-off-the-bone meat and crunchy skin.

However, for a few of them, I inserted a step 4(b), put in plastic bag and chill in ice bath. I then deep fried them for an extra two minutes. They weren't quite as browned, but more importantly they could have been passed off as chewing gum.

Why did cooling the chicken wings turn them to chewing gum? Is there any way to avoid this (other than not cooling them, of course). It'd be nice to be able to do the time-consuming part in advance.


texts: Why does my lime peel-alcohol infusion become cloudy when mixed with water?

texts:
Over the past week or so, I've been experimenting with infusing lime peels in alcohol, by:

Peel limes
Mix with 250mL of 151-proof grain alcohol
Let sit for a week
Strain through a coffee filter.

What I got is a nice, clear-green liquid:

However, I've discovered that when you dilute this with water, it becomes cloudy:

(click to see bigger, longer version)

Why does mixing two clear liquids create a cloudy liquid?


texts: Did tomato paste come in only one size of can in the 1950s?

texts:
I found an old cookery book while on holiday at the german coast, it was published by Peter Pauper press, Mt. Vernon, New York in 1959.

All recipes that use tomato paste just say "1/2 can tomato paste (italian style)" without giving any weights or other measurements.

So, did tomato paste only come in one size in the 1950s? If so, which size was it? And would "italian style" denote anything special like it containing herbs or anything like it?

(I'd like to try some of the recipes at some point, but currently I've got no idea how much to use and if it should be anything other than plain tomato paste...)


texts: Can I use whole eggs instead of egg yolks in a lemon bundt cake?

texts: My lemon bundt cake recipe calls for 8 egg yolks. Can I substitute 4 whole eggs instead of just egg yolks?  I don't want to perhaps waste 8 egg whites or use 8 eggs when 4 would do.


texts:
The electric oven I have, Its maximum heat is only 250 Celsius. If I wanted to make a bun in it,
How to preheat?
 &
How much time I have to heat?
&
how many Celsius to heat?


texts: What are common techniques for adding eggs to soup?

texts:
I have seen different techniques for adding eggs to soups. They seem to be a polarizing topic - I have known people to find the sight of "raggy" soup disgusting, and I have family members who won't eat a clear soup.

These are the methods I know of, but if you can add to the list, I'd be happy to hear about it.

yogurt: Mix egg with yogurt, don't overmix/froth. Pour it in one big glob into the prepared soup the moment you remove it from the heat, stir. Should result in very fine grains distributed perfectly throughout the soup, making it opaque. Sometimes results in big rags floating on top instead.
pure egg: Pour slowly a mixed, slightly frothed egg into the soup while stirring vigorously. Should result in big, spongy rags floating in the clear broth.
egg and cheese: Mix the egg with finely ground hard cheese (parmesan works best). Slowly drizzle into the broth. Not sure what the perfect result is supposed to look like.
egg and flour: This is more of a thickener. Slowly pour it after the soup is removed from the heat. Should result in an even, slightly thickened broth with no visible rags and no fat spots swimming on the soup.
emulsified egg. Emulsify egg with oil (or use mayonnaise or hollandaise) and add it to the soup after it has been cooled to serving temperature. Should result in evenly thickened soup without visible rags.

All these are used in a usual "meat, broth and veggies" soup, not a pureed soup or something fancy, although I suspect there are egg methods for those too.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method? How do they influence texture, richness, rag size, taste? Are there special conditions under which I should prefer one method above the others? Is there a consensus among cooking professionals for which method is to be used with which kind of soup?

Edit

The answers are interesting, but I would like to see more information than a simple list: What type of soup should the method be used with, and why? How does it change taste?


texts: How much do egg yolks and whites weigh, in grams?

texts: I have an Italian recipe that has been translated to English. The recipe calls for 360g egg whites and 240g yolks. Can anyone tell me how much this is?


texts:
I recently bought a rutabaga from the store, having never done so before, and every single one on display had an oily feel to it - not sticky, but slick like it had been coated in a soft wax.

Is this how a rutabaga should feel when it is purchased?  If not, what should a rutabaga feel like, and how can I tell if it is fresh?


texts: How should glasses/cups be oriented in storage?

texts:
I believe that it's better to store glasses/cups right-side-up in the cupboard, but at work everyone stores them upside-down.

Which is safer/more sanitary?


texts:
I am cooking beans Vigna mungo  , after soaking beans in water overnight.

I realized that when i cooked them in morning for 20 minutes in pressure cook, there are very few beans are still as hard as uncooked soaked beans, why these few exceptional beans are not softened ?


texts:
While following the advice in this answer I placed two ripe Bhut Jolokia peppers in a fresh bottle of olive oil, and put it on the shelf to sit for a month so the heat from the peppers would infuse the oil.

However, one of the peppers became covered with white mold.

The two peppers were put in at different times, as they ripened, since I only got half a dozen peppers from the plant, and they all ripened at different times.

The first pepper went into what had been an unopened bottle of olive oil, after I cut out a small blemish, and removed the stem and top of the pepper.  It floated at the top of the oil for a few days, perhaps as long as a week, before sinking to the bottom of the bottle.

The second pepper was added about 1.5-2 weeks later, and was more intact (there was no blemish, so I only removed the top to remove the stem and expose the seeds).  That pepper floated on the surface as well, but about 1.5-2 weeks later, I noticed that it was still floating, and was now covered with a patch of fluffy white mold just above the surface.

What did I do wrong here?  How could I prevent this from happening next time?


texts: Adding raw chicken to a meal that is being reheated

texts:
So, a friend of mine told me they frequently add raw chicken to their (already cooked) leftovers when reheating (in a pan) to top them up. Though they stress that the chicken is completely cooked by the end of the reheating.

I feel like this is extremely unsafe in terms of food hygiene and food contamination, but apparently my friend and most of their family members have done this quite frequently without issue.

Other than the reheated food being overcooked and degraded in quality, I am not sure how I could explain  that this isn't a safe practice. Or am I completely wrong in this matter?


texts: When you try to "catch" yeast from the air: is it normal for the flour and water to split

texts:
I'm trying to "catch" wild yeast for the first time. 36 hours ago I mixed a cup of flour and a cup of water and left it out on a shelf with a paper towel over the top. It's been between 45 and 70 degrees here over that time.

Since then, the water and the flour has separated so that the water is sitting on top of the flour.

Is that supposed to happen? Should I just keep waiting? Should I give up and try pineapple juice?
What is the best way to catch wild yeast for sourdough?


texts: Can I use baking powder in place of baking soda for dipping pretzels?

texts:
I made pretzel dough and its ready to be shaped.

Somehow I have no baking soda left. Can I use baking powder in place of baking soda? Or is there something else I can use for the dipping step?

What will happen if I just skip the dipping step?


texts:
I have been trying to avoid refined sugar (white sugar, corn syrup, etc.) for health reasons.
usually I replace it with demerara sugar, but I can also use honey, date syrup, unrefined cane sugar.

Is it possible to make candy (that will taste good) without the refined sugar?  Are there some candies that will work better than others?


texts: Adding citrus to stew while cooking or after

texts:
I am trying to reverse engineer a recipe for a fava bean stew from the list of ingredients on a ready-to-eat can. The can, as well as every other (middle eastern) instance of fava beans I've had, was citrus zesty. The can lists "citric acid" but I intend to put lime juice.
I like many of my other stews and soups citrusy but I normally add lime juice or vinegar (sometimes even sumac will do) as a condiment before eating, not while cooking. I wonder if there are any advantages to adding it while cooking. Such as, for example, could it help tenderize the favas, in addition to adding citrus flavor? Is it best to add citrus, while cooking, right after cooking, or as a condiment before eating?


texts: Do I need to sift flour that is labeled sifted?

texts: Is there really an advantage to sifting flour that I bought that was labeled 'sifted'?


texts: Boiling Chicken Breast (or any meat) before cooking to cook evenly

texts:
Good day. I've had another disagreement with my mother on how to cook Chicken Breast. I know it seems like a small topic and it is situational, but do consider it.

The scenario is this, let's say you forget to take the Chicken Breast (whole, not chopped or butterfly cut) out the freezer and you need to cook it as soon as possible, OR you want to make sure you don't over cook the chicken as you fry it since they can get thick sometimes and you don't know if you cooked it all throughout.

In that scenario, my mother believes that it is okay to boil the chicken meat first in water before frying it. Her logic is that boiling actually cooks the inside evenly without burning the outside and frying gives it color.

However, I think that boiling the chicken takes the flavor away, just like how chicken bones are boiled to make stocks. Also, I think that boiling the chicken for too long causes the chicken to dry out (just like overcooking it).

I tried to tell her that butterflying it would be the best solution to cooking the chicken breast evenly, next to cooking it in the right temperature to not boil it (which seals the flavor inside) and then putting it in the oven (optional).

What do you guys think? Is boiling meat that detrimental to the flavor and overall quality of the dish?


texts: How do I prevent filled pretzels from blowing out?

texts:
A little while ago I made cream cheese and jalapeno filled pretzels.

I used a standard, mall-style, pretzel dough.

The filling was cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and minced jalapenos.

The dough was shaped into balls, allowed to rest and then spread into disks. One or two teaspoons of filling was placed in the center and the dough was gathered around the filling and pinched shut. The pretzels were formed into small logs about two inches long with the seam down.

They were then dipped in a baking soda solution, salted, let proof, and baked at 450F for around 10 minutes.

On baking, the majority of the pretzels burst open and the filling partially leaked out. They were still delicious and were eaten almost instantly by my guests.

How do I prevent my filled pretzels from blowing out?


texts: substituting white all purpose flour with whole wheat flour

texts: I thought it was one to one (more like, assumed) but I did it with a pound cake and let's just say the product could break a plexiglass window. Is there some ratio to substituting white all purpose flour with whole wheat? are they simply not interchangeable?


texts:
I want to have boiled eggs in the morning when I wake up. For this I want to use a standard rice cooker.

My plan is to add the eggs and water before going to bed, set a timer and go sleep.

Is it possible and safe to leave the eggs and water in my rice cooker until a timer starts the cooking? Will soaking the eggs overnight change their consistency or flavor?

Note: This question asks something very similar for rice.


texts: What happens if I brine my turkey for 2 days?

texts:
I have a logistical problem that leaves me with no fridge room for 2 days before Thanksgiving...  I always brine my turkey, so I don't have any questions about that, but typically it's only an 8 - 10 hour brine.

Is it possible to "over brine" a turkey? Lets assume I keep it covered and keep it cold (so that we're not discussing food safety as it relates to the turkey getting warm).


texts: Can I substitute a German's sweet chocolate bar for chocolate chips in a rice crispy treat frosting recipe?


texts: How long do I sous-vide a 5.5lb veal breast?

texts: How long and at what temperature should I sous-vide a 5.5lb veal breast?


texts: How can I test my extracts for strength?

texts: I made a couple extracts with Everclear and Buddha's hand and with habanero peppers (not combined).  If I want to make some hard candy with them, how can I rough in how much to use so I don't end up with something either tasteless or inedible?


texts: Do relish recipes typically include vinegar?

texts: I'm designing a sandwich and I want to include a fruit relish as a topping. Are there methods that don't include pickling?


texts:
I'm not new to baking but I'm new to experimenting with baking. I just don't want to experiment with baking when many resources are invested in the recipe.

So, I'm looking to make a huge multilayered brownie "cake" for my company potluck, I just don't know if it's possible:

Top to bottom:

1/2 Ghirardelli Brownie mix
Any Caramel chocolate crushed and melted
1/2 Ghirardelli Brownie mix
Any white chocolate crushed and melted
1/2 Ghirardelli Brownie mix
Any regular chocolate crushed and melted
1/2 Ghirardelli Brownie mix

For the layers between the brownie layers, I was thinking just taking 3-5 chocolate bars and crushing them.

The eggs, oil, and water will be mixed as per the Ghirardelli recipe so I'll use 2/3 cup water, 2/3 vegetable oil, 2 eggs. Maybe more for better consistency?


texts: Help removing excess starch from potato chips

texts: I was trying to make potato chips at home but forgot wash off the excess starch from the freshly cut potato slices. I have already dried them off. Now when i fry them they turn brown giving a burnt off kind of taste. What should I do???


texts:
I was really happy bringing home my first quality Zwiling Chefs knife. Before cooking I ran the knife through some paper - sliced like butter! After I was done and washed dried the knife, I decided to try the test again. It began tearing the paper. That's when I picked up my honing steel I got earlier (20 cm, around 20$, no brand, with ridges down along) and pushed several strokes. The knife afterwards with a decent amount of pressure would cut the paper, but that razor sharp feeling was gone.

Should I get a different honing steel? Or do I just lack technique? Can I kill my blade? I learned mostly from YouTube videos, particularly the one by Bob Kramer.


texts: How should I cook a 1lb bottom round roast beef in the oven?

texts:
I'd like to try cooking a small roast beef. It's just me and my boyfriend so I only got a small 1lb one. I don't have any special cooking tools like crockpots, so how can I cook this in the oven so it will be tender and tasty?

Update

Made it last night and it turned out delicious! So much better than my first attempt at roast beef... was not only was it edible, but also tasty and tender :)

I ended up using a mix of both methods. I put oil and salt on it, did the sear in the pan since I don't trust myself with the broiler, then put it in a the oven at 275 w/ beef stock, garlic cloves, and onion (should have done the onion later though). I covered it with tinfoil since my casserole dish lid isn't airtight, and after two hours added some carrots and potatoes and left it in for another hour or so. I'm so happy it came out well, thanks guys! :)


texts:
What is the permitted preservative for biriyani paste? How much quantity of what should I add? My masala has ginger, garlic paste, onions, tomatoes, green chillies, spice powders, mint and coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt, gingely (sesame) oil, and ghee. I need it to have a shelf life of one week outside the refrigerator!

Am preparing this curry paste and packing in plastic airtight containers and freezing. After freezing I courier to whoever needs it. Hence for transportation purposes, I need a shelf life of one week.


texts: How can I recognize peaches with split pits?

texts:
Split pits in stone fruit can be a real problem for farmers, because fruit that are seriously affected can’t be sold. However, if the damage isn’t obvious from the outside, the fruit are going to the stores just as usual.

For me as a consumer and cook, split pit peaches and nectarines are in the best case a nuisance because they need a bit more work than normal fruit, in the worst case, there will be mold on the inside of the pit that also infects the flesh.

Is there a way to recognize peaches or nectarines with a split pit before cutting them open? Preferably at the store?


texts: Why did my reverse spherification method fail to produce proper spheres?

texts:
After much experimentation with reverse spherification this weekend, I completely failed to get an acceptable product. Caviar didn't form properly. In particular, when dropped from an eye dropper, the drops would not penetrate the bath and so did not form proper spheres. The height I dropped from made no difference on the effect. I also had issues with my spheres glomming together in to a single mass if they touched.

I used a 0.5% sodium alginate bath with room temperature Dasani bottled water (which makes no mention of any sort of calcium on the label).
I did a 2.5% Calcium Lactate Gluconate in to Peach Looza.
I also tried a 0.5% Calcium Chloride solution with the Peach Looza.
I tried thickening the peach juice with 0.5% Xanthan gum, but that didn't seem to make a difference.

The gelling process was working, and was fine if I placed the peach in the bath slowly, but I found it impossible to make small caviar with an eye dropper as the peach just sat at the surface. Once they did eventually sink, if there were multiple spheres, they would form a single mass as soon as they touched.

Any suggestions to fix these issues? I wanted to make a large amount and then hold for service, but I was unable to make any at all, really.


texts: I've been using a slow cooker to make casseroles lately and would like to try using it to make Israeli couscous. I can't find anything online that tells me how to do this. The reason I would like it to sit is so that it will absorb the herbs and spices I make it with. Most recipes just have you add it in the last 10 mins. That doesn't seem long enough to absorb enough flavor. Anyone have any idea how to achieve what I'm looking to do?


texts: Making how much batter will result in over-mixing?

texts:
This page, tip #9 "Don’t Double the Recipe"  suggests that making too much batter results in over-mixing, and, consequently, in a dense (as opposed to fluffy) cake.
Is it correct? Could you give some guidelines on how much batter is too much? E.g. for crepes mixture? Or for flour:sugar:sunflower oil:milk 1:1:1:1 batter, 1 egg per 50g of flour, batter?


texts: after re-hydrating and desalinating a salted cod it became slightly brown

texts:
I bought a dried and salted cod (Bacalhau) and cut it into pieces, used some of those and left about half of it in a dry, dark area in the kitchen cabinet for a month.
Salted cod should last much longer than that, what got me worried is when after re-hydrating and desalinating the remaining pieces in water(about 48 hours) I saw the outside of the fish became light-brown instead of white.
The cod smells perfectly, it's just the appearance. I asked several restaurant cooks and they said it's fine to consume, which I did.
My question, why did the salted cod become brown? Did I make a mistake in the re-hydrating and desalinating process?


texts: Should I wait until the oil smokes when frying eggs?

texts:
Making ordinary fried eggs, I heat up the (soy bean) vegetable oil. I usually use the smoke as an indicator of being in enough temperature to pour the eggs in.

I heard that in olive oil, bad chemicals emerges when the oil reaches smoke point. I wondered if this is the case with vegetable oil? Should I strife for borderline of hot enough oil that is not smoking?


texts: What's the best pasta, and cooking approach, for making pasta salad?

texts:
I love the pasta salad you can buy in shops and would love to be able to make something comparable.  The part that I love the most is the dense, thick pasta that comes in these salads.

When I try to reproduce this at home by making standard pasta shapes and leaving them to cool, I end up with thin rubbery pieces that are dull and disappointing.

So, how can I make great pasta for pasta salads?  In particular, what pasta should I buy and how should I cook it?


texts: As it relates to the Hospitality Industry what is a par level of product?

texts:
What does this mean in the Hospitality industry?

As in the Hospitality Department will establish par levels of products

Is this kind of like when your boss in IT tells you that there should always be 2 spare toner cartridges and that should should attempt to keep them at this level?

Can it also be based on the past history of the usage of a product for a particular month?


texts: What do you have for breakfast during camping

texts: What are some camping breakfast options if I do not wish to carry eggs? (They break)


texts: I will be spending some time on Cape Cod and since I'm from a landlocked country, I wonder what local ingredients I could take advantage when cooking during my stay. I suppose seafood and fish are in good supply, though probably still not cheap. Is there anything else worth hunting for? What are some typical dishes in the wider area utilizing local ingredients?


texts: Is it better to refrigerate cooked chicken

texts: Is precooked chicken bought from the store better refrigerated or put in the freezer? which makes it fresher and tastier or does that only apply to raw meat?


texts:
Does it make any difference when you wrap food with aluminum foil for grilling or baking or making a steam pouch whether you put the shiny side in or the shiny side out?

I've seen at least one answer to a questiong about grilling that made mention of this.


texts: Any other flour which can be used to replace Maida flour for chewy cakes?

texts:
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maida_flour

  Maida has been linked with diabetes[10] and known to cause blood sugar imbalances, have negative influence on Insulin.[1] Consuming maida makes people become prone to kidney stone and heart disease.[11] Maida contains anti-nutrients which can affect the digestive process.

and

  maida is popular in a white color, bleached with benzoyl peroxide,

It is not easy to find special cake flour where I live. Wheat flour contains gluten which will result in hard cakes.

Now, considering the fact that I won't mind a bit chewy cakes, what other flours other than Wheat have lowest gluten which can be used to make a bit chewy cakes?

UPDATE

I just saw a muffin in market whose ingredients contained "corn flour". That muffin was not extremely soft, it was just a bit chewy. So, corn flour can be used instead of maida? What else?


texts: How can we keep the crisp part of French Fries for longer time?

texts: Since few time I observed that whenever I make french fries, after 15-20 mins of its making it is getting loose. Is there anything doing that we can maintain the crisp of the fries for longer span i.e. for at least 20 mins or so?


texts: What are some grilling tools that everyone should have?

texts: What are some grilling tools that a beginner should have when purchasing a new grill?  Additionally, are there tools that are useful for the more advanced outdoor cook?


texts: Cutting boards: What are some general tips on purchasing and using a cutting board?

texts:
I have heard various debates on the merits of wood versus synthetic cutting boards, and their affect on food safety, knife edges, and ease of cleaning and storage.

What are the pros and cons of the following and why?

Wood versus plastic or other materials
Affect on food safety and cleanliness
Cost to purchase
Affect on knife edge and ease of use


texts: Would one use holy basil to make pesto sauce? Are there other culinary uses?

texts: I got some holy basil seeds (via mail) from a guy on an internet forum. I planted them and they are growing nicely. They taste similar to thai basil. Would one use holy basil to make pesto sauce? Are there other culinary uses for holy basil?


texts:
I'm preparing to make pumpkin seed brittle, and I notice the recipe is very similar to the peanut brittle recipe I used before. Unfortunately, it turned out awful! The sugar never quite turned "light amber" even after almost an hour, and eventually I noticed it start to crystallize. I tried pouring it anyway and ended up with basically a clear sheet of sugar that dissolved into crystals when broken (I left off the nuts because I was pretty sure it was ruined - the nuts tossed in spices made a lovely alternate snack instead). I notice several comments having similar issues, but also many more saying "It worked perfectly the first time!" What did I do wrong? Should I use a different recipe? Is there some way to make this more foolproof? One of my friends started babbling about "invert syrup" being the cure for my ills...

Recipe is at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/peanut-brittle-recipe/index.html . My attempt was done in spring in Manchester, UK, so while it may have been a bit damp, there wasn't likely to be a ton of humidity and no altitude problems.


texts: I recently attempted to grill duck legs on my propane Webber. I was afraid of flare-ups due to the high fat content in the duck meat so I grilled with somewhat low and indirect heat. It took a long time, but I got them looking lovely and brown and not burned. The only problem was this: they were tough and didn't taste very good at all. Clearly I did something very wrong. Any advice?


texts:
We make bread for sandwiches a few times a week, but slicing them is always a pain.  The pieces just don't come out uniform. I end up with angled pieces as the knife doesn't end up going straight down.

Is there a trick to getting uniform pieces from a loaf?


texts: Why does whip cream dispenser sometimes produce "ragged" cream?

texts: Sometimes I make whipped cream in my ISI cream whipper and it comes out beautifully fluffy and smooth, and other times when I dispense it, the cream looks "ragged" for lack of a better description. Any ideas what factor accounts for the difference?


texts:
I've recently started frequenting a Middle Eastern restaurant. They provide a sauce with their shawarma that they swear is tahini, but I've never tasted any like this.

Most tahinis I've had are about the texture of natural peanut butter, are some shade of brown, and contain nothing but ground sesame seeds.

The tahini at this restaurant is a thin white sauce seasoned with garlic and some kind of spices. I politely asked a waiter if they weren't maybe confusing tahini with tzatziki, but they say no. It's a small family-owned place, and they will not share their recipe or even give a hint as to what's in this sauce.

I've googled tahini, but have not really found anything (either recipes or store-bought products) that resemble this. Is it some heretofore-unknown variety of tahini, and if so, what is it called?


texts: The knife blade of my beloved ancient Minipimer has become loose. What can I do to fix it tighter to the axle. Both the blade and the axle are all metal.


texts: What to do with soft chicken bones after making bone broth?

texts:
I have chicken bones after being boiled down to mush.

Can they be crushed? Then what can I use them for?


texts: How do I prevent jams from turning brown?

texts:
I have been a jam maker for years.  We live in an area of fresh fruit so it's always naturally sweet.  I decrease the sugar in each recipe by at least 1 cup and I always add fresh lemon juice.  My question is: do I need to water bath the jam to prevent it from turning dark on the top?

It doesn't affect the taste but it doesn't look very pretty.  I have jams I recently made & I'm also wondering if I could water bath them now even though I made it a few weeks ago? I pack hot jam into scalding hot jars with hot lids.  I always have good seals & I love the sounds of the jars sealing!  I call it the Canner Symphony!


texts: Why does barbecue sauce break down and become watery in baking

texts: I have a great brown sugar, onion, spices and catsup-based barbecue sauce for pork spare ribs, but when I bake the ribs in the oven, the sauce turns watery and thin. What do I need to remove or add to keep it thick? Thanks.


texts: At what temperature should monkfish be prepared?

texts:
At what internal temperature should you aim for monkfish to be properly cooked? According to this recipe, it should be at 145F (63ºC). Does anybody know a temperature chart for fish in general?

FYI I just found this and this reference.


texts: What are the consequences of infusing a tea bag longer than recommended?

texts:
I'm a regular consumer of tea (since about 2 years ago), usually from commercial tea bags.

They advise to infuse tea for 3 to 5 minutes, but there is some times that I have left it longer by accident.

So I have been wondering what are the consequences -if any-  of infusing tea bag longer than recommended by sellers (sometimes up to 10 minutes). My question is general, but I'm especially interested in black tea.


texts: Is water necessary when cooking meat in a pressure cooker

texts: I recently bought packaged pork ribs, 3.5 lbs, preseasoned with whiskey black pepper. I was planning on cooking it in an instant pot, but I'm still a bit of a novice. Should I just throw the ribs in and cook it, or should I throw some liquid in the bottom?


texts: Can avocado substitute the 'fat' in cake baking?

texts: Can avocado substitute the usual fat in cake baking? If so, what's the ratio to other ingredients?


texts: PA style fried chicken with no breading or batter, just a thin amber color crisp coating

texts: When I was a little fellow I lived in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. Many diners that we ate at had a fried chicken that had just a thin crispy amber coating. The order was usually a half of a chicken. I have been living in North Carolina for 24 years now and have not come across anything close. I would like to know how to make it.


texts: I have an electric kettle that I clean by scrubbing the insides with plain water. I was wondering if there was a better way to clean it. I remember hearing somewhere that you can clean a coffemaker by running a solution containing vinegar through it and was wondering if there might be a similar solution to clean the kettle?


texts: How can I turn my pasta salad into a pickle?

texts:
A pickle that would preserve it for a week?

Would it ruin the taste of the pasta salad?


texts: How can components of a packaged food item exceed the net weight?

texts:
In some packaged foods, the added weight of its components (like sugar, protein, carbohydrates) exceed the weight of the total item.

Example:- 1 pack of Chocos Cereal has net weight 30g. But its components like Total Carbs + Sugar + Protein exceed the net weight of 30g.

How can the component's weight exceed the net weight of the item?


texts: I made caramel with condensed milk one month ago. Now I want to use it again, but it has sugar granules on it. So what should I do to make it smooth again?


texts: Edwards Hersheys creme pie made in 2013 ok to eat?

texts: I just happened to see it in the freezer and it looks really good hasn't been opened or thawed but everywhere I look I seem to get a different answer on weather it would be okay to eat or not. Hopefully I can get an answer here before its thawed out lol :) Thanks yall


texts: What is the reason of Red spots on potatoes?

texts: When we peel potatoes, some of them contain red spots in them. What do those red spots mean? Should we use them or not?


texts: Annatto is a common spice in Mexican cookery, especially in the Yucatan. However, like many Mexican ingredients, it's hard to find in Europe. What can I use as a substitute to give the same colour and approximate flavour?


texts:
I am trying to roast the corn in the oven, by:

leaving it in its husk
wrapping it in tin-foil

There are results, but far from real-grill roasted corn.

Any pointers on how to really do it?

EDIT:

Cooking times, temperatures?  (Celsius please)


texts: What kind of sandwich can be made with Shredded Beef?

texts:
it's my first time asking here so I am not exactly sure if this question is off-topic or not. So here's the question. My mother made something with shredded beef. I contains a little amount of greens and is quite tangy. It's been in the freezer for quite long now and whenever I look at it I vision a sandwich. Thing is, I don't what to make it with.
The most daunting part about it to me is finding a right binding agent that'll keep the beef from falling out of the bread slices.
Any ideas people?
Also any sauce you could recommend with it would be great. Thanks.


texts: Is there a way to keep chilled cookie dough from flattening while cutting it?

texts:
Whether using a serrated or straight knife, this seems to be a problem. I end up reshaping them by hand on the cookie sheet so they are round instead of oval.

Is there a way to slice the dough to prevent this flattening?

PS: I should clarify that the chilled dough is in a roll shape.


texts: I am making an apple crisp and need to know how much salt I need for 4 tsps baking powder

texts: I am making an apple crisp for my husband's restaurant. I'm using a recipe that I did not create. Recipe calls for 4 tsps baking powder, but there's no measurement for the salt! I know it needs salt to rise. Please help! This needs to be done asap.


texts: Are these canned dolmas safe to eat, why are they pink?

texts:
My canned dolmas (grape-leaf wrapped rice) are marked as expiring in 2023, but when I opened them they both had pink spots and the oil that pours off had some pink watery color to it.
The discoloration only occurred where the rice was exposed to the oil, if you peeled back the grape leaves the rice was white.
Smelled normal and tasted normal (the non-pink ones that I ate before I spotted the discoloration).


texts: Is there an upper limit to the "room temperature" at which eggs should be stored?

texts:
(Unwashed) eggs needn't be stored in a fridge. Well, depends where you live and if the hens get vaccinated against salmonella, that is.

Basically eggs come with a type of natural coating - the cuticle - that protects them from going bad even at room temperature (and seemingly higher) for several weeks (see this question and answers). It's kind of self-evident from the fact that hens will take some time to breed fertilized eggs - at ... and usually above room temperature - and it would be odd for the nutrients to go bad while the embryo (chick) needs them to develop.

However, you may have noticed my use of room temperature in the above paragraph. Just like with red wine that's kind of a stretchy term. So since I live in the Northern hemisphere and it's summer time here, I was wondering if there is a rule of thumb of what ambient temperature should not be exceeded for non-refrigerated eggs? (Please cite your sources for the rules you give in your answers!)

NB: Yes, I am aware that by refrigerating eggs early on can considerably prolong the duration until they go bad (even though the eggs are being sold off the shelf; i.e. without refrigeration). But my question is more about trying to find out if there is an upper limit and how the ambient temperature influences the tendency of eggs to spoil. For example if I know that I can easily keep a carton of eggs at up to 30°C for a week, that'd save me quite some space in the fridge when I plan to bake within a week of the grocery shopping.


texts:
I have some lavender bushes in the garden. They last well and smell wonderful. I have always considered lavender a herb, but can't think how it is used in cooking.

If people have any good recipes for lavender I would love to know.


texts: Shallower bowl or longer dough hook for Kitchen Aid 7qt Stand Mixer?

texts:
I have a 7qt lifter style kitchen aid stand mixer and use it often to make bread and pizza doughs.

Generally works great for very large batches, but I find that either the 7qt bowl is too deep or the dough hook isn't quite long enough and smaller batches end up with more than half of the ingredients hanging out below the hook.

Are the 6 qt bowls compatible, but shallower?   Is there a longer dough hook available?   Any suggestions?


texts: Drying beef to preserve it without any equipment

texts:
I have high quality beef muscle meat, beef liver and beef heart. All completely grass fed from healthy animals with clean practices thus I am not that worried about botulism ("Botulism outbreaks occur when animals eat improperly stored or spoiled silage, decaying vegetation, poultry manure, or feed and water contaminated with bird or rodent carcasses.").

Is it possible to air dry thin slices of this meat at home without dehydrator or an oven, in order to preserve it? It's in my apartment so I can't really smoke it.


texts: Cure for burns from hot peppers / capsicum oil?

texts:
So, I foolishly ignored advice about wearing gloves while handling hot peppers. I thought since they were "just" anaheim peppers I'd be fine... I was wrong, and I repent.

Does anyone know of a way to stop the burning? I have washed my hands repeatedly with soap in hot water and tried OTC burn spray.

I'm really worried about getting it off b/c I have a little baby & I don't want to get it on her, too. Can the oil transfer to someone else still?


texts: Bread has tough, crunchy crust but is underbaked in the middle - how to fix?

texts:
I've been attempting to make white bread using a recipe from my grandmother. However, since she used to bake this bread every weekend and could probably have done it in her sleep, when she wrote down the recipe she was very vague. Recipe is as follows:

  In a large bowl:
  4 cups boiling water
  3-4 tablespoons shortening
  6 tablespoons sugar
  1 tablespoon salt (this may be left out)

  In a medium bowl:
  2 cups cold water
  2 cups hot water
  1 1/2 cups powdered milk

  In a small bowl:
  3 tablespoons yeast
  2 teaspoons sugar
  1 cup water 110-115 degrees

  Let yeast dissolve and begin action. Mix all ingredients in large
  bowl, making sure hot liquids have cooled enough before adding
  dissolved yeast. Add flour (not too much) and beat with electric
  beater for a few minutes. Add enough flour to make a firm dough. Knead
  approximately 8 minutes. Grease large bowl and place dough in bowl.
  Grease top of dough. Let rise. Punch down and shape into loaves.
  Grease pans and place loaves in pan and grease top of loaves. Let
  rise. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 30-40 minutes.

I usually halve the recipe since it results in a lot of bread otherwise. When halved, I add roughly 8-9 cups of flour (I have a flour scoop that picks up just over 1 cup flour) into the dough before rising, then another 2-3 cups that get mixed in while I'm trying to knead and using flour to keep the dough from sticking to everything.

One of the problems I'm having is crust vs interior doneness. Every attempt so far has resulted in a very thick crust which is either painfully chewy, extremely dry and crispy, or both; while the inside of the loaf is doughy and undercooked.

My grandmother's oven was 40-50 years old, beneath a gas stove, and not in the best of shape, so I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't actually baking at 350 degrees. Also, she lived in Michigan while I live in the Pacific Northwest (basically at sea level), so that's probably also not helping things.

What should I do differently to get bread that's fully baked in the middle, without a crust that's difficult to chew?


texts: How hot does the water need to be when cooking stock?

texts: What's the minimum water temperature for making stock? (from either meat and vegetables, if they're different)


texts: How do I prevent stickiness in a rice cooker?

texts:
I have a Cuisinart dedicated rice cooker and I love the benefits.

However I get a little bit of stickiness around the sides of the cooker. A friend recommends a capful of oil while cooking the rice to prevent it from sticking, but I am not sure if that's a good idea?

The rice is sticking to side of the pot itself but it doesn't get burnt per se, just enough to make clean up a hassle.


texts: I have canned for years. Tomatoes, jams, etc. I startedcanning my own chicken broth and sometimes it spoils or smells terrible after canning, even though it seals. It's usually no ore than a few months old when I try to use it, but am disappointed when I open it and it smells too bad to use. Sometimes it's good, but a lot of times not.why?


texts: How does one stop sushi seaweed wrapping being too chewy?

texts:
When we make home-made sushi, we often find that the seaweed wrapping (or nori) is too chewy.  The seaweed we buy is from the local supermarket, and nothing fancy.

  Question: How can we ensure that the seaweed is not too chewy?


texts: Why does my ice cream get crispy in my float?

texts: I float my ice cream with Diet Pepsi. I'm always excited for when the ice cream gets crispy. It gets crispier when I use cold soda instead of room temperature. Is my soda freezing in the ice cream?


texts: Are all convect bake microwave ovens noisey while using the oven for baking?  My current oven sounds like the microwave is engaged while baking.


texts: Delicata squash - good outside but not sure about inside

texts: I cooked spaghetti squash recently and put the raw seeds and pulp in the fridge and it did smell a bit strong. But I ate the spaghetti squash and it was fine. Today I cooked delicata squash which was perfect outside, firm, not discoloured or moldy and the stem was fine too. Inside where the seeds are was a bit dark and smelled a bit like the pulp of the spaghetti squash I had before but a bit stronger but not rotten. The inside after removing seeds was a bit dark and slightly squishy. I was going to cut more of the inside out after cooking and then eat it. Not sure about this though. Do I need to compost/throw it away? Or can I cut around it?


texts:
There seems to be (much like everything else) different recipes, though most call for equal parts starter, flour and water for maintenance.
However, one particular (and popular) blogger calls for the following recipe:

  Scoop in 50 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented
  overnight. To this, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose
  flour, and 100 grams water

Is there a "correct" answer here, and what's the difference between the two recipes?


texts: What is an easy way to turn a heavy-ish cake?

texts:
I don't have a metal cake pan. I bake my normal cakes and cake layers in a pan with a glass bottom and silicone walls, and cakes which can be expected to leak in a porcelain quiche pan.

Sadly, my oven has a hot corner. If I don't turn my cake around during the baking, one corner is going to be overbaked or even burn. So I have to turn it while in the oven. But the bottoms of my pans don't slide easily on the rack. The first doesn't touch the rack with the glass, it touches it with the silicone part, which has a friction comparable to smooth rubber. The porcelain pan has an unglazed bottom, and it is an even bottom, not just a rim like on most porcelain plates, so it is even harder to turn.

I mostly try to grip the rim of the pan above the cake to turn. The silicone rim is high enough for that, but squishy, and it wiggles under my fingers. The porcelain rim is so low, the cake layer reaches it, and even rises above it. So I have to squish part of the cake. It gets worse because of the thick silicone rubber mittens I have, they are not very easy to maneuver with.

Are there any easy tricks to turn the cake? Is there something I am missing here?


texts: How do I control the temperature of water for an extended period of time?

texts:
When making the "perfect" mash, Heston Blumenthal recommends cooking waxy spuds in hot water for half an hour at the temperature of 72 degrees Celsius, exactly. At 75 degrees stuff starts breaking down.

I would like to try this out but am unsure how I can keep the temperature constant.

What kitchen tools and process can I follow to measure the temperature throughout the process? Are there any tricks?


texts: One of my favorite pizza styles is a nice thick, chewy crust around the outside - but of course thin enough crust under the toppings to cook properly. How does one work the dough into that shape?


texts: Does butter really penetrate a steak when allowing it to rest after cooking?

texts: I understand that when a steak rests after cooking, the muscle fibers relax, allowing the juices to reenter the meat as described here. I've heard that while the meat relaxes and the juices flow in, they can draw melted butter in as well. Is this true? I've tried the technique and find it tastes great, but I'm not sure if its because the butter really penetrated or because the surface is just coated with it.


texts: A friend of mine I'm getting an apartment with next year said that we should invest in a rice cooker. I'm fairly adept in the kitchen and don't come from a family that uses a rice cooker so I would default to cooking rice in a pot. He seemed to think that he would buy a rice cooker only for the convenience of cooking rice without worrying about it. Is convenience the only reason? Is it worth it to buy one for the other things (not rice) you can cook in it?


texts: Blender makes burning smell after liquid spilled on (maybe into) it

texts: There is a slight burning like smell when I use my blender now. While making a smoothie, the bottom seal was broken and the drink spilled/poored everywhere. When I use the blender now, I smell this burning type smell. It's a good blender (Osterizer). Should I buy a new one?


texts: I don't know if I should put it in the refrigerator or the pantry. Does it go in the crisper?


texts: How do you coat perfectly round truffles with melted chocolate?

texts:
How do you coat perfectly round truffles with melted chocolate. Preferably with the least amount of mess. Normally, I just dip the truffle into a bowl of melted chocolate and remove the truffle with a spoon. I then will place them on a sheet of wax paper.

However, this leaves my truffles looking ...well not so round. The chocolate drips down causing the truffle to have a flat surface. And the ball is not smooth.

The recipe I am following can be found here and an example is shown below:


texts: Can I make choux pastry with an electric hob?

texts:
I would like to make choux pastry, and the recipe I have emphasises bringing the pan quickly to a boil after the butter has melted into the water at the beginning of the procedure.

I only have electric hobs available, which can take a few minutes to go from a simmer to a proper boil.

Will this have a negative impact on my pastry, and if so is there a way I can work around it?


texts: Can you make goulash using winter squash instead of cabbage?

texts:
I am really craving goulash today, but I don't have any cabbage. However I have a winter squash, its orange inside, quite like a pumpkin, but not quite a pumpkin, as the skin is green-orange. No, its not an unripe pumpkin, its just squash like this.
I will also use ghee, goat meat and spring onion, because I don't have normal onions. And a tiny cast iron pot, and only making a small portion, for 1 person, 1 meal.
Will that work to make goulash?


texts: What are some alternative wines for Boeuf Bourguignon?

texts: Traditionally a Burgundy wine is used for Beef Bourguignon. What are alternative replacements for this dish?


texts: What is the best way to convert recipes to gluten free, and how much xanthan gum is needed?

texts:
I am in the process of converting my boyfriend and myself to a gluten free regimen.  I have had a lot of success with gluten free recipes, but I am now wanting to convert my previous recipes to gluten free ones.

My questions are:

For the flour portion, is it cup for cup?  (one cup of regular flour for one cup of gluten free flour)
How much xanthan gum should be added per cup of gluten free flour?


texts: How long can I leave a freshly baked cheesecake out before it goes in the refrigerator?

texts: We just baked a cheesecake and are heading over to family's house for the rest of the evening. Is it ok to leave the cheesecake out for 6 hours or so before being refrigerated?


texts: Is sweetened condensed milk a substitute for evaporated milk?

texts: I have a recipe for Thai Green Curry that calls for evaporated milk, which I don't have. I do have sweetened condensed milk, will that do?


texts: How to remove soil smell from beetroots?

texts:
I buy veggies from local store (not organic). When I cook, I get the soil smell from it. How can I avoid it? any precooking process can help?

Thanks in advance.


texts: When I candy-coat apples and let them sit out, the candy coating becomes sticky. I live in the Southern U.S., so humidity is usually pretty high, but other people in my area make them as well.


texts: Can pickled pepper oil be used as cooking oil?

texts:
I have about a half jar of pure pickled pepper oil as I have recently used up all of the peppers. The oil is a strange translucent color of yellow; I'm imagining a cup of highlighter fluid (if there is such a thing).

I'm wondering if this oil is okay to use for cooking oil or as a substitute for other oils in other dishes, or am I better off throwing it out if it cannot serve as an appropriate substitute whatsoever.


texts: How to cook roast potatoes at low temperatures?

texts:
Is there a sane way of roasting potatoes at low temperatures?

I ask because I am pot roasting a silver-side joint and would like some roast spuds to go with it. However, the pot roast is to be done at 140c and the spuds need roasting at around 200c. 60 degrees is a big difference, if it was 10, maybe 20 I'd just throw them in regardless.

If the potatoes roasted in say 20 minutes, I'd just roast them as the joint rests, which is how I do my Yorkshire puddings. Sadly, the potatoes end up taking to an hour or so, and I really don't like reheating just rested joints of meat.

How can I go about doing this?


texts:
I'm trying to recreate a dish I had at Alinea a while ago. Their forum actually had a good start for this dish:

  The garnishes on the surface are
  Hawaiian volcanic salt, cucumber,
  garlic chips, fresh banana, young
  coconut, red onion, lime segments with
  zest, toasted cashews, and red chili
  pudding. The glass circle contains a
  basil seed-lime vinaigrette.

  We press the herbs in between two
  pieces of rice paper to form the
  centerpiece. Once the frame is
  assembled the server drapes the flag
  over the frame. We cure the pork belly
  with salt, sugar and aromatics. It is
  cooked sous vide until tender, seared
  and shredded. We make a curry sauce
  from coconut, ginger, mint,
  lemongrass, thai chilis, kaffir lime,
  cardamom, coriander, and lime juice.
  We mix the curry with the shredded
  pork belly to make the ragu spooned
  over tableside by the service staff.

My question is, what would be a typical set of Thai aromatics for the pork prior to putting it in the sous vide?


texts:
I stir fry a pound of ground beef on a stove-top pan (made of ceramic titanium) on a daily basis. That is my "cereal" meal.

I use a spatula and a second one that looks like a large spoon (all nylon) to do this.

But is there an ideal utensil?

Pictures for reference

What I currently use:

Stir-fried meal:


texts: Why does salt and seasoning stick better to hot foods?

texts: In every recipe I see for fries, popcorn, churros, and other foods where I normally want to add the salt/sugar/seasoning at the end, everybody says to make sure to do it while the food is still hot so the seasoning sticks. Why is this? Is this just something people say, or does it really matter a lot?


texts:
Although a previous question asks if raw eggs can be frozen, my eggs froze, in the shell, because the chicken coop into which they were delivered was very cold last week.

I thawed the eggs, and they seem fine, except that the yolks are solid / gelatinous. This means that scrambled eggs are out, at least as I know them.

What else can be done with these eggs; this will probably happen again?


texts:
I'm looking for a recipe for an Italian cookie that I remember having as a child. The cookie is shaped like a gnocchi or cavatelli but is much bigger, about 1.5 inches long and slightly larger than a quarter in diameter.  It is distinctly 'C' shaped, though.  The cookie was fried, probably deep fried, and then soaked in honey.  The color is a very deep, dark brown.

The cookie is very dense but flaky.  There was not a very strong flavor other than the honey that I recall (i.e. not anise-flavored or something strong like that).  The texture is what I'm really after, I think.

It is not a Zeppole (it doesn't puff up) or a Bow Tie (not as brittle in texture, certainly not as thin) or the little pea-shaped cookies (Struffoli?).

Based on our family tree these are probably going to be a Southern Italian cookie, from Calabria.  But that's just a guess/hint.


texts:
I was searching for ceramic knife and learned they can be made from Zirconia or Alumina.  Some cheap ones could be from the latter because material is cheaper.

Isn't Aluminum Oxide poisonous to human body?  I don't care much about the knife, but I do have a cheap manual cranking ceramic burr grinder for coffee.  Those single use pepper grinder also has ceramic.  Can't imagine they are made with quality in mind.

Should I worry?


texts: Why do my stainless steel fry pans always develop a residue?

texts:
I have a set of stainless steel frying pans.  They are Emeril Lagasse brand which at some point was mentioned to be made by all-clad.  I don't believe they are of particularly high quality but seem to be fine.  They have a "copper core" with stainless steel making the remaining components.
When I cook just about anything, such as pan frying bratwurst/sausages, making chicken piccata, or caramelizing onions - the end result is always the same.  The pan develops a golden brown residue.  It could be called a crust of oil, fond, or just burned residue.  It is possible to remove it completely by scrubbing with bar keepers friend and a rag for ~20 minutes of elbow grease.
Note that I am using a fairly robust gas stovetop at medium-high to high heat for these tasks.  I usually am using 1tsp-1tbsp of EVOO, added after the pan gets up to temp and before adding the meat/vegetables.
Is it expected that using a stainless steel fry pan will result in this residue?  Or is my technique off?
Image of what my pans will look like after using them once (somewhat severe outcome):

Image of what my pans will look like after using them once (somewhat mild outcome):

Image of what I can clean the pans to look like after bar keepers friend:


texts: What can you add to water to make it hard enough for tea?

texts:
I was living in southern California where the water is one of the hardest in the country, but once passed through a Brita filter it was perfect for tea.

Now I am living in a country where the water is soft. All the sources of water are surface sources and this has been aggravated by heavy rainfall. The water coming out of the tap and all sources of local bottled water I can find are soft.

As a result, I have not been able to brew tea that has much of any taste. The Darjeelings that I enjoyed in California with their beautiful distinct aroma, here do not taste or smell like anything. Even the strongest teas like double bergamot earl grey have just a faint aroma here. Assam comes out sour.

I have tried the baking soda trick or putting in a pinch of baking soda, which helps a little bit (mostly in color) but not that much and has its own taste. Using too much quickly ruins the tea.

There are few imported waters here and in any case, I don't want the expense of using expensive imported bottled waters. There are also no mineral drops on the market here as far as I know.

So besides baking soda, what are some things I can add to the water to change its mineral profile, pH level and make it suitable for tea?

Would dissolving calcium and magnesium supplements in the water work?

I have heard of Epsom salts being used by brewers for its magnesium content, but don't know if that would work for tea.


texts:
I made dumplings from white flour and Atora vegetable suet. The suet is in hard pellets so I'm not worried about having overworked the mixture. I made them at the same time as the stew to save on wash-up. Then I stored them in the fridge for 4 hours before putting them in the pot for 20ish minutes. The pot was in the oven at 140C. They quickly puffed up and filled the top layer of the pot. But when cut open they had a different texture inside and (presumably) the taste of raw suet and flour. Is it likely the fridge or sitting time can explain the failure?

Edit: I still have some spares in the fridge and the pellets of suet are still visible in them. So I definitely did not overwork the dough.


texts: How do you get the flavor out of dried peppers?

texts: A recipe calls for dry chili peppers for my Moroccan fish. I know sweating fresh chili peppers will release the flavor, but how do you release the flavor of dry spices like dried chili peppers?


texts: What is "Food Grade" Stainless-Steel or Aluminum

texts:
After a comment by @Blacksmith37 after the question Are trace amounts of lead in seasoned bakeware safe? (comment in response to answer given by @SomeInterwebDev)

  Blacksmith37 says:  "Food Grade" got my interest , since I have never seen it in a
  specification. I checked the ASTM index , there are no :food grade"
  material specifications.

I've heard the term for years, but never really 'looked into' what it meant, rather taking the name at face value. Was further surprised to find no such question already present on SA...

What makes a metal, specifically stainless steel or aluminum, "food grade"?

EDIT: I guess I need to clarify, What I want to know is what qualities of these various grades and combinations make something "food grade"? Why is 304 or 10/8 food grade and 303 (assuming there is a '303') 'not food grade'. I found those articles that are being quoted so far and have 'the list' of 'food grade' stainless and aluminum. Also would like to know if there is a reference, at least for the US) where the FDA/USDA/NASA...whoever...blesses 304 etc and not others.


texts:
I make my macaroni salad with mayonnaise and mustard, but the mustard flavor always disappears so I have to add more.
Why does the mustard flavor disappear?


texts:
Is it true that one should not use stainless steel utensils on a stainless steel pot or pan? I had to get rid of some old pots because my food started  have a metallic taste to it. I always see on cooking shows, however, that chefs will often use stainless steel utensils (like a whisk) on a stainless steel pot.

What should I do to prevent this metallic leaching? And should I be cooking with, say, wooden utensils to prevent scratching my cookware?

Update: The metallic leaching was very distinct. It's sort of like the taste one gets from aluminum soda cans or stainless steel water bottles that were made back in the day.  When I switched out the pots and pans to newer ones, the taste was no longer there. Switching back to the old ones again, the taste returned. I tried cooking different foods to make sure it wasn't something related to acidity or some sort of ingredient.


texts: I want to make dolma, but grape-leaves aren't available here. What can I use instead? I would like to stay as close as possible to the original, grape-leaved dolma, in looks, taste and texture.


texts:
My local grocery store actually currently sells panko crumbs for more money than beef mince, which to me is incredible. Is there any sort of justification for this or is it just expensive because it is foreign?
Maybe there is some culinary justification in using it that I'm unaware of, but to me its inflated price seems rather ridiculous for something that is still in essence breadcrumbs.


texts: Baking 2 dishes needing slightly different temperatures and time

texts: In one oven I need to bake 2 dishes: one needs 35 minutes at 375ºF, and the other needs 45 minutes at 350ºF.  How much time should the second dish cook at 375ºF?


texts:
I recently had the pleasure of a Wagyu sirloin steak and was blown away by the flavour and texture. At the cost it's not exactly the type of food you could have every week but what I wanted to know is are the cheaper cuts of Wagyu as different in flavour and texture as the prime cuts like sirloin and ribeye.

Is it worth trying to source Wagyu shin or brisket or are they similar to other good quality beefs?


texts: Why am I not getting any smoke out of my smoking pouch?

texts:
I am cooking some brisket on a gas grill. Following YouTube tutorials I made a smoking pouch/smoke bomb just like the ones they do on YouTube and filled it with newly purchased smoking pellets. As suggested I sealed the pouch, poked holes in it, placed it on top of a burner on one end, and turned the burner on high. I placed the brisket at the other end. Initially the temperature reached 300 degrees Fahrenheit with that single burner on high. Later I lowered it down to hold the temperature around 225-250. Strangely I haven't seen any smoke coming out of the smoking pouch. No action there whatsoever. One of the holes has gathered a tiny bit of brownish gooey stuff. That's it.
Temperature too low? A tutorial says hot smoking works in the range of 180 degrees and 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
For reference, I followed these tutorials: 1 2


texts: Flavor and Chemical Composition of Thyme

texts: What is the flavor of Thyme?  What chemicals give it this flavor?


texts: I am trying to eat healthier with less processed foods and I'm a pretty smart guy to begin with. But I can't figure this out for the life of me - why are berries so expensive? I love things like boysenberries and blueberries but I almost choke when I see their price in the store. Why are berries expensive?


texts: I've heard that using a wooden chopping board for cutting meat is not very hygienic as it is a porous material. If that is the case, then what would a chopping board ideally be made out of when chopping meat?


texts: I want to know if beet juice without the beets is available for making pickled eggs

texts: We have been making pickled eggs recently.  To do that we buy cans of cooked beets and just use the juice in the recipe.  It is a waste of the beets (you can only eat just so many cooked beets).  Is there a source for JUST beet juice?  The only products I am able to find are of the health food variety and they have other things in  them such as carrots and other vegetables.


texts: The best way to clean a French Press coffee maker

texts: I have been using a French Press coffee maker for quite some time now, and I have tried a few methods for removing the spent coffee grinds from the vessel.  It is always a bit of a chore to this in an efficient manner without making too much of a mess.  I am hoping to find a way that is quick, but does not result in grinds all over my hands or excess grinds going down the drain.  I wonder if there are any accepted or creative methods for this action.


texts: How can I safely improve my cutting technique

texts:
I'm not bad with knives if I should say so myself. My cutting speed is definitely above average, but I've have never been trained by professionals. Most of what I know, I have picked a long the way, trying out some different stuff, practice etc.

I would really like to improve my cutting speed, for when it's really needed to be able to cut fast, but I don't know how to go about it. I really don't want to risk my fingers. So is there some good rules, guides or techniques I can use or practice to become more proficient with knives without risking cutting my fingers?


texts: Is there a spreadsheet with recommended heating and pasteurization times for different meats and temperatures for sous vide?

texts: For example, if I have a cut of beef or salmon, and I want to sous-vide cook either unpasteurized (rare or medium-rare) or pasteurized (medium+), based on thickness and temperature, how long should I cook each for?


texts:
Is there a common ingredient, or cooking technique, that gives sauces such as Teriyaki, General Tsos, Orange Chicken; their thick/syrupy texture?

We sometimes make dishes in a crock pot; we have a recipe for a teriyaki chicken, and another for a honey sesame chicken, but the liquid we end up with is always very watery/liquidy. What can we do to thicken the sauce; so that it gets the texture that I am used to on Asian chicken?

Note that this does not necessarily only apply to Asian cuisine; sauces such as A-1 steak sauce or even BBQ sauce seem similar; though it's quite possible that their thickness is due to completely different reasons.


texts:
Help! I have tried making Panang Curry several times at home with the canned pre-made paste (forgot the brand name) and it just doesn't taste like the restaurant versions I've had.

I fried the curry paste in the coconut cream off the top of the can, Chakoh brand, for a few minutes until the oil started to separate, added my beef, carrots, and additional coconut milk and simmered it until the beef cooked. Seasoned with kaffir lime leaves, salt and palm sugar.

I tasted the curry as it was cooking and the flavor was decent, but after serving it over the rice, the curry flavor was flat or muted. Also, what was a nice creamy sauce with the beads of orange oil floating on top became dry and stuck to the rice, it seems like the sauce of the curry just dried up (and the rice wasn't undercooked).

What am I doing wrong? I'm aware that making my own curry paste is an option, but until I can master the process of cooking a decent curry with premade paste, I don't want to invest time and effort in homemade pastes. Thanks!


texts: Olive oil instead of peanut oil to air fry potato?

texts: I’m allergic to peanut oil, can I use olive oil for baking potatoes in a power air fryer oven elite


texts: How to cook bell peppers until they are VERY tender, but not broken down?

texts:
I had a curry dish on a restaurant, can't remember the name of the dish, but it was something in the lines of "vegetarian pepper curry".

It consisted almost entirely of loosely chopped (3cm pieces) bell peppers of various colours, in curry (coconut milk + spices) sauce.

Nothing special about the dish, except for the tenderness of the peppers. They were soft in a way you could spread them over bread, except for the skins holding them together. But in the curry, they held their shape perfectly.

Every time I cook peppers for any extended period of time, they separate from the skins and melt into the sauce (tomato/curry).

How can this soft texture be achieved without breaking up the peppers?

Is it just technique? (i.e. not stirring or something, maybe the timing of putting them in the curry)


texts: What is used in the production of dubu (Korean tofu)?

texts:
Tofu, in Korea, is known as 'dubu'. This product is very similar to (possibly exactly the same as) the Japanese counterpart.

What is used in the process of making authentic dubu?

A quick internet search has failed to give me any results for making dubu, but there are plenty for tofu. These recipes usually require soya beans, water and Epsom salt/lemon juice. I'd be interested to know if the Korean process is the same.


texts:
I would like to make a "Thai beef with carrot-basil salad" recipe. The sauce for the ground beef includes the following ingredients:

2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup clam juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Is there something I can use instead of clam juice that will have a similar flavor and/or consistency contribution to the recipe? (I'm cooking for somebody who doesn't eat shellfish.)


texts: Is it ok to keep lettuce in water in the fridge?

texts:
I've read a lot of tips on storing lettuce in the fridge, with paper towels, after washing and drying, and such.

The way I've been keeping lettuce for a while now, is by filling a small plastic container with water, placing the leaves in it submerged, and then closing the container and placing it full of water in the fridge.

It seems to keep the lettuce from rotting longer than usual (though it may harm crispiness, but that matters less to me).

Is this safe? Is there any reason not do store it like that?


texts: Rack vs Baking Pan vs Roasting Pan and Position

texts:
What are the differences in cooking in the oven between putting the food directly on the rack, putting it on a baking pan, and putting it in a roasting pan?

How does the existence of metal under the food affect the food vs rack? Do the higher sides of the roasting pan make a difference over a baking pan? Do different types of surface/material make a difference?

While we're at it, do these vary with position in the oven (top, middle, bottom rack)?

I'm recovering from a surgery and we ordered some freshly prepared meals. Directions for Eggplant Parm said to place in 350F oven for 15-20 minutes. We placed in a roasting pan in case it bubbled over and it took a good 40 minutes. I'm wondering if the pan was the cause or just that the directions were terrible. The oven was properly preheated and while I've never checked the temperature of it, we use it regularly and have never had the same issues with time variation.


texts: Can I make fermented lemon soda using yogurt cultures?

texts:
I'm trying to make a lemon soda using fermentation.

Is it possible to make a lemon soda by mixing sugar, lemon, warm water and a scoop of live cultured yogurt? I put it inside a pressurize cooker, is this okay?


texts: How much dough will I need in order to fill a loaf tin?

texts:
I'm going to be making a loaf of bread in a 900 g tin (11" x 4.5" x 4" deep).

What is the total weight of the dough I will need (when mixed) for a tin this size?


texts: Storing a bear roast after cooking in a crockpot

texts:
How do you store a bear roast after cooking it in a crockpot until you're ready to eat it?

It was done at 8:30am and I plan to eat it around 6:00pm. It was cooked in beef broth.


texts: Should I fry mushooms before adding to a red meat sauce?

texts:
I'm planning on making a pressure cooker sauce using tomatoes, ground beef, sausages and wine — a classic Italian American spaghetti sauce. The method is to sweat onions, carrots, celery and garlic whilst frying off meat in a separate pan and adding in along with liquids before an hour in the pressure cooker.

I am thinking of adding mushrooms for flavour and texture — my plan was to dice them and cook them with the meat. Will I get better flavour and texture by frying the mushrooms beforehand, or should I just put them in when I sweat the vegetables?


texts: I have read here that cocoa nibs can be used in place of chocolate chips, but what about the other way around? A recipe I want to try calls for cocoa nibs, but I am having a hard time finding them. What can be substituted for cocoa nibs (if anything)?


texts: What should I do with my leftover bench flour?

texts:
I make bread/pizza quite often, up to a few times per week. I work on a wooden surface for forming the dough and use a flour dredge to spread about 1 cup of flour per session on my surface. I would like to use more flour but don't like wasting the fairly expensive 00 flour I work with.  When I'm done making the pizza, I usually just scrape all of the leftover bench flour into the trash.

I would like to know if I can consider reusing the bench flour after it has come into contact with my dough, hands, and work surface. Would I be introducing bacteria or other unpleasant things into my flour bag if I put the flour back into it? Is there a different method I should use to keep the bench flour around for the next session?


texts: Can I put meat on a broiler rack without using foil?

texts:
I have a sturdy broiler I use for broiling meat. It is very similar to the Cook N Home Nonstick Turkey Roaster, a rectangular cast iron deep walled pan with a rack inside of it.

Formerly I have always put foil on the rack when cooking something, but recently I have thought, why not put the meat directly on the rack?

Are there any reasons to use foil?


texts:
How can i optimize the use of seasonings in salty food? When i cook, for ex, chicken breasts, i always put way more pepper and paprika than the original recipe (however, i put the same or an smaller amount of salt) but in a lot of cases, my food comes out tasteless!
Does the amount of seasoning implies more flavour?
For example, when cooking meat: is it better to add the seasoning when the meat is already at the fire or should i add it before? Does a small amount of salt makes the food be "less tasty"? Thanks.


texts: What do you call the eggplant cultivar commonly found in American grocery stores?

texts:
In this question of mine I didn't know what to call the specific type/species of eggplant that is commonly found in American grocery stores. What is this called?

It looks like:


texts: How to hold salmon after cooking for travel to family dinner?

texts: We'd like to bring salmon for our holiday family dinner.  Is there a way to cook it at home and then take it to the destination without losing quality? (I expect it would be half to one hour between the time we would leave our house and actually eat.)  Or should I just prep it at home and see if I can use their oven upon arrival?


texts: There is no cod or haddock where I live and I am looking for an tasteful alternative. I tried seabass and it was nice but what would be more accurate alternatives for cod & haddock?


texts: What does the refrigerator crisper compartment actually do?

texts:
In most refrigerators you will be able to find a compartment for your vegetables and fruits. This compartment is called the crisper and it is supposedly able to keep your vegetables and fruits fresh longer.

How do these crispers keep the vegetables fresh longer? I personally don't really notice much of a different between storing the vegetables in the crisper compared to the rest of the refrigerator.

Does the crisper provide a better environment for your vegetables to last longer? And if so what qualities of this environment is doing this?


texts:
I have been trying to brine chicken and it never seems to brine successfully.  I have followed the brine procedure correctly.  I added 2 litres of spring water to a stainless steel pot with 140g  kosher salt and stirred until completely dissolved. I then added the chicken(weighs 1kg) and left for 8 hours.  After cooking I always notice the brine hasn't reached some parts of the chicken, usually parts of the leg.  It also doesn't taste salty, plump or juicy.  I have varied salinity(up to 10%) and even left the brine from between 12-40 hours however the brining still varies and I never get a fully plump, juicy and salty chicken.

I am guessing the birds I am using are the problem, I have used birds from 3 different shops but they never brine properly.  I even got one from an organic shop but that didn't work properly either.  Any idea what the problem might be?  I know this sounds strange, It seems I am the only person in the world who is having this issue.

edit:
Jefromi, I am indeed boiling it.  I followed your previous advice however slow cooking does not absorb salt in the same way brining does, otherwise you would get plump, tasty and juicy meat(like brining) which you do not.

The reason I am not using dry heat methods is because I have a gastric health disorder and I cannot tolerate grilled, oven or fried foods.  These wreck havoc on my stomach.
My gastric disorder is so bad that I cannot absorb proteins unless they have absorbed a lot of salt(equal to brining).  This is why I am brining and converting the meat and brine liquid directly into a soup. This is also why simply salting the broth isn't sufficient, the meat needs to absorb salt to the level of brining otherwise it will wreck havoc on my stomach.

Jefromi, you say the problem is simmering, if so why would simmering cause salt to leave the meat cells especially if it is simmered in the original brine solution?  Why would some parts of the bird brine properly and not other parts as I am finding with simmering?


texts: Why does my English muffins package say to use a fork or fingers instead of a knife to open them?

texts: I bought some Thomas English muffins and on the back it says for "Toasted perfection" the muffin should be split apart by hand or with a fork. Why does it not suggest to use a knife?


texts: What is missing in this recipe for Peruvian fish ceviche?

texts:
I've tried fish ceviche from many Peruvian restaurants where I live (Houston TX), and they seem to taste about the same.

So I tried to recreate their secret recipe but there's something missing.

For the fish, I used mahi-mahi, although I think these restaurants use red snapper. The fish I used is not fresh, but "previously frozen". I suspect they don't use fresh fish, either.

For the marinade, I use key lime juice, Kosher salt, garlic and cilantro. And I let it marinate for about 30 minutes.

But the flavor turns out to be too acidic and unpleasant. I'm wondering if I need to dilute the key lime juice with water or perhaps add a bit of sugar.

What am I doing wrong? What secret ingredient am I missing?


texts: Jar pasta sauce resealed itself in fridge overnight. Is it safe to eat?

texts:
I opened a jar of heavy cream pasta sauce (pumpkin, tomato, cream, etc), ate some and stored the rest in the fridge. The next day it seamed to have sealed itself. The button stayed down when I happened to press it. When I opened it the second time it popped loud. Like new.

Why did this happen? Is it safe to eat? The sauce was store bought. Thank you.:)

Additional info added by OP (in a now-deleted answer):

I put it into the fridge within 20 minutes. But it was room temperature when it went in the fridge. I didn’t heat it at all and it wasn’t especially hot weather.

I asked because sealing seems significant. And it resealed itself with no action on my part. Should I check my refrigerator? Could a jar reseal on its own happen if the fridge temp was unstable? (The power didn’t go out but it's possible it could have been finicky in the storm overnight.)


texts:
I've recently moved into a new flat and the oven has very rusty iron hobs. I've bought some stainless steel hob covers to hopefully protect them and keep them clean (as I don't fancy cleaning a rusty iron block). But I was wondering if I could keep the covers on while cooking. I'm pretty sure the cover won't melt, and as it is steel should be nicely conductive. I don't care if the steel changes colour because of the heat because that's still better than the rusty hob.

So basically would it be safe to cook with the hob covers still on the hob?

The covers are just ASDA Hob Covers.


texts: Why don't we need to ice-bathe all leftovers before refrigeration?

texts:
I'm considering picking up an immersion heater for Christmas and reading up on that led me eventually to Douglas Baldwin's sous vide website (http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html).  In the safety section of the guide he is quite firm about the need to quick chill in an ice bath the cooked sous vide food if it will not be immediately consumed.  Here's the relevant passage:

  If you’re not going to eat all your food immediately, then you need to
  know that some bacteria are able to make spores. Spores themselves
  will not make you sick, but they can become active bacteria that
  could. Cooking to kill active bacteria like Listeria, Salmonella, and
  E. coli will leave these spores unharmed. If you keep your food hot,
  then the spores will not become active bacteria. But when you cool
  your food, the spores can become active bacteria: if you cool your
  food too slowly or store it for too long, then these active bacteria
  can multiply and make you sick. To keep these spores from becoming
  active bacteria, you must quickly cool your food – still sealed in its
  pouch – in ice water that is at least half ice until it’s cold all the
  way through.

However, it's not obvious to me why his reasons for doing so don't apply to "normally" cooked food as well.  For example, wouldn't many of the various spores (especially heat-resistant ones) that survive sous vide also survive "normal" cooking?  So why don't we need to put all leftovers in ice baths to be able to store them safely.

(Seeing cooked food sitting around on Thanksgiving particularly brings this question to mind. :)