texts: What can I use to strain gritty bloody mary mix?

texts:
I like Zing Zang bloody mary mix, but it's very gritty with seasoning.  I like to pour it into a strainer to filter out the grit, but the mix is so thick that it takes forever to strain.  Not only that, it doesn't get all the grit.  A strainer with smaller holes would help keep out more grit, but the thickness of the mix would make it impossible.

I've thought of adding a cup of water to the mix to thin it out, but then I'd have to boil out the water and I don't know how to measure how much water I've boiled out nor do I know what effect boiling would have on the flavor of the bloody mary.

Any ideas?

Update: It's looking like my only option so far is to get a high-grade blender that I can use to pulverize a entire bottle of premade mix.


texts: Days kept after opening mentioned in packages and how valid are they?

texts:
I bought a pita bread package, that I saw it writes: after opening keep in an airtight container and consume within 2 days.
The thing is that I am keeping it in the refrigerator and it is been more than 2 days and it looks fine.
I don't understand why they mention that taking into account that the package is quite big to be consumed within 2 days anyway (too many pita breads).
Is there something I should be cautious of?


texts: How can I tell an eggplant is not bitter and very seedy?

texts:
Aubergines / Eggplants are sometimes bitter or particularly seedy.
Since this is at the market or supermarket, we can look at it, smell it and carefully touch it, but not poke mushy indentations in it or pierce its skin.
Is there a way to tell whether it is bitter or has many seeds?


texts: How does repeatetly moving food from freezer to fridge and back every day affect it?

texts:
My fridge and freezer makes noise to the point that it is hard for me to sleep (even with earplugs) so I have began to shut off the power to the fridge and freezer during the night. My fridge is set to 1 degree celsius and my freezer is set to -18 degrees celsius.
When I go to sleep I move all the fridge items such as milk, cheese, butter, meat, kefir to the freezer and shut the power off for 9-12 hours when I sleep. When I wake up again, I turn the power back on, wait about an hour or so and put my items back in the fridge. The freezer temperature when I turn the power back on is around 3-4 degrees.
I don't feel ill when I eat the food, all I have noticed is ice crystals in the milk and that the cheese is a bit harder to slice. I am wondering about the long term effects of this process, both the food safety aspect and the quality of the foods. Is there any food items that are less safe to do it with?


texts: What is the animal product in pizza sauce in korea

texts:
I am currently in S.korea, I was checking the ingredients of pizza in a small local restaurant, because I follow halal diet, and I was surprised to find that there is animal product in the sauce.
So can anyone tell what kind of animal product that is used in making tomato sauce?
Thanks is advance!!


texts: Substitute for sesame oil (sesame allergy)

texts: My family eats a lot of stir fries and sesame oil is a critical ingredient in many of them.  Unfortunately, my wife is allergic to sesame so we need an alternative.  Has anyone had success recreating the sesame oil flavor with a non-sesame-based food?


texts: How can I Saute Liver & Onions and keep the liver moist?

texts: What I'm looking for specifically is a way to keep the liver from getting chewy or rock hard (yes those have been the outcomes of the the first two attempts). I'm not doing much with the liver (except salt) before cooking and only using olive oil in a copper pan - Any ideas?


texts:
I planted a garlic clove and now I have a nice garlic plant. The question is: Can I use the leaves to season food safely?

The leaves smell like garlic and I wonder if it's okay to use them dried, like oregano and other seasoning herbs. I don't know if will taste like garlic, or if it is dangerous to eat.


texts: Where can I find ancient ages/middle ages recipes and preparation techniques?

texts:
I always had an interest for recipes from ancient ages (ancient Greece, Roman empire) and middle ages (i.e. after the fall of the Roman empire until the Renaissance). It's nice to experience what people who lived hundreds of years ago ate daily, or in special circumstances.

Does anyone know books or similar resources to propose on this regard ?

Thank you!


texts: Can I use a saucepan to cook non-liquid things, like making omelets?

texts: I know that saucepans are good for cooking things in a liquid or with decent liquid content, but are they good for sauteing or making omelets, just things that don't involve little liquid?


texts: If eggs were left out of the fridge a few hours can they still be used as long as they are cooked thoroughy?

texts:
I don't usually have food delivered. However due to circumstances my eggs were delivered to my home and I have no idea how long they were sitting in the car as the driver had multiple stops I assume.

It was somewhere between one and three hours I assume. The FDA says 2 hours out of the fridge tops. If it turns out it was three hours then as long as they are thoroughly cooked are they safe to eat?


texts: What substitutes work with a capsaicin allergy?

texts: I recently found out that I'm allergic to capsaicin, so that means no spicy Mexican food, which I love.  Are there any substitutions that I can use? I can have black pepper, but too much black pepper and that's all you taste.


texts: My neighbor brought me several pablanos & I can't use them all right now. Can they be frozen whole?


texts: I don't understand why my rice smells like eggs.. We have a new rice cooker that we used for two months now. I wash it, but should I deep clean it? Also, I put my rice in a big plastic bin so I won't have to keep going into the bag and have the rice spill all over. Would anyone know the reason why the rice smells?


texts: Can I freeze mashed potatoes I bought at the grocery store?

texts: I have 2/ 2 pound pkgs of mashed potatoes I bought from the grocery store.  I find I won't be using both and wonder if I can safely freeze one of the packages?


texts: Can you boil vegetables along with eggs?

texts:
When boiling eggs if you also want to boil vegetables it might be more efficient to boil them with the eggs rather then use more water and another pan.
Is it safe to do this or should one boil the vegetables in another pot?


texts: How much CO2 does it take to carbonate water using a household Soda Siphon?

texts:
A soda siphon seems to be the de facto device for carbonating water at home.

A search of reviews and comments on the consumption and cost of CO2 yields the following results:

70 cents or one charger per liter (Amazon Review)
20 cents per liter (see lotusmoss' blog comment)
50 cents per liter (see mbknight's blog comment)

The instructions for this popular iSi soda siphon seem consistent with an entire charger being required per liter of water, which works out to $0.90 per liter assuming you buy the recommended brand-name chargers.

So, the cost claimed seems to range from $0.20 to $0.90 per liter.  Since store-bought carbonated water typically costs somewhere in between, it's not obvious whether this device makes economical sense.  (I'm sure there are other advantages, but that's a different topic.)

My questions are as follows:

Does a charger like this really only yield 1 liter of carbonated water?
Is there a way use a single charger to yield more than 1 liter?
Is there an alternative to the iSi-style soda siphon that uses some other source of compressed CO2 that might be more economical?
Has anyone reproduced the $0.20 per liter figure claimed by lotusmoss?  If so, how was it acheived?


texts: Will freezing a bottle of vermouth change it's quality, life length or properties?

texts:
I accidentally froze an unopened bottle of white Vermouth. I've read that opening the bottle will cause the vermouth to slowly oxidase and you should finish the bottle within a month or so. How is it with a frozen bottle - does that matter?

What about regular wine? Will the freezing/thawing of a bottle reduce how long it will stay OK for drinking or can I simply thaw it up slowly and treat it as if it was never frozen?

Thank you!


texts: How to make crackle top chocolate chip cookies?

texts: Is it sugar, leavening agents or amount of flour used that will promote the crack on top of cookies?


texts: Does this sound like a reasonable way to slow cook a rib-eye?

texts:
OK, I will shortly be cooking my very first large piece of meat (i.e. not a single steak, but rather a larger one that I will carve into pieces when serving). I think I have the procedure down, but I want to go over it with you guys to make sure that it sounds good.

The steak is just over one kilogram. I will remove it from the refrigerator one hour before cooking.
I am planning on searing the outside, then placing it in a roasting pan on top of carrots, onions and celery. I will use a 120 degree (celsius) oven, on the convection setting. I will be using a temperature probe, placed into the centre mass of the steak, and shooting for a target temperature of 53 degrees celsius.

I am expecting a post-roasting rise in temperature of 5-7 degrees, which should leave me with a nice medium rare steak. I will rest the steak on the cutting board under aluminium foil for at least fifteen minutes.

I am also planning on deglacing the pan with a mix of 50/50 red wine and tap water, then making a gravy based on the pan juice and a basic roux.

Does that sound good to you guys?

I have a choice between using a roasting pan and a cast-iron pot. Which should I use?


texts:
In a recent trip to my local supermarket with the intention of purchasing items for a fruit salad, I picked up some oranges, bananas, lemons, grapefruit, and a few other select fruits. This got me thinking, what's stopping me from including tomatoes, since they are in fact a fruit? Are they just considered in practice to also be a vegetable, similar to wave-particle duality in that a photon exhibits properties of a wave and a particle?

If I were to make a fruit salad including tomatoes, what considerations should I use when determining how to go about it?  Would it make sense to use the fruit ingredients I listed, and if so why or why not?  Are there other fruits that particularly complement the flavors of tomatoes or are complimented by them?


texts: Making a pocket-type french omelette without the curd sticking to the pan?

texts:
I'm trying to make the pocket/rugby-ball shaped type of omelette, basically the second omelette in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s10etP1p2bU . I want it to be runny on the inside and untorn on the outside.

I also use chopsticks instead of a fork because I saw advice to use them for this recipe, chopsticks being less harsh on the nonstick coating, and better for mixing everything up in the pan.

The problem is, when I come to the shake-and-stir bit, where the heat of the liquid should rise relatively evenly, instead I get a sticky curd on the pan, which is also difficult to move around because it's too dry and even if I leave more liquid around to curd with it, it doesn't cohere.

Anyone have an idea on what I'm doing wrong here? Is the pan too hot/cold? Am I using too little butter? Are chopsticks the wrong tool for the job? Or is it really more about technique?


texts:
I have some cuts of beef intended to be used for beef jerky.
I have not yet dried them -- the meat is still fresh.
I don't know what cut of meat was used.  Can I use it for stir fry?


texts: Why does a mix of condensed milk, cocoa and coconut solidify in the fridge?

texts:
A common dessert in my family is a mix of crushed biscuit, chopped walnuts, coconut, cocoa, and condensed milk. It's mixed, flattened into a square dish and placed in the fridge for a couple of hours, after which it is quite solid.

I have always wondered what the mechanism was which caused it to go so solid,  since each ingredient on their own doesn't solidify in the fridge. Sometimes you see melted butter in a recipe for this purpose
 but there isn't any in this one. Why does it go hard in the fridge?


texts: Gas grill compared to regular (high end) oven

texts:
I've always been a charcoal guy, but as I'm thinking about buying a new grill I've looked at gas grills, with the convenience of cleaning, speed etc.

But I still can't help to think a modern oven would be able to fulfill a lot of what a gas grill can do (oven broiler plus convection at maximum temperature).

There is no flame, and the heat is from below - but how much does matter?

Disregarding any non-food aspects (pollution, being outdoor, having a beer while grilling), how big are the differences?

Edit: Commenter moscafj below wanted some things clarified, he was spot on.
My initial thought was to buy a charcoal grill, and for most other stuff use oven. I've had some thoughts about gas, but I always feel that it's just an "outdoor oven with an open flame".

Thus, I'm now comparing a standard outdoor gas grill to a new indoor domestic oven (with all the bells and whistles I can get).

The "drippings landing on hot bars" I've heard about, but that's basically the only thing.


texts: My fiancee doesn't like to eat the crust of bread. I like to bake bread. But she ends up cutting off like half of each piece in the process of de-crust-ifying it. What are some suggestions to make bread have no crust? Is it possible?


texts: Cooking Chemistry: lemon juice/soymilk buttermilk substitute turning bitter and 'rising'

texts:
I made a soup recipe the other night (mainly potato, spinach, and veggie broth) that called for buttermilk.  I substituted soymilk and lemon juice, reading online that that was a good substitution for buttermilk.

Now, about 48h of refrigeration later, the leftovers are bitter and a little bit bubbly - it's as if they are 'rising' like a baked good would (I imagine my buttermilk substitute was intended for baking).

What can I put in to stop this chemistry and, for bonus points, nullify the bitterness? It's to the point where it's physically difficult to eat - I'm having trouble keeping the few bites I forced myself through down - but I abhor the idea of wasting food.

(I tagged this baking thinking that people who frequent that tag may have a better than average understanding of the chemistry behind this)


texts: Breadmaker bread not remaining fresh long enough

texts:
I have an issue with the bread we make in our bread maker. My wife claims it is not fresh enough to eat if it is more than 1 day old; however, she will eat shop brought bread that is 2 days old. This leads to the birds in our garden getting fat!

Is there a way to make (or keep) the bread so it is perceived by my wife to be fresh so we can use it on a 2nd day?


texts: Minimum procedure for sterilizing mason jars for canning

texts:
My wife and I are about to do some tomato canning tomorrow. We have a bunch of mason jars that we didn't have time to sterilize.  She thinks that just washing them in hot water is enough. After searching around all instructions require boiling.

What is the bare minimum necessary?


texts: As a college student, I am working with limited cooking equipment. There are several outdoor charcoal grills however, which students sometimes have cookouts on. How hot do can these grills get? I have literally no idea how hot they get, but would like to find something in the 700 degree area.


texts: Is there a way to harden soft braised carrots?

texts:
After placing meat on a bed of veg and braising in a wine/stock mixture for a few hours, the carrots taste great, but they don't have a nice texture.

How do I harden the soft mushy carrots after a slow braise?

I don't think frying them would help, maybe broiling them?

I am not looking to "un-cook" the carrots, just change the texture. Like grilling pineapple would cause it to dry and become more rigid.


texts: How can you keep a stack of Swedish pancakes fresh?

texts:
I make Swedish pancakes for my family every Thursday, as per Swedish tradition. Fresh from the frying pan they are crisp at the edges and very slightly crisp on the surface where the batter has caramelised.

If I fry and serve while everyone else eats, we get to enjoy pancakes at their best. The disadvantage is that I don't get to sit and eat with my family.

If I make a stack of pancakes in advance, as I often do, most of the pancakes have become rather limp and lost all of their crispiness by the time they are served. Those at the bottom of the pile are also noticeably cooler.

Is there some way to serve pancakes en masse where each pancake is hot and crisp through to the last?


texts: Proper proportion of cream of tartar to baking soda for snickerdoodles

texts:
When I make snickerdoodles, they taste too "tangy" to me which I believe is due to the acidity of the tartaric acid. The recipe I have calls for a 2:1 ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda which is consistent with the proportions in How do I make a baking powder substitute? and What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
What can I do to reduce the tanginess?
Edit:
Here's the recipe from a 50 year old Betty Crocker cookbook (American measures):

1 C shortening
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 C flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift together all dry ingredients
then add gradually to the shortening mixture. Roll into 1 1/2" balls and roll
in a mixture of 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon (you'll need more than this).
Place about 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet (you can use Silpat or
parchment). Bake at 400°F for 8 - 10 minutes. They should be lightly browned
but still soft. If you prefer a crisp cookie, add a minute or two to the baking
time. They'll puff up then flatten with a cracked top.
Makes about 5 doz. 2" cookies.

I've slightly modernized the instructions, but there's really no changes.
I've used what we in the US call "cinnamon" which is actually Cassia (it's what
you get at the grocery store and what you grew up on if you're American). If you buy Vietnamese or
"Saigon" cinnamon that's what you're getting. I've also used true cinnamon
(Ceylon). To me, it made the cookies taste very "Christmasy" and was a nice variation.


texts: Commercial yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in a sourdough culture

texts: I would like to know a good reason for adding commercial yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to a sourdough culture and would it survive?


texts: How do I get something sticky like honey or Golden Syrup off measuring spoons or measuring cups? Is there a better way?

texts: When I put honey in a spoon or measuring cup, the residue stays and it’s hard to get all of it out. How do I make it all come out? Is there a way to measure honey without leaving honey on a spoon?


texts: Can I turn a betty crocker angel cake mix into a normal sponge?

texts:
I have a betty crocker angel food cake mix and we don't like the texture. Our usual box cake mix is the French vanilla which is super tasty and light and white. We love this mix.

My question is: can I substitute some of the water that is needed to make up the angel cake mix with and egg or two to make it more like a cake batter, as it's too much like meringue for us.


texts: Is it safe that my medium-rare steak is cold in the middle?

texts:
I do my steak in a heavy-bottomed pan on the stovetop for a couple of minutes a side on high heat and it comes out just as I like it - medium rare.

Before cooking, I usually remove the steak from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Yesterday I was in a hurry and didn't do that. The steak was done perfectly, but the middle was cold to the touch. Is it still safe to eat if the temperature in the middle is still cold?

It looked between Rare and Medium Rare on this image below:

image source


texts: Why has my honeycomb toffee set in layers?

texts:
I made honeycomb toffee today, but it's set in 'layers'. The top is crispy and bubbly, as it should be, but there's a layer on the bottom of chewy sticky toffee without bubbles. Can anyone tell me why this is and how I can stop it happening in the future? Google has turned up nothing.

You can see the definite layering in this photo:


texts: How do you salvage a topped pizza that sticks to the peel?

texts:
This is a scenario I've encountered multiple times.  The dough is stretched to the right size. It's coated with flour.  The pizza peel has some flour in it, but maybe not enough.

The pizza gets sauced and topped, and when it comes time to put it into the oven, it's sticking to the peel.  Sometimes in the process, a hole gets opened up and sauce leaks through.

There is a lot information on how to prevent this from happening, but very little has been written on how to recover when it happens.  Is there anyway to salvage this?  Turning it to a calzone is an acceptable option, but sauce on the peel seems to exacerbate stickiness.


texts: Can Apples be Macerated before Pressing into Cider?

texts: A friend lent me an old-fashioned cider press to use. I am planning to put a few dozen chopped up apples into it and then see how much juice I get, but I'm worried there won't be much. Would it help to sprinkle a little sugar onto the apples and let them sit for a while before pressing? I can't find much information on cider-making online (I'm just making juice, I'm not going to ferment it).


texts: Why are predominantly grapes an ingredient in wine?

texts:
Commonly, wine is defined as an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes. In contrast to this, wines made from other fruits are called fruit wine (except mead, cider, perry for historical reasons).
There are plenty other fruits that have a high sugar content and are (slightly) tart (e.g. apples, oranges, berries ...) but I see much more grape wine in the shelves than apple wine (cider) or other fruit wines. What makes grapes superior to other fruits in terms of making wine? Or is it only coincidence that wines made from grapes are more popular? (Well, at least they are popular in Germany, France and Italy.)


texts: Can I cook apple peels in my applesauce in a cheesecloth bundle?

texts:
I like to include the peels when I make applesauce to get the benefit of the nutrients in the peels*, but I strain them out afterward for the sake of texture. This is a messy, sticky, time-consuming process, and it makes it harder to maintain a chunky texture to the applesauce.

It occurred to me today that perhaps I could make a sort of bouquet garni with the peels in a cheesecloth pouch and then just lift that out afterward (maybe give it a quick squeeze). Would this work? Would the cheesecloth change the flavor of the sauce? Any other concerns I should watch out for?

*I do know the difference isn't huge, but old habits die hard.


texts: Turning focaccia upside down before topping

texts:
In this video (you don't need to understand Italian ;) this lady lets a focaccia leaven in its own baking tin on a layer of olive oil and then, before topping, turns it upside down.
The tins were covered only with a towel, so the dough did form a bit of crust.

I can imagine that the point of turning can be in order to have the wetter side on top and the drier on the bottom, but what's the advantage in comparison to brushing the dough with olive oil before the rising? I think the point of rising in the dish is lost if you manipulate the dough again, no?


texts:
I am planning on doing a recipe of mustard sauce pork. Here is the recipe for the sauce (quantities are approximate, the recipe is inspired from a Gordon Ramsay Youtube video):

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp chopped shallots
calvados
chicken stock
cooking cream
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp grain mustard

Method

In hot pan, caramelize garlic and shallots.
deglaze with calvados, flambée if possible and reduce.
Add about 1 1/2 cup of chicken stock and reduce by half.
Add cream for richness and thickness, bring to a boil.
Add mustards and let simmer for 5-10 minutes to meet desired consistancy.

This previous is the sauce of a more complete recipe but it does not depend on the rest of the dish to be a fine sauce, asides from the pork residue in the pan for taste.

Now the problem is, I don't have any grain mustard, but have mustard seeds at home as well as regular Dijon mustard.

Would it be possible to substitute the grain mustard by the same quantity of regular Dijon plus mustard seeds without compromising the taste too severely?


texts: I pressure cooked my tomato ketchup for 10 min, then simmered for 12 hours (internal temp 150 degrees).This was lower that I intended. Is it safe to now freeze it in small containers?


texts: I made two batches of chutney a week ago, one with tomato, apple and raisins, the other one with plum and cranberries. Making the chutney I added all the usual spices, sugar, vinegar etc. but I tried one of the jars and it is way too thick.  Could I take the chutneys out of the jars and put them in a pot with some apple juice to heat up? Would this lighten it and would it be okay?  As you may have guessed I have never made chutney before. I hope someone can help.


texts:
In Swedish and, I'm led to believe, British supermarkets, parsnips are often sold pre-clipped. Topped and tailed.

If I have a choice, I prefer to buy my veg with a few leaves on so I can see how fresh it is. So I have rather cynically assumed that this is done to hide the age of the product. Whether or not this is the case, I wonder why the same trimming service is not extended to carrots.

Anyone able to shed some light?

Update: Quite often just the tip of the parsnip is trimmed. This appears to be a global phenomenon; here are some parsnips from an Australian market.

The two answers I've so far received are good, but don't explain why the tip might also be trimmed.


texts: How to make edges on pancakes be crispy and the inside soft

texts: I want to make pancakes which have a slightly crispy outside ring but on the inside are soft like a pancake.  How can I do this?  Thanks.


texts:
This recipe requires 1 cup milk and 1 cup oats.

What is the measurement of 1 cup in milliliters?


texts: What other English names are there for dried grapes?

texts:
In the US we refer to basically all dried grapes as raisins. In cooking shows in the UK I hear them refer to sultanas. I've also read that dried currants are really dried grapes, not actually the currant fruit that's been dried.

Are there any other names?

Background: I have a very important ulterior motive. My daughter is deathly allergic to grapes. She nearly died this summer while in Hungary after thoroughly checking the ingredients on a food. I'm trying to make sure we know all possible English terms she might encounter for grapes or raisins. Unfortunately she didn't save the wrapper of the food that nearly killed her but she says "sultana" wasn't on the list and didn't remember "currant" being on it but there was a light colored dried fruit she found after the reaction started.


texts:
I'm using a rice cooker to cook rice and I find the very next day it starts to increasing smell bad and I feel like puking just smelling it.

Not sure what the cause is but the rice cooker has started making funny noises when cooking(though rice cooks fine so probably not that) and I leave the rice in a poorly ventilated and warm environment.  Still dont think that should cause it to go bad so soon as Ive always made rice in the same place and it doesn't do so bad.

Thanks


texts: How to know the doneness for a tough cut of meat

texts: You're always hearing that a tougher cut of meat like a brisket or a shoulder be cooked low and slow to break down the tissue and be tender.  I have also heard (by the experts) that a tough cut of meat like a flank steak be cooked no further than medium rare for tenderness?  How does one know what doneness goes with a tougher cut of meat?


texts: (Is it safe?) Preparing Breakfast in Bulk

texts:
Seasoned Advice-Givers,

I make an excellent breakfast, but would like to prepare a 7-day supply in bulk, to eliminate the preparation time I expend every weeknight.

The ingredients are:

3 Cups Rolled Oats
Large handful of Sultanas
Large handful of Dates
3.5 whole bananas, thinly sliced
Enough milk to completely submerge all ingredients in a sealed, air-tight mixing bowl

I'm reasonably confident about how well the sultanas/dates/oats will hold up, as far as food safety goes. (If I'm wrong, I'll know in about a day or so). BUT, I'm a little worried about putting the bananas into the mixture.

Obviously, bananas are quite perishable, once peeled, but what if submerged entirely in milk, mixed with the other ingredients, in an air-tight, sealed mixing bowl? Will they go rotten rather quickly, or will the described environment preserve them?

Keep in mind, I do not mind mushy, rich, super-soft bananas that have started to turn - I think these are quite flavourful. But I don't want to cross the line into sanitarily dangerous.

I know I can get at least 1 day without them spoiling, but I'm aiming for closer to 7 - It is likely the bananas in the mixture would still be safe to eat by Day 7? If not, at how many days do you recommend that I should draw the line?

This would be stored in the fridge, top-shelf toward the back, which is the coldest part. Fridge set to a 4 out of 7 on the temperature dial, which is one notch before ice will form on water.

Many thanks,

David


texts: Why are standard cast iron maintenance practices compatible with food safety?

texts:
How on earth is not washing a cast iron with soap not harmful? Since even if you wash it good with hot water and Salt, wouldn't there still be a possibility of harmful bacteria and such left in the crevices in the metal? I mean the metal is porous, correct?

Also same goes for the seasoning we use (bacon grease, oil, etc) How does this not get a bunch of bacteria on it?


texts: Good replacement for methyl-cellulose to be used for binding plant-based burger

texts: I am trying to prepare plant-based burger patties like beyond-meat. What is a good binder to be used as a  replacement for methyl-cellulose. I want to grill the patties on a griller.


texts: Soon-to-be cultured milk with fresh fruit safe for consumption?

texts:
Recently my cousin started to make yogurt. She told me that she puts diced, fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches) into the inoculated milk (pasteurized or sterilized, I don't know. 1) and then let this set in the oven at ~50°C for some hours. After this, she puts the yogurt into the fridge. She makes enough yogurt for ten days; on the tenth day she takes the last yogurt portion and makes some new.

At the first thought I couldn't imagine that fresh fruits stay safe for ten days (I wouldn't eat cut fruits that stayed for ten days in the fridge!). But after some pondering I wondered if it's safe after all because the milk and the fruits are going to be cultured and undesired bacteria are going to be eliminated. I think freshly diced fruit only contain bacteria on the surface.

1 I saw a really big jug of milk. She lives in Georgia, US. I don't know what's the common treatment of milk there.


texts: How do you prevent the flour/cornstarch in pork chops from falling off after pan-frying and still be crunchy?

texts: I coat my pork chops with cornstarch with seasonings (salt, five-spice, etc.) before pan frying. After pan-frying, the coatings easily fell of from the pork chops. How do you prevent the coating from falling off and at the same time, make it crunchy?


texts: Emulsifying ingredients for vinaigrettes

texts:
My weekday vinaigrette recipe goes something like:

1 part olive oil
1.5-2 parts seasoned rice vinegar
dollop of Dijon mustard
put into sealed container, shake, pour

This emulsifies nicely thanks to the mustard, allowing for quick and easy preparation (instead of a laborious whisking of oil a drop at a time).

I'd like to try other flavors for salad dressing.  In particular, I'd like to make some sesame oil + soy sauce + rice vinegar dressings, and the Dijon mustard would be out of place.

My question is:  Are there other common ingredients that have this emulsifying property?


texts: Can I dehydrate homemade sausage with a dehydrator?

texts: Is it safe to dry homemade sausages that have been cured with Cure #1 in a dehydrator instead of hanging them out to slowly dry? The dehydrator I have goes from 90F to 190F.


texts: How can I figure out cooking times for an Instant Pot?

texts: If I want to make dal (let's say) in an Instant Pot, I google someone else's recipe and find that the pot should be at pressure for 12 minutes if you're using red lentils and 15 mins. if you're using green lentils. Is there a way to calculate that on my own (i.e., some equation or formula that people use to develop pressure cooker recipes)? Or does everyone just figure it out by trial and error?


texts: I'm making a tomato sauce cold from tinned tomatoes and I was going to add tomato puree to thicken the sauce. Is it ok to use tomato puree without cooking it?


texts: Why do canned beans have less FODMAPs than dried beans?

texts:
Several sources have claimed that canned beans (after discarding the water in the can) are significantly lower in FODMAPs, particularly galacto-oligosaccharides, compared to cooked dried lentils. I'm interested in reducing galacto-oligosaccharides as a way of reducing flatulence and indigestion symptoms.
For instance, https://www.glnc.org.au/resources/hot-topics/how-to-enjoy-legumes-on-a-low-fodmap-diet/ seems to claim a two-fold reduction:

Canned legumes are much better tolerated than dried legumes, due to having a lower FODMAP content. Canned lentils are safe at 1/2 cup, whilst butter beans and chickpeas are low FODMAP at 1/4 cup. Keep in mind that if you choose dried over canned, it is likely the same portion won’t be tolerated if you are sensitive to GOS.
Dried red and green lentils: dried lentils require a little more prep and will take some time to cook prior to being ready to eat. Keep these to 1/4 cup serve of cooked lentils – they’re are a fabulous addition to curries and soups!

Lentils may be cooked without prior soaking, but presumably cooking dried chickpeas involves soaking them, which should reduce the galacto-oligosaccharides. Why would canning reduce this process further? Could soaking the dried legumes for a longer period of time and replacing the water a couple times reduce the FODMAPs to the same level as canned beans (maybe in the fridge to prevent bacterial growth)? Maybe I should soak the beans, cook them, and then soak them further? Or is there something else special about the canning process compared to using dried beans?


texts:
Right, so this is an odd one. Due to a person's combination of iron deficiency, a not-so-sturdy stomach and no particular interest in eating red meat or the like, that person essentially handed me a bag of heme iron supplement and an enquiry as to whether or not I could make this supplement palatable. The supplement is a powder, smells vaguely of iron and tastes like blood – because that's essentially what it is, I suppose. It can safely be heated and mixed with acids and bases.

My patron predominantly likes sweet, sour, and burnt food, but I'm open to any suggestion which answers the question: How do I mask – or, I suppose, complement – a teaspoon or two of dried blood in a meal?


texts: Why do things smell good while cooking but have little flavour when finished

texts:
While cooking, particularly things that cook slowly on the hob, it smells really good while cooking but when finished it never seems to have as much flavour as I hoped.

Am I doing something wrong or does this happen to everyone?


texts: Why do some recipes call for sugar in a brine?

texts:
In making a brine for my chicken, I came across a lot of recipes that call for sugar in the brine.  I understand the general idea behind brining, but don't understand what benefit the sugar provides.

In this answer, @papin links to a PDF that states the following (emphasis mine):

  The law of diffusion states that the salt and sugar will naturally flow from the area of greater concentration (the brine) to lesser concentration (the cells). There is also a greater concentration of water, so to speak, outside of the turkey than inside. Here, too, the water will naturally flow from the area of greater concentration (the brine) to lesser concentration (the cells). When water moves in this fashion, the process is called osmosis. Once inside the cells, the salt and, to a lesser extent, the sugar cause the cell proteins to unravel, or denature. As the individual proteins unravel, they become more likely to interact with one another. This interaction results in the formation of a sticky matrix that captures and holds moisture.

This makes it sound like sugar isn't really an important part of the osmosis process.

Is there a chemical/molecular reason to add the sugar, or is it just to add some flavor to the chicken breast?


texts: How should chicken breasts for a chicken salad be cooked?

texts:
Most of the recipes I've seen for Chicken Salad simply call for "cooked chicken".  ...okay, but how?  Should I bake it?  Blanch it? Sautee it?  Grill it?

What is the preferred way to cook Chicken Breasts prior to use in Chicken Salad?


texts: Are there naturally occurring foods that are blue? Not foods that have been created in a lab to be blue?


texts: I want to make "real" crêpes au sarrasin. I tried twice, but the result does not have as strong buckwheat taste as the ones I tasted in France. I am at loss since it appears impossible to increase the concentration of the buckwheat flour any further. Namely, at the latest attempt I used buckwheat flour (260g), a bit of salt, two eggs, and enough water to make the batter sufficiently liquid for the resulting crepes to be reasonably thin. The previous attempt was similar, but with milk in place of the water.


texts:
I often make this simple recipe - [fresh] tagliatelle with spinach & mascarpone.

Garlic, sautéed in butter & olive oil, wilt the spinach, a dash of nutmeg, very generous dollop of mascarpone, bit of seasoning; then mix in the tagliatelle & loosen with reserved pasta water. Done in 10 minutes, start to finish. Lovely.

Due to the current lockdown, my source for the cream cheese will be my local Turkish 'mini-mart'. The guys there are great, they are well-stocked, but have unsurprisingly a great number of products directly imported from Turkey.
They will always try their best to find me something close to what I need, but sometimes we get lost in translation or there is no direct equivalent. They're also shopkeepers, not cooks, so sometimes just don't know which might be best/closest.
They have about 8ft of fridge space for cheese/dairy, floor to above head height, so there is a lot to choose from, not more than half a dozen of which will be British products labelled in English.

A bit of research online tells me I should be looking for perhaps taze krem peynir or labne. The first I understand to mean fresh cream cheese, the second I'm not sure. I've also been warned that some are like 'Dairylea' or 'Laughing Cow' processed cheese, which I'm keen to avoid.

Is anyone well-versed enough in Turkish food to give me a reasonable guide to what I may actually be looking for? Bear in mind, I really won't be able to read the labels in any meaningful way, so I need the big clues to identification.

I've seen What is a substitute for mascarpone cheese? but even to substitute 'cream cheese' I've first to correctly identify the right cream cheese, so I'm back to square one ;)


texts: Can I use wood from a camphor tree for a barbecue?

texts: I have some dry wood from a camphor tree in my garden. Is the wood suitable for open fire barbecue?


texts: Ice-cream-on-a-stick in refrigerator temperature

texts:
In the summer, I used to make ice-cream-on-a-stick in various flavors. Some examples:

Chocolate flavor: melted cocoa + honey + coconut oil + almond butter.
Banana flavor: bananas + peanut butter + cinnamon + soy milk.

I just mixed them, put in a mould, put a wooden stick in each hole, and put in the freezer. Then, I could grab one in the morning and eat on the way to work as a breakfast.

Now, winter is coming and it is unpleasant to eat at freezer temperature, so I wonder if I can achieve the same effect in refrigerator temperature: is there an ingredient I can add to the mixture, that will make it freeze, and stick to the stick, in the refrigerator?


texts: I loved fried eggs, but I hate all the grease that come with them. I have been told this is like a poached egg.  I don't want to fry my egg in oil or butter. How can I fry eggs in water?


texts: ziplock-type gallon bag to store my sour dough starter in the fridge.

texts: I am using  a  zip type gallon bag to store my sour dough starter in the fridge.  Will it keep working after a week  in storage? I take it out of the fridge the night before and feed it two cups flour and two cups lukewarm water.


texts: what kind of meat is used at carving stations?

texts:
If I go into a cafeteria and they have a hunk of meat on a carving board that the cafeteria is calling "roast beef"; generally what cut of meat is used? The cafeteria slices it very thin about an eighth or an inch.  the serving size is 1 to 3 slices.

I know it is not Prime rib.  it is cut too thin to be Prime rib.


texts: How much citric acid powder to use when preparing fruit for drying

texts: I am preparing prune plums for drying and want to keep them from discoloring.


texts: How do I reduce the heat in my white bean chicken chile

texts: How do I tone down the heat in a white bean chicken chile with corn that is made from the Omaha Steak side meal kit?


texts: What is the difference between tripe and offal?

texts: Simple enough question.  What is the difference between offal and tripe? I think they are both made from the less desireable parts of the animal but would like to know what the difference is between the two.


texts:
Often I hear that after applying oil on the cookware you need to bake it in the oven on a certain temperature.
What precautions need to be taken if I intend to season the cookware on gas stove?

UPDATE 1:
http://www.wikihow.com/Season-Cast-Iron-Cookware
The seventh and eighth point in the above link talk about repeated seasoning on the gas stove after every use. How viable is that?

UPDATE 2:
https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/29647/6168

Wait until it starts smoking, and remove from heat.

How to season iron cookware on gas stove?

You can season a pan fine on a stove top, just watch out for thick unbreathable smoke and potential of flames (which may ruin oil surface).

Do I actually have to wait for the smoke to appear? Or can I test the heat of the pan by sprinkling water drops on it and seeing them hop around?


texts: Had a couple bags of frozen blueberries.  Put them in the fridge to thaw.  They've been in the fridge for several weeks.  Can I still cook with them?


texts: Thawed frozen blueberries inside cake roll?

texts: I would like to put frozen, thawed blueberries inside a red velvet cake roll filled with cream cheese icing.  I am concerned that the blueberries may "bleed" or just look a mess instead of having the red white and blue look I am hoping for.  Has anyone ever tried anything like this?


texts: Does seasoned cast iron still need to be oven dried?

texts: I have a new, twice-seasoned (to 250C), (non-enameled) cast iron pan. Does the seasoning/coating remove the need to have it oven dried at the end of the day? Or it still has to be done no matter the seasoning?


texts:
I have no experience at all with brik dough. This is a very thin and fragile dough that's mostly used for frying and baking.

Once the package is opened it should be used as the dough dries out really fast.

My question is how long after cooking does it stay crisp? Or can you re-crisp it if it becomes soggy?


texts: I bought a tin of ready-made chocolate icing from the super market. But it's very dense and viscous while I prefer the more airy kind of icing the cakes from the bakery have. Can I do something to turn my icing into something like that?


texts: If I use a diffuser will I be able to use a pressure cooker to can food on my glass top stove?

texts: I have a glass top stove and just purchased an All American pressure cooker/canner. It's very heavy and will hold 7 quarts or 19 pints. If I use a diffuser will I be able to use my stove to can food?


texts:
I'm attempting to brine multiple, however I am confused as to whether my brine will be sufficient.
When I usually brine a single chicken I measure the weight of the water that I am going to use and then add salt which is equivalent to 5 percent of of that water's weight.

This time however I need to brine 4 chickens, and I've bought a 10 litre food grade container for this purpose. I'm wondering if I fill this entire container up with water that must mean i'll have to use 500 grams of salt to get a 5% brine solution, that's a lot of salt. What if I used 5 litres of water instead, and 250 grams of salt, this is still a 5% brine solution, will it yield the same results? How long should I brine for optimal results. When I brine a single chicken I usually brine for 5 hours as i've read that any longer and the chicken will become very salty? (Is this true?) And should the weight of the chickens factor into anything?

I'm cooking for a lot of people and I havent brined at this scale before so any help would be appreciated.


texts: What can I do to make beaten egg puffier and fluffier?

texts: The way I cook an egg is like this. I take the egg, crack it in a bowl, pierce the yolk, then whisk it a bit. Then I add a bit of soy sauce, and fry it in a pan. However, the egg always come out a little bit flat, and hard, so is there a remedy to this?


texts:
My clotted cream vanilla fudge just won't set. I am using a sugar thermometer. I'm melting my ingredients then bringing the mix to a temp of 115C and cooking at that temp for 20mins before increasing the heat. I've tried taking it to 121C and even last night to a temp of 130C! Then I'm beating with a hand held electric whisk until thick and matte. The fudge tastes delicious but it's still soft and squidgy.

Ingredients are:
275g caster sugar
100g golden syrup
227g tub clotted cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste with seeds

What (else) can I do to make it set?


texts: What can I do to prevent the gaseous side effect of sunchokes?

texts: I'd love to eat sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes or topinambour) more frequently, but the side effects (gas, abdominal discomfort) are a bummer. In a home kitchen, how can I prepare the sunchokes to prevent this side effect?


texts: Where can I purchase Banquete Chilero Sauce from Costa Rica in the US?

texts:
I have been to Costa Rica twice and I fell in love with Banquete brand Chilero Sauce.

It is a hot sauce with a wonderful flavor but it has some fairly unique properties -- specifically that it is very similar in color and consistency / viscosity to asian sweet and sour sauces.  This lets the sauce cling in a thick layer on the food to which it is applied.

I have tried looking for this sauce but it is hard to find even by mail order in the US and the price for shipping from Costa Rica costs many times more than the sauce itself.  Apparently a lot of places carry Lizano sauce but this brand of Chilero seems to be left out.


texts: Does ginger have to be peeled? If so how?

texts:
I noticed that many recipes that call for ginger explicitly call for peeled ginger.

When I use ginger I don't bother to peel it. As it is almost always minced fine the tiny bits of papery peel are almost undetectable.

Is there some reason that I should start peeling my ginger? Are there some dishes that are better served by using ginger that has been peeled?

Ginger is knobbier than a potato. Is there a better way to peel them than to just take a vegetable peeler to it?

FWIW- The recipe that provoked this question can be found here.


texts:
I made "honeycomb" (otherwise known as hokey-pokey, not real honeycomb) using this recipe: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/hokey-pokey-36

It tastes delicious but it is supposed to be crunchy / cripsy (like the inside of a Cadburys  Crunchie bar) but it actually came out really sticky, like a soft toffee.

Is this likely to be due to overcooking, undercooking, something else? How can I make sure it comes out crunchier in future?


texts: Quantity of rapid rise yeast vs regular yeast in bread machine

texts: How much instant, rapid rise yeast should I use when my bread machine recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of regular dry yeast?


texts: How is UHT milk heated to a high temperature for only 1–2 seconds?

texts:
I've read that UHT milk is pasteurized by heating the milk to a high temperature (e.g. 135 degrees Celsius / 275 °F) for an extremely short period — around 1–2 seconds.

But this glosses over the question of how quickly the milk cools down — surely the milk doesn't cool down instantly, so it must spend a bit of time at 134, then 133 (271 °F) and so on until it gets down to the temperature of the fridge.

So: how quickly is the milk cooled down, and how do they do it?


texts: Achieving viscosity when making cocoa spread, without butter or coconut oil, with colza oil, without nuts

texts:
I've found several recipes to make cocoa spread (meaning without nuts of any kind), but none really satisfy what I'm looking for.
I've tested a combination of

chocolate, usually 50% cocoa
cocoa powder
concentrated milk (sweetened condensed milk)
Colza oil or sunflower oil
a bit of corn starch (might be a bad idea)
a small bit of guar gum

The result was not really what I wanted, so I'm still looking for advice. I still don't have a good idea of the quantities.
It seems that the cocoa spread I like doesn't use coconut oil or butter, it's often colza or sunflower oil, so I'm still curious how they're able to get this viscosity.
In the ingredient of a cocoa spread I like, I've seen there is soy lecithine, which is something I still don't have.
Is there a temperature I should cook this at? Should I stir more?


texts: Very soft inside, small seeds, tastes bit sweet


texts: How can I remove a stuck babka from a stoneware baking bowl?

texts: I just baked an Easter bread (Babka - Polish sweet bread) and allowed it to cool in a stoneware round bowl.  Now I can not remove the bread from the bowl.  Any suggestions?


texts:
The knives I have just come from a second hand shop, and are quite blunt.

Is it possible to sharpen them using an ordinary sharpening stone/steel, or is there a point that they are 'too far gone'?


texts:
It seems that making candied fruit is easy: cut it thin and boil in sugar syrup until ready.

I'd like to make candied pomegranate, keeping the seed-surrounding bubbles intact. Will it work, or will the membrane prevent the sugar from entering? Can I do something (e.g. stick a pin into a few places) without losing the shape?


texts: Why does my first batch of cookies come out nice while later batches get thin?

texts: The first few batches I bake look good and have a nice thickness to them. The last few batches are thinner. Why would that happen? For reference, I use the Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip recipe.


texts: Can I save an undercooked loaf of pumpernickel?

texts:
I made this pumpernickel recipe from YouTube (recipe below) and I think I underbaked it: it has a little of that unpleasant chalky taste of raw flour.

Can I rescue this loaf or do I need to start from scratch?

(For science, I plan to put it back in the oven wrapped in foil for a few more hours and I'll update with the results, but I'd like to see if anyone has other suggestions or experience.)

300 g rye flour
150 g wholemeal flour
 80 g bulgur wheat
  1 tsp salt

500 mL warm water
  1 tbsp molasses
  1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Mix dry ingredients
2. Mix wet ingredients
3. Combine and stir until totally incorporated
4. Fill greased and lined loaf tin with dough
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight
6. Remove plastic wrap, cover tightly with aluminum foil
7. Bake 6 hours at 230°F over tray of water
8. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes


texts:
I just realized the recipe I use for Chardonnay Beurre Blanc requires the use of a "small nonreactive saucepan."

In the past, I have used my 1.5 quart All-Clad saucepan without problems.

What sort of pan materials should I avoid?

Similarly, I've seen recipes indicate one should use a nonreactive bowl. I typically use plastic in those cases. Should I be using something different?


texts: Are Farro (Triticum dicoccum) and Spelta (Triticum spelta) interchangeable?

texts:
I can't find Farro (Triticum dicoccum) where I live and Spelta (Triticum spelta) is relatively common.

How interchangeable are they?
What should I expect if I make a Farro dish using Spelta?


texts: Can I use German flour Type 405 for a recipe that needs self-rising flour?

texts:
I'm totally new to baking/using flour in general. I'm wondering if Type 405 is enough for a recipe that specifies "self-rising flour".

  Germany's Flour Type 405 is equivalent to pastry flour. Pastry flour is made from soft wheat and has a gluten content of 8-10%. It is soft and ivory in color. Because of its low gluten content, it is best used for baked goods that should have a soft consistency yet still needs some structure, such as muffins, buscuits, pie crust, tart dough, cookies, some sweet yeast doughs, etc.

  Pastry flour is available in the U.S. in health food stores, specialty stores, and mail-order businesses. To make a flour with the same gluten content as pastry flour, combine 1 1/3 cups (185g) all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup (90g) cake flour (which is available in most markets and has a gluten content of 6-8%).

  Source

FWIW, I'm planning to make some home-made munchkins. The recipe doesn't need an oven but is deep fried.

If it is not suitable is there anything I can do/add to make this kind of flour be a suitable substitute for self-rising flour?


texts:
After I bake cookies I let them cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes then move them to a plate.

However I have noticed the next day the cookies on the bottom stick to the plate, then break into small pieces if I try to remove them.

What should I do different so the bottom cookies do not stick to the plate?


texts:
HELP!
My darling husband has started dinner for us, but upon tasting the tomato sauce for our lasagne, it seems the garlic was off! It tastes like damp, wet, mildew, blah! Is there anything I can do to fix this? I have tried adding a little sugar, but it hasn't made much difference. DH is willing to throw it, but I'm hoping it can be salvaged! Thanks


texts: How long before steak is at room temperature?

texts:
I've got a piece (of about 300 grams) dry-aged rib-eye in the fridge, at around 6 degrees Celsius. I want to let it "get to room temperature" (which technically is about 21 degrees Celsius for me) before I cook it up to about 55 degrees Celsius core temperature.

Is there any good rule of thumb to determine how much time I should minimally / optimally let it sit outside the fridge before slapping it into the pan?


texts: Where can I find dried Great Northern Beans?

texts:
In a recipe I am trying to make this weekend, I saw the following:

"2 cups dried Great Northern Beans, soaked,
cooked and drained"

Where can I find these?  I could not find them at my local grocery store.  Are there any substitutions that would work well?


texts:
I’m considering using a chipped, old Nordic Ware Bundt pan - like so:

The best clue I can get on the material is that the current model of this pan is made using aluminium with a nonstick coating.

Is there any known risk associated with baking with a chipped inside surface?


texts: Under ideal circumstances, how easily should raw chicken cut when using a sharp knife?

texts:
I've had two distinct textures while cutting raw chicken.

Tender such that I barely even need to apply pressure with the knife
Very tough and "chewy" feeling

Does chicken come in all shapes and sizes, and is this something I should take note of? How does it affect cooking times?


texts: What can I substitute for Gruyère in quiche lorràine?

texts: Gruyère cheese is too expensive here and I want make quiche lorràine. Is there some other cheese that I could substitute for the gruyère that would preserve the original flavor?


texts: Kabobs to Fajitas - how to make the meat tender

texts:
I made a bunch of kabobs. Now I want to turn the leftovers into fajitas. How can I keep the meet tender for the second dish? I'm using beef and chicken.

The kabobs were (slightly over) cooked on a BBQ.


texts:
I am kneeding my dough and it became very hard. It is even very hard to kneed more. I am trying to add more liquid (warm milk or water). It is still not soft. Also, the dough is not accurate means dough is a little bit like crumbly dough. Its not coming together. I added bread improver, egg, oil, milk powder, white flour and yeast, salt and sugar.  Can anyone help me out how to fix my dough at this stage?

Flour 1.5 KG ,
Yeast 1.5-2TBSP,
Bread Improver 1TBSp,
Oil 4-5TBSP,
Sugar 2TBSP,
SALT 1TBSP,
Milk 250ML,
1EGG,
2.5TBSP Milk Powder.

While mixing and kneeding the dough became so hard.

I didnt let the dough to rise yet as it is not ready yet. Because last time I made dough it was very soft. But this time it is so hard.


texts: substitues for confectioners sugar when making icing

texts: I am making homemade cupcakes. For the icing my recipe says that I need confectioners sugar. I already know that I can make my own, but i don't want to right now. Can I substitute the confectioners sugar with powdered sugar?


texts: How can I smoke a large chicken on an outdoor grill and still keep the skin edible?

texts: I smoked a large chicken in an off-set barbecue pit using burning wood only (no charcoal). The meat turned out great, but the skin was saturated with smoke, bitter, and inedible.  I would love to be able to keep the skin edible, any ideas?


texts: Baking camembert with crust in a larger pan?

texts:
I have one small wheel of camembert and some pie dough. I want to pack the camembert in the dough and bake it. I plan to have the bottom and sides in crust, but to leave the upper surface free. But I don't have a pan the exact diameter. When I arrange them concentrically, there is ca. 2.5 cm (1 inch) between the camembert and the pan wall. I don't have enough dough to make a crust this thick, and I wouldn't want to if I had it.

So, what should I do?

Pack the camembert in the crust, put it in the pan, bake as it is? Will the crust melt away from the camembert then?
Pack the camembert in the crust, put it in the pan, fill the gap to the wall with something (the beans I use for blind baking)?
Roll the crust into a disc the size of the pan, put the camembert on it, so that its walls stay free. Bake it that way.

Which version is most likely to result in a tasty camembert where I don't have either overbrowned, dry dough or sticky underbaked dough or dough half-melted in a funny shape? The cheese has no visible cracks, so I think it will stand up to baking without leaking even if it is not tightly enclosed in the dough.


texts:
Watching an episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats" (episode: House of the Rising Bun) and AB is demonstrating a recipe for cinnamon rolls. In the "wet" mix he includes both buttermilk and butter.

Now, since buttermilk is milk after the butter has been churned out, why would a recipe call for both?

Obviously, proportion would be an issue, but whole milk + (less) butter should equal buttermilk + (full amount) butter, shouldn't it?


texts: Should chicken be cooked beforehand while making pizza?

texts: I was just wondering if I can arrange raw chicken on the pizza base and cook everything along or if I should cook the chicken first separately.


texts: How careful do you have to be with adding flour for kneading?

texts:
When you're working a dough (kneading or rolling out), instructions often say to flour the surface you're working on and your rolling pin or hands. This helps the dough to stick less. However, I always am very careful that I don't use too much flour, because I'm afraid this will change the recipe. Is this fear irrational or would I need to use a lot to have an effect on the result? Is there a certain percentage of original amount of flour that you can't surpass?

I'm particularly asking about bread dough, but I think this will also apply to other doughs. I guess it would have more rapidly an effect on wetter doughs in general, but I'm not sure. So feel free to include broader answers.


texts: How do I press avocadoes to make avocado oil?

texts:
Avocado oil is expensive and I've been trying to figure out a solution to make my own. I'd love to make a press (I do woodworking) but I haven't found anything online.

Is there a way to extract avocado oil from avocadoes at home?


texts: What made these red lentils 'brick' together?

texts:
The lentils in the above photo are raw. They did not form a solid block when they were dry, but after I poured a bit of water in, they suddenly did this.

Obviously, they need a bit of washing. Red lentils stick to the pan easily.


texts:
I've noticed that often when using recipes from the US that corn syrup is called for, and I was wondering what the best alternative to it would be to get in the UK?

I've heard some people saying that golden syrup is comparable, but when using it in cooking (particularly baking) it always seems to give a sticky / stodgy texture that I don't think is meant to be there?

Any ideas?


texts:
If I cure salmon into gravlax as made in this video featuring a Gordon Ramsey recipe, what would happen if I hung the cured salmon for let's say a week after curing has been done. Of course, hanging it in a suitable environment away from lecherous insects.

Ultimately, I want to make a salmon version of bokkoms.


texts: Why did my piece of beef harden on crock pot?

texts: I cooked a piece of sirloin in crock pot with sliced green peppers, onions, and one can of tomatoes. It was cooked for 1hr on HI and 4 hrs on low. It was checked after this & was hard. Was it cooked long enough?


texts: Which ingredient in Italian bread gives it that great taste?

texts:
I have looked in many different recipes and tried different things, e.g., brown sugar, diastatic malt, etc, and have gotten pretty good at breadmaking but I can't duplicate that taste of a bakery-made Italian bread.

Response to questions in comments:

I have tried a biga with AP, bread flour, bromated flour. I've used dough enhancer, ascorbic acid, 70% hydration and everything I can read up on.

The bread comes out fine but it basically all tastes the same regardless of the changes I've made. It just doesn't have that flavor of the locally made Italian or the French baguette.

I realize that my question is broad but was hoping that commercial bakers use something that us home bakers just don't have.


texts:
There is a lot of weight in the parsley stems and it is therefore tempting to include them in the chimichurri.

I have also seen their use suggested on some sites.

What are the pros and cons?


texts: I have an electric stove with two sizes of burners.  What is the general temperature in Fahrenheit when the small burners are on medium?


texts: What is the best way to reheat a sub-style sandwich?

texts:
So you go to a deli, pizza place, or any number of places that will sell you a 12"+ hot sandwich (e.g. a philly cheeseteak).  You eat half and save the other half for another day.  When that other day comes, what's the best way to reheat it?

For many other foods, the most common ways are microwave, toaster oven, regular oven and skillet.  Unconventional ways I can think of would be steaming and sous vide (though the latter seems excessive for a sandwich).

The goal would be to get the sandwich hot enough to remelt any cheese, but to not render the bread too mushy or too crunchy (toast).

What method or combination of methods would you recommend to reheat a sandwich from the refrigerator?  Be sure to specify whether you'd use higher or lower temps or power.  If no one method would work well for all sandwiches, could you post guidelines?


texts:
First question-
If the receipe says to bake without mentioning to preheat, readymade base for instance, should I preheat the oven?

Second question-
Is the receipe asks to roast, bell pepper for instance, does it means to preheat and bake? Or shall I just use at microwave mode??? Pls help


texts:
I am in the process of making pinnekjøtt and skerpikjøt, two types of air-dried lamb (salted and unsalted, respectively).
I am aware of the risks, not only of bacterial contimination, but also of fly infestation (they will be dried outside, but in a very well-ventilated small shed, that is otherwise completely empty). I don't live in an area with serious fly problems, but they are nonetheless present, and will flock to raw meat like, well, flies round...

What methods could I use to deter flies? I have considered:

Keeping a large bowl of vinegar in the shed, next to the hanging meat
Putting the meat inside breathable bags that are completely sealed
Hanging flypaper in the shed

Previous questions have only dealt with deterring insects from cooked food or the general kitchen area. This deals with a specific, known, insect-attracting item.


texts: I know that squid is often cooked for one-two minutes to make it still tender. However is one minute enough to kill possible parasites? What is the minimal time of boiling for squid? If that's important then lets say it's already cut into small rings. It's frozen but I am worried that freezing might be incorrect or not enough.


texts: Specifically I've been trying to add some condensed milk to Chai, but it seems no matter what I do all I get is the same flavor in slightly differently-colored water as before.  Basic procedure I've been using is to steep the tea and then add said condensed milk out of the can immediately before serving—not certain on the total amount, but probably about 2 teaspoons, perhaps?  Any suggestions on how to get the flavors to blend?


texts:
In the next few months I have a kitchen remodel planned. One item to be replaced is the range/oven. Currently we have a "vintage" electric stove.

I am undecided as to whether to choose gas or an induction model. I had gas in a previous house and I really liked it. However, I have reservations about combustion gases and unhealthy effects on air quality. I have heard great things about induction ranges, but my biggest reservation there is that I'll need to replace a fair bit of cookware. Personally, I have no experience using induction.

My question is mainly directed at those who have used both induction and gas, but if you've used either that's ok as well. So, given a choice between induction or gas, which would you choose?

P.S. - Not sure if this should be a community wiki, but if so I'm good with that.

Update
I was hoping to hear from someone who uses an induction range. The ideal answer would be something like, "I've used gas and induction and when I bought a new range I bought "x" and here's why". Anyway it's not an ideal world...

My issue is that I have used gas for cooking and know lots of others who do as well. I have one friend who used an induction range in a vacation home, and her take was that she hated it at first, but then came to like it. Another friend has a countertop induction burner, but he's not a cook as he just uses it to boil water. The thing is that induction ranges are not very common in the U.S. or at least among people I know.

So, to refine what I'm interested in.... If you are an avid cook, and have used an induction system, "Is it responsive?", "Is it controllable, in that say, you can set a burner at 180 and it'll stay there?", "Is it durable and easy to clean?".

Also, my reservation about replacing cookware pretty much went away. I found flooring materials through salvage for less than half of what I expected to pay. That pretty much opened up my budget if I decide to go with induction rather than gas.

Finally, what I really need to do is find a way to test drive an induction range. I'll be checking in with some local shops to see if there is a way to accomplish that.

And by the way, I have of course googled on this.

Thanks for the input so far.

Another Update

I was hoping to get more comparative experience in using gas and induction. I suppose I didn't get much of that because induction ranges do not have wide usage in the U.S. market.

I know that I generally like cooking on gas ranges. My main concern with gas is indoor air pollution. Somewhere among my bookmarks is an article about particulate matter and CO generated by gas ranges.

On the other hand, I really like some of the things I've read about induction ranges. Efficiency, safety, control, etc.

My final decision on what I actually wind up purchasing is down the road a bit. Hopefully, I'll get to "test drive" an induction range in the meantime.


texts: Do I need to autolyse quick-breads like scones?

texts:
In bread making you wait 30 min after mixing water and flour together so that the break protein (i.e., gluten) has time to "get strong" and build fibers.

You get this smooth surface etc. on the bread dough afterwards.

I'm making scones, following Dorie Greenspan's book, and she talks about kneading the fat heavy dough.

It's like one..ugly, unsmooth mess of dough, like mashed potatoes or something.

I'm not sure if bakers need to autolyse before kneading. I didn't do so and kneading did nothing to smooth out that ugly mess.

I just proportioned it and baked it as is. My scones tasted great but the surface isn't smooth and like..mashed potatoes texture that was hardened through baking.

Like..does anyone know if quick breads (I'm assuming they are defined by heavy fats) need a rest period of autolyse before kneading so as to have smooth surface?

I was tempted to just add more flour to dry and smooth out that mess but didn't want to change the proportions of flour/water/fat ratio.

Thanks


texts: We made a recipe tonight for halibut and beets.  It called for cooking the beets in the microwave with some water until tender, peeling and slicing them, then putting them in the pan with the fish to bake at 450F until done.  They take more time to cook than the fish, but why not peel and slice, put them in the oven, then add the fish at such a time as they will be done together?


texts: Best way to make pizza with limited options?

texts:
So essentially I have three options since I only have a microwave oven(with convection and a grill) and something called as a "gas tandoor". A gas tandoor is like a grill placed directly on a stove but is covered by a dome shaped metal top.
What I want to know is among the following methods, which will give me the best results?(like fluffiness and crispy bottom)

Baking the pizza in a pan to get a crispy bottom and then transfer it to a microwave oven and baking it further in convection mode.
Baking the pizza in a pan to get a crispy bottom and then transfer it to a microwave oven and baking it further in grill mode.
Placing the pizza in a pizza pan and putting it in the gas tandoor.

I want to make a NYC style pizza or a Neapolitan style pizza, NOT a Chicago style deep dish pizza.


texts: Does store-bought salsa have an expiration date/shelf life after being opened?

texts:
So I like salsa, but don’t eat enough of it to use it all in a few days. In general, does store bought salsa—that is stored in the supermarket on open shelves without temperature control—go bad even if refrigerated after opening?

I’ve personally used store bought salsa a few weeks after opening and it smelled fine and there was no sign of mold. Was this an error on my part because I’ve never gotten sick from that stuff; just want a more informed answer if possible.


texts:
I'm wondering about how to properly clean chia seeds since they cannot be washed in water as other seeds.
I've read that they need not to be washed, but then how to clean them?


texts: Why do some foods have to be cooked only when the pan is really hot?

texts:
I like fried rice. When I try to make it myself, though, it never turns out the way restaurants make it. Restaurant fried rice almost has this sort of "smell-you-can-taste" that's not directly part of the rice. It's like part of the steam. I'm probably not making sense, but I remember being told that fried rice tastes best when friend on a really hot pan.

Why is this so? What happens when foods are cooked on something less hot? (e.g. friend rice, steak)

A link: http://www.shiokfood.com/notes/archives/000018.html

  One of the reasons that restaurant-made fried rice has that smoky flavour is the high temperatures and the seasoned carbon steel woks that we use.


texts: Convert grill recipe to convection toaster oven?

texts:
I generally just lower the temp 25 degrees when going from oven to the little convec toaster oven and it works out well.  This may be a silly question, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I cook just about everything in there, since the oven seems like overkill when I'm cooking for two.


texts: Can you use a convection oven to make a Soufflé?

texts: I separated this question from the original as there were no answers.


texts: White wine substitute in potato leek soup

texts: In this recipe, can I substitute or do without the white wine? Is there a non-alcoholic substitute?


texts: Can psyllium husk be used as gelatin for jello?

texts: I need to make jello. Would psyllium husk work as a jello replacement?


texts:
The common wisdom I've heard is that dried herbs and spices:

have a shelf-life of about a year or 2
keep best in a cool dark place
will release more flavor when crushed

That's fine but some spices are expensive. We have over different 50 jars on our spice rack and can't afford to replace them annually. Also, it's hard to believe that all herbs and spices are created equal.

What are some more specific guidelines regarding the shelf-life of herbs and spices? Which last longer? Which last less long? How much is shelf-life really affected by light or lack thereof? Do any actually become health hazards if left too long?


texts:
I recently made roast beef that cooked for ~ 8 hours. I took it out of the crockpot and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then I sliced it into pieces and we ate it. It was pretty good. The leftovers were packed away. The odd thing was the next day at lunch, the meat, which seemed uniformly brown the day before, was now a nice pinkish color in the middle (keep in mind I had cut the entire thing, so the slice I'm eating is brown on the outside and pink on the inside, maybe 1/2 thick). It also seemed much more tender.

What happened here? The leftover roast seemed much better than the meat from the night before. I am discounting the probability that the roast beef fairy came by and swapped out our leftovers with better ones. Should I have let the roast rest longer? What is the procedure for letting something cooked at such low temperatures rest anyways? It's not like a steak that was cooked at high temperature on a grill.


texts: Difference between fermentation and leavening?

texts:
What is the technical difference between fermentation and leavening? Both cause bread to rise.

Does fermentation only refer to the chemical process of one substance converting to another, which causes bread to rise?
And is "leavening" rising by any means?
Classic white bread, for example - it undergoes fermentation.  Does it also qualify as leavening?
Whereas banana bread undergoes leavening, but not fermentation?


texts: Is it worth to install a gas stove with a big gas bottle in the kitchen?

texts:
There are several options when it comes to choosing a stove. From my own experience, electric stoves are not really that great. I guess most households have them because their are convenient to install. Induction stoves are expensive. Gas seems to be the 'professional' way to cook. I lived in a flat with a gas stove for a few years and really enjoyed cooking on it, it's so easy to control.

However, most modern houses don't have a gas pipe anymore. Do you think it is worth installing a gas stove with one or two big LPG bottles in the kitchen? How often would I have to change the bottles?


texts: Best way to cut up a cheesecake into bites

texts:
I will be making Pumpkin cheesecake bites for Halloween using this recipe. I already made a trial batch and it came out quite nicely, except for the fact that cutting it into bars was a little difficult. What's the best way to do it?

Also, the tasters preferred that I skip the top layer of flour/nut mixture and this will make the cutting up more difficult as the top will have a creamy texture.

Would freezing it beforehand help?What's the best tool to use?


texts: Substituting freezer paper for parchment paper

texts:
I am making a brisket and the recipe calls for coating the meat with a tomato-based rub, which means I can't simply cover with foil... that would leave an unsavory taste in the rub because the aluminum would react with the tomato paste.  The recipe suggested parchment paper between the brisket and the foil; I am cooking at 200 degrees F for eight hours.

I read somewhere that parchment paper is sometimes coated with silicone; however, I also see that it's more than twice as expensive as freezer paper... locally I can buy 75 sqft of generic freezer paper for $2.50, but only 30 sqft of the same generic distributor's parchment paper is $2.68.

Is there a good reason why I can't substitute freezer paper for this
application (chemicals side facing the foil, of course)
Also, what kind of cooking situations is parchment paper best-suited for?


texts:
Ok, so I saw another question answered here that said:

  Natural Peanut butter is about 50% fat, butter is about 80% fat. If you want to maintain the original amount of fat in the recipe, you would decrease the butter by 60% of the amount of peanut butter you used.

I however have a recipe for oatmeal cookies that calls for 3/4 C of butter and I'd like to use a full cup of peanut butter, How do I adapt this correctly? I'm really bad at math and don't want to mess it up, haha.

Also if I'm adding that much peanut butter do I need to adjust any of the other ingredients like the flour or oats quantity?

Thanks in advance for your answers!


texts: What is this part of the mushroom? Is it safe to eat?

texts:
Is the part I indicated in the picture safe to eat? It looks like mold? Sometimes the mushrooms I buy have it, sometimes they don't. I wonder what it is!

And what about this one?


texts:
We have made too much waffle batter. The recipe includes flour, baking powder, salt, eggs and milk (no fat), and part of the instructions are to beat the eggs until frothy - we're assuming this is to encorporate air into the mixture.

Can we freeze half of the batter, and if so, will we need to do anything to it when we come to use it (i.e. beating it to re-encorporate air)?


texts: How to cook popcorn from frozen popcorn kernels?

texts:
I'm in a part of the tropics where weavels and other similar critters seem to get everywhere. Last time I bought popcorn kernels, they'd somehow got infested before I'd even opened the packet (same thing happened once before with ants in an unopened pack of sugar).

I've read that a good fix for such (potential) infestations is to keep grains in the freezer, which kills any eggs and prevents any more getting in, and it seems to work.

Can I cook the frozen popcorn the usual way in a pan straight from the freezer, or do I need to adjust the recipe and approach in any way?

I've got a feeling thawing the corn is probably a bad idea as it might result in moisture and soggy popcorn, but I've not tested it yet.


texts: Using acidity to brighten simple sides like purees

texts:
I made a simple carrot puree last night doing the following:

Sweat off some carrots, onions, garlic and a bit of peeled apple
Added a small amount of apple cider vinegar
Added a bit of an alcoholic cider along with some water as a "stock" and simmered until soft. The alcoholic cider was a bit of an experiment.

Once blended, I noticed the puree was quite sweet (cider added a lot of sweetness along with the carrots), so I added a touch more apple cider vinegar to try balance and brighten things, especially considering the puree was a side to quite a rich protein.

The result was OK but not really what I wanted...I found the vinegar acidity did balance and lift the dish a bit, but I also found myself tasting the vinegar a bit too much. I wanted the acidity & brightness without actually tasting the apple cider vinegar.

I was left wondering if I should've rather added more cider vinegar earlier and let it cook through, or maybe just use less..or even just use a different type of vinegar?

So I guess my question more generally is: for this type of food, what is the best way to add some acidity to simply brighten things up without actually over-powering it? Any suggestions on other types of vinegars I could've used?


texts: Is it normal to see flames inside my self-cleaning oven?

texts:
I spilled some sauce, cheese, and pepperoni in the oven last night while trying to transfer some homemade pizza from the pizza peel onto the pizza stone, so I decided to clean it today.

I wiped the bottom and glass door, but the rest of the stuff was crusty and stuck to the bottom of the oven.  I started the cycle and went about my business.

About 15 minutes later I hear a loud POP and I run over to find little flames dancing at the bottom of the oven.  I freak out, turn off the self-cleaning feature, grab the fire extinguisher and try to open the door, which wouldn't open (which I later found out was a safety feature because the temperature inside was close to 900 degrees, whew!)

Anyway, now my kitchen and living room are filled with light smoke that I'm trying to ventilate, and I am terrified to run the self-clean again for fear of my house bursting into flames unless I watch it (which I don't particularly want to, since the smoke is nasty).

So, were these little dancing flames and the resulting smoke safe and normal in the operation of the self-clean cycle?  If not, what can I do before running the cycle again to minimize flames and smoke?


texts: What causes the chemical taste in commercial bakery products?

texts: Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve noticed a chemical taste in most commercial bakery goods (not packaged factory ones but rather the in-store bakery at a grocery store). It’s seems to be mostly on the base of the item or around the outside. For example, the base and crust of a danish/croissant will have the taste, but not the inside dough. Does anyone know what causes this taste? Is it perhaps a glaze or a non-stick spray..?


texts:
I'm trying to reduce cholesterol in my diet and have switched to using egg whites (from a carton) instead of whole eggs.  This substitution usually works out OK, but when I make zucchini bread -- and other quick breads -- the loaves don't rise as well as they used to, and they tend to be drier.

I'm doing a 1:1 substitution using the guide on the carton (1egg is approx. 2oz), so I assume that a lot of the problem is that I'm missing the fat from the egg yolks.  Is this correct, and if so, what can I use instead that will be low in cholesterol?


texts: Cast iron meat grinder; first time used had black stuff in it

texts: I just bought a cast iron meat grinder; used it for the first time to grind a roast for hamburg.  When finished there was some black residue around the handle and meant had some dark spots in it.  Is this normal or should I throw away the meat?


texts:
I purchased a small container (8 oz) of frozen crabmeat. I do not know if it is cooked or not. The contents appear to be grey (it's a clear plastic tub).

The container reads:
Wild Caught Special Crabmeat
Small Pieces of White Meat
Perishable; Pasteurized

There's other writing on the container as well, but I don't think it's relevant.


texts: Is it better to use soft or hard ladyfingers when making tiramisu?

texts: I didn't realize they came in two varieties.


texts: Is there a way to experience pepper's endorphins effects without the burning sensation?

texts: When preparing dinner, my friend and I sometimes argue over the amount of pepper. It is often ‘too hot’ for him while I enjoy the heat effects (endorphins) of capsaicin (chili peppers) and piperine (black pepper). Is there a way to experience the endorphins effects of pepper without a burning sensation?


texts: Is it possible to do sous vide cooking in a crock pot?

texts: I'd never heard of sous vide before coming to this site, but all the posts about it here have made me want to try it.  I've seen the beer cooler method, which I also want to try, but, for a smaller scale test, is it possible to do it in a crock pot?  What would the differences in cooking times and techniques be?


texts: How to tell when bacon is cooked enough?

texts: I've been experimenting cooking bacon on the George Foreman grill. I'm trying it out a little less cooked and was wondering, how do I know if it's cooked enough to be safe to eat? Recently I've tried coating the bacon in maple syrup and it really makes it difficult to see when the bacon starts to brown.


texts:
I found an old family recipe for a big size sponge cake. Are these measures correct?

10 eggs
6 heaped tablespoons of flour
3 heaped tablespoons of corn starch
10 heaped tablespoons of granulated sugar
1/2 heaped tablespoon of baking powder

The recipe uses the separated eggs method.


texts:
What is an appropriate semi-permanent surface to use over an open fire barbecue?
I am planning on making a grill rack for my fire pit. My intention is have this surface remain outdoors within the pit. I'm looking for something that wont corrode and that is food safe and something that can handle the high heat of a fire pit.

I have seen sprays that can be applied. Some are high heat sprays made for grills (exteriors). I'm not sure if these are food safe. Has anyone had experience?

I have also seen food safe anti-corrosive metal sprays, but I cant find information about their heat tolerance.

Thank You for any help.


texts: When should I add the garlic to a roasted leg of lamb?

texts:
I'm going to roast a leg of lamb. Here is how I plan to cook it:

Cover it with kosher salt
Let is rest in the fridge for two days
Make 10 or 12 slits, and stuff them with garlic sort of like this recipe.
Cook

Would there be any benefit to putting the garlic into the lamb before it rests in the fridge? My goal is to make it tasty. Will the garlic flavor maybe infuse better somehow?


texts: Restaurant kitchen supplies that are also really useful in a home kitchen?

texts: What are some good suggestions for the kinds of cooking tools and supplies you might normally see in a restaurant kitchen, but are also super useful in a home environment?


texts: Why would coffee cause stomach cramps? Are there alternatives to Caffeine?

texts:
As a student, I am (I was) caffeine-dependant. But whenever I drink coffee I get stomach cramps.

Is there a biological/biochemical explanation for this?

Why would caffeinated coffee have this effect for some, like me, but not others?

Is there a safe alternative to caffeine that could produce similar effects?


texts: In almost every kitchen herb garden (at least around here), there is lavender growing. Is there anything that uses lavender for flavoring?


texts: Microwave steaming - venting/holes optional?

texts: I see a lot of cooking videos where vegetables like carrots are steamed in the microwave, and the bowl is covered with what looks like a pretty tight lid without any vents/holes. For instance this one. I have always been afraid of doing this because I think that the pressure from the steam created would force the lid out with disastrous consequences. Am I correct? If so, how do the people in these videos not end up with a mess?


texts:
How effective is a wine press at juicing a large quantity (e.g., 50-100 lbs) of citrus?

I'm looking for speed. Auger (masticating juicer) is far too slow, and blending requires straining.


texts: Can you make pie crust from cookie dough?

texts: I recently bought several packs of frozen cookie dough, sugar cookie, and I wanted to know if it's possible to reshape them and make a pie crust?  If so what is the technique involved: cooking temperature, ect...


texts:
I made croissants yesterday, but couldn't be bothered to keep returning the pastry to the fridge in order to keep it cool, so the butter became too soft.

While the end result was still pretty amazing, I couldn't include enough butter to get the right crumbly texture.

One alternative to returning the dough to the fridge would be to have a temperature-controlled work surface.

Does that exist, or will I have to make my own?

It ought to be fairly simple to slap some peltier elements onto a slab of aluminium or stainless steel, and a small PID controller.
(It would probably be easier to work on stone, though, so one could glue a piece of decorative marble on top. There may be problems with thermal expansion, but you can get tiles made for underfloor heating, which ought to work.)

It would also be possible to reverse-bias the peltier elements to heat up the work surface slightly, e.g. in order to let the dough rise.

Has anyone made such a thing as a DIY project, or can they be bought ready-made?


texts: Can I use 3 jalapenos in place of 1 habanero?

texts:
I once got from the library this big book of Mexican recipes. A lot of them called for habaneros and a few of them called for red habaneros.

My mother suggested that if I see a recipe calling for habaneros that I should use jalapenos instead and even suggested a ratio, 3 jalapenos to 1 habanero.

The reason? Jalapenos have more fruity flavor than habaneros (a lot more) so if I use jalapenos for something with the same amount of heat as habaneros then I will get more fruity flavor for the same amount of heat.

But can I really get the same amount of heat that is in 1 habanero from 3 jalapenos? Or should I change the ratio?


texts: Can I use ground beef meatballs in stews like Boeuf Bourgogne?

texts: "Marbled" stewing beef is hard to come by where I live, beef is either steak or ground beef.  Steak is expensive whilst ground beef is not.  It's a shame I have to choose between these two poles.  I'd like to use ground beef meatballs instead of stewing beef to save money.  Any advice?


texts: Does anyone know of suppliers that I can buy plain flavoured pop rocks. The grocery stores around here only sell the fruit flavoured variety. (From Vancouver BC)


texts:
I like to cook a very simple recipe for roasted potatoes: I peel and cut potatoes to cubes, mix them in a sauce of olive oil, garlic and sweet paprika and place in the oven for about an hour under aluminum foil. I then take out the aluminum foil and for about 10-15 for a crunchy texture.

Now, I want to add cauliflower to the dish. I plan to cut the cauliflower to small pieces and just mix them with the potatoes. I don't have much experience with cauliflower - will I get thoroughly cooked and crunchy cauliflower? Do I need to pre-boil the cauliflower?


texts: How to proof croissants in the hot weather?

texts: I tried to cook croissants following a recipe. The whole process went smoothly, there was no butter melted and the yeast was still active. But when I proof the laminated dough, they wouldn't rise. I prove them in the fridge overnight because of the hot weather (The average room temperature reached 30°C.), but I found that the butter became solid and I think that's why the dough didn't rise. I've made some research and I found that a lot of people proof their laminated in the fridge successfully. What should I do now?


texts:
I bought a big piece of tuna about a week ago. I carved it up and put most in the freezer. However, as I am the proud owner of a vacuum sealer (as of a week ago), the worst part of the tuna got vacuum sealed and put into the fridge.

Six days later, I took it out of the fridge to cook, and found that the vacuum was gone (it had been the first item I had sealed). I made a fish-pie out of the tuna. As this was the worst part, I didn't expect anything great of it, but it was salted, apart from having a strong flavor. I attribute the strong flavor to the cut (the dark part, mostly) and from having been in the fridge for a week).

One piece of prime cut that I had sealed in with the other meat, I reserved and grilled the next day. It was also salted.

Would this be because I salted it too heavily, or can it be because it had been sitting during one week? Is tuna meat salty on it's own? Any other suggestion?


texts: The oil I used in a cake mix was old & made the batter taste like old oil. Is there a salvage or is it ruined?


texts: Boiling eggs on an electric or gas stove: why the boiling time difference?

texts:
Having fairly recently moved from a country where cooking on gas is the standard (the Netherlands) to a country where cooking electrically is the standard (Sweden), I've noticed that I need to boil my eggs a good minute, minute and a half longer than I used to.
I always put them in as the water is already boiling.

Until now my assumption has been: boiling point is boiling point–once the water hits 100°C the heat dispersion goes up rapidly, keeping the temperature close to that–but it appears my assumption was false.

Anyone care to explain?


texts: What are some of the best ways to shell an egg?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to peel hard boiled eggs easily?

I just came back from the kitchen where I was preparing a dozen hard boiled eggs for a recipe.  Part of this preparation is removing each of the egg's shell. The best tip I've heard yet is to shock the eggs in ice water directly after pulling them off a boil, cracking each end and pealing across the hemisphere. This works about 50/50 for me. That's to say half of my eggs are unpresentable. I've been told also only to hard/soft-boil old eggs, which for obvious reasons isn't always practical.

What's the best way to shell a hard/soft-boil chicken egg?


texts: Milk or water for fluffier scrambled eggs?

texts:
I used to add milk to eggs when whipping them, but someone told me that water was better since it evaporated and made the eggs fluffier. I've tried it, and I'm not sure which one works better.
Does milk or water make eggs fluffier? Are there other factors changing the fluffiness?


texts: How long can I keep unleavened dough at room temperature?

texts:
Can a dough of only flour and water stay usable indefinitely (as in between a few days and a few weeks) when stored covered at room temperature?

I made a batch of dough last week and ended up with a good portion of it unused. Today, I finally managed to finish it off by turning it into flatbread. Having the dough on hand throughout the week was convenient, but is there anything that I should watch out for in terms of food safety or taste?


texts:
My roommate has an old mortar made from stone that had been outdoors for quite some time. She rinsed it thoroughly,put it in a big pot, and boiled it to kill any bacteria that could be crawling in there.

The mortar has great sentimental value for her, and I'm unsure about what products use for cleaning, if at all, since the stone might absorb the chemicals and render it unusable.

This related question seems to indicate that soap is not to be used with porous materials, such as stone.
Why are stone ware and dutch oven items exempt from bacteria?

Before using it for food preparation, is there anything else we should do to avoid health issues? Can we use it already after boiling it?


texts: Will double-action baking powder lose potency if not baked immediately?

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I use double-action baking powder to make waffles. If I bake the waffles immediately, they rise nicely. However, if I bake the waffles more than 3 hours after making the batter, they don't rise as well.

How far in advance can I make the batter and still have the waffles rise? Or what can I do to maintain the potency of the baking powder?


texts: What can I do with super salty cream cheese mixture?

texts: I whipped up a cream cheese filling for sweet bread. By accident, I added salt instead of sugar... an entire cup. Now I have disgustingly salty mixture of 16 oz cream cheese (2 packages), two eggs, six tablespoons of AP flour, and a cup of salt. I'd prefer not to waste it. Any ideas? Maybe lots of spinach and more eggs and bake it quiche style? Or do you think it's beyond salvaging? Worried it might take an absurd amount of salt-free added ingredients to adjust for the entire cup of salt.


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So, sometimes I am a lazy cook. And this is a question for the very lazy days.
Sometimes I use stock from a tablet.
I was wondering: If a recipe calls for 'adding stock', is it important that you first make stock from the tablet and then add it to the recipe. Or can you just put in the right amount of (hot) water and the tablet?

I can imagine it does matter in some kind of dishes. But when does is, and when not? And why?


texts: Is there a difference between the two? Also, does the commercially available wine vinegar contain any alcohol?


texts: Can I use the grill tray in my oven for grilling?

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My oven came with 2 baking trays, and a small tray which looks like a grill (i.e, its got rows of vertical metal strips the same way as a grill does). Can I use this tray for grilling or broiling, and if so, how would I use it?

I.e If I wanted to grill a chicken breast, would I just leave the tray in the oven to heat up, marinate the breast, then put it on the tray and close the oven? Or what would I have to do?


texts: Is hempseed oil good for seasoning cast iron cookware?

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It is 82% polyunsaturated, 9% monounsaturated and 7% saturated fats with a smoke point 330 F. Can it be used to season cast iron cookware? (It's close to flaxseed oil.)
Has anyone used hempseed oil for seasoning cast iron cookware?