texts: Are any retail vacuum-sealing systems worth the expense?

texts:
Living alone means that my leftovers tend to go a pretty long way, and I don't end up using raw ingredients as quickly as the supermarkets expect me to.

For a while I've been considering investing in a vacuum-sealing system to avoid having to throw out so much food, for the sake of both finances and convenience.  Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who owns one, so it's hard to get good advice.  Most of the advice I got was "read some reviews."

Well, I read the reviews, and did the best I could to exclude the obvious PR blitzes from my sample, and it turned out that the reviews weren't very good.  For any of the products that I see sold in stores.

I'm not really looking for advice on how to choose a vacuum-sealer.  I already have a pretty good idea what criteria I should be looking for.  The problem is that I can't find any products that meet it, and I suspect that like so many food-related products, the really good ones may not be advertised or even very easy to find.

So to clarify what I mean by "worth the expense" - I'm looking for something that:

Actually makes a proper seal at least 4 out of 5 times (it's amazing how many products on the market seem to fail this one).
Will last at least 2 years; the break-even point for costs seems to be about 1 year, and many if not most products have been reported as breaking down after 3-6 months.
Will not instantly die if there's even a drop of liquid in the bag.
Does not take up significantly more space than, say, one of the wide George Foreman grills (a little bit bigger is OK).
Does not waste a significant amount of sealing material if it fails to form a seal.
Preferably, can also be used with some kind of reusable container or canister.  This is one of the things I liked about the new Food Saver products in spite of their many reported shortcomings.
Costs under $500 (US).  That's not a hard upper limit if it's going to last 5 or 10 years, but if I have to spend $1000 on something that'll only last 2-3 years, then the economics of it break down.

I suspect that there are at least a few, and possibly many, "professional" models used by the food industry that at least meet criteria 1-6.  Some of these companies may even sell retail-ish models to the general public but probably don't actively market them as such (how many home cooks/bakers have heard of Hobart?).  That would especially be the kind of thing I'm looking for.

But, failing that, if anybody's had an exceptionally good experience with a more mainstream product (i.e. has owned one for at least a few years and/or worked with it in a professional capacity), I'd like to hear about that too.

And, if somebody out there has tried hundreds of these things, had nothing but awful experiences and wants to give a definitive "no" as an answer to this question - please do (and please elaborate).


texts: What determines the shape-holding ability of cookies?

texts:
What things can you vary to make cookies hold their shape better during cooking, and not spread out like a pancake?  From my experimenting, the initial temperature of the dough before cooking seems to make a difference - refrigerated dough spreads less than room temperature.  What else can I do without making the cookies too dry? (Obviously if I add enough flour, the cookies will hold their shape, but at the cost of ending up with hard, dry bricks).

Does trying different fats like butter/shortening/margarine make a big difference?  Is it worth buying heavier pans?


texts: How long can you keep yeasted waffle batter (including eggs/buttermilk) in the refrigerator?


texts: I have a bread recipe  for 1 loaf of bread I want to try. Does it matter what size of bowl I use to let it rise in?  I normally bake 2 loafs. Can I use the same bowl? I have a friend that told me it is to big and my bread wont rise correctly. I love her to death, but she really doesn't know everything like she thinks she does. I'm still new at bread making.


texts: Is it possible to make whipped cream without a power mixer? How? Can it be made with a stick blender?


texts: How can I remove excess fat from stews or soups without refrigerating?

texts:
I've read that adding cork (from wine bottles) absorbs the fat. I'm not sure if this works or not.

Are there any other ways to remove excess fat without standing there and spooning out or refrigerating and then removing the solidified fat?


texts: How do I cut out the vein/tendon from a chicken breast tendorloin?

texts:
I like to cook grilled chicken sometimes to go in salads. The problem I always have is that in the chicken breast tendorloins I buy, there is always a tendon or vein or something. It's white when uncooked and is extremely tough.

At first I tried not messing with it, but many bites of the chicken I had was basically not capable of being chewed up.

Now, I try to cut it out, but it's extremely difficult to cut out because it appears to run through the entire tenderloin. Last night I tried cutting it out and what I ended up with was basically tearing the chicken apart into lots of small chunks. In the end it still tasted good, but I'd really prefer an easier method.

What's the easiest method of cutting out that vein/tendon thing from the tenderloins?


texts: How to grate cinnamon using a microplane

texts: What is the best way (force/position/type of cinnamon) to grate cinnamon sticks using a microplane? I've tried several times, and although I get a finely ground, very aromatic powder, it took me five minutes to get a quarter of a teaspoon--and took serious elbow grease/constant repositioning. Is there any way to grate cinnamon more efficiently? Is it dependent on the type of cinnamon stick?


texts: Melting sugar on creme brulee with blow torch

texts:
Whenever I try to melt the sugar on top of a creme brulee with my kitchen blow torch, I find that the sugar takes forever to discolour even slightly, let alone melt. Eventually isolated patches of sugar start to burn. At this point I usually stop as I don't want to eat burnt sugar.

I hold the torch so the flame ends just above the sugar, and I move the flame around constantly.

What I end up with is sugar that isn't totally melted into a nice layer, but is still granular but somewhat stuck together. The texture isn't right at all - I want that smooth layer of sugar.

What am I doing wrong?


texts: Is there a way to grate a block of cheese entirely without hurting one's fingers or knuckles?

texts:
You know the scenario: You grate the cheddar until you're left with a quarter-inch. What do you do? Try to grate it and risk cutting your knuckles, or pop it in your mouth and enjoy?

Usually I do the latter, but I wondered if anyone has any tips for grating cheese down to the last bit?

Is there some kind of small tool that you can use to safely grate the last of a block?


texts: Does cooking black bengal gram with salt lead to increased cooking time or lack of softening?

texts: I have heard that cooking bengal gram with salt can lead to increased cooking time compared to cooking it without salt.So i used to add salt just before serving the curry.Other pulses like green gram are cooked with salt without any noticeable similar problems of delayed softening. Is this problem about bengal gram or chickpea is true?If so why is it so?


texts: Why do Irish & British sausages have soft casings?

texts:
Growing up in Ireland has given me a certain expectation about how a sausage should taste. Travelling the world however, has taught me not only that most Irish and British sausages tend to have softer casings than elsewhere, but that this is actually the exception, rather the norm. Indeed it seems that in most places, tough casings are actually preferred, and that my personal preference is actually the aberration.

But enough preamble; what is the reason that British and Irish sausages tend to have softer casings?


texts: How to prevent the crockpot burning my soups

texts:
I love making soups in my crockpot. SO, I make it, starting with the crock on High. After about an hour, I drop it to low (middle setting), and let it cook. (I always cook my meats outside the crock, usually in a wok or skillet, to make sure it is cooked thoroughly.)

Once I am confident that it is fully cooked, I turn the soup down to Keep Warm (the lowest setting), and we enjoy a hearty bowl of soup, and have soup ready for tomorrow. I believe it keeps the temp above 100(edit: actually 165F), and probably more like 120F. Well, after two days, it becomes a burnt broth. The top layer of solids forms a crust on top of the broth, and everything under this crust is still good. Is there anything I can do to preserve it, because we don't eat enough to use it up in two days?

Edit: 2016/11/21 Found out the "Keep Warm" setting holds the temp to 165F. Also, the other two settings, "Low" and "High" actually bring the temp of the crockpot to the same temp, but the "Low" just slows the time it takes to reach the "High" setting temp.

BTW, I made a chili I call "9 Furz" in the crockpot yesterday. It won third place in a contest, because the judges thought my pork loin was white meat chicken. (The judges are firm believers that chicken in chili is blasphemous.) But, the non-judges loved it, because it was the first crock to empty out. (Next year, I will write on the card that it is "PORK NOT CHICKEN!"


texts: I saw the host on a cooking show claim that using seltzer in a marinade will help the flavors better penetrate meat via the carbonation. Is there any truth to this, and how would it actually work? e.g. would the bubbles carry bits of flavor material, or somehow open "pores" in the meat...?


texts: What are the advantages of using agave sweetener instead of sugar?

texts:
From what I can tell, it seems that the only advantage is that it has a lower glycemic index.

Here's my logic...

On my organic blue agave sweetener bottle, it says that it's 25% sweeter than sugar, so you can use less than sugar (use 3 parts of agave sweetener for every 4 parts of sugar).

Cane sugar has 4g of sugar in 1 teaspoon (4g). (4 teaspoons (or 16g) of cane sugar = 16g of sugar).

Agave sweetener has 16g of sugar in 1 tablespoon (21g). (3 teaspoons (or 21g) of agave sweetener = 16g of sugar).

So from a nutritional point of view, if you substitute 4 teaspoons of sugar for 3 teaspoons of agave sweetener, you are getting the same grams of sugar (16 in this case), which has the same amount of calories (64). So there seems to be no benefit here.

Are they just trying to say that you're using less of the product so you can save money? If so, that is very misleading, since agave sweetener costs significantly more ($0.16/oz, $0.04/tsp) than sugar ($0.05/oz, $0.007/tsp) by 82.5%. That's nowhere near the 25% it can cost more than sugar and still be a cheaper alternative.

The only other benefit I see is that it says that its glycemic index (39) is lower than sugar's (68) [source].

Am I overlooking anything? Are there any other benefits?


texts: I left a frozen wet cured fully cooked ham still in the shrink wrap in a cool water circulation last night to thaw it. At some point my wife used the faucet and set the temp on the tap up. When I reached in to pull the drain, the water was warm and so was the ham. It had been in this warm state for no more than 3 hours. I shot a temp on the exterior of the ham and it read 100.2F. I immediately put it back in the frig to wait till the morning to cook. Will it be safe to consume after reaching 160?


texts: Can I bake oatmeal drop cookies in a bar form?

texts: I am making oatmeal cookies for a family get together and was wondering, can I make them as a bar cookie like as in chocolate chip, rather than a drop cookie.


texts: How to make mayonnaise with a cooked yolk?

texts:
I have heard of mayonnaise made with cooked yolks before, but was suspicious of it. Now a user posted another question with a link to a recipe which shows the making steps. It shows the making a mayonnaise with a hard boiled yolk, emulsifying 150 ml of oil with a single yolk (and as far as I can tell, no additional liquid - the text is in Romanian). The mayonnaise in the picture looks nicely emulsified and smooth.

How is boiled-yolk-mayo made? What is the best ratio? Should I follow a different method than with raw yolk? How different is the result from normal mayonnaise?


texts: Emulsifying (and stabilizing?) a sesame oil ice cream

texts:
I would like to make an ice cream based on sesame oil and allulose. According to reasons-for-separating-eggs-in-ice-cream, ice cream can be made French-style with milk, cream and yolk, or Philadelphia-style with milk and extra cream. In either case, the creamy consistency is actually achieved by partially “demulsifying” the mixture of milk and cream, either with yolk lecithin, which is a worse emulsifier than casein, or with extra cream. So, I am wondering if it is possible to mix sesame oil, allulose, emulsifiers and possibly stabilizers to achieve a comparable texture.
To get the proportions, I converted all the butter, cream and MCT fat of this Philadelphia-style recipe:

3 tbsp butter (34.5 g of fat), 1/3 cup allulose + 1/4 MCT (56 g) + 3 cups heavy cream (257.6 g of fat)

into the equivalent in terms of sesame oil and water:

1/3 cup allulose + 1.55 cups sesame oil (348.1 g) + 1.4 cups water (to match the volume of 1.) + yolk/lecithin/glycerin/casein?? (to emulsify).

(If I use yolk, there will be more fat. More on that below.)
I haven't found practical guidelines for producing emulsions as related to ice creams, but I got some clues from this research paper comparing emulsions with soy lecithin vs. yolk lecithin. They mixed the emulsions at 50°C. At the conditions they tested, they found that the most stable emulsion was produced at 50:50 oil:water mixture with 5% soy lecithin at neutral pH with the addition of xanthan gum as a stabilizer. On the other hand, the yolk lecithin emulsion was more stable against oxidation; moreover, the most stable egg yolk lecithin was produced at pH 2.3 and also at 50:50 oil:water and 5% lecithin. The reason for the difference in pH has to do with the fact that yolk lecithin is richer in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, which are zwitterionic, whereas soy lecithin is richer in anionic phospholipids such as phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid.
Should I decide to go with yolk, my preferred choice of lowering the pH would be with vinegar, which has a pH ≤ 2.5. However, that would probably be wasteful, especially because the acetic acid would rapidly volatilize at 50°C. Do I have any other options besides citric acid? Or is it possible that the zwitterionic compounds in yolk lecithin also emulsify well at basic pH, given that the hydroxide anion is an intrinsic emulsifier? In that case, could I use sodium acetate in a sweet ice cream?
To get 5% of lecithin from yolks requires y ≈ 14.9 yolks since the yolk of a large egg has 4.4 g of fat and yolk fat is 30% lecithin (from the equation 5%(348.1 + 70% 4.4y) = 30% 4.4y).
Do all these ingredients seem to be in the right proportion? Will it be possible to create the emulsion with just a spatula and a pot?
Finally, how do other solids (i.e. allulose, xanthan gum, etc.) interact with the oil? Instead of xanthan gum, would collagen, resistant corn starch and chitosan be good stabilizers?


texts: Infusing orange into tea while avoiding bitterness

texts: What precautions should I follow to avoid imparting a bitter taste when infusing orange into my tea by placing the rind in the teapot?


texts: Can sufficiently finely-ground matzo meal substitute for flour in leavened bread?

texts:
In the context of a question about whether or not bread made from matzo meal would be kosher for Passover, I've come to wonder if such a bread would be practical.

If matzo meal is sufficiently finely-ground (so as to match the grain of actual flour, rather than the breadcrumb consistency you get by putting matzo into a food processor), could it be substituted for flour in a bread recipe?  What would be the differences between bread made with "matzo flour" and real flour?


texts: How to deal with overproofed pizza dough?

texts: I’ve been making pizzas on the go with a portable pizza oven and it’s been going really well but sometimes if I don’t time things right I’ll end up with huge seemingly overproofed doughs that become harder to work with as they keep rising. When this happens should I knock them back down again and let the dough proof again in the box?


texts: Which Type of Japanese Green Tea Has the Highest Amount of Caffeine?

texts: I am trying to find the best pick-me-up Japanese green tea and was wondering which type was the best to get from the assortment of Sencha, Gyokuro, Kabusecha, Bancha, etc.


texts: Why does rice flour or cornstarch produce crispier crusts than wheat flour?

texts: If you add a percentage of rice flour or cornstarch to any sort of breading or pancake, you get a much crispier crust than one made with 100% wheat flour. The Vietnamese banh xeo, which is like a crepe made with just rice flour and coconut milk, no egg, comes out extremely crispy, for example. What is the physical reason that these pure starches cook up crispy?


texts: What is the US equivalent of "Joint of Sirloin"?

texts: Wanting to make a roast for dinner tonight.  The recipe is a British one calling for 1.5Kg of 'joint of sirloin' but I think the butchers in America call it by 'where' on the sirloin it is.  The recipe calls for roasting it around 55 min.  Thanks!


texts: My curry become too pulupu (sour)  due to too much yogurt. There is too  much sour taste in each bite. Now how can i remove sour taste from curry?


texts: What cost-effective things can I do to help my knives stay sharp longer?

texts: I'm a poor college student that doesn't know much about his knives, pots, and pans. Specifically is there anything that I can do to make my knives stay sharp longer and maintain them without spending too much money?


texts: Is the milk spoiled when a thin layered textured appears in the bottom of pan?

texts:
I use Pasteurized Amul milk (see here). Last time, I purchased it on May 3rd and has expiry as today, 05-05-19.

(Outside temperate in our area is around 35-40 degrees)

I keep it (packaged when not boiled, in pan once opened and boiled) in the fridge  all the time except when it is used. I first brought it out on May 4th morning, boiled it and used half of it (total 500 ml). Stored the remaining again in fridge in pan.

I boiled the remaining milk just a few minutes ago (tonight will be expiry).

Here's what I observe:

Mostly, I see no layer or negligible layer when I first boil the milk on 4th
When I boil it again next day in same pan (I don't change the pan during whole process), there's still fat in it, a creamy yellow layer on top but the bottom layer (highlighted in image) is perfectly noticeable this time.

Now, I don't note any sour taste or bad smell or the curd like solids in it. It seems fine to me.

But does this layer mean it has started to go sour and will rise eventually?


texts: Why does this custard say to boil milk cool and boil again

texts:
I have this recipe (from a really great book that has never failed me) for a custard and it says to

Bring the milk to the boil.
Put to the side for 10 mins.
Whisk the yolks and sugar.
Return the milk to the boil.
Add milk to eggs.
Heat till thick.

But why the double boil step?
It has made a lovely thick custard, my best recipe yet.
Edit: I have eaten it now and it was the most scrummy custard I have ever eaten. but that may be the 4 egg yolks and double cream :)


texts:
I left raw chicken in my car for just under two hours at 11 degrees Celsius (51.8 F) by accident. Apparently this is safe (?) as it is under two hours and the temperature outside is not high. I put it straight in the freezer  and then the fridge to cool it quickly. Does this mean I have to be extra careful with this particular piece of meat as there is the four hour total window and two hours is already used up? Thanks!

Edit: The answer to this question helped me. How many times is it safe to reheat chicken?


texts: Does anyone have recommendations on using the fruit that has infused vodka? Can you bake with it or reuse it in any other way?


texts: I have seaweed salad with sesame flavor. What are some good ways to garnish it or nice things to garnish with it?

texts: I'm curious for some ideas on what to make with seaweed salad.


texts: I have a vacuum sealed 8 lb. beef tenderloin that was in my refrigerator.  The door was not closed completely and the refrigerator warmed to 42 degrees just at the beginning of the danger zone.  The refrigerator could have been at that temp for 6 to 8 hours.  The tenderloin was in the middle back of a bottom shelf.  Is this safe to use?


texts: What the heck is on this cast iron, and HOW TO REMOVE?

texts:
Okay, so I just gathered my cast iron dutch oven from my ex, and he apologetically explained that he'd spilled "something" on it. He is an organic farmer who works on cars, so literally: THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT IT COULD BE--from motor oil to transmission oil to yogurt. ONLY--IT WILL NOT COME OFF.

I have tried:
-traditional methods of cleaning, from water vinegar to soap and water
-AND, here's the most important part: When i tried to simply burn it off, the oven and the house began to smell like acrid poisonous "something."
-i've even tried "bar keepers friend"

literally sanding down the top seemed to work okay, but honestly, should I just give up? throw it away? will i die if i eat out of this pan?

The substance is sticky and somewhat shiny, like a polymer or plastic based something, and it may have a slightly green tint, though its almost impossible to tell on the black surface of cast iron. in pictures, it just looks like an oil spot.

Oh, and no, I don't have access to a torch.


texts:
I made Cookies and they are burned at the bottom.

What can I do to remove the burned layer without destroying the cookies and keeping as much as possible from the good parts?

I was thinking of sand paper but I fear this leaves a taste from the "sand" and may be even not healthy.


texts: Why don't dry aged/hung sausages go bad?

texts: I was just watching this program on the food network here and they were talking about the Spanish fermented pork sausages. It made me think of sausages that are hung to dry and even though its raw meat (which would go bad very very quickly if not refrigerated properly), it doesn't go bad. Why is that? Is it because no air touches the meat inside the casings?


texts: I have to cook some striped bass tomorrow. It is from frozen, and in fillets  with no skin (if it had skin I would pan sear it, but alas it doesn't). I was thinking, season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Then sous vide @ 135, then serve it on a romesco sauce. I am fairly unfamiliar with striped bass and was wondering how well it is sous vide. Sous vide would be very advantageous, since I need to make a lot (serve 10), and don't want to stink up the house.


texts: Cooking bolognese sauce in stainless steel versus dutch oven?

texts: I've got a recipe I've been meaning on trying for sauce that indicates using an assumably ceramic dutch oven. Will I be in any dangerous territory if I use a stainless steel pot instead? I know not to use a reactive pot for tomatoes, just not sure if there are any other considerations?


texts: What does it mean to place a "piece of parchment paper and an inverted lid of foil" to cover

texts:
I'm working with a dutch oven, and i'm braising short ribs. I'm assuming the idea to place  a "piece of parchment paper and an inverted lid of foil" to cover means to seal the pot further so no liquid evaporates in the process.

But I'm not sure how to seal it by that statement. Does it mean the aluminum foil covers the pot, then place parchment paper on top, then close it with the lid?


texts: Can't seem to get my rye sourdough starter really going

texts:
I've been trying to get a rye sourdough starter going so that I can make all-rye sourdough bread. I've been at it for two weeks, with a 1:1:1 of water, starter and rye at 50g (the first two days I added organic honey and didn't start discarding starter until the 4th day).

At one point the recipe I was following said 50:100:100 of starter, water and rye flour, and it did a little better that day than the previous if I'm remembering right. The main issue is it isn't bubbly enough. Some days I get some good bubbles, but I can't seem to link it to anything. I've been keeping the starter in the oven with the light on because I think our house is too cold, (we keep our house at 68 at night and 75 during the day) but I don't know if that's the right way to do it. I live in hot, humid New Orleans, so that could be affecting it (or our A/C).

I tried to make a loaf last night and it actually hasn't risen at all, which is why I am turning for help. The starter passed the float test before I made the loaf, and smells sweet and sour like sourdough, but is pretty dense and thick, and the bubbles aren't at the level I see in pictures.

Help please! Not sure what to fix, if it could be moisture, temp, or the flour I'm using (bulk section rye flour for the first week and Red's dark rye once I ran out). I want to get a good robust one going so I can keep it for a while but it hasn't gone anywhere promising so far.


texts: How to know when chicken breast has cooked through?

texts: Sometimes chicken breast can be thick and I never know how to tell when it's cooked! How can I be certain it is cooked all the way through?


texts: Do you de-hull seeds when making pumpkin seed flour?

texts:
I was interested in finding ways to use leftover pumpkin seeds, so I thought I'd try to grind them up into flour.

Although I found a few websites (e.g., here and here) that mention doing this, none of them explicitly mention whether you should de-hull seeds before grinding them or not.

So, do you de-hull pumpkin seeds before grinding them to make flour, or do you just include the hulls in the flour, too?


texts:
I just bought  a new lodge cast iron skillet today and used it to cook a Japanese Waghu A5 10+ BMS Ribeye... was worth the hype, yummy.
I washed the Skillet with hot water and salt and then heated it again to dry all the water, but there are some stains left... Do I need to clean this or is this normal and leave it ?
Please see pictures:


texts: Is there a quick, easy, mess-free way to peel an orange (or grapefruit)?

texts: Just what the title says, I don't enjoy getting my fingers all messy and I don't like getting a lot of pith. Is there a better way than just...peeling?


texts:
I'm very fond of coffee, in fact, I have a grinder, grind my own beans and use a coffee stove to make it.

However, I've recently been advised to stop drinking anything containing caffeine (at least for a few months).  I've always avoided drinking decaf because I read an article about the way that caffeine is removed, and I'm not sure it's wise to ingest a coffee bean that's been rinsed in (what appears to be) poison, for hours and hours.

I've noticed that there are certain teas that are naturally caffeine free, so I wondered if the same might be true for coffee.  Are there any alternatives to coffee?


texts: Can Lasagna be frozen before cooking, if using uncooked lasagna noodles, not the no boil type

texts: I have never pre-cooked my lasagna noodles and I use regular noodles, not the no boil type.  Can I freeze this lasagna before cooking or should it be cooked and then frozen.  Also how long can it be frozen and can it be frozen in aluminum pans?


texts: Food Safety of "Scavenged" Chicken Stock

texts:
I happened upon an article entitled "Please Pass the Scavenged Bone Stock" and discovered that there are many different opinions out there about the propriety of saving chicken bones for stock. The article reads like a polemic, but I'd like clearer answers to the following questions:

Is it safe to use leftover untouched chicken bones/carcasses for stock? How long can they have been sitting out, and what if I want to freeze them for later use?
Is it safe to salvage bones for stock if people have been eating off the bone? Is this a common practice, or is it considered "disgusting"?


texts: Why do I have lumps in my caramel? (NOT crystallized sugar.)

texts:
There are a lot of caramel questions. Hopefully I'm not repeating anyone...
I've made caramel sauce several times with the recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction. (But using a different beginning procedure: Dissolve sugar in ~1/2 cup of water, not stirring. Put the lid on for a few minutes to clean the sides. After that it's the same.) For some reason, though, whenever I make it I end up with lots of tiny lumps suspended in my caramel. As I mention in the title, these lumps are not little sugar crystals. I've had my caramel crystallize before, and this is very different. They're soft, for one thing, and so I'm not sure what's happening.
At first I thought the little lumps were just air bubbles. That's what they look like. But they actually have some body to them. It's almost like I have tiny bits of cooked egg or something (which is obviously impossible.) They have a gelatinous quality. So my guess is that the cream is doing something weird? Flavor is good, thickness is good, everything is good except these stupid little lumps.
Does anyone know what's happening, and how I can make it stop...? I'm about to take an immersion blender to the mess and let God sort it out.
EDIT/UPDATE: So... I now have a theory that I tend to get my caramel so dark (more of a crimson/burnt sienna than an amber. Probably around 380F) that some of the dairy solids in the butter (maybe even the cream?) cook/coagulate as soon as I add it, leading to those gelatinous lumps. I haven't had the time (or a good reason) to try cooling my syrup with some water before I add the butter yet, but as I said in the original question, this definitely isn't sugar crystallization, and it's been a persistent problem. When my mom's made the recipe before, she didn't have the problem, but she's also terrified of burning her caramel and tends to add the butter much, much sooner.
I've noticed brown specks when I've made chewy caramels and toffee as well, so I'm wondering if cooked and browned dairy solids are my whole problem here.


texts: Stodgy crumpet-like crumb in overnight white

texts:
Over the weekend I made an overnight white loaf, methodology was something along the lines of the following:

Activate yeast in water, mix with the bread until well incorporated. Leave for 30 minutes.
Add the salt, mix in with the dough. Leave for 30 minutes.
"Knead" the dough in the bowl, mixture was very wet and recipe said not to add more flour so this possibly wasn't sufficient kneading. Leave for 30 minutes.
"Knead" again, cover and leave overnight. As it was a Sunday and I'm lazy, was left for roughly 12 hours.
Place on floured work surface, knock back and shape. Place in oiled bowl. Leave for 2 hours to rest.
Oven to 200 Centigrade, container of boiled water at the bottom to make the oven steamy to get a nice crust.
Bake for 45 minutes, leave to cool.

The crust was lovely and I'm happy with it, but the interior was rather stodgy, and reminiscent of how it feels to eat a crumpet.
Which steps that I took from the above are likely causes of the crumb being sub par, and what is the correct approach to avoid "crumpet crumb" in the future?

Quantities were:

500g Strong white bread flour
390ml warm water
10g yeast
1 tsp salt


texts: I was trying to take off the absorbant pad while my chicken was still frozen, and it broke

texts: I rinsed the chicken as well as I possibly could, to make sure all the gel was off. What if there are small pieces of the gel stuck, and now I'm cooking it? Is it safe to eat or is it trash?


texts:
I want to make a creme anglaise au chocolat for tart filling.
I used the recipe of my best pastry chef Pierre herme:

125g milk

125g cream

3 egg yolks

70g sugar

90g chocolate (70%)

I first mixed the yolks with sugar then added the milk because I used only 250g milk instead of using cream to reduce the amount of fat.

The I cooked it as creme anglaise to 84C and added them to chocolate and mix until melt.

Then I poored the mix into tart shell and let them rest to the next day.

The next day I saw the chocolate cremeux still not set properly and it is like runny chocolate sauce (100% liquid).

Why that happened ?


texts: Do Ice Wands have an advantage over a homemade solution?

texts:
It's recently come to my attention that I've been flirting with disaster by regularly cooling large pots of stock (~2 or 3 quarts at a time) by moving them straight from high temperature (>180F) to the fridge to cool overnight. This apparently leaves the stock in the danger zone for bacteria growth for several hours. The most efficient and effective alternative I've heard mentioned is an "Ice Wand" or "Ice Paddle"; essentially a plastic container that can be filled with water and frozen, then used to stir hot liquid and quickly cool it.

However, there is a price difference between the specialized Ice Wands and other food-safe and temperature-resistant plastic containers. As just one example, Nalgene sells a variety of types of plastic water bottles that are food-safe and have temperature ranges below freezing and at or above boiling temperatures, and those bottles normally retail for $12 or less for a 48oz container, while the cheapest Ice Wand I could find listed was $25 for a 64oz container.

Is there anything different about the construction, materials, or function of these Ice Wands that's different? Will another frozen container work too? Are there any gotchas if I use something else for this purpose?


texts: Can Nutella be substituted for Peanut Butter in Peanut Butter Fudge?

texts: Want to substitute Nutella for peanut butter in M&M Peanut Butter Fudge.


texts: Is there a scale for measuring level of roast?

texts: Similar to, for example, how the Scoville scale measures spiciness by concentration of capsaicin, is there a scale that measures how toasted/roasted something is, perhaps as a function of the Maillard reaction or something?


texts:
I've made fresh egg-based pasta quite a few times already. Usually used Marcella Hazan's recipe.

Now I've wanted to make orecchiette, which is made without egg (i.e. just flour+water(+salt)).

I thought the dough I've made turned out alright. Kneaded for >5 minutes. When I "rolled it out" to those thin sausages you need to make orecchiette, the dough always retraced/stretched back a lot. Trying to form orecchiette was unsuccessful.

I tried to remedy it by adding more flour and kneading more. The dough retracted less, but forming the orecchiette (knife + thumb) wasn't successful either, the dough always seemed too soft and didn't hold its shape.

Maybe it didn't work out because the dough was a bit too wet in the beginning and I started to adjust too late after too much kneading.

Before I give it another try, I'd just like to know whether any of you have made it, whether you've had similar problems, and whether it's easily doable. Some of the vids on youtube from Italian nonnas make it look way too easy.

PS: I was using regular 00 flour.


texts: What is a non-pork substitute for Italian sausage?

texts: We do not have genuine pork Italian sausages here in Israel. When a recipe like Ragu or Bolognese calls for Italian sausage, what meat could be used as a substitute for ground pork, and what seasonings should I add to match the seasonings that are commonly found in Italian sausage?


texts:
I made a sort of "starter" to use instead of dried yeast for making bread.
It was basically a loose dough with a tiny amount of dried yeast. When I bake I take some from the box and refresh the starter with flour and water.
It worked pretty well for a couple of months but now my bread has an unpleasantly acidic smell and taste.
The start doesn't smell bad. It still has the same smell as before.
Initially I thought it was the flour (I started to add wholewheat to the mix) but today I tried with just plain white and it's still bad.
Is the starter ruined?
I can avoid it going bad in the future?


texts:
It seems that many, if not most recipes, that involve cooking something in an Oven specify a temperature of 180 Celsius or 350 Fahrenheit (if using a Fan oven, 20/70 more if not). This also seems to be true for the instructions on prepared foods. My question is why is this the case? Does it reflect something fundamental about the cooking process, historical accident, etc.?

I'm also keen to know whether this advice should be adjusted given the capabilities of modern ovens/thermometers.


texts: Is there any noticeable difference between mochi made from pounded rice, versus mochi made from mixing rice flour and water together and cooking briefly? If not, why bother with the labor-intensive pounding method?


texts: What is the best way to add lemon flavor to a cookie recipe? I know lemon juice is highly acidic, I don't want to throw off the PH of the dough. Is lemon extract the same way? Lemon zest? Is there a way to compensate for that?


texts:
What will happen if I fry an egg in soy sauce instead of oil? Has this been done before?

I am aware soy sauce is not a fat thus not ideal for this task, but I am interested to hear your thoughts..


texts: How do I create a meat like bite resistance/snap and texture in Vegan sausages?

texts:
I have been trying to create a vegan and gluten free sausage. The flavors thus far are tasty and enjoyable.  I just want a better snap/bite/tear when I bite into the dog.

I use soy isolate (I have tried pea isolate as well) to make an emulsion for fat delivery (canola oil). Am trying for a 'country' texture of chunks of visible veggies (cauliflower or eggplant or mushrooms or tomatoes etc.).  I use a TVP or a TPP as a filler to increase the sponginess a bit.

I have been trying gels of carrageenan and konjac powder, I have used guar gum and xanthan gums.  The gels work a bit but soften at temps above 150F.  The gums are not able to bind the core ingredients before the gumminess takes over.

I have experimented with methylcellulose but that too loses its texture at high temperatures and overwhelms the taste at high doses.

I want to replicate the 'tear' effect that the Beyond Sausage has when it is cooked to 200F or so.  According to their ingredient label they use coconut oils, pea proteins and methylcellulose.  But I can not seem to replicate their product.

I haven't been using coconut oil because it is a saturated fat and I wanted to avoid that if possible.  I am not sure the practical structural differences between sat fat and unsat fats with respect to this project.

Free beer/wine for whomever solves this riddle.


texts: I'm planning a long distance hike and I would like to add some variety to my meal planning.  Does soy chicken need refrigeration?  Does it keep for a couple days?


texts: What does non-tempered couverture chocolate taste like?

texts:
I was reading that couverture chocolate is apparently "real" chocolate that requires proper tempering to have the right texture and shine.

What if I don't temper it and just eat it straight out of the bag in those little discs it comes in- will it still taste good?

And if I'm buying fancy chocolate candy how can I know it was made from couverture and not cheap (fake? I guess) chocolate?


texts: What is the difference between "seafood casserole" and "paella"?


texts: Are slightly moldy beets edible after boiling?

texts:
I have some beets with mold on the stems and top which is hardly visible but has a noticeable smell.

If I cook them for 60 minutes and then peel them, will the beets then be edible?


texts: Wondering if the bottle of wine I have is still good or not

texts: During my move to a new place, I found a bottle of wine that I had kept in my refrigerator that was dated 2004. It was still sealed; it didn't look like anything was floating around inside, and to all intents and purposes, it looked to be an average bottle of red wine that you'd find at your typical liquor store. However, I'm wondering if it's still any good or not, and if there was a way to check outside of opening it and taking a swig.


texts: How long can raw fish be kept if it has been thawed in the refrigerator?

texts: I bought fish, repackaged and froze it immediately when I got home. My husband thawed it in the refrigerator (without my knowledge) for 2-3 days. I was afraid of the possibility of food poisoning and refused to eat it. He became really angry, saying the fish was 'just fine' and I was wasting good food. How long can you safely keep previously frozen fish thawed before eating it?


texts: What reading materials give in-depth coverage of baking with gluten-free ingredients and techniques?

texts:
There is plenty of reading material on what gluten is and what its function is in baking, so I feel like I have a decent understanding on that topic.  However, I am not finding much on the reasoning behind gluten-free baking, as compared to "regular" baking.  What are some good references that are detailed and thorough?

NOTE:  I am not looking for recipes.  For example, the following is more recipe-oriented:

What are good references for Gluten free baking?

I am looking for a detailed and systematic treatment of questions such as:

What ingredients can help replace gluten in gluten-free recipes?
When considering alternative flours, why choose one type of flour over another?  For example, why choose sorghum flour over rice flour?
When compared to baking with gluten, what differences are there in technique (hydration, kneading, warm rise, cold rise, etc), and WHY do these differences exist?  For example, should your dough be wetter or more dry?  Should you knead for longer or shorter periods of time?
What differences are there in heat (temperature, duration), and what is the reason for these differences?


texts:
Following the question posted here concerning the safety of cooking with olive oil
Is cooking with olive oil bad or toxic?

I wasn't quite sure how to tell when the oil actually starts to smoke especially when cooking with liquid

https://youtu.be/VOBihHeZuXE?t=1m35s

What is smoking/vaporizing when he adds the wine? The oil or the
added liquid?
He later adds a vegetable chicken stock (at 1:45) and brings to a
boil; Can the oil smoke while the water is boiling?

https://youtu.be/TYmDpxY9_hM?t=3m20s


texts:
The most common way of drinking mate (iles paraguariensis) tea is infusing its green leaves with hot water in a special way (chimarrão).

However, there is also the option to drink the toasted leaves tea. This is specially common in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I want to know the best (and perhaps alternative ways) to toast the mate leaves at home in a way similar to the commercial ones, like "Mate Leão".

Please note that this process is different from the "sapeco" which is a very brief exposure of the green fresh leaves to fire in order to conserve its color characteristics.


texts: Using Canned San Marzano Tomatoes Vs. Regular Canned Tomatoes

texts:
I have never used San Marzano tomatoes yet. I recently bought a cookbook and most of the recipes call for San Marzano Tomatoes. They are more expensive. Is it really worth paying the extra money for them?

USA Prices

$3.82 28 oz. can Centos brand D.O.P. Certified San Marzano tomatoes From my local market. D.O.P. Certified is guaranteed they are grown in the Mount Vesuvius Volcanic soil.

$1.44 28 oz. can Contadina brand tomatoes from local market.

What is so special about these? I get mixed reviews on the net. One person says it is a bunch of high brow people showing off and others say you can take a can of these and grind them in a food processor and drink it like tomato juice.

I would like a concrete answer from somebody that has used San Marzano tomatoes enough times to say definitely worth it or not. I will be making Pizza Sauce and Spaghetti Sauces.


texts: How long should I cook pork for (at 100° C)?

texts:
I have a pork shoulder cooking in the oven right now at 100° C (212° F). I was planning on roasting it for 7 hours, will this be long enough to cook it safely?

I saw the FDA chart about minimum internal temperatures - but am not sure how to translate that to oven temperature/time.


texts: Does it matter if I add cornstarch to my sauce instead of pasta water?

texts: Since it is starch in hot water in both cases, I wonder why starchy pasta water is so prized over adding (trigger warning for Italians) warm water and cornstarch when tossing pasta.


texts:
I have been making Peanut Clusters a lot lately, and it seems that I just can't get them right. Once I add the butter, the chocolate turns brittle and crumbly before I can shape them on the wax paper. Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can make the chocolate stay smooth until I put them in the fridge?

This is my recipe:

  1/2 c. sugar
  1/4 c. milk
  1 heaping tbsp. cocoa
  1 heaping tbsp. butter
  1/2 c. roasted peanuts

  Mix sugar, cocoa, and milk. Boil 6 minutes, counting from time the bubbling begins. Add butter, nuts and vanilla. Take from the heat and stir just enough to mix in the nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.`


texts: What makes up the typical "spice drawer needs a deep cleaning" scent?

texts:
This might be considered a half humorous question, but I am still curious here.

There is that typical smell that clings to your hands after rummaging around in or tidying a typical spices drawer/box/rack. It does not seem to be identifiable as one particular spice. More or less the same in every household I have been to. Slightly irritates the nose, but not really that similar to any kind of pepper. Faint similarity to vegetable stock powder, but more pungent. Some BO aspect to it, but no discernible cumin aroma.

What makes it up - or is it really always stale pepper and stock powder conspiring?


texts: Is it bad to cut onions and other vegetables on the same cutting board? Does the type of cutting board matter? For example, do wooden cutting boards that are regularly used to cut onions (or other potent veggies, garlic, etc.) start to smell permanently like onions?


texts: My wife and I decided to have cheesecakes for our wedding last weekend.  We'd like to store some for at least our one-year anniversary.   What is the proper way to store it, and how long can we expect it to last and still be worth eating?   Once she gets completely moved in, we'll have a deep freeze, but we currently just have a couple of refrigerator freezers, though one is rarely opened.


texts:
Can cooked lobster meat (which I bought in a fish market the other day) be frozen and, if so, how?  Was thinking just placing it in a Zip-loc bag and placing in the freezer.

This is just a small amount - at $30.00/pound, definitely not going overboard here, but much cheaper than restaurants!

So we're only talking about 1/2 pound but even so, wanted to know if I could freeze it until next week or so.

Thanks-
Randy


texts:
Is lard being sold anymore?

I went to two different groceries, no lard, and no tallow.

(Shame on anyone who even thinks of telling me to use a hydrogenated oil.)


texts: What to look for in a hand mixer for occasional bread dough kneading?

texts:
My handmixer just died. I used it (with its kneading hooks) to knead bread dough once every two weeks in addition to blend and mix and beat cream.

I'm now looking for a new model, which is maybe a little bit more robust and contains less plastic. Which parameters do I have to consider? Is there a model which is semi-professional or do real chefs always use big self-standing machines?


texts:
I recently purchased some stainless steel kabob skewers from Amazon, similar to the ones listed here at the Webstaurant Store.

They look and feel like stainless steel, however they appear to have some kind of coating. The surface of my skewers looks slightly more dull and grey than my stainless steel cookware.

Furthermore, I observed a dark grey residue coming off my skewers under the following circumstances:

Straight out of the box if I rub my fingers across the surface.
After putting them through the dishwasher if I rub my fingers across the surface.
After dishwasher if I rub a white tissue across the surface.

I noticed that there is also a Prop 65 warning listed in the Webstaurant link above, which states:

  WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov.

Is it likely that my skewers are indeed coated in something, and if so, what is this coating and why is it possible to contain lead?


texts:
I made some strawberry sorbet. I cut up the strawberries and macerated in lime juice and raw sugar, then cooked them to make them soft so I could use my hand blender to make the puree. I used enough sugar to make it sweet in the non frozen state but after freezing the mixture its not as sweet.

Why does freezing change the perceived sweetness of sorbet? It's obvious next time I will make it sweeter I'm just wondering if there is a rule of thumb when making sorbet so that it turns out sweet.


texts: In what ways can solid egg yolk from a boiled egg be processed/preserved?

texts:
There is a lot of wastage of egg yolks in my college canteen breakfasts. Almost everyone who takes boiled eggs on his plates eats the whites and throws away the yolk.

I live in a country with the largest number of malnourished children in the world; looking at the wastage daily bothers me quite a bit.
Is there any way the yolk can be processed/preserved etc. to make it usable for atleast 4-5 days or so?

I know about breakers which separate the white from the yellow while breaking, but my canteen is....as rudimentary as any. Nothing easier than just boiling the eggs and serving them.


texts: Do acid and fat balance each other? How?

texts: I have heard many times that acid is added to a dish to "cut through" the richness, and conversely, that if one adds to much acid, this can be balanced out by the addition of a fat. Do acids and fats balance each other out like this and, if so, what is the mechanism or science behind it?


texts:
I've read about saponins in quinoa, some say you need to thoroughly rinse it while others say you don't need to since they have already been washed at processing plants.

Say I rinse it to make sure saponin's gone, would it be ok to just soak it overnight and blend it into milk without cooking?

Edit: Since posting the question I've also been researching on it. I can't find any resource saying if uncooked quinoa is poisonous or not. I'm not only referring to saponins but also starches and other compounds found in quinoa, saponin probably is the least of concerns. But I found this page that says you can just soak and blend quinoa into milk while many others recommend cooking it first.

Yum Universe Non Dairy Milks


texts: My problem is when the pittas do puff up, one side is paper thin, and tears easily when you try to put anything on it.  Any tips?


texts: Can apple cider vinegar be substitute when coloring eggs?

texts: I have egg coloring kit that suggested using vinegar for darker colors. Only have apple cider vinegar in cupboard. Can I use this instead or am I better off just using water?


texts: How can I approximate a deli kaiser roll?

texts:
I want to approximate kaiser rolls, as you would buy in a deli or bodega. I tried this recipe, and the results were tasty, but not really a kaiser roll. Specifically, they were:

Too dense
Not crusty enough

How can I get closer to the target?
Update
Some photos of what I'm trying to achieve are here, here, and here.


texts: Corn/Potato/Rice/Flour starches in deep frying

texts:
Lately, I've been looking at a few deep fried recipes and have noticed different types of refined starches being used.

As far as cornstarch goes, I've seen a sweet potato and Idaho/Russet (normal) potato fry recipes that used cornstarch for crispiness. This bon apetit recipe uses a light coating of cornstarch as well. In this Chinese recipe, the egg plant is coated with cornstarch for crispiness as well. It would appear, that cornstarch seems to be favored for light coating.

Flour, seems to be much more widely used for heavier battering. Flour seems to be paired with baking powder in a lot of buttermilk fried chicken or fish recipes.

I also found a un-cited forum post on chow-hound which claims:

  Corn starch is a bit crispier than flour, but if you want best results fro a single-layer fry coating then rice flour is the best. -RealMenJulienne

My question is what would happen if you subbed cornstarch for the flour dredging in something like buttermilk chicken? More crispiness? What about rice flour, is that the crispiest?

How do you choose the best starch/flour when choosing to deep fry foods?

*Note, if the scope is too wide, let's answer this question in the context of fried chickens dredged vs. lightly coated.


texts: cooking time for chicken-pesto in the oven

texts:
I love to make chicken stuffed with pesto. I cut the chicken breast in half, and then fill them with pesto and make a roll of it.

I first bake the chicken in a frying pan to give them a nice color, and then put them in the oven to cook until it's done.

However here comes my problem, I want the chicken to be totally done, because I am very afraid to eat raw chicken. However, I now cook them too long to be sure it is not raw anymore. I cook them for at least 20 minutes on 175 degrees Celsius.

I was wondering, can anybody tell me how long I should cook them in the oven on which temperature to be sure it is not raw anymore, but not cook them overdone?


texts: I'm not looking to learn a new skill; how do I make my knives better at cutting?

texts:
I am a reasonably proficient casual kitchen user and I have a set of kitchen knives I bought from a (British) supermarket a few years ago. Recently I've noticed they've become less good at cutting things than they were before.
(I am purposely avoiding words like 'sharp', 'dull', 'sharpen' and 'hone' in this question because I don't want to accidentally misuse them.)
There are plenty of questions on this site from people who are interested in acquiring the equipment and developing the skills to maintain their knives – good for them! But this is a skill set I'm not particularly fussed about developing, and my knives are not high-quality enough to warrant paying someone to do something to them.
Instead, I would like to know the simplest thing I can do to make my knives better at cutting, preferably with equipment that's not too expensive and is easy to get hold of.
For example, I could get this 'knife sharpener', or this 'sharpening steel' at my local large supermarkets. But having seen the number of people on this website who seem to regularly damage/ruin their knives by doing the wrong thing, I'd like a little guidance that I'm on the right track before I start.


texts: Why use an acid when doing a scallops dish?

texts: I'm trying to understand more about balancing a dish and I was wondering, why would you add some acidity to a seared scallops dish?


texts: Why is my stock jelly-like when cold but watery when hot?

texts:
I made a chili with home-made stock that appeared to have plenty of gelatin in it as the chili wobbled like a jelly when defrosted but when I subsequently heated it the sauce was very watery.

Is this a case of simply not reducing my sauce enough when I originally made it (despite its jellyness) or is something else going on?


texts: Fiber Drink that are homogenous solutions

texts:
I have come to know fiber as either insoluble fiber, which doesn't disolve completely in water, and therefore doesn't make a homogenous solution, or soluble fiber, which does dissolve but also gels up.

I have known for a while a drink that considers itself to be a fiber drink; however, it's completely homogenous and liquid (not a gel). So my question is, can this actually be a fiber drink? from the definitions I mentioned above! I am curious because there is a recipe that asks for this specific type of drink, and I am wondering if I could use a different kind of fiber drink. I am wondering how this type of fiber drink is different than others.

If you are wondering what the drink is, the name is called Miero Fiber (미에로화이바). It is a Korean drink.


texts: Are sprigs of plants decorating meat dishes, or the slice of lemon/olive in drinks meant to be consumed? Are they at least safe to eat?


texts: Rule of thumb for cooking or baking different quantities?

texts:
I often want to cook double quantities from that stated in a recipe - say, twice the quantity of pasta bake or casserole (all in one dish), or two cakes instead of one (in separate tins).

Is there a rule of thumb for extending the cooking time from that stated in the recipe, and should I adjust the oven temperature up or down as well?


texts: Black Mold.......How do I get rid of it?  I have been adding some vinegar to my salt solution cleaning, recoated with salt and let stand for a day and I have used 100% vinegar solution to scrub the mold away. But it just returns. John


texts:
So far I have tired four different carrot cakes recipes, everything ended up too oily (The oil drips from the cake when pressed). I was wondering and found all of these recipes calls for "whisking sugar with oil until the sugar dissolves" as the very first step. I am sure, I am missing some basics here, since I don't know what is the consistency needed.

Can anyone shed light on what happens when you whisk sugar with oil? Like creaming sugar and butter to incorporate air into the mixture. What is the concept behind it? How the consistency should look?

I am using 135g white caster sugar and 100ml sunflower oil, if this information is of any help.


texts: I have a 5.5 turkey breast I'm marinating overnight do I judge the cooking time on the original weight of meat or on the weight of it after it comes out of the marinate?


texts: What is the standard for kitchenware tray and container sizes in the USA, that is the analogue of the Gastronorm standard in EU? For instance the standard sizes used in salad bars.


texts: Is it safe to use flax thread for cooking?

texts: I was not able to get hold of hemp thread and so I bought flax (100%) thread instead. It smells a bit funny, but is it safe to use for cooking? I plan to use it for a bouquet.


texts: Can I use wood pellets in a small stainless steel smoker box on my Weber gas bbq? And if I can any tips on how to proceed.


texts: Keep macaroni cheese creamy after refrigerating

texts:
I occasionally make Macaroni and Cheese with a béchamel/roux (and tuna, but I still call Macaroni and Cheese). I make the sauce with butter, corn flour and milk and add the cheese later. I use a lot of milk and after I've just cooked and served the dish the sauce has a beautiful creamy/liquid texture.

I cook the sauce in one pot and the pasta in another. When both are cooked I quickly drain the pasta and add both it and the drained canned tuna to the sauce. I then heat it just long enough to raise the temperature of the tuna without changing the flavour by recooking it.

However, when I refrigerate the leftovers and reheat them I just end up with clumps of pasta (and tuna) stuck together with an almost solid sauce. The flavour is still good, it's just the texture that's changed. Is the pasta absorbing extra moisture before it cools? How can I prevent this so I have creamy reheated Macaroni and Cheese?


texts: I make chicken stock fairly regularly.  I know it's supposed to look like jello when chilled.  My question is: why?  Mouthfeel? Body?  Why do we want a gelatinous blob of delicious bone juice?


texts: What's the most appropriate way to thaw hamburger meat?

texts:
So I've long been in the habit of freezing my meat when I get it home from the store, and then thawing it later. My fridge tends to be set rather cool (because someone in my house likes nearly frozen beverages) so if I leave the meat in the fridge, it may not defrost completely overnight. But I'm concerned about leaving it out in the sink for too long.

What's the best way to know how long to leave some ground hamburger meat from the store in the styrofoam tray that's been frozen once it got home?

Assume 1 or 2 lb chunks of meat, 85% through 97% ground beef.


texts: How can I make proper sandwich slices of home-made bread?

texts:
I like baking my own bread and do it quite often, yet to fill our family lunch boxes we still resort to professional baked bread. The main and maybe the only reason is that we can't seem to slice our own baked bread as thin as you like to fit in a lunchbox.
We could of course buy an electric bread slicer similar as the one you'll find in your local supermarket, but that is quite some overkill.

source

I have tried it many times, even with very sharp knives, but I never managed to get a slices smaller then 1 cm in thickness.
Is there some technique or device that enables proper slices of home-made bread?


texts:
I have seen different recipes for Crème anglaise. Some use only yolks, others uses whole eggs with white.

I usually like this "eggy" taste which may comes from the egg whites, but I would like to know which should be the proper way to make crème anglaise.


texts:
In winter my cake batter turns into a hard ball as opposed to in warmer months. I always add more milk and try to bring it to the right consistency for baking. But I think this affects taste. If so what other tricks are there to solve this problem? The recipe is:

225g Butter
225g Castor sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
200g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons milk (I usually need more)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


texts: How do I remove bitterness from zucchini?

texts: I have thin-sliced zucchini and steamed it for use in my soup. One of the zucchini turns out to be bitter. I have saved half of it for use on the next day. Is there a cooking method that will remove the bitterness from that same zucchini, preferably with a presentation that is similar to steaming?


texts: How can I make coffee syrup with caramel taste?

texts: I have seen several recipes for coffee syrup, but none of them with a simple caramel taste. Is getting the caramel taste as easy as using brown sugar instead of white sugar, or do I need to find some store selling caramel flavour (essence)?


texts:
As far as I'm aware cayenne pepper is meant to be medium hot(which is what I wanted) and not very hot.

In order to ensure I am getting the genuine cayenne pepper I was trying a speciaist store (https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/the-vital-ingredient-cayenne-pepper-60096681?skuid=096681) since general stores may have mixes or false labels.

However the packet says it is very hot which cayenne shouldn't be?  Or are there varieties within cayenne pepper which are hot and this could be one of them?


texts: How to cook bison burgers (a.k.a. buffalo burgers)?

texts:
I'm wondering how to cook frozen bison burgers (also known as buffalo burgers). The package (Carmen Creek) says "cook slightly less than regular hamburgers" - but since I'm not a cook, and have no real idea how to cook hamburgers, that's not so useful :) It also says, "cook 3 minutes per side at 160 degrees".

I have a Tappan electric stove with dials that have settings of 2-6/hi/low/, and a Calphalon 12'' pan of some sort (the edges are angled).

So, how exactly do you determine which number is 160 degrees? :) I've tried various settings, and have yet to get burgers that look right, they're either too rare, or mushy and fall apart when I remove them from the pan. Or maybe that's how bison burgers just are? How can I tell when they are cooked correctly?


texts:
I was just speaking to someone in the sci-fi chat today when the subject of kidneys came up:

  Kidneys aren't "bad" in that they have the consistency and taste of muscle/meat... but they're very bitter even after having been prepared. I think you're supposed to boil them.

I've never had boiled kidneys before, nor do I intend to. But the poster of that comment also mentioned that I should Think about what's in kidneys for a moment.

So here I am to ask, should I be boiling them to get rid of their previous contents or are they safe to fry etc?


texts: Help finding information on Marble coated woks

texts:
I've been looking for a wok and was considering a carbon steel wok, but from my research, it seems that carbon steel woks, even if they have a flat bottom, may warp slightly from the heat and not remain flat.

Since I have a flat top cook surface, I'm not sure if one of these is right for me.

I have read about marble coated woks that are supposedly good for flat cook tops, but I can't find any detailed information on them.

Do they require any special care (e. g. seasoning) and are they good for stir frying at high temperatures?


texts: How long can a pitcher of tap water be left out, and still be drinkable?

texts: My parents say that flies can lay eggs in the water (we do have flies occassionally buzzing around in our apartment). Is this true? If so, what is the longest time that a pitcher of tap water could be left sitting on a table untouched, and still be drinkable?


texts: How long can i keep home made caesar dressing?

texts: The dressing contains raw eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper. How long can I keep it in the fridge in a airtight container?


texts: How do I flip an egg when preparing it "over easy"?

texts:
I tend to break a lot of yolks when preparing eggs over easy. I also can't do it too fast, making it hard to cook multiple eggs at once (they tend to overcook).

Sometimes the spatula I'm using doesn't want to slide under the egg very easily. Is there anything special about the type of spatula or special preparation with the pan or eggs that might make this harder or easier?


texts: Why are foods often packaged in weird measurements?

texts:
Whilst shopping I have noticed quite a number of products having very weird measurements. for example my jar of peanut butter is 127g, but I can't spot a pattern here.

Is this just a random part of production, or is there some reasoning behind this?


texts: How long will spaghetti last in the refrigerator when stored in a sealed container?

texts: How long will spaghetti with sauce containing diced tomatoes last in the refrigerator when stored in a sealed container?


texts: My food doesn't have too much taste / taste allways the same?

texts:
I "cook" everyday for myself and my girlfriend and I enjoy doing so. So this year I decided to really learn how to cook.
I am doing at least a new dish every month in order to try new things, but I often feel that my dishes taste the same (that means: no taste at all).

I will try to be more specific:

I buy almost everything in supermarket, I try to choose good ones and prefer to get loose onions than bag ones. I also invested a little bit and got some "mixed" pepper. Until now I have always tried to use the "real" ingredient (tomato instead of canned tomato) to get a better taste, but I just learned this is not the case.

While preparing I usually cut everything, 2 onions like this, 2 garlics like this and 1 tomato. I added the onion, than tomato, 500g meat, salt and pepper, garlic and then nutmeg. After everything I added 2 fine cut hard-boiled egg.

I used high heat during the whole process when preparing.

No, this recipe is not coming from a cook book. I am doing from what I've seen/eaten.

Is it possible that I chose the wrong tomato / onion to use?
Am I just using "basic" seasoning?
Do the order that I add the ingredients influence on the taste?

Sorry for the broad question before, I had no idea what could help and what could be just "noise". I hope the more detailed info helps, if there is more I can add, please let me know :)


texts:
I've found guides online for making carbonated (soda) water at home using a CO2 tank, a regulator and a plastic bottle. The guides suggest using "ice cold" water, filling the bottle 1/2 to 2/3 full, but differ on how much to shake the bottle, how many times to refill the bottle and what pressure to fill the bottle to. I was wondering if someone could provide an explanation for what the effect of temperature, pressure and agitation plays on the carbonation process and what a best practice might be for making soda water at home on demand.

EDIT: A regulator tells you the pressure in the bottle--it doesn't tell you how much CO2 has entered the bottle. So my question is two parts: What's the "optimal" amount of CO2 per 1L H2O for a carbonated beverage and how do you tell when you've hit this amount? Say I have a 1L bottle filled with 0.5L H2O. At what pressure should the bottle be at 10°C for "optimum carbonation"?

Cheers


texts: Will liquid keep longer if I boil it and then leave the lid on?

texts: Basically I boiled a turkey carcass on Thanksgiving night for about an hour.  I then turned off the heat and left the lid on (never took it off).  Since then it has been sitting on my stove for the last three days.  I popped off the lid just now and everything smelled fine. I believe I've heard that food prepared and stored in this manner will keep for quite a while without spoiling.  Is this true?


texts: Does tea play a significant role in kombucha fermentation?

texts:
I was reading about different types of fermented beverages, and it struck me that kombucha and water kefir are remarkably similar: water + simple granulated sugar + SCOBY. I'm skeptical that the addition of tea significantly contributes to or changes the fermentation process, so without the tea they seem very similar. I'm curious if a superior tea flavor could be achieved by brewing the kombucha like a water kefir (ie omitting tea) and adding a freshly brewed tea concentrate later.

Other than the cultures specific to each process, though they likely both share S. cerevisiae


texts: Why does homemade pasta using wholemeal flour break easily as compared to all purpose flour?

texts: Why does wholemeal pasta break more easily than pasta that is made from all-purpose flour?


texts: I was gifted a ton of candiquik, which I thought was baking chocolate. However, after looking over the package, I learned that it is a candy coating. I checked out the product FAQ and learned that I most definitely should NOT add butter, milk, egg, or any liquid to it. Why shouldn’t I use milk, butter or other liquids with this product; and, can i use candiquik in baking recipes?


texts: What to do with ginger leftover from ginger ale production

texts:
so I have been experimenting in ginger ale brewing lately and I have been following a method which involves fermenting the ale as always (ginger, water, sugar) and then discard the ginger before bottling.

But as a good ginger lover, I found it to be a pity to discard that much ginger for every batch I make. So, is there any usage for those leftovers? Maybe some kind of candy?

Thanks


texts: Korean food that was wrapped in tin foil

texts:
I have a fond memory of a dish from awhile back however I do not know where I ate it at nor what it was. All I know is it was some Korean BBQ place near San Jose or Cupertino CA the kind where there is a large cooking surface in the bulk of the table and you cook everything yourself.

The most memorable thing served came out wrapped in tin foil and was placed on the cooking surface for some time. What came out was absolutely incredible although I don’t remember what it was. From what I can remember there were mushrooms, nuts and some sort of amazing juice/oil. It had incredible umami and slightly woody taste to it.

I have never seen this dish at any other Korean bbq place, does anyone the name of this dish?


texts:
My question really draws on the title of this corner of StackExchange, as I need Seasoned Advice on seasoning!
Unbidden, my garden produced a variety of mustard-y or radish-y greens - robust leaves with "hairy" under sides and juicy stems. Their sheer abundance overwhelmed my ability to consume them as salads, but I found they worked very well in Saag preparations.
Before attempting it myself, I seek your advice as to whether perilla leaves (aka "Japanese basil" or Korean "kkaennip") could be prepared in a similar way. In particular, I wonder:

Would perilla's combination of subtle "basil-y" and "mint-y" flavors combine well with traditional "curry" spices, or is there a more appropriate combination of traditional Japanese or Korean spices?
Will the subtle flavors even survive cooking?


texts: Is it possible to make rice porridge without simmering for 1 hour+?

texts: Every rice porridge recipe that I have seen calls for the rice to be simmered for 1 hour or more with constant stirring. Is there any way to make rice porridge without that hefty time investment?


texts: What salt should I use in a bread machine recipe?

texts:
I've got a big book of bread machine recipes that does a really good job breaking down what ingredients perform what actions in the whole baking process and how modifying the recipe will change the final product.

One thing that the book doesn't really cover is salt. All the recipes call for salt, but they simply say "salt" which leaves me wondering if there is a specific salt I should use in my recipes.

I've been using Kosher salt because that's what I use for everything in the kitchen. I wonder if I should use table salt, instead though, because it would probably dissolve better due to the smaller granules. I also know that 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt is a different amount of salt by weight than 1/2 tsp of table salt is. I also read in another question that iodized (table) salt can possibly affect the color of the finished bread.

Should I use Kosher salt, table salt, or some other type of salt in my bread machine recipes, and why?


texts: I bought a bag of limes and decided to leave them out on the table in a bowl after the last bag dried out in the fridge. They also dried out super-fast in a very few days. Should I keep them in a plastic bag? I don't live in a very dry climate. Thanks!


texts: How to remove bits of egg shell from a cracked egg?

texts: Sometimes when I crack eggs, I end up with a bit of shell in the egg.  How can I easily get the shell out, as it always seems to evade my fingers?


texts: Any strategies or tips on how to make juice into creams for filling cakes?

texts:
So Custard powder and Custard are both expensive where I am from. My mom is looking for ways to do creams to put inside pastries.
Currently, what I do is use Fresh Milk, melted butter and some flavoring.
Will adding gelatin to water and juice make them look and taste like fillings?
I am thinking of using purple yams as flavor, like a jam, and then make them creamier by adding them to the butter and hot milk.
Any tips will receive digital hugs XD
But really, thanks. hopefully, it is not expensive XD


texts: Why does cold coffee taste sweeter with the same amount of sugar?

texts:
I have observed that the same amount of sugar tastes differently in hot and in cold coffee. If I drink hot coffee, I feel I can add more and more sugar, without it tasting too sweet. However, cold coffee tastes overly sweet with only small amounts of sugar.

Why does this happen? Why does sugar taste differently sweet in cold and hot coffee?


texts: cake shrinks when it cools, becomes smaller than cake board

texts: Is it normal for a baked cake to be smaller than the cake board after it is baked? My cakes are very good and moist, after they have cooled, I always have to trim the cake board not a little bit but a lot. Should I be using a smaller cake board? For instance should I use a 7 inch board for a 8 inch cake?


texts:
For the past few months all I can find is young ginger from the grocers. I am in need of old ginger which I can't quite purchase.
I have tried to leave it out in the kitchen in an open basket (no sunlight) but it went all mouldy. When I did this, the average temperatures in my (Australian) city were a high of 30C and a low of 15C.
How can I age young ginger, so as to have 'old' ginger?
Ginger photo :


texts: What water should be used in baking bread?

texts: Should I change the water or flour I feed my starter? I am using the same recipe provided by Chad Robertson's book 'Tartine Bread', only changing the water from Poland Spring to Nestle Pure Life Enriched with Minerals bottled water which is closer to a 7.0 pH.


texts: Is there a name for the taste coming from alkaline food?

texts: I know "acidic food" is described as "sour" but what do we call food that is "alkaline"?


texts:
I've been making my first steps in baking recently. I usually knead the dough in the same large bowl I mix the dough in to minimize the mess but it's still a pain to wash the bowl and any sponge I use for it gets ruined afterwards.
Any advice on how to make washing off dough?


texts: Roasting pan substitute / roasting rack for pork shoulder?

texts:
I'm making pork shoulder, slow-roasted in the oven, but I don't have a roasting pan. I have a baking sheet, a glass casserole dish, a large, high-sided cast-iron skillet, and an enameled cast-iron dutch oven. Does it make a difference which I substitute, and if so, why?

Second question: I've seen some recipes where a bed of celery is laid down to act as a rack. How does doing that or not affect the dish.

Update: I suppose this question is a partial answer to part one: Enameled Cast Iron vs Stainless Steel Roasting Pans


texts: Difference between demi-glace and beef stock. Can I use a demi-glace instead of a beef stock?

texts:
Making of demi-glace is well defined for me as a product of veal bones and vegetables reduced to gelly concentrate in temperature 5-10C.

Here is my demi-glace which I refer to:

Beef stock, on the other hand, has ingredient similar to demi-glace but some recipes refer to only veal bones and some to bones and meat. The final product is less reduced than demi-glace like this:

So my question is:

If some recipes refer to use beef stock as an ingredient (for example onion soup) can I use my demiglace instead? If yes, what proportion I should dissolve my demi-glace with water to achieve beef stock substitute? Also if this recipe involves reduction after adding beef stock is a point of dissolving my demi-glace with water?


texts: Bread dough gluten not fully developed before hitting desired dough temperature

texts: I have already made the dough as cold as possible before kneading like freezing the dry ingredients and chilling the biga. If I use my planetary mixer, I can freeze the dough hook, but the new spiral mixer that I am using now has a non-removable hook.


texts:
I would like to ask if it's possible to proof dough using only 1/2 of the flour, then adding the rest of the flour with the rest of the ingredients.

The basis for my question is this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij4snv_9ro4

After quite some time just admiring the above video, it didn't occur to me that no initial rise or proofing was done to the dough after mixing everything as seen in the video: skim milk, flour, yeasted risen very wet dough, and honey, and more water, which was obviously to provide more hydration.

After mixing, a sizeable portion must have been scooped out of the mixer and sent to the pastry sheeter. The next rise was done prior to baking.


texts: Is Garden salad still good if it's past the best by date?

texts: I have an unopened bag of garden salad (lettuce, carrots and red cabbage) That is 9 days past the "Best if used by" date. I haven't opened it yet. It still seems crisp when I squeeze it and I don't see any wilting.


texts: Which part of yellow cake batter gives it the yellow cake flavor?

texts:
We recently made a cobbler by adding oil, water, and powdered yellow cake mix (from a box) on top of sugary fruit filling and it came of the oven crispy and delicious with that distinctive yellow cake flavor. What gives yellow cake its flavor? Even without the egg, this flavor is apparent, so it can't be entirely egg related, especially comparing yellow and white cake flavors.

UPDATE:

It turns out this may be something of an inadvertent trick question. I have yet to test this but I get the idea that store-bought white cake and yellow cake batter powders both have a more similar cake battery taste than I originally suspect. The reason is pretty simple: the combination and ratios of sugar, salt, baking powder, and flour are probably not very different between the two powder mixes (don't be fooled by the yellow food coloring). Later, when the egg or egg whites and butter vs. oil are added it will of course affect the final cake texture but probably not the cake batter flavor.

Another possibility is that yellow cake batter mixes might have artificial butter flavoring whereas white cakes simply use vegetable oil for a lighter flavor.


texts: Crock Pot to Enameled Cast Iron Pot Cooking Times and Temperatures

texts:
I have an enameled cast iron pot, but no 'crockpot' slow cooker.

I am reading A LOT of conflicting information online about how to adjust electric crock pot slow cooker recipe cooking times (and 'low', 'medium', 'high' temperature settings) to a cast iron pot.

I prefer to cook something closer to  the 'low' setting of a crockpot. A lot of conversions (but not nearly all) just throw everything to 325 and cook in 1/4 or less the time. I really would prefer to cook it slower in the oven.

I am planning on cooking a 4 lb chuck roast. (Recipe 'Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat') and hope to cook it as slow as possible in my cast iron dutch oven in the oven, but don't want to overcook it.

Does anyone have experience with this?


texts: Can almond milk be used as a sauce base?

texts:
Last night I tried to make a dipping sauce for boiled artichoke for my wife and I using almond milk as a base.

3/4 cups almond milk
garlic clove
the lemon juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper

While the concoction was downright terrible, it got me thinking two things:

1) Does anyone have a sauce recipe, to be used to dip artichoke leaves in, that utilizes almond milk as a base?

Objectives:
 > Light almond flavor
 > Mild enough in general to still taste the natural flavors of the artichoke 'meat'
   - In other words, I'm not looking for a ranch replacement here
 > More of a 'melted butter' replacement

2) Is my recipe remotely salvageable (was I close)? Based on the comments, I can see how this is pretty vague: Essentially, I'm asking if almond milk is a good start at all. What I made tasted awful, but the ingredients made sense in my head (and even more so when I subbed the almond milk out with olive oil and added some cracked pepper).

EDIT: No one actually ate the mixture, we ended up doing olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic which turned out okay :)


texts: Is it safe to reuse unrefrigerated canola oil for deep frying?

texts: Last night I deep fried some frozen chicken wings. After letting the oil cool, I filtered it through a cheese cloth and put it in a bottle. But I didn't refrigerate it. How long will it keep like this? Does it have to be refrigerated or frozen to be safe?


texts:
Having googled it, it says that avocados with black spots have gone bad.  However I asked someone and they said that it fine and you can eat it - it’s like a banana which has gone slightly black on the outside.
Are they correct? Based on the pictures would you say it has gone bad and unless it’s bruising, any avocado with multiple black dots has gone bad?
Thanks


texts: What to look for when purchasing a honing steel?

texts:
I currently don't have a honing steel.
Since I have just started experimenting with cooking I bought a cheap IKEA santoku to learn to care about it. I am planning to buy a better knife (not necessarily santoku) after some time and experience.

I currently don't have any honing steel. With so large spread of prices, conflicting opinions in cookbooks/tutorials it's really hard to make a decision.

So far the guides were consistent with:

The steel should be at least 2cm longer than the knife
The steel should be magnetized to catch metal waste

How can I decide whether a honing steel is a good one or bad?


texts: Does adding oil and fats affect bread crust development?

texts:
I had recently started baking bread and I have read up a lot on developing a great crust. Generally it involves steam in the oven at the beginning of the baking process, high even heat and etc.

I noticed something that I have not read about and was hoping someone can confirm it.

I noticed that when I added extra virgin olive oil, I developed a much nicer crust then when I made a much leaner bread that did not have any fats in it. Does the oil really affect how my crust develops, or do you think its a different factor that gave my bread a better crust. If it is the EVOO, why does it give my bread a better crust.


texts: How can I make a yogurt starter culture from scratch?

texts:
Let's say for whatever reason that I cannot or don't want to get store-bought yogurt. How can I create a probiotic culture to make some from fresh milk?

I saw videos explaining how to make yogurt from chili peppers or lemon in milk. The resulting curds are used to create a real yogurt the same way you would make yogurt with store-bought. Another answer explained that this is not yogurt, but just fresh cheese.

It looks a lot like yogurt to me and also needs fermentation, so what is the difference between these two? What makes milk turn into yogurt if using this method?


texts: Test if whitish chocolate has bloom or is spoiled

texts:
My friend (who lives in a warm, humid climate) often has issues with chocolate, due to the formation of a light-colored coating on it. I believe it is just chocolate bloom, but she thinks it's mold and should trash the chocolate. Visual inspection alone does not seem sufficiently precise to identify which of these has happened.

Is there a reliable way to test which one is the case? i.e., re-heating it, or trying to remove the coating with a knife, or some other technique which does not require using a microscope?


texts: What does it mean when you feel bubbles pop when kneading bread dough?

texts: Sometimes when I am kneading my dough I can feel some of the air bubbles popping. Is this a bad thing? Does this mean I am kneading it to long? Every were I have looked it says it is important to have air bubbles in your dough. I always use both the poke test and window test. The bread usually turns out ok. I'm just not sure why this happens sometimes.


texts: Baking and a rotten egg was cracked into mix :(

texts: I was mixing together my batter for gluten free cinnamon rolls (aka- using really expensive flour!), I broke an egg into the mix and the yolk looked almost like it was hard boiled... it had not been! The white looked normal. I immediately took it out as best I could (got all the yolk for sure, but I’m sure some white remained). Is my entire batch no good? It will be baked at 350 for 45 minutes, does that make a difference?


texts:
I'm trying to gain some variety to my ramen by producing different types of broth. Mostly veggie based, however I'm open to other ideas. I have one type of ramen broth that we like but so far every variation from it has produced a failure.

Right now the broth itself involves:

Paprika
Crushed red pepper
salt
soy sauce
mushrooms

This is boiled on low heat for an hour. Sometime for myself I will add Locoto.  After making the broth, I stir-fry on high heat in olive oil a mixture of :

ginger
garlic
soy sauce.

It works out well and we like it but so far every experimentation outside of this mixture makes a failure (even though this first recipe was itself an experimentation).

Can someone give a gentle nudge to another broth combination? Particularly I'd like to try to make a curry-based broth.


texts: How do I measure the ripeness of my tomatoes?

texts: In my quest for a perfect shakeshouka (eggs in poultry) I figured out I need less acidity in the dish, and have read that acidity in tomatoes varies widely. I have read that very ripe tomatoes have lower acidity, but how do you know it is ripe? Most are picked before ripening before they are shipped. Does the ripening that follows after shipping matter in acidity?


texts: How to make Instant Hot Chocolate Taste Less Watery

texts:
How can I make hot chocolate drinks made from using instant hot chocolate sachets taste less watery?

I work in an office with limited kitchen appliances, we only have access to a tap that dispenses boiling hot or ice cold water and a microwave.

I have tried adding milk but that just takes away a lot of the chocolate taste.


texts: I'm using a handheld mixer with a melamine mixing bowl. Lately I've noticed that the surface of the bowl at the bottom of the bowl feels irregular, and dark spots have begun to appear. Should I use a mixing bowl made of other material? If yes, which other material?


texts: Why would you cleave your chicken, bones, into pieces when you are making stock? I just throw whats left of my chicken in a pot with some vegetables bring it to a boil and then simmer away for an hour, am I missing something?


texts: what cooking oil(s) produce the crispiest and least greasy fried foods

texts: Which cooking oils can be used for frying to produce the crispiest and least greasy foods.  Do different foods require different oils?  If so, what is best for battered foods, and which is best for non battered foods *potatoes, chicken wings, etc.)


texts: What is on top of this and how do you make it?

texts: Chocolate fondant picture on yelp. As you can see this is a picture of a chocolate fondant. However what is on top of it? I have seen this many times.


texts: Does anyone know of a source of goat parmesan in the New York Area or a farm in New York that produces it?

texts: I read in a previous Q that someone had subbed goat parmesan for regular. I am looking for a farm source in New York State or nearby.


texts: I’ve been working on growing a sourdough culture from scratch for almost 4 weeks now. I have looked into multiple websites including this one for troubleshooting advice and have tried different things so as you can probably guess I’m a bit confused and slightly frustrated with the process. I don’t want to give up though. So after dumping twice what I thought was dead starter I went back to the discards from my original started that was in the refrigerator and began the process of reviving it based on Cultures for Health website using 1 part starter, 8 parts flour to 5 parts water and feeding every 12 hours for about 3 days. My starter became very bubbly but not frothy or rising. I thought because it was bubbly that I could move to feeding it regularly so I went to 1:1:1 ratio using 50g of each and feeding every 8-10 hours for the last 1 1/2 days.  I still have bubbles, but still no rise or froth. I realized today I might be feeding it too often. I’m using whole grain rye flour and intend on making an ancient grains sourdough with organic spelt flour. The spelt flour is costly so I don’t want to make the bread to soon and wasting my spelt flour if it comes out terribly. Do I just need to continue feeding and waiting or could it possibly be ready without the rise? Any advice would be great!


texts: How do I measure frozen herbs, like dried or fresh?

texts: I froze a lot of my herbs over the summertime, but now I'm not sure how to measure them for my recipes....Do I measure as fresh or dried?


texts: Cooking fishcakes for 1 year old---how to hold shape AND get soft juicy texture?

texts:
I am making fishcakes/fish patties for a 1 year old with chopped salmon, chopped shrimp, breadcrumb, eggs and flavorings like onion etc. When I fry them, they become dry-ish, and kind-of crumbly. While still ok for an adult, my 1 year old spits it out.

How can I make a fish patty that holds it own shape and is juicy and soft?


texts: Why do uncooked frostings that contain milk not need to be refrigerated?

texts: I have seen (and used) recipes for icing and glaze that use uncooked milk in them, yet they do not need to be refrigerated. (For example, one with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and butter or shortening.) If I just left out a cup of milk, it would spoil. Is the sugar chemically changing the milk in some way so it does not spoil?


texts:
I don't use eggwash often- roughly once a week I make a speedy en-croute or pie with some shop-bought puff. Whatever I make, as it tends to be just for two, I rarely use more than half an egg's worth, and it feels a bit wasteful throwing so much away (for this reason I tend to use milk).

If I use a fresh egg (with at least a week to its expiry date), can I keep a cup of eggwash under cling-film for a week? If the expiry is further away, will that make a difference?


texts:
I like to make pico de gallo which calls for a lot of diced tomato. This is always the most time-consuming part of this recipe.

What are some tips to make dicing a tomato a little easier? I finally got a very sharp knife which has made things quite a bit easier, but I imagine there is some sort of correct technique.

Using romas I usually will slice the ends off and then cut them into rings. Then I'll take about 1/3 of those stacked up and cut them into cubes.


texts: How to write the so called wooden tomato / wooden potato in Chinese (and where to find it)?

texts:
I once went to a Chinese restaurant with a Chinese friend, and there was this sort of yam which was white colored and covered with a whole bunch of red/pink dots resembling freckles and these dots would be found inside of it whenever cut. This food was then boiled in a pot of water and other stuff on the table and once soft it could be eaten just like a yam or potato and was very delicious.

My friend said in Chinese it's called wooden potato or wooden potato (something like "mu shu", perhaps 木薯). However, I wasn't able to find this anywhere on the Internet (or, at least, I was not able to find the one with all the red/pink freckles). Anyone know what this kind is properly called (in Chinese and in English), where to find more information about it, and where to buy it?

Thanks.


texts: How to turn over large number of items halfway through baking oven

texts: What's the best way of turning over multiple items in the oven? For example when baking french fries or meat balls I turn them over halfway but it can be a bit tedious to rotate one at a time. Has anyone had luck just shaking the pan or is it really supposed to be a 180 degree flip?


texts: How do I make my pizza crust go from limp to crisp?

texts: Been in business for 30 years but my crust is mostly limp,like when you pick it up it takes two hands to hold it up so you can eat it. I want to pick it up with only one hand. What am I doing wrong?


texts: Why is there a watery run-off after cooking my bolognese?

texts: It's a fairly standard recipe with passata and wine, simmering on a low heat for a couple of hours.  After stirring and putting the bolognese onto the pasta, after a couple of minutes the sauce separates a watery run off onto the bottom of the plate.  The pasta is fully drained, and the bolognese seems good in the pot.  How can I reduce the wateryness, simply cook the bolognese for much longer?  I haven't wanted to risk drying it out/burning.


texts: Problem with the right baking temperature. I have a gas oven. To bake a cake I pre heat the oven at 150 C for at least 1/2 an hour while I prepare all the stuff required for preparing the cake . After baking the cake for 45 minutes and checking the cake with the tooth pick which comes out clean. I put off the gas and leave the cake in the oven for 10 minutes. But once the cake is cut it looks like the bottom layer of the cake is raw though it is cooked. Please suggest a right method to bake a cake and at what point I am going wrong.


texts:
I've followed one of those countless videos on YouTube about steam-cooking rice on stove, particularly this one: How to Cook Rice Perfectly Every Time | Stovetop Method | Easy Asian Cooking
But three out of three times rice on the bottom burnt.
Cooking procedure:

Put rice in a pot and rinse twice
Cover rice with 2-3 cm water
Hard boil until water surface hits rice
Reduce heat to minimum, cover the pot and wait 15 min
Turn off heat and wait 5 min
Remove cover, fluff the rice and wait 1-2 min
???
PROFIT

Some more details:

Rice that did not get stuck to the bottom was delicious
Rice that did get stuck was not black or even brown
While boiling excess water out (when I first put it on the stove) I had to mix it with a spoon because some rice kept sticking to the bottom


texts:
I'm trying to learn more about sponges in breadmaking.

Most recipes that I've found for sourdough bread don't use a sponge. What does it add?

Also, what's a general rule of thumb for how to make one? From what I can gather, it looks like the sponge is just an extra-large batch of starter. By this, what I mean is: I refresh my starter with 50g water, 50g flour. It looks like sponges are essentially equivalent to refreshing a starter with 300g (or whatever) of each. Then the next day, you add some more dry flour until you get something solid enough to work with. Is this the gist of a sponge? If so, wouldn't the sourdough break down the gluten in the sponge, thereby greatly reducing the amount in the final product that you have to work with?


texts: Only recipe I can find for Anacini says "as much as plain flour as the mixture will need"

texts:
http://tuscanity.com/?p=96

What does that mean - they say "until the mixture becomes an easy workable smooth dough" - but how do you know if you haven't added enough or added too much?

Do you have a better recipe?


texts: I was able to cook on an induction stove with a non-magnetic pot, why?

texts:
As far as I understand, induction cookers transfer current (via eddy current) to the pot which heats up due to its resistance to the current. Because of this, induction pots and pans should be ferromagnetic for the eddy current to work. Therefore magnets should stick to the pot.

Now here's the thing. I was able to use a non-magnetic pot for cooking. All parts of the pot (screws, handle, body, cover)  doesn't stick to magnets and yet it works when it's not supposed to be. I am not sure what alloy the pot has nor proof marks for that. The magnets I have are a neodymium and a ceramic one.

I only used the pot to boil instant noodles. My mother was surprised by this.

Looking this up, I can't seem to find an explanation. Any ideas?

Thank you and stay safe~

[EDIT] I tried hanging the magnets on a string and slowly held the pot closer and closer, no reaction.


texts: Bolognese: can I add the meat after tomatoes?

texts:
I see most recipes online mention first frying the meat a bit and then adding it. I think that would make the meat drier than meadt mixed into fresh tomatoes. Will it work ok if I put the meat into a fresh tomatoe sauce about 20-30minutes in?
and when should I add the wine?

thanks!!