texts: Replicating the thin, soft crust of Portuguese Sweet Bread

texts:
When I try to replicate Portuguese Sweet Bread (Massa Sovada) from places like Fall River, Massachusetts, the crust on my bread comes out thick and hard, whereas the bakery versions have a thin, soft crust that you can almost peel off, and there are noticeable wrinkle lines.

Here's the bakery version:

And here's mine, with the thick, hard crust:

I've looked at several recipes and most are very similar. Here's the one I'm using:

1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup butter, room temp
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or active dry yeast
Egg glaze: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Things I've tried:

Changing the flour: I've tried bread flour and all purpose.
Changing the cooking temperature: I've tried 330F (fan-assisted) as well as a combination of temperatures: 11 min. at 320F, 30 min. at 285F, 65 min. at 250F.
Egg glaze: with and without.
Steam after baking: I tried covering the loaf with a bowl until it cooled.

But nothing changed the crust much at all.

The wrinkles on top look like maybe it was put into a plastic bag right out of the oven, and the steam caused the wrinkles. But my test with covering the loaf with a bowl didn't change the hard crust at all.

There's a similar post with suggestions such as using a Pullman (covered) loaf pan but it seems unlikely to me that the bakery is doing that because of the shape of the bread and the type of pan I know they use (which can be seen here). I have wondered if covering it with foil for part of the time might help, but I'd be surprised if the bakery is doing that. The post also has suggestions to use steam (which seems like it'll have the opposite effect) and to user lower temperatures, which I followed exactly using the three temperatures I mentioned above. For those reasons, I don't believe the post answers my question:

How bakeries do a soft crust breads and making the same at home will result in a crisp crust?

Thanks for any other ideas!


texts: I have recently opened a air tight package of castella. It, however, is expired by about a year and a half, but, other than being a little bit dry, it tastes fine. I have only tried a little bit. Is it safe to eat as long as there isn't mold, and does this apply to other breads/cakes?


texts:
I've been making dosa lately and was wondering if you could make the batter using only soaked urad dal (black lentils)? Or, do you have to include soaked rice, as well?

I am diabetic, so I am trying to make dosa batter more "diabetic-friendly," because I love them so much!

If not, what's the smallest amount of rice you can use?

Currently, I use 3 cups rice and 1 cup urad dal. I am using brown basmati rice, because it's a little better, carb-wise.

Thanks in advance for answers!


texts: What is the best USDA rated beef best for stew in a pressure cooker?

texts: We all appreciate how delicious USDA Prime beef tastes, but there is a point where the pressure cooker will do just as well with a lower quality.  Should I go for USDA 'Choice', or should I buy the cheapest or 'Select' grade and save money?  Thx


texts: How can I hold a battered Mars bar in a deep fryer without leaving any chocolate exposed?

texts: I made a deep-fried Mars bar today. When I was initially lowering it in the oil I held it with tongs, and when I released, the part where the tongs were touching had left the chocolate exposed. I hurriedly fished it back out, holding it by another part (already slightly crisped by then) and dipped it back in the batter to seal the exposed part. It worked ok but I couldn't help thinking there's a better way.


texts:
Ordinarily when I make fried rice, the general process is:

Boil the rice until done.
Fry the cooked rice in oil.

However, I recently made a different rice recipe which flipped the order:

Lightly fry the dry rice in a pan.
Then boil the rice until done.

This struck me as being really strange.  Why would I lightly fry the rice before cooking it? I usually associate frying rice with textural change, but after boiling it the texture wasn't notably different than if I hadn't fried it at all.

In both cases I was using a medium-grain white rice.


texts: Can I reliably expect cheesecake to raise by 10°F after being taken out of the oven?

texts:
I just made a Pumpkin cheesecake. Long story short, I tried substituting whipping cream for condensed milk, in equal parts, and my cake ended up super watery.

I managed to get the temperature to 155°F, and by the look of the surface, it was definitely done, so I took it out. I cooked it to 155°F because everywhere I looked, that seemed to be the agreed upon temperature. Even this cooking

I used to cook my cheesecakes to 165°F at least, because I liked the thick crust that that gave it, even if it was a little drier.

Now that I'm cooking "lighter" cheesecakes though, I have to wonder, is 155°F safe? The recipe contains raw eggs, which should be cooked to ideally 165°F. That means, it must be the expectation that the temperature will rise by 5-10°F internally.

Can I reliably expect a cheesecake to raise to a safe temperature after being taken out of the oven?


texts: can I substitute greek yogurt for sour cream for a topping for baked cheesecake?

texts: can I substitute greek yogurt for sour cream for the topping on a baked cheesecake?


texts: Healthy recipe for Quaker oatmeal packets?

texts:
I have a bunch of these maple & brown sugar Quaker oatmeal packets and I'm looking for a healthy (and simple) chewy cookie recipe that I can use them with.

I've searched, but I only see recipes that use unhealthy ingredients (butter, chocolate chips, etc). I've also found recipes that are very complicated.

So I guess my question is: how can I make chewy cookies with just these oatmeal packets? Since I'm not much of a cook, I prefer something that isn't overly complicated and doesn't require many additional ingredients (ie. I can use what I have in my kitchen).


texts:
Note - To avoid duplication, I have referred the related question.

Many a time, it happens that I put milk on the stove and forget about it while doing other work. So, milk always boils over. What can be done to prevent the milk overflowing the pan?


texts: Recipe says to bake chicken at 250 degrees for 5 hrs. how long does it need to be baked at 350 degrees?

texts: Recipe says to bake whole chicken uncovered 250 degrees F for 5 hours or until done. CAn I shorten the bake time if I increase the heat to 350 degrees F? if so how long does it need to bake?


texts: How can I keep the crust of my breads from getting too dark?

texts: Some of the breads that I bake the crust gets too dark.  Is there something I can put over it to prevent this from happening? I was thinking that foil might work but I'm not sure. Will this affect the taste? And if it's ok to use, do you put it on tightly or loosely?


texts: I have used Pam with great success, but I'd like to build my own oil sprayer so that I can control what kinds of oil I want to use. I also do a lot of break baking and the ability to build a water sprayer will also be helpful. How have you built your own homemade oil sprayer?


texts: Where can you buy real liver (pref. calf's liver) in the western US?

texts: I have been looking for 14 years for calf's liver. I know that most processing plants render the organs inedible but the rise of the organic meat movement should make it possible to find. Anyone?


texts: Does wrapping banana stems actually prolong their life?

texts:
I've seen a few times the suggestion to wrap the stems of bananas to prevent them from ripening. Yet at least one person who was espousing this admitted it was based on a misreading of a study:

  I made an incorrect leap of imagination about ethylene production and abscission, the natural splitting of leaf or fruit from stem. I re-read the Sauter paper and realized that I got a little too inferency. I thought that since ethylene caused abscission, it would make sense to cover the point prone to abscission. I didn't test when I saw confirmations from Lifehacker and eHow. (I know! Those were my sources after all the research I'd done?! I'm embarrassed for me, too.)

Is there any actual science behind this technique? Or is it just an old wives' tale?

To clarify: The question here isn't whether ethylene gas ripens bananas, that's a well known fact. This question is solely about wrapping the stem to prevent the banana's own gas from ripening it.


texts: My caramels sugared but I don't want to throw them away. Is there any way I can reheat the sugared mess and turn it into a caramel sauce? I am determined not to waste this great taste but want to lose the lousy texture.


texts: What's the best way to store asparagus so that it stays fresh and crisp, rather than getting droopy?


texts:
I've made Crème Caramel/Crème Brûlée several times and don't have too much trouble with it.  I'll be making them for company this weekend and thought it would make for a nice spectacle to flambé them.  But, I don't have a lot of experience in that technique, and I'd like to make sure that I'm not going to set the entire dining room on fire by accident.

Has anyone attempted (successfully, preferably) to caramelize the sugar in a Crème Brûlée by flambéing the surface as opposed to simply heating it with a torch?  And if so, what exactly was involved?

How much alcohol would be required for a single standard ramekin?
Can it be done safely right inside the ramekin?
Can I light it with a quick touch of the torch, or should I use a match instead?
Could this have negative effects - i.e. ruining the flavour or melting the gelatinzed cream?
How long should I expect it to burn for and how long would it be necessary to wait before eating?
Do some types of alcohol work better for this than others?  (I'm leaning toward brandy)
Anything else I should know or any other precautions I should take?

Basically I'd like to know everything I possibly can about the flambé technique as it would relate specifically to Crème Brûlée before actually attempting it.


texts: Is it safe to cook chicken soup if the water doesn't quite cover it?

texts:
So, being dumb, I got my chicken all thawed out before I remembered that my friend still has my soup pot. I got the chicken crammed into a smaller pot, but I can't get the water to quite cover it. I hoped it would cook down enough for the water to cover it, and it did cook down a little bit, but there is still a teeny bit above the water. I took a picture of it:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2629/img0053qm.jpg

Should I be ok with that? Maybe cook it a bit longer? I'd hate to throw it out but heck I don't want Salmonella.


texts: Would boiling make escargot safe if they were carrying parasites or bacteria?

texts: I've read that escargot can be a carrier of parasites (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) or bacteria that can lead to meningitis. I assume there are no visible signs if they are in fact carriers. Will the boiling process make escargot safe to eat if they are? I assume it's just a matter of time and temp but I want to be sure I'm not missing something.


texts: How do I dissolve chunky powder completely in milk?

texts:
I am talking especially about Cadbury Bournvita.

That powder has tiny and somewhat hard chunks in it which don't get dissolved easily. How do dissolve it completely in milk?


texts:
How can I preserve refrigerated cashew / almond milk by at least 2 months?

I tried citric acid, but a very bad taste and smell resulted.

Does anyone know what can i use naturally to prolong the life when i make this natural vegan milk for my family?


texts: After a few days why does my hot sauce separate leaving liquid in the bottom?

texts: After making my hot sauce it tends to separate leaving a vinegar at the bottom and sauce at the top. When I shake it up then it's back to normal. Any suggestions?


texts: American cheese availability and utility

texts:
According to Wikipedia, the product commonly (and in that article) called "American cheese" is

  generally manufactured from ingredients such as one or more cheeses, milk, whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, saturated oil(s), emulsifiers, and salt.… American cheese can not be legally sold under the name (authentic) "cheese" in the US. Instead,… laws mandate that it be labeled as "processed cheese"… or "cheese food"…. As a result, sometimes even the word "cheese" is absent, altogether, from the product's labeling in favor of, e.g., "American slices" or "American singles".

It seems from Wikipedia that there is no actual cheese that may be labeled "American cheese". Yet, the product in my refrigerator labeled "white American pasteurized process cheese" has as its first ingredient "American cheese". Specifically, its ingredients are:

  American cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), water, cream, sodium citrate, salt, sorbic acid (preservative), olive oil.

What is that "American cheese" the label refers to? Is it available on the market? Can I use it in substitution for, perhaps, American slices, or maybe instead of Cheddar or something?


texts:
According to the article on Full course dinners on Wikipedia, the third course of a five course meal is "Sauce":

  Entrée
  Main Course
  Sauce
  Dessert
  Cigars

I'm having trouble finding what exactly this is and how one makes a sauce into a course. What sort of sauce is it? Is there something else served with it, or is it just pots and spoons? Other than Nachos and Salsa I can't picture it, and that doesn't sound like a staple of fine dining.


texts: What is a device used to slice tomatoes with in one motion called?

texts:
I worked at a restaurant for a month once and they had a device there. It was a rectangular box: you'd put a tomato in it, and there was a handle at the one end you could use to push the tomato against some blades. The tomato would come out the other end in 5 slices.

It was so much more efficient than using a knife, but I don't know what it was called.

I almost want to say it was a tomato slicer, but I never heard anyone call it that.


texts: Why does my sour-dough bread have a tail?

texts:
I just baked this bread using sour dough. Everything looks fine until I take it out of the owen. Pre-oven it looks like the first picture, but when I take it out it got a "tail" (see red circle in second picuture). The texture seems to be fine. What am I doing wrong?

Before owen:

After owen:

Sliced:


texts: Baked eggplant is bitter - is there a way to fix it?

texts: Do I have to throw away bitter eggplant after I have baked it?  Can something be done or do I have to throw it away?


texts:
Community wiki question. I'd like to compile an index of uses for stale bread. Here's a couple off the top of my head. Feel free to just go ahead and edit this list:

Bread galette (soften with eggs, cook into a sort of omelette)
Breadcrumbs, fresh or dried
Breadcrumbs as coating or panade for Schnitzels, etc.
Breadcrumbs as a filler in Rissoles, Fish Cakes, Meat Balls, Meatloaf, etc.
Breadcrumbs as a thickener in soup, sauce or gravy
Bread and butter pudding
Bread pudding
Bread Sauce
Brown Betty
Brown Bread Ice Cream
Bruschetta
Christmas Pudding and others such as Figgy Duff made with dried fruit and breadcrumbs then steamed in a cloth.
Croutons
Fondue
French onion soup
French toast aka Pain Perdu, Eggy Bread
Fried bread
Gazpacho
Panzanella salad (with tomatoes, olive oil, onions)
Queen of Puddings and all the other similar ones made with bread crumbs, such as Manchester and Monmouth Pudding.
Sophie Grigson's Tunisian Orange Cake
Steamed Puddings such as Cabinet, Chancellor's, Chocolate, Marmalade, Raspberry, Syrup or Treacle Pudding
Stuffing
Summer Pudding
Toast, toasted sandwich


texts: I was recently out of town for a business trip and heard some people talking about some type of drink that they had at a party called Apple Pie in a Jar.  I was curious if anyone else has heard of this and would know how to make it?  It sounds interesting especially since I like Apple Pie.


texts:
I am having friends over and plan to make tempuras. Two of them don't like seafood in general so my choice of shrimps and squid might not please them so I was looking for a meat alternative for them and everyone to enjoy as well.

As I have never made meat tempura I am full of doubts about which type and which part of meat to chose for that. Nothing substential can be found on the internet (just recipes about using the batter to do something else, but nothing about puting something else with the rest that will be good in association).

Beef feels weird, chicken could work but the fast cooking of tempura might not suit poultry, pork is not as light as seafood. I am also totally open to something a bit unusual.


texts: I found a recipe in English that mentions a "pinch" of something. English is not my first language, and Google shows that "pinch" has many meanings. Do I have to pinch it with my fingers, or can i find a suitable amount of milliliters to use?


texts: How to grill portabello mushrooms properly

texts:
Recently my girlfriend and I tried grilling (over an open flame, like BBQ) some portabello mushrooms for burgers.

We failed miserably :( The mushrooms were soggy and raw at first. After grilling them for a while, they were dry on the outside and a bit raw inside. How can I grill them so that they are cooked evenly throughout, without being too soggy or too dry?

I read this post, but I am particularly interested in grilling of mushrooms.


texts:
Tonight I made a Carbonnade Flammande (basically just a Boeuf Bourguinon with beer instead of traditional red wine). I have made this stew before successfully, but this time the meat was very tough! I'm trying to troubleshoot, so here are some details.

First, I browned the meat (chuck). Then I caramelized some onions and deglazed the pan with a bit of beef stock. The beef goes back in the pan with enough beer to just cover it. Then I cooked it in the oven (covered) at 175C for about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I had checked it at the halfway point to see how it was going, and the meat was still tough. To my disappointment it was still tough even at the two hour point.

My guess is that either the meat I bought is just a bad/old/tough batch (it was precut stew meat), I didn't have the oven low enough, or didn't cook long enough (though the classic recipe says two hours should be sufficient). I know browning gives you great flavor, but could it make the meat too tough? Should I have had even more or less liquid? What do you think?

I'm really a novice in the kitchen so all of your comments are appreciated.


texts:
A Super 8 motel we just stayed at had egg & cheese omelets on their breakfast bar.  They said they get them frozen from Farmers Brothers. They are thawed on the breakfast bar and warmed up in the microwave. They were delicious, just like fresh made.  Has anyone else ever heard of them?

I looked online, but they are a wholesale outfit for restaurants etc. However, I saw recipes listed for freezing your own omelets. I would like to try to make some.

Would it work to make omelets, freeze them on a cookie sheet, wrap them, and eat them later?  I think it would be great for quick mornings breakfasts, camping etc.


texts:
The final challenge for a recent "Master Chef" was to make spring rolls. It seemed to me that they were really making egg rolls, like I've seen at any restaurant I've ever been to -- Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, etc.

What is the difference between a spring roll and an egg roll?


texts: I've come across various brining solutions that include sugars: white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, etc. Are these sugars interchangeable? Is one sugar more desirable for a certain kind of meat over the other?


texts:
I have just moved to a kitchen with a electric fan oven and I have always been use to using a gas oven.

I have always done a lot of cake baking and have put a sheet of grease proof paper on top of the cake tin/liner to stop the cake from burning or cooking to much. With the Fan oven this blows off has anyone any suggestions tostop this happening.


texts:
I have seen in a lot of places that spices and dried herbs need to be kept in an airtight container.

I have several container that are virtually airtight, but they have couple small holes that if filled with liquid and put upside down it would drip slowly.

Is there any harm in storing spices in this condition?
Is it safe to store spices like that?

Can this very small amount of air be detrimental?


texts:
I've heard that ceramic knives are the new thing. It's far easier, though, to find metal knives that look and feel nice.

So, budget notwithstanding (within reason) and assuming that I have to buy a whole knife set (which I do), how many ceramic knives do I "need"? Do I want a full set if I can get one? Do I only need one? What sort? (big, small, serrated...)


texts: What type of devices, could increase dim sum output, short of a complete expensive, automatic machine?

texts:
I am getting irregular requests for dim sum catering and would like to increase my dim sum output, but am not yet ready to invest in something like this:

Dim Sum Maker Video

What other ways are there, to increase my fire rate?

I could probably save some time by investing in a dough mixer, but the dough mixing is actually not the big problem. The steps, that are most time consuming are:

Cutting the dough into uniform pieces
Making 2D circles out of the pieces
Filling the circles with the filling
closing the whole thing (the most tricky part)

What kind of machines could I use to greatly reduce my work, without buying a 15k machine?


texts: How can I make my sourdough bread more sour?

texts: I am having trouble getting my German Farmer Rye Bread (Bauernbrot) to taste sour enough. I have a good rise and good structure but the flavor is not sour enough. I tried making the starter less watery and letting the finished dough rise in the fridge overnight but it still lacks the classic German Bauernbrot sourness. Comments?  Thanks!


texts:
Since recently i have to cook for myself and a lot of products mention i should boil some water with salt and when it boils add the product.

Why on earth do you have to add salt to the water?


texts: Convert seed based measurements to pre-ground?

texts:
I want to use a recipe that gives ingredient measurements based on the spice seeds. My local grocery store does not have at least half of the ingredients in seed form. But the store does have them pre-ground. How can I translate this recipe's measurements into something I can actually buy?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed, seeded, chopped
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/07/chipotle-rub#ixzz1Qo0PBoPp


texts: Is there a fool proof way to make sure the white of the egg is set but either all or some of the yolk remains runny?


texts:
This is a continuation of my last question.
the recipe I have is:

2 1/2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 moist vanilla bean, preferably Mexican or Bourbon (Madagascar)
Combine the sugars and water in a saucepan.
Boil for at least 10 minutes.
Let cool. When solution has cooled, add the extract and stir well.

After I make my syrup, how long of a shelf life does it have? Do I need to refrigerate it, or can I keep it on my countertop?


texts:
I love the added flavor that comes from cooking in a cast iron dutch oven like the one shown below:

What is it that causes this? Is it from the charcoal or from the seasoning?

If I season a legless dutch oven (the cast iron kind, not enamel) and use it in my electric oven will it still add that same flavor?


texts: What is the best way to store and manage tahini?

texts:
I don't use my tahini too often, and sometimes when I open a can that's been sitting on the shelf, the oil has separated from the pastey part so much, that the pastey part is like a rock.

Is there a way to store tahini longterm without this separating happening?
Once it happens is there a way to recover it?  A food processor didn't work.


texts: Does wine left in the fridge more than the recommended time of up to a week (?) before it goes "off" go bad in terms of bacterial or mold overgrowth? Or is it safe to drink but just doesn't taste as good? I don't know if wine is as acidic as vinegar. And how long is really too long food safety-wise? I would probably just cook with it. I don't mind if it's vinegary, just asking from a food safety perspective. I hope this question is not too much like this one. Can wine gone bad be bad for you?


texts:
I was making a chocolate mousse style dessert and wanted to finish it with an amaretto flavoured whipped cream.

I whipped some double cream not too stiff, then added a glug of amaretto and some ground almond for good measure, and whipped again.  After tasting I wanted it to have more amaretto flavor so I put a bit more in and re-whipped. The cream curdled into a blobby, watery mess straight away.  I tried again with the same results.  Did I add too much amaretto?


texts:
Every recipe I've seen which uses gelatine says to soak and squeeze it, but none of them say how to squeeze it. I've only cooked once with gelatine, and I just squeezed it in my hand, but I was worried about losing it all through my fingers and I'm not sure I actually squeezed any water out of it.

Is squeezing it in the fist the correct way? If not, what equipment should I be looking out for?


texts: Sometimes I end up with a nice even coating of sugar on my lemon drop's rim (it's served in a martini glass). But most of the time the sugar is clumpy and uneven. What can I do to encourage a nice smooth professional coating of sugar on my glass rim?


texts: What to do when too much shortening is added to flour?

texts:
I was trying to make some homemade flour tortillas, but I made a mistake and I added ~9oz of shortening to 4.5 cups of flour.

I'm unsure what to do with the flour mixture because I do not want just to throw it away.

I also added a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of baking powder and around of 1 1/2 cups of water.

Is the mixture still good for flour tortillas?


texts: Why did my eggless cup cake prepared with condensed milk get charred in a convection microwave?

texts:
We have prepared the eggless cupcake with condensed milk. We have used convection mode in microwave.
Preheated to 200C and then baked the cake for 10 mins. It started off nicely, but at 10th min, we got the charred cake.
What could be the problem with this?


texts: What is the physical effect of sifting dry ingredients for a cake?

texts:
I notice that for recipes that call to sift the dry ingredients, most usually cakes or cupcakes, there is a noticeable difference in the batter after the wets have been incorporated.
What are the physics for sifting dry ingredients?  How does this process result in a light batter?


texts: What is the difference between whole grain mustard and regular yellow mustard?

texts:
Is there any taste differences between whole grain mustard and regular yellow mustard?

Is the difference primarily in terms of texture and composition of each mustard?

Also, could each be used interchangeably?


texts: Is there an open list comparing food gums and their viscosity/usages?

texts: Couldn't find a good index for gums/emulsifiers with potency/viscosity comparison.


texts: Transforming shredded cheese into chunk cheese

texts: I am at an event where I need to serve cubed chunk cheese, but I only have shredded mozzarella.  Is there a simple way to melt mozzarella into chunks?  Any idea would help.


texts: Reheating Falafel without drying them out

texts:
I'm planning to make falafel for lunch break for my colleagues, but I have to prepare them the evening before eating them. The only kitchen appliances available to reheat them are a microwave and an electrical water kettle. Fresh water and all kinds of plates, bowls and dishes are available as well.

What is the best way to reheat falafel without drying them out or making the outer layer tough and rubbery? Should I adjust my recipe in any way?


texts:
When using an immersion blender, I throw all ingredients into the cup and puree everything smooth. But it looks like the mortar isn't that easy. I can think of four different techniques:

throw in everything at once and start mashing
throw in every ingredient, mash until smooth, take out. Repeat for all ingredients. Combine outside of mortar.
Mix everything. Throw a small portion into the mortar (to make mashing easier/ensure less ingredients between pestle and mortar at each mash), repeat for all portions.
Add an ingredient, mash. Add next, mash. Continue until ready.

And of course, there are many combinations possible.

Which technique is the correct one? And if the fourth, what is the correct order of adding the ingredients? I would like to hear it not only for the common green pesto (basil, parmesan, pine nuts, oil) but also for ingredient types (e.g. nuts, hard cheeses, soft cheeses, soft/cooked vegetables, hard/crisp/fresh vegetables) so it is valid for other types too.


texts:
I got a recipe from America's Test Kitchen for "slow-roasted pork" using a bone-in pork shoulder.  They say to cook it at 325F until it's 190F internal temperature.

However: you normally need to cook pork only until 160F to kill microorganisms. Wouldn't cooking it until 190F dry it out? Why would they say to cook it until 190F if 160F is normally sufficient?


texts:
If I wanted to roast a pork butt at 215 deg F, how long would I do this for?
In 600 pan, foiled, salt crusted on a rack.


texts: What's the best way to reheat frozen boiled potatoes?

texts: We got some imported Papa Amarilla frozen precooked (boiled) potatoes. Probably not many people know about this specific kind of potato, but I was wondering if someone knows how to best reheat any kind of potato that was first boiled, then frozen. Is heating them in a pot with water best? What about using a steamer? The microwave?


texts: Can over whipped egg whites be used in other ways?

texts: As a beginner baker, I have always wanted to try whipping eggs to different stages so that I can grasp at which point egg whites goes over the stiff peak and becomes unusable. Not wanting to waste food, I am wondering, can the over whipped egg whites then be used for something like an omelette?


texts: Are there any drawbacks to cooking with limp celery?

texts:
Crisp celery is important for salads and other recipes calling for raw celery, but what about when the celery is to be cooked, such as in a soup or stew? Celery loses its crispness when cooked so it doesn't seem to matter, but would I be missing something if I cook with limp celery?

I'm aware of how to revive limp celery to crispness from this question (How to keep celery crisp?) but it takes a few hours, and that question only addresses how to crispify it for raw uses, not whether it's necessary for cooking.


texts: Adding salt to the oil making potato chips

texts: As a follow-up question, reading this recipe the question comes to mind is that what happens if I add salt to the oil instead of sprinkling salt on chips after they're removed from the oil? Sprinkling salt on chips would make them too salty or not-as-salty-as-desired, so I prefer to add salt to the oil. But I've heard it might make the cooking time longer, is it true?


texts:
Why does pâte à choux puff up so perfectly?
What are the ingredients or the science behind it that can make that happen?


texts: What is the correct way to make "Brazil style" BBQ meat?

texts:
I'm interested in cooking some meat Brazilian style, like they do at those BBQ restraunts where the meat is served on trays in small slivers.
Is there an effective way to do this without a huge turning slow cooker thingy (sorry don't know correct name/terminology).


texts: Multiple tea infusions and caffeine concentration

texts:
I have read conflicting things about the volatility and solubility of caffeine, and at what point during the tea brewing process caffeine is released.

When tea is used for multiple infusions, such as in Gongfu style brewing, do the different infusions have different amounts of caffeine?


texts: I want to make one of my favorite white bread sandwich loaves, but I'm out of sugar. What I do have is honey. How much honey should I use to replace 3 Tbs of granulated sugar? How much should I reduce the water in the recipe to compensate?


texts: Would using seafood stock instead of chicken broth/stock work in a butternut squash soup?

texts:
I'm trying to make a butternut squash bisque, specifically, which by its least-strict definition involves a seafood stock/broth.

All the recipes I've found are for butternut squash soup, which is not as fun to make or talk about.

My concern is that the fishiness of the seafood broth/stock will overpower the butternuttiness, or make it taste flat-out disgusting.

I'm using Chef John's recipe for this.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!


texts: I had an interesting sandwich the other day. It was tuna spinach wrap but mixed with a mustard blend with a smidgen of capers. Needless to say, it was quite savory. Was there anything I could have told the chef to add (rather than remove) to reduce the savoriness of the dish?


texts: how do you thicken cheese fillings so it doesnt melt when baking

texts: i am stuffing cream cheese inside chicken.  i would like to bake it off in the oven.  what can i add to the cheese to make it not melt out


texts: Can sweetened condensed milk be substituted for whole milk and sugar?

texts: I am making a fudge recipe that calls for 1cup whole milk and 5 cups sugar. It also uses 2 sticks of butter and 25 marshmallows. I'm wondering if I can omit the milk and cut back on the sugar by using sweetened condensed milk.


texts:
We now live in the mountains at 8,500’ (2600 m) and I cannot make matza balls for chicken soup up here. They explode into dust in boiling water. Water boils at 190 F (88 °C) here, that's probably a factor.
I’ve even tried freezing the balls before boiling , but only about half came out right.

What else can I do?


texts:
Some cake recipes calls for rum, and there is none available. How to substitute? If possible, it should be non-alcoholic.

Also, what is its role in baking or cooking?


texts:
How much pulled pork will 26 pounds (12 Kg) of raw boneless pork butt make?

I am making this in several crock-pots. This is my first time making pulled pork for a large crowd


texts: How to determine the grain of a fresh/ uncooked Arm Roast

texts:
Newbie.

I have a 3-lb fresh Arm Roast from a local butcher shop.
They did not slice it into 1-lb. slices this time, so I need to figure out how to do that.

It looks like my first obstacle is figuring out the run of the grain structure and then which way to slice the meat, with the grain or against the grain.

The second obstacle will then become how to slice it into roughly three 1-lb slices. Given its shape (paraboloid) stirs distant memories from geometry class! More math than I want to take on right now for making two cuts through it.

So I am thinking that there must be some rule of thumb for making two such cuts through the roast.

Alternately I thought I might come close by starting at the halfway point then measuring out a half an inch either way, getting a 1-inch steak from the center and and two mini-roasts. I would weigh all three sections for future reference.

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated. I do need to get this roast into the freezer tomorrow, even if I have to freeze it uncut.


texts:
Here is what I did, I boiled a bag of frozen peas,about 400 grams, in a pot of water. I checked for tenderness after a while and they were creamy on the inside like I wished they were. I take some out and salt them generously and soon after they turn to a somewhat unpleasant crunchy texture.
Is this normal? how can I season my peas without changing their texture?
edit: I tasted some after writing this and it seems that they are getting crunchier as they get cooler as well even without salting


texts: What's the trick to wrapping tightly in plastic wrap?

texts:
In grocery stores, they seem to have some trick for wrapping produce and other items tightly in what appears to be standard household plastic wrap.  At home, I always struggle to get a nice airtight seal, typically with cheeses.  I can usually get the "main" four surfaces nice and tight, but I can't figure out how to get the remaining two sides of the block very well sealed.

Is there some magic wrapping technique, say for a block of cheese, that will ensure a nice airtight seal against each side of the block?


texts: Prevent syneresis effect in agar-agar fruit jam

texts: I'm trying to make strawberry jam with agar-agar as replacement of pectin, where for it I'm using 0,4% of agar (of final product). I have read in many places that by replacing 0.1-0.2% of agar with locust beam gum is possible to prevent syneresis effect. My problem is that I tried but it does not work very well. After a single day water starts to show up. On the contrary, the same recipe but with pectin is syneresis free. So, is it possible to totally prevent syneresis using agar-agar?


texts:
I recently bought a bottle of Jackson Morgan cream liquor.  The alcohol content on the bottle is listed at 15%.  After looking up when alcohol percentage becomes a preservative I found an article that stated:

  If it’s under 15% alcohol or if the base is wine, it goes in the fridge once it’s open.

Even though it says under 15% and this is listed at exactly 15%, it seems a little too close for comfort for me where I want some more information.  I was wondering if anyone had any experience or references on the following:

Is it safe to keep the cream liquor on the bar top?
When does the percentage of alcohol become a valid preservative?

Link to the article referencing the above quote: https://food52.com/blog/16656-which-alcohols-should-be-refrigerated-why


texts: How do you minimise hand washing between every step to keep tools clean?

texts:
Say you cooking beef steak:

You have to unwrap the beef from its packaging, lay it down, get blood on your hands, wash hands, sprinkle salt, wash hands, grind pepper, rub the seasoning into the beef, wash hands, grab the tongs etc..

Is it normal to wash hands after every step or is there a trick to avoid getting all the tools dirty?

If you watch TV, they don't ever wash as much as I do.


texts: How to organize Goose and Duck for a Dinner?

texts:
I have goose and ducks leg and like to prepare them together in the oven.
I checked these two recipes one and two and they seemed to be quite fitting.
Now my questions is :  one calls for oven heat of 135C  for the goose and   170Cfor the duck.
Can I just cook the duck at the 135C, since I want to have them both ready at the same time and I only have one oven.
It is my any hints on how to organize this would be great.


texts: Fresh bought chicken, marinated for about 3-4 hours in fresh cream and spices when baked in the oven comes out as chewy at times. We have also tried marinating using yoghurt and changing the cooking time but its not as soft as it should be. What could we be doing wrong?


texts: When the gravy becomes sour due to adding too much tomatoes, lemon juice or yougurt etc. What are the ways to get rid of its sourness(Pulupu)?


texts: What precautions should be taken while cleaning silver utensils?

texts:
I have silver cups, plates, and bowls too.

Is it safe to clean them with normal washing powder? Or Does it need some extra attention?

Also, how do I clean the layer of black tarnish/patina without damaging it?


texts: Is it safe to cook with food grade mineral oil?

texts:
There is a thing such as "food grade mineral oil". Does "food grade" means it is safe to cook with?

I know it is used widely for oiling cutting boards. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits using mineral oil for food (with limitations).

Is it dangerous even in limited amounts? Or can it be used instead of or mixed with vegetable oil?


texts: How can I make my own Super Noodles/instant noodle seasoning?

texts:
I like BBQ Beef Super Noodles, but they don't taste the same as they used to. The flavour sachet is not as strong as it used to be (maybe they use more filler nowadays).

I can buy plain egg noodles, but how can I make the seasoning?

The ingredients are listed as:

  Noodles (Water, Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Antioxidants (Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Citric Acid, Propyl Gallate)), Sugar, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Diacetate), Salt, Skimmed Milk Powder, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5’-ribonucleotides), Yeast Extract, Sour Cream Powder (Milk), Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Flavouring, Colour (Paprika Extract), Spices, Anti-caking Agents (Silicon Dioxide, Tricalcium Phosphate), Rapeseed Oil, Celery, Wheat Flour.

I suspect I won't be needing any of those chemicals!


texts: What's the difference between "baby lamb" and "lamb"?

texts:
Fact #1: A lamb is a baby sheep.

Fact #2: I was watching a cooking show today, and one of the ingredients available was referred to as "baby lamb".

I'm a bit confused as to what "baby lamb" is. I don't think there are "degrees" of "baby-ness"; the sheep is either a baby (a lamb) or it's not. I considered another definition of "baby", as in "baby vegetables", where the item is just smaller than normal. But the pieces of lamb that were indicated didn't look especially small. They just looked like normal meat.

So... What differentiates normal lamb from "baby lamb"? I'm stumped.


texts: What are convenient and reliable ways to make the starter for rye bread?

texts: The biggest issue with make good rye bread is to make the starter since it needs to rise in a very controlled temperature for some time. What are good and reliable ways to achieve this?


texts: What's an acceptable substitute for Pandan Leaves?

texts:
When preparing Sri Lankan cuisine (especially curries) one of the key components is the Pandan Leaf (also known as a Pandanus Leaf).

These aren't readily available where I live so I was wondering if anyone could suggest an alternative?


texts:
When I started making Greek yogurt, I lived in western Washington state and never, ever had an issue. Now that I've relocated to SoCal for work, every batch of my yogurt turns out awful (barely any effect from the starter, just runny) and I am making it the exact same way with the same materials. It's not been hot here so I can't figure out what the difference is. The climate here is definitely different than in Washington state.
Has anyone else had or heard of such a thing?
Method:
My yogurt making process is to heat the milk to 180, heat water for the cooler, bring temps of milk and water in cooler back down to about 115, then let the jars sit for 6 hours in cooler, then 6 hours in fridge and drain.
I am using the same brand of store bought starter (Fage Greek yogurt). Everything is the same except the pot I'm heating the milk in. I used to have a non-stick Calphalon pot I'd use, but now I use a stainless steel Calphalon pot. I have always done 6 hours at least in the cooler and never had an issue. This past time I let it go longer as I like to let it sit in the cooler overnight, but it still failed. I have not tried checking the temp of the water at the end of the procedure.
The tap water is incredibly harsh here (smells like chlorine even after being filtered so I buy water to drink) and leaves white residue behind on dishes after going through the dish washer. I boil my jars in this water but have never noticed the residue. Could the water be part of the problem?


texts: How can I stop fish from sticking to a stainless steel pan?

texts:
I think Anne Burrell lied to me. She said fish will always stick to a stainless pan. This is true. No matter how well I lubricate my pan, my fish will always adhere like cement. She also said that the pan will release the fish "when it's ready." Maybe meaning it will eventually become unstuck when the fish is done cooking? Well, I've tried that, and it never works. No matter how long I wait, it never becomes unstuck. Most recently I gave it as much time as I could. When I finally chiseled it off the pan, tearing it apart in the process, I saw that it was starting to burn on that side. I've started going back to non-stick until I get this figured out.

Are there any tips? Am I heating the pan wrong? Does it help to slide the fish around a bit after putting it in the pan?


texts:
I was just cooking some soup and added some creme fraiche (I smelt it before and it smelt fine, force of habit)

Once I had mixed it in - I noticed that the sell by date was the 15th of January!

I mean it smelt fine before I put it in, but will I give myself food poisoning or will I be alright?


texts:
I don't know the name of the fruit in English and hence I'm attaching the figure if it.

I don't know the exact name of the vegetable. But I'm guessing the following names: sponge gourd, luffa cylindrica, luffa.

What is the exact name of the fruit?


texts:
What are the mechanics of water boiling over? How can you stop it from happening? Is it more likely to happen with certain ingredients? Which? How does the amount of water effect the likelihood of water boiling over? What role does burner temperature have? Will it only occur during a rolling boil?

This is brought up by this comment by MeltedPez in one of the cooking pasta questions:

  The only other argument for using more
  water is that less water is more
  likely to cause the pot to boil over.
  Basically the starch in the pasta
  makes it easier for the water to form
  bubbles that collect and spill over
  when not paying attention. I've found
  that with a very low pasta to water
  ratio can end in a messy kitchen.

This seems very counter intuitive to me initially, as I feel less water should make it harder to boil over the edges.


texts: What is the best way to store prepared raw vegetables

texts:
I help and elderly friend who has asked me to pre-prepare some vegetables for her. This way she'll be able to cook them for herself later.

I would like to know the best way to store pre-prepared vegetables such as, carrots, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower and potatoes that are not going to be cooked for 3-5 days.

Thank you.


texts: What to use to cut things on non stick surfaces?

texts:
I had brought brownies baked in a non-stick pan to a potluck.  My friend used a metal knife to cut the brownies and scratched up my pan.  I plan to bring a non-stick safe knife in the future to save my other non-stick pans from getting scratched up.

Can I use a ceramic knife to cut things in a non-stick pan or will they also scratch my pan?  The plastic "silverware" knives work but not very well so I was hoping to get something that's better than them but less damaging than metal knives.


texts: How to Bake Cookies Without a Convection Oven?

texts:
I'm used to bake cookies in a convection oven and they bake well.

However, now I have a normal oven (without convection) and I am unable to cook them well:

The bottom of the cookies is burnt and the top is not enough baked.

I tried to put the plate at the top, the middle and the bottom of the oven and the result is always the same. I also tried to bake the cookies at a lower temperature, but the top of the cookies won't be enough baked.

What can I do to succeed in cooking cookies without a convection oven?

Thanks.


texts:
A local bakery is going out of business and they sell the most delicious bread. The pretzel bread is my favorite. All of their loaves tend to be heavy and dense, they stand up well to slicing, and the bread is soft and chewy when you bite into it. Any advice on how to try and duplicate it? The owner told me that the bread is made completely by hand, that was the only thing he would give away.
The loaf of pretzel bread that I bought today weighs 1 pound 12 ounces.


texts: Pizza bulk fermentation vs proofing (2nd cycle)

texts:
I recently made Pizza following a recipe that asked to bulk ferment for 24 hours in the fridge, then shape and then proof for another 24 hours in the fridge (in the shape of balls). However, I read that it takes about 20 minutes for the gluten to relax so that the dough is workable. So my question is - can I bulk ferment for 24 hours, degas and mix and then bulk ferment again for another 24 hours without shaping, then take out of the fridge shape and let rest for 20-30 minutes? Will it be the same in terms of workability? It'll be a whole lot easier for me in terms of organisation (fridge space, proofing trays etc.)

Thanks!


texts:
I currently have this on order and plan on using it for stocks, broths, and boiling grains/vegetables.

My question is: what are the advantages of a dutch oven / sauce pot over this when it comes to most other types of cooking? Rather than the advantages of cast-iron vs. stainless steel I'm more interested in the general question of why a stock pot isn't ideal for braising, sauteing, or stew/chili, especially when the one I ordered has a clad bottom and is oven-safe. Does it just come down to the tall, narrow shape and clunky size?

If it really does make sense to also have a dutch oven / sauce pot on hand, would I be wiser to start with stainless steel or enameled cast iron?


texts: Is it safe to cook in a clean Teflon pot if the inside bottom has blistered and peeled from exposure to high heat?

texts: Is it safe to cook in a Teflon pot that has blistered and peeled and produced fumes from previously being heated too high? This is what the bottom of the pot looks like


texts: How long will uncooked chicken keep in the fridge?

texts: My wife is obsessed about not leaving uncooked meats in the fridge longer than a day (esp. Chicken). If we buy chicken breast and we're not going to use them the next day, she'll put them in the freezer. I always tell her it should be OK at least a week, but she thinks I'm crazy.  Can anyone give me some factual ammo I could use against her?


texts: Effect of adding whole egg or yolk to filo pastry?

texts: I had some success making filo pastry for apple strudel with a mixture consisting of flour, olive oil, lemon juice and white vinegar. The result was actually quite nice except the pastry was very delicate. I made the dough very thin using a pasta machine. I am wondering what would happen to the pastry if I used an egg. I am thinking it might be more crunchy... due to the egg introducing more protein fibers. What do you think?


texts: So I read that storing raw potatoes in the fridge causes the starch to turn to sugar (which I don't want). So I store them in the pantry shelf. But what about cooked potatoes? Will storing them in the fridge cause the starch to turn into sugar?


texts: whats biggest joint of lamb I can use in a 3.5L slowcooker

texts: Im looking to buy a slowwcooker.  Whats the biggst joint of lamb I can put in a 3.5L slow cooker.


texts:
I had my first crack at making chicken stock the other day and now I would like to try duck stock.

One of the posts I read when learning how to make chicken stock was about using chicken feet. It mentioned:

  It has its own unique and wonderful flavor, and the added gelatin from
  the feet give whatever dish is made with the stock a luxurious feeling
  when eating it.

Is this also true with duck stock?

Can I follow a chicken feet stock recipe and simply swap the chicken feet for duck feet?


texts: The other day, I tried to make beouf bourguignon. The recipe called for 6 lbs of beef, I had 5.  Nevertheless when it came time to sear the meat I had to do it in batches. Which is fine, except that by batch 3 the fond from batch 1 began to burn.  I want that fond! What is the best technique for searing several pans full of beef without burning it?


texts: How much caffeine would there be if I reuse tea leaves in a second brewing?

texts:
If you look for information about the amount of caffeine present in a cup of tea, the amounts vary depending on the kind of tea, if the tea is bagged or loose leaves, the brand, and other factors. Nonetheless, the values estimated range from the 25 mg in a cup of white tea to 50 mg in a cup of black tea, or maybe more.

Let's say I use 2 grams of black tea leaves and I brew them in 200 ml of almost-boiling water for the reccomended time of 5 minutes. I get a cup of tea with an estimated amount of caffeine of 50 mg. But then I reuse those same leaves and I brew them again in another 200 ml of water.

What would be the estimated amount of caffeine in that second brewing? Are there estimates for that? Can the result be at least expressed in an estimated percentage with respect to the amount obtained in the first brewing? Would that percentage be the same for other kinds of tea (green, red, oolong...)?

Related:

What is a reliable source for the caffeine content in tea?
How much EGCG and caffeine can specific amount of water absorb from tea leaves?


texts: Am I missing something with Beer Can chicken?

texts: I've tried beer can chicken a few times, BBQ and in the oven, but it doesn't seem overly special to me.  I am not sure if I should also be covering the chicken with some kind of sauce, but the chicken never seems to absorb much flavour, so I am wondering if I am using the wrong kind of beer, or if I am doing something wrong.  While people seem to rave about the juiciness, it doesn't seem any more juicy than rotisserie or just baking in the over with some kind of marinade.


texts: Can I use a whole uncut green pepper that I accidentally froze or is it garbage?

texts: I accidentally froze a whole uncut green pepper. I haven't tried anything with it except take it out of freezer. Is this still usable or is it now garbage?


texts:
I was wondering if cooking meat inside pumpkin in oven would lead to a kore tasty meat or it will only be dry and tasteless.
I still haven't tried it, but watching a video that made octopus inside a pumpkin, brought me up with the idea of repalcing red meat inside. which at first I know , that it needs to be pre-cooked. But then, I was thinking how dry would it come out of the oven? Should I choose a specific type of pumpkin ? any add ins to make more moisture ?


texts: What do I substitute for Greek yogurt in a pizza dough?

texts: The two ingredient pizza dough recipe calls for 1 cup of Greek Yogurt and 1-1 1/2 self rising flour. I can't find 'Greek Yogurt' where I live. Can I use 'natural yogurt'? Or whatever.


texts: Should I get a thin, flat bottomed wok to stir fry large amounts of veggies on an electric stove?

texts:
Currently I stir fry veggies in a flat non-stick frying pan. It's OK but it doesn't have much volume so I can't cook a large amount of veggies unless I do so in batches, which I don't want to because I'm lazy. I want to throw in a bunch of veggies once, cook them, and be done. I understand that this may have a negative impact on flavour but I'm more interested in convenience.

To deal with this I want to get a wok, basically just to act as large frying pan. My first question is, will this be better than just using a big pot? My intuition is that the curved sides will mean more veggies touching lower, hotter parts of the container, and easier stirring. But maybe this is baloney.

I have an electric stove, and that's not going to change. So I'm going to get a flat-bottomed wok. My understanding is that the wok should get nice and hot and that this is more difficult on an electric stove. The woks I've seen have a wide variety of thicknesses. Should I be getting a really thin wok so that the wok heats up faster and transfers heat more quickly? Again, I'm primarily thinking of convenience. I don't want to stand around waiting for the wok to heat up. However I am fairly prone to burning the things I cook.

Similarly, should I aim for a wok made from a particular material?

Side note: I'm vegan and my wife is vegetarian, so we're not going to use this for meat at all.


texts: Shiraz / Persian / Wild Figs - How to eat them right? How to extract as much flavor as possible?

texts:
Today I was able to buy some dried Shiraz Figs (other names for them are simply Wild Figs or Persian Figs), looking like this:

Having heard great things about them I was very happy to try them, but to me they taste like a 'genereic' dried fruit, but maybe that's just because I don't know how to treat them right.

Is the whole fruit eaten, or only the dried pulp?
Is it common to soak them in water over night before eating?
Are there any good ways to extract their flavor, especially for use in pastry?

Regarding the last question: Will it work to cook them with cream and let that infuse for a few hours like it is e.g. done with vanilla pods? I am asking because there are some similarities, although vanilla pods aren't exactly dried fruits.


texts:
I've dreamt of making biryani for some time, but have always felt intimidated by the layers and spices I'd need to buy.

Any ideas for a small pot version of biryani?

My friend's dad makes it sometimes, but he uses a pretty large pot.

(I'm in Ontario, Canada so we might not have any specialty spices available)


texts: Why is my cake sinking after baking with a soggy-like line in the middle?

texts:
I've lately been facing an issue with my cakes whereby they sink and have a soggy-like line near the bottom.
It's strange since I am using the same ingredients, same oven, same recipe however the cakes are turning out like this..

It's quite frustrating since these are commercial cakes and I can't sell such cakes to customers.


texts: Using a Power Pressure Cooker XL for high altitude canning above 6000 ft sea level

texts: I just purchased a Power Pressure Cooker XL and was planning on using it for canning. However, upon reading the owners manual, it says it is not recommended for canning over 2,000 ft sea level. I live at 6611 ft above sea level. Can I use this machine as long as I increase my cooking time by 5% per extra 1,000 feet above 2,000 ft? Or should I purchase something different to use for both home cooking & canning. Thank you.


texts: Does pre-packaged spaghetti sauce need to be cooked?

texts:
My daughter-in-law and I both prepare our spaghetti dishes with pre-packaged spaghetti sauce, bottled or canned.  We both add it to browned ground beef.  I use it as a base  - to which I add sauteed onions, diced tomatoes, freshly pressed garlic, extra seasonings (basil, oregano, thyme, sage, coarsely ground black pepper, paprika and a bay leaf). I brown the meat (sometimes using ground turkey instead of beef), drain & remove, saute the onions & garlic with a little olive oil (evoo), add all the seasonings (except bay leaf) and simmer a little (about 5 minutes).  Return ground meat to the pan, add tomatoes, canned/bottled spaghetti sauce, bay leaf - and simmer about 20 to 30 minutes.  I then remove the bay leaf and serve over hot spaghetti noodles.

My daughter-in-law, boils the spaghetti noodles, while she browns the ground beef, then combines the cooked spaghetti noodles, the cooked meat and the pre-packaged spaghetti sauce in a large bowl, mixes with a spoon and serves it.

Is there any danger in not cooking the sauce?


texts: The difference between beet sugar and cane sugar

texts: My initial guess was that refined sugar has to be the same no matter its provenance, but now I wonder if cane sugar has a different ratio of sucrose/glucose/fructose than beet sugar.  Is there any reason why packages of refined sugar advertise 100% cane sugar?


texts: What is the difference between cooking at low temperature and sous vide in a plastic bag?

texts: Why do you sous vide in a vacuumed bag, which is more complicated than just cooking your meat or vegetable at a low temperature while being in contact with the water? Does it loose taste?


texts: I have a recipe I want to use that calls for "hulled pumpkin seeds (the green ones)". I have pumpkin seeds saved from carving pumpkins. Do I just... peel them? Any fast way to do this? Is there any other preperation needed?


texts: How do I substitute almond flour for all purpose flour?

texts:
I am trying to make a few cookie recipes and want to reduce their carb content and make it suitable for a low carb consuming person. Most of the cookie recipes call for all purpose flour.
In one of the recipes which specifically knead the dough with butter and no moisture (so as not to form gluten) I substituted almond flour 1:1 but haven't had great results (the dough is crumbly, cant be rolled, etc). Even 1.5:1 and still was the same. I added a pinch of xanthan gum and was able to get the dough to bind. However I wanted to ask here how people have gone about replacing all purpose flour with almond flour.
My next attempt is going to include some Vital Wheat Gluten along with the almond flour.
Edit: I have used Erythritol(powdered) as a sweetener.
One of the sample recipes :

from https://www.archanaskitchen.com/shrewsbury-cookies-recipe-butter-cookies
The other one is a video recipe : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4U0M8JZG8&ab_channel=CookingShooking - I did mention my findings to the chef in the comments - but he's clearly a big enough celebrity to ignore a novice such as me.


texts: I picked my pears Labor day weekend like I always do but when I went to can them the following weekend only about 1/4 of them were ripe. Now the rest are all very ripe and there is no way I can get to canning them until Sunday (4 days). What is the best way to prevent them from being over ripe by then?


texts:
I've used the recipe below to make chocolate pie a few times recently:

  1 c heavy cream
  1/2 milk
  8-10 oz chocolate
  2 tbsp sugar
  pinch salt
  2 eggs

  Heat the milk/cream over low heat until it just starts to simmer.
  Remove from heat, add chocolate, sugar, and salt and stir until
  smooth. Lightly beat the eggs and temper in with the chocolate
  mixture. Pour into crust (usually graham cracker) and bake 20-30
  minutes at 325 degrees until set.

It tastes great, but after the pie cools the filling becomes very dense almost like a fudge. Sometimes this is fine, but sometimes I'd like it to have a lighter texture almost like a pudding. How should I modify the recipe to do this?


texts: Is salty tongue effect normal after eating sichuan peppercorns?

texts:
I've used sichuan peppercorns many times previously and never had this effect before where my tongue becomes salty for a while after eating it. Normally I would just get the buzzy, numbing effect but now my tongue becomes salty and everything I eat afterwards tastes salty. I wonder if it's because I'm using a different brand or whether I used too much, or possibly whether there is contamination or something with the peppercorns.

Has anybody else experienced this? Is there any risk posed if I continue to eat these? I don't mind the effect, but I don't want any permanent damage to my taste buds.


texts: I'm preparing for the next master chef and want to show off. But I only eat halal. Can it be prepared without alcohol, bacon and cream?


texts: Canning applesauce - water bath after the fact

texts: On saturday, my wife and I canned a few bushels of apples by making applesauce.  We did not, however, do a water bath afterwards - the hot contents of the sauce appeared to make a seal with the jars.  Its been three days since we canned them; can the applesauce safely be reprocessed with a boiling water bath?  Or do we need to write-off the jars which we did not refrigerate?


texts: How do you get burned wood off of a glass stovetop?

texts: I accidentally set a cork trivet on fire on top of my glass stovetop the other week, and it's left behind a gray burned on spot that feels different to the touch. I can't figure out how to get it off; I've used stovetop cleaner, baking soda, the little scraper thing, vinegar, and glass cleaner spray. Its still there. How do I get it off?


texts: What can I do to help prevent flatulence from beans?

texts:
I love the feijoada (typical Brazilian recipe). For optimal cooking, beans should be soaked in water for 12 hours, but it seems this is the cause of flatulence.

What is it in beans that causes flatulence and what can I do during cooking to help neutralize it?


texts: Which cooking apparatus is best to make Croque Monsieur?

texts:
I'm looking for a small cooking apparatus that I can use to make Croque Monsieur.  I've used this kind of device before but I don't know which words to use to google for it.  Here's how I made a Croque Monsieur from the past:

Place a slice of cheese and ham between two bread slices
The sandwich is placed in between two grills which press against it like a jaw
After a few minutes, parallel grilled marks are left on both sides of the sandwich

Think of the above machine as a closed book engulfing a sandwich.  What's the English name of that machine and is it available in small size(my kitchen has limited space).


texts:
Different friends have conflicting theories about the best moment to pour salt into spaghettis:

Before putting the spaghettis, so that the salt infiltrates inside the spaghetti.
Just a bit before throwing out water, because salt reduces the boiling temperature.
After throwing the water out.

What is usually considered best practice?


texts: When I cook crumpets because the pan has to be so hot and the heat has to remain hot for the bubbles to form. How do I stop the bottom of the crumpets from burning?


texts: How to avoid juice flowing out of meatloaf when puncturing it with a thermometer?

texts:
When baking meatloaf an related dishes, I've noticed that sometimes a large amount of liquid will flow out after I puncture the meatloaf with a thermometer. I imagine it would be better if the juice stayed in while letting the meatloaf cool down, to give a more moist meatloaf. What would you suggest to avoid this issue, while still being safe?
Note: I do sometimes supplement bread crumbs with coconut flour to reduce the carbs in the meatloaf, rather than just using bread crumbs, so this might partially be responsible. I also tend to use 2:1 ratio of ground poultry to beef.


texts:
I am currently studying how to make great falafels. Currently I know that the amount of water added to the mixture afterwards is very important. Too little and they become dry, too much and they fall apart. What are your tips on getting the perfect ratio?

Secondly, there seems to be a big difference when blending everything together and blending the ingredients seperately.

What are some of the most important things to keep in mind, when making great falafels?


texts: How should I prepare my Hens and Chicks to eat?

texts: I heard a Hens and Chicks was edible. how do I prepare them?


texts: I have a lasagne recipe that has pumpkin, sausage and collard greens in it. Is there another vegetable that will replace the pumpkin as I do not like pumpkin?


texts: How to figure out where is the best place to store homemade cookies: in the fridge or on the counter, in an airtight container or elsewhere

texts: The other day I baked some Nutella cookies (the famous four ingredient recipe which calls for egg, Nutella, vanilla and flour), they tasted awesome but the next day they became hard and chewy. A little Google search and figured they must be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I bake several types of cookies but I have problem storing them so that several unknown factors don't affect their taste and texture. How do you figure out where is the best place to store homemade cookies to preserve flavor? Does it depend on the ingredients, as in if there is milk, store in the fridge?


texts:
I was at a restaurant for brunch this past weekend and had a pastry basket that included, among other things, a dried fruit focaccia. It was much lighter than a typical, savory focaccia, almost like a yeasted cake.  The top was glazed with what tasted like honey and some sliced almonds.

My question is, when I try to duplicate the dish for an upcoming brunch I'm hosting, how do I handle the glaze?  It seemed like it would have been added before the baking, but if that is even accurate, would I have to dilute the honey with water before brushing it on? Or am I crazy and this would only work if applied after baking.  I certainly don't want the sugars to burn during baking.


texts: Why my meatballs sweated all of their fat?

texts:
I have made simple meatballs with red onions, some eggs, drizzle of olive oil and chopped scallions. Put them into the oven at 220c (440f) and this is what came out:

They sweated all of their fat and juices. What was left was very dry meat with almost no flavor. They weren't in the oven that long at all. Why did my precious meatballs sweat all of the fat they worked so hard to gain at the farm?


texts: In what way is kosher chicken different from brined chicken in terms of salt absorbtion?

texts:
Ideally I want all parts of my chicken to absorb a good amount of salt. I think brining is best but somebody has suggested kosher chicken.  How is kosher salted differently and will all parts of kosher chicken be salted to the point where it is plump and juicy as you get when brining?

Thanks


texts: So I know you can't use UHT milk to make cheese, because of the way the proteins get denatured at that temperature.  But can you use it to make yogurt?


texts: Why do steamed avocados taste like eggs?

texts:
Today, I was steaming some kale, and decided to try steaming some avocados as well, so I added them for the last 2 minutes of steaming (out of approximately 6 minutes).

To my surprise, the avocados came out tasting exactly like the yolks of hard boiled eggs. The texture was mushier, but the taste was the same.

Does anyone have a good explanation for why this happened?

P.S. I poured a good amount (enough to give a light coat) of extra virgin olive oil onto the kale before steaming.


texts:
Is a coffee mug oven safe? I'd like to make French Onion soup au gratin in a mug. My concern is the mug shattering while the food is being served.

I currently bake the french onion soup at 450°F, but I'm curious about broiling as well.


texts: I just tried an outstanding turtle recipe. The caramel is brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt & sweetened condensed milk heated to 248 degrees. They started out great nice & chewy, not too hard BUT after a week the caramel is turning grainy, sugary & crumbly. What happened?


texts: How do I modify sourdough recipes for use with my small starter?

texts: I have a 125% hydration starter that I got from some chef friends of mine, but I've been instructed that if I care for it properly I should be using no more than 90g of starter from the base culture at a time. Lots of recipes I've seen suggest using much more starter than this (multiple cups at a time). How should I go from my small amount of starter to a larger one? Is it correct just to use a preferment to increase the volume? If so, how long should it be?


texts: How do you prevent your lasagne from being watery?

texts:
As you can see there is a lot of liquid that assembles at the sides. This lasagne has bechamel and marinara sauce. The bechamel is reduced, with a chunky (but watery) red sauce. The lasagne pages were boiled and drained (but not pat dried).

What could be done to reduce the liquidity of the lasagne and make it more gooey and stable?


texts: How do I make meringue using a whipped cream charger?

texts: What is the method and ingredients for making small hard meringues using a whipped cream charger? How do I combine the ingredients in the charger prior to whipping? Please help - I can't find this anywhere.


texts: Should you ever add aromatic veggies to a dish without sauteing them first?

texts:
Many recipes and cooking blog posts emphasize the importance of sauteing aromatic veggies to release their flavor and reduce the bite. This gave me the impression that when aromatic veggies are involved, the order of saute>raw is always preferred. I mean - why would you ever NOT want to release the aroma in a veg?

Yet for example I see many cooks that add the onions to a dish without sauteing first. Is there an advantage to not sauteing aromatic veggies, or is it always preferred to saute them? If so, how can you tell according to the dish?


texts: What's the white liquidy substance that can appear when cooking salmon?

texts: When I cooked salmon filets on the grill last night, after the filets had been on the grill for a while, I noticed that the salmon secreted through the surface of the filet a white liquidy substance that looked sort of like mayonaise or ranch dressing.  What is it and why does it come out during cooking?


texts: What does it mean when a dish or product is described as "(insert culture/tradition) style"?

texts:
For example, if I have fried eggs and toast, it's just fried eggs. But if I add chorizo on the side, suddenly it transforms into "Spanish style" fried eggs.

There are many examples.  When is a food product described as "__________ style?"


texts: Steamer with single vent instead of bottom holes

texts:
My family has owned a stainless steel steamer for a long time with a single raised vent to let steam into the upper compartment. It's great because there's no way for food to get into the bottom compartment so it (mostly) never has to be washed. It only ever contains water.

I really want to buy one of these but the only steamers I can find for sale have a perforated bottom in the upper compartment. Does anyone know where I can buy one or if any company still manufactures these?


texts:
What's the typical brix of a typical store-bought avocado? I mean the percentage of sugars, acids and such (I think it refers to all dissolved solids, but sugar gets the most attention). I can find the sugar content, but brix includes acids, minerals, and such, too. Does anyone have a refractometer and an avocado handy?
My hypothesis is that avocados have a very low brix. I'm not sure that they'd be easy to get juice out of, rather than an oily substance, though! I think juice is required to test the brix.


texts:
I tend to make a starter for my bread, typically a poolish. Sometimes I make ciabatta without a starter. I tend to see the same results either way. I give the starter 10-12 hours, then rise the dough to double(4-8hrs), then form the loaf, then proof to double(30min-2hrs) it before baking at 475F with a few ice cubes in the bottom of the oven.

A few things I suspect:

The flour I use
The temperature of my kitchen(though I always rise to double, not by time)
Not using enough yeast(~1/4tsp in starter + 1/8tsp in dough)
Over proofing
Under proofing
I need to adjust my level of hydration(I noticed my loafs tend to rise out more than up)
Living at high altitude(9,000ft), though I hear this is supposed to increase speed of the rise.
Too little gluten

What would cause my bread to always have a fine crumb? With my ciabatta I feel like its not really ciabatta because its crumb isn't coarse enough. Its more like a dense american style bread with a ciabatta crust. My french bread has the same exact crumb. Its very consistent through out the whole loaf, and I rarely(almost never) find any large holes in the bread.

My bread recipes:

Note: I measure to consistency, so any measurements are going to be crude.

Cibatta:

4c flour
2c water
1/4tsp yeast

Mix warm water (~175-180F), yeast, and a dash of sugar to feed the yeast. Sit for 15min(until water froths). Mix remaining ingredients together. Wet knead dough in bowl till consistent and gluteny. Rise overnight(10-12hrs). Punch down, pour dough out and shape by pulling to a crude oval shape. Proof till doubled(~1-2hrs), rises out not up due to high moisture and no added surface tension. Bake at 500F drop to 475F. Bake until bottom produces a hallow knock.

French bread:

Starter/Poolish

1 1/3C flour
1/4tsp yeast
1C water

Dough

3C flour
1/8tsp yeast
pinch of salt(1/8tsp)

starter:
Mix warm water(175-180F), yeast, and dash of sugar. Sit for 15min(until water froths). Add remaining ingredients. Let stand for 10min to hydrate completely. Mix until smooth. Let sit overnight(10-12hrs).

dough:
Mix flour, yeast, and salt. Add poolish. Mix until consistent. Adjust hydration if to wet/dry(add flour or water). Knead until consistent, firm, and gluteny.

The french bread is a much less hydrated dough. It's not firm like pasta dough, but it can hold its shape unlike the ciabatta. The ciabatta just spreads out on its own, but holds together enough to be picked up(carefully).


texts: It is a big pain to get soup out of a crockpot and put it into a ziploc bag. I am looking for a food vacuum which would basically just suck up the soup and put it in the bag. Does this exist?


texts: I had unopened block cheese in my fridge for 8 months is it still good?

texts: I had unopened block cheese in fridge for 8 months is it still good?


texts: When is granular erythritol as good as powdered?

texts:
Is there any recipe for which granular erythritol (i.e., crystals) is at least as useful as powdered erythritol (i.e., very finely ground)?
Cooking with granular erythritol usually requires dissolving it. In my experience, erythritol doesn't dissolve in fat at all, and it barely dissolves in water: a saturated solution tastes only mildly sweet.


texts: I just watched a commercial for Idaho potatoes that said they're special because they're especially 'dense'.  When I was in Spain my señora told me that when she came to American she couldn't make proper potato omelette because the potatoes didn't act right.  Does anyone know enough about potatoes to know if potatoes in America are any different than the ones you would find in central Spain?


texts: Should I sear meat which is cooked sous vide before it goes in the bag, or after?

texts:
After reading the beer cooler sous vide hack, I'm tempted to try it probably with duck, but maybe with steak.

Should I sear my duck/steak first before I put it in the bag, or afterwards, and why?  Or does it not make a difference?


texts: Eggs smelled bad but not anymore when I put them in the ref

texts:
I recently bought a dozen eggs. But when I cracked them, they smelled bad, though they didn't float on water (which means they're good). When checking closely, I found out that even the unopened eggs smell bad but I put them in the ref anyway.

When I checked again, 1-2 days later, the smell was gone (i didn't wash them or anything).

why did they smell bad and were they safe?


texts: How to prevent shitakes from sticking to pan when sauteeing?

texts: Is there any way to prevent shitakes from sticking to the stainless steel pan when sauteeing in olive oil? I cook with many different kinds of mushrooms and only shitakes, and to some degree portobellos, do this.


texts: Can I just substitute fresh ube for the "frozen ube, thawed" my recipe asks for?

texts:
I got a recipe that asks for "frozen ube, thawed", and looking around my local stores and a quick google shopping search has failed to bring up any frozen ube, but I have found I can order fresh ube. Seeing some of the similar questions about fresh vs. frozen has me worried that it might not work or that I might have to do something besides sticking it in freezer and later taking it out.

Other details that I guess might be helpful:
The recipe is for bread for an extra blue blueberry jam sandwich with extra batter being used for blueberry muffins (will consider doubling each ingredient to ensure extra batter). The frozen ube is apparently counted as one of the wet ingredients to be mixed with the other wet ingredients before being combined with the dry ingredients.

EDIT: Oh, and the recipe calls for 16 ounces of the "frozen ube, thatwed".


texts:
I know that spaghetti squash is supposed to be stringy; this question is not about that.

When I cook winter squash, I cut the squash in half, remove the centre (seeds/strings), rub the flesh with olive oil (sometimes stuff the cavity with stuffing), and bake in the oven for 30-40 min at 350oF until tender.

However, I notice that pretty much all of the acorn and butternut squash I bake comes out stringy and tasting awful. It's gotten to the point where I don't buy them anymore, because I wind up throwing it out. I'm not sure if it's because I'm purchasing unripe squash or if it's because I'm cooking them wrong (although I have cooked many an acorn and butternut squash this way for years without problems up until about a year ago).

I don't seem to have this problem with buttercup squash (which, in my opinion, is much tastier, but harder to find in my area). Somehow I doubt that all of the acorn and butternut squash in the Chicagoland area is somehow just bad, although I have tried purchasing these types of squash at many different grocery stores and even farmers markets to try to see if it was an issue with a particular store.

Are the squashes I'm cooking with underripe? Overripe? Is it a cooking problem? How can I ensure that I'm buying a good acorn or butternut squash when I'm at the grocery store?


texts: Is my Anchor Hocking Oven Basics glass measuring cup inaccurate?

texts:
For measuring I usually use my red plastic Betty Crocker cups.
While rearranging some dishes, I noticed the 1 cup line on the 2 cup Anchor H one looked off - greater than one cup. I poured one cup from the plastic one into the 2cup Anchor Hocking one and there was a discrepancy. See photo. Also true of the glass 1 cup AH one.
This seems enough to make a difference in some recipes and general measuring. I appreciate any thoughts.


texts:
I made redcurrant jam some months ago, with sugar/pectin-mix. I used the appropriate amount. However, the mix was very old (+5 years). I tried it anyway. The jam turned out like a syrup, it is very liquid, but the taste is fine.

If I heat my jam/syrup and I add some new-bought pectin, would it turn out fine?


texts: It seems that almost all meat replacements in the UK have eggs. Are there any good vegan alternatives?


texts:
I have always breadcrumbed meat in a certain way (cordon bleus, schnitzels). But the crumbs on the food are nowhere near a standard that I would make this for guests.

The crumbs always come off, whether  in the pan (while turning), or when we eat it and the whole crust just comes off as one big piece.

Method:
I use 4 bowls.

Milk
Cake flour
egg yolk
Bread crumbs

I dip the meat in the same order as above and as properly as I can. Then it’s over to the pan on medium heat and a small layer of oil.

Where I am going wrong?


texts: Peanut-Butter Treat - Using Less Sugar and Less Butter

texts:
I'm making a chocolate covered peanut-butter treat this weekend.  I'm going to play with the recipe, to have less fat and calories, and I'd like some suggestions.

3 lbs. confectioners sugar
1 lb. butter
2 lbs. peanut-butter
3 tbsp. vanilla

Reducing the amount of butter and sugar comes to mind, but I'm wondering how it will affect the taste and texture.


texts: How to prevent frozen food from freeze-drying?

texts:
I have one of those no-frost freezers and while it's awesome that I do not have to defrost it every once in a while, it has a nasty habit of freeze-drying everything I put inside it. This includes things like sealed trays of meat which I'd expect to remain stable since the water cannot escape the container.

I found this somewhat related question: Freezing meat in Tupperware vs freezer bag,  but the advice does not really work for me. I've tried packing the food tightly in plastic bags, but even then ice crystals begin to appear within the bag after a while and if I do not consume the food for a long time, the bag ends up being full of ice and the food within rather dryer than before.

The only thing that seems to work is when I buy some vacuum-sealed piece of meat which has absolutely no air inside - then there is no space for the ice crystals to form and the meat can be stored for extended periods of time. This would not work for things like bread and similar items though.

How do I prevent my food from freeze-drying without having the equipment to vacuum-seal it completely?


texts: What temperature would you heat frozen lasagna in the oven at?

texts: We froze some leftover homemade lasagna and instead of reheating in the microwave we would like to use the oven. What is a good temperature and time for reheating?


texts: Conflicting instructions from different sources: roasting chicken

texts: Thomas Keller recommends bringing a chicken to room temperature before roasting. Peter Meehan and the Lucky Peach gang recommend chilling a chicken before roasting, as a fan describes here. Either they're going for two different results, or one of them is wrong. What's going on here?


texts: Is the print on eggs safe for consumption?

texts: I notice that many eggs nowadays have print on them that states the expiration date of the egg.  I have only see the print in pink.  Are these print safe for consumption, for example, if I boil an egg with such printing on it along with other food in the same pot, is it safe to eat the food boiled along with it?  I am wondering what's the content of the print, is it just food coloring, which should be safe to eat?


texts: What is the name of this machine and what is it used for?

texts:
I am looking to identify the below machine from a video I watched on youtube.

I suspect it is used somehow in the process of making ice cream.

I was looking in the pasteurizing category without any success.

Any idea?

Thank you!!


texts: I boiled dry my 18/10 ss pot, is it damaged and unsafe to cook with now

texts:
I was boiling eggs and fell asleep. I think it was boiling dry for about an hour, would the pot be unsafe to cook with now?

It was clean inside but the outside is now slightly yellow tinged. Does stainless steel have any kind of coating in it that might of burnt off? I don't really want to throw the pot away as it is 18/10 and pretty expensive, but I don't want to risk my health.

Thanks


texts: Can you develop a gluten structure by kneading matzoh meal dough?

texts:
I'm interested in applying principles of dough magic to Passover cooking and I have sort of a general understanding of how developing the gluten structure works when kneading a traditional wheat flour dough.

My question is whether there is any further development of the gluten structure possible when the "flour" is matzoh meal, which is basically flour that has been combined with water, baked quickly, and then ground back into flour. I assume there's a reason that there's no family recipe for "matzoh bread" but I don't know if that's religious (bc we're supposed to eat matzoh instead of bread and all the restrictions on yeast and all) or culinary (bc making bread-like food from matzoh meal just doesn't work).

Will a gluten structure develop at all within the matzoh meal dough? What's the chemistry of how matzoh meal doughs and batters stick together?


texts: Does freezing non-freezable liquids affect life span

texts:
I've created my own sauce, bagged it and left in the freezer for many days. It is still not frozen stiff (details to follow). I'm struggling to know how to phrase this question but, I'm concerned that since it's not frozen stiff that it's life is therefore reduced.

My freezer is to -18°C.

The ingredients are 300ml water, 100ml white wine vinegar, 2tsp tomato sauce, 2tsp plum sauce, 120g sugar and 2tsp corn flour.

I've Googled freezing white wine vinegar and corn flour to see if these prevent freezing (due to the alcohol in the vinegar and it was just a guess to search for corn flour) but my searches provided no answers.

So, my 2 questions are why does this mixture not freeze and does it affect the life it can remain in the freezer because it's not frozen or is the fact it's still in the very cold environment (-18°C) the thing which means it's safe for a month or two?


texts: What nutritional changes occur to vegetables when you roast them?

texts:
Quite often I can't 'stomach' veggies because I find them rather dull, but if I roast them (huge variety of types used) in oil and a pinch or three of sea salt, I can quite easily eat a very large portion of them.

But how for instance does potassium (veggies are a good source) get affected by roast heat?

How does roast heat affect their glycemix index?

Do any positive effects occur to vegetables' nutrition if exposed to high heat with oil?

After roasting, if I let them go cold in the fridge, does this increase their resistant starch?  (Would it greatly depend on the type of veggie being roasted?)  Thanks a lot for any thoughts.


texts:
In this video the chefs drizzle two colours across their cakes:

https://youtu.be/EJsUDT9Z_Io?t=11m42s

In the comments the presenting chef explains that she doesn't know what that drizzle is but that it could be food colouring and condensed milk.

Having tried this and found it ineffective, I have to ask how else could this very striking colour be made without it fading or melting into the rest of the glaze?


texts: How to measure the temperature of a pan?

texts:
When I need to know if a pan is above or below 100 Celsius but don't have a thermometer handy, I squirt some water on it. Say I want to check for another temperature, e.g. for the Maillard reaction or killing Trichinella parasites.

What are some ways for estimating other specific temperatures? How accurate are they?


texts:
What is the easiest way to strain fry oil?

I strain fry oil so it can be reused.

I've been using cheesecloth put inside a funnel.

It works but it's a bit messy and a hassle.  Is there a better way?

Can you use a coffee filter or something like that?


texts: What "all-in-one" single serving tea device(s) are sturdy, make "teapot quality" loose leaf tea, and are two pieces or less?

texts:
I am looking for a convenient office/portable tea making/drinking system. Ideally the device should be portable and very easy to clean in an office setting and still extract the same quality of flavor that a traditional teapot would, but also be sturdy. Hence the following requirements

maximum of two pieces to clean, for all devices used during infusing and drinking
is covered during steeping
separates tea leaves from liquid after steeping
will not burn your hands when drinking (either due to material or handle)
Is sturdy (will not break from a 1 foot fall)

Preferably, no plastic or rubber touching the hot water. However, given the somewhat recent advances in plastic, this may be an irrational fear - in which case it would be nice to link to a relevant thread/article easing "plastic touching boiling water concerns" if recommending a style of product that is only available in plastic.

The only device I ever found that meets (1-4) is the quick gongfu style (a tea pot with holes in the spout area, where the drinking cup is the lid). But unfortunately it is fragile (not meeting requirement 5). Here are pictures of the device in various materials (from left to right clay, porcelain, ceramic, ceramic)

Now there are "all in one" devices that satisfy (1,3, 4, & 5) but not (2), for example, tipping cups,

and ones that satisfy (2-5) but not (1), for example the double wall glass/plastic travel brewers (note some glass products are quite strong)

But is there a device that satisfies all 5 desirable qualities in an office tea drinking/making system?

Note: This is not a product recommendation question. This question is about styles, types and materials, not specific products or brands.


texts: How can I tell if a fish can safely be prepared "crudo"?

texts: Is there something you can look for? Am I left to the seller's word and my own discernment?


texts: How to keep a lunch box fresh for more than 2 hours?

texts:
I've been searching about making a lunch box. From what I searched, food is usually safe for up to 2 hours after it was taken from the fridge (pasta, hardboiled egg, etc).

However, if commuting takes 2 hours and the place I'm going doesn't have a fridge, which foods could I bring and make sure they're still fine to eat?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think most people leave their lunch boxes for more than 2 hours before they can get to eat them. Is it still fine to eat?

I also read that eggs especially shouldn't be eaten after 2 hours, However, I've seen a lot of students, incl. me eat egg sandwiches 2 hours later. Is this a written rule that nobody follows?

I was planning on making some cold pasta with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, hardboiled egg (?), carrot, pickles and some fruit on the side, but now I'm not sure whether it is safe to bring and eat after ~4-5 hours.


texts: How do I properly freeze and reheat a cooked, marinated steak?

texts: I just grilled up a steak marinated in vinegar, rosemary, and olive oil. Problem is I made too much. What's the proper way to freeze, store, and subsequently reheat this steak to get it as close to as delicious and tender as it now?


texts: Used old chicken broth in a stew, but washed it out. Will it be safe to eat?

texts: I was making a beefstew, but didn't have any beef broth, so I used some chicken broth I had in the fridge.  It smelled bad and thought it must be old.  I rinsed the meat and potatoes.... 3 times.  Do you think I washed out all the bad broth, or should I just toss it?  It's in my slow cooker right now.


texts: How is Kiwifruit used to tenderize Meat?

texts:
I just read today that Kiwifruit is used to tenderize meat. I wanted to make some fruit chutney anyway, normally I'd go for mango, but why not use kiwifruit fruit this time?

I read that the actinidin is responsible for this process but as far as I know it is denaturized cooking the Kiwifruit, thus I need the raw Kiwifruit.

So how should I prepare the raw Kiwifruit and the meat (I wanted to use chicken), how long should I let the meat marinade and how should I cook or fry the meat afterwards?


texts: What are the difference between outside and inside skirt steak?

texts:
Skirt steak comes in two cuts: outside and inside. While I am sure the difference in cut affects how the meat should be prepared and cooked I am not sure in what ways. A few things I've read about the outside skirt reference the need to trim the membrane, but I'm not sure what the posts are referring to. Leading to my questions about the cuts:

What are the differences between the inside and outside skirt steak cuts?
How do these differences affect preparation and cooking?
When should one cut be chosen over the other? Are the two cuts interchangeable in most recipes?


texts:
I completely stripped the seasoning off of two pans with the intention to start the seasoning process over from scratch. One pan I had messed up the seasoning (skillet) and the other (sauce bowl) was on clearance because part of the seasoning was scratched and was an "easy" fix.

I used the oven cleaner method and finally got everything down to the bare metal. I went to wash everything off and did a vinegar rinse to neutralize the oven cleaner and rinsed everything in cold water.

Initially, I tried drying the pans in the oven before applying any Crisco to start the seasoning process, but the flash rust got to the pans first. I started completely over again from square one repeating the oven cleaner method. I had read that you can do a quick dry and apply your oil pretty much immediately then place the pans in the oven to dry at a lower temperature. Tried that and began the seasoning process by wiping off any excess oil and baked the pans at 450 deg for about 1 hr. After the pans had cooled, they came out looking brown, almost like flash rust stuck through the seasoning process as opposed to the beautiful iconic black everyone thinks of.

My question is - did I miss anything or do something wrong in this process? I had watched so many videos and read so many blogs and I thought I had followed along pretty well yet my results didn't match anyone else's.


texts: Are there any chilli peppers that give an aroma after cooking?

texts:
I cooked some bell peppers in a stew and noticed the end result/stew had a nice aroma to it.

I then cooked with sweet pointed peppers and noticed while it did taste sweet, it didn’t really have an aroma like bell peppers.

I cooked with green chilli(not sure which variety) and thought it made the stew taste sweet and grassy, it did not have an aroma.

I’m just wondering

Are there any other chilli(or other condiments) which can be used in cooking that will give off a strong aroma and not just taste?
Cayenne and chilli peppers are considered to be carminatives, why so if they leave no aroma after cooking?


texts: Can I use “All-Purpose flour” instead of “cake flour”?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the difference between various types of flour?

The recipe calls for cake flower, I have all-purpose flour. Can I use what I have? Or should I go get the cake flour? I know some things can be substituted, but not all the time. I’m  making a n old fashioned pineapple upside-down cake.


texts: Does jellyfish contian heme or non-heme iron

texts: Is the iron in jellyfish heme or non-heme iron? I would like to eat jellyfish as an alternative to red meat and know that I am getting a good source of iron in my diet.


texts: How long after the use by date can I safely cook and consume chicken drumsticks?

texts:
I discovered that the use by date of the chicken that I bought recently was two days ago.
It is still sealed and looks fine. I have yet to conduct the sniff test as I'm unsure whether there is any point.
Is it generally still safe to cook with?


texts:
dessert chefs,

I make chocolate sauce for my drinks. My recipe is, in order, 1x unsweetened bakers chocolate (whole bar, chopped), 3x water, heat, 2.5x brown sugar, dash of salt, vanilla, strain. Transfer to mason jar, and allow to heat seal.

I use it on the first day and the freshness is just bursting -- the flavor seems to impart up to the inner nostrils.

My problem is that on the second day, the vibrancy, the inner nostril sensations, seem to fade, though the chocolate flavor is still there of course.

Is chocolate really this delicate and fickle? Is there something wrong with my recipe, solvent used?

A barista in a popular cafe in Manhattan told me that their chocolate sauce is brought daily to the store. Pretty costly operation for chocolate, IMO.