texts: What's the most efficient way to juice halved lemons and limes?

texts:
Between squeezers, reamers, and juicers, what's the fastest way to juice small citruses?

Limes are cheap in my area, so I'm willing to sacrifice juice per fruit if I can get the same volume faster from more of them.

I care about volume because I'm using juice in drinks.


texts:
What are some ways to make "coffee-infused butter"?
By that I mean cow butter but injected with espresso, somehow. Essentially, produce a block of butter with strong coffee flavours in it (the color, I imagine, would be medium brown rather light yellow). Strength per block of butter is roughly equivalent to that of one cup of coffee or double shot espresso.
I've been consuming my mokapot coffee with some butter on side, and really enjoy the taste combination. It is especially good when the coffee is let to become cold a bit (the bitter notes really come through and cut through the milky goodness of butter).
Note: this is different from what is known as 'bulletproof coffee' (which can be described as butter-infused coffee).


texts: I canned my smoked salmon last night in my pressure cooker at 11lb pressure for 110 min on my stove. Then I turned the stove off waiting for it to cool off and fell asleep. I woke up this morning with the canner lid still shut I opened it and everything looked good. It's been about 5 hours with lid still on and jars still in canner. Is that ok to do?


texts: Why skim "scum" from the surface of a simmering stock?

texts:
I've been reading various Googled recipes and techniques for stockmaking, as I made my first stock tonight using raw chicken bones. Just about every article/recipe I read says to skim the surface of the stock in the beginning, while it is simmering. Different articles variously refer to the skimmed substances as "scum", "impurities", and "proteins".

I had started out throwing all the vegetables in at the beginning, and probably had it at too high of a simmer, so I never actually got to see any foam or collections of anything other than apparently oils/fats from the chicken appear on the surface. This got me wondering: what is that stuff that floats to the surface? Is there any reason other than aesthetics to remove it from the stock?


texts: I recently tried nattō on top of rice.  All I tasted was bitter.  I didn't get any nuttiness or saltiness.  The natto was also generously garnished with scallions, maybe that was a major bitter contributor.  What is nattō alone supposed to taste like?


texts: Is there another name for unrendered lard?

texts: I've always thought of lard as referring to just the rendered fat, but the Wikipedia article on lard says that it can refer to either unrendered or rendered pork fat. Is there a name besides "unrendered lard" or "unrendered pig/pork fat" for the unrendered fat you make lard from?


texts:
I'm looking for ways I can use containers to mix and store kimchi from the thrift store.  I don't want to buy special containers, unless I have to.  I've seen plastic bowls and the like used to mix kimchi or when you do that initial salting (I've never made it, only watched others).  After that I wondered if I could use things like canisters with lock lid or plain plastic (kitchen) containers.  I'm sure you've been to a thrift store, so you can imagine the hodgepodge of possibilities.

I wanted to make sauerkraut too, and thought the lockdown canister might work? Maybe if I didn't lock it? Those crocks are expensive.


texts: How do i make bubbles on surface of chips?

texts:
I've never asked a question on here as i'm a new user, I was just wondering if someone could explain how to put bubbles into chips. Ours is a protein based chip and we had a batch that fried and had a lot of bubbles causing a different texture and more crunch but we are having troubles replicating that.

Admins you can delete this if it's not uniform enough.

We fry with Sunflower oil. The protein is mixed with tapioca starch and seasonings


texts: What is the difference between Microwave, Microwave Oven, and Oven?

texts:
Some sites say that a "microwave" is only for heating or re-heating cooked food. Whereas, in "microwave ovens", you can microwave and bake. Is that true?

If it is, then why I can cook main course dishes (chicken, rice), soups, etc. in my microwave oven? I even have a recipe book with 100+ recipes using a microwave oven.

So, can someone please clear up this fog? What's the difference between Microwave and Oven and Microwave Oven?


texts: At what step is the difference made between a quesadilla and burrito?

texts: My quesadillas keep turning into burritos. This happens because I fold the tortilla in half but it doesn't stay so I tuck it in and roll it up by then it becomes a burrito (full and round). What's the difference? How do I make my quesadillas come out flat?


texts: Should I boil red potatoes before roasting them?

texts: I would like to try roasting red potatoes instead of regular idaho potatoes-should I boil and then roast or roast them raw? Also, covered in a ceramic container or uncovered--any tips?


texts:
A couple of disclaimers:

I know there are a number of websites already devoted to this; I needed to ask for clarification because the info out there does not help me understand how they taste
Apologies if this seems like a list question (which may violate a rule of this exchange).  I will try to focus a scope of the question

What are the differences between popular frostings, for cakes and cupcakes?

The reason I ask is because my wife and I have particular favorites, and they aren't the same, AND (most importantly) I can never identify either type by looking at the description or frosting itself.

The kind of frosting that my wife likes is very sweet, very grainy, and very pasty.  The kind(s) that I like are less sweet, definitely not grainy and have some cream to them.

For the kind I like, it would seem that cream cheese frosting suits my needs.  I should say also that my favorite cake is yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  We got a piece and shared it last night.  Neither of us liked it.  It seemed to have none of the characteristics that either of us liked.  While I do like cream cheese frosting, the chocolate frosting I mentioned usually isn't a cheese frosting, but instead almost like a pudding.  But that's not what it was last night.

Could I ask for some help in identifying these frostings going forward?  Thanks.


texts:
Some supermarkets sell a whole lamb.

The food safety rules for meat dictate defrosting in the fridge, never at room temperature.
The next-size down, a turkey, doesn't even take 24 hours to defrost. It takes either 48 or, if very large, 72 hours to defrost.
How do you reconcile these two rules? In other words, how do you defrost a whole lamb before cooking it?

Is this meant for chefs who have a fridge that will fit a lamb?
Are folks meant to start roasting it while it's frozen? I doubt it would cook through, no matter how gentle the fire.
Do birds (turkey, ..) require special attention because they spoil particularly rapidly, and for a lamb one would get away with defrosting at room temperature? Would 24 hours do it? Would that be actually safe?

I suppose if it's October or March, then defrosting outside in some regions at +5C might work, except that the temperature outside is never constant, which doesn't help much (with either defrosting or with food safety), and that you'd have to stand guard overnight to make sure no other wild animal discovers what feast is ready for them.


texts: If I see a recipe I like and it includes a marinade or sauce where butter or oil is a significant ingredient, is there any way to substitute that fat and preserve a similar taste and texture? For example, I recently cooked a citrus shrimp recipe and simply skipped 90% of the recommended oil and it tasted pretty good, but I don't know what I may have missed out on. I know fat is pretty fundamental to food, so maybe the answer is no.


texts: Is there a way to prevent my Fruit Pie from getting runny?

texts: Is there a way to firm up the consistency of a fresh fruit pie (like peach or apple) - sometimes it gets too "runny"?


texts: Does adding oil to pasta water reduce the tendency to boil over?

texts: I know that adding oil to pasta water doesn't keep the noodles from sticking--much better to do that after cooking. I also know that there's no need to cook pasta at a rolling boil. My question is purely that in the title, does adding oil in any way inhibit boiling over? Scientific answers please.


texts: Black garlic: Is it possible to use a cheap rice cooker's keep warm function to make it?

texts:
I've been looking into black garlic and I read that if I take garlic and wrap it in foil and put it in a rice cooker on the keep warm function, it'll work.

I have 2 sets of cookers -- I have a pressure cooker (similar to Instant Pot) and a cheaper rice cooker (Aroma 6-cup rice cooker). I prefer to use the Aroma rice cooker because it's smaller and I may use the pressure cooker for other things but I don't know if it has the right warm setting.

Should it still work? My concern with the small cooker is the keep warm function won't be warm enough as a traditional large rice cooker.


texts: What are the differences between brown/golden sesame seeds and black ones?

texts: Unhulled sesame seeds can be either light brown (golden) or black. Other than their color, are there other differences are their between these two varieties?  Why might you choose one type over the other (again, I only care about reasons that aren't related to color or aesthetics of a dish).


texts: Do I need to cook smoked beef before eating?

texts:
I bought some beef from the supermarket that said "smoked beef" on the label and nothing else. It was contained in the fridge, not the freezer section. I'm not sure how to prepare this for eating. I tried making a few slices and put it in the foreman for about 5 minutes. It turned out tough after about 30 minutes after grilling.

How do I prepare this and how long can I store this in the fridge?


texts:
I blend up meals for a family member who has trouble swallowing, which are made partly of tinned beef curry, tinned lentil soup, olive oil, peas/broccoli, tinned beans, tinned tuna, tap water.

The blender is high powered and will partially warm/heat the ingredients, though they need further heating in a saucepan for eating.

My question is, how safe is it to freeze this? Should I cook it though, then cool it to freeze? How long would it last if it could be frozen.

Trying to cut down on blending each day, but food safety is the big concern here as I don't want to make them ill.


texts:
Any advice on why my yoyo biscuits keep cracking on the surface like this would be much appreciated.
So far I've tried changing the flour (different protein level and using both self raising and plain), butter (different milk fat percentage), custard powder (brand), the temperature, baking time and how much i'm mixing the biscuit dough.

This is the recipe I'm using:

170g butter

60g pure icing sugar

170g Self raising flour

60g custard powder

Suggested baking temperature is 120°C but I've tried from that up to 180°C.
The recipe says to cream the butter and icing sugar, then to mix in the flour and custard powder in small batches. Then roll biscuits into balls and push down with a fork. It then says to bake from 50-60 minutes. I don't think this is happening because the dough in too dry because it's only on the surface and I can rub it off.

Hopefully someone can help me with this :)


texts:
I think this question might be borderline off-topic. I am open to suggestions for making it fit the SA format better
Many drinks (coffee, whisk(e)y, wine) are more enjoyable once one can discern the different flavours in those drinks. I.e., once one moves beyond 'tastes like wine' to 'tastes like blueberries and honey'. The same is true for some foods (chocolate comes to mind, with descriptions similar to those used for wines. Also olive oil.). On top of that, it is a fun (and, for cooks, useful) skill to be able to taste a dish and mentally separate out the different ingredients that went into it.
Some people (so-called supertasters) are predisposed to have a sharp sense of taste. Assuming I am not a supertaster, how can I improve my tasting skills?


texts:
I want to make a lightly sweetened, very dark chocolate sauce. I've been trying to make this with water or milk and cocoa powder and a small amount of sugar. It has the taste I want, but the problem I'm having is that the cocoa settles to the bottom of whatever it's stored in and is a pain to mix every time it's used.

I've thought about making a syrup, however that requires a lot of sugar. I've thought about adding a gum, but that seems to change the taste.

Any ideas? I'm also open to better dark recipes, such as @rumtscho suggested (using chocolate instead of cocoa powder).


texts: Is the cockchafer grub edible, and how best to prepare it?

texts:
I've never eaten or cooked insects, but I wanted to give it a try some time. Now, we found a few grubs 4-6 cm in length, that we think to be cockchafer grubs, in one of the pots on our balcony. So I think of giving it a try - my approach would be beer batter and deep frying (Everything is tasty with fat), but there are a few things I want to know before.
By "we think their are cockchafer grubs" I mean that the pictures on wikipedia fit.

The grubs obvioulsy eat earth, their rear parts are very dark. How do I best get rid of the grub-shit/earth from the grubs? I don't want to eat earth because it a) does not sound tasty and b) earth contains pathogen building bacteria.
How do I assure that they are not poisonous, or horribly unhealthy?

So, has anyone eaten these grubs and can share some experience?

Edit to add: I live in southern germany. Cockchafer beetles at least where eaten in the 19th century in France, I found no info on the grubs.


texts: My CSA delivers me a lot of summer squash, more than I can actually find the time to cook in a week. Can I freeze the remainder in some way? Is there a quick recipe I should be making that stores well? I'm not thinking primarily of meals here -- if I had the time to cook dinners more regularly I wouldn't be overwhelmed -- but of things I can store for a while.


texts: What's the biggest reuseable filter with smallest pore size?

texts:
I love clam and mussel broth, but they're always replete with grit and sand! I've been pouring it over a Stainless Steel Coffee Filter, but this takes way too slow if I'm cooking for many people and  have much broth to filter! Don't recommend anything with a pore size > 10 micrometers.
There must be bigger versions of these Stainless Steel Coffee Filters? This isn't my direct question, but what do coffee shops and breweries use? They can't be using these teeny filters, because customers can't wait that long. Can I use what cafes use to filter mussel broth?


texts: Vacuum-packed cheese question (botulism)

texts:
Vacuum-packed cheese, stored in refrigerator for awhile (2-3 weeks), then placed in freezer. Cheddar and Provolone.

Any risks, especially in regards to botulism...opinions sought. Never heard about botulism being a risk in vacuum-packed food until recently, and now am concerned and want to know about the cheese I stored in freezer if I can consider it well.

Thank you for opinions/information.


texts: How do I make paneer firm and chewy like in the restaurant?

texts:
Recently I've taken a liking to Indian cuisine and am trying to replicate the curry experience at home. The biggest problem I'm having is with the paneer cheese, which is used in curries I like the most.

When I eat out at an Indian restaurant, their paneer is firm, squishy and kind of 'squeaky' on the teeth. The one I make is always crumbly and falls apart in the curry. I've tried all kinds of recipes from the net; at one point I even asked a friendly Indian chef about it and he told me that they buy the milk directly from a farmer, and that the low-fat, UHT shop variety just won't do.

I tried reinforcing 2% milk with cream before as per the advice of one recipe or other, but not "country-milk" so I got some milk from a friend who keeps cows and the result wasn't much better. The cheese still won't stick together and keeps falling apart, you just can't feel the chewy, curry-flavored bits of paneer at all, so it's pretty useless to even bother with it. Help please?


texts: Why fry a teaspoon of dal to start an Indian dish?

texts:
Some Indian recipes ask the cook to fry a very small quantity of dal, e.g. "3/4 teaspoon of urid dal", at the beginning of cooking a dish which doesn't otherwise contain dal.  Examples here and here, and I have enough examples in my cookbooks to verify that this way of starting a dish is both traditional and not limited to a particular dish.

I made such a dish a week ago (from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe), and I can't say that the browned dal was in any way detectable in the finished food.  So ... what's the point?  Why fry 1-2 tsp of dal like it was a spice?  Is this maybe a way of testing when the oil is hot enough?


texts: blanching slightly frozen fresh garden carrots

texts: I searched online to see if a person could still blanch slightly frozen carrots, but nothing seems to give me a straight answer. Get a lot on how to blanch them, and that I can freeze fresh carrots, but nothing in regards to if it is possible. Hopefully someone can give me some answers and advice. Thanks


texts: Shelf life of open jarred anchovies and anchovy paste in the fridge?

texts:
I like having anchovies in some form or another around, and whenever I buy them (in paste or jarred form), I end up with extras and store them in the fridge.  Searching around on the Web has a mix of opinions on their shelf life, with some saying days or weeks, and other saying months or years. The longer recommendations attribute the jarred anchovies lasting longer because of the oil ("as long as they're completely covered") and the paste being safe because of the salt, along with metal tubing not allowing air to ruin it.

These seem like reasonable claims, but I'd prefer a bit more information on this. Thanks!


texts:
The new rice cooker I bought shows that it can bake a cake--like a sponge cake--in a rice cooker.  I have also read that cakes turn out misshapen when made in a rice cooker.  I've never baked a cake before and don't know too much about it, so using the new rice cooker to bake it is tempting.

My definition of good:

Not misshapen
Doesn't taste bad
is like a cake that is baked normally (not in a rice cooker)

Thanks!


texts: How to ensure that spices reach inside the eggs in the egg curry?

texts:
For egg curry, I boil the eggs, shell them, pierce them with a fork and deep fry them.
Then I prepare the gravy and pressure cook the eggs and the gravy.

Anything I do, doesn't let the spices go inside the eggs.
I was thinking of cutting the eggs into halves but then on pressure cooking they'll split up!


texts: I like to do small preparatory steps ahead, make cooking faster when I do have the time.  If I oil my vegetables and store in the fridge prior to roasting, will the oil penetrate the vegetable and make it soggy?


texts:
The recipe/picture that I'm following calls for cutting out Christmas stars from marzipan and for the stars to be browned somewhat (does look nice).

Last time I did this, the stars deformed quite a lot and lost the sharpness of their points, as the marzipan melted and softened.

So, for something prone to melting like marzipan is it best to toast quickly / high heat or  more gradually? Any ideas?

I'm just grilling them under heat.


texts: Juice recipe recommendation engine to give me recipes based on the ingredients I already have?

texts:
Does anyone know of a website where I could enter a bunch of ingredients that I have and it would return a list of possible juice recipes for my juicer?  Like a WolframAlpha for recipes?

I've seen a bunch of juice recipe sites and many times I'm missing just one ingredient, or all the ingredients.  I think it would be cool if I could, at any given time, enter what I have on hand then get a list of possibilities.


texts:
We cooked some pork belly over the weekend and part of the recipe is to "score the skin".

We have some sharp knives but nothing really worked well. It was really a battle to cut the skin. We even tried out some sharp scissors!

If you don't score the skin, you don't really get decent crackling.

Is there some technique to doing this?


texts: What type of fish would be best suited for a trio pairing of sashimi, crudo and ceviche?

texts: I am preparing a trio of fish to exemplify the different ways and methods of preparing fish without cooking it in a traditional manner. The three ways I am preparing said fish will be Sashimi, Crudo, and Ceviche. I am looking for an in season, late fall pacific northwest, fish that would stand up well to all three preparation methods. It would be great if I could prepare three different fish all three ways as to give each guest nine pieces. I am considering Sea Bass and Albacore as two of the fish but have only worked with Sea Bass in a limited capacity. I also have a few guests who are "afraid" of fish and I was thinking that a Mahi Mahi or Swordfish would work well although I am not sure if either is in season.


texts: Is there a method for desalinating bacon?

texts:
Bacon contains a rather large amount of salt which can pose problems for people who are trying to find ways to reduce salt in their diet.

Is there some method that can be used to reduce the amount of salt in bacon?


texts: How do I make Pad See Ew with Fresh Rice Noodles

texts:
Really, that's all I want to know. Whenever I try to make it with the store bought "dry" noodles and soak my dish comes out terribly.

What are the best sauces to use? Best way to keep the egg from clumping? etc?

Thanks!


texts: What's the best way to cook BBQ ribs in the oven and grill?

texts:
I have some pork ribs that I want to barbecue, but being relatively inexperienced with BBQ and lacking a decent grill thermometer, I want to simplify things by cooking them partly in the oven and partly in the grill. Researching online has thrown up many variations as to temperature, timing, and which order to cook them in. So, some sub-questions:

Is it better to grill the ribs first, then put them in the oven, or vice versa?
In either case, is it best to use indirect or direct heat on the grill to get the necessary smokiness and glaze?
What temperature should the ribs be cooked at in the oven and for roughly how long (I know outcome is more important than timing)
Should the ribs be wrapped in foil in the oven for the entire cook?

FWIW my instinct is to grill (with some wood chips for smoke) first, then oven, but my concern then is how to get a good glaze.


texts:
How much time should the oven be preheated to reach the desired temperature?
To bake cupcake recipes that say 180 C, how long should the oven be preheated and which level must be set among LOW, MED-LOW, MED, MED-HIGH, and HIGH?


texts: Slow-Carb or low-carb alternative to pita and similiar neutral tasting breads

texts:
While I like grey or dark breads from whole grain, some recipies simply call for a white bread with less own taste. For example when you have hummus or aioli, you want a parisienne or a pita bread but (if you are like me) no pumpernickel.

What is a slow carb or low carb bread without an intensive own taste that fits well with these dishes?


texts: Will seasoning cast iron skillet with vegetable oil leave trans fats?

texts: I've read that when I buy a cast iron skillet I need to "season" it with any vegetable oil, or buy from a company that has already done this process, i.e cooking the vegetable oil at really high temperatures. Doesn't this produce trans fats? Will this leave trans fats in my food afterwards?


texts: UK Pork roast: why can't I make crisp crackling?

texts:
I have lived in Denmark for many years and made port roast many times with crisp crackling - never a problem. Then I moved to UK about 20 years ago, and now I just can't. I first tried buying in the supermarket, then I went to butchers, and I even ordered specific cuts, that are not usually sold in UK; every time the result was semi-dry meat and rubbery skin.
Recently, I tried a piece of pork from a Chinese supermarket: perfect crackling, just like that, and I have tried it several times. The question is, why? Is there something that is done to pork meat only in UK that could explain this?
Edit
To address the comment from Sneftel:
Cooking pork roast has always been very straight-forward - the method that always worked in Denmark (and now with the pork from the Chinese supermarket) is:

take a roasting tray with a griddle, fill the bottom with water.
put meat on top, skin side up.
roast in a conventional oven at 150 - 200 degrees (Celsius) for about an hour, until the skin bubbles up everywhere and is nice and crisp.

When I tried this with British pork from a supermarket, the end result is something about as crisp as my old wellies.


texts:
How do you make chocolate thin enough to dip strawberries?
If I make it thin enough to dip (with butter) will that affect allowing it to set-up and harden?
I saw another question about the thickness but nothing about hardening.


texts: How to clean my unanodized aluminium pot?

texts:
I got some acidic food in the pot and its starting to look ugly.

Can this pot be saved, or do I need to throw it out?


texts:
Acacia honey is made from the flowers of the acacia (aka locust) tree. It is very light colored, and it is reputed to never crystallize. Certainly none of the acacia honey I've had in the house has crystallized, but I don't know about the "never" part, because we tend to consume it before eternity sets in. :)

My question is, is this due to some property of acacia nectar (if so, what?), or is "acacia honey" a code name for some highly-processed honey-flavored concoction, or ...?


texts:
Is pho ever served ice cold similar to that of Korean mul-naengmyeon?

If so, does it have a special name?


texts:
I wanna make frozen yogurt from homemade yogurt. I heard that inverted sugar can help prevent crystallization so I want to add it to my yogurt, because I don't want rock-hard frozen yogurt and I just want to use purely just yogurt and sweeteners, no gelatin, alcohol, cream or anything else added. I have some questions:

Should I add inverted sugar at the beginning before incubation? Or after, when my yogurt is firm?
Is it ok if I use homemade inverted sugar (the version made with sugar, water and lemon juice)? Should I replace all the amount of sugar by inverted sugar? I doubt that inverted sugar is sweeter than normal sugar and corn syrup (what I can't find in the supermarket where I live unfortunately).

Thank you very much for your comments.


texts: What kind of rice should I use for frying?

texts: Which properties should I look for or avoid in rice when I'm planning to fry it (the day after cooking)?


texts: How do I know if water in supermarket's seafood tank is salty enough?

texts:
Undoubtedly no body is to taste water tank in supermarkets with live seafood!
Don't ask me rely on supermarket salespeople. When I ask, they either don't know or can't answer straight. They say "Oh water's fine. Don't worry!" or "There's got to be enough salt in water", and they add "We've been putting shell fish in water for decades, and we still business! Stop worrying!"

Does the vendors’ storage method affect shellfish quality? - Seasoned Advice

  From the British Columbia Center for Disease Control (pdf)

  "Do not put live shellfish in a closed container or into fresh water (the shellfish will suffocate and die)".

Does the vendors’ storage method affect shellfish quality? - Seasoned Advice

  For shellfish like clams and mussels, keeping them in clean, cold, circulated SALT water is also good, because that allows them to stay alive but dormant. Obviously, it doesn't get fresher than live.


texts: Is it sufficient to wash utensils, which have touched chicken, with soapy water

texts:
In the kitchen, I am very health conscious and try to prepare and store foods with care

After working with a whole chicken, I usually wash the chopping board and knife with hot (but not boiling) soapy water (in particular, the dish soap I use is Fairy Liquid)

But, is this actually sufficient in killing all the unwanted germs and/or bacteria? I've seen maybe 1 article and people on forums stating that you should use bleach instead - is this necessary?


texts: How can I cool down cooking oil after using it in a deep fryer?

texts: I need to be able to cool down cooking oil quickly after using it in a countertop deep fryer- how can I do that safely?


texts:
Commercial soy milk is fortified with lots of different vitamins. Is it possible to add these vitamins to homemade soy milk? If so how would you do it?

I'm not sure if we absorb the vitamins or if they are important or whatever, but just curious about how this would be done in a home kitchen.

Edit:

Found some links, neither of which gives a great answer considering both only really cover calcium, and state its a matter of mixing in a powder and shaking before drinking to keep dissolved:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/362920-how-to-fortify-homemade-soy-milk/

http://www.makesoyamilk.com/soya-milk-benefits/should-you-fortify-your-soy-milk

But commercial soymilk can include a ton of others (A, C, D, E, K, B6, Iron, Riboflavin, Folate, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium...). Wondering if it's also just a matter of mixing in a powder (like ground up multivitamins) and keeping suspending by shaking or the edition of additives like emulsifiers.


texts: Sauce with Jalapeno, garlic, cumin and lime?

texts: I created this sauce/topping with chopped jalapenos, fresno chilies,minced garlic, cumin, olive oil and lime or lemon juice. I used it as a topping for steak or fish. I'm pretty sure I've had this type of sauce or something close to it at restaurants and wondered what the name of that type of sauce would be?


texts:
I have been trying to imitate the gold standard of curries; The British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Chicken Madras and have had some success.
I have made the base-curry sauce as per the books and it works out OK but there is a lot of preparation and the taste is not quite there.
One thing about BIR Madras is that is it always savoury.  When I follow homemade curry recipes I always find that my curry is too sour from the tomato, so I have taken to adding chicken stock (using Knorr cubes) and my curry is starting to approach my goal.
Can anyone suggest ways of making my curry even more savoury?
EDIT: This is my recipe, which won't surprise many people.

Marinade chicken breast in yoghurt and lemon for 30 mins in the fridge.
Rinse off marinade and partially fry the chicken and set aside.
Fry onion in Ghee until it starts to brown.
Add garlic and ginger paste.  Wait 2 mins.
Add dried kashmiri chillies.
Stir in spices; coriander powder, cumin, garam masala, hot chilli powder, tumeric and fenugreek powder.  Wait 1 min.
Add 1 mug chicken stock (1 Knorr cube).
Add tomato passata.
Add chicken back in and cook for 15 mins or so.

EDIT 2: I have seen several places that the garam masala should go in last; I will actually do that next time.


texts: Does bacon exists that is shelf stable, but has to be cooked for safety?

texts:
I have come across a website in the UK which delivers bacon through the normal post. They claim that their bacon is cured by a process that does not require refrigeration.

  Bacon through the post? Does it not need to be chilled?
  In a word - No. Bacon by its very nature was created to preserve pork long before we had refrigeration, however as today's modern process of manufacture is very much an industrial one most bacon needs to be refrigerated or it just won't keep. Cure & Simple bacon is handmade using an old fashioned process and has water actively removed which means if the seal remains intact on the packet our bacon doesn't need to be refrigerated. However we bow our heads to modern practise and choose to keep our products chilled, so that you have the peace of mind that when our bacon goes through your door it's in the best possible condition.

I am confused by this, since I understand that their bacon is not 'ready to eat' - it still requires cooking before you can consume it hence to my mind it is not a true cure (like for example Iberico Ham). Is there a way of curing bacon which still requires cooking before consumption but renders the product shelf stable?


texts:
I recently made some lemon oil.  Here's how I made it (question at the bottom): I took the zest of about 12 lemons, packed it in a half pint jar, filled it to the top with 80 proof vodka.  Left it in the window sill for about 5 days.  Then I strained the zest out of it.  I placed the remaining vodka/lemon mixture in the same half pint glass jar, and placed it in a pot of "almost boiling" water to heat it up to evaporate the alcohol off.  I monitored the temperature of the solution and it varied between 180-190 degrees.  The solution was boiling, telling me that the ethanol was boiling off.  I waited till I didn't see any more bubbles in the solution.  I then took it out, strained it again.  So, theoretically, what I had left was lemon oil.

QUESTION: It didn't really have the consistency of "oil" - it was still kind of watery.  Does lemon oil have a thick consistency like vegetable oil?


texts: Why orange carrots turn black while peeled?

texts:
Freshly bought carrots turn black (like coal) on peeled surfaces in minutes if not seconds. I wonder why and why are these special.
Obviously it is not black rot. The carrots taste normal, albeit not too sweet. Too much fertilizer nitrates? Or just contain lots of starch like in potatoes?
The carrots were clean to begin with and I washed my hands too :-)

Update: I live in Denmark and these carrots are from Spain, perhaps Canary Islands, fresh veges seem like a bit of a struggle here, hence I am surprised.


texts: Is an unrefrigerated canned ham safe to eat?

texts: I just cooked a canned ham for my family. It was fully cooked, and I reheated it well. The problem is that we ate it and then I realized it was supposed to be refrigerated. I had kept it on the shelf. I thought the label meant it should be refrigerated after opening. What is the likelihood that we will all get sick from this? I didn't see or smell anything unusual about the canned ham, and I keep my home pretty cold. I think I have had the ham on the shelf in the pantry for approximately 1-2 months, give or take. Help?


texts: What to do with cheese that has fermented after vacuum packing?

texts:
While in England two weeks ago I bought a Wensleydale cheese with cranberries that was freshly vacuum packed. Over time, the pack filled with air (without breaking the seal). Upon opening the pack, there was only a slight smell of alcohol and no visible microbial growth.

Would the cheese be safe to eat? I'm guessing the cranberries fermented a little.


texts: How do I prepare ash bolete mushrooms for recipes?

texts: I got about a grocery store paper bag in about 10 minutes under pine trees in the yard, so I was wondering what the best way to prepare the ash bolete mushrooms before using them in a recipe would be.


texts: How to balance the bitterness of Habanero peppers?

texts: I'm a hobby hot sauce maker and I'm wondering how do I balance the  bitterness of Habanero peppers? All the super hot peppers in the Chinense family have a strong bitter taste that comes with the extreme heat. I've used citrus, salt, sugar and the bitterness still shines through.


texts: Choux pastry, general questions with gluten free flour

texts:
I have a few questions regarding choux (cream puff pastry) and gluten free flour. After trying a few different recipes with a huge range of butter/ flour ratios, I settled with this one

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/choux-pastry-recipe-easy/

So far they always rose nicely and I never had a problem. But when I switched to gluten free flour, each time I got a different result with the same flour. Sometimes they rose, sometimes I had only really small air bubbles inside. Once the dough got so sticky I had problems getting it off the spoon (I just made/ dropped them as small sticky hills ~3cm wide and they turned out great). Since I'm almost sure to always use the same amount and brand of ingredients, there has to be a step in between that affects the result.

Duration with heat while stirring the flour into the mix. The dough forms within 20 sec after dumping it in and mixing (as well with covering the bottom of the pot), is longer stirring affecting the result? (Less water in dough, less steam in oven?)
I dump the steaming mix into stand mixer on a low setting and don't add eggs one by one before the mix stops steaming. Can gluten free dough be over beaten?
Usually I'm too lazy to pipe them and just form a ball by hand or use an ice cream scooper to form them. All forms had high and low rising results, but can one type give a better result or is it more an optical result? (Piped looked always nicest to the eye but made the most mess for cleaning)
The oven is usually around 200-210 with 20-25 min baking and another 5 min of resting time inside with turned off heat. Does upper/ lower heat vs fan makes a difference?


texts: How long do I have till my chili garlic sauce spoils?

texts:
First post on this exchange so I hope this is appropriate!

Anyway, I don't cook much, so I made something simple following this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSSF4O4o2eE Since I love chili.

Anyways, I have it bottled, and I didn't refrigerate it the past few days. If it's been on the shelf (and stays on the shelf) how long do I have till it goes bad? I cant really tell...

And, since it may be a lost cause for my current recipe, how can I lengthen its shelf life for the future? Recipe looks pretty simple, can't imagine adding anything that wont mess up the intended flavor.

Ingr:

1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 kilogram garlic, chopped
15 pieces bird's eye chilies (add more if you want it spicier)
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup water

1 Pour oil in a preheated pan, add the garlic and let it cook for 5 minutes.

2 Add the chilies, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Allow to cook for 5 minutes over low heat.

3 Add water then let it simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the garlic turns dark brown. Mix occasionally to prevent the garlic from burning.


texts: Which types of apples are considered to be "quick-cooking" apples?

texts: In my great-grandmother's recipe for Open-Face Apple Pie, she writes, "Cut apples in eighths if they are not quick-cooking." I assume that this means some apples will cook more quickly than others, but I can't find a list of such apples anywhere.


texts: Looking for an Italian cheese similar/identical to the French Brie

texts:
I am looking for a an Italian cheese that I can use as substitute to Brie.
It should have the same consistency and creaminess, as well as delicate flavour.

Any suggestion?

EDIT: This question could benefit by defining how Brie is made, so I could go in an Italian diary shop and ask for something made with a similar process


texts: Use non-inductive pans on induction cook top

texts:
I moved to new place with inductive cook top. But all the pans I have are the normal non-inductive pans (ceramic and stainless steel).

I tried using them with no luck. Cooktop shows error, keeps beeping and doesn't start. If I try an induction pan, it works.

Is there any way to make them work?


texts: Can I cook with nearly ripe butternut squash?

texts: Due to a frost I had to bring in a few not-quite-ripe butternut squash.  The greenish markings on the outside and the not-well-developed seeds are signs they are not as ripe as desirable.  Can I still cook with these? Note they were photographed on a green cutting board but the color of the squash is close to true.


texts: I have waxed cheddar and Gruyere, using black cheese wax, for about 4 months. When I turned it, I notice oil oozing. The Gruyere was from Bavaria.  How and why does this happen through the wax?


texts: How to fix food that got extra salty? I imagine this depends on what the food is. With spaghetti, you can add water or change water if you detect it on time. But what about grilled meat? Or a tomato sauce?


texts: Does cooking a meat that's about to expire lengthen how long it's "good" for?

texts: So like, if have a meat that has a particular "use by" date, and I cook it - I will kill a lot of the bacteria. Then if I refrigerate reasonably fast, will it last longer than it would've if I just left it alone? Are the two times I passed it through the Danger Zone negligible in comparison to how much bacteria I've killed?


texts: I accidentally made way too much rice for a dinner party. My wife and I definitely can't eat it all over the next few days, and after that it will probably go bad. Is it possible to freeze rice that has already been cooked? It's flavored so unfortunately we can't use it for fried rice.


texts: My hand mixer came with dough hooks, can I knead dough with it?

texts:
I bought a fairly inexpensive (<$50) hand mixer a while back, and when I was organizing the kitchen I came across a set of dough hook attachments for it.

I thought dough was too heavy for a hand mixer's tiny motor to knead, but if that's the case, why did it come with dough hooks?

Can I use my hand mixer to knead dough?


texts: Why does my Velveeta queso dip get clumpier the longer it stays in the microwave?

texts:
I had a bizarre experience with Velveeta this past weekend and was hoping you all could help me out.

I bought a block of Velveeta and some Rotel canned tomatoes to make a queso dip.  I microwaved the dip for about 8 minutes total (taking out after 5 to stir.)  After the 8 minutes were up, I started stirring the queso and noticed that the cheese was still clumpy.

So, I stuck the queso back in the microwave for four more minutes and when I took it out, it was worse than before.

This has never happened before, usually when it gets clumpy, you can just throw it in to the microwave for a little while longer and it comes out nice.

What happened here?  Do some foods become clumpy when they are cooked too long?  Could the Velveeta have been bad?  I've made this several times, and I don't think I did anything different here.


texts: How long do eggs last in the refrigerator out of the shell?

texts:
I dropped my carton of eggs when putting away groceries. The eggs were broken severely enough that the internal membrane ruptured and I had to remove them from their shells. I went ahead and used these eggs right away (changed dinner plans to quiche).

If I just cracked the eggs into a bowl, covered and refrigerated it, how long would they last and still be safe to eat?


texts: Is there anything I can substitute eggs for when making meatloaf?

texts: I have a great meatloaf recipe but I don't have any eggs! Is there anything I can use to substitute for an egg?


texts: How to prevent homemade butter from melting/separating under hot conditions

texts: Please, I'm making homemade butter that will be kept and served at an outdoor event. What process/additive/ingredient can I add to preparation that will prevent the butter from separating or melting in the outdoor heat(or under direct sunlight). Thanks.


texts:
I did a slow roast pork today putting pork knuckles on the bone cooking for 8 hours in a dash of apple juice.

After cooking, I left it to cool for an hour with the lid on.

When I lifted the lid, I noticed a 'lightness' to the smell of the pork, almost the lightness you might get when smelling a bouquet of flowers. (Sorry to those who feel this description is overdone - I'm trying to capture an idea in words).

It almost reminded me of the caramelisation of onion when cooked on a frying pan.

Help me out here - what is the term I'm looking for? Is it caramelisation?

My question is: What is the name for the 'sweetness' of cooling roast pork?


texts: Do these smoked ham hocks which contain dextrose, contain gluten?

texts: I love using smoked ham hock in soups, beans and stews.  Dextrose is a listed item on this package I bought - does dextrose contain gluten?


texts:
Since curing meats had historically been done for food storage safety and without refrigeration -- is it likely that we should be curing outside the refrigerator as well? Will the meat and pertinent bacteria cure faster?

I've been curing meats with sugar, twice as more sea salt, and celery juice. One bulk of pork shoulder weighing about 750g and 2.5 x 2 inches at its cross section, took me 7 days to cure fully to the inside. I know this because I had two of those. I cooked one off on the 3rd night, and it was brown at the center; alarmed at the slowness, I added more salt.

I cooked the second pork butt on the 7th night and it was perfectly through and through. Howevever, the core still had a shade of brown/white. However, there were some obvious algal growth around the meat -- hope anyone can share an insight into this as well.


texts: Removing Pesticides from Herbs like Cilantro

texts:
Not too long ago I read a study saying that mixing baking soda and water and cleaning your fruits in this solution removed upwards of 90% of the pesticides from them. I was wondering if something like this would work when cleaning herbs.

Would it be safe to soak herbs with this same technique used for fruits to remove pesticides? I heard herbs are some of the most tainted with pesticides. Thanks!


texts: How long should I cook a steak to make it medium rare?

texts: I really like steak and always manage to cook it right but I haven't got it down to a fine art. I like my steak medium rare and though I always manage to get it very pink in the middle I don't know the exact times. How long should I cook a steak, and at what temperature, to make it medium rare? Thanks.


texts: How long do I microwave chicken before breading it then frying it? I seen this being done on a cooking show, but missed how long the microwave part was. Thank you


texts:
A few weeks ago, in a local Tesco store, I bought two carton packs of 2,25 litre white and red dry wine (Lion's Gate).

I noticed that the white dry wine package has an expiry date:

While red one doesn't have it:

Is this just a print error? Or is it true that white dry wine can expire while red one does not have an expiration process / date at all? If it’s the latter, can anyone explain what causes this difference?

The question is important for me especially, because - as you can see - just a few weeks ago, I purchased a wine that has a supposed expiry date that was 6+ months before today. So I am unsure if I can drink it safely or rather should return it to the shop.

I don't know, if that plays any role here, but both products were packed in plastic bags in carton packages (bag-in-box). The inner bag has only a production date printed on it and no expiry date in both cases.


texts: Homemade Marinara Sauce: Shelf-Life and Reheating Question

texts:
I just made marinara sauce yesterday, sauced some pasta with some and put the rest in a mason jar. How long can I expected this to stay fresh? It's completely sealed-off in a mason jar, I used canned tomatoes and fresh ingredients to make it.

Also, was just making some fresh pasta and accidentally pre-heated all of the marinara in the microwave enough that it began steaming: can I seal-off any that I don't use and save for a later date?

For reference, Marinara and/or Tomato Sauce is not listed in the "storage guide."


texts:
How do you know when Dover Sole is fresh?

According to this other question, about all fish, you have a few ways to know:

the gills should be bright red
the skin/scales should be bright and shiny like metal
this fish shouldn't really smell of anything except 'watery'
the flesh should rebound quickly when pressed
the eyes should be bright and clear
really fresh fish is also quite slimey to touch if it's straight out of the water. I remember being quite surprised at this from my first fishing trip a few years back.

And all of these ways don't work, because the fish bores under sand and lives there. Is there any way to tell with Dover Sole?


texts: I will be making Ban ban ji chicken for tonight's dinner, and have picked up some shelled peanuts. The peanuts are still in their skins, and I was wondering: what is the best way to remove the skins from peanuts?


texts:
After having bought my first pineapple, I had been instructed to be careful about washing my hands if I ever got pineapple on it (after slicing it open). Furthermore, I was told that I shouldn't wash the pineapple fruit with any water, but that I could only do it after cooking the water first. Both of these were explained as their being a sort of reaction that the pineapple has on contact with water. Reminds me of those chemical reactions with sodium and water.

The problem is, I couldn't get a satisfactory explanation of what the reaction was. The reasoning behind the reaction was not given, and when I asked what the reaction caused, the only explanation I received was "it is like that funny taste you sometimes get in your mouth when eating pineapple". I should note that I've never had a funny taste in my mouth when eating pineapple, so this explanation wasn't helpful.

What is the reaction that pineapple has when it comes into contact with water? Does it have dangerous effects, or is it mostly just affect the flavor of the fruit?


texts: Is taro (satoimo) bark edible after grilling?

texts:
I'm aware that raw taro is toxic and needs to be properly cooked.  However, I'm seeing some conflicting information online about eating taro bark.  An article on WikiBooks states,

  The hairy outer layer is always removed with caution since skin irritation can arise caused by the juices secreted by the taro root.

However, a Japanese recipe for grilling taro clearly keeps the skin on.  Google translates a part of the recipe as:

  Wash the root vegetables thoroughly with scrubbing etc. (Picture 1), cut into a 1 cm wide stripe with the skin.

Photos accompanying the Japanese recipe clearly show the taro with the skin on, here and here.

Perhaps I've answered my own question, but can anyone confirm that the bark is edible?


texts:
It has flavor, but its consistency is too thin.
Will letting sit over medium low heat evaporate enough to increase its density or is this useless?
Would bringing it to a boil help more. I don't want to ruin its flavor and am afraid bringing it to a boil with high heat will do just that.


texts: Deep frying vs air frying temperature equivalence

texts:
TL/DR. Is there a general rule that can be applied for converting from deep frying recipes temperatures to air frying? If so, what's the rule?
When converting recipes from deep frying to air frying, I've tried using the same temperatures suggested in the original recipe, but I've found that food won't get brown/golden as expected, or it can even get under cooked after the same cooking time. These experiences have lead me to believe that cooking temperature needs to be higher, but some articles I've read about this (i.e. this article) would seem to point in the other direction.
An example of this was with some cheese sticks, which by their recipe were supposed to be deep fried with oil at 210°F for 10 minutes, but when air fried at that temperature for more than 25 minutes, still came out pale and with the dough being undercooked.
By the way, I'm using GoWISE USA GWAC22003 5.8-Quart Air Fryer, in case this is relevant (although I feel it shouldn't, in general terms).


texts: Shaping baguettes using three folds vs. rolling it up?

texts: What's the idea behind the standard French technique of three folds to shape a baguette where you fold it in from top and bottom and then the whole thing over, sealing it with the heel of the hand? The standard Mexican and Vietnamese method is to simply roll the dough up and seems to work just as well for making bolillos or banh mi. I have also seen artisan bakers using the roll-up method to shape batards and probably baguettes as well. Which makes me wonder, if the roll-up method works just fine, why did the French come up with this 3-fold method? What advantage could it have, theoretical or practical?


texts: Self-made fatty dough separates in refrigerator, how to prevent

texts:
I'm not sure if this dough has a specific name in English, it consists of 3 parts (by weight) flour, 1 part fat (mix until it consists of small crumbs) and 1 part water (+salt, mix until it's smooth). Used either to wrap around some filling, or as the bottom below the filling. I'm using liquid plant fat (sunflower) for the fat. Recently I tried making a double portion and keeping half in the refrigerator to use later.

But the dough partly separated, i.e. some of the fat ran out.

Where I live this type of dough is readily available in stores and I've never had the separating problem with store bought one.

But the store bought ones usually use butter or hardened plant fats. Apart from using such less healthy and/or non-vegan fats, is there something else I can do to prevent separation?

I would like to emphasize that I'm after some small change or trick to solve my problem, not another kind of dough. No, I'm not preparing it wrong. When used fresh, it's just fine, i.e. the way I want it to be.


texts: I'm considering growing some sushi radishes, but what are they called, because I'm considering growing some this summer after ordering them from a seed catalog.


texts: Should I season my sushi rice before or after cooking?

texts: When I make rice for sushi, I season it with sugar, salt, rice vinegar, and mirin. I'm never sure if I should add these at the beginning or near the end of cooking the rice. Does it matter when I add these seasonings?


texts: can light beer be used as substitute for white wine vinegar in marinade recipe?

texts:
A chicken marinade recipe calls for both 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup white wine vinegar. I was wondering if I can swap the vinegar with a light beer, and if so, would proportions remain same as if when using vinegar?
If not, can unfiltered apple cider vinegar work as a substitute for white wine vinegar?


texts: I can't find chickpeas. What would you recommend instead when making falafel?


texts: Why don't other grain proteins behave like gluten?

texts:
There are many excellent explanations here (and elsewhere) of what gluten "does."

What I haven't seen anywhere is an explanation of what makes gluten so special. Where do its marvelous elastic properties come from and why don't any other grain proteins (or any other proteins anywhere, for that matter) seem to have them?


texts: How to adjust Baker's Percentage when Adding Ingredients

texts:
I have a recipe of Old Fashioned Donuts that I love... I would like to add some Cocoa Powder to the recipe, but I don't know how to do that and keep the percentages correct. Basically, I don't know if adding Cocoa Powder will muck up the percentages the same as say adding more flour.

The Current Recipe is as follows:

600 g Flour
12 g Kosher Salt
90 g Egg Yolk
30 g Unsalted Butter
15 g Baking Powder
380 g Sour Cream

As a bonus... how much cocoa powder for a recipe like this would be appropriate? I'm kind of new to baking.


texts: Why was there not enough foam in my garlic foam with soy lecithin?

texts:
This was my first attempt at making a foam using soy lecithin. I used 3 garlic cloves, 2/3 cup water, 2/3 cup milk. Then i used an immersion blender. I got a bit of foam on top but there wasnt a lot of it. It felt like a waste of a lot of milk. How much foam should I be expecting?

For now, I put the foamy mixture in the fridge, is there a way to salvage and get more foam?


texts: What do I have to worry about when using a stainless steel pan as opposed to nonstick?

texts:
I've been using nonstick pans exclusively all my life. Most recently, after doing a lot of research, I decided to buy a stainless steel sauté pan (IKEA).

Do I need to handle it differently during cooking? Do I have to be careful when washing? What are some things I will have to watch out for since I'm used to nonstick pans?

EDIT: I decided to split this question about cast iron and stainless steel pans into two questions. The question about cast iron skillets can be found here.


texts:
I just purchased a burr grinder to use with a chorreador coffee maker. A chorreador is functionally similar to a pour over, but the cloth filter will likely have different characteristics.

I've read that the grind should be "fine to medium-fine", and I imagine the specifics are left to taste and depend on other characteristics (roast, amount of beans, etc.). I will tune my grind based on some experimentation, but what are the characteristics I should be looking for? In general, how does coarseness or fineness affect the coffee profile? What characteristics should I expect to vary?

Are there particular characteristics that are "bad" and I should tune to avoid (for example, I've heard the silt in coffee can be hard on digestion)?

I'm not looking for an answer to "how fine should I grins my coffee?", but rather what are the parameters I should look for when experimenting with the grind?


texts: Is it okay to use aluminium foil instead of parchment paper while baking cookies?

texts: I don't have access to parchment paper or even butter paper for that matter. I just read on a website that it'd be okay to use aluminium foil as long as I apply a coating of grease on it. And also since aluminium conducts heat faster, will I need to reduce the baking time?


texts:
I have bought two bottles of honey from a single honey producer. One bottle before, and one recently.

The honey I bought earlier is less viscous, has darker color, and has a smooth texture
The honey I bought recently is more viscous, has lighter color, and has a rough texture

Which honey is of higher quality? What might be the difference cause?


texts: What's the difference between Greek and Bulgarian Feta Cheese

texts: I went to buy some feta cheese today and noticed that there was both Greek and Bulgarian feta. I was wondering what the differences are between the two and can they be suitably substituted for each other?


texts: how to get the salty taste out of your cupcake

texts: I was making cupcakes from scratch with my kids and I tasted the batter after we mixed everything into it .The batter was really really good but it tasted really salty.We tried adding milk but it didn't REALLY help it!Do u have any ideas?


texts: I saw a recipe for a Summer Salad that said to sprinkle raw corn on top for a "crunch" effect - I've never eaten raw corn and was wondering if it was safe.  I'm guessing hard to digest at the least....


texts: can someone tell me what exactly is msg used for?

texts: What exactly is msg? What is it used for and why do some restaurants have signs saying "contains no MSG"?


texts:
I always drain the water I soaked the beans in overnight and cook them in fresh water. But I've been noticing that the water gets a mild dye of the beans so I was wondering if I'm throwing parts of the baby with the bath water, to be proverbial.

Should beans be cooked in the same water they soaked in?


texts:
first post here on Seasoned Advice and I'm just after a wee bit of insight in to the elements of a chilli sauce.

I've been looking in to making chilli sauces at home, but am yet to give it a go - I'm a huge fan of chilli sauces and would really love to nail the flavours I like in a sauce of my own.

I've checked out countless recipes in search of the key elements of a chilli sauce and then stumbled upon this article that stated the 4 key ingredients were fresh chillies, acid, aromatics (carrots, onions, etc.), and salt.

My Questions

1) If these are the core ingredients, what role do they play in creating the sauce? (Chillies are obvious, but the acid and salt I'm curious about)

2) Are there any other core ingredients that go towards making a good sauce?


texts: What is the least amount of vinegar needed to fully curdle milk for cottage cheese?

texts: I found a recipe that states to use around 1/2 tsp of vinegar for 1 quart of milk(0.5% vinegar to milk by weight) and another recipe that says 1/2 cup of vinegar for 3L of milk(3.7% vinegar to milk). That is around 7 times more vinegar. I want to make cottage cheese with the least amount of "vinegary" taste as possible, so how much vinegar do I need to use to effectively curdle the milk and produce cottage cheese. I am using distilled malt vinegar (which has a stronger taste than white vinegar)  which I don't like, but that is the only available one in the UK.


texts: How to stop my cupcakes from sticking to their cupcake wrappers?

texts:
I have found that every time I make cupcakes (or muffins, cornbread & hot dog muffins, etc) that the paper liner sticks to the finished cupcake. I know its not me because the Tim Hortons 'muffins' also stick to their liners.

How do I fix this?


texts: How do I make buckwheat pancakes without non-stick cookware?

texts:
Recently I tried to make buckwheat pancakes, but failed miserably. I tried heating the stainless steel pan (about 12" in diameter) for a few seconds on medium heat, then I applied some safflower oil (about two teaspoons). When I poured the mixture on the heated pan, it immediately stuck...So I couldn't even get past the "flip the pancake" part of the instructions.

Is it possible to make pancakes still? If so, how?


texts: Is it a good idea to use cardamom in chili?

texts:
I am preparing a chili for a contest. The recipe calls for cardamom (along with chili powder and cumin). I have never cooked with it before. From my research, it seems this spice is used more commonly with Indian cuisine.

I do love Indian food. In fact, a good Indian friend at work tells me he does use cardamom, but most usually for sweets. His suggestion was to use garam masala instead of cardamom. But I wonder if the combination of cardamom and chili powder (and possibly cloves) will make my beef chili work.

Has anyone used this spice for anything other than sweets?  Does anyone have strong feelings about using it or omitting it in a beef chili?


texts: What is this black stuff coming off my George Forman grill?

texts: I bought this George Forman Grill with detachable trays that are supposed to be dishwasher safe. I noticed that after the dishwasher there's this black soot on them. What causes this? Is there anyway of preventing it? The drip tray that came with the grill has written on it "wash in top rack only", should the same be done with actual grills? What difference does it make if something is washed in the top or bottom rack?


texts: Can wine be made from tomatoes? Do they have enough sugar to feed the yeast? Are they too acidic?


texts: Why use both milk and cream in a waffle recipe?

texts:
I live in Europe and use a lot of European recipes. Here, traditional waffle recipes generally use a mixture of cream and milk as the liquid. The recipes include melted butter, so I don't understand what the cream is doing. Any ideas?
Bocuse recipe for waffles (as an example) (found in Paul Bocuse "Die Neue Küche" Heyne Kochbücher 1976) - but representative of a great many traditional European recipes for dessert waffles.

500 g flour
a pinch of baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
250 ml milk
750 ml heavy cream
8 egg yolks
100 ml rum
300 g melted butter
4 egg whites

Is there a technical or chemical reason to use cream, even if you are already using butter?


texts:
Yes, I know it's almost impossible to get a good sugar-free chocolate cake, but I won't give up trying,as my husband is a diabetic, and I want to make something nice for his birthday.  This recipe is good-tasting, but too dense, with a fudgy layer at the bottom. I've been working on this for quite a while, but I need the help of professionals with this one.

Sugar-Free Black Magic Cake
Good tasting, but too much moisture, and a fudgy layer at the bottom

½ cup coconut oil (115 g)  2 ¼ cups Splenda (56g) 1 medium banana (½
cup when mashed) (59 g) (try leaving out)  1 teaspoon baking soda  1
large egg plus 3 large egg yolks (117 g total) (save whites for
another use) (try 2 yolks)  1 cup full-fat Bavarian-style buttermilk
(240 g) (try ½ cup lowfat buttermilk)  1 tablespoon pure vanilla
extract  ¾ cups unsweetened natural dark cocoa powder(63 g)  ½
teaspoon baking powder  ½ cup nonfat dry milk powder(g) (try 1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt  2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom  1 cup
self-rising flour (125 g), or convert plain flour to self-rising,
sifted twice (try cake flour)  1 cup strong brewed coffee (240 g), or
1 cup water plus 4 teaspoons Nescafe instant coffee  Dark unsweetened
baking chocolate (190 g) (try leaving out)
Preheat oven to 300º F. Grease and flour two double-parchment-lined (bottom only) 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch sides. Prepare brown paper collars for the pans.
In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt together baking chocolate, cocoa, coffee and coconut oil, whisking to combine. Set aside.
Using a fork, mash banana with baking soda on a plate. In the bowl of a mixture, add banana mixture, eggs, Splenda, buttermilk, vanilla and the rest of the ingredients, except flour and chocolate mixture. Whisk thoroughly, using whisk attachment.
Switch to mixing attachment. Bring chocolate mixture to a boil.  Add flour and boiling chocolate mixture. Mix again on medium speed, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl, until batter is well mixed, a couple of minutes.
Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Tap pans gently several times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake on middle rack 20 to 25 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When just out of the oven, remove the cake from the pan and place both cake and the parchment it was baked in, on a rack and then straight into the freezer for at least 30 minutes. After this time, wrap with plastic wrap, then foil, and place back into the freezer until ready to frost.

Notes:

For best flavor and sweetness, banana should have dark spots on the      skin. Try adding ¾ cup cornstarch to lighten the cake 1 ½ recipe for     2 (9”) cake pans.  If using 1 (9”) pan, bake 40-45 minutes.   Wet       ingredients should be at room temperature before mixing. Batter       should be no more than 2” deep Try Bain-marie-Place cake pans into a     bigger pan of water.  If using cake right after cooling, flip the top    layer over so that the domed top becomes the bottom of the cake. Flip    the second cake so that the bottom becomes the top of the cake,       slicing some of the dome off if necessary to make an even cake.  If      making one cake, cut in half horizontally and flip.


texts:
I bought a pack of blackberries from the supermraket and the label said to wash before use. I tried that and it completely ruined them.

I tried running them under a tap (faucet). Ruined. I tried dropping the fruit into a bowl of water. Ruined. I tried running them under a slow trickle of water. Not ruined but also not washed.

How, please, am I supposed to wash soft fruit like blackberries?


texts:
I have a recipe that calls for 1 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries mixed with 1 cup of sugar (let stand). Then you add egg whites, orange juice and vanilla. Finally, you fold with whipped cream.

Since cranberries are seasonal (and out of season right now) can I use frozen berries in this recipe and have the same results?


texts: How to cook the eggplant in trader joe's eggplant roll style?

texts: I want to learn how to make similar style eggplant roll. I cook eggplant many times, but I have no clue how to make the eggplant moist but not wet. I see the eggplant in trader joe's eggplant roll, it is exactly what I want. Should I bake the eggplant?


texts: Problems with rising sponge in larger tin

texts:
For years I've made classic 6/6/6 and 8/8/8 Victoria sponges (and many variants) in two 7inch tins, with good results.

Now I've tried to bake the same recipe in one 8 inch spring form tin, and had to almost double the cooking time as the centre remained uncooked. Eventually the middle was still moist, while the edges were almost brownie-like in texture, and the cake hadn't risen much at all.

The same result occurred with damp towel around the tin edges, to even cooking pacing, and extra baking powder, so I'm concluding that somehow either something is fundamentally wrong with my approach, or the tin is cursed. Any insight would be much appreciated.


texts: Why does food cooked with peanut oil stick less than food cooked with sunflower oil?

texts:
I tried both  peanut oil and sunflower oil on the same food cooked in the same pan and noticed that when cooked with sunflower oil, the food tends to stick to the pan. If I use peanut oil, I have less of a problem.

Can anyone enlighten me as to why both oils react differently even though they are used for cooking food? Both of them have the same smoke point.


texts: Caramel with their 3 stages (liquid, soft, chewy): What is the key difference when cooking?

texts:
I want to know what is the extra step that make the difference between:

Caramel Sauce;
Soft Caramel;
Chewy Caramel.

I will take Christophe Michalak recipe:

100 g sugar;
100 g cream;
20  g butter.

What is the key step that will make the difference. And what if we added less cream, so we can be aware from slightly oily caramels.


texts: Hey i was trying something different, and want to serve olives as salad but don't know how to make that salty thing to be included in salad.


texts: Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge

texts:
I like to drink my coffee with milk, but my new place of work has no refrigerator I can use. Is there any milk or milk-substitute I can use that will not taste funny around 15 o'clock, when I remove it from my home fridge at 8?

What if I buy 1L of long-lasting milk and bring in ca 100ml in a airtight container a day for coffee, will that be OK?
Maybe a substitute like almond, soy, rice or oatmilk will keep better? Will it taste good?
Another option I can see is powder milk, but that does seems like a hassle.

Bonus points for minimal amount of waste.


texts:
I'm generally an avocado purist, so I throw out any brown spots, but I notice that many restaurants serve avocado even with the brown stuff...

When is an avocado considered bad, and when should the chef be notified that there's something wrong?


texts: What effect does orange juice have when used in dough?

texts:
I was following a recipe to make some Middle Eastern inspired Olive bread, and the recipe called for a cup of orange juice in the dough.

I was intrigued by this as I had not seen it before.

What effect would the orange juice have when use in the dough? Are there any specific reasons to use orange juice in dough?

Here is the rest of the recipe for the dough:

4 cups flour
1 cup oil
1 cup orange juice
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder


texts: Is there a difference between brown and white champignons?

texts:
My supermarket sells two varieties of champignons: Brown and white, with the brown ones being slightly more expensive.

Is there any notable difference between brown and white champignons in how they taste or the way you prepare or store them? Or is it rather like with brown and white chicken eggs where the differences are literally superficial?


texts: A few years ago in Chicago I had a dish called egg yolk shrimp at a Japanese steak house.  Has anyone else had this dish?  Where would I be able to find this dish again?


texts:
In tamago-su recipe, egg shell is first dissolved in vinegar. Then the membrane is broken apart and the white and yolk are poured into vinegar. But I am not sure if these should be poured into the vinegar that dissolved the egg shell, or a new glass of vinegar.

Can you please tell me the correct way?


texts:
I am planning on slicing meat with a slicer for Mongolian BBQ and have decided on slicing frozen chicken breast and frozen pork shoulder butt.

What I do not know though, is what I should use for beef. The meat generally at the local BBQs is rather tough, but I am hoping a somewhat higher quality meat would counteract this.

I bought Pork Shabu-Shabu from the local international market and it was delicious and tender. The worker in the meat department said it was pork shoulder so that's why I am choosing that. Chicken breast is the only thing I can think of that would have enough meat for slicing with a slicer and give good size once cut "paper" thin.

Are my choices correct? What type of cut should I use for beef?


texts: What's the best way to make Béchamel sauce?

texts:
When I make Béchamel sauce I keep getting different results.

Sometimes the sauce becomes too liquidy and never seems to firm up. Other times it might get quite lumpy, despite my use of a recipe that has worked fine in the past.

Are there any general preparation rules or tips to ensure consistent results when making a Béchamel sauce?


texts: I want to buy some cedar planks for the first time to try some fun looking recipes. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with simple, disposable planks compared to the more expensive planks that claim to be reusable, e.g (Nature's Cuisine NC001 Large Cedar Oven Roasting Plank). Previous advice I've seen on cedar planks suggest you can only reuse them one or two times but I believe they were talking about the simplest planks, the ones you'd just buy at a hardware store.


texts:
I made hunters chicken tonight, cooked a chicken breast for 20 mins then took out , covered with bbq sauce and cheese and lay 2 rashers of bacon over the top then returned to the oven -  225 degrees Celsius in a fan oven (that had been on for 20 mins with the chicken in) for about 8-9 minutes .

I didn’t flip the bacon, it was draped over the chicken.

Was this temperature and amount of time enough to kill bacteria? I’m 38 weeks pregnant and terrified of listeria. The pink meat had gone completely opaque and the fat had begun to brown, but the actual pink meat hadn’t gone brown or crispy.


texts: What are some good resources for learning Knife Skills?

texts: What are some good resources for learning knife skills? Specifically, is there anywhere that I can see video demonstration of different slicing techniques and when those techniques are appropriate?


texts:
I have a problem with hard dal after frying. Can someone explain the cause.

I made a tarka for lemon rice yesterday and added 1 tsp of urid dal to the frying mixture as called for in the recipe. Left out the 1 tsp toor dal cos they are bigger and I couldn't imagine that they would cook. On eating, the dal was very hard and weird in the rice. Like eating uncooked rice with cooked rice.

My friend made this recipe before (and used toor dal as well) and when we ate it, I did not notice any hard bits (and I ate the rice for a couple of days after that). I asked her and she said she doesn't know why it became hard. She has also encountered the same problem.

Should the rice be left to steam further after mixing in the tarka?


texts: How to solve under-baked cookie centers?

texts:
I've made 3 batches of this recipe for "The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies" but I can't figure out how to keep them soft and have them fully baked.

I baked the batches at 350 degrees with the following variations:

Exactly like the recipe, baked 10 minutes. Under-baked centers.
Made with browned butter. Baked 16 minutes. Fully cooked centers, but not soft.
Made with browned butter and refrigerated dough. Baked 13 minutes. Slightly under-baked centers.

Any suggestions? I'm not attached to the recipe, so if someone wants to recommend a totally different one, I'm listening.


texts: Is it possible to keep battered deep-fried (pork) crunchy?

texts:
I like the pork in sweet and sour pork to be crunchy, so I deep-fry it and only add the sauce at the last second - or often just have it on the side.  I'm thinking of making a big batch of S&S for a party, and I'm trying to figure out if I can do the deep-frying early, but still have the pork be crunchy.

Is there any way to do this, either by changing my cooking technique or by storing it a certain way?  Even if I can do it the day before, it'd dramatically simplify the party logistics.


texts: I cracked and egg to make scrambled eggs. the egg looked weird. The yolk was sort of orange, and looked kind of mosaic like, and seemed to be sort of congealed. I thought maybe it had frozen a bit on the top shelf of the frig, so I left the skillet on low to thaw it, added the milk, scrambled it, and even tho it never completely dissolves/mixes with the milk, it did so even less this time, and when I pulled the part up that hadn't mixed, it was a lot longer, thicker, just more massive than usual. Is there something wrong or unsafe about this egg?


texts: How to make microwaved condensed milk caramel sauce properly?

texts: When I tried making, but it always necomes pieces, and if I continue to turn it into a caramel brown colour, very dry, and turns into candy. What is the a recipe for making a caramel sauce in a microwave? I want it to be like canned dulce de leche. Unfortunately, I learned what cans might be leaching unsafe plastics (like BPA) into foods if boiled, so I won't do that.


texts: Can you sub collagen protein for whey protein isolate in baking?

texts:
I have Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Unflavored, which is 90% protein (9g protein per 10 g serving).

The whey protein isolates I've seen are also approximately 90% protein. Because I already have the collagen, I'd like to substitute it for whey protein isolate in recipes for gluten-free baked goods. I've searched this topic online and am coming up blank. I have yet to find a GF baked recipe that uses collagen in the same way that they're using the WPI. Anyone out there have any experience/knowledge with subbing collagen for the isolate? Thanks for the help, Mary

Note: I am specifically asking about isolate, not just whey protein.


texts: I was cooking BBQ chicken in the crockpot and didn't put the lid back on . Left to run errands about 3 1/2 hours. And came home to see I left the lid off. Is the chicken ruined?


texts: How to store homemade fresh Mozzarella Cheese

texts:
What is the key to keeping fresh Mozzarella soft.

It often turns "sticky" in refrigerator storage


texts: Can exposure to carbon dioxide spoil a lactic fermentation project?

texts:
I’m using lactic fermentation to make a batch of sauerkraut, fermented berries, etc.
Rather than going the glass jar route I’ve placed everything in a vacuum sealed bag. This is a technique which Noma uses.

Over the next few days the contents will create a large balloon of carbon dioxide within the bag.
Can the exposure to carbon dioxide spoil the contents, in the same way that exposure to air would?

Example image:

Would it be feasible to “burp” the bag, freeze the contents, vacuum, then allow to thaw to continue the ferment? This way I would be able to reseal the bag without worrying about the wet juices being sucked out by the vacuum sealer.


texts: Some muffin recipes incorporate sliced apples inside muffins. My question is, will these apple slices become either rancid or old-tasting inside the muffin while being stored inside the refrigerator?


texts: Should the oven temperature be the same for smaller batch?

texts: Im making the no knead ciabatta bread and it calls for 4 cups of flour but i used 2 cups. It says to throw it in a 425 degree F oven for 35-45 minutes but i did that before and it would cook quickly. before 30 min. Should it remain the same temperature or should i alter it?


texts: Is it possible to create this low calorie high fiber brownies?

texts:
I have been looking at some of the low calorie brownie options online and have not found one I can sink my teeth into, without worrying about my hips. So I decided to think up a whole new recipe of my own:

Ingredients for your average Brownie

Soft Butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar , sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
1.25 cups cocoa sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Ingredients for my low calorie high fiber Brownie

Peanut vegetable oil for greasing the pan
Flour for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1/4 cup No Calorie sugar
1/4 cup wild honey
2 ounces melted I Can't believe it is not butter
1 ounce Peanut vegetable oil
1.25 cups cocoa, sifted
1/4 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup Oatmeal, finely blended, and sifted/
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I also thought of adding blended Cabbage(high fibre) to make more brownies and increase the fiber.

Please tell me what you think. Is this possible to make brownies with all the substitutions I made or will any of these substitutions adversely affect the results of what one would refer to as a normal brownie?


texts: Quantity of Orzo when using other ingredients

texts: I am making an orzo salad, and I am adding Rotisserie chicken, green onions, cherub tomatoes artichoke hearts, lemon juice and zest as well as herbs. I am making this for a BBQ party with apprx. 25 guests and am not sure how much orzo to cook. Can anyone give me an idea. I want the ingredients to be evenly matched, not heavy on one over another. Thank you for any answers.


texts: How to contain the smell of truffle spice?

texts:
From our trip to Venice, Italy we brought home some truffle spice. It says "truffle powder" on the small container and mainly consists of salt, flour, truffle and dried mushrooms.

It smells delicious, but very intensive. A very small amount of powder is enough to add a nice and subtle taste to any meal. Too much could easily ruin it.

When I first opened the packaging, the smell immediately struck me. After using it for the first time, I stored it in a ziploc bag. After a day, the whole kitchen smelled like truffle as soon as I opened the spice cabinet. Since a sealable plastic bag did not seem to do the job, I took a small airtight container with the perfect size to fit it in and returned it into my cabinet.

This was some days ago, and in spite of regularly opening all windows during the day, the smell hits you when you enter the apartment. How can this spice possibly smell so intense? It is locked airtight! What else can I do?


texts:
I know nothing about bread making and I'm a novice. I've got a new recipe that I really want to try, but it calls for bread flour and doesn't mention the bread flour strength.

I have strong bread flour, is that what they meant? If not, will that work anyway? Is there some way of converting strong bread flour to make it weaker?


texts:
We had some green beans in a chicken dish, and despite being well-cooked, they still squeaked against the teeth.

Its not an unpleasent sensation, but it doesn't really blend with the other foods.

This has happened with both Green and Yellow beans that have been sliced but not "podded" like peas.

Not sure if it happens with broad beans, but definitely doesn't happen with tinned baked beans.  This squeak doesn't happen with cooked pea pods.

So what is special about beans that they can still squeak after cooking?
Is it something that can be cooked out of the beans?


texts:
In the UK eggs are sized as, small, medium, large and extra large.

What weights/ratios do these correspond, so if a recipe calls for 1 large egg, how many small eggs could I use in its place?

I assume that other countries have similar sizing standards, so if we can aggregate non-UK information as well, that'd be a worthwhile addition to the site.


texts: Techniques to get a nice golden-brown crust on bread

texts: How do I make sure the crust of a baguette, etc. turns out a nice golden-brown when baking?


texts: How long will carrots that I've shredded in the food processor stay good in the fridge?  Also what's the best way to store them?


texts: Can I convert this cocoa frosting to a coffee frosting instead?

texts:
Our family's go-to recipe for celebration cakes is a hazelnut torte with a semi-sweet, cocoa-based chocolate frosting. The torte is completely flourless, and pretty sweet (gotta get structure from somewhere!). Thus, the frosting is minimally sweetened to provide contrast, and to prevent the whole thing from becoming sickly-sweet.
Problem is, we have two close friends who are allergic to chocolate. A few years ago, I got the excellent suggestion to use a coffee-flavored frosting instead. We (my sister and I) tried it, and it worked as far as the flavor goes, but the frosting just wasn't as good as the chocolate original: it had texture issues, and despite doing our utmost to make sure we didn't add too much sugar, it was still too sweet.
I've looked for coffee frosting recipes, but they all seem to involve several cups of powdered sugar. Riiiight.
So, can y'all help me convert this recipe to using coffee instead of the cocoa? Bonus points if the end result is gluten-free (just to uphold the tradition, really). Also, the torte is made with 8 egg whites, so it would be nice if the converted frosting recipe would continue to use up the 8 egg yolks.

Ingredients: 2 heaping tableserving spoons Dutch-processed cocoa (the original recipe just calls for 2 big spoonfuls, but in family practice, this has morphed to a whole lot more cocoa than that), 3 to 5 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on how heavy-handed you were with the cocoa), 5 tablespoons water, 8 egg yolks, 2 sticks unsalted butter.
Method: combine everything except the butter in the top of a double boiler. Cook slowly, stirring pretty much constantly, until very thick and sticky. (It'll take a while, and your arms will get pretty tired.) Let cool. Meanwhile, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Combine the cooled chocolate mixture and the butter.


texts: How long should I let durian ripen in a freezer bag?

texts: I recently picked up some cut up durian  at an Asian supermarket, and since pre-packaged fruit normally is a little under ripe, I was wondering how long I should allow the durian to ripen in the bag before Christmas.


texts: How do I remove kiwifruit skin without losing a lot of the fruit's flesh?

texts: Is there a way to loosen the skin from the flesh before peeling a kiwifruit with a paring knife or peeler? I'm not a deft hand with a paring knife, and I suspect that it's time to buy a peeler with a sharper blade, but any tips on peeling technique with regard to kiwifruit would be welcome.


texts:
What would be the best way for replacing egg wash when baking bread?
I've tried unsweetened soy milk but it didn't brown that well.


texts: Basil Pesto Vinaigrette - what kind of vinegar?

texts:
I have had this amazing pesto vinaigrette at a local restaurant recently, and I have been trying recreate it in my home quickly and easily. I know the best way to do it would be from scratch, but does anyone have suggestions on the type of vinegar to use to mix in with store-bought pesto?

I have tried about 3 TBS of pesto to 1 TBS of white wine vinegar. It has some of the similar taste, but what I am looking for is a bit sweeter and a little less acidic. I don't want to add too much more vinegar, because the consistency I am going for is pourable but not overly watery.

Any thoughts? Has anyone tried this with a different type of vinegar?

Or should I just ask the restaurant for their recipe?


texts: Is it better to wash eggs before refrigerating?

texts: I want to know how to store eggs in the refrigerator. Some people say to never wash them, others say it's ok to wash eggs before refrigerating. Which is correct?


texts:
Why does reheata cooked meat (can it be chicken, cow or pig) results in a realy bad taste and smell?

Is there tips to reheat it?


texts: Will removing short rib bones after cooking dry the meat?

texts:
i'm roasting lots of short rib this weekend in 2 batches and curious to know if removing the bones quickly (for stock) after the 1st batch is cooked and refrigerating the cooked meat while the 2nd batch cooks will dry the meat out at all? i.e. would it be better to leave bones in while it cools down or doesn't make a difference?

Thanks!


texts:
What are the practical differences between using bagged vs. loose leaf tea?

Are there differences in quality, caffeine content, etc.?  Why?


texts: How can I remove bitterness from custard after adding pineapple to it?

texts: I recently made custard with a huge amount of milk, custard powder and sugar. After boiling it for few minutes I added vanilla essence to it. After it was settled I added apple and pineapple. Then I placed the whole mixture in the fridge and the custard was tasting fine at that time. But after a half hour of cooling, when I tasted the mixture it was bitter. I googled about the issue and found out that milk and pineapple are not good friends, but I don't want to waste the whole thing now. Is there any way to reduce the bitterness?


texts: Can I bake bread in a cast iron Dutch oven with the lid on, or should I use tin foil instead?

texts: I have a Cuisinart cast iron enamelware dutch oven that I purchased recently to bake bread in the oven.  I am supposed to bake at 450 degrees.  The pot states it can be baked up to 500 degrees, however does that include the lid.  The lid is cast iron but has a knob on it that I am unsure of. Please send me info as my bread is rising and needs to be baked.  Should I just cover it with foil?  I don't think I will get the same results.


texts: Why are my (italian Whole foods) sausages still pink inside?

texts:
I bought some italian pork and garlic sausages from Whole foods.  I cooked them on a low heat, they were in the pan for probably an hour but the middle remained slightly pink.  To be precise, by middle I mean if you cut the sausage the inner 2/4 would be slightly but noticably pink.  I checked with a thermometer (which I checked as accurate) and the temperature was at in the 180s, although I could just be measuring wrongly (I cut the sausage open and stuck the thermometer straight into the pinkish park).  I tried them still and they taste kind of dry and overcooked.

I understand sometimes preservatives are used which makes things pink but 1) These were from wholefoods and there is nothing in them except for salt, garlic, pepper and sugar 2) The outer area near the skin was gray and not pink.

Any ideas?


texts: Are these small yellow things on my lettuce worms?

texts: I found these in my baby lettuce leaf, are they worms? They didn't move and one fell out being stiff


texts: Do you add extra oil when replacing eggs in baked goods?

texts:
I usually use applesauce to replace eggs in muffins, but I realize that I am losing out on some of the fat that an egg yolk would provide. Should I add more oil when I do this? If so, how much?

If it helps, here is the recipe I use to make muffins: https://togetherasfamily.com/mini-chocolate-chip-muffins/

I replace one egg with 3 tbsp of applesauce and 1/8 tsp baking soda. Is there a rule for how much oil I should add per egg?

Thank you. :)


texts:
Is it safe to consume packed tea leaves after their expiry?
After all they might have lost their flavor, but can they be harmful in any way?


texts:
I was in France some time ago and bought some Confit de Canard with me back home. But how do I cook it for best result? And what do I serve with it? Also, what would be a good desert?
I'm thinking of Foie Gras as entrée.


texts:
I just cooked a thin rib eye steak. I took its temperature 40 sec after removing it from the pan (all cooked outside) and it registered 135 degrees F. However, due to it being quite thin, it was hard to find the middle. I aimed for med-rare, but I think it may have been too rare. Here are some pictures.
Could anyone please indicate how done this stake was?

I am particularly concerned this last piece was too rare.


texts:
I just tried today to temper dark chocolate for the second time. I used about a pound of Toll House dark chocolate chips. If the quality of that chocolate is my problem, that would help me a lot.

My first attempt, I heated 3/4 of the chocolate to about 115 F, took it off heat, and tried to cool it by adding the remaining chocolate as a seed. The instructions I used said it should cool and almost melt all the seed. Wrong, it all melted in about 10 seconds. I'm guessing all the temper in that seed was lost and my chances were ruined right then. All my test parchment failed to set up. I also noticed the thermometer I was using was awful so I went and bought a fancy infrared gun thermometer. I put the failed bowl in the fridge to set up.

I just tried again with the new thermometer. Having no tempered seed, I figured I'd try the melt, cool, reheat method. I put the chunks of chocolate into the glass bowl over a pot of a water on very low heat, and melted it up to 115 again. Then I took it off the heat, and spent over 20 minutes stirring and waiting for it to cool it down to about 82.5 degrees. Then I put it back on the heat for 10 second increments, heating it first to about 85, and keeping it there for a few minutes, then heating it to just a fraction over 88. I held it at that temperature for a few minutes to make sure the form IV crystals were gone, and then dipped some parchment strips. Again, they never set, even in the fridge. Like before, they looked ok, with good gloss, but stayed soft and smeared to the touch.

Rather than getting discouraged I tried heating it back up to about 90 degrees, held it again, and then did more tests. Still nothing. It's back in the fridge now.

I have no idea what to do next except get a different batch of higher quality chocolate to try.


texts: Ratios in traditional Thai peanut curry recipes

texts:
I tried to make a Thai peanut curry and used a highly rated recipe:
I have no experience making Thai food and have only eaten it in restaurants.

It did occur to me that the peanut butter content seemed very high in that recipe. The resulting dish was in fact far too sweet and fatty and not nearly spicy enough. My first inclination would be to eliminate the sugar, reduce the peanut butter. The spiciness was easily remedied by the liberal application of sriracha. My goal is not just to make a tasty dish but to also be as authentic as possible.

What should I look for in an authentic Thai curry recipe? About what ratio of peanut butter should I expect? Should they add sugar as this one did?


texts:
I've been taking a crack at a few variations of the Elven Lembas bread recipe from Lord of the Rings, because I'm a nerd and like to make random things. A common recipe I see linked in various blogs is this: http://www.geekychef.com/2008/12/elven-lembas-bread.html

I've modified the recipe a little bit (ie: swapped out macadamia nuts for almonds, and I ground up about 50 raisins and added them in too. Also, I used coconut oil in place of melted butter, and added a banana instead of the kumquats). So, the final recipe would be:

3 eggs
1 c. honey
1 banana
3 oz. chopped almonds
¼ c. melted coconut oil
2 ¼ c. whole wheat flour
½ tsp. salt
½ c. chopped raisins

I don't have access to a pizelle iron or a krumcake iron, so I tried baking these in the over. I ended up having to use more like 3½ cups of flour instead of the 2¼ the recipe calls for, just so it didn't have the consistency of runny semi-cooked eggs. The taste is good, but even after baking at 350 degrees (F) for 20 minutes, it comes out as a semi-soft, heavy lump and tasty doughy/undercooked inside. It also gives me some cramps, so I'm attributing that (hopefully correctly) to it being undercooked.

In the movie, these treats looked very solid in shape, kind of like a lemon bar (very flat top and bottom and clear-cut edges), and they looked flaky and crispy when eaten, kind of like a really thick cracker.

Are there any suggestions on preparation or the recipe in general that would allow me to have these more thoroughly cooked AND have a crispy texture rather than a heavy doughy one? I'm currently making them 4"x4"½x" in size each.

EDIT

I've since revisited the recipe, and now have something closer to what I wanted. It's not dry like a cracker or thick cookie, but it tastes good, texture is palatable, and after calculating the nutrition profile by hand (fat, vitamin, fibre, protein, etc), I'm quite please with the result. The modified ingredient list is now:

3 eggs
1 cup honey
1 banana
1 puréed mandarin orange (thoroughly washed, seedless, entire orange plus skin and pith included)
1 cup chopped almonds (ground to small pieces, almost a flour)
¼ c. melted coconut oil
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
2 cups corn meal
½ tsp. salt
½ c. chopped raisins
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast in ½ cup of warm water, let to dissolve for five minutes

The whole thing basically gets a trip in the food processor, except the flour, which is added after in a separate bowl. I bought some small 3" x 6" individual cake pans. I scoop a ½" thick layer into a pre-buttered/greased pan, and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes at 350 deg. F. The texture is roughly like that of a very heavy banana bread, and tastes good, just off sweet. The only thing I might modify is the amount of coconut oil.


texts: I bought this the other day for making shabu shabu (샤부샤부) as well as for camping.  The pot itself is made of cast iron which I know how to clean, but the lid is made of wood.  The lid doesn't get very dirty during use - but there are some splatters, etc - I'm wondering if I should wipe this down with oil or just water?  I would use oil, but I'm concerned that this will inhibit the wood's ability to swell when placed over steaming liquid.


texts: Are there special considerations for making a pie with the express intention of freezing?

texts:
This past weekend we visited Rodale farm's organic apple festival, and we spent all of yesterday canning. We also have several peaches from making a batch of fruit ketchup. We still have about 1/4 a bushel of apples left, so I was considering making several fruit pies to freeze for the upcoming thanksgiving season.

Thus far, I have seen several recipes that caution AGAINST freezing, some that have tips about freezing (namely, blind bake the crust before freezing, do NOT bake the fruit, bake the pie frozen, just add an extra 20-25 minutes to the normal baking time).

Are there any other major concerns when making a pie specifically with the intention of freezing it? Should I add starch to prevent a liquidy mess? Should I try to drain the fruit first with a little salt to remove excess water?