texts: Syracuse Salt Potatoes - what's the deal?

texts:
Recently I've learned about salt potatoes, which is a regional dish from Syracuse, NY. Basically, you put about 1 cup of salt to 6 cups of water and boil unpeeled potatoes in that water. I've also watched this video before trying to cook - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IochM2MoIDA.

What I got as a result was very tasty, however, the thing is that, apart from lightly salty peels, my salt potatoes tasted exactly like regular ones.

In Wikipedia it is said that:

  The resulting potatoes are creamy, as the starch in the potatoes cooks more completely due to the higher boiling temperature of the extra-salty water.

My question would be--what sets apart (in terms of taste) salty Syracuse potatoes from regular ones, and how can I understand that I've cooked them properly? Maybe I've just used too little salt, maybe the salt shouldn't be regular kitchen salt. Maybe I should boil the potatoes longer (I was afraid that peel would burst and the potatoes would get over-salted).

In other words--again, apart from salty peeling--how can an experienced blindfolded gourmet recognize salty Syracuse potatoes?


texts: Pure fresh semolina pasta with and without eggs

texts:
Searching google for Italian recipes of fresh pasta using semolina di grano duro flour (semola di grano duro in Italian), I found a lot of videos and instructions from Italian websites and Italian chefs NOT using eggs. A few examples:

Book writer
Blog
Chef on youtube

Even when I find instructions with eggs, they always mix with common flour (00).

Is there a reason to not mix eggs with the semolina when preparing a pure semolina recipe?


texts: What purpose does coffee serve in a chocolate cake recipe?

texts:
I have a recipe for a chocolate buttermilk cake.  It's not constructed like most cakes, but it's always turned out OK.  I've always wondered what does the coffee in the recipe do?

Is the coffee just there as an additional flavor?  (The cake never tastes strongly of coffee.)  Can I use a cheap instant coffee, or will a higher quality coffee make a difference?  Does the acid in the coffee do something?  Does the temperature of the coffee really matter?

Here's the recipe:

  3 cups flour, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups freshly brewed hot coffee, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  Slowly combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.  Blend (on medium speed) in the oil and buttermilk.  On low, mix in the eggs, one at a time.  Add the hot coffee and vanilla and mix on low speed.

  Divide into two 9 inch round cake pans and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

from Caprial's Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey


texts: Do Raisins become stale?  What happens to them?  How should I store them?


texts: If bacon tastes like fish, is it still good to eat?

texts:
I've had some bacon in the freezer for a few weeks, got it out and fried it up today, and it tastes like fish.

Is it still good to eat?

No, there was no fish in the freezer
No, there was no fish cooked on the frying pan previouslyl


texts: How does the quantity of salt change after the steaming stage when cooking pulao?

texts:
When making pulao1, I taste the salt in the broth before the steaming stage (also called dum). At this time, the saltiness is just right. But after the rice has finished steaming, it is less salty than before.

Why does this happen? What is the effect of steaming on the saltiness of cooked rice?

—————

1 Pulao is a very popular rice dish on the Indian subcontinent and Middle Eastern countries in which rice is cooked in a seasoned broth. The broth may contain cooked onion, garlic, ginger along with spices. It may also contain meat, fish or vegetables. It is sometimes also called rice pilaf.


texts: How do I tell bucatelli pasta size and thickness

texts: I am trying to find Bucatini pasta.  I don't want the really thick one...I have seen it with #14, #16, etc.Which ine is the smaller diameter?


texts:
There is a (Turkish?) specialty, boiled lamb's head.

In restaurants, I've noticed it's boiled to an extent that you can pull apart skull segments easily and access the brains.

Whatever I try I can't reach this state. Recently, I used sous vide for about 18 hours, 84°C.

Any experiences with this?


texts:
When I didn't have any bread in house I baked some dough of just flour and water.
I was quite pleased with the result but it was still a bit "compact".

If possible I'd like to make it more fluffy and absorbant.

Are there any easy things I can add to it to achieve this?
I know for actual bread I'll have to have to follow a bread recipe but I'm wondering how close I can get.


texts: What would you call this way of cooking an egg?

texts:
I recently discovered this video of Jaques Pepin frying a couple of eggs.  I never really liked fried eggs before and I think this is because I'd been doing it wrong — with the heat too high. I've since been enjoying fried eggs quite a bit but I like the yolk slightly less runny.  Usually where it's just a tad bit congealed but not hard.
I found a few places that outline the different names for fried eggs, which go something like this (from https://www.eggs.ca/eggs101/view/7/how-to-fry-the-perfect-egg):

Sunny side up: The egg is fried with the yolk up and is not flipped.
Over easy: The egg is flipped and the yolk is still runny.
Over medium: The egg is flipped and the yolk is only slightly runny.
Over well: The egg is flipped and the yolk is cooked hard.

The closest thing seems to be over medium but I'm not flipping the egg. So what would you call sunny side up with only slightly running yolk?


texts: Create hot "sauce" from capsaicin extract

texts:
There are a lot of hot sauces like "Blairs Mega Death" with more than 500.000 scoville heat units. However, they do have some odd taste, which I don't really like.

So I'm thinking of creating a sauce from capsaicin or nonivamide extract. These are pure chemicals with 16.000.000 and 9.200.000 SHU respectively and would be perfect candidates for creating tasteless but very hot sauces. I already have nonivamide at home. Capsaicin is something I could get easily over the internet.

Since you really can't just put them on your food, you have to dissolve or mix it with either a liquid or another powder. I don't think I can use a powder because that would never create a homogeneous mixture. So I'm thinking of a liquid.

Facts:

Capsaicin is soluble in alcohol, ether, benzene, slightly soluble in CS2, HCl, petroleum

Nonivamide is soluble in methanol

...

So, obviously these are all non-edibles, except for alcohol. But I don't really like the idea of consuming alcohol to every meal. It just doesn't sound very healthy. Does anyone have an idea of how to create a hot but tasteless "sauce" or powder from pure capsaicin / nonivamide?


texts: Effect of metal colander on jerky meat post-marinade

texts: I make a lot of beef jerky. I always marinade in for at least a day in a Ziploc bag. After marinade, I leave it in a colander for several hours to drain and speed up drying. The colander I've always used for this is just a cheap metal one from a garage sale. I know you're not supposed to marinate meat in a metal container, and lately have been wondering if the time in the colander is having any effect on my jerky. I've never noticed any metallic taste or discoloration. What are the odds the colander is effecting the jerky in some way?


texts: How to use lemon or other fruit acid in Brigadeiro without curdling?

texts:
Here in Brazil it is customary to make Brigadeiro of varied flavors. The basic recipe is sweetened condensed milk and butter cooked until sticking to the pan.

It is known that, when the acidic fruit juice comes into contact with the milk, it curdles. This is the problem.

How can I cook 395g of sweetened condensed milk + 15g butter + 25ml lemon juice (or any other acid fruit juice) without it curdling?

PS.: I do not want to use essences or anything with artificial lemon flavor.


texts: How can I remove the greasiness from my ice cream?

texts:
I am using 35% whole cream and 3.25% whole milk to make my home made ice cream and it leaves a greasy aftertaste. How can I improve this?

glucose de 46,
skim milk powder
modified cornstarch
sugar
cream cheese
35% cream
3.25 milk


texts: What needs to be added to quinoa flour make it "behave" like all-purpose flour?

texts:
I'm a Type 2 diabetic who loves bread and pasta, so I'm exploring ways of making my favorite foods more "blood sugar friendly", hoping that I can re-integrate them into my diet in a healthy way.

Compared to all-purpose flour, quinoa flour has higher amounts of dietary fiber and protein and lower amount of carbs, making it a great candidate, nutritionally, but I also know that it (like many other "ancient grains") doesn't have the gluten that gives all-purpose flour so many of its useful characteristics.

Unfortunately, given the popularity of "gluten-free", the vast majority of search results that I get for "quinoa flour" and "gluten" end up taking me to recipes/articles for gluten-free cooking/baking, which is really the opposite of what I am looking for.

So does anyone have any tips on or experience with making quinoa flour into a more suitable standalone replacement for all-purpose flour?  Add gluten for structure/airiness?  More liquid to avoid dryness?  Anything else?


texts: Film on top of my almost vegan potato / onion / parsley soup

texts:
I make this soup from a very simple recipe - except from a little butter, it's vegan:

1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
2 medium potatoes
1 bunch of parsley with the stems removed
1 bouillon cube
1 1.2 liter of water

I sweat the onions / butter / garlic - I then add the potatoes and the water - bring it to a boil, let it cook for 15 minutes then add the parsley and the bouillon cube. I let it cook for another 5 minutes - then I blend everything in the vitamix. (blender)

The soup tastes delicious and is creamy for having no cream, however, this thin film develops on top of the soup.
What is this? Is the starch from the potatoes separating and sticking together? Is there any way to get rid of it?


texts: Can I put chicken marinade on chicken after it was almost cooked?

texts: Can I put uncooked chicken marinade back on chicken after it is almost finished on the BBQ or roasted?


texts: My mother would grow her own pimentos, then she would clean and cut them up and melt them down in a pot and slowly reduce them down to a thick sauce. Then she added other ingredients which I believe were raw eggs, but not sure.   When it was down she would refrigerate it then added it to mayo. You have never tasted potatoe salad like hers ever. This recipe is at least 50 yrs old and she never passed  this recipe down to to me before she passed away. Please, if you have any idea what I'm talking about please answer.


texts: Why does water color go red when you boil maizes or lentils? Is it bad?

texts:
I was boiling two maizes in a pot. After about twenty minutes the water inside the pot became red-colored. Also, some days before that, I was boiling lentils and the same happened.
Why did this happen and is this water safe to drink besides eating the maize and/or lentils?


texts: Why does my pizza dough stick to my peel?

texts:
I've been experimenting with Neapolitan pizza dough(recipe) and what I would call a normal wooden peel(here). I have run into trouble transferring the pizza from the peel to my baking steel in the oven on about 10% of my pizzas.  Usually what happens is I'm fine transferring the first 1-2 pizzas, but by the 3rd or 4th in a row(within 20mins or so) the pizza sticks to the peel and causes a huge mess in the oven and me to throw out the dough.

The way I am making dough is about as wet as I can make it, I add about 20-30g to the existing recipe noted above to make it extra wet. I flour the peel, dough, my hands, and working surface quite liberally with a dredge.  I stretch the dough about as far as possible for 200g pizza, until it almost tears.

I did find a tip on YouTube where they recommended lifting up the edge of the dough after it is prepared on the peel, and blowing under the pizza dough to "lift" it up before trying to launch it off of the peel. I do this each time and still run into my issue.

Note - I do own an aluminum peel as well, but the first and only time I tried that to transfer the dough into the oven I failed so I'm too afraid to try it again without further advice on the matter(this peel)

Here is what my dough usually looks like with the peel I normally use floured and ready to be launched into the oven:

Here was a successful peel to steel transfer to give you an idea of my oven and setup:


texts: Resources for cooking for Wilson's Disease?

texts:
I have a friend who has been diagnosed with Wilson's disease, and needs to go on a low-copper diet.

There are plenty of websites that spell out which foods are okay and which to avoid.  (some are more complete or more detailed (2) than others ... but there isn't the wealth of information as with other food restrictions (lists of specific brands to prefer over other ones for given items, recommended substitutions (eg, for a non-soy soy sauce), recipes tailored to the restriction, etc.).

The only thing that I've found with any deeper information is a thread on a discussion board.  (which requires logging in to read easily)

Is anyone aware of any other resources with advice / menu planning recommendations for dealing with this situation?

update: I was trying to not explain the health side of things, but as most people aren't familiar with Wilson's Disease (I wasn't until a couple of months ago; and it's not Wilson's Syndrome): the issue is your body absorbing too much copper, which causes liver failure (and then death).  I didn't ask specifically about 'low copper diets', because although a low copper diet is part of the treatment (<1mg/day initially, so about 50% of the US FDA Daily Recommended Value), you also have to avoid anything else that would stress the liver (so alcohol is out)


texts: Does freezing sap freshness? Will acids bring the flavor back?

texts:
I just dethawed a frozen lentil soup which was poorly seasoned before it went into the freezer. I added salt to the other half which I ate fresh and made a mental note of seasoning the frozen batch once thawed. Once I thawed it, I corrected the seasoning and observed there was this unpleasant metallic flavor to the soup. I can't put a point on it, but it tasted "off".

I considered for a moment: what if extreme temperatures sap the freshness out of food by reducing the acidity of the fresh product? Lo, when I gave it a slight splash of sherry vinegar, all was right again. However, I love sherry vinegar and use it often in any salad or soup to sour it up to my taste.

My question is: does freezing reduce acidity in products? Is acidity what we perceive to be the "fresh" flavor of things not previously frozen or boiled to oblivion?


texts: Proportions for improvised cran-apple juice

texts:
I'm making a beverage that calls for cran-apple juice (the marketed name by Ocean's Spray's cranberry+apple juice blend). My local grocers have a very limited product offering which rules out buying the blend off-the-shelf.

I do, however, have access to generic cranberry juice and apple juice. So, what I'm stuck at is basically the proportion of how to mix them. I suppose there is some "secret sauce" element to the recipe, so understandably there was nothing on the Ocean Spray website that was of any use for mixing my own. I tried some other search engine queries, but could only find making recipes where its made from actual cranberries (not juice). Such recipes made it difficult to distinguish the proportion from the volumes of water and juiced cranberries.

Question

Can anyone weigh in on what is a reasonable approximation of the cran-apple blend using only cranberry juice and apple juice? If other ingredients are needed, feel free to include them in your recipe and I'll try to incorporate them (as long as they are also readily available).

Note: Bit of a race against the clock, otherwise I'd happily order a bottle online or trial and error until I'm satisfied.


texts:
I tried making Udon noodles several times and even though I've gotten a rhythm to do them, I still can't figure out why they break so easy when I blanch them. I use

1tsp lye water
8 ounces (1 cup) warm water
2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

I blanch them for about 7 minutes and roll it until 1/16 of a inch thick.

When eating them with chopsticks they don't even make it that far because they break. It might be the weight on them but they break.

How can I improve my udon noodles so that they don't break?


texts:
How to achieve a constant browning and even cooking when you have a bunch of steaks that do not fit on the pan?

What happens to me is that usually the first batch gets not brown enough, and the second and subsequent batches get browner (more than what I like.)

What is the proper technique to have all the pieces cook about the same?


texts:
I frequently make use of brining as a tool to help yield juicy (and well-seasoned) meat--especially on pork and poultry. I am usually pretty successful with this technique and get compliments from guests.

On the other hand, I have in the past purchased factory-brined poultry and found it nearly unpalatable. These will sometimes say things like "up to 12% retained water"--sometimes even 16% or 20%.

What is the difference here? My hypothesis is that one of more of these factors are a detriment to the factory-brined birds

Concentration (e.g. 5% vs 15%)
Chemicals (e.g. salt vs sodium phosphate)
Delivery method (soaking vs injecting)
Age (freshly brined vs sitting for who-knows-how-long)

It seems to me that something about the factory brine is irreparably damaging the muscle fibers. In part, I'm interested so I know what to avoid in my own brines (e.g., for #4--do I need to be sure to cook my beast promptly after brining), and in part I am just intrigued by the difference.


texts: Conversion of liquid rennet to powdered rennet?

texts: How much powdered rennet should you use if a recipe states 1 tsp liquid rennet (for cheese)?


texts:
I picked up a Marcato Pasta Maker and followed the recipe included to make both fettuccine and ravioli. The instructions that came with the machine offer two basic recipes:

500g soft wheat flour
5 eggs

or

250g soft wheat flour
250g durum wheat (semolina flour)
5 eggs

I've tried both methods, using King Arthur All Purpose flour for the soft wheat flour, and Caputo Semola for the semolina. In both cases, I found the resulting pasta to be tough and have a considerable bite.  I tried cooking both pastas for a bit longer than recommended with the same results.  I am using the recommended thinness that the machine produces as well. The recipe notes to knead for 10mins or until the dough is smooth. I have been kneading it for 10-12 mins and still find that it isn't quite "smooth"; but I'm no expert on what that is.

I would prefer a more delicate, soft, and melt in your mouth type of pasta. Instead I am getting something with quite a bit of bite and that is quite tough. What can I do to improve the result to my liking?


texts:
I have a batch of King Arthur sourdough starter that I mixed up several months ago and have been using ever since. I keep it in the refrigerator and feed it with 100 g of AP flour and 100 g of water once a week. I have made several hybrid loaves with it with no issues.
I have noticed that at the end of the week when I am ready to feed it, it seems to have an orange-pink coating that has a strong citrus smell. I assume that it is some kind of fungus. I live in north Florida. It does not seem to be harmful in any way; I've made several loaves since I noticed it and have never gotten sick.

Any idea what it might be?

UPDATE
Here is a picture of the starter. In the lower left, you can see an orange tint.


texts:
I'm looking for the best method to keep the peppercorns attached to the steak, in order to make a pepper crusted steak.

Very often when making this steak by merely rubbing in the peppercorns, the peppercorns fall off when searing it.

One method I've heard of was to baste the meat with an egg white and then rub it in the pepper. Just curious if there are any other better ways.

Any ideas?


texts: I have a recipe (for pumpkin turkey chili) which calls for 14 oz can of cubed tomatoes. All I have is either 10 oz cube canned tomatoes or 14 oz crushed tomatoes. Which should I use?  Does it make a difference using the correct quantity but the incorrect type of tomatoes?


texts: How to triple the quantity of ingredients in order to make 12 standard sized muffins?

texts:
I found an interesting recipe and I would like to triple it in order to make 12 standard sized muffins.

These are the ingredients and based on this recipe, it makes 4 muffins.

  1/4 cup butter
  1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  1 egg
  1/4 cup sugar
  1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  1/4 cup chopped pecans

How can I triple the recipe and make twelve standard-sized muffins?r


texts: Gluten-free alternatives to beurre manie/roux for thickening sauce?

texts: I'd like to thicken the sauce for my Thanksgiving turkey a bit, without making it inedible for my gluten-intolerant guests. From other questions on this site, I understand that corn starch would be an option, but it might give a more starchy flavour. Same for potato starch. Arrowroot flour would probably work according to this question, but it's not always easy to obtain. Would rice flour work? Are there other alternatives?


texts: I have two Salmon steaks that I would like to Barbeque. What are some effective techniques for barbecuing salmon?


texts: Why is my yogurt sour at the top and non-sour at the bottom

texts:
I make yogurt with a yogurt maker and the yogurt is nice and thick, but it is very sour at the top only and the rest is almost sweet, like a sweet fresh cheese. Why isn't it sour all over?

This is how I prepare it:

heat 1l (goat or sheep) milk slowly (1h) to 85° Celsius,
keep it at 85° Celsius for 10 minutes,
let it cool slowly to 45° Celsius,
mix well with 50g simple yogurt,
put it in the yogurt maker at 45° Celsius for 12h.


texts: How can I replace sweetened condensed milk in key lime pie with goat's milk?

texts: I want to make a Key Lime pie using only goat's milk(cow's milk allergy issues). The filing is usually, if not always, made with condensed milk. No one sells sweetened condensed goat milk - not even Meyenberg. Any suggestions?


texts: Advice on preparing/incorporating sprouts in salads?

texts: Alfalfa/Bean sprouts can have a strong taste or they are too firm to chew on easily. I tried adding salt or salty ingredients with some success to soften the sprouts and reduce bitterness. What is your advice for combining them in salads?


texts: I've tried to make yougurt but I've got soured milk - what went wrong?

texts:
I've tried to made home-made yogurt. I've tried to follow the receipt first by pasteurizing milk to kill the bacteria, waiting until the milk is 107 degree and adding culture. I've used incubator for 4 h (as indicated on culture pack).

I've got a rather sour cream at the bottom and the rest was soured milk. While I don't mind it and I haven't drank it in ages that wasn't what I was looking for.


texts:
I was about to write to a friend: "...but texture affects taste", when I stopped to wonder if this is in fact the case. After some research I'm still not sure of the answer.

Wikipedia's article on taste tells the expected tale of taste, discerning some Basic Tastes:

Bitterness
Saltiness
Sourness
Sweetness
Umami (since start of 20th century this is usually included)
Metallic (somewhat controversial still, used since 1950s)

Can these 6 "basic" tastes be influenced by the texture of food?

On a side note, I'm not sure about the following: when food experts speak of the "taste of food" do they mean "taste" in the sense of the 6 tastes mentioned above? Or do they use it in a broader sense? In the latter case, my question would probably be more accurately described as:

Does texture affect taste (in the broad sense, as the word's used by food experts)?


texts: Will washing a certain part of my blender in the dishwasher ruin it?

texts:
I just bought a new "smoothie-blender" from Russel Hobbs, and in the manual I read that you can wash the parts not connected to the motor in the dishwasher.

There is one part though, that I'm not sure of. It is basically the base where the blade is attached.

I think that washing this piece in the sink will be a major pain, but I don't know if I can do otherwise. Would you say it's safe to put it into the dishwasher?


texts:
Is it ok to freeze Vinegarette Dressings.  Need to take on a flight for a friend.  Label says keep refrigerated so would this be ok for a 12hr flt in checked luggage in a insulated freezer bag.
Thank you.


texts: Why boil mixture when soaking fruit in alcohol for churn-free ice cream

texts:
I found a recipe for a No-churn rum and raisin ice cream.
In the recipe the first step is to put the raisins and rum in a saucepan and gently heat until boiling, transfer to a bowl, cover and leave to soak overnight.
I'm having trouble understand the need for boiling the mixture.

Why boil the rum and the raisins before leaving them to soak?
Wouldn't it be better to leave them to soak for a longer period of time?
Is this to speed-up the process?
Or is it to remove the alcohol?
Will the alcohol prevent the ice cream from freezing properly or give an undesirable structure/texture to the ice cream?


texts: How far in advance of serving can you fry fried eggs?

texts: A recent question asks how to fry eggs on a large scale. That prompts me to ask, can fried eggs be fried in advance and either cooled for later reheating, or alternatively kept warm for a prolonged period? If the latter case is an option, what is the ideal temperature to  keep them at?


texts: How can I pan fry zucchini without making it soggy?

texts:
I really enjoy pan frying zucchini in a small amount of olive oil with some salt and pepper.

It always turns out tasting great, but it is often times really soggy.

Is there any way to pan fry the zucchini without making it soggy?


texts: Can I use oil spray as a salad dressing?

texts: I have been using organic, all natural no-stick cooking spray (organic canola oil) for cooking recently. I know it is good for frying but I'd like to know if I can extend the usage of it. Can I use it as a salad dressing?


texts: Difference between vegetable shortening and vegetable ghee?

texts: What is difference between vegetable shortening and vegetable ghee? Can we use vegetable ghee as its substitute?


texts: Are bubbling preserved lemons a sign of spoilage?

texts:
I recently made preserved lemons using a recipe from Jerusalem: The Cookbook. Having poked around a variety of recipes online, it's pretty much the same as all the rest: Lots of salt, squeeze out the juice, fill up the container with more fresh juice, add some rosemary and a red pepper. Float a little oil on top. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 30 days.

I opened the lemons last night, and a considerable amount of gas escaped from the lemon juice, which bubbled for about 2-3 minutes before calming down. The cap on the jar wasn't distended, and the mixture wasn't malodorous in any way. My instinct is to say, "This is bad; throw this away", but I haven't canned anything before so I'm not sure what to expect. What little information I can find on google is either contradictory or tongue-in-cheek and suggest it's fermentation.

What's up with my lemons? Are the gas bubbles escaping from the mixture a sure sign of spoilage?

EDIT: After a week, I'm still not not sure which answer to accept, as this, too, contains contradictory information... I suppose time and votes will tell.


texts:
I successfully obtained a working sourdough starter using rye and wheat flour, water, and grated apple. The dough made with it rose in a banetton and was inverted onto a hot baking stone. The bread had a good crumb, was thoroughly baked and moist. That to say that the starter worked.
I am puzzled by the starter's aroma. It is not the smell of a starter going bad, more like a slightly bitter undertone, like beer. The starter is fed regularly and is still bubbling away, but the undertone is persisting. It has not affected the quality or flavor of the bread. Any ideas?


texts: How do I know when my sauce is reduced enough?

texts:
I followed this recipe over the weekend to try out something new:
Eric Ripert's Red Snapper and Morels in Port Reduction
My biggest issue was the sauce. It was very liquidy. I don't think it reduced properly and perhaps not enough butter? But I'm really not sure.
All the recipe says is:

Bring Port to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer until reduced by half (if using a gas stove, make sure flames don’t lick the side of the pan; if they do, the Port will burn and the sauce will be bitter). Add vinegar and simmer, lowering heat as needed to keep liquid from burning around the edges, until reduced to an almost syrupy consistency, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Bring Port reduction to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Cut remaining 3 Tbsp. butter into small pieces. Remove pan from heat and gradually add butter, swirling reduction in pan until emulsified, about 3 minutes. It should look shiny, not greasy.

But in my pot its pretty hard to tell if its been reduced by half. Are there any tips for knowing when this is done? A consistency or something I could look for?
I also wasn't sure and it doesn't specify during which, if any, of the steps should the lid be off vs lid on?


texts: Can crockpot chicken be made with wet ranch dressing, instead of dry?

texts: I am trying to make a recipe like this one, Crock Pot Creamy Ranch Chicken, but I do not have dry ranch dressing.  Will it still work if I use ranch dressing from a bottle instead?  Would I need to change anything else?


texts: Difference between parsley and coriander(cilantro)?

texts: A lot of falafel recipe calls for both chopped coriander/cilantro and parsley. Online images look the same to me. Is there a difference between the two? Would omission of one drastically change the flavor?


texts:
I got 1.08 kg of octopus that I thawed out at room temp for about 4.5hrs (I know bad idea, only found out after). Then, I used defrost on microwave to thaw the rest of it.
I saw a post about not leaving it out for longer that 2 hours, and I am wondering, it is still safe to cook?


texts: What is the benefit of adding vegetable oil to cheese cake dough?

texts: I recently baked a cheese cake and decided to leave out the oil in the recipe. I expected it to be drier than the one with oil added to the dough but found that this seems not to be the case.


texts: What does it mean when a chef says a dish is a "rustic" dish eg. a "rustic pot roast"

texts: I've been watching some cooking videos and frequently the chef would say that something he cooked was a "rustic" dish eg. "rustic pot roast"? What does rustic mean?


texts:
Recently I saw a video that shows powdered milk can be whipped with cold water to make topping for cakes.

I did a research on Google and yes, some articles/blogs said that it can be whipped. I actually tried myself using half and half powdered milk and whipped it with a hand mixer but it didn’t work, running like normal milk.
So I suppose not any type of milk works. Anyone has idea about that? I’d appreciate very much.

P.S.: Sorry for my English.


texts:
I am hoping to try out cooking with pumpkin this year and only know a) not to buy jack-o-lantern varieties for cooking,  and b) about making it into sweeter things like pies, cakes, cookies et cetera. I have seen recipes for roasting seeds and flavoring them to make them spicy (add red pepper, who'd have thought?), but I don't know what options I have as far as using the flesh/ground pumpkin to head more toward a savory dish. [Please note, I am particularly interested in vegan approaches, though all methods are welcome.]

Are there particular varieties better
for making savory dishes?
What flavor spectrum does the pumpkin
(raw, roasted...) lend itself toward
naturally or without much force? How do you coax those out?


texts: ham and scalloped potatoes that had been cooked left out overnight- still safe to eat?

texts: I cooked a ham and scalloped potatoe casserole and then left it sitting on the counter overnight. It was going to be REALLY good- can we eat it or too much risk???


texts: I have a recipe for a fennel mandarin salad. it says to chop the fennel bulb. I haven't cooked or even ate fennel before. I have the fennel. Do i chop the green portion or the white bulb portion? for this salad?


texts:
I have access to a lot of Asian and specifically Chinese grocery products where I live (Austin). However, a thing that's never been made clear to me by anything I've read or watched is whether the commonly-used "cooking wines" are really intended to be obtained as "cooking wine".

In Western cooking, "cooking wine" is generally considered unusable; if I'm making a European wine sauce I'll of course use "real" wine, like wine that I'd be willing to drink.

Is that the case for Chinese "cooking wine"? Should I look for drinkable wine, or are recipes designed around the "cooking" versions that generally have a lot of added salt?


texts: How can I keep samosa pastry crispy longer?

texts:
I am making samosa (a triangular savoury pastry fried in ghee or oil, containing spiced vegetables or meat). To make outer cover I am making dough using the following:

All purpose flour (100 gram)
Ghee               (25 gram)
ajwain (carom).
salt
water

To fill the cover I am using potato filling. After deep frying samosas they are nice and crispy, but after some time they become soft. What can we do to make them crispy for a longer time?


texts: Does food get spoilt if it catches moisture?

texts:
Sometimes, if you leave something like chips out in the open, it catches moisture from the air and is not as crisp after that.

Is the food good to consume even after that?


texts: What's the FDA recommended sous vide temperature for in-shell egg pasteurization?

texts:
My problem

I am trying to figure out the official FDA guideline for time and temperature of in-shell egg pasteurization process in heated water (sous vide).

What have I tried

Googled this site, including How to pasteurize eggs in a sous vide machine (in the shell)
Googled the FDA site for egg safety, but did not find a concrete answer.

My Question

What are official FDA guidelines for temperatures and times for home egg pasteurization in sous vide?


texts: Placing a ceramic bowl over stainless steel saucepan

texts:
I have a few ceramic bowls that are oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe (I normally hand-wash them, though). I was looking at recipes for lemon curd and some of them recommended putting them in a metal bowl over a saucepan that has steaming water in it. Is it possible to instead use a ceramic bowl? It would not touch the water below, only along the rim of the saucepan.

Would this be bad for the bowl? I can deal with a few aesthetic scratches and scuffs on the side.

Will this take a lot longer to heat up?


texts:
For those of you who have rotary evaporators or other chemistry glassware in the kitchen, what do you use to grease the ground glass taper/ ball joints so that the lubricant does not either absorb or introduce flavors into the product?

Thus far I have not found anything that is a GRAS food additive marketed as a vacuum grease, but I have found some very expensive fluorinated/ PTFE compounds (Santovac 5GB) that would be insoluble in any food items being run through the system.


texts: What can I use as a replacement for Curry Powder?

texts: I do not like the taste of curry powder.  I have a recipe that calls for the use of this spice. What do you suggest that I can use in place of the curry powder?


texts: How do I infuse cappuccino with real vanilla bean during brew?

texts:
There's a question that touched on infusing espresso beans with vanilla flavor during roasting, I'm doing something a little different. Recently, I managed to get some real vanilla beans (a rather hard find where I am), and I'd like to flavor a double espresso shot with one of them.

In the question I linked, a comment sort of hints that you might be able to just scrape the beans and make them part of the puck, and the flavor might come out in the pulled shot. I don't have much room for experimentation here, each wasted bean adds 33.33% to the probability that I won't get this right and won't be able to enjoy the tasty drink I'd like to make :)

I have:

3 whole vanilla beans
A bag of great Arabica coffee beans
Highly purified water
A nice grinder / cappuccino machine, pretty much like you'd find at any coffee shop except it's a single boiler

I want:

A double shot of espresso infused with natural vanilla goodness

How do I accomplish this? Should I use one entire bean, more .. or possibly less? Can I just scrape the bean and pack the seeds in the puck with the grinds? Is simply pulling the shot with them in place going to be sufficient to extract the flavor?

Should I be looking more at the milk than the coffee here for best results?

I know I could just try this and figure it out (or just waste three perfectly good and rare vanilla beans), I'm really hoping someone has done this and can give a more precise method.


texts: How can I replicate authentic German potato dumplings?

texts:
I lived in Southern Germany (Bavaria) for 5 years and while over there, my family fell in love with potato dumplings.  I’m talking about the ones that are the size of a baseball.  Here is a picture I found by searching for “Hofbrau potato dumplings” from Munich.

Since moving back to the US, I have not been able to find, nor make a dumpling that is remotely close.  Here is what I have tried so far:

100% raw potatoes, shredded, with flour and egg
50% raw, shredded, and cooked, chilled, then put through a ricer, with flour and egg.
100% cooked, chilled, then riced, with flour and egg.

Both tried with russet and yukon gold potatoes.

The results are:

100% raw = these things are like eating marbles and stick in your belly forever.
50/50 = these boiled apart, and the flavor tastes more like flour than potato.
100% cooked = these boiled apart and the flavor tasted more like flour than potato.

Additionally, I have tried using farina to help bind them - still boil apart and don’t really taste very good.

Here are a few recipes I have tried:

http://www.grouprecipes.com/70225/german--potato-dumplings.html
http://germanfood.about.com/od/potatoesandnoodles/r/kartoffkloesse.htm

Also tried the recipe from the Hofbrau haus cookbook - still, same problems.

Can someone(hopefully someone from Germany who knows what I am talking about) help me reproduce the authentic German potato dumplings I had in Germany?


texts: How do I avoid microwave-safe covers melting in the microwave?

texts:
I've twice now had a microwave cover that was advertised as microwave safe melt while heating food.
The first time, I was reheating Chinese leftovers (3 minutes on 950W, like I usually reheat my foot) and the cover melted above the rice. I ended up eating the rest of the food and not eating the rice.
The second time, my mother was heating a casserole pot with rotisserie chicken (5-6 minutes on 650W, though I'm not sure if that's the actual heat we use for that) and again part of the cover melted. We ended up not eating the skin, assuming that the rest of the chicken would be fine.
These weren't the first times we used these covers either: both of these covers were tall (the first one was as tall as a 4-5" smartphone, the second one slightly taller than an IKEA Dinera bowl) and already in use for several years before they melted. We didn't accidentally use non-microwave settings either.
We still have 2 lower covers (about 3/4 the height of a Dinera bowl), but we'd rather not have these melt as well. Problem is I think these are the same material as the one that just melted, and while they're still intact, they're about the same age as the second one that melted. All of our covers were marketed as microwave friendly.
Is there anything specific that can be done to avoid microwave covers melting in the microwave?
Example:-


texts: Which onions to use and how to cook them for an Indian curry recipe that specifies "fry until deep pink"?

texts:
One of the curry recipes in the book "50 great curries of India" says "Heat the oil in a cooking pot and fry the onions until deep pink." I think I know what it means when a recipe says "until deep brown" (which is what many Indian curry recipes call for), but "deep pink" is a first. Is the recipe simply using red onions or some other variety of onion than the one I'm used to (the ingredient list just says "2 large onions, finely chopped")? Does that make an important difference? Or is the recipe referring to the same stage of cooking as "deep brown" (though that doesn't look very pinkish to me)? Or would "deep brown" onions turn somewhat pink if you cooked them even longer? ...

(For the curious, the recipe is for the "prawns in sweet and hot curry")


texts: What is this cast iron skillet used for?

texts: I picked up some cast iron cookware from a thrift store.  However, there is one piece I am not quite sure what its for.  I think its for eggs - or rather a single egg... However, its very shallow compared to the tiny skillets I have seen.  Its 5 inches in diameter and .5 inch tall.  Is there a specific purpose for it?  Its pictured below with a dime to give perspective on height.


texts: Is there a disadvantage to a textured cutting board?

texts:
My new plastic cutting boards have a textured surface.  Is this unsanitary?

The textured surface consists of tiny bumps molded into the surface.  The pitch of the bumps is about 1mm.


texts:
During breakfast at my hotel in Germany, I saw this kind of cheese. Can anyone help to name it?

As I can remember, it tastes a bit sweet on the nuts.


texts: How to clean burnt food from an unglazed tagine

texts: We recently cooked a beef stew in our unglazed earthenware tagine.  The food at the bottom of the dish burned a bit, and we're now left with a rather crusty mess that we don't know how to remove.  Is there any trick to softening up the remains so that they're easier to scrape away?  Soaking in hot water hasn't really helped.  We know that you can't use dish soap in a tagine, but is there something else that we can try—baking soda, maybe?  And in terms of abrading tools, is detergent-free steel wool OK or should we stick to the usual brushes, plastic scrubbers, and coarse-grained salt?


texts: Yorkshire Pudding Batter -- Letting it "Rest"

texts: I've heard it's a good idea to let your batter rest overnight.  Since there are eggs in it, I would think that it would have to rest in the refrigerator.  I've also heard that the batter should be at room temperature when you pour it into the pan.  So, should you refrigerate the batter overnight, and then let it sit outside the fridge for a three or four hours to warm it back up to room temperature?


texts: Why doesn't a microwave heat the air around food, in addition to the food itself?

texts:
I'm reading Harold McGee's "On Food And Cooking", and in the "Microwave Cooking" section he writes:

Since the air in the oven is not heated, microwave ovens can’t brown meat surfaces unless they’re assisted by special packaging or a broiling element. (An exception to this rule is cured meats like bacon, which get so dry when cooked that they can brown.)

My question is: if the radio waves generated by a microwave are passing through air in order to reach the food that is cooked, and since air is made of molecules just like food is, why don't the radio waves affect the air molecules the way they do the food molecules?


texts:
I just got my first iron cast. I went to remove the wax and I am now in the middle of seasoning it.

So far it has gotten oil and 200°C at 1 hour, two times, and now it has a color I find strange. It looks sticky, but it ain't.

Is this normal?
And - how come are there some spots which is so clean? (see red rings)


texts: Potato and onion used in cheese & onion pasties

texts:
In online recipes of cheese & onion pasties, they call for raw potato and onion mixed with grated cheddar cheese. I am wondering if the chopped potatoes and onions cook properly in the oven, don't we need to use sauteed onions and boiled potatoes?

Link to a sample recipe


texts: Converting Yeast Recipe to Natural Levain

texts: Like many people, I've been doing a good bit of sourdough baking during the quarantine and, like many people, I am in a state of near-constant panic that I have to use up the starter that is constantly growing! I tend to bake breads but am branching out into enriched doughs and desserts. I am curious if there are any hard and fast rules, ratios, or techniques to how to take a yeast recipe (bread, pastry, cake, whatever) and make it with a sourdough levain instead?


texts: I know that cuvée is wine produced from several types of grape. Is there a word to describe wine made from a single type?


texts: I just purchased one pound of swordfish filet and never cooked swordfish before and have minimal experience cooking fish. Any suggestions on preparation? Also what should I look for while cooking it?


texts: My wok pan looks worn off, I can see the silver underneath, why?

texts: I saw this today and it's very new. What's the problem? Is it caused by scratching or using dishwasher? What may have caused it? I always wash it with a very soft sponge, but other flatmates might have washed it in an inappropriate way. What could be the problem? How can I prevent this from happening to a new wok?


texts: How to customize the softness of custards like flan?

texts:
How do you dial in the right amount of thickness vs soft melt in your mouth style?

These are what I believe affect it:

Ratio of eggs to milk
egg yolk to egg white ratio
condensed, evaporated, regular milk or cream
cooking time

how long to let it sit out after the oven before putting it in the refrigerator

cooking temperature
dish/flan size
dish thickness/material


texts: Is there a measurable difference between fresh and dried minced garlic?

texts:
For example, I just tried a recipe for Rosemary Potatoes last night that called for a tablespoon of minced garlic. I believe the recipe may have referred to it being freshly minced, but I have some dried minced garlic on hand (in a little shaker, like from the isle at Walmart, etc) and used that instead.

The next day, my kitchen still smells of garlic, and the potatoes taste like it.

If I don't have 'fresh' on hand, is there an approximate ratio I should have used?


texts: Why do you warm a Dutch oven up before baking bread?

texts: I want to attempt to make bread in my Dutch oven. Most of the recipes that I have found say to warm your Dutch oven up before putting the dough in. I have found a few recipes that say you don't have to warm it up first. Why should you warm it up first, and will it make a big difference in the bread? And what breads are best for baking in a Dutch oven?


texts: Do "Chinese Ironwood" cutting boards dull knives quickly?

texts:
I have an end-grain cutting board of "Chinese Ironwood" like this one from the Wok Shop.  I've used it heavily for the last 16 years, and it shows very little sign of wear.

However, I have to sharpen my knives more often than it feels like I ought to after use with an end grain board; like every 3 uses to maintain a keen edge.  This has brought me to wondering: what exactly is "ironwood" usually, and is it one of those woods that wears down knives faster, like teak or bamboo?

All I've found so far is a thread on Chowhound that's little more than speculation.  It doesn't seem to be this plant, which would never be large enough, and the same goes for acacia.


texts: In the USA, does fish being served raw need to be frozen first?

texts:
I read an article from NYT a while back that flabbergasted me. The author claims "Food and Drug Administration regulations stipulate that fish to be eaten raw -- whether as sushi, sashimi, seviche, or tartare -- must be frozen first, to kill parasites."

Here is the article in question: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/sushi-fresh-from-the-deep-the-deep-freeze.html

Is this true? Whenever I bust this fact out I get looked at like I stole something near and dear to them. Also, are the laws on this different in the USA and Japan?


texts:
I bought ginger at the grocery store last week and kept it, unpeeled, in the fridge. Today I sliced it open and there is a ring of a blueish colour, instead of the yellow I was expecting. The ginger still smells like I'd expect (I haven't tried tasting it).

Would this be safe for use (I was planning on putting some in a salad dressing), or should I toss it?


texts: Best Way To Remove Fajita Contents From Marinade

texts:
Usually when I marinade something it's just a single piece of meat.  I can just pull it out and discard the rest of the marinade.  However, when I have strips of chicken and vegetables all marinating in a single bag what's the best way to remove the contents?  Should I just strain the bag  over the sink? Or should I just reach in with tongs and pull everything out?

I guess my problem with both solutions is losing too much marinade from straining (don't want to lose more flavor than I have to) or pulling in too much liquid from using tongs (I don't want my tortillas to get soggy)

Any advice would be great


texts: How to prevent calzones from getting soggy on steam table?

texts: How do i keep fresh made calzones from getting soggy while displayed on a steam table?


texts: Sprouted Legumes? How long do they keep?

texts: I purchased sprouted lentils over four weeks ago.  They are fresh, not dehydrated.  I've kept them refrigerated.  They look and smell fine.  Are they still good to use after all this time, or must I discard?


texts: What is the best chemical cleaning agent clean tough stains out of a microwave other than vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice?

texts:
I have seen this question posted on here before but the answers are always always water, vinegar, baking soda, or lemon juice. I have tried all these methods and including boiling and steaming each one.

Despite it's flammability, I have also resorted to nail polish and no luck.

Any other suggestions? I'm a neat freak and prefer my kitchen looking clean.

Thank you


texts: Is using a French press to strain plant milk (almond, soy, etc.) easier than straining through cheesecloth?

texts:
The thing I hate most about making homemade milk is having to squeeze that little bag for eons just to strain all the milk out. I got the idea to do it in a French press instead, but upon doing some research found that people have very mixed experiences with this method.

Is it perhaps dependent on the quality of the French press? Has anyone here tried this way and is it preferable to the cheesecloth / nut milk bag?


texts: Can I use distilled white vinegar instead of white wine vinegar when making my own dressing for gifts?

texts: I am making my own flavored vinegar for the first time and most of the recipes call fro white wine vinegar but it's hard to find and expensive. Would white distilled be okay?


texts:
The Internets are great for healthy and fresh and refined. Today I need help being none of those things. I am trying to satisfy my partner's craving for cheap, greasy chicken lo mein. I know how to make chicken lo mein. The Internet is full of recipes that "aren't greasy like takeout" or "healthier and fresher!"
But what if I don't want healthy and fresh?
Does anyone have any suggestions for preparing egg noodles (or lo mein in particular) so the results are cheap-Chinese-restaurant-style greasy?
It's not just more oil, though it might be the type of oil. I suspect it also has something to do with the order and length of cooking the noodles vs the vegetables and meat. I think the vegetables also have to be slightly overcooked. In case it matters, I don't have a wok.


texts: What is the real risk of salmonella with modern food cleaning standards?

texts:
I was always taught that chicken and eggs, if consumed raw, will lead to salmonella 100% of the time.  In my experience I have found this to be patently untrue (not surprisingly).  While I always strive for hygenic food preparation and adequate cooking times, sometimes I goof up and end up eating chicken which is less than fully cooked.  Additionally, I have never met someone who has contracted salmonella after eating raw cookie dough.

When buying chicken or eggs from a modern American grocery store, what is the real risk of contracting salmonella from under cooked products? (i.e. If I eat 1,000 raw chicken breasts, how many terrible nights will I have?)


texts: Does nutritional yeast expire or go bad?

texts:
I have a tub of nutritional yeast with a "best by" date of February 2012 (at the time of this posting, it's about a month past that). Is it still good to use? It still looks and smells the same as it always has.

In general, what is the shelf life of nutritional yeast?

Does nutritional yeast ever expire or otherwise go bad? Or just lose nutritional value?


texts: What are the fundamental sauces that every cook should know how to make?

texts:
I'd like to learn to make some sauces and I'm looking for the most common, "standard" sauces that professional cooks all learn how to make in culinary school.

What sauces form the basic "building blocks" of cooking and how are they prepared?


texts: what is the best oil/fat to use to season a cast iron skillet

texts: What is best oil/fat for seasoning cast iron cookware?  I've read veg oils, lard, combinations of oil/fat types. Anyone out there help?!


texts:
I watch cooking shows often. I see chefs finish a dish with olive oil.

Why do chef's finish their dish with olive oil? What is the reasoning for this?

Is it purely a presentation or is it just taste? I know olive oil isn't the most pleasant thing to eat by itself.


texts:
I made a Genoise following James Peterson's recipe in Baking, but without the optional butter.  I used an electric hand mixer. The cake came out fine, as in the picture.  The second time I decided to add the butter and the whole thing deflated.  What did I do wrong?  How do I add the butter to the batter?

Peterson's recipe calls for beating eggs and sugar for 20 minutes with a handheld to ribbon stage, folding in the flour with a spatula, and tempering the melted butter with 1/5 of the batter before mixing it to the rest.


texts:
Yesterday I tried to make fallow deer ribs in a slow cooker. With beef ribs, I cooked them in a temperature-controlled slow-cooker for about 12 hours at 75 °C = 167 °F and they where amazing!

Done the same with fallow deer ribs, and they came out so dry that I had to cut the meat off the bones and blend it with hot water into a creamy soup to be able to eat it somehow.

I happen to have a moisture analyzer, and the meat after being slow cooked had only 55% moisture, while raw had 75%, so it lost 60% of its water during cooking.

Fallow deer is more tender then the common red deer, and also less fatty then beef I think (at least this piece). I even wrapped the whole thing in large cabbage leaves to prevent moisture loss, but it didn't help.

This is the piece before cooking:

I find it difficult to find a good way to prepare something which is on the bone, but so lean and tender. I find it easier to do with tough and fatty meat. Despite the meat attached to the bone being very tender, the bones are holding tightly, so I can't cut this into rib chops - I don't think I have a tool which can manage to cut this.

Boneless pieces of fallow dear I just sear for a few minutes on a pan and they are tender and great. But here I wanted to do something so the meat falls off the bone nicely, so I slow-cooked it, which ruined it.

I have another fallow-deer rib rack like that, how not to ruin it this time?

Is it possible to cook this properly in a slow cooked and/or in an oven, and if so what temperature and time to use in both cases? The whole thing weights about 2 kg (4 lb).


texts:
We buy artisan white sourdough bread from a baker.  when we first got it the loaves were lovely for sandwiches.  Lately for a couple months now the loaves having been coming with large holes maybe in the middle on the top side or even lacey big holes making it hard to use and sell to customers.  I have talked to the bakery about the issues we are having and tryed asking why this is happening.  One double large loaf I could only use 6 slices to make sandwiches from.  Help I really want to support local and we love the flavor of the bread.  They say its just how artisan bread is  but why was is so good for 6 months and now for 2 months so different.  The holes are about 2 to 3 inches  I don't even mind 1 inch every now and then on the bread  Its the 3 inch and lots of 2 inches like lace that I just find hard to serve  my customers.  Any explaination for this big change and difference in the bread.  If I bought whole wheat sourdough would I have these problems.
Thanks so much for taking the time


texts: Individually wrapped frozen steaks have thawed over 18 hours - are they safe?

texts:
I bought individually wrapped steaks from Walmart, and I accidentally left them out of the freezer for about 18 hours. I don't know if they had completely thawed or not. I didn't
open the box to look.

I didn't have time to cook them, so I put them into the freezer.

They are frozen now... but are they safe to eat?

EDIT:

I recieved a response from Black River themselves asking the same question. Their official response was:

  Thank you for your email I received regarding a recent purchase you
  made. I have spoken to my product and development team and they
  suggest for you not to consume that product. Having the product out
  for 16 hours not refrigerated isn’t a good thing so we wouldn’t
  recommend for you to consume it.

  Having said that you also stated that you re froze the product which
  isn’t a good thing to do since the product thawed.

  We believe 8
  hours would be sufficient enough to thaw this product so we don’t
  recommend you consuming this product.

  I hope I was able to answer your question. If for any reason you have any further
  questions/concerns please feel free to contact me as I am willing to
  assist you with any information you may need.

  Black River Angus Ltd
  1-888-422-9656


texts: When seasoning steaks I use many different dry spices etc.  What is the best method to apply spices to the meat without having to flip the steaks many times or have to wash my hands many times?


texts:
Okay so I have a french press, and I have been trying to figure out how much coffee I need. Here is the scenario:

It is a 15 oz press, I been reading that the general rule of thumb is 2 tbs of coffee per 6 oz of water, so if my math is correct that would me 5 tbs of coffee. or roughly 25 grams...

This seems like a lot of coffee for that amount of water?

Secondly, do I measure the scoops prior to grinding or after grinding?

I know there isn't an exact answer and there are other variables to consider, but I was wondering if there are any general guide lines I should be following... or opinions about this?

There will be a test later (a taste test) so you better get it right.


texts: Why does my cookbook want me to drain my tomatoes for a pasta sauce?

texts:
I have an excellent recipe for pasta sauce, but I'm having trouble convincing people to try it because it contains a counter-intuitive and potentially wasteful instruction.

The gist of it is this:

Take a tin of plum tomatoes
Pour the tomatoes into a seive and smush up the tomatoes themselves, draining away the tomato juice
Heat with a teaspoon of sugar and a generous pinch of sea salt

The resulting sauce is extremely addictive, but why do I have to drain the tomatoes? Tins of plum tomatoes aren't hugely expensive, but neither are they cheap, and I don't know why we'd want to waste tomato juice. Is it for the sake of taste (perhaps the juice is bitter?), or for texture instead?


texts:
I recently went to a Czech restaurant and ordered the meal pictured below. It was well made and is one of my favorite meals at that restaurant. I want to try and make the "bread" (if that's what it's called) that was on the dish, but I can't figure out what it is. Here's a photo of it:

My best guess is that it's some kind of potato bread.


texts:
I am trying to figure out how to season the ground meat in my goulash.  Here are the ingredients that are in the dish.  What seasonings would be best so that the dish comes together nicely?

Other ingredients:

turkey sausage
corn
red bell pepper
green onions
tomato sauce
oregeno
egg noodles
a little bit of mild salsa
topped with shredded cheddar cheese


texts:
My inlaws just gave me a gift of candied whole citron (not just the peel) that they picked up from southern Italy.  It was very thoughtful and just in time for Sukkot!

However, I'm just not sure what to do with it.  I did taste a small slice of it plain and it was pretty good--not at all bitter nor too sweet.

I'd read that you can put it in your cereal, and that it's also used in ricotta pie or panettone--though I don't see myself making those.  Are there other good uses?


texts: How necessary is it to marinade meat before making jerkies?

texts:
So I just got myself a dehydrator, for the purpose of making jerkies.

I was thinking of just seasoning the meat lightly instead of marinating them, which takes considerably more time, needs more sauce and a bit more effort.

Would it make a lot of difference? I suppose I could always experiment, but from the "making sure I won't get sick from parasites" point of view, will a super dry jerky be safe if it's not been marinated?

Also, would it depend on the meat?


texts:
I love fish, and I love cooking it. The thing is, I don't have any idea how to buy fish.

Considering common fish in a grocery store (salmon, whitefish, tuna, grouper, etc.), how can I tell a good specimen from a bad one? When the difference is not clear, which way should I err?

Is there any different set of criteria, when I'm buying fish at an outdoor market?


texts: Does wrapping a bottle of whisky in plastic affect the taste?

texts:
I want to store a couple of whisky bottles with boxes in some idle place at our house. I'd probably sell these after 5 years. To prevent damages to the box, I'm thinking of wrapping the boxes of whisky but would it affect the quality of the whisky? Would the plastic cause the bottles to warm up?

The bottles will be stored in a location with room temparature. Not too hot nor cold. Also with no direct sunlight.


texts: Is my pan too hot for brown sauce / gravy?

texts:
I've tried to make the following sauce the last couple of days. The same pan is used for everything.

Fry steak. Put steak on plate.
Sauté onions.
Melt butter and mix with flour.
Add stock.
Season.
Let simmer for a couple of minutes

The taste and texture of the end result are fine. However, the high temperature of the pan (I like cancer with my meat) means that:

The butter gets burnt. It's brown and half-molten long before I've time to add flour. Does this result in any undesired reactions?
When the butter/flour mix is stable, the pan seems to be much hotter than 100 degrees. Adding the stock results in violent boiling. Could this damage my (teflon or cast iron) pan or affect the dish?

If the above poses problems, how should I solve them? (I imagine that) I like the taste imparted from the recently used pan.


texts: How to quickly and safely defrost chicken?

texts: What is the safest, quick way to defrost chicken? Microwave? Running water over it?


texts:
I have been attempting to use coconut milk in both a curry and a rice recipe. I am aiming for a rich and smooth texture, but it keeps coming out bland and watery. Are there any particular methods of using coconut milk that I should be aware of? Does heating it for too long or too hot break down the flavor?

I used the following brand of coconut milk.

In the most recent recipe I used 2 chicken breasts, cubes. 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. 2 tablespoons of green curry paste, 2 cups of eggplant diced, 1 sliced red pepper, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, 1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar.

In a stock pot I heated the oil and added the curry paste, then the chicken. Then I added the entire can of coconut milk. Allowed it to reach boiling and then reduced to a simmer. I added the vegetables in and continued simmer for 40 minutes. I then added the fish sauce and sugar and served it.


texts: How do you make whole-wheat bread less crumbly? -- (Without adding gluten)

texts:
I usually make bread with 100% whole wheat flour, but I have never been able to make good sandwich bread that way, because it is does not have a very elastic texture to it.

I have heard of adding gluten to bread to increase its elasticity, but is there another way of achieving this effect?


texts: What are some things to consider when choosing a salt?

texts:
What attributes are important when selecting salt for a dish?

Specifically where you would use sea salt, kosher salt or plain table salt?

I can often find sea salt (iodized and non-iodized) in places I cannot find kosher salt.


texts: How to store batter (contains raw eggs) under 41 degrees F?

texts:
We had a food inspector come by today and they had recommend that we store our batter (contains raw eggs) in an ice bucket at 41ºF (5ºC) or below at all times.

I feel that this process is a bit tedious and feel that there's another way. How do most establishments store their batter? Are there equipment that can satisfy these requirements?


texts: What makes a good vessel for storing sourdough starter?

texts:
I was going to buy the King Arthur set of starter + crock, but the crock is on backorder, so I plan to instead locally source a vessel for the starter. What should I look for? Should I find a similar crock? A jar of some kind?

ETA: More specifically, what should I be looking for? Size? Materials? Lid type? I read elsewhere that I don't want an airtight seal; I'm looking for more advice like that.


texts:
I haven't been able to find a post specifically on fluted knives, so hopefully this isn't a duplicate.

I was wondering if fluted knives actually work. I came across a comment (possibly an Amazon review) that fluted knives don't actually help in preventing vegetables from sticking to the knife -- causing the user to have to still have to stop and remove the cut product.

I've never used a fluted knife, so I literally have no idea. I was wondering what the general consensus on SA was: Have you noticed that a fluted knife makes enough of a difference to purchase the fluted version of a particular knife over the non-fluted version?


texts: Boiled beef bones and ended up with green marrow...is this normal?

texts: I boiled beef bones that had a good bit of marrow in them and the marrow turned green. Can I still use as a soup base?


texts: Why does oil burn when put into a hot pan?

texts:
I was trying to make the scrambled eggs based on the answer found here. I set my stainless-steel pan on the burner and set the burner about halfway between medium and high. After the panned warmed on quite a bit (probably all the way), I put some ghee in the pan. It immediately burned and smoked up my home.

Why does ghee (and probably also other oils) burn when put into a hot pan? What is the remedy for this? According to some of the answers to this question, I should either be putting in the ghee (or oil) into a cold pan or warming it or putting it into the pan once it's slightly warm, but not hot.

I found the "Do you heat the pan first?" question somewhat helpful, but the answers don't really give scientific reasons for their responses. If ghee has a smoke point of 485 F, why would it burn just because it heats up rapidly?

Update: As noted in Cindy's answer, I didn't follow the instructions in the referenced question because I didn't put the ghee/oil in the pan before the pan got hot.

I'm still curious as to whether the ghee burned because the pan temperature was over the ghee's smoke point or because the ghee was heated too quickly by being put into a hot pan.


texts: How do I convert stove top pressure cooker recipes into electric pressure cooker recipes?

texts: Many of the pressure cooker recipes I see online seem to be using a stove top cooker, and some say cook on low heat or high heat, or start on high heat and then reduce to low heat while maintaining pressure, etc.  I have an electric pressure cooker, and it allows you to choose low or high pressure and a pressurized cook time, but does not allow for adjusting the heat.  How can I use these stovetop recipes with my electric pressure cooker?


texts: What would be an appropriate substitute for parmesan (parmagiano reggiano) in a recipe?


texts: Is "angostura" (as in bitters) a flavor?

texts:
I'm confused by drink recipes calling for "Angosutra bitters".  Is "angostura" (as in bitters) a specific flavor combination?

Or is "Angosutra" a specific brand or manufacturer (like "Tylenol" is to aspirin)?  If so, what's the closest possible replacement for it?


texts: Why does a portafilter machine take so long to warm up and a modern machine doesn't?

texts:
I was wondering why a portafilter coffee machine takes up to 15 minutes to warm up in order to make an espresso.

On the other side, a modern Nespresso Citiz doesn't even take a minute to warm up.

What makes the difference here?


texts: May I add whole wheat flour/Chickpea flour to garlic chicken soup?

texts:
http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-garlic-soup-32282

They haven't mentioned which flour are they using.
Because I am health conscious, may I add whole wheat flour/Chickpea flour to garlic chicken soup?

What will be the side effects?


texts: How do canned soup companies keep their noodles from absorbing all the liquid in the can?

texts:
I like to make noodle soups. Chicken noodle, pho, k'tieu, soba, and so on; there are many different types of noodle involved. In every case, if the soup goes into the fridge, the noodles absorb all the broth fairly quickly. Typical fixes for this include:

cook the noodles separately and add to the soup when serving;
freeze the leftovers;
eat all the soup right away!

But when I buy canned soup from the grocery store, the noodles are never blown up and they don't seem to blow up even after opening the can and leaving summer in the fridge.

What is the secret? Is it a special kind of noodle, something about the broth or a heavy duty industrial preservative at work?


texts: I am following a carrot cake recipe for the first time and the first set of instructions are 'to beat the sugar and oil until smooth,' but how smooth is it suppose to be? Is it still going to be slightly grainy or smooth like a baby's bitten with baby oil on it?


texts:
How can I create a homemade product with that has the texture, flavor, and cooking properties of chicken, but is vegetarian (or vegan)?

I'm inspired by the Lightlife, the Sipz orange "chicken", and Veggie Grill "burgers" but am looking for something more flexible that I can make myself.

I'm not looking for a specific recipe, but rather general techniques and ingredients to use as a starting point.


texts: Does this tinned food need to be cooked?

texts:
I’ve recently started eating tinned chicken, specifically the Roberts brand as shown below.
When I open the can, it looks kind of raw and kind of tastes as such, but that could just be my imagination.
I have tried to contact the manufacturer for more information, but have had no luck.
Is the food in these cans fully or partially cooked? Can you eat it directly from the can, or does it need to be cooked? Is it safer to cook it prior to eating?
If it is to be cooked, how should one go about it (e.g. microwave, fry, oven)?  What is the point of these cans if they will need to be cooked anyway (I thought they didn’t have to be cooked)? Have I just got the wrong brand for ready-to-eat tinned chicken?


texts: Rinse the salt off a steak before cooking?

texts:
I've been trying to perfect my technique for cooking a steak indoors.

It was recommended to salt the steak about 30 minutes before cooking. I used kosher salt, and cooked the steak on cast iron. Everything came out spectacularly, in fact it was the best steak I've ever made myself. However, the outer layer of the steak was significantly saltier than I think is normal. It didn't ruin the steak, but it was more than I would have liked. I would simply assume that I over-salted, but given the language people use when they recommend the technique, and the amount I actually applied, I am unsure. I fear that if I use less salt next time I will lose the perfect sear/crust and the incredible flavor of the interior meat that I achieved.

So, given the similarity to brining poultry (in which case the meat is rinsed before cooking), I wonder if the salt should be rinsed off before cooking? I didn't get this impression from any of the recommendations, but now I am not so sure.


texts: Is it safe to cook in discolored stainless steel pots?

texts: I sauteed some fresh cut veggies in a stainless steel wok and it has a rainbow tinge on the inner bottom? Is it safe to continue using this wok for future cooking?


texts: Getting rice noodles evenly distributed in wok

texts:
I use rice noodles for woks. I simmer them in hot water, then drain them in cold water and leave them in a bowl. Then I start frying the meat and vegetables in the wok.

Now the problem is:

The noodles easily clump, making it difficult to distribute them evenly into the other foods.
The noodles are quite long to begin with.

To cope with this, I've tried the following workarounds:

Perfect the cooking time so the noodles don't get soggy.
Add a little oil to the noodles after draining them.
Give the noodles an occasional quick stir while they're still in the bowl.
Cut the noodles in half with a pair of scissors before adding them to the wok.
Try to lift the noodles to their full length using pasta fork, thereby separating them.

Can someone share good advice how to get the rice noodles evenly distributed?

Is the brand relevant? Are there types of rice noodles that are better in this respect?


texts: It seems, acidity prevents pasta from being overcooked?

texts:
Usually I cook the pasta in boiling water... add it to sauce in the pan, another 2-3 minuts and done.

But today I've tried to cook pasta in the sauce.

Sauce: pepper + onion + garlic + flour + tomatoes + wine.

I've added a little bit water + Raw spaghetti. They were cooking, covered by the water (sauce). And if usually they done afer 10-12 minutes, at this time it took 20+ minutes. It's because sauce was acidic?

Is there reason to add a little bit acid to the water, where spaghetti usually are cooking? To prevent them from being overcooked.


texts:
I made some coconut pudding using a recipe I had found, but I'm having some trouble getting it to set.  I used this recipe once before and ended up boiling it for probably closer to 2 minutes instead of the suggested 1 minute and it thickened up fine.  This time I did exactly 1 minute and it's still pretty liquidly after a few hours in the fridge.

I'm wondering if I should return the pudding to a pot and boil it a little more - or if I have missed my chance at this point?


texts: This past weekend I wanted to try to make my own cheese for the first time. I gathered the typical ingredients: milk, rennet, and citric acid and went to town. Making Riccotta and Mozzarella seemed to work out alright, so I decided to try a harder cheese; however, in order to do that I had to press the cheese so that it compressed into the proper form. It was difficult to determine how much weight to put on the curds to get them to form. Too little force and it gets mushy, too much and I felt like I would compress it into a singularity! Has anyone done this before that could offer some weighty advice?


texts: Can you use bread flour that is 2 months past the best use by date?

texts: I've got some bread flour that has been in the refrigerator that has a best use date of Sept. 2015, and it's now Nov. 2015, is it okay to still bake with it?


texts: How to remove quinoa bitterness (with many restrictions) doing chapatis

texts:
I am doing chapatis with quinoa flour. How can I remove or hide the bitterness of the quinoa?

There are several constraints for the solution: no egg, wheat, soy, dairy, corn, rice, meat.


texts: How can I recreate the Montgomery Inn "Cincinnati style" barbeque sauce at home?

texts:
I love Montgomery Inn barbeque sauce for its tangy/vinegar-y flavor, however it's often not in stock at the stores in my area.

Does anyone know how I could achieve a similar flavor with a homemade sauce?


texts: Keep or remove skin when grinding poultry?

texts: After reading this I made "burgers" with ground chicken thigh. (Didn't have turkey thighs handy.) I have the feeling chicken thighs have plenty of fat, so less likely to dry out than turkey, but it occurred to me: what are the pros and cons to removing skin before grinding poultry meat? Especially if the complaint of turkey "burgers" is that they are too dry and lack flavor, wouldn't the skin help with that?


texts: Why does the instant coffee that I store in little plastic tubs go bad?

texts: I keep a little plastic container of instant coffee at work and after a week it has either gone into blocks or darkened. I open it a few times. Its location is above a hot/ cold water dispenser (but seems room temperature) just airconditioned. The home supply of instant coffee is perfectly fine.  Why is the work coffee in such bad shape?


texts: Where did the idea of using alcohol in pie crust come from?

texts:
Back in 2008, Good Eats showed a recipe for pie crust which included distilled alcohol. In 2009, America's Test Kitchen showed a recipe for blueberry pie which also used alcohol in the crust. In both cases, the program explained that alcohol made the pie dough easier to work without encouraging gluten formation the way that water would.

Does anyone know where the idea of using alcohol in pie crust really came from? Was this a well-known trick, or did one of these programs invent the idea?


texts: Do you achieve better results from marinating if you poke holes in the meat beforehand?

texts:
Usually when I marinate any kind of meat (usually chicken or steak), I always just stick the whole piece of meat in marinade and let it sit for X hours. My question is, is it possible to achieve better (more flavorful, or juicy) results from marinading if you poke holes in the meat before marinating to allow the juices to flow INTO the meat? What are the benefits and drawbacks of said approach?

For the purpose of simplicity, lets keep the discussion to cuts of chicken and steak, cooked on a gas grill.


texts: How to know whether a coconut is ripe or rancid before buying

texts:
Buying the shrink-wrapped coconuts (in shell) at the store is similar to playing Russian Roulette.  All this trouble of getting the water out and breaking the shell only to find out the coconut is rancid (and sometimes unripe).

Sometimes you can see dark spots on the outside of the shell which seem to indicate mould on the inside of the shell, but there seems to be plenty of rancid ones that don't show any spots.

Here's what they generally look like:

Are there definitive signs of rancidity (and ripeness) one can detect at the store before the 'autopsy'?


texts:
I love fried tofu, but I don't want to have a deep fryer in my home (I'll use it too much!).

I've tried a few different techniques for pan-frying tofu, but it always comes out unsatisfying - too dry, too thin, too wet; I'll admit, I'm not a genius when it comes to tofu, but I'd imagine there is some way to prepare it that will give me decent results consistently.

Note: I do have a large wok, but I generally fry my tofu in a frying pan. I've had poor results in my wok.


texts:
What kind of cream is used to make tomato sauce into an orange colour i.e. creamy tomato sauce? (the creamy tomato sauce that restaurants serve with pasta)
I'm looking to buy some cream to do that but I'm not sure the right type.


texts:
A while ago we ate at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown. We were given these nice burnt sugar-flavored beverages to drink, but unfortunately the staff did not speak fluent English so I don't know what it was called.

I've tried in vain to research it but can't find anything close.

The beverage was very dark brown, but served with milk (I'm quite sure it was dairy milk, not coconut milk) poured on top, which when mixed turned it a caramel color. The consistency was thin, but the beverage was very flavorful---the burnt sugar flavor would have been almost bitter if it didn't have the milk added. Burnt sugar seemed to be the only major flavor---it was not a coffee beverage, though there might have been other spices. The beverage was sweet, but not extremely sweet. It was served in a standard plastic restaurant glass with ice.


texts: How can I remove salt from a saline infused pork sirloin roast?

texts:
How can I remove salt from a saline infused pork roast. I purchased 4 of them.

After making the first one I could not eat it.  I am on a low sodium diet.


texts:
I know how to roast beef in the correct way and let it rest before slicing, without wrapping it and making it sweat etc. etc.

My question is though that I'm roasting beef to take to a friends for dinner and I'm worried that after cooking if I transport it in a tupperware or something while warm, it will sweat and dry out and maybe even over cook. Do you think the best option after resting is to slice the entire thing and let it cool before transporting then just serving it cold at the other end?! Reheating the meat the other end will obviously over cook it...


texts: How do I prevent smoke problems indoors?

texts: I live in a small apartment, and the kitchen is tucked away in a corner without any outside ventilation (windows or stovetop exhaust). Every once in a while I'll be cooking and something will start to smoke (a different problem, I know!) and the smoke detector will go off. How do I eliminate or reduce the amount of ambient smoke? I don't have access to external ventilation.


texts: Using a ultrasound homogenizer to increase meat juicyness

texts:
I saw a popular TV show where a cook competes against a scientist. They made a pork belly, the cook made a brine and injected the brine directly into the meat with a needle, and the scientist also made a brine solution but used an ultrasonic "stick" (looks like a hand blender) so the brine penetrates the meat deeply.

He called the ultrasonic "stick" a Ultrasonic Homogenizer before and used to emulsify oil and water.

But will the ultrasonic waves help the brine penetrate the protein?

Also, could I theoretically make a "marinade" without oil, but with water using a emulsifying agent like Lecithin or TSP (Trisodium Phosphate, E339) so all the flavours that normally are solved in fat are in the water, and can therefore penetrate the meat far deeper than normal oil based marinades could?


texts: Can I freeze a cheescake made with pumpkin puree that was previously frozen? I used it in the cheesecake but the event was cancelled to another day. How long will the cheesecake stay fresh without freezing?


texts: What meats are appropriate for dry-aging

texts:
We know that dry-aging can be used for beef to evaporate water, concentrate flavor and let some of the enzymes break down the connective tissue in the meat, resulting in a tender & juicier steak.

But why is the dry-aging method not applied to pork, chicken, lamb or fish?

What meets are appropriate for dry-aging and why/why not?


texts:
I have a pretty fail safe method for cooking BBQ baby back pork ribs at home.

make a rub and apply to ribs
wrap in aluminum foil
one hour at 325 in the oven
the reduce to 225 and cook for two more hours

Add BBQ sauce at the end and maybe back in the oven for ten more minutes.

Usually this yields excellent "fall off the bone" ribs. Last night however I did the exact same thing and the ribs were certainly not fall of the bone and a knife was needed. Too bad really because the rub was amazing. These ribs were more meaty than normal.

Is this a situation where the ribs need to actually cook longer? Further, could I put the leftovers back in the oven a day later and cook them longer to try and achieve the proper tenderness?


texts: Can you substitute butter in a box cake recipe that calls for oil?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Conversion rule: how to switch oil and butter?

Most box cake mixes call for adding oil and water. What would be the effect of using butter instead of oil, and what ratio should be used to substitute butter for the oil? 1:1?


texts: What is the best way to thicken the liquid in this recipe?

texts:
I've made this recipe:

https://www.facebook.com/buzzfeedtasty/videos/1658203764432266/

  1 Red Pepper, Julienne Cut
  1 Green Pepper, Julienne Cut
      1 Yellow Pepper, Julienne Cut
      1 Onions, Julienne Cut
      2 lbs. Chicken, Sliced
      2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
      1 Can Diced Tomatoes
      1 Lime
      ⅛ tsp. Garlic Powder
      8 ounces Cheese

Cut the peppers and onion and place one half into the crock pot
Place the unsliced chicken into the crockpot. Cover with 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning. Turn the chicken over and cover other half with remaining tablespoon of taco seasoning.
Add the garlic and diced tomatoes
Add remaining peppers and onion
Squeeze lime into the crock pot
Cook on High for 3 hours
Remove the chicken and slice.
Add the chicken back into the crock pot and cook for another 10 minutes.
Use the filling for a tortillia, adding some cheese before eating while it is hot.

several times and it is quite good.

However, after it is cooked, there is a lot of liquid. I've tried draining the liquid, but a lot of the flavor goes along with it.

If it matters, I use frozen chicken breast which is fully thawed before cooking.

Any suggestions?


texts:
When I fry pierogi or potatoes, and even though the oil I use is minimal, I try to maximize the oil I discard by letting the fried food sit on a paper kitchen towel to cool down. (Specifically, "Bounty Plus" towels, if it matters.)

I'm concerned that the flow of liquids is not just oil from the food into the paper towel, but also chemicals from the towel into the food.

Is it safe to leave fried food on a kitchen towel? How do I confirm what kind of bleach they use to manufacture the kitchen towels (which are always a bit too white to not have been bleached at some point during manufacturing), and are there governmental (USDA, etc) guidelines forcing manufacturers of kitchen towels make them food-safe?

Is this product meant just to wipe your counter-tops, or would you also deposit fries on it? (It didn't come with a user manual, but FWIW the ads only present the first kind of usage.)


texts: What kind of stabilizers can I use when making souffles, Japanese cheesecake or egg beaten products?

texts: I would like to know more about effective stabilizers for egg-based cakes and similar dishes. I've heard that some people use gelatine, but wouldn't that make the cake ( Japanese cheesecake) have a jelly texture? Are there other options if this is the case as I want to preserve the light, egg-y fluffiness of these dishes?


texts:
Getting ready to make some fried plantains, but I wanted to get a jump on prep before caramelizing in place (approximately 2 hours from prep). If I cut them now, and they oxidize, will this inhibit their caramelization? Would oxidation promote caramelization?

It is possible to prevent oxidation of bananas and plantains with use of an acidulated water soak for three to five minutes, then pat dry. However, the plantains are a bit too ripe and soft to be able to pat dry without either leaving behind paper bits or mussing the surface of the fruit.

How does oxidation impact caramelization, if at all, and if the plantains oxidize, what would be the best method for caramelization?


texts: What could the dough of this cookie be made of?

texts:
After repeatedly eating what I consider the most delicious cookie I have ever eaten, my wife soon became frustrated trying to replicate it. So I am reaching out to gather ideas. This is the cookie, from a pastry shop. The filling is some kind of soft nougat, but the mysterious part is the cookie itself.
Here are some thoughts:

We assume that ingredients include (shortbread): flour, butter, and sugar
We tried icing sugar but it became too sweet
We tried milk with unclear success (?)
We tried eggs (white, yolk) but the taste did not match and it became too soft
The surface is a bit sticky
The taste is sweet and salty, a bit toasted/burnt which makes it so special

Unfortunately, I was not able to take a picture of a full cookie, so here is it half-eaten, as I could not control myself.
What could the dough be made of?


texts: Chicken stock quantity to substitute for 1 stock cube (knorr)?

texts:
How much homemade chicken stock should I substitute when recipe calls for a stock cube?  I added 5 litres of water to cover carcass.

Anything else I can do with simmered chicken & veg. It seems a shame to throw them away?


texts:
I bought a large amount of almonds at a bargain price. While moving the almonds to jars, I spotted a white powder which was very reminiscent of the eggs of the pantry moth. In the past, such powder quickly became larvae that turned into moths.

I don't want to throw away all the almonds. Is there any way to clean them?


texts: How effective are modern home refrigerators at keeping other foods cool when hot food is introduced to the space?

texts:
In the comments to this answer, there is some discussion as to whether putting significant mass of hot food into a refrigerator will unacceptably warm the other food already inside.

Elsewhere on Seasoned Advice, Athanasius argues passionately that with modern refrigerators, this is no longer an issue, including a personal story of measuring the temperature in their own fridge over time after putting in hot stock.  This is indicative, but only represents one particular refrigerator, one method, and one trial.

So the question is, is there substantive scientific or engineering data (as from manufacturers) indicating whether or not modern home-type refrigerators--and I do mean the more common makes (in the US, this would be brands like Kenmore, GE, or Whirlpool, not the premium "restaurant quality" brands like Sub Zero)--to address this issue?  (I failed completely to find such data using terms like "refrigerator recovery time" when googling myself.)

Can an average refrigerator from the last 5 to 10 years handle, for example:

One gallon (4 liters) of hot stock
or a full sized hot casserole dish, like a lasagna

put in hot (say 170-180 F), without allowing the temperatures of nearby foods to rise past the 40 F level (or at least not far past it, and not for long)?

Do the have sufficient flow of air to convect the heat away, and enough capacity in the heat engine to provide the necessary cooling?

I will admit, I have believed that putting volumes of hot food in the a home fridge is a bad idea, even for modern equipment since home refrigerators are not blast chillers.

Note:  this question is not about how fast the introduced hot food cools, and whether that is safe or wise.  This question is about the effect on other foods in the fridge.


texts: What is a reasonable temperature for slow cooked beef spareribs?

texts:
I understand from a little bit of reading that too low of a temperature with beef spareribs will make for very tender muscle but fat that is not rendered (http://www.insearchofheston.com/2014/03/how-to-make-heston-blumenthals-72-hour-rib-of-beef-recipe/).

On the other hand, too high will leave the flesh falling apart and stringy (personal experience, braising for 3-4 hours).

I would think barbecue people and smoker people would have this cut of meat fairly well figured out, but in a quick search of barbecue sites I do not find anything. (well what I find is generally 95˚C to 100˚+C which I think is unreasonably high)

I have an accurate oven thermostat so I often sous-vide cook dry in the oven. Can someone suggest a temperature to try, which has worked well in your experience?


texts:
I normally add tzatziki sauce when I eat roast left-overs. I cut the roast in slices (without warming it), and I add some tzatziki sauce.

Are there different uses for tzatziki sauce?  (I am sure there are.)


texts:
I am in a debate as to whether diced, marinated pork shoulder cooked in a vacuum bag in a regular conventional oven gives the same result as the same pork, cooked in a steam oven.
The bagged pork had a probe where upon reaching 180°F, the pork was removed and chilled down.  This took about 4-6 hours.  The bagged pork in the steam oven was cooked for 4-6 hrs. where it was also chilled down.
The pork in the steam oven was much more tender and in individual pieces.  The pork in the conventional oven was stuck together and chewy.
Does the steam help keep the pork more tender even though it is in a vacuum bag?


texts: Does it help to allow veggies to lose moisture before frying?

texts: Frying gets rid of the water in food, and salt is added to remove water from onions while frying. Since getting rid of water is the objective, if one has sufficient time, will it help reduce frying time or reduce the amount of oil sputtering if veggies like onion or bitter gourd are thinly sliced and left in the kitchen at room temperature for an hour or two to dry out a bit? I've noticed they get a bit wrinkled, which probably means they lost some water. Alternatively, chopping them and leaving them in the fridge in an open container seems to produce slightly similar results, but is it useful to prep it like this before frying?


texts: What is queso (the sauce/dip)? Is it short for Chile con Queso?

texts:
Queso is the Spanish word for cheese but (in the US) it is often used to refer to a cheese-based dip or sauce for tortilla chips.

When I google "what is queso?", Google says "short for chile con queso". Looking it up on Wikipedia leads to a disambiguation page where the page for Chile con Queso looks like the relevant result. That page says chile con queso is "sometimes described simply as queso".

However I'm also finding a lot of people who think that it is just a cheese sauce that doesn't have anything to do with chile.

So is queso short for chile con queso or are they distinct dishes?


texts: My once black cast iron skillet is now dark silver on the inside. Have I ruined it?

texts: the bottom of my pan is now a dark silver instead of black.  the inside sides of the pan is still black.  I used brillo pads to clean it and now I fear I have ruin this pan as well as another that have been passed down from generations to me.  Can they be repaired?


texts:
Over the past couple of weeks our local supermarket has been selling eggs very cheaply.  (large eggs for half the price of medium eggs).  So we've been eating a lot of eggs, not a problem, but I still have a few dozen left and need the counter space.  I am well aware of the drop them in water and see if they float technique - here and here.  But I have been finding that a few have slipped through the net. My question is: Are there any other fool proof methods to telling if an egg has gone off or not?

Please note that the first link is a site that I own, it's just that I wrote an egg page a long time ago.


texts: I made a lasagna today (Thursday) that will be served on Sunday evening. What will yield a fresher-tasting result: refrigerating or freezing? I know that lasagna keeps in the fridge for about 3-5 days, and this is about 72 hours, but will it taste better/fresher if I freeze immediately after baking?


texts: Will uncooked meat tenderise or toughen while stored in a refrigerator?

texts:
In an effort to make fewer food shopping trips, I want to store meat in the fridge for a few days before cooking.
However, if I'm entertaining guests I want the meat to be as tender as possible.
Will storing meat in the fridge for a couple of days affect the tenderness to any noticeable degree?


texts: Homemade fresh garlic dressing fridge life

texts: In my dressing I use fresh pressed garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar,  extra virgin olive oil , salt & pepper in a quart jar. How long can I store this safely in the fridge? There is absolutely no mayonnaise.


texts:
I have tried cooking baked potatoes (Russets) using the Alton Brown recipe here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-baked-potato-recipe.html

For some reason they keep coming out very watery. I seem to get the same results even after cooking the potatoes for >3 hours at over 400F.

I am definitely poking >20 holes with a fork, as deep as I can.

Can someone explain what I am doing wrong?


texts: Cayenne Latte drink - how to make at home?

texts:
I used to go to a coffee shop ( in a different state) where they made a cayenne pepper epsresso drink. It was a great drink strong cofee flavor with a kick of cayenne.  The barrista mentioned that this drink only works in small portions ( i.e. size small cup.)

Is anyone familiar with this drink? I'd love some ideas how to recreate it at home. What is the best way to attempt to replicate this flavor? I was thinking adding varying degrees of cayenne to espresso and find the best combination, but not sure if I should be adding other ingredients.


texts:
By baking, I mean cakes / muffins / biscuits.

This is mainly to cut down on fat.

I've tried replacing butter with yoghurt in all of these and the results were OK.

Are there any cases where it's not a good idea?

I generally replace with equal ratios e.g 100 ml butter = 100 ml yoghurt.

Is this the best ratio?