texts: Is ham safe to eat if it was at room temperature but is recooked?

texts: I accidentally left two half hams in a storage locker in a basement for four days. They were in packaged in plastic and packed in ice, but the ice would have melted by the end of the second day. They were at room temperature when I found them. The hams were from a grocer, sealed in plastic. One is semi-cooked. The other is fully cooked, smoked and salted. Are they safe to eat if I cook them to 160 degrees + or, as I suspect, do they need to be thrown out?


texts:
I want to prepare kotlet de volaille. It'a a bit like Cordon Bleu, but using the natural pocket in chicken breast, and inside is just butter and fresh herbs.

I thought about tying the meat with a thread, like a roulade, but I've never done this before, so I don't know what kind of thread to use. Is there a special kind of thread of will my polyester sewing thread be enough?

It took me some time, but I found the name of the dish in English - Chicken Kiev.


texts: Is there a difference between a lot of yeast and rising a short time vs little yeast and rising a long time?

texts: I have heard some people say that to make the best bread, you should use little yeast, and let the dough rise for a long time (about 24h). However, I am wondering if you can achieve the same results by just putting more yeast in the beginning, and rising it for only several hours. Chemically I don't see what the difference would be.


texts: Why are some potatoes better than other for frying or making French fries? What is the chemistry in that? And how do I apply this method in selecting different veggies for different uses?


texts: Why are certain fruit & veg bought in UK supermarkets tasteless?

texts:
I have been to Italy, Greece & Turkey. Fruit & Veg in these places tastes amazing! So much flavour, really awesome!

In the UK when I buy the same fruit or veg, it is absolutely tasteless, it is just crunchy water!

Why is this? I used to think it was because there was very little Sun here. However, many of the fruit & veg in question come from Spain! A place with a lot of sunshine! Something else must be in play!

I am talking about melons & watermelons, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, peaches, oranges and much more!

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

PS. Places I shop at are Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Sainsburys.


texts: Should I boil canned sweetened condensed milk before using like I do for different types of canned food?

texts: I have used sweetened condensed milk a lot in different deserts and pies, but today I wondered if boiling is needed, is it necessary?


texts: Can using a poolish or biga preferment help me make a less dense wholemeal bread?

texts:
I've taken up bread baking again recently, and I'm trying to improve my skills. One thing that still eludes me is how to get a less dense wholemeal loaf.  I know that wholemeal breads are nearly always denser than white breads.

A recipe I used recently was:

150g wholemeal bread flour
200g strong white bread flour
245g water - 70% hydration
4g active dry yeast (dissolved in some of the water)
5g salt

First prove was 1.5 hours - at room temperature. After shaping 2nd prove was around 40mins while my oven came up to temperature.  It seemed to be proved enough when I poked it. I slashed the top, it didn't collapse or anything. Baked at 250C for 12 mins, then 200C for the rest (total 35minutes) baking, with a tray of water in the bottom of the oven for steaming the crust.

Here's the pic of my bread

Now don't get me wrong, the bread is nice enough, it has a lovely flavour. However it's denser than I'd like.  I need to know if the problem here is the relatively fast leavening process, versus a longer process such as using a preferment like a poolish or biga.

Can anyone tell me, before I try the experiment, if using a preferment with such a loaf would help make it a bit lighter, with a looser crumb? Or am I headed for yet another disaster?

My reasoning behind this is that I've made higher hydration breads before - like ciabatta made with white flour, quite successfully, with lots of air and bubbles, but these usually start with a biga, which sits fermenting 12 to 24 hours in the fridge.  I also know that higher hydration has a role in the size of the air pockets.  I'm not looking for massive air pockets/holes in my wholemeal bread, just something that's a bit less dense.

Update: Forgot to say, the kneading was 10 minutes at a medium speed in a stand mixer. I mention this just in case it's relevant, although I tested the dough afterwards, and I thought the gluten development was OK.


texts: What are the conditions that raw milk, just milked from a cow, should stand to obainin thick traditional Romanian smântână?

texts:
Let's say I have fresh, raw, unpasteurized milk, just obtained from a local cow owner who milked the cow within the last hour, the milk is still slightly warm from the cow's body heat. In what conditions it should stand and for how long, to obtain thick, traditional Romanian smântână, viscous to the point that it would not flow out of a cup when its turned over.
I know such smântână is sold by old ladies on the farmers markets in Romania. What to do if my smântână doesn't turn out like that, even having the same milk, from the same cow, bought from them, not skimmed. For the educational purpose of the question let's assume they are not cheating me and selling me milk with some cream already skimmed, that can be a factor, but let's eliminate all other possible factors before accusing the cow lady.
Traditional Romanian smântână differs from traditional French thick high-fat crème fraîche. Creme fraîche is made from pasteurized cream and has a bacterial starter culture added, while smântână had no pasteurization done at any point and no cultures are added, only the milk's natural bacteria are making it. This process is without the use of a centrifuge or separator, as separator-made smântână is much more liquid.
I am not sure if smântână is considered a cultured product or not, as while it is said it should not be sour, but it certainly ferments a little while standing, only not as much as soured milk or yogurt? The Wikipedia page mentions "Smântână taste is tangy and sweet, a soured smântână is considered as spoiled."
I am looking for information on the parameters to obtaining a thick, highly viscous, non-flowing smântână, for example:

The temperature at which to keep the milk
The time to keep it at that temperature from the moment of milking the cow till smântână is ready
Anything else I should know to ensure I obtain a thick, highly viscous cream which doesn't taste sour

The correct answer will be only one which refers specifically to the Romanian traditional way, ideally from someone with knowledge from a Romanian grandmother, or otherwise having knowledge how it was traditionally done, before there were fridges and separators. Any other ways to obtain cream, any procedure not specifically from Romanian tradition, is outside the scope of this question.


texts: Can I reheat meal in pyrex-like glassware on vitro ceramic stove?

texts:
I have this delicious dish with gravy I did yesterday, and the rest is still in the pyrex-like oven proof glassware used to cook it.

Can I "cheat" and quickly reheat directly on my vitro ceramic stove top ? That would seem much quicker than reheating it the oven, and would save dish washing compared to transfering the contents into a frying pan.

My core question is specifically about the integrity of the glassware (though I'm aware it should reheat less uniformly than in the oven).

There is a related question that I found, but it is about a bowl that was not especially made for the oven at all, so I guess this question is different.


texts:
I used Cal Peternell's recipe:

1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
3 cups of whole milk yogurt
zest and juice of a half lemon

BUT... Instead of half and half I replaced it for cream because this is what I had at the moment. Could that be the culprit?


texts: I cracked open three eggs in a pan and in one of them the yolk looked mottled and it looked like swirly white areas inside the yolk. (I am not referring to the chalaza stringy bit or the germinal disk). I cooked one of them and the yolk started to look a little pink as it cooked. I floated another one before cracking and it sank but slightly stood up but was also mottled when cracked. Does this sound like bacterial growth?


texts: Is there evidence that adding salt to water prior to boiling can damage a stainless steel pan?

texts:
In the context of boiling water for pasta or other purposes, all over the Internet the advise is oft-repeated that salt should not be added to the water when it is cold in order to prevent damage to the pot such as pitting over long term use.  The reasoning is that the salt stays on the bottom of the pot for longer without dissolving, and has a chance to interact with the surface metal.

Is there any objective evidence--preferably scientifically based--that this phenomenon actually occurs in practical kitchen-type conditions, or is this another piece of common wisdom that is often shared but not backed by evidence, much like now debunked common wisdom that it is necessary to use very large volumes of water to cook pasta?


texts:
I recently ordered a French press (Bodum Kenya) and a ceramic conical burr grinder. I've tried this with two different decaf blends from Vermont Coffee Company, one which I ground at the store four days prior and one which I purchased in bean form and ground immediately before brewing.

With both cups, I experienced a weird, astringent powdery taste (arguably closer to a sensation) on the end of my tongue. I made an extra cup from the pre-ground and used hotter water (200 degrees instead of 190) and it seemed to help slightly, but it didn't fix the problem.

My methodology was as follows: heat the water, then while it's going fill my press with hot water (to heat it up, to minimize heat loss and prevent cracking) before I grind the beans. Then when the water boiled I temped the water until it hit 200 degrees even, dumped the priming water from the press, and then filled it with three scoops of coffee and roughly twelve ounces of water (my press's beaker is unmarked.)

Finally, I waited nearly four minutes before pouring.

Any idea what's going wrong here? I'm not getting much aroma or body, either. The grinder I'm using is made by Hario, and is a hand-crank conical burr grinder which received excellent reviews.

Update: As an experiment, I tried grinding a fine batch for the purposes of testing it in my bland (but unoffensive) Senseo. I learned two things: one, my brand new burr grinder has a skewed burr which screws up the consistency of the grind, and two, most of the offtastes I detected are still present. I'm drawing two conclusions:

I'm using WAY more coffee for the french press than I am for the pod-brewer
My grind probably isn't helping matters
I do not like this roast at all anyway.

I'm returning the grinder and I will order something else. In the meantime, I've ordered a bag of whole-bean Lavazza I know I like, so that if this problem reoccurs I'll be diagnosing the issue against a blend I have specific and extensive knowledge of.

Update 2: I've substantially increased the size of my grind, and made three sequential cups with smaller and smaller grinds. At the current spot I produce a decently-aromatic 12 ounces with just under two scoops of beans, and it's completely without either the sour or powdery characters it previously suffered. It still tastes weak, though, despite a faint velvety richness which I think is indicative of what this coffee should taste like.

Increasing the amount of coffee brings back the sourness, but not the powdery taste. Interestingly, in this case the spent grounds smell quite nasty - the sour taste dialed up to 11. I'm going to finish the bag of beans and replace the grinder and see where it takes me - and once the equipment issue is resolved I'll be back to report and accept an answer.


texts: prevent fiber threads in sweet potato halwa

texts:
I like sweet potato and i'm trying out different recipes with it as a main ingredient.
One of them is the sweet potato pudding/halwa.
It tastes good, but i would like to get rid of the threads of fibre that keep getting stuck.
Please suggest how to make the pudding without the threads.
I remove the ends of the sweet potato to avoid major fibrous part.
And the strings are mainly present in the middle part n not near the skin. The potato near the skin is smooth and doesnt contain strings.


texts:
I will go hiking for 10 days, and the food I get in the lodges on the way is practically all starch, wtih < 15 g protein per day. I did this once and felt terrible. So this time, I want to take my own protein, but in the logistically best way.

Normal foods are out of question, even beef jerky doesn't breach 40% protein, and I don't want to lug such a low density on my back for several days. Protein bars are in the area of jerky. So my ingredient of choice seems to be the protein powder used to make workout shakes (82% protein). I don't want to take the powder as-is, because it is hard to handle on the road.

What I want to do is to make my own protein bars with this powder, but with a much higher density than the store-bought ones. I want to mix it with the least possible amount of a gluing agent. The end result should

present no spilling danger (no liquid or powder)
need no special utensils to eat
have a long (at least 2 weeks) shelf life in a backpack under strong sunlight
preferably not require special packaging (so not too sticky, but this can be relaxed if the solution meets the other criteria)
not require any special equipment to produce (I don't have a dehydrator or such)
not cause me to gag (I don't insist on a pleasant taste, but I should be able to get it down)
have a really high protein density, in the best case over 70% (there are no other nutrition criteria; I am not worried by lots of carbs, E numbers, or lack of other essential nutrients)
can be conveniently prepackaged as single portions (maybe 30 g protein per portion)

It is OK if the stuff is so concentrated in taste and dry matter that I have to gulp down half a bottle of water with it.

Any ideas what ingredients and techniques can be used for a solution which comes closest to fulfilling above criteria?


texts: Can the freshness of butter affect taste of cooking?

texts:
Recently I made paneer (cottage cheese) butter masala following the recipe here.

However the taste was a bit off with the smell of butter. The butter had 3 months expiry date and I used it within one month from the date of manufacture.

I have to admit that as I was away from home I did not have proper measuring devices so I approximated the quantity.

I have experienced the same smell when butter gets old by a few weeks. So my questions are:

How does the "oldness of cooking butter" alter the taste of the recipe?
How does the quantity of butter (especially more than that in the recipe) alter the taste of the recipe?
If there is a change, can you please explain the reason or point to a link where such reasons can be found?
What is the best time to use butter so as to avoid any taste change? Or how "fresh" should the butter be to avoid any taste change?

Thank you community so much!


texts: How do banana peels reflect its ripening state? Can we influence that in our kitchen?

texts:
Recently our commercial kitchen got some bunches of bananas with a curious feature. On the inside they were firm and delicious (no jokes, please), but on the outside they looked incredibly sickly. Specifically, they had this grey/green/brownish yellow with lots of black spots, some of them with depth. I've been told that some bananas, such as those from the Canary Islands, look like this, but ours are Cavendishes*.  Over a chilly weekend, neither the peels nor the inside seemed to change very much.

What sorts of things can we do to make healthy-tasting bananas look ripe at the appropriate times? We actually had to post a sign explaining the situation so that people would eat them!

*Cavendishs? Cavendish's?


texts: Is there an alternative to using oil when baking muffins

texts:
I make a lot of muffins and I am constantly altering the recipes to try and create the perfect muffin to satisfy my taste and keep me regular.

I also avoid using sugar and oil.

I have been substituting unsweetened applesauce (equal part) for the oil; and I just read a great response on this forum regarding the role that oil/applesauce plays in baking (very informative, thank you!).

I'm wondering if there is an alternative to oil/butter/margarine/lard/vegan butter, etc. that will give me the taste and consistency that I would get had I used the fat called for.

Editorial:
I am not looking for a substitute for the sugar.....There are many ways to add sweetness to the recipe.  The article I mentioned above (role of oil in baking) explained that the fat protects the flour from becoming to glutenous (or chewy) in the baking process.  It further explained that the pectin in applesauce has the same (albeit diminished) affect on flour as does the oil.  However, it said that this is where the comparison stops ~ implying that there are other desired effects from oil in the baking process.

I know from eating my muffins that there is something different about them than had I used oil.  I just can't put my finger on what it is (it is more in the consistency than in the taste). And so I am wondering if there is some ingredient I could add, perhaps in addition to the applesauce, that would make up for whatever else the oil is good for that is missing from my muffins.

Thanks.


texts:
From a taste perspective, I love the nutty flavor of browned butter.  From a culinary perspective, I'm curious what the process does to the butter.

I used browned and cooled butter in cookies yesterday.  The cookbook I was working with had another recipe for cookies with melted butter (not browned) and suggested using egg yolks to add some extra fat because melted butter is different than softened butter, but did not explain.

I followed the tips for adding egg yolks and the cookies came out well, but I'm curious if I could have skipped the egg yolks and cooled the butter until it was the temperature of butter for creaming (which I've read is around 70 degrees F) and creamed it as normal softened butter, or if browning it altered it permanently.


texts:
I'm looking into starting to cook with cricket flour as a way to easily consume protein on the go. I'm currently considering various options such a smoothies, muffins and/or granola bars. However, I was wondering:

How should I store my cricket flour?
Does cooking baked goods with cricket flour mean I have to refigerate them?
How long can I store baked goods in a sealed container at room temperature if baked with cricket flour?

Contrasting the answers to these questions with comparisons to regular flour would be appreciated to get a sense of the differences.


texts:
I've bought a beef joint for roasting but it doesn't have much fat around it.

How can I stop it drying out?


texts:
I live in a town where fresh or whole milk is not readily available.
I was wondering if I could make cheese from UHT Milk.
If so, what kind of cheese and what method I should use?
Or rather, Should I?


texts: Can Apple Butter be substituted for Apple Sauce in baking?

texts: Can Apple Butter be substituted for Apple Sauce (unavailable) in baking muffins?


texts: pickled cucumbers seemingly lasting "forever"

texts:
My girlfriend's grandma has made pickled cucumbers for decades and distributed them to her whole family.
They are delicious, despite the jars looking like swamp water.
On one occasion, we got her some new jars and she later said that the older jars were better because they are not as tight as the new ones. Apparently they produce some gas and need to vent and I noticed that the sides of the jars show some dried liquid, so it is clear they all leak somewhat.
So, I'm wondering how can food which is not airtight and not refrigerated can last for months without spoiling? She's been doing that for 50+ years so somehow the technique works, but I'm curious about it.
Edit:
Today I had the opportunity to question grandma about her method :)
She's 85 so she just knows what's she's always done :) the pickling is not using any heat, it's cucumbers, vinegar, salt, tons of spices and herbs.
she puts everything in jars that will 'gas out' and leak for a few days, and then after that another process seems to take place where the jar seals itself, doesn't leak anymore and becomes harder to open, so I guess the air inside is somehow consumed.


texts: Mustard seeds for tempering lentils brought out a little bitter after taste

texts: I am fond of using whole spices for tempering therefore used mustard seeds along with cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida & nigella seeds. Thereafter used some cilantro and kasuri methi for finishing. What I noticed was that the lentils had a lil bitter after taste. Although previously I have used this spice blend minus mustard seeds a number of times without fail. What I know for sure is that I can take out mustard and make the tempering good again but somehow I want to use mustard seeds along. What else should I incorporate to bend mustard seeds in the spice mix to make it balanced?


texts: Is hot water bath canning really necessary?

texts:
I made a barbecue sauce that I want to send to a friend (internationally). I bought some mason jars, and was planning to just put the barbecue sauce in there, tighten the lids back on, and ship it off. Then I started seeing people say things about hot water bath canning and etc, and I am concerned. I don't want my friend to get sick, but this is also not intended to be some long-term barbecue sauce. She should begin using it soon after receiving it.

I also don't want to spend a ton of money on those fancy canner things. Is this safe? I appreciate any feedback, this is the first time I've made my own barbecue sauce.

Edit:
Barbecue sauce contains:
3/4 cup bourbon
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 tsp tobasco
+ salt, diced onions, diced garlic (both cooked)


texts:
I want to bake sourdough bread and have created a starter.

It's three days old and bubbling a lot. However it smells like sour yoghurt and not at all yeasty.

Has it gone bad?


texts: bread dough rising without airing cupboard

texts: I did live in a house with an airing cupboard which did work.  However, I have a breadmaker and make the dough ready to shape into pitta bread pieces but how do I make it rise as I don’t have an airing cupboard.


texts: Is it safe to use oil at its smoking point?

texts:
Teflon toxicity and second degree burns aside, are there any health issues related to cooking with oil at or past its smoking point? Googling a bit I found one article that went so far as to say you should always "discard oil that's reached its smoke point, along with any food with which it had contact". Other searches showed pages suggesting cancer risks.

I've never given it a thought before and I often use peanut oil at smoking point to brown meat.


texts: Caramel sauce tastes too sugary what went wrong

texts:
I tried a recipe to create caramel sauce, where the instructions were basically slowly heat sugar to 350F / 176c then take off heat, add cream, put back on heat, then mix and it's ready.

When finished the sauce looked like caramel and had the right texture but tasted sugary instead of having that caramel flavour.

Is it that it was undercooked or it's just that a caramel sugar and cream recipe always tastes sugary and I should add something else to get that distinctive flavour?


texts:
I baked Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells according to what I thought were the directions.
Temperature set at 425 degrees.  I brushed the top with egg wash -- and only the top.
When they baked, there were a beautiful brown, but only 1 rose like the picture on the box.

The others were beautiful golden brown, but either flat or lop-sided.  They were cooked all the way through -- just not puffed up into a shell.

I put the pastry in the oven after I had thawed them in the refrigerator overnight.

What is my problem.  Why did only one of the shells rise??

Please Please help.....


texts:
I just bought all clad's chef's pan (HA1) and their 10 piece set.

However, I quickly find out it's very uncomfortable to hold it by gripping the U shape handle from upper side or sideway, the edge of the handle cut in to my palm. And because the pan is very heavy (for good reason), it becomes very hard to lift it up and tilt it.

I did some research and find lots of people having this complain. There are some solution like this YouTube video, but it does not actually solve the lift and tilt problem.

I wonder what did professionals did when handling such kind of job?


texts: I've seen that fat will render at 55-60 degrees centigrade using sous vide - but my question is how long that would be expected to take?


texts: Why do shrimp / lobster / crab turn pink or red when cooking?

texts:
Cooking is a form of chemistry - so there must be a scientific reason behind this.

Why do all crustaceans turn pink or red when cooked?


texts: Egg nog recommendation diabetic friendly

texts: How would you fine people make egg nog diabetic friendly? I’m inquiring as I’m diabetic myself & I have always liked the non-alcoholic version of egg nog during the holidays myself.


texts: Which regions of the world prefer mustard in their mayonnaise?

texts:
I recently moved from Poland to Canada and was shocked to find that I found every mayonnaise I tried in Canada tasteless.

So I compared the ingredients labels of the ones I tried here to the ones I knew from Poland, and the biggest difference I found consistently between mayonnaise in Canada and Poland is mustard, which is not present in any major brand's mayo in Canada, and it's there in every single one that I know from Poland - so I assume this must be the crucial difference.

Then I found out that Hellmann's (one of the most popular brands in Canada, less popular in Poland but still a big brand) version in Poland ("Hellmann's Babuni") also contains mustard - this led me to believe that it is definitely not a coincidence.

So, what I'd like to find out, is which regions prefer mustard in mayonnaise and which ones don't.

For example, is it a difference between entire Europe and North America, or just some regions? What about other parts of the world? I know mustard is not the only difference, but let's limit the question to this aspect.


texts: how to freeze individual chicken pot pies

texts:
I am trying to find a good way to freeze chicken pot pies...I am assisting a person that is low income next week and we are working on making healthy meals for her to freeze instead of buying processed food.

She loves chicken pot pies so what I was thinking was (since she has limited kitchen equipment in her house) was using my large ramekins, put parchment paper in the bottom, line it with pie crust dough, make the filling and wait for it to cool, then put it in the dough in the ramekin and place pie crust dough on top.

Freeze until just set then take a double amount of heavy duty foil, make a mould around the bottom and then top with foil and put in the freezer. then when she is ready to eat, she can just take it out of the freezer, bake for about 30 minutes, then just take the top foil off so that the top can brown, then she can eat and enjoy.

Does this sound reasonable? I have looked online and Iha ve not found anything like this so any help would be appreciated.


texts: What are the limits on baking at 400F/200C?

texts:
I recently saw this video and the accompanying article on the New York Times website, which describes cooking a Thanksgiving dinner (including turkey, a crumble, dressing, and a sweet potato gratin) in a 400 degree oven, plus some things on the stove. It made me wonder whether you could apply the same principle to, say, cooking for the whole week on a Sunday morning: set the oven to one temp and just move pans in and out as needed.

So here's the question: what are the limits of what you can do at 400F/200C? I know I can roast meats and veg at that heat. Can you do breads? desserts? casseroles? When is that heat too high to be practical?


texts:
I've never made noodle dough before, and I want to try it today. However, I'd like to make the noodles more sweet.

Is the base ingredient ratio for making the noodle dough one egg per 100g flour?

How can I make it sweeter? Would I just add sugar or is there a better ingredient to add that will not change the texture of the noodles?

Will adding butter and milk change the texture of the noodle?


texts: Does a high content in salt extend the refrigerated shelf life of cooked meat?

texts:
I cook usually 1kg block at 65°C for 6 hours with 40g (4%) of salt, 10g (1%) of sugar, and a good amount of white and black pepper.

After cooking it, I cool it in an ice bath, then I store it in the fridge; first, one day uncovered, so it dries out a bit, and then in a Tupperware.

My question is: would this high content of salt increase the shelf life over the normal 3-4 days of a roast?

ADMINS: I am well aware of this question. What I want to know is if making a dish salted would extend its shelf life, and if not, what would be the alternatives. If you don't have the answer, please leave the question open. Maybe someone else would have.


texts:
I'm considering par-frying instead of par-boiling my chips. I'll still soak them in vinegar and water to get some of the starch out. I'll be par-frying the night before a large fish fry (70+ people). Thoughts as to if par-frying is better? I'm tired of having my chips so full of water on fry day that the temp drops.

I'll be using a modified approach from http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/09/the-food-lab-extra-crunchy-homemade-potato-ch.html)

Thanks!

Joel


texts: If my home roasted pistachios are not crunchy, do they need to roast longer or at a higher degree?  I did 15 minutes at 300.


texts:
I have a bunch of dried chillies (chipotles, poblanos and pasillas). My preferred method for using these is to soak them in hot water for about 20 minutes, then blend them and add the paste to whatever I am cooking. This means I have to clean my blender every time I do this, which I hate.

Can I rehydrate and process these chillies in bulk, then refridgerate or freeze the paste until I need it?


texts:
lately i started to drink matcha tea, as an experiment instead of coffee, and i have read many descriptions about it.

I want to drink matcha tea to work, but i dont want to make it every time here,but instead to have it in a thermos.I have an 1L stainless still thermos and the quantity is quite enough for 3~4 cups of tea.

So, is it ok to make the tea in the morning and having it till the end of working day or this process is not good for the tea?
Will it change the color of it also?

Regards


texts:
I really want to start experimenting with indian food, without relying on jars of paste. I am looking for any good information so:

What spices to buy?
What equipment?
Any good books?
Any good web sites?
Any other resources?


texts: What is different about "sprouted barley"?

texts: I have two bags of barley in my pantry. One is labeled "hulless barley," which I take to be regular barley, and the other is labeled "sprouted barley." But they appear identical. My idea of "sprouted barley" would be a grain that opens up with a shoot coming out. I've encountered the same thing with rice - so-called "sprouted rice" appears identical to regular rice. So what is the difference between sprouted and non-sprouted barley, rice, etc.?


texts:
The first time I made a levain, I used all-purpose white flour. This took over a week-two weeks to become active. I recently started a levain using whole wheat flour, and found it to become active much faster from the more nutritious flour.

Now due to covid19 wiping all flour from the shelves I did not have enough to sustain my starter with the usual whole-wheat flour. Since it appeared to be stable and strong, I read that it is possible to use another flour for feedings though it may take time for the starter to acclimate. So, I used the only thing I had: white all-purpose. The starter did not acclimate, and I had to restart everything when I was able to get whole wheat flour.

My question:

If a levain can't use a different type of flour for nutrition and do so effectively, how is it working when used in an actual bread recipe?

Meaning, if it sits stagnant for days when fed all-purpose, why would I expect anything different from a recipe using all-purpose?


texts: Can ambient humidity significantly affect the texture of pastry doughs?

texts:
There was some discussion on this question about dry, crumbly shortcrust dough about whether ambient humidity could cause a normally good shortcrust recipe to come out dry and crumbly.

Is this possible? How strong of an effect might be expected from going from "average" humidity to extremely dry? Would it affect all types of pastry dough similarly?


texts:
I love cheesecake. I am sure you loves it too. One thing I don't know that why cheesecake needs the hard base that too made up from biscuits? Can't we just put normal base?

Edit :

Hard Base : graham cracker crust
Soft Base : Pastry Sponge


texts: Is there a comprehensive overview of food colors?

texts:
I found a small list of food additives compiled by the FDA, but it looks rather incomplete and somewhat unspecific.

For example, some colors like gold (probably the real thing) or silver (E171 - titan dioxide) are not listed, and it looks like not all possible variants for a color are shown.

Are there exhaustive lists of color additives, preferably with their chemical name or something, for North America, for Europe and Australia?


texts: What are differences between traditional whisked whipped cream and whipping syphon?

texts:
Is there any perceived taste or texture difference between traditional whisked whipped cream and whipping syphon.  Assuming, for comparison, identical mix of cream and a little sugar.
Also, if say lemon juice, liqueur, or other flavourings are included does the N2O react with those in any way?

[edited for typo]


texts:
I have a rather dumb issue; I have some cuts of steak that are too large for my cast iron, and if I tried to cook them, the ends would be lifted into the air which I assume is not preferable (although I am no expert). Is it fine to cut the steak when it is raw or will it do something terrible to it?

I am of the mindset that it is just cutting the raw beef, so no juices or anything will run out like cutting a steak before letting it rest, but again, I'm no expert!


texts:
I found the following recipe for buttermilk biscuits:

mix 2c flour, 1tsp salt, 1Tbsp baking soda
cut 6Tbsp cold butter into mix
add 1c buttermilk
pat and fold on floured surface, cut into round biscuits and put in oven

The first time I made it, I used plain white flour. The buttermilk made it wet, but not overly so - it became a very sticky dough.

I recently tried again, but this time I used spelt flour instead. The mixture was significantly "wetter" after adding the buttermilk - so much so that I added some (wheat) flour on top to try to get it to what the previous batch was like. They also didn't rise as much when baked.

What explains the difference? My theory is that spelt has less gluten, so the dough didn't hold the CO2 as well when baking. But does this also explain why the batter was so much "wetter" with the same quantities of flour and buttermilk?


texts: Smart ways to clean a greasy metal vessel?

texts: I cooked up some meatloaf in a copper dish and it came out great. The dish itself, a little less so. I don't want to scratch the surface or wash it down the drain, what are some good ways to clean this without pulling out my hair?


texts: Where can I buy a larger than usual 13x4x4 pull man pan?

texts:
I want to make Italian style pain de mie bread for sandwich which is much larger size than  the usual 13x4x4 pull man pan available on the market.

Where can I find a larger size baking pan for pain de mie? Are there any alternatives to achieve this goal?


texts: Is there any way to make crepes without a proper non-stick pan?

texts:
I unfortunately ended up in situation where I tried to make crepes in a regular pan - needless to say, I was unprepared and it didn't end up well (they would get stuck to the pan and burn)

I tried using both butter and (canola) oil in the pan to avoid sticking, and in varying quantities, cleaning the pan after each failed attempt (so there isn't any burnt stuff from the previous attempt to cause issues), and varying the amount of milk/flour in the batter

Was there something else I should have tried, or was it a hopeless endeavor to being with?


texts: I made fudge. It did not set. Recipe left out crucial info: how long at soft ball stage? Cool slightly before beating? How long do you beat it? And how many times can it be "remade" or cooked before starting over?


texts: Are my gas stove burners clicking due to high elevation?

texts: I have a Viking gas stove. My front burners make a clicking sound when it is set on low. It doesn't seem to do this when the gas is higher. I have had a certified technician to check to see if anything is wrong and they can't seem to find anything. I have been told that this may be due to the high elevation of Calgary. We are at over 3000 feet from sea level. Could this be true?


texts:
How should I adjust the salinity of a brine when using a kosher turkey? Some reccomendations suggest decreasing the salinity of the brine, but how much?

My recipe is two quarts of water with 1 c. of each salt and sugar.


texts: How can I keep my reheated Oats from sticking together?

texts: I usually make steel cut oats in a rice cooker (1:3 ratio of oats and water) and generally have a couple of servings left over. When I try to reheat in the microwave it comes out all congealed together in small little chunks. Even if I put a little milk before microwaving still doesn't seem to work - The milk stays settled on the bottom of the heated bowl and the oats are still clumped together.  Any Tips?


texts: What is coriander root and where can you get it?

texts:
I mentioned the book Thai Food in an answer to another question. This reminded me of one of my longest running quandaries with it. Many of the recipes mention “coriander root”. I am aware of being able to buy the seeds (whole or ground) or the leaves, but I have never seen for sale anything calling itself coriander root.

Has anyone managed to source this, or am I missing something obvious?


texts: How do I make cake batter from scratch without butter?

texts: I need to make a cake, but I don't have butter, I could go buy some, but I don't have time because i need to do this cake right now and finish it in an hour so i can give it to someone.


texts: Does my "bagel flour" need malt powder added?

texts:
I purchased some "super bagel flour" that lists these ingredients:

Bleached Wheat Flour Enriched
Malted Barley Flour
Potassium Bromate

Is "malted barley flour" in this "super bagel flour" in essence a substitute for the traditional malt syrup or malt powder in bagels? Or is this something else, and I should still treat this flour just like "bread flour" that is commonly called for in bagel recipes and continue adding malt syrup/powder?


texts:
I used to cook a lot of beans on regular pots before I switched to a Pressure cooker.
On regular pots once the water is boiling I'd turn it down to simmering temperature where there are only few bubbles appearing.

My question is how much should I reduce the heat once it reaches the desired pressure? Since I can't see through the pressure cooker it is a little hard to determine.
Should the water be having several bubbles like it would do if it was simmering?
Or is having more than that enough?
I am using Tefal Secure 5 pressure cooker if it helps
Basically I do NOT wanna waste energy nor compromise the performance of the cooker.

So, at what rate should the steam escape for me to know that it is maintaining pressure without wasting unnecessary amounts of energy?


texts: My question is about adding heavy cream or half 'n half to a dish. Olive oil is in a skillet over low heat. Next add lemon juice, a ladle of pasta cooking water and the cream.  The cream always turns slightly curdled, but the dish still tastes good. What can I do differently?


texts: How do you prepare mushroom pepper fry? I wanted it to be crispy, but the mushroom itself was generating lot of water. Any suggestions would be helpful.


texts: (Survival Salt) Extract Salt from natural sorces (In the wild) without the Ocean

texts: I'm inquiring to learn a survival technique in the wilderness.  How can I extract and crystallize salt (sodium chloride) from wild plants, animals, or rocks, with access to a freshwater source only. I imagine soaking smoked meat to make a broth and letting it evaporate and crystallize, or steaming vegetables and again dehydrating a broth. Any insight will assist.


texts: Is there a substitute for port wine in a dessert risotto?

texts:
I am looking for a substitute for port wine in a "dessert risotto" that I would like to make. It's not that I'm worried about the alcohol (I would actually prefer to use the port), I just can't purchase alcohol since I'm under 21 and living in the US.

Since context is everything, here is the recipe for the Port Raspberries & Cream Risotto I plan to cook. .

Again, I am unable to purchase alcohol (except for cooking wines), so please do not suggest alcoholic alternatives.


texts: Oil substitution for butter in pastry recipe

texts: I have just made a pastie in a pie dish using S.Burt's recipe Can I substitute olive oil for butter/shortening in pie crust?. It was really delicious but has no strength. I used rice oil and lite milk and did not rest the pastry. I used plain all purpose 9.7% protein flour. Can anyone advise how to get a stronger pastry so that the pastie is contained by the pastry and doesn't need a pie dish?


texts: Do I need to increase the liquid amount when adding cheese to my scone recipe?

texts:
I would like to make a cheese scone out of my classic scone recipe. Recipe as follows:

Mix Dry:
450g self-raising flour
50g sugar
salt
100g frozen butter, grated into flour

Mix Wet:
2 eggs
Milk to make 300 ml

Mix wet into dry, flatten and cut into rounds, bake at 180C for 20 min.

I would like to add cheese to this recipe. 50g - 100g of cheese (really cheese-y!). I will also perhaps reduce the sugar for more of a savoury flavour. I would add the cheese to the dry before mixing with the wet.

Since I'm increasing the dry volume, I'd normally change the wet too, but cheese doesn't really absorb moisture. Do I still need to add more liquid? Also, now I'm practically doubling the amount of fat in this recipe. How will that affect things?


texts:
I saw somewhere they rubbed sliced eggplants in salt and leaving them out up to an hour before putting them in the oven.
From what I understood it had to do something with the eggplant's bitter taste...

I want to cook sliced eggplants in the oven myself now, and some in with a pasta sauce.
Should I rub them in salt? Why do people do that?


texts:
I generally buy large containers of oil (olive, canola, peanut, etc.) and just refill a handful of smaller oil bottles.  That way it's cheaper in the long run, and the smaller bottles are easier to deal with.

I generally just add more oil when a bottle starts getting low.  I imagine this could have some bad effects:

Oil remaining in bottle could go rancid (though it's getting diluted each time, so I imagine very little remains over time)
If any bacteria/contaminants get it, they'll just remain in there forever.

Are these realistic concerns?  Are there things that could start growing in pure oil?  Would it be worth the hassle to periodically let the bottles run empty and wash them out / replace them?


texts: Honestly, I’m still learning about some cleaning products. I made an approximately 10% Lysol 90% water solution, dipped a small paper towel into it, and wiped all exterior sides (no interior) of a microwave (redipping up to 5 times as needed). I now realize I shouldn’t have wiped areas with vents. After about 10min I washed all sides with water. I’ve been rewashing with water the sides each day since. I read perhaps Lysol is inert when dry. What should I do additionally to try to make it safe to use? How long should I wait before using it?


texts: How to extract the most flavor out of vanilla beans?

texts:
Today I made creme brulee, which I'm not very familiar with but have done once or twice.

The consistancy was fine, aswell as the caramelized sugar, but it had a very low taste of vanilla, even though I used 4x the amount specified in the recipe. (I used 2 whole vanilla beans for 2 cups).

I cut, scraped and put everything in cream/sugar, heated to about 80-90c (almost a boil), mixed with the yellow of the egg(yolk?) and cooked it in a pan half-full of water.

Is there anything I can do to facilitate more vanilla flavor? Is it somehow volatile and doesn't survive.. cooking? Maybe I should have boiled the cream with the vanilla? Make extract using high-strength alcohol first? Buy better vanilla?


texts:
I'm not very good at peeling shrimp, but I've been practicing lately with raw shrimp. I have the theory that raw shrimp are peeled more easily than cooked.

Every time I try to peel a cooked shrimp, the flesh sticks to the skin. Is there a way to peel cooked shrimp easily?

As for method, I guess it's the same for cooked as for raw.

Take the head off.
Take the tail between thumb and index finger and peel the legs off.
Take the tail and the first section and 'break' the next section lose.
Take the tail off.
Take the first section of the body between the palm and little finger and with the index finger peel the back off the shrimp.

Done.

Do you use the same method as I? Should I apply another method for cooked shrimp?

Edit I've had no luck with another batch of shrimp. This time no method of mine worked, as the skin would stick to the flesh. Is this a problem of freshness (too fresh or not fresh enough)? (Should I post this edit in another question?)


texts:
I have a recipe that calls for a mix of corn and wheat flours, but my local grocery stores (in the south east US) only carry corn meal.

What is the difference between corn flour and corn meal?
Can I safely use corn meal in the place of corn flour?


texts: Ingredient substitute for sriracha hot sauce

texts:
Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

I would like to try making this recipe. But I don't like anything super spicy. What could I use instead of the sriracha hot sauce and get a similar flavor with out the extra heat?

Ingredients

8 medium chicken drumsticks
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger


texts:
Is the presence of dust and small stems in packaged rolled oats a sign of inferior processing equipment? Would higher-end brands like Bob's Red Mill have less of those? Is it likely that for any big brand, their oat products are produced, packaged, and exported from a single region/country?

I make granola bars using rolled oats, occassionally swapping between 2 brands. I've noticed that one brand has more dust and stems than the other brand, however of course, this is just based from personal observation, and maybe the bias that the other brand is already a seminal brand i.e., must be a century-old company already. Notably, the brands come from two, different wheat producing countries.


texts:
If I bring 20 ounces of water (2.5 cups) to boil in a kettle, and promptly remove it from the heat, is the amount of water lost (by volume/mass) a negligible quantity?

To be more precise about my own intent for this knowledge; if a pour over guide for coffee brewing is indicating that there should be twenty ounces of water at 195-205'f, should I go through the steps of weighing out twenty ounces of was-just-boiling water, or will the displacement of water to steam be relatively non-impacting of the coffee extraction and final cup.

What are the various ways in which more steam will be displaced, and how can I conserve mass to minimize variability and improve consistency extraction to extraction?


texts:
So this past weekend I encountered a peculiar line in a recipe which I am hoping someone with more cooking knowledge than me can shed light on

  Combine flour, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in another bowl. Using two knives, work cold butter, cut into pieces, into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture evenly over blueberries.

What I ended up doing whats putting everything into a pyrex bowl and pathetically hacking at the butter chunks until my wrists hurt.  My question is two-fold:

1) Why? I assume the recipe has some justification for why two knives are the appropriate tool.

2) Is there a particular technique one should use when "working" the mixture?


texts: How do I use Carnauba or Beeswax for Candy?

texts: I am trying to make gummies and I want to use either Carnauba wax or bees wax to make a coating, anyone got any idea WHAT Carnauba or bees wax to use and how to apply it? I know they use a tumbler but do I use Carnauba granules? Mix it with oil? What?


texts: How to cook small fish(unfrozen and frozen) in water without overcooking?

texts:
I believe the rule is that fish which is 1 inch thick should be simmered for no more than 10 minutes.

What about fish like anchovies, whitebait and sardines which I think are less than an inch thick.  How long should they be simmered for in order to avoid overcooking?

What if the anchovies, sardines or whitebait are cooked from frozen(due to perishability), how long should they be simmered for in this case?


texts: How can eggplant be preserved? I would like to preserve it for a month or more, if possible.


texts:
I'm attempting to infuse alcohol for the first time, and I'm wondering how long the infusions will keep? I've read a few different (contradictory) opinions on this matter. One recipe for vanilla vodka said to store in the fridge and use within 3 months. I've even seen "use within a month" for some infusions. Others say, "it's alcohol, it will keep forever." I'd imagine the alcohol would act as a preservative allowing it to keep for a very long time.

In general, is there a reason to consume infused alcohol within a specific timeframe? Taste? Flavor? Safety? Would this differ based on whether it was infused with fruit, herbs, or spices? Is there a reason that you may want to store infused alcohol in the fridge/freezer instead of leaving it out?

Would there be any special considerations for what I'm infusing right now:

Vanilla vodka
Jalapeño tequila
Rosemary tequila


texts: Will unsealed fish in the freezer contaminate packaged food?

texts: My step dad put 3 unsealed fishes from the lake in the freezer.  I also have  sealed waffles and sealed hotdog meat in the freezer.  I want to make sure the package food is safe for my children to eat.


texts:
Say I buy a bag of Callebaut Cocoa Powder (like this one). What's the best way to store the powder once I begin using it? Figure that I'll use no more than 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of cocoa powder a week.

Thanks!


texts: How should I prepare venison hind leg sous vide?

texts:
I have a piece of venison I want to cook. The package says "hind leg". It is a 1kg piece without bones, in a rather round shape.
I want to use sous vide on this piece, but I am not sure what time/temperature should be used. I have searched many sites, but answers seems to vary.
Some sites suggest treating it like tender beef; heating it up to around 57 degrees (time depending on thickness of course).
Other sites suggests treating it for really long cooking times, as one would with brisket or short ribs.
Does anyone have any experiences that I could replicate?


texts:
Why bake, cool then torch the crème brûlée? Why not skip the cooling? Is cooling for setting?

Cooling for 4-24 hours is in almost every recipe I find.


texts: Can alcohol bottles (especially liquor) be stored on their side?

texts: I have a fairly well-stocked mini-bar, but not a lot of space.  I've considered storing the bottles in a drawer, but I've heard that you should store certain alcohol upright. Is this true?  If so, why?  If it's only true for certain types of alcohol, which ones?


texts: I am making cream horns and I bake the puff pastry on the molds, let them cool and fill with cream. I freeze some empty for later, but they are not crispy. How to improve on that?


texts: Cookware and methods for large quantities of rice

texts:
On my next Catering job, I was asked to cook a large amount of rice. I will probably use about 15 to 20 cups of Basmatti or Risotto rice.

For the Basmati, my options are to either cook the rice 4 cups at a time (re-season, clean the pots, etc) or use my large soup / gravy pot to do the rice.
For the Risotto, I'm not really sure if cooking that much risotto is even possible simultaneously.

My question in a nutshell is how much water and salt should I put in?

Now I know that water and seasoning depends on humidity, weather condition, type of rice, where was it harvested from, was it drained ? washed ? drained and washed? soaked?, the moon and earth cycles, night and day, and that the amount of water decreases significantly as the amount of rice increases. I'm looking for a ballpark figure (+/- 1 cup)

EDIT

I'm sorry to be a pain in the rear; however, there is definitely a difference between cooking 2 cups of rice and 20 cups of rice. I ended up resorting to making my spice mix ahead of time and cooked the rice 4 cups at a time with about (5-6 cups of water for each batch).

I'll keep researching this and see what I can come up with


texts: Will my food continue to cook on the warm setting?

texts: I want to start a meal in my crock pot and the recipe only calls for about 4 hours of cooking. However, no one will be home for another 3 hours to turn it off, but it will shut down and go to the warm setting. Once it sets itself to warm, will it still be cooking? I don't want the chicken to be overcooked.


texts: So, at target, Tomato Sauce is $0.84 / lb. But, tomato paste is $1.00 / lb. However, tomato paste has 4x as many calories, implying that they reduced it by 4x. This makes sense, since reducing tomato sauce to tomato paste in a pot generally reduces it by 4x. But, why is it not 4x as expensive? How is it only barely more expensive if it requires so many more tomatoes to create? Generally speaking even boiling for longer costs money. Milk powder is almost always more expensive than milk, for example (In all of the grocery stores that I've checked, at least). I can't find tomatoes for less than $1 / lb, which upsets me because I want to homemade tomato sauce and tomato paste but it's just not cost effective. Where are they getting practically free tomatoes?


texts: How to adjust for making candy from corn syrup instead of sugar?

texts:
I've recently started to experiment with making hard candy from straight corn syrup rather than conventional sugar, and so far it has worked remarkably well. Aside from increased sweetness and improved mouthfeel in the final product, the process is faster and more reliable — there is no need to wait for sugar granules to dissolve, and the corn syrup boils nearly uniformly from start to finish without any need to adjust the heat or any risk of going out of control. It's been consistent enough that I'm comfortable leaving the pot entirely unattended on a timer until nearly the final minute and doing other tasks while waiting for the syrup to come up to temperature.
However, hard candy recipes produced in this way seem to end up slightly softer than they do when making them with traditional sugar, and it's really not clear to me why this is — if this is due to the corn syrup requiring a higher temperature to reach the same moisture level; if fructose sugar glass just softer generally even at the same hydration, or something else.
For hard candy at least, I've considered trying to add back in some amount of regular sugar again to try to be able to make harder sugar glass, but I have especially for more specific candy types like nougat (that are sensitive to viscosity/hydration) it really isn't clear to me how to compensate for this difference.
Unfortunately despite searching I have yet to find even a shred of information on the subject of making candy using corn syrup in this way; all of the google search results are polluted with sources that do little else but spout the evils of corn syrup and decry the very concept of using anything but the One True Saccharide for candy-making, and with "fructose free" candy recipes that straight-up walk you through the process of hydrolyzing part of the sugar to make the fructose yourself, without bothering to mention that fact.
Does anyone have any sources or know where I can find actual information on how to use corn syrup for candy-making, and how to compensate when making a substitution for regular sugar?
In a perfect world I'd love if I could find a reference source with information on how to derive (or even just tables listing) the temperature/hydration and hardness curves for different sugar mixtures, but even just basic information and recipes would be great.
The particular syrup I'm using here is Golden Barrel High Fructose 55 (although my question isn't limited to just this syrup in particular). Here's the description from the datasheet:

High Fructose Corn Syrup 55 is a second generation high fructose syrup. The principle sugars, fructose and dextrose, give it a sweetness comparable in most foods and beverages to sucrose or invert sugar. The high sweetness level of high fructose corn syrup 55 provides desirable characteristics to carbonated drinks, still drinks, and processed foods.

Also, here's my best sugar glass recipe at this point, for reference:

Dispense 1 lb of HFCS55 into a pot. Place the pot on the stove on high and set a timer for 14 minutes. Return once the timer goes off and continue to heat for about another minute, until temperature reaches 310 F. Remove from heat and wait for it to cool below safe temperature for additives. Stir in color and flavor, and process into desired shape.


texts:
I have a box (actually, 6 boxes) of Kroger brand lime gelatin dessert with sell-by date stamped:

  SELL BY JUN 05 09B KA

Is this June 5, 2009,
June 9, 2005 or
June 2005 (with "09B" of no consequence)?


texts: Why is there cornstarch in powdered sugar?

texts:
I was looking up how to make my own powdered/confectioner/icing sugar. Some 'recipes' say that you should add a bit of cornstarch while others just leave this out.

So what is the role of cornstarch? Does it act like a filler (since it's cheaper than sugar)? Is it to prevent lumps? Does it help with texture? Does it do something else?

If this question is too broad, assume I'm only talking about frosting, since that's a frequent use of this sugar.


texts:
I've recently taken an interest in mixing cocktails - I've never done it before or anything similar and I have a question about sourcing ingredients. I want to try making lots of different cocktails, and I've been looking on thebar.com for recipes and it looks like I'm going to have to buy lots and lots of different alcohols.

I consider this problem similar to buying spices for curries. You tend to need a small amount of lots of different spices which means they might only get used now and then.

How can I keep the price reasonable when buying ingredients? I don't have a cupboard of alcohols at my disposal yet and I don't want to spend money on something and only use it once. Do I need a set of commonly used alcohols? Or is it really a matter of amassing them all over time?

This is my first time posting on cooking.se, so please comment if I've missed any information off and I'll try to edit it in as quickly as possible, or if this question is too open ended I'll try to narrow it down.


texts: Is there a brand of salsa I can cook with that doesn't contain seeds?

texts: I love salsa, mexican food, and anything spicy, but most salsa has tomato and or Jalapeno seeds in there. Hope to find one without seeds.


texts: Olive Garden ‘Spicy Calabrian Chicken’ Recipe

texts:
I recently had Olive Garden’s ‘Spicy Calabrian Chicken’. They were spicy chicken tenders. They were great. Lots of heat, but I could still taste all the flavors and the heat dissipated, leaving me craving more.

Does anyone, especially anyone whose had it, know how to make this dish?

Thanks.

Edit: a couple of people seem confused and think I duplicated my question. I've gotten fussed at before on these forums for asking multiple question in one post. This question was about a recipe using a pepper. My other question is about identifying a pepper.. Thanks.


texts: Does chopping steak negate the benefit of using better meat?

texts:
A sub shop I liked to go to in college offered two kinds of cheesesteak: the "'regular' cheese steak sub" and the "Filet Mignon steak sub." The only difference between the two was the cut of meat used, with the filet being both better and more expensive.

I once went there for lunch with a friend and tried to order the filet sub. My friend stopped me, saying that there was no reason to spend the extra few bucks and that I should just get the regular. I don't remember his exact explanation why anymore, but it had to do with the cheesesteak preparation process, which involves chopping the meat up into very small pieces. I think he said that the breakup of connective tissue negated the advantage of using the filet.

Was my friend right? If so, why?


texts: How long Pasteurized Eggs can be refrigerated?

texts:
I routinely pasteurize eggs in batches of 12 so if I don't have time for a full breakfast in the morning, I crack a few open in a glass of milk with some protein powder.

The approach I've been using so far is like so:

To pasteurize large eggs, place them in a saucepan filled with water and fitted with a digital thermometer.
Turn on the heat and bring the water up to 140F.
Keep the water temperature at 140F for 3 minutes (and no more than 142F), reducing the heat on the burner if necessary.
Remove eggs from hot water and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Store in the refrigerator until needed or use right away.
Jumbo sized eggs need to 5 minutes in 140F water.

I've been doing this for several years now, and haven't had any issues. It also lines up with the method proposed in other similar posts on Cooking.StackExchange.com. Additionally, I bring the eggs up to the target temperature of 142F slowly over the course of about 15 minutes, using a simple dairy thermometer to keep track of the temperature. My theory is that if the eggs reach the target temperature slowly, it gives more time for the temperature inside the egg to match the temperature of the hot water, so the thermometer reading is indicative of the actual temperature of the inside of the egg.

How long is it safe to keep pasteurized eggs (using the method outlined above) in the fridge before I should toss them out? I've kept them in the fridge as long as six days prior to drinking them. Most posts I've read on cooked eggs suggest eating them within a couple days, but I don't know how that applies to heat-pasteurized eggs, since they aren't technically "cooked".

References

How to pasteurize eggs at home, Accessed 2014-09-03, <http://bakingbites.com/2011/03/how-to-pasteurize-eggs-at-home/>
What's a good technique for pasteurizing eggs?, Accessed 2014-09-03, <https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/4265/whats-a-good-technique-for-pasteurizing-eggs>


texts:
I followed this recipe:

and messed up the temp to bake at because I confused myself when I was doing it. I wanted to make this for my class and so I doubled the recipe as well. I have to bring it in tomorrow morning and was wondering if there’s anything I can do to fix the custard.

It is completely soupy, I would say it maybe thickened a little bit like if you added heavy cream to coffee since I let it sit for the past 3 hours. I have made this recipe before successfully in my cooking class but I actually wasn’t there for when it was taken out of the oven and the setting process after so I wasn’t completely sure what it was supposed to look like.


texts: I accidentally dropped the lid from a can of diced tomatos in my crockpot of cabbage roll soup!

texts: I went to stir the cabbage roll soup and found the metal lid to the diced tomatoes in the soup. It's been in there for at least an hour with all the food in the crockpot cooking on high. I got it out and still have the food cooking. I'm not sure if we can eat this now or not?


texts: Yeasted rye starter immediately doubles!

texts: I'm making a yeasted sourdough starter per the directions in my bread-machine book, but with rye flour instead of whole wheat.  It's supposed to sit for 2-5 days, but it doubled almost immediately and is doubling again in my largest bowl! I can stir it down to keep it from overflowing, as it did the first time, but is it OK if I let it stand for another 6 days, when I plan to make the bread?


texts: I like the idea of eating pigs cheeks, I've heard they are delicious, but difficult to cook so they are not chewy.  How should I cook them so they are succulent and delicious?


texts: How to reduce the flavour of orange zest in chicken?

texts: I recently tried to make orange chicken and the recipe required  the zest of one orange. Well I added too much zest and the orange peel flavor is overpowering. How can I reduce that flavor?


texts: What combination of flours can be used as a substitution to a bread flour?

texts:
Following is the list of flours that I can get hold of in India easily:

Whole wheat flour
Semolina flour
Chickpea flour
Maida
Multi grain flour
Corn flour
Rice flour

What can be the combination of these flours which can then result in a substitute for the bread flour?


texts: Fire alarm keeps going off when roasting in oven. Advice please?

texts:
The problem started recently. I cook a lot and especially love baking cakes and roasting all sorts of vegetables in the oven. Recently when roasting, I noticed smoke coming out of the oven and the fire alarm went off.

It was because a lot of grime and food drippings had accumulated (for over a year) at the bottom, and it was getting charred. The next day I cleaned up the whole oven (applying baking soda paste overnight then scrubbing with vinegar and steel wool). Except for the top of the oven which I simply can't get perfectly because that would require me to bend over backwards and clean, the rest is all squeaky clean.

However now when I try roasting above 350 F, it still causes the fire alwarm to go off. There's nothing else in the oven that's getting burnt, even the veggies I placed in the oven weren't done completely. I am really puzzled. Any suggestions?


texts: What can I do to prevent big holes in the bottom of bread loaves?

texts: Can you give me any ideas to control this type of hole in bread?


texts: How to make my graham cracker bites crispy/crunchy?

texts:
I am attempting to make crunchy graham cracker bites (think granola but made from graham crackers).  I wanted to use the recipe below as a base:

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and mashed banana in large bowl to blend. Add unsalted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Press onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake crust until set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

and then crumble it up.  My problem is that when I used this recipe before the crust came out incredibly hard and almost impossible to eat.
I was contemplating bumping up the heat and cooking it for a shorter amount of time, but this would be total experimentation.
Can anyone suggest any methods for taking the above ingredients and making them into a crispy (but not tough) sheet that can then be crumbled up into granola sized bites?


texts: Is there enough pectin in Apples to make jam

texts:
I have some surplus cooking apples which I will be trying to make jam with. I can't find pectin in my local supermarket, but they do have "jam sugar", which contains pectin, but is twice the price of regular sugar.

From what I've read, apples are a natural source of pectin. So do I need to add extra pectin to my jam in order for it to set?

FYI: I don't have any crab apples, which people have suggested adding to jam to hep it set.


texts: Vinegar Alternatives and rice combinations in making sushi rice

texts:
What are some of the alternatives in vinegar for making sushi rice? I know it's best to use rice vinegar, but has anyone ever tried it with white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar for example? Follow up on that question, would you put or more less vinegar?
What are some rice combinations that someone can use? I'm thinking for a next batch, I might do 80% sushi rice, 20% basmati, or 70% sushi rice and 30% arborio. Has anyone tried any such combinations, and if so how did it turn out?


texts: Why doesn't my whole wheat dough pass the Poke Test?

texts:
http://www.thekitchn.com/bread-baking-tip-how-to-tell-w-156772

  The Poke Test - Give that ball of dough a firm poke with your finger. If the indentation fills back quickly, you're good to go. If it stays looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading.

I use the water and the whole wheat flour only. After kneading the dough for 15 minutes I poked it. The hole didn't fill up.

Is there a proper way to knead the dough which I may be missing?

This dough is supposed to be used for making Parathas and Chapatis.


texts: How should a washed rind cheese be stored in the refrigerator?

texts:
There's a dispute about whether to use plastic wrap, wax paper, aluminum foil, zip-loc bags and so on.  Also, I've heard that its a good idea to take the cheese out and let it breath from time to time.

Any washed rind cheese care advice?


texts: Bagels: Alternative to cornmeal on the baking sheet?

texts:
I'm making bagels for the first time ever and I assumed I had cornmeal... I don't. I have corn muffin mix but no cornmeal.

The instructions say to sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheets. Is there another common kitchen ingredient that would work as well? Or, should I just use a bit of corn muffin mix?

EDIT: Now that I'm no longer in a panic, it occurs to me that I have polenta and grits. One of those would work well, right?

I used polenta... I wish I had used flour instead, though, b/c the polenta bits are pretty big. Corn meal is now on the grocery list, to be purchased before I make bagels again.


texts: Why does cheese need boiling while paneer not?

texts:
I am from Syria, but currently I am living in India. Back in my country we have to boil the cheese (and the milk) before consuming, otherwise it may carry harmful bacteria. One of my friends was taken to hospital after consuming raw cheese. In my country all people boil the cheese (and the milk) because of this.
In India, there is paneer which is similar to our cheese but not identical. However, I asked many Indians and they said it is ok to consume it raw (they said the same answer for milk).

My question is:
1) Is it ok to eat paneer (and milk) without boiling in India (or any other country)?
2) If yes, then why in my country we have to boil both cheese and milk?
3) Isn't cheese made from boiled milk, so why do we need to boil it again to remove the bacteria?


texts:
Are there any available substitutes for greek yogurt?

I don't have any in the fridge. Looking for a substitution besides regular yogurt or any yogurt based substitution. Looking to make a creamy like cold sauce for fish tacos.


texts:
I looked online and most recipes called for 3hr of cooking dried and soaked soy beans. My question is if it's instead safe to boil for 10-15min then simmer for 45-60min? As I understand there are bean toxins that need to be cooked out. Also, is cooking after the boiling going to have any efffect on food safety or is it just a matter of texture? My reason for asking is below. On a related note, most recipes call to remove the foam that forms from cooking the soybeans. Is this foam safe to eat?
I've been cooking dried beans more regularly recently. Mostly kidney, pinto, and lima beans with lentils. I boil for 10-15min then simmer for at least 45-60min until it reduces to the consistency I like. I know some beans come out more mushy than others since they normally cook for different times but I like the convenience. I tried soy beans today but they were crunchier than the rest. So I'm just a little paranoid that this means I might not have cooked the soy beans long enough for their bean toxins to be eliminated.


texts:
My rice smells like my room and it's kinda weird. It tastes fine but I moved the rice to another location that smells different and I can still smell the strong smell of my room whenever I sniff the rice, even after rinsing and cooking.
However, this isn't only my rice, I have oatmeal that I keep in cabinets and it smells exactly like my cabinet before and after cooking.
My main concern is: is my stuff safe to be eaten? In both cases I've eaten them both and nothing bad has happened so far, they both still taste as if they were original (hence they are also not even expired or best by date yet).
But I am wondering how they absorbed the smell. I can't find any information on grains absorbing smell anywhere.


texts: what is the purpose of lemon/acid in fruit maceration for pie baking?

texts:
A lot of pie recipes will tell you to take out the liquid in juicy fruits, like apple and peaches, for pie baking.

The purpose is to avoid a soggy crust with too much liquid.

Some people even put tapioca starch to thicken the liquid.

Fruits must be macerated to take out the liquid. This is done by slicing and then adding sugar but also lemon juice.

But what is the purpose of the lemon juice? I know that it lowers the PH and increases the acidity.

But how does this assist in taking out the liquid from the fruit (I"m assuming this is the purpose).

Why don't  just skip it?

I googled it but the answers didn't seem scientific or accurate? E.g., lemon juice is to add flavor or it is to speed up the process (but how?)


texts: How to clean smell from granite mortar and pestle

texts:
I recently grinding some chilies with ginger in my granite mortar and pestle, and after cleaning it still has a bit of gingery smell (and maybe a bit of color too?). I washed it with warm water, let it dry, and then grinded some white rice in it as well.

Is it okay that it still smells a bit like ginger? If not, what should I do to remove it?

Thanks!


texts: Is it acetobacter in the bottom of my caramelized beetroot relish?

texts:
I have been making a caramelized beetroot relish for a few years now. It is stored in 320g glass jars which are washed and sterilized and heated in the oven to a temp of 140 deg C. I use the accompanying screw-on lid which has a non-corrosive coating inside the lid, these are also sterilized in boiling water to a temp of 90 deg C before being placed on the jar.
The relish is stored in a bedroom that has a stable temp and is dark as the blinds are closed. I have recently noticed that there is a tiny bit of whiteness at the bottom of the jar. When I opened the jar and tasted the contents it seemed fine and if I shake the contents it seems to dissolve/disperse into the relish.
I use organic apple cider vinegar, with the mother, in my recipe, could this be causing a slight fermentation? Can anyone tell me what this is and how it has occurred? Is my relish OK to eat?
This is my recipe:

82g olive oil
2.4g brown onions, grated
1.8kg beetroot, roasted, cooled and grated
1.125 organic apple cider vinegar (mother)
1kg CSR brown sugar
18g teaspoons Celtic salt
3g freshly ground black pepper


texts: Bake brownies by 2 different ways, what changes?

texts:
I tried to learn how to make brownies, searching this out i found out 2 ways:

1) Add the sugar and the eggs together and use a hand mixer to beat them until cream. Then add the mixture in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. And finaly add the flour.

2) Add in the melted chocolate and butter mixture the sugar, then add one by one the eggs and finaly add the flour.

What changes in the brownie texture if we cream the eggs and the sugar first? Is this necessary? Or just by combining all the ingredients together using only a whisk we will get the same result.

Of course something must change and i would like to know what.


texts:
Initially I was told that al dente meant that the pasta was cooked but still firm, definitely not soggy or overcooked.  Later, someone told me that it meant not quite cooked all the way through. Actually many people began telling me this. In addition, they would also tell me that it was silly to make such a request because no one in their right mind would eat pasta this way.

So what does al dente really mean?


texts: What's the best approach to baking bread with whole grains?

texts:
I have a plethora of whole grains (barley, rye, wheat berries, kamut, spelt) sitting around my kitchen, and I'm getting bored with soups and salads.  Is it possible to use these in bread (yeast, preferably, but quick/tea breads are also okay)?

If so, what are the best approaches/ratios?  Should I cook them first?  Let them sprout?  Pointers to recipes would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I was making pesto one day and couldn't find the lid to my food processor. So first I tried mixing it all in a blender. Didn't work, the leaves wouldn't go down to meet the blade. I had this pastey pesto at the bottom and full leaves on top. Transferred it to the magic bullet thinking the blender (it's a really old blender) was just busted. Same thing.

This frustration prompted me to find the food processor lid once and for all. I did and put everything in processor and worked like a charm.

Why can't you make pesto in a blender? What's the difference in the design of a food processor and blender?


texts:
In the summer while I'm at work I'd like to set the temperature of my small apartment higher--roughly 83 degrees as per US department of energy recommendations.  I'm planning on keeping it between 76-78 when I'm home.  However, I don't want my chocolate to to deteriorate.  Let's assume we're talking about a thin bar of Lindt milk chocolate.  It's been fine so far with the apartment set at 78*F and the chocolate in a dark cabinet.  I definitely don't want to put it in the refrigerator as this is too cold for it.

What is the maximum temperature I can leave my apartment at when I'm not around to keep the chocolate reasonably stable?  Should I use a cooler or box to keep the chocolate cooler than the rest of the house?    Is there a cheaper/better/easier option I haven't thought of?


texts: Can you freeze yogurt? It was on sale, and I am going to use it to make smoothies.


texts: Uses of leftover vegetables from slow cooker

texts:
After slow cooking my pork over a bed of carrots, celery and onions. The pork gets eaten, the juice gets reduced to an amazing sauce base.

What can I do with the vegetables? They are tasty to eat as-is, but I want something a bit more creative?

Some idea (please chime in if you've tried something like this):
-puree the vegetables with the juice, then boil, reduce, mix in other ingredients for a heartier sauce
-use as toppings (pizza, burgers)

Also, with this in mind, are there other veggies I could add to the slow cooker? ie, adding veggies not just for how they flavor the meat, but adding veggies that will taste amazing after being cooked with meat for 12 hours.


texts: How to fry crispy chips but not too brown?

texts:
I recently got a mandoline slicer and started doing some potato chips. They come out great but I wish they were a bit less golden/brown. I tried removing them from the oil earlier but they come out not 100% crispy and a bit soft in the center.

Any tips to get 100% crispy chips but keeping them as white as possible?


texts: Can I store raw meat in the fridge after defrosting in the microwave?

texts: I had a frozen package of bacon. I only wanted to use half the bacon, but couldn't separate the frozen bacon strips, so I defrosted the whole package in the microwave. The bacon got quite warm - not fully cooked, but smelling like bacon. I used what I needed and put the rest in the fridge immediately. I'm planning on using the rest of the bacon in a few days. Is that a good idea, or should I just throw it away?


texts: Can I dump Jello into a pan and boil it to get it to set?

texts: My jello isn't setting, probably because my 4 year old was angry about having to wait for the water to boil and I just gave in. Anyway, can I dump it all in a pan and boil the whole? Or is there a way to fix this problem?


texts: Should you avoid cooling a frying pan with water?

texts:
Sometimes after I fry something, I wash it immediately in water because it's a bit easier to wash (before the remains stick to the pan).

Does this damage the pan in any way?


texts: is frozen hamburger ok to eat after the sell by date?

texts: I have a pound of hamburger meat that has not been opened yet. The sell by date was on may 23 2013. Is it ok to eat?


texts: Why do dumplings float when they are ready?

texts:
Most dumpling recipes—including those discussed on this site—claim that the dumplings will be ready when they float to the surface.  I have two interrelated questions:

Does this rule ever fail?  For example, might there be certain recipes or conditions (e.g., altitude) where one should allow the dumplings to cook further after they have floated?  Conversely, are there certain recipes/conditions where one should remove the dumplings before they float?
If this is a relatively universal rule, what is the science behind it?


texts: Exactly which kind of cardamom should I use in pho (phở)?

texts:
I have been cooking pho for a while. Pho recipes differ from one another, but one of the most common spice ingredients is cardamom. Having looked at various sources, recipes, and Wiki pages, I feel more confused than ever. Some insist that green cardamom should be used in pho, which is also what I myself have been using to cook pho. For example this recipe apparently uses green cardamom.

However, a whole lot of pages point to black cardamom. The problem is that it seems what is known as "black cardamom" is not monolithic but an umbrella term for two similar spices. According to its Wikipedia page:

  At least two distinct species of black cardamom occur: Amomum subulatum (also known as Nepal cardamom) and Amomum tsao-ko. The pods of A. subulatum, used primarily in the cuisines of India and certain regional cuisines of Pakistan, are the smaller of the two, while the larger pods of A. tsao-ko (Chinese: wiktionary:草果; pinyin: cǎoguǒ; Vietnamese: thảo quả) are used in Chinese cuisine, particularly that of Sichuan, and Vietnamese cuisine.

In another section of the same page:

  The pods are often used in Vietnam, where they are called thảo quả and used as an ingredient in the broth for the noodle soup called phở.

So I gather from this page that it should be tsao ko that goes in pho.

But I still have doubts. I happen to have tsao ko, a lot of it, and it is something I use quite frequently in other Asian dishes. It looks similar to the black cardamom in a lot of pictures on recipe sites, but not quite the same. Examined closely enough, tsao ko is round, fleshy, plump, and looks like this:

In contrast, the black cardamom shown in pho recipe photos and most commonly available is leaner, pointier:

I think it is very obvious they are different things and the latter is apparently the other black cardamom, Amomum subulatum. A pho recipe site links to this Amazon page. It seems what is sold as "black cardamom" is most likely Amomum subulatum.

So here are my questions: What is pho in Vietnam cooked with? Is it a divided matter, a matter of preference? Is green cardamom used at all? If black cardamom is the way to go, which black cardamom?


texts: What happens to my cheese when I overcook it

texts: So I wanted to melt some raclette cheese in the oven but was unfamiliar with the settings. So I believe I overcooked it and it turns into this crunchy crumbly dry mixture which is really hard to scrape out. Is this burnt? What happened to it? Is it still safe for consumption?


texts: I would like to heat up charcoal in my house, so I can pour some oil on it and give my food a BBQ-ish aroma and slight smoky taste. How do I heat a piece of charcoal using induction stove? I suppose it is dangerous for the induction stove.


texts:
I am trying to make thick hot chocolate. At first I used cocoa powder and cornstarch as the thickener, bringing the milk + cocoa powder + sugar mixture to a boil. It worked but it always tasted burnt (not sure if that was the milk or cocoa) and the cocoa seemed to clump up.

Now I'm using bars of unsweetened chocolate. I melt them over a double-boiler and then add the milk. When I do this the melted chocolate instantly becomes granular and the drink has a sandy, gritty texture. The flavor is excellent (very dark compared to the bland cocoa powder) but I want the drink to be smooth and thick.

Any ideas?

PS A scientific explanation of this would be much appreciated. I like understanding what is happening in my cooking.


texts:
The type of opener I typical use for wine bottles is the winged lever corkscrew type:

The main problem I have with these is that they don't actually pull the cork all the way out. You have to lever out the last quarter of an inch. Also, there is the chance that you could crumble the cork into the wine.

The other main types seem to be the prong type, the hinged corkscrew, and the gas injection needle. I have not experimented with those. Theoretically the needle would seem to be best because there is no risk of crumble and it will force the cork out in one movement, assuming a big enough pumping handle, but not having actually tried one, I don't know if there are any hidden gotchas.

If we ignore cost and size as criteria, and consider only speed and convenience, what is the best type?

How do different types of wine bottle openers compare for speed and convenience (ignoring cost and size as criteria)?


texts: Is it possible to blind bake pastry? I am trying out new custard tarts and want to try blind baking puff pastry. Is this possible.


texts: How to avoid flour lumps in the sponge cake?

texts:
I have a sponge cake recipe which has been in our family for a long time:

  6 eggs
  1.5 cups icing sugar
  2.5 cups flour
  1 cup milk
     1 cup oil
    1 tsp baking powder
    cardamom and saffron

  Separate the eggs. beat egg whites until soft peak and set aside.
  beat yolks and add sugar then mix well until creamy. add cardamom
  while mixing. Add oil and continue mixing. add lukewarm milk and mix
  for a few minutes until thoroughly mixed. Add yolk mixture to the egg
  whites and mix quickly for one or two minutes. then fold in the
  (flour+baking powder +saffron) mixture which is sifted into the egg
  mixture.

I was wondering how do we actually fold during the process of making the sponge cake. Do we fold it very lightly or fold until all the flour is fully incorporated? whenever I fold it to fully incorporate it, the texture does not get too airy and the volume decreases. or do I fold it lightly to ensure maximum air volume but whenever I pour the batter into the mould, I see remnants of unincorporated flour.
Also is it correct to use electric mixer to mix egg white mixture and egg yolk mixture, or do I need to fold one into the other?


texts: Beef stew was left cooling on the stove for like six hours

texts: I cooked a pot of beef stew...I slow cook the roast and vegetables until 2am I fell a sleep and woke up around 9am is it safe to eat?


texts: Which spice gives brown colour to Indian curry?

texts:
Many of the premixed curry pastes and curry dishes I have eaten have a brownish / reddish colour to them.

I have a nice collection of spices that I cook with, but my curries seem to always look and taste quite similar. Most of these are a yellowy colour, dominated by turmeric.

Thinking of butter chicken and also a goat masala that is available at a local restaurant; what dominant coloured spice am I missing that would give my curries a red or brown colour?

I am assuming that these would introduce me to some new flavours that I can mix and match with.

Note: I already have paprika.


texts: How can I safely use a blender with hot liquids?

texts:
One instruction in a new barbecue sauce recipe I'm trying out is to take the pot of simmering sauce and run it through a blender or food processor.

I have now learned the hard way that blending hot liquid will cause the lid of the blender to explode off... there is barbecue sauce coating my kitchen, and I have some new burns to treat.

So, what is the proper way to do this? Is there a safe way to use a regular blender like mine, or would I need a different kind of blender?


texts: What can be used safely (e.g. basalt "hot stones") to fill volume of shallow pan for deep frying?

texts:
I have an electric hot pot that would be good for deep frying as it automatically controls heat. However, the pot itself is more of a pan - shallow and wide. I was thinking of things I could put in the pan (on one side) in order to:

Increase the depth of oil (on other side)
Decrease the volume of actual oil used
Retain heat

So far, my questionably "best" idea/hack is to use basalt "hot stones" typical of massage therapy.

Seems like basalt is used in some cooking forms, e.g. as a hot plate for steaks etc. Some sub-questions to go along with this idea:

Can basalt stones withstand deep frying conditions of 375F?
Are most basalt stone products pretty much the "same" kind of basalt?
Is it safe for cooking (e.g. leeching, chemicals, reaction to hot oil etc.)
Are there any other safety issues I'm neglecting?

If people have any other ideas that can answer the question I'm all ears.

Electric "hot-pot" and "hot-stone" reference:


texts:
To bloom the active dry yeast as part of my recipe, I had to substitute 1 cup whole milk (which needs to reach 110F) with organic evaporated milk (0.5 cup) mixed with 0.5 cup distilled water - this mixture was mixed and then brought to 110F. After trying to bloom (no noticeable blooming) occured and mixing with 3 cups of bread flour and 1 cup AP-flour, the 1-hour resting period resulted in perhaps a ~0.1-0.2 increase of the initial dough size, which is unacceptable and confusing.

All things considered, what possibly resulted in this failed attempt at this ingredient substitution? Also, what are some options to mitigate this situation?

EDIT/UPDATE

Using organic whole milk (same volume/temperature), blooming occured! So, do not use (just) evaporate milk for uses as I described it.


texts: How to know if my walnuts are fresh enough to be good to eat?

texts:
I have some walnuts which were picked up from under a local tree, left to dry for a while, and shelled. They look moderately old, but haven't become shriveled or gone moldy. Some have a kind of bitter after taste when eaten raw (unpeeled). Does this mean they are too old, or is it normal?

Will they have the same flavour when cooked?

I'm not sure whether I should cook something with them, or whether I should discard them.


texts: Is boiling water poured over frozen berries enough vs. bacteria?

texts:
I often like to make smoothies where I among other things add frozen berries. I boil some water in my tea-boiler and pour it over the berries before I add them to the smoothie mix. Is this enough to get rid of the dangerous bacteria, especially found in raspberries?

Ps. Recipe is:
Vanilla soy-milk . Banana . Berries . Orange (to keep the banana from turning brown)

Blend until smooth.


texts: What is the optimal temperature for making coffee, specifically in an AeroPress?

texts:
I use an Aerobie AeroPress to make lattes. The instructions recommend a water temperature of 175° F to be used in making the concentrated coffee. Since I am making a latte I also heat milk and froth it. The instructions do not specify a temperature for the milk so I assumed 175° F as well. 175° F I have found is too hot for the end product. When I put it in my coffee mug for the day, it is too hot to drink for about 1.5hours after creation.

Can I lower the temperature of the water or should I lower the temperature of the milk or neither to still get good taste and end product?


texts: How to prepare Stevia leaves for consumption?

texts: I have a Stevia plant growing on my deck and I'd love to use it in a recipe. Does anyone know a way to use Stevia leaves?


texts: Is it possible to know how much the cake weighs using a specific size of cake pan before baking?

texts:
I have someone asking me for a wedding cake. She wants three separate round cakes. The cakes will serve 100-150 people and the point she emphasized was it being easy to slice and share. Would two 11x3 inch cakes weigh 4 kg? I haven't baked large cake before so I'm not sure about the weight. I usually use a simple vanilla cake recipe for the base and cream cheese for the icing.
Here is the recipe in case it matters:

  4 eggs
  1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  1 cup oil
  1 cup buttermilk
  2 and 1/2 cups flour
  2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
  1 tsp baking soda
  1 tsp vanilla powder


texts: How can I put a hot dog in a bun without splitting the bun?

texts:
I have some store-bought, pre-slit hot dog buns. They are a little brittle, and if I open the slit wide enough to take the hot dog, the bun splits in two.

I've tried using my toaster oven to warm the buns. They taste nice that way, but it they don't soften much.

Any other tricks?


texts: How to make yogurt without any existing yogurt

texts: How does one make yogurt when there isn't any existing yogurt to use as a starter?


texts: Are hardware store themocouples food safe?

texts:
I recently finished reading The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee: Growing, Roasting, and Drinking, with Recipes. The authors of this book put a strong emphasis on accurate measurements and measuring tools, both for coffee and baking, and regularly make use of general purpose thermocouples as shown in the excerpt and picture below:

One of the greatest kitchen gadgets you can have is a thermocouple (shown below). A thermocouple is an electronic temperature sensor that can be purchased at the hardware store, and is typically used in science and industry for testing the temperature of ovens and air conditioning. They’re fairly inexpensive, absolutely accurate, and very easy to use and clean. I use mine for verifying my oven temperature and for taking temperature readings on sugar syrups and other temperature-sensitive recipes, such as Homemade Yogurt. It’s an invaluable and extremely accurate tool that is worth investing in for both baking and coffee preparation.

I can see the appeal of these "hardware store" thermocouples, but are they really safe to use in and around food or drinks? None of them claim to be suitable for cooking. Is there a likelihood that they could leave behind undesirable chemicals or metals?


texts: Balance out lemon juice in a smoothie, stinging my throat

texts:
I make smoothies for breakfast, and I prepare the contents each weekend for the following week (so I can prepare them as quickly as possible before I catch my train). I have a tiny container for dry contents, and bigger containers for refrigerated and frozen contents.

I started getting a sore throat a couple of days before smoothie prep day, two weeks ago, and felt my throat severely stinging. The following week I kept out the lemon juice, and it was much better. The following weekend, my throat had been better for a few days, so I put the Lemon juice back in. But by the end of that day, my sore throat came back! And I'd just made up six containers of liquid contents including the lemon juice!

What can I do to neutralize the acidity? (I'm assuming that's why the lemon juice burns my throat while the pomegranate juice doesn't). I add the lemon juice in the first place, because it cuts the bitter flavor of the kale. I almost don't care what it ends up tasting like – without the lemon juice, it was awful, and I dealt with it. With the lemon juice, it's excruciating, so I'm chugging it anyway.

These are the contents of each container (to which I can add anything you suggest):

Refrigerated

1 kale leaf
A chunk of raw Ginger
Juice from 1 half lemon
2/3 cup almond milk
2/3 cup POM juice

Dry

1/4 cup walnuts
3 tsp. Metamucil
2 tbsp Chia seeds
1/4 scoop protein powder
1 packet Emergen-C

Frozen

1 cup of frozen fruit


texts: Kosher butter substitute for baking (flavour and mouthfeel)

texts:
I'm looking to find a pareve (non-dairy, non-meat) substitute for butter which lends a similar flavour and mouthfeel for baking. I would be using it to make something along the lines of a brioche (French, not the so-called American version).

Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: How to cook pancakes without spreading that horrible smell of burnt oil?

texts:
I live in a region where pancakes are considered traditional food and it's typical to cook them on some special occasions.

For example, right now someone has decided to throw a party in the office and is baking pancakes on another level of the building. I know this because I feel the smell of burnt oil with a slight addition of normal smell of just-baked pancakes. From my experience just about every time someone tries to cook pancakes there's this horrible smell of burnt oil dominating over the smell of actual pancakes.

I'm sure that's not the normal way of cooking pancakes but I don't know how to resolve this in a positive way.

What are exact steps and key factors to cooking pancakes in such way that there's mostly smell of pancakes, not smell of burnt oil?


texts:
As a follow-up question, I keep following the recipe to the letter and thank goodness I get pillowy and soft buns each and every time. The thing that bothered me a bit was the smell of the egg-wash when the buns are still hot.
I read here that you can use anything as a glaze, milk or even water, so I decided to brush the buns with milk (plus a pinch of saffron for extra bonus!), and sadly I ended up with buns that developed a crust and were not as soft as the previous batches.
I wonder if the egg-wash plays a role as important as making the buns soft and shiny, painting the buns with milk was the reason behind the crust? So only egg-wash makes the buns soft?