texts: How efficient is stock for protein extraction?

texts:
Proteins from collagen and tissues thicken stock. Fat is rendered too. Since fat settles to the surface after refrigeration, I assume that you can extract most or all of the fat through skimming chilled stock or with a gravy separator. That means that stock can be mostly a liquid protein, like a low calorie protein shake substitute.

My question is how efficient this extraction should be. If I made stock from 2kg of chicken thighs which have Xg protein and Xg fat, what fraction of that protein actually winds up in the stock if cooked in an optimal fashion? (and what is such an optimal fashion?) Are certain fats emulsified in the stock which cannot be skimmed? I have consulted online guides to stock nutrition facts and looked at supermarket varieties, but as we all know, those are thin soupy broths that don't congeal.


texts: How can I clean frozen (raw) chicken juice out of my freezer?

texts:
I am currently storing raw chicken sealed in plastic bags in my freezer.

I suspect that raw chicken juice may be on the outside of some of the bags, contaminating my freezer.

Is there a way to clean the area without having to thaw the entire freezer? What would you all recommend for cleaning a freezer after storing chicken in there?

Thanks!


texts:
My local supermarket has cheap frozen coriander/cilantro.

But when I defrost it by leaving it in a bowl for an hour, it turns into a slimy mess.

How can I defrost it so that I get nice fresh leaves?


texts: Going to make my first pizza tonight, can a large, thick griddle pan substitute for a pizza stone?

texts:
Going to make my first homemade pizza tonight, but I do not have a pizza stone.  Would a large (9" x 16" x 1/2") cast iron griddle work in place of a pizza stone?  The griddle is super black and well seasoned.  I also have a new oven, that will be broken in tonight.

I have some dough from a local pizza joint, and all the ingredients for a pepperoni pizza.  Any help/advice would be great.  Thanks in advance.


texts: How to Make Home-made Flour Tortilla Bowls for Salads?

texts:
I have tried a couple ways to do this and they have been OK.  Of course, when I worked in industrial kitchens, using a deep fryer and a stainless steel potato masher (but larger) was ideal, but neither of these tools are available in my home kitchen.

So basically, I have a 12-15 inch flour tortilla I want to make into a fried bowl for a nice salad.  Any ideas?


texts: Is it okay to store sandwich (tonkatsu sandwich) in a container?

texts: i'm thinking of making sandwiches at home and bringing them to the office. Is that okay? I mean, does tonkatsu sandwich have to be hot or warm before it should be eaten? I'm thinking of selling this at our office.


texts: Is it safe to store hot tea in PET bottles?

texts:
Every morning I bring with me a small PETE (from some searches it seems to be the same as PET plastic) bottle (an ex coke bottle) containing hot tea.

Is it safe to store hot liquids, especially, tea in this type of container?
Is possible, under these conditions, that the bottle releases some harmful substances?

Thanks in advance.


texts: I found this photo on the internet. I am going to japan next week. I would like to know what is the veggie on the sushi. I think it looks like some spring onion but would like to be sure.


texts: I've got my first gas stove / oven. I'm wondering about cooking wine in the stove. Is it safe at all? I like putting a piece of meat in a all stainless steel pan, brown it a bit on the stove then throw it in the oven to finish off. For certain cuts I'd add something like burgundy wine and some vegetables as well. I'm just not sure about doing this in a gas stove and couldn't seem to find any existing questions or articles on the topic (Searched for "Cooking wine in gas stove" and similar).


texts: Reasonable to store loaves and pound cake in garage during winter? (25-35 F max?)

texts:
I receive a large package of baked goods from family every Christmas. I do NOT have enough freezer space to keep them frozen until we get to them. They usually arrive about 10 days prior to when we'll eat them (family gathering). We get whole loaves of rye bread, buns with bacon cooked inside and a Šakotis (Lithuanian cake).

Is it reasonable to wrap them as air tight as we can and store any/all in the garage? The garage temperature might be as high as 35F (but often much colder as temperatures drop into the tens).

Is this a ridiculous idea?


texts: How to replace sugar with dry fruit in a cake recipe?

texts:
How do I replace all the sugar in a cake recipe with dry fruit e.g. dates?
should I rehydrate dry fruit and make it into a paste? how much liquid should I add to the dry fruit to make that paste?
what is the correct ratio of dry fruit paste to use compared to other ingredients in a recipe like eggs, flour and butter, in weight or volume?
I am trying to make any cake that allows me to replace all the sugar with dry fruit, I don't mind a denser cake.
Thanks


texts: How can I know whether a potato is too old?

texts:
I have many kilograms of potatoes that are turning bad, I don't want to throw them away. The term "turning bad" means that the best-before days on the products vary between 1-4 weeks i.e. they are old from 1 week to 4 weeks. Some of them taste bitter, some of them taste good but some black while some sprouting and other shape-changes. I am not looking for recipe recommendations, rather how to manage this problem. How can I know whether a potato is too old to be edible? If I can understand right, some sort of acid is formulated in some potatoes. Hence, I think I cannot cook the same products with them as with non-acidic potatoes. How should I manage acidic/non-acidic potatoes differently? Can I add some base to neutralize bad potatoes so they would become more edible?

Related Question but not the same

Are green potatoes OK?
Is it safe to eat potatoes which have sprouted?


texts: How to prevent separation/layers in panna cotta?

texts:
I recently discovered how easy it is to make panna cotta via a recipe by Mark Bittman. The only problem I found was that my panna cotta started to visibly separate into two distinct layers after a couple hours in the fridge. Google searches brought up others that complained of different types of separation, but mine was, unlike most, very much gelled layers with one creamier than the other on top. I enjoyed the distinction between the two while eating, but I would like something more evenly distributed in the future.

I followed Bittman's directions to the letter, with the same proportions and quantity of everything but the lime that I substituted for dried lavender to taste. Half an hour or so of cooling time before pouring brought it down to room temp, which was ~65F. I strained, poured, and chilled for 5 hours before serving.

Is there anything I can change in the future, including the proportion or mixing of half-and-half and cream (which I suspect is the cause of separation), that would prevent this from happening? I would not mind leaning towards an all half-and-half solution to this, as the richness of all cream feels kind of cloying to me.


texts: What's the best way to caramelize a large amount of sugar?

texts:
I have an African winemaking recipe that calls for caramelizing 4kg of sugar. Each kg is about 5 cups. Most explanations call for at most 1.75 cups, so that would be about 11 batches.

Is there a better way to caramelize larger amounts of sugar?


texts: I am at the Hilton in Narita, and I've just come back from a wonderful meal of Shabu-shabu. One of the dipping sauces was stated to be soy sauce, but it had a lovely sweet sort of flavor to it, so it clearly was more than just plain shoyu. It came with green onions and something pink that was stated to be spicy to mix into it. What was likely to have been in it? Is this something I can recreate at home?


texts: How do I stop onigiri from falling apart?

texts:
I'm experimenting with Japanese cooking, and I can't seem to get the hang of making rice shapes.

I want to make an onigiri rice triangle with a filling. The theory is simple enough: make rice and let cool, take rice in hand, dig a small crater, place filling in crater, fold around the filling and shape in to a triangle.
In practice, I must be missing something, because it simply falls apart. I'm not sure if this is the technique of folding, shaping, or even cooking the rice.


texts:
I am a novice at making bread from freshly milled flour. I have a kitchen aid mixer and am using the dough hook to knead bread. Do I need to:

Knead it more by hand once I turn it out? how long
Put it in an oiled bowl to rise for 1 hour?
Form loaves and let loaves rise again slightly above pan (about 30 minutes or so)?

Most directions I find are for a BOSCH Universal mixer....I'm just not there yet!


texts:
I have been reading about infusing chilies in alcohol to create a liqueur,  and I'm not clear on how they should be infused (if at all). Various sources suggest various methods (whole vs. chopped, length of time, etc.), but I'm not clear on the influence of these factors.

How long should the chilies be infused?

Is there a known "upper bound" after which all of the spice gets transfered to the liquid? Can one infuse them indefinitely, or is there a botulism / spoilage risk?
Is there any problem with infusing them whole?

Would making a small hole in each suffice? I'd like to do so for aesthetic purposes, but I'm not sure the implications this will have on flavor / spoilage.
What, if any, are the advantages of cooking them prior to infusion?

I have seen that some people cook the chilies first, but I assumed the flavor would be imparted eventually, even without cooking. So, is there any point cooking them?


texts: Does it make any sense to grate the radish on a grater without peeling its skin?

texts:
Does the radish automatically get rid of it's skin when grated on the grater? OR for safety reasons is it better to peel the skin off the radish before grating?

By radish I mean this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikon


texts: Can I leave flour to autolyse for long period of time?

texts:
So, as many people in lockdown I wanted to bake a sourdough bread. I received a starter from a friend that I keep in my fridge. I took the starter out of the fridge, fed it, and mixed the flour and water for it to autolyse. However, my starter barely raised. I assume due to it being in the fridge for quite a while. So, after about six hours, I took a half of it away and fed it again.
My question is if it is OK to leave the mix to autolyse for a long time, maybe even over night, until the starter is properly ready?
Also if you have any other tips I am missing they would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
When I make Neapolitan pizza dough, the dough is so soft and supple that I can hardly work it into a round shape before it is stretched far too large and overly thin in areas.

After I mix the dough(ingredients below), I let it sit on the counter for 24 hours, then refrigerated for another 48 hours. Finally, I pull the dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm for 45 minutes on the counter before using it.

At this point, the dough is so soft I only have mere seconds to form it over my knuckles before it droops into an oblong football shape. I oftentimes only work it in my hands for 2-3 seconds than transfer it to my work surface for a bit of stretching by pinch/pull. I still am not getting a round shape because it is so soft. What can I do to make the dough more workable but still achieve Neapolitan results?

Dough Recipe:

500g Antimo Caputo 00 Flour
383g Water
16g Sea Salt
1g Active Dry Yeast
900g Total / 76.6% hydration


texts: Are bunya-bunya nuts safe to eat if the shells are moldy?

texts:
We recently harvested a bunch of bunya-bunya cones and set them aside for a while to wait for them to split open.  Unfortunately, we forgot about them for a while and it rained in the meantime, so not only did they split open, but they started rotting.

However, the nuts themselves are double encased, first in a husk and then in a leathery shell.  I've discarded the obviously spoiled ones, but are the nuts still OK to eat if the shell is a bit moldy?  I tried opening a few, and the nuts showed no obvious signs of spoilage, but they were also a bit squishier than usual.

For what it's worth, Aborigines are said to have buried the nuts in creeks and eaten them after fermentation, but I'd prefer my bunya nuts unfermented ;)


texts: Why do my fried eggs start browning very fast?

texts: I've seen people mention how eggs shouldn't become white after they are dropped in the pan. This keeps happening to me even though I use the "water test" and my eggs keep sticking to the pan (I add oil after the pan heats enough). The eggs are already brown around the edges while the top is still liquid. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?


texts:
Yes, I know it's a volume unit, but I want to know how many grams does a male or female handful of spinach can hold. You'll see, a recipe calls for 2 handfuls of spinach, 1 handful of parsley and 2 leaves of kale (these aren't all the ingredients, just the non-precise ingredients). So, as you can see the recipe is good for you because you don't have to measure, however, I want to get the nutritional fact of this recipe. To do this, I have to put the ingredients and its quantity on a page.

So, how much is a handful of this green veggie? Or much does it weighs? (it'll also help).


texts: Why would a portable barbecue warn against using pots on the grill?

texts:
My wife just bought a Coleman Road Trip portable propane barbecue, which we plan to use for camp cooking/grilling.

I was thinking of using it as a camp stove as well - to heat water, make coffee, etc.  However the grills have a warning not to place pots on the grill.

Is the concern just scratching the non-stick coating?  I know they sell another set of grills for it, but I'd rather not have to tote two sets.


texts: What is this plant I saw for sale at a Romanian farmer's market?

texts: I was at an agricultural market in Baia Mare, Romania and several vendors were selling this plant that looks like the tips of a pine tree. I didn't ask for a name and didn't handle it, so I can't tell you much beyond that each cluster of needles was about the size of a finger. Here's a picture:


texts: What is the alternative to a vine ripened tomato?

texts:
Having just had a lovely sandwich of Aberdeen Angus beef, vine ripened tomato and horseradish I was wondering if anyone could explain to me exactly what a vine ripened tomato is?

Since all tomatoes have ripened and all tomatoes grow on a vine, should not all tomatoes be referred to as vine ripened?  Is it not the same as me referring to an apple as tree ripened?


texts:
I tend to par boil potatoes before roasting them; however, a common error that I make is to over par boil (or as it is otherwise know: boil).  Unfortunately, I'm unlikely to ever get this right.

So my question is this: is there anything I can do "after the fact" to the potatoes to stop them falling to pieces in the oven?


texts: Brown Basmati rice -- How to prevent mushiness?

texts:
I have been cooking regular white Basmati for years and have perfected the method to get it to perfection (solid, tender, not mushy).

Recently, I decided to try brown Basmati because I heard brown rice is healthier.  I first tried cooking it the same exact way as white but, once the water was all evaporated, I realized the rice was still really hard and needed to cook more, so I added more water.  After the second addition, the rice was alright but also turned mushy and grains stuck to one another.  I think it takes 50% more water to cook than white Basmati.

Typically, what I do with white is I bring 3.5 coffee mugs of water to a boil with 1.5 tsp of salt and some oil to prevent sticking to the pot.  Note I am not using a rice cooker.  Then I add 1.5 coffee mugs of rice and reduce the fire just down to where only very small 2-3 bubbles are coming at a time.  That gets my white Basmati to perfection.  I used 5 mugs of water with brown rice, the rice finally got necessary tenderness but also was mushy.

I understand that  brown rice is much better for you but the biggest reason I am so much in love with Basmati is the texture, long grain and being able to cook it yet each grain can be separated.  If I can't learn to cook brown Basmati like that, I might just go back to white.

Can anybody hint how to achieve the same texture with brown Basmati?


texts: I put too much red wine in and it tastes like tomato and wine. I need more of the rich beef flavor back but it is a little salty, will low salt beef stock fix it?


texts:
When I browse the pasta aisle I see a number of different brands (De Cecco, Rummo, etc.).  Are there any notable differences between these brands?

If I have a choice between different brands of the same pasta (spaghetti, penne, etc.), how should I determine which brand is appropriate for me?


texts: How do I store fresh figs so that they stay good as long as possible?  I frequently experience that they get moldy within a few days after purchase, even when storing them in the refrigerator.  I wonder if there is anything that is more effective than simply storing them in the fridge in the basket I got them from the store in.


texts: Is a maple tree with a squirrel hole in it safe to tap?

texts: I have a large maple in yard with hole in it. I am not sure if anything lives inside, but I see squirrels run in and out at times. Is it ok to use sap from that tree? Would it be safe? It is a large hole.


texts: Freeze Soup very quickly Without Destroying the Content In Fridge?

texts:
I am trying to finish soups faster. I have very heavy iron kettle and it takes years to become cold. I use a water container with ice with it but the hot water still takes a lot time to become cold. I have already put ice cubes into the soup and some cold water but it is still hot! How can I freeze my soup fast without destroying the content of my fridge or freezer? It is now almost two hours waiting it to become colder but with this heavy iron kettle and a lot of hot water, it is taking years.

Could I put the soup into small plastic bags and the plastic bags into the cold water and then the cold plastic bags into the fridge (I have no special plastic bags, perhaps they will break)? I need to somehow make the soup smaller to increase the area, to get it cold faster. By increasing the area, I am sure I can get it cold faster. Ideas to do that?


texts: For kosher thanksgiving roasted turkey, is oil a good substitute for butter for brushing the turkey?

texts: For a kosher thanksgiving roasted turkey, is oil a good substitute for butter for brushing the turkey?


texts:
I saw many questions regarding converting baking recipes towards gluten-free, and it seems it's not an easy process. But none of the questions I came across helped me understanding what gluten actually "does" in baking.

The background of this question is that I've got friends visiting in October, one of them is a celiac, and there's a few baking recipes I'd like to try while they're here. Knowing what gluten actually "does" would help me to evaluate if it's even worth trying to convert the recipes ...


texts: Is it safe to eat the clam that didn't open?

texts: I am steaming clams today and I recall my friend warning me under no circumstances should I eat any of clams that remain unopened after steaming. He told me to throw those stubborn clams out, but I wonder why. Is there a problem with opening and eating the last holdout closed clams after all of them are steamed?


texts: Pork shoulder discoloured in the freezer to a greenish grey colour. What happened?

texts:
Yesterday I took a pork shoulder, removed some of the fat and sinew and skin, cut it up into smaller parts, and put them into the freezer in freezer bags. It took me just under half an hour to remove the bits I didn't want.

This morning I took a piece out to defrost to cook later in the week and I noticed that some of the fat that I had left on, had discoloured into a greyish-green colour.

Out of the 5 pieces I put in the fridge, 2 have fat that looks like this. The other 3 piece look alright.

Only the fat and sinew covered area was effected.

It was pretty warm yesterday when I did this. Maybe 32 degrees Celsius. The meat was still a bit cool when it went into the freezer.

What's happened?


texts: Easy way to steam vegetables in opened steam-in-bag kind

texts:
I bought a steam-in-bag bag of brocolli and carrots. These bags are usually microwaved without opening. E.g.: http://www.birdseye.com/vegetable-products/steamfresh-pure-simple/broccoli-florets

My 4 year old opened and ate one of the carrots. Now, I am left with an opened steam-in-bag bag which I need to steam. Of course, there are many ways of steaming vegetables but I was wondering: Is there any way of using this bag to steam the rest of the veggies?


texts: Will changing the setting on my Crock Pot reset the timer?

texts:
If I have a Crock Pot "Smart Pot" set to "High" (or 4 hours) and then I change the setting to "Low" or 10 hours, does the time start over or will it just cook for 10 hours from the time I changed it?

For instance, if I put the crock pot on high at noon, it will turn off at 4 PM; say I change it to low at 2 PM - will the slow cooker turn off at midnight (10 hours later) or just cook on low until 4 PM?


texts: How do I know if a given pickle recipe is meant for long-term storage?

texts: I've never canned or pickled anything; however, I'm keen to give it a shot. However, I'm the only one in my family who likes cucumber pickles, so it might take me a while to go through a batch. There are a lot of recipes out there for "refrigerator pickles" which only keep for a few weeks; what steps are taken in a real pickle recipe that mark it as one for long-term storage? Can a refrigerator pickle recipe be converted to long-term storage?


texts: How do you prolong buns/rolls/scone/crumpet softness?

texts:
I thought this community is appropriate for this question so I want to know how to keep buns/rolls/scone/crumpet softness longer. In English I see several translations for subject but I feel this picture sums up what I am asking about:

Is this method different for white bread? If yes, I will appreciate advice regarding keeping white bread lasting longer as well.

Thanks.


texts:
When I'm cooking, the thing that usually has the most leftovers, is the sauce. Most recipes always assume too much. This isn't a problem if you're cooking for just a handful of people, but it is a bigger issue if you're cooking for 20 people or more.

So, how much sauce does one person normally use? I'd prefer an estimate in milliliters.

To be clear, I'm asking for regular sauce, not pasta sauce. Especially about creamy sauces (mushroom, peppercorn, ...) that you can put on steak, chicken breast etc.


texts: Does ceramic non-stick cookware "fail", and if so, how?

texts:
I've heard of pans with ceramic non-stick surfaces; it seems some reports on internet say they may "fail" in about 6 months.

How can these pans "fail"? Do ceramic-coated pans require non-stick-friendly devices?

Normal nonstick surfaces fail by getting scratched, having spray-on butter encrusted into it, and if damaged could release toxic coating. Do ceramic non-stick surfaces have a similar problem?


texts: Started thawing but can't finish cooking meat: Time Sensitive

texts:
I took a large pack of ground beef out of the freezer and it has been in the fridge for no more than 10 hours. There are still ice crystals on the meat. I'm on call and turns out I won't have the opportunity to cook it until next week (the works in another city). I guess I have two options

put the meat back in the freezer and refreeze
thaw out the meat, quickly cook it, and put the left overs in the fridge.

Any advice?


texts: Can I leave butter cookies in the fridge?

texts:
I've just baked a batch of chocolate butter cookies. They're nice an gooey, a couple of them so gooey that they fell apart, but I'm happy with the consistency for the most part. I'm bringing them into work tomorrow.

What's the best way to store them overnight for eating the next day?


texts: milk chocolate brownie turned out hard and very chewy

texts:
I made milk chocolate brownie today, intended for a 9x9 inch pan, but in a 8x8 inch pan.  Although I have made these brownies before and they were perfect but did not know what went wrong today. The recipe requires melting milk chocolate and butter together in double pan. Maybe I mixed hot chocolate mixture in the rest of the ingredients. Dont know what went wrong. Can you tell why the brownie texture was hard and chewy like candy?

The recipe calls for melting 1/2 cup butter and 4oz chocolate indirectly. Mixing up 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs, vanilla and then pour in chocolate mixture when it cools down. One thing I did different was that I did not let the milk chocolate and butter to cool down properly. Then blending in dry ingredients. And remaining 4oz milk chocolate in the mixture. Secondly this time I didn't put the batter immediately in the oven. I had some work so it took me ten or more minutes. The cake was very crunchy. I usually use 8 by 8 circular pan but this time I used a larger square pan


texts: Frosting kept melting when trying to frost cake

texts:
I made a chocolate malt cake for the first time the other day.  I let the cake sit overnight to cool.  I made the frosting while the cake was baking and put it in the fridge for the next day.  The cake recipe had me cook the cake at 325 for 45-50 minutes.  That turned out to be 10-15 minutes too long (when I checked it at 40 minutes it was very overdone).  That's easy to correct for next time.  The frosting is what's stumping me.  The recipe is:

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup malted milk powder
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

When I added the first three ingredients it was a good consistency, if slightly thick.  I added the rest and it became too thin.  I added another 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and it was a lot better.  I put it in the refrigerator to use the next day.  Of course it became very firm.  When I was spreading it onto the cake it kept getting so melty that I couldn't spread it consistently.  I've never seen this happen before.  It was so bad that I actually had to make a ganache to cover the bad frosting job.  Next time I will definitely cut down the butter to two sticks and reduce the milk to maybe 1/4 cup.  What else could have happened to cause this?


texts:
I've never cooked sous vide before, but am now equipped to try thanks to the holidays.

We have a 3 pound chuck roast -- I'm not sure what the exact cut shape is, but it's vaguely cube shaped. If we cut the roast into steaks (1-2 inches thick) before bagging and cooking, what effect would this have on the cooking time and/or quality?


texts: Can I use raw sugar to make cookies instead of granulated?

texts: I am currently outside of the United States and I haven't been able to find granulated sugar, all I've been able to find is what seems to be raw sugar and powdered sugar. Would either of these work to make chocolate chip/sugar cookies?


texts: How can I prevent my Béarnaise sauce from thickening over night?

texts:
I'm sometimes making my own béarnaise sauce, and it tastes great and has perfect thickness the first day after making it. But whenever I leave leftovers in the fridge over night, the béarnaise gets really thick (like when whipping cream to much).

I'm trying to keep from overcooking my egg yolks, so I don't think that's whats wrong. I follow a pretty classic recipe with taragon, black peppercorns, white wine vinegar, shallots, egg yolks and clarified butter.

Is there a way to keep it from thickening like this when left in the fridge over night?


texts: is Doubanjiang (sezhuan hot bean paste) an acceptable substitute in recipes calling for gochujang (Korean hot sauce)?

texts: These days I keep on seeing repeated shout-outs to gochujang, which is not available where I live. However, I do have a container of Doubanjang just sitting there in my fridge, taking up space. Would it be a reasonable substitute in recipes calling for gochujang?


texts:
How much of a shrimp is meat, in percentage?

Read on google that the head is 35%, shell is 15% and meat 50%,

is this correct?


texts: Can I replace sugar with honey in baking?

texts: Can I substitute honey for sugar in baked goods.If yes then how much honey would be equal to one cup of sugar?


texts: How do I replicate the taste of prepopped movie theater popcorn?

texts:
To clarify, I'm not asking how to make popcorn that tastes like movie theater popcorn (which typically comes from a popper), I want to know how to make the bad pre-popped popcorn that small theaters sometimes sell.

It's hard to describe the flavor, but it was almost this hint-of-mustard salty taste with semi-stale, but large and uncannily round kernels. The closest I've found (and it is close) is the plain popcorn that comes in those tins. My guess is that there's a preservative used that's imparting a taste.

Any ideas?


texts: Why is my macaroni salad absorbing all the liquid?

texts: I like to prepare my macaroni salad and refrigerate overnight.  The next day I find that my salad is dry, because the salad dressing has absorbed into the macaroni.  What causes the salad dressing to absorb into the marcaroni?  Please help me?


texts:
I'm making vinegar by adding all natural apple juice to all natural apple cider vinegar with mother.

A scoby formed on top.

Mold is now growing on top of the scoby.  It's stuck on top of the scoby, not floating on top.  I can't easily scrape it off without scraping the scoby.

Should I leave this mold on top, will it affect the vinegar?


texts: How should I store raw steaks in the freezer?

texts: What's the best method for storing steaks in the freezer? How should I wrap them? Should they be stored individually?


texts: When to use glass vs. metal vs. stoneware baking dish?

texts: I've recently started to do more baking. I have metal baking sheets, metal bakeware, glass bakeware and I also know that there is stoneware baking dish, like this casserole. How do I decide which to use?


texts: What is the best substitute for Provolone?

texts:
Having recently bought the Frankies Spuntino Cookbook I want to have a go at making braciola. The recipe calls for pork steaks to be stuffed with pecorino romano and provolone.

However, in the UK provolone is hard to come by outside of Italian delis, and Italian delis are relatively rare. I understand that it's similar to mozzarella but drier.

So, what is a good substitute for provolone? Is it usually used for flavour or for its melting texture?


texts: What are the proper steps to add the vermicelli in making dessert shemai?

texts: I am trying to make lachchha shemai. Should I put the vermicelli after taking the boiled milk away from the burner or should I put the vermicelli when the milk is being boiled over the burner?


texts: Why wine _before_ butter in shrimp scampi?

texts:
According to this recipe:

  To make shrimp scampi you want to first cook the (marinated) shrimps in olive oil, then remove them, then lightly brown garlic slices, add white wine and let the alcohol evaporate, then add butter to melt and add the shrimps back.

Is there some specific reason to avoid putting the butter in before the wine?

I ask because in the video they mistakenly put the butter first and then they even throw the whole thing away and start over.


texts: What is the value of the "Texas Crutch"?

texts:
In US barbecue tradition, the so-called Texas Crutch is the act of wrapping large cuts of meat like beef brisket or pork shoulder in aluminum foil or butchers' paper during the smoking process.

What is the value of the Texas Crutch? When should it be done? Are there negative effects?


texts: What can I make with vinegar-soaked chilli peppers?

texts:
I misread a fermentation recipe and ended up putting a pile of chopped chilli peppers in a jar of vinegar with huge helpings of rock salt. It’s been left overnight, unrefrigerated.

Can I recover this into some kind of hot sauce?


texts:
I bought a paella pan at a flea market. I have no idea what metal(s) it's made of. It cooks like a nonstick but doesn't have a commercial nonstick coating. I clean it by washing it with dawn and hot water and dry it completely. The nonstick-ness survives the washing method. There is no stamp on the bottom.

1) How do I tell what my paella pan is made off?
2) Is it ok to continue to wash it without knowing what it's made of?

I often use it to sear steaks and then place the pan in a 420°F oven to finish cooking
3) is this safe to do?


texts: Ingredient Ratios for Homemade Milk Chocolate

texts:
I am experimenting with making chocolate.

From the research I did, the best starting point I got for ratios for normal "70% dark" chocolate is:

30% Sugar
38.5% Cocoa Butter (55% Butter of 70%)
31.5% Cocoa Solids (45% Solids of 70%)

I reckon I successfully made some dark chocolate! I am happy with the result.

I do have kids though, and they are not quite there yet on "dark" chocolate.

From research, the basic idea is to add in milk powder.

I substituted half of the cocoa solids with whey powder (does it make a difference?). The taste is "alright," but the mix was very "gritty." As soon as the whey went in, it became a "porridge" rather than a "thin custard." It has yet to set, but I think it will set fine. It's just not going to be very consistent in texture.

Can you point me in the direction of the basic starting ratios for milk chocolate? I am not necessarily looking for recipes, as those that I do find vary greatly and use all sorts of different vegetable fats, etc.

I want to limit my ingredients to Cocoa butter, Cocoa Solids, Milk Powder and Sugar.


texts: I left cooked pork out overnight. Will this present a danger? Since this morning when we realized it was out still, we have been refrigerating it ever since. Also we wonder if when reheating the meat if we heat it very well will that help kill any existing bacteria?


texts: How to improve the taste of sour coffee beans?

texts:
I was given a few packs of grain coffee. The smell was pretty nice and it was written that it's 100% arabica. That encouraged me to grind some and brew it in moka pot.

The result I got was not horrible, but way to sour for me. I tried one bean and indeed it was little sour, compared to Starbucks Espresso Roast, which is not sour at all and has great almost black color.

I am sure this will not be my coffee of choice, but it would be nice to upgrade it somehow (before I throw it away), though I have no idea how to do it. I thought about roasting it in the oven (210-225 Celsius; 410-437 Fahrenheit) for 10 minutes.

Do you think it might be a good idea?


texts: Where to order whole-wheat flour(NOT ATTA) in India?

texts:
Many people are deceived that maida(7.5% gluten) is ALL PURPOSE FLOUR and atta is WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR((10-12%)gluten but starch is lost due to chakki milling) so there is actually a lot of difference and simply one can't be substituted for another. I'm writing this so that many people don't think that I do not have access to atta. So if a bread recipe calls for whole-wheat flour, where can I buy it or order it in non metro cities like Chandigarh at "reasonable prices".
KAF is simply too high in terms of Indian money and the same is with Bob's red mill or Pillsbury, Gold Medal whole-wheat flour.
Out of them Gold Medal brand is the cheapest 626 rupees for 5lbs


texts: Is there a technique for glacé (glazing) that could speed up the process?

texts: I saw a recipe for glacéing (is that a word?) cherries, and at one stage they required anywhere from 10 days to 3 weeks soaking time.  Are there any techniques that could speed this up, or am I just being a nervous New Yorker?


texts: I baked French bread recently. They were crusty outside and moist inside. Delicious! I froze a few. How should I heat them so they're as good as when they were freshly baked?


texts: How do you tell if pickles/cucumbers have gone bad

texts: We're in the process of making 4-day sweet gerkins and after the second day of soaking overnight the brine solution was foamy and has an unpleasant odor.  Does this mean the pickles have gone bad?


texts: Using frozen/cooked frozen blood in black pudding

texts:
I am having a hell of a time trying to track down blood in the US for black pudding. None of our local processors can provide it, several butchers are claiming it's illegal to sell (not true, but you have to be licensed at the abbatoire). I haven't been able to find a place that will sell dried pigs blood over the internet AND can ship.

The only option I've found so far is frozen pig blood from a local meat plant (they do NOT sell fresh, only frozen), or a small asian market (they ONLY sell coagulated pig blood that has been cooked).

Can these be used interchangably or is it an absolute requirement that the blood be fresh?


texts:
What is the best coffee solution for a small office (about 10 people)?  We are looking for something that is:

Tasty
Fast
Easy

We have fairly discriminating taste, although it doesn't have to be barista quality.  Any recommendations on what might be a good combination of machine, grounds, process, etc. would be much appreciated.


texts:
I made my first batch of Kimchi, it has fermented for about a week & the bubbling seems to have slowed down. Can I eat it now or does it need to ferment longer in the refrigerator?

Also, the liquid level seems to have dropped during fermentation such that the kimchi at the top of the jars is no longer under the liquid. Should I add more liquid or just leave it be? The kimchi tastes quite salty, if I add more liquid should I add salted or unsalted water?


texts: How do I make a mold from a plastic container?

texts:
So I have a cat-shaped plastic container that I'd love to use as a baking mold.

I know I can't put plastic in the oven so i'm asking if there's an easy way to take that container, shape something else to it and make a mold from it?


texts: My gingerbread house dough recipe calls for 1 cup of molasses. I live in Europe and could only find a dry version (texture is similar to brown sugar, and is sticky). How do I substitute this dry ingredient when the recipe originally called for the syrupy-version of molasses?


texts:
Can you have straight up garlic oil or is it always garlic boiled in another oil so garlic oil always has another oil
As it’s ingredient?
Is there a reason why it always seems to be olive oil rather than others?


texts: Is there a single source for the basics of cooking (sauces, herbs, oil usage, etc)?

texts:
I'm a decent cook but I know that there are huge gaps in my knowledge of the fundamentals of cooking.  I assume that aspiring chefs learn a great deal of this in culinary school but I was hoping that there might be a book or resource for explaining not only the "hows" of making things like a good mayonnaise but also the "whys".

So is there a book or cookbook thats considered best in class for the basics of cooking?


texts:
In this recipe, they list grapeseed oil. I don't have grapeseed oil and if I were to purchase it, I don't think I would use it that often. I have safflower oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, and extra virgin olive oil.

Do any of those make for a good substitute?


texts: How do I get the filling inside pâte à choux?

texts:
How do I get the filling inside a pâte à choux (cream puff)?  Do I have to cut a hole in the baked pastry form?

Also, is there a way to get the filling inside without a pastry bag?  Using a pastry bag is always really messy!


texts:
Coffee in an electric drip brewer (a model like this) goes all murky brown and opaque very fast, when the pot is left without a lid. With lid, it stays translucent and bright dark brown for quite a bit longer.

What is the process that happens without lid? Reference link to wikipedia or something would be great.

I need the information to educate certain co-workers who just take off the filter part and leave the pot open, when they take coffee...


texts: How would I produce (stable) foamy bechamel sauce?

texts: I recently ate a dish that was topped with a foamy bechamel sauce. It had the same creamy taste a traditional bechamel has but was much fluffier and less set, a bit like a mousse. I would like to reproduce this but I am not sure whether a foamer would be enough or I'd need some stabiliser on top. Has anyone got experience with foaming bechamel and/or does someone have a recipe for this sort of thing?


texts: What is the best way to keep fresh food good for a long trip?

texts:
I would like to buy a few meals from a restaurant that would then later be reheated.
What would be the best way to safely transport pasta for 10+ hours while maintaining freshness and quality?
I was going to ask the restaurant to make it and freeze it.  Then we were hoping a cold bag (as purchased at Sam's Club) would keep it sufficiently cold.  Are there better (practical) options or is this endeavor ill-advised or unsafe?


texts:
Last night, I had a small disagreement with my mother. She asked me to cook beef tacos for dinner. However, upon getting to the kitchen, I saw that the ground beef I was going to use was not fully thawed, there was still a good chunk of beef that was frozen together. Naturally, I didn't want to cook it as it would cook unevenly. She told me to start with the sauté but put it on low heat so the frozen chunk would get thawed and it would break apart. She also noted that cooking it in low heat prevents the unfrozen parts from getting overcooked.

Now my question is, is that actually a sound cooking method? Wouldn't cooking meat on a low heat be bad for the meat as they wouldn't get a good color on them which means they wouldn't get good flavor? On a normal day, I'd allow my ground beef to fully thaw, get on room temperature, season, then sauté.


texts: What is the typical shelf life of grains and seeds?

texts:
I would like to make a large amount of multi-grain porridge mixture in one batch, to store and use small amounts of when I need it.
The recipe says that the fattier seeds will go rancid if kept for too long, but doesn't say how long that might be.

The recipe includes:

oats
barley
rye
linseed (flax seed)
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds

Of these, the linseed and sunflower will be the most fatty.

How long can I keep these, and seeds in general, for?


texts: I make 100% whole wheat pita bread often. I use whole wheat flour, yeast, salt water and a touch of honey to feed the yeast. I would like my pita to be more chewy and rubbery. I know those are not attributes people usually want but I prefer it. I can find thousands of articles on how to make things light and fluffy but not more chewy. I would appreciate any pointers you could give me. I have tried kneading with a dough hook for long periods of time which helps but I would like it to be chewier without having to add gluten. Could adding milk, yogurt, olive oil help? Are there any techniques like kneading after the initial rise etc. help? Thanks in advance, Pat.


texts:
I've read one cook say,
"I add baking soda when I make bread using buttermilk. The buttermilk is acidic enough that it interferes with the environment that commercial yeast needs to reproduce well, resulting in a somewhat dense, poorly risen loaf.
I add1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda per 8 ounces of buttermilk, and the result is is a beautifully risen, light bread with beautiful color and texture.
The Baking Soda neutralizes the acid in the buttermilk, producing CO2, which adds to the bread's leavening."

Does adding them all together(or one and yeast) really work that way, or is it overkill!? I have seen other recipes use all three and they also had buttermilk in the recipe. So is it the buttermilk that changes it all, to have to use all three(or one and yeast)?


texts: Uncarved Pumpkin - is it still okay to cook with?

texts: Is there a way to tell if the insides of my pumpkins are still okay to cook with?  Assuming the innards smell okay, is it fine to eat?  Is it possible for the pumpkin to smell fine but not actually be fine?


texts: Where should heat comes from when baking brownies?

texts:
I’ve tried baking brownies  many times and they are always burnt on the top (darkened to black instead of being brown). My question is where should I set the heat to comes from, from bottom, top, both and with fan or no fan.

Edit: I am using a electric oven and baking at 180 C


texts: How to make a dessert with dynamically opening flower petals?

texts:
Anyone has any idea how to make petals open when sauce is poured onto the plate like pictured in this video?

I realize it requires a lot of artistic skills to do it on this level, but what is the general mechanism behind the chocolate petals opening?


texts: Is it okay to cover food in the fridge with paper plates?

texts:
If I had some chicken and pasta on a ceramic plate and wanted to save the rest for later, when I put it in the fridge, is it fine to just cover it with a paper plate or should you use saran wrap?

Ideally, the paper plate is much more convenient and quicker to use, but I have concerns that the smell and taste may leak to other foods in the fridge.

How safe is it to use a paper plate to cover foods like this. If so, for how long? Usually I eat the food within the next day or two but am wondering how quick the process may be.


texts: Why is shrimp rubbery after reheating? How can I prevent this?

texts:
I don't frequently use shrimp in my dishes (once a month at most) because I tend to shop my proteins based off what is the best deal and I'm not usually interested in shrimp unless it is large (at least 15-20 count) and under $7/lb.

Whether I make stir fry, fajitas, pasta, or anything else I can't figure out how to reheat it and have it not be rubbery.  Microwave is the worst culprit (even a few seconds in the microwave will ruin the shrimp for me), but even reheating on the stove changes the consistency.  When I eat it cold out of the fridge it is fine (other than being cold).

What makes the shrimp rubbery after reheating?  How can I reheat it and prevent (or at least reduce this)?  FWIW, this happens whether I saute, boil, or bake the shrimp for original preparation.


texts: Does active dry yeast really need proofing?

texts:
Several sources (e.g., The Bread Baker's Apprentice, The Fresh Loaf's Yeast FAQ, and even On Food and Cooking) tell me that active dry yeast must be reactivated by proofing in warm water, or the bread won't rise adequately.

My bread machine manual says to keep it dry, so I have. I've kneaded it into breads I've made by hand, once again dry. I've mixed it with the dry ingredients in a stand mixer, before adding water. None of these fail to rise adequately, or noticeably less than when I proof it. (I'm using Red Star Active Dry Yeast)

I'm wondering, am I missing something? Why does something that according to almost anywhere I look is not supposed to work seem to work just fine?

The only clue I've got is that On Food and Cooking warns that "at cooler soaking temperatures, the yeast cells recover poorly and release substances that interfere with gluten formation (glutathione)."

edit: To clarify: yes, it's active dry yeast; "Red Star Active Dry Yeast" in particular. Yes, the bread machine manual says active dry yeast, not instant, and has different instructions for rapid rise.


texts: Can ganache with butter be frozen, thawed and reused?

texts: I have made a batch of ganache with butter in it. The recipe was supposed to be for chocolates, but I want to now use it on top of a cake. Can I freeze it, then thaw and use it in about a weeks time?


texts: Why is putting an egg in the microwave not recommended?

texts:
I would like to know why it is not recommended to put an egg in the microwave.
Where does this "legend" comes from ?


texts:
I'm looking for a dietary fiber or a mix of dietary fibers (and other ingredients which act like dietary fibers such as sugar alcohols) with really low (even zero) food calories that I can create a crunchy (as in chips) or crusty (as in bread) texture.

Please think of molecular level fibers not as in fiber-rich food. For example a common dietary fiber is Inulin (which is a fructan) and can be used as a sweetener. Another one is Glucomannan which is used as a thickener and a gelling-agent. Both of these have no calories.

I thought of using Isomalt, which to some extent acts like a dietary fiber, to make hard candy, but I think it's not going to be as low calory as I want since it's just half the calories of sugar or flour. I'm looking for recommendations to achieve such a texture, which could be considered suitable for a calorie controlled diet.

As a response to the close requests:

I'm not asking for a recipe, the question is about ingredients and techniques
I don't think it's broad for the following reasons:

I'm asking for a very specific texture and how to achieve it.
I don't know of any combination that could result in such a texture with low calories. Think of a combination before voting close for this reason (better yet, write it on the comments :))


texts: How can one determine if a potato is suitable for French fries?

texts:
I often make French fries by cutting potatoes into long strips, adding a bit of oil and spices, then baking them in the oven. Sometimes, this tastes very good. Unfortunately, most of the time, it tastes terrible. After baking the potatoes, I often discover that the potatoes have a very strange flavor and texture. They are somewhat sweet and the color after baking is bright yellow. I have tried baking without spices, and have found they are not to blame for the strange flavor.

Am I encountering a different variety of potato or a different kind of vegetable that on the outside looks like a potato?
Is it possible these potatoes were harvested at the wrong time, but the outside color is nearly the same?
How can I identify which potatoes make French fries?


texts: Unopened shredded cheese gets soggy in the fridge

texts:
I just moved out of my parents house and I'm fairly new to cooking and how to store stuff.

I bought a package of shredded mozzarella like a week or so ago and put it in the fridge. Today I was planning to do something with it but I realized that the inside of the package it wet and some part of the cheese is soggy. There is still 4 months to the expiration date so I don't think it is spoiled and it kinda make sense that it's wet because of the condensation in a cold environment. I just wanted to make sure if it is safe.

Is this normal? If it is, is it safe to use the soggy parts? and how can I prevent this from happening? How should I store these shredded cheeses if I want to buy them when they are on sale and use them later on?

Thanks in advance and sorry if I'm asking something stupid or so obvious, as I said I'm fairly new.


texts: Homemade taffy turned out too thick and hard

texts:
I had found a recipe to make homemade Tootsie Rolls which was essentially just chocolate taffy.  I've tried it a few times with the same result; it turns into basically a somewhat chewy hard candy.

I'm not a candy making expert, but I think the problem might lie in either the heating of the mixture (ie- getting it to the right temp for the type of candy it is) or in the pulling.

Does that sound about right?  Are there other things that I can check when making taffy that would turn it into a soft rock?


texts: How long do you have to cook adzuki beans in a pressure cooker before they're edible?

texts:
I'm not talking about taste, I'm talking about them not being a health hazard.

I cooked unsoaked adzuki beans for maybe a little less than 20 minutes on the lower pressure setting (don't know the numbers) in my pressure cooker. Then I waited for that cap in the pressure cooker to fall down and put the cooker under cold water, just to be sure, before opening the cooker.

The thing is, I don't usually cook them longer, but I don't open the pressure cooker for 1-2 hours. This time I opened it earlier, didn't think it would make so much difference because the cap was down.

I tried tasting the beans and I like the taste, it's a bit more sour than usual and the texture is a bit harder. I'm used to soft adzuki beans, but these are more like chickpeas, there is a chewing sound when I chew them. Also, they didn't expand as much as when I usually cook them.

I'd like to eat them but I don't know if they're safe, so what I'm asking is, I guess, how long do you have to cook them before they're safe to eat?

Edit:
I found out my lower pressure setting was 60 kpa.


texts: Why does meat in the crockpot always end up dry?

texts:
Just cooked some chicken breasts today. All day in the crockpot and when done the meat was horribly dry.  I put chopped onions, carrots, spices, and coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and 4 chicken breasts.  There was plenty of fluid there when it was done, but the cooked chicken meat was really dry.

This seems to happen with beef roast as well.

Is there some trick to getting meat to be tender when cooking in the crockpot?


texts:
I made chicken and dumplings today and after 20 minutes I checked my dumplings and they were done but disgustingly soft. I let them cook for 10 more minutes and still soft (but I do think they were "done"). After another 25 mintues they were still incredibly soft. What did I do wrong?

To make the dumplings I did the following

1 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 medium eggs
1/3 cup of almond milk
salt

mixed the dry ingredients, mixed wet ingredients, combined the wet into the dry and make a light dough (no kneading), and dropped the dough in the simmering broth (which was delicious :))


texts:
In the case that there isn't an oven;

is it possible to make cake on electric cooktop by using basic kitchenware?


texts:
My salsa's taste ok when eating, but the following morning there is a dreadful after-taste in our mouths.  This doesn't occur after eating salsa at a restaurant.
Recipe:  red onion, 1 clove garlic, tomatoes, basil, chille (seeds removed), olive oil.
I've tried soaking the chopped onion in milk which slightly improves things but a long way from a cure.  I've tried different types of onion & adding lemon or lime which hasn't worked either.
Been experimenting for over 10 years and still a poor salsa maker!


texts:
My favorite yeast bread dough yields more rolls then my family can eat. I usually freeze it in quart-size Ziploc freezer bags. When I'm ready to bake a few rolls, I take a bag out, let it defrost enough to shape the rolls, let them rise, and bake them.

Sometimes this worked really well, yielding delicious fresh fluffy rolls. Other times it flops into a sticky flatbread that doesn't bake through.

I'm not sure why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Is it a problem with the yeast? The defrosting process? The storage?


texts: Is there a difference in how to store something that was frozen that has been cooked versus how to store something that was fresh and has been cooked?

texts:
There are many questions on here about how long you can store cooked food, and I have been using StillTasty for more specific answers following some of the comments.

However I notice that StillTasty has information listed for many foods for "Fresh, Cooked", "Fresh, Raw" and "Commercially Frozen".  Is there a difference in storage of  "Fresh, Cooked" food and food that was frozen and thawed before cooking?  Or is this just an oddity of their descriptions?

Edit: Assuming the thawing and cooking has been done thoroughly to "safe temperatures".


texts: White spots on the dough while it was rising

texts:
Yesterday I was trying to make Croissant. I started by making the dough that contained yeast as the rising agent, and after mixing all of the ingredients I left it to rise at room temperature.
After 2 hours when I checked it out I found that there were white spots on the dough, and they are similar to the spots forming on breads when they go bad.
It was very similar to this image except that the small spots in the image are flour but in my dough it were, I guess, fungal things.
I didn’t know what exactly it was or whether to continue the rising process or not, but I decided to wrap it and put it in the freezer until I know what to do.
By the way, I discovered that I forgot to add sugar (which was in the recipe) to the dough before allowing it to rise), and still I didn’t add it, could this be a factor?
Do you have any idea what are those white spots and are they harmful? And what should I do with the dough in my freezer?
Thanks in advance!


texts: How to replace chicken with tofu in a curry

texts:
I've never cooked tofu before and I appreciate that using a store-bought jar of curry sauce and expecting it to work nicely may be a little optimistic.

However, what cooking method should I use to cook the tofu before placing it in the sauce (Korma/Tikka Massala) (presumably not for very long, it'd already be cooked) and serving with rice?

I'd hazard a guess that frying it is the best option but should I just fry it and leave it at that or ought I use some herbs and spices?


texts: Should ciabatta sandwich rolls be dry and dense?

texts: I found a recipe calling for ciabatta sandwich rolls. My supermarket sells these, baked in their bakery, however, I found this bread dry and dense, which I do not find appealing. Should this kind of bread have this quality?


texts:
Here's how I prepare the dough: 500g of bread flour + 325ml of water + 6g of instant yeast + 1tsp of salt. Mix with the dough attachment on my hand mixer for ~20 min, cut in 4, form them into tight balls, put into plastic bags sprayed with olive oil, store in the fridge.

They then double in size in around 3h in the fridge and double again over the next 24h after that. They don't form any visible bubbles, its more like a very even rubbery foam.

I can start forming them into pizzas after those first 3 hours but those aren't that great, they aren't chewy or crispy, they are bland and mostly just taste like bread.

48 - 96H is where the sweet spot is, great flavor, chewier, crustier. After 96H the dough starts to get sticky and hard to form though so I usually don't keep them that long.

Thing is though, my pizzas are never as chewy or crusty as they come from a great restaurant. My oven is kinda weak, it only gets up to ~200C so I have to cook the pizza for ~15-20 mins, the less the chewier, the more the crispier, I usually aim in the middle but I never really get both. I also don't have a pizza stone, I prepare and cook them on parchment paper which I put straight on the middle rack.

So do you guys think I would benefit from that stone slab? Or buying a more powerful oven? Or something off with my recipe or process?


texts: When comparing food processor models, why do some have additional blades?

texts:
What are advantages or disadvantages to a middle blade in the food processor? Might this shape be harder to clean than a single-blade model?
It's also called top blades:


texts: Is there a discernible difference in taste between aeropress and chemex / pour-over?

texts:
Using the same coffee beans with the same grind, I can definitely tell a difference between cups of coffee made by drip-machine, chemex, and french press.  Chemex is my favorite, as it has more flavor the drip-machine, but without the grit of a french press.  I want to purchase a pour over solution for home use, and can't decide between a traditional Chemex pot, or an Aerobie Aeropress.  Aerobie claims that it's press method is far superior to a chemex pot, but of course they are going to say that.

Has anyone done a side-by-side comparison with the same coffee? And if so, is there a huge difference?


texts: Langouste and Langoustine, what's the difference?

texts:
In France, you often see both "langouste" and "langoustine" used to describe edible orange crustaceans. What is the difference between the two?

Both look the same to me, are they different species? Or perhaps different dialects describing the same thing?


texts: How can I evenly grill a thin steak on a skillet?

texts:
When I fry a thin (1/4") beef steak on a skillet/pan (iron, but not cast iron), I face the following problem:

The steak bends, becoming slightly irregular-dome-shaped
Because of that, the parts of the steak that are in direct contact with the pan sear well, while the ones that only rest on the air do not
When the steak is turned, the same is repeated for the other side, with reverse areas (e.g. if the steak had the edges curved down and seared on side 1, then the center will be curver down and seared on side 2).

How can I prevent this from occurring, short of putting a heavy metal bar on top of the steak while searing; OR using my tongs to press the curved-up parts down to the pan surface?

My method of preparation:

Frozen 1/4" steak, ~6-8" in length (chuck boneless shoulder). No thawing
Salt lightly right before searing, on both sides.

I tried searching on this question but didn't notice anything.


texts: Time effective technique for separating mint leaves from stems

texts:
Separating mint leaves from their stems seems like a hard task for me.
It is taking too much time to separate leaves from the supporting stems in order to use mint leaves in my curries and juices.

Specifically,

is it recommended to separate the leaves from the supporting stems? (It is practice in my place to separate leaves and to not include stems in diet.)
if yes, then is there any time-efficient procedure for separation?


texts: Substitute for lemon grass in curry dish

texts:
I have a meal planned in a few days and it calls for lemon grass.  Problem is I've been to the store a couple of times and they don't have it.

(the store is a block away and I don't feel like driving all the way to the next one to look)

The dish is curry spiced noodles, basically a stir-fry.  Any suggestions?


texts: Storage of Pickle Brine (Without Cucumbers)

texts:
How long can you keep sweet pickle brine without cucumbers in it? Or can you even do this?
I use sweet pickle brine in many of my recipes.


texts: How long can pasteurized milk be refrigerated?

texts:
The shop where I get milk (homogenized, pasteurized) is quite far from my home. So I would like to buy more milk per visit. Would like some expert advice on storing and handling the extra milk. How long can I use it safely? Would boiling this milk increase its fridge-life?

Thank you for your guidance.

Regards,
Simi


texts: How can I save tomatoes for at least 20 days?

texts: I want to save juicy tomatoes, but not in freezer. How might this be possible?


texts: How to bake the Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake

texts:
Firstly - I have a Betty Crocker super moist white cake mix which is 16.25 oz. Would putting all of the 16.25 oz cake mix in a 9 x 1.5 inch wilton round pan not be a good idea? If it's not a good idea, what is your suggestion? The recipe says it could make two 9-inch rounds. But I'm afraid that the cake will come out thin. That's why I'm thinking of putting all the cake mix in one pan.

Secondly - The recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 3 egg whites. Can I substitute these to 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/3 melted butter, and 4 egg whites? Are these the right amount for substitutions?

Thirdly - I want to bake four layers. Can I mix 4 cake mixes all together at once? If yes, then would I multiply 4 times of the substitution amount?

Fourthly - I want to avoid having a dome so I'm planning to use baking strips (made out of foil and paper towels). Should I bake the cake at 325 using home convection ovens? The instruction calls for 350 for nonstick pan (not sure if its for convection or conventional oven). And how many minutes should I bake it for?

This is a super long post. Sorry! I'm really looking forward to your reply. Thank you! :D


texts: What temperature does "keep refrigerated" mean?

texts:
The packages of my cheese and hotdogs say "Keep Refrigerated" (see photos below). Does that mean I should put them in the freezer, or the other room of the refrigerator?

Many food products' packages say "Keep Refrigerated", for example, eggs are labeled as such and with temperature at least or at most 45 Fahrenheit.  If not explicitly saying some temperature, how can I know if I should put a product in the freezer or the other room of the refrigerator?

Cheese:

Hotdogs:


texts: How long is the life of a shot of espresso?

texts:
When pulling a shot of espresso, how long is its life before it is too bitter?

I know this might change by the bean, but what is a rough estimate?

I was doing some coffee tasting and some of the shots were left unused for about 5 minutes and the barista said that these shots were now "dead" and that they don't reflect what the true taste of the coffee is.

Do I really only have 5 minutes to drink espresso before its no longer drinkable?


texts: How to prevent Meringue from turning chewy/gummy-like?

texts:
My attempts at Meringue-making are driving me a tiny but crazy...

No matter what I do, at first, they are still wet on the inside, and if I leave them standing longer to dry out, they get a chewy/gummy-like consistency when bitten into (this is really the best way I can explain it).

I am currently working with 50-60 grams of granulated sugar per eggwhite (depending on what size of egg I have), a slightly heaped teaspoon (not the measuring-kind, just a regular, european teaspoon) of cornstarch per eggwhite.
I add a pinch of salt to my eggwhites before whipping them up, then slowly add the sugar. Temperature-variation of the eggwhites did not seem to do much about the chewiness-Problem.
I have tried drying between 70 and 100 decrees Celsius (most recipes seem to call for 80).

How do I get them to dry all the way through without burning them? I SUSPECT the fact that I seem unable to get them all dried out is the actual problem!

EDIT: For size: I usually strongly heap a teaspoon (mostly because the whole issue with a piping bag seems futile to me if the texture does strange things anyway...). They are not overly large, I'd say, and I even have the chewyness-issue when I make very very flat ones.


texts: Do I need a specific pan for baking sourdough bread?

texts: I have been following a recipe to make sourdough bread and a starter. The recipe said to cook the bread in a dutch oven or a cast iron casserole dish. Since I have neither, can I cook the bread in an ordinary loaf tin or some other utensil?


texts: Why do my caramels turn out hard in the center?

texts:
I have made several batches of homemade caramels, and they have all turned out the same - soft around the edge of the 9x13 pan I use to cool them and hard as a rock in the center of the pan.  Seriously, the caramels at the sides are soft and chewy, but the ones in the center are so hard that if they're bent at all, they crack (with a cracking noise).
I have noted that the part that is hard is also the part over the area on that pan where the caramels are first poured out. Coupled with this, the top of the entire pan of caramels is slightly crunchy.  There is no discernible grain to them and they look and taste like they should (except for the center caramels, which is like a really grainy toffee).  Of course, the recipe is from my mom, who manages to make them without any problems -sigh-
Anyone have any ideas about what I'm doing wrong??  Thanks for your help!
Here's the recipe I use: (I do not deviate from this, at all)

2 c. superfine sugar
3/4 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. butter
2 c. whipping cream

Boil all ingredients except for 1 c. of cream over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in remaining cream.  Reduce heat and stir occasionally, until candy reaches 240°.  Take off heat, stir well, and pour into buttered pan.  Cool completely before cutting.


texts: Reheating whole Brisket w/out drying out

texts:
I made brisket last night (to serve tonight) using a recipe I have made several times. I usually cook the night before serving, using a Large Le Creuset pot. Recipe uses carrot/celery/onion, red wine and canned tomatoes. Brown the meat, sauté the veggies, return meat to pot and cook nestled in the veggies, covered 3-4 hours @350. In the Dutch Oven I wind up with a very saucy result. I refrigerate overnight, slice meat cold, return to the liquid and reheat slowly. It’s great.
Last night I decided to use a roasting pan due to the size of the brisket. Followed same steps as above, but used tin foil to cover as tightly as I could. But the veggies reduced down MUCH more than in the past. The result is actually fabulous. The veggies are amazing and hearty, and the meat was unbelievably juicy, reminiscent of really good BBQ.
So I want to serve as such, sliced juicy meat, not in a sauce bath, w/ veggies on side. I’m concerned I will dry out the meat though. I have it wrapped tightly in tin foil. If I reheat in that wrap low and slow, will I maintain that juicy awesome brisket? If not, do you have another suggestion?
Any advice highly appreciated.


texts: I have a question about goldenberries (aka Cape Gooseberry, Physalis, ground cherry.) Is it better to keep goldenberry in the fridge or not and for how many days maximum? My berries rotted in 3 days in fridge.


texts: Culinary term for frying in water (without oil)?

texts: Is there a culinary term describing "frying in about 4mm of water" in a frying pan without oil (with this technique, if water evaporates you just keep adding more from a glass, keeping it shallow).


texts:
Everything I have read says that you do not need to soak lentils like you would beans.  Unfortunately the last several times I have cooked lentils they have seemed a little chalky.

Should I be soaking my lentils before I cook them?


texts: I wanted to cut up some Hot Tamales candies for cookies, but had a horrible time cutting them.  I couldn't get the candies small enough and they stuck together.  I tried cutting with a knife and a food processor, the candies stuck to the blades.  The hot tamales candy are large and difficult to cut. I wanted pieces about the size of medium chocolate chips. Any suggestions?


texts: Is it better to store chocolate in the fridge or at room temperature?

texts: What is the best way to store dark chocolate to preserve chocolate and flavour?


texts:
A couple of days ago, I used some expired panko bread crumbs (expired by at least 5 months) for chicken tenders. They had this bad stale oil smell to them and I decided to take a risk. They had previously been opened but I'm very careful in closing them back up and storing them in a cool dry place.

As the first step of the recipe, I lightly fry the panko bread crumbs in a little oil and that removed that bad oil smell instantly. The chicken tenders smelt and tasted fine as well.

I read this and it says that bread crumbs don't spoil, the thing is
though that it definitely smelt pretty bad. So, is the stale oil smell or the expiry something to worry about?


texts: What is the liquid ingredient in a korma?

texts:
I recently saw a pseudo-recipe for an authentic Lucknow korma on TV. After infusing whole spices in ghee, adding an onion puree, chilli powder and chicken, the cook added a creamy looking mixture of what he said was desiccated coconut, cashew nuts and poppy seeds.

This mixture looked too liquid to be made up of just those ingredients. What would be the liquid base? I am thinking it is either cream, yoghurt or coconut milk, but I don't know, and each of those has a distinct flavour.

Also, in what proportion would the dry ingredients be?


texts: No-Knead Bread: How long should I raise the dough in different tempratures?

texts:
The famous No-Knead Bread recipe said:

  Let dough rest at least 12 hours,
  preferably about 18, at warm room
  temperature, about 70 degrees (21 Celsius degrees).

But I don't have the ideal 21 Celsius degrees room temperature or any device that can keep the dough 21 degrees for 18 hours.

In summer, my room temperature is around 25~30 degrees, in winter, it's 3~10 degrees.

My questions are:

How long should I raise the dough under 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 degrees?
I guess I shouldn't raise the dough for too long, say 48 hours, so how long is too long?

Thanks.

Update:

(sorry for my English) I just tried to raise the dough for 30+ hours under 25~27 Celsius degrees. The volume of the dough was increasing in the first 10+ hours, and the max volume was 2x of the original size. But later, it began to shrink! After 30+ hours, the volume was about 1.3~1.5 times of the original size. I tried to bake it under 250 Celsius degrees for 40 minutes... it tastes like rocks.


texts: I bought some chestnuts in the fall for Christmas but haven't used them all yet. How long do they keep? How would I tell if they 'went bad'? They look just like they did when I bought them (no blemishes) but may weigh less (they seem light) and seem harder to the touch (but I may be misremembering).


texts: What's the basic technique for long braising of pork?

texts:
I boiled 1kg chunk of pork 12 hours:

first boiling 45 min
8 h at low heat
45 min boiling
low heat now some hours

I am not sure if this was a good strategy.

I know there's no single "right" way, but what's the rough basic technique here? And what's the maximum time I can reasonably cook it?


texts: How did egg-centric dishes become "breakfast only" food in American cuisine?

texts:
Eggs are great.

You see eggs in lots of dishes in American cuisine. Egg salad made from hard-boiled eggs is an American cookout standard. Fried eggs often go on burgers; poached eggs frequently find themselves atop sandwiches and salads. Scotch eggs are a frequent side dish or appetizer. But in American cuisine, eggs are almost never the focal point of a dish.

Except at breakfast.

Omelettes, scrambled eggs, and quiches abound at breakfast and brunch.

At what point in history did eggs become a "breakfast-only" main dish?


texts:
I've read the other questions on meringue but didn't find the answer I'm looking for. When making meringue, there are basically three types that form:

Crisp shells will a uniform texture throughout.
Crisp shells with a gooey texture in the middle.
Gooey, marshmallow like shells.

What are the variables and ratios that predicate the type of shell predictably (e.g. temperature, time, source/type of heat, and sugar:egg ratio)? What mechanics are involved to determine the result?


texts: Have kept flour in freezer all the time - last time we got out the 5 lb bag it had chunks of flour in it.  Can only assume it is caused by moisture in the flour since it was kept in original bag - have never placed the flour in air tight container and never had this problem.  Can running the flour thru a food processor to break it up "hurt" the flour?


texts:
I'm trying to make a recipe for an energy bar that can keep it's form, doesn't melt in above-average temperature, and doesn't stick to the teeth.

I want to use a minimum amount of ingredients. For nutritional profile I have settled with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. I use dates to bind them, and coco powder or freeze-dried fruit powder for flavor, for example banana.

I have tried all kinds of date pastes, some are definitely hold form better than others, but the bar still bends in middle under its own weight when holding up it in the air.

What other natural ingredient (no chemical preservatives or sugar powders) I can introduce into the recipe to make the bar dense but soft, and not too gooey?


texts: Can canned food (like tuna) be refridgerated for months then put back in the pantry?

texts: I forgot about the tuna I left in the fridge.


texts: Fresh half and half curdles in hot coffee

texts: I have a specific travel mug that I use on occasion that will curdle the creamer. The creamer I used is only a few days old and it only happens in this mug. It's a stainless steel double walled with lid. I have no idea why it does this. When I use a normal mug, I have no issues.


texts: The quantity of which ingredients should be increased to raise the moistness of a cake?

texts:
I tried this recipe and found the result to be quite dry for my taste.

It contains milk, oil, and eggs.

Which among the three should be increased to how much amount in order to raise the moistness of that cup cake?

In order to keep the question generic I request that the answers should describe why, how, and which such that the answer is useful for generic cakes.


texts: Fastest way for cloning Milk Kefir Grains

texts:
It's about two weeks that I make Kefir at home. I started with three mid-size Kefir grains, and now I have six ones (three of them are really big)

Now my friends get interested in making Kefir too. But I don't have enough Kefir grains to share with them.

Is there any quick method for cloning Kefir grains? For example, keeping them in warmer place, giving them richer milk, or something like that?


texts: Ziploc vacuumed bags expand in sous vide

texts: I had an issue yesterday when I tried to cook some root vegetables in my sous vide supreme. I chopped them to roughly 1" lengths and placed them in a few quart Ziploc freezer bags and vacuumed them using a ThriftyVac. After just a few minutes in my sous vide at 84C the bags expanded with a lot of air and were very buoyant. I have not had this issue when sealing beef or fish, and no liquid seeped in or out of the bag, only air. The bags were very well sealed. It happened with my bag of parsnips, carrots, and bag of potatoes, but it did not happen with my beets.


texts:
So I've always thought of cooking this way:

Higher Temp & Less Cook time = crispier

vs.

Lower Temp & More Cook time = softer

Now obviously this doesn't apply to everything, but generally. Like pizza, bread, etc...

I'm confused however, because a frozen pizza I was looking at had the inverse instructions (saying if I wanted a crispier crust to increase the cook time and decrease the temp).

Have I been wrong in my thinking or are the instructions incorrect?


texts: Is it safer to wrap or cover your food when warming them in the microwave?

texts: I heard from a friend that if nothing covers the bowl or plate of food, there is a direct radiation affect on the food you eat. Is that true?


texts:
I bought a brand new Lodge 12" cast iron pan, washed it in soap and warm water and dried it with a paper towel thoroughly. Then I applied a thin layer of canola oil with a paper towel (paper towel was clean - not black after this application) and then heated the empty pan on my electric stove for 15-20 minutes. The oil on the pan smoked a bit, some parts of the pan turned slightly ashy (grey). Mostly everything looked OK.

After I turned it off and cooled the pan, I now take a clean paper towel and rub the surface and I see black flakes! What is this? Is this the oil broken down? Can I cook in the pan or wash it with soap to eliminate the black flakes? Once washed and dried should I rub canola oil again? This is my first experience with cast iron. Any pointers will help.


texts:
What is the exact meaning of the phrase 'sift together'? If I need to 'sift together' flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt, does that mean put each one into the sifter sequentially, operating the sifter until is is empty before adding the next one?

Or maybe I'm supposed to dump all these things into the sifter at once and then sift until it's empty? Perhaps I should dump all the ingredients into  a bowl, mix them with a spoon, then sift the resulting mixture?

Bonus points if you can tell me if I still need to stir ingredients which I have 'sifted together' in order to mix them. Thank you!


texts: Can salmonella show up in a raw-egg product once it has already been made?

texts: I know raw eggs should be avoided, especially by sensitive people (children, pregnant women), as they may contain salmonella. Let's say I make a big tub of ice cream, with raw eggs, and several people have some with no ill effects - can I assume that this particular tub of ice cream is salmonella-free?


texts: How to get rid of foam on shaken cocktails

texts:
Here's a picture of a Jack Rose I made last night.  It tasted great, but I think the white foam is ugly.  I want it to be clear and jewel-like with no foam.

All my shaken drinks have this foam.  I have not observed similar foam on drinks I order in bars.  What are techniques for avoiding or getting rid of the foam?

Maybe I could scoop it off with a spoon, but I think I would lose too much of the drink that way, and anyway that's not what the bartender does, so I think there must be a better way.

[ The recipe I am using is: four parts homemade applejack; two parts lime juice, one part homemade grenadine, shaken with ice cubes in a metal shaker, then poured into a chilled glass.  The shaker has a perforated top, but I am not otherwise using a strainer. ]


texts: How to avoid avocado in sushi rolls from darkening?

texts: We are making some avocado rolls and want to put them in the fridge for eating tomorrow. We will of course wrap them very well but how to avoid the avocado turning black or darkening?


texts: I like the look and taste of salsify, and have had it in restaurants.  However, I cannot find anywhere to buy it.  I don't even mind how it comes - tinned, frozen, fresh.


texts: How to increase batch size of dough starter bread?

texts:
I've recently acquired a really cool bread book filled with recipes which follow this format

Mix up some flour, yeast, honey, and milk into a very smooth dough.
Cover this with more flour and yeast and set it aside to rise for several hours until you're ready to add the remaining ingredients and mix it all up into dough.

This is working great and produces delicious bread. However, I'd like to increase my batch size in order to make more. Can I safely double the ingredients in step one to make my dough starter twice as large and then dump twice as much flour and yeast on top of it?

I don't feel like I should be able to as the current amounts of flour and yeast cover the dough starter completely so I don't think adding more would grant the starter any great access to flour and yeast. Thank you!


texts: Is it okay to put a hot pan on a granite counter?

texts: Is it okay to put a hot pan/pot on a granite counter? Or will it burn it? I don't know if there's a sealer on it.


texts: Why is the dough in cheap pizza places so bad?

texts:
I notice that in small, cheap "sub-shop" type pizza places the crust is almost always bad, what I call "spongy", having a rubbery texture and often little air bubbles.

Higher class, brick oven type places, like Bertucci's or Pizzeria Regina have a much better dough which is not rubbery.

Why is this? I know that Bertucci's makes their own dough because I can see them make it from flour. Is that the reason, the cheap places are buying pre-made dough and then freezing it or something?

Note that this question is about thin-crust Neapolitan pizza, not deep dish.


texts: Is it necessary to follow the suggested order in this challah recipe?

texts: Came across a Challah recipe which called for adding ingredients in the following order: water, yeast, flour, eggs, sugar, salt and oil/butter. They highlighted the order is important. Why is this important? Or is this a myth? I've actually seen most recipes call to add the sugar and water first to "bloom" the yeast.


texts: How to prevent greek yoghurt getting more sour

texts:
My mum has always liked making home made yoghurt, but the major problem with it has been the fact that it gets more sour over time. The night after she makes it the flavour is usually a perfect balance between creaminess and sourness (very much like the flavour of many supermarket greek yoghurts).

The only problem is that whereas supermarket yoghurts flavours do not change, our home made flavour does, and we have no idea what we can do to it to stop it doing so. Any ideas please?


texts: Difference between Welsh rabbit and beer cheese dip

texts: When I have looked at recipes for Welsh rabbit (rarebit), and beer cheese dip / soup, they seem very similar. Does one make a decent substitute for the other?


texts: Handling raw poultry turns my cuticles black!

texts:
Whenever I handle raw poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.) my nails, cuticles, and the skin under and around my nails turns black. This happens even after I thoroughly wash my hands, and when working with thoroughly cleaned utensils.

This has been happening to me for over ten years. So far, I've not been able to get an answer as to why, or how to prevent it.


texts:
Do you throw it all out in a tall pan at once or by batches? In what pan should you cook it?
Do you put them on top of each other in the pan?
Do you place them horizontally or vertically?
With oil in the water or not?
How do you drain them in the colander without everything sticking?
Should you boil, par-boil, or let them soak in water before layering (concerning run of the mill DeCeco lasagne)?


texts: When adding sprinkles to iced cookies, they adhere and are fine to begin with.  However the longer they sit, the sprinkle colors start to bleed into the icing.  How can I avoid that?


texts: Identifying quality fruits/vegetables at a farmers market

texts:
I have recently started venturing out on Sunday to our local farmers market, where there are a large number of people selling various fruits and vegetables.  I find that they have a better price than simply going out to a grocery store and purchasing the same items there for usually 3 - 5 times the cost. However, there are often so many vendors selling the same items that it can be difficult to choose which one to purchase from.

Is there an easy way to determine which vendors are selling better quality vegetables?  While different fruits/vegetables will have different ways to check, I was wondering if there are some general tips on picking vegetables (or fruits) from a vendor at a farmers market.

I have tried going by the samples that they have for fruits, where the sample was delicious, but some times I would get home and the fruits from that same stand would taste sour. That could just be the luck of the draw though.

Some of the items I look at more often are: Cherries, Artichokes, Oranges, Mushrooms, Onions (Green and Red/White), Garlic, Broccoli, and Celery.

Any help is appreciated!


texts: I've seen huge butchers blocks that essentially is a table with a butcher block top. How do you clean such a thing if you can't wash it in the sink? Should those blocks only be used for vegetables and not meat because it can get messy and hard to clean (oil and 'juices')?


texts:
What should I do with the kiwi peel?
I've got no problem with its taste and feel
and eat them whole when I'm by myself.
Is it in any way bad for my health?


texts: Non stick pan browning milk vs stainless steel

texts:
We recently purchased a nonstick medium pot but have been encountering problems while making mac & cheese. The milk seems to be browning/toasting with all settings on our induction cooker remaining the same. Previously we utilized a stainless steel pan and encountered no problems.

What is the cause for whole milk browning and needing to be skimmed?


texts: Using fresh compressed cake yeast in bread machine

texts: While using  compressed cake yeast in bread machine it rises well for the first rise but on the second rise it does not rise well and I get a deep concave surface , I typically add 3x the dry yeast recommended in the recipe as I had read that fresh yeast is 3x less concentrated then dry ones.


texts: I am planning to go up to Vermont this spring to visit Jasper Hill Farms and Shelburne Farms to buy a wheel of cheese each from their cheddar houses. Once I cut into the wheel, how long before it goes bad?


texts: Is unsour sour cream too new or too old?

texts:
My supermarket only has one supplier of sour cream, so I always buy it. It appears to be made by a small company.

All last year, when I purchased the product, it appeared like any sour cream you can purchase in the US. But during the last 3 times, the taste and texture was different. First, it was not sour, the nearest flavor I can imagine would be cottage cheese, but not so sweet. Second, the texture was quite unusual. Rather than having the usual creamy texture, this was grainy, as I imagine sour cream would look if one mixed in some sand.

The date I purchased the cream was 10 days after the produced date.

Is this taste and texture and indication that the sour cream is too old?
Or perhaps an indication that the sour cream needs to age more to become sour?
Or just a different style of sour cream?


texts: Low-fat quark plus blended blueberries -- texture changes over night?

texts:
I tried to prepare my own blueberry quark by

blending (about 200g) of (European) blueberries and
gently mixing the result with 500g of low-fat quark.
Season to taste with sugar.

The result is nice -- but not after a night in the fridge! The next day, not only had a watery phase separated (I kind of expected that) but the whole mix had also attained a crumbly texture. No matter of stirring returned the original creamy texture.

Now, another day later, it has also become quite bitter, but that I would attribute to more bitters dissolving from the blueberries (their skin?).

What is happening with the texture of my quark? Can I prevent it from happening?


texts: Can I boil a yogurt marinade if I add cornstarch?

texts:
I'm making tikka masala tonight, and the chicken is marinating in a yogurt mixture. I've already made a sauce to eat it with, but I was wondering if there was a way to bring the marinade to a boil so that I could safely consume it too.

I heard that adding cornstarch to yogurt helps keep it from splitting, but would that be enough if it has to come to a rolling boil anyway?


texts: Can you estimate how long it takes to reduce a liquid?

texts:
In a lot of recipes, there is a step that includes reducing your liquid. In most sauces, this isn't a problem, since you just need to thicken it and that's something you can see and doesn't take a long time.

However, last week I was making a base for a sauce, that included water, vinegar and white wine. The recipe asked me to reduce it till it was about 1/3 of the original amount. I didn't think it would take as long as it did and as a result, everything was ready except the sauce.

Is there a way to calculate how fast something reduces? I can understand it would depend on the ingredients, on the surface area and on the temperature, but assume that I know these variables.


texts: What is the shelf life of homemade peanut butter in winters and summers?

texts:
Assumptions:

The peanut butter contains ONLY peanuts and peanut oil.
The peanut butter contains ONLY peanuts, peanut oil, honey, and salt.
Winter room temperature can be between 16 to 20 degree Celsius.
Summer room temperature can go up to to 45 degree Celsius.


texts: Is salt important to the texture of dough?

texts:
Does salt have any effect on the texture of doughs?

My mother in law has gone on an ultra low salt kick and has taken to not putting salt in anything. This includes her pierogi dough (you know the potato & often cheese filled dumplings common to eastern European peasant cooking).

I've noticed that her pierogi dough seems tougher (like she's re-rolled the dough, which over works the dough and as I under stand makes more gluten) without the salt that used to be with it. It's a rather simple dough: flour, water, vegetable oil and salt. I imagine I'd get the same effect with a pie crust as well.

Is the salt inhibiting the gluten formation or doing something else or am just imagining this effect?


texts: I've always enjoyed eating cheese. Just getting that out of the way. I've never quite figured out why Swiss Cheese has holes! I mean, I can understand different shapes like round, square, triangular - though I can't quite fathom why swiss has holes, how they get there, etc


texts:
Rex Stout has a recipe for "Broiled Georgia Ham" where the ham is soaked in milk for an hour. Elsewhere I have read that you can soak chicken livers in milk before sautéing them.

Having read a little, it seems that this is done to tenderize the meat and I'm tempted to experiment by making meat loaf with milk soaked ground beef.

Before I set about ruining tomorrow's dinner I'd like to ask if anyone knows already what the outcome of this experiment might be.


texts: Can I mix cutting boards when I dishwash them

texts:
I have a dishwasher safe set of boards. I've heard a common advice to use separate boards for meat, fish and ready to eat food. However it got me thinking - I don't mind mixing plates or other utensils as they are cleaned by dishwasher anyway (or hand washing).

Does the advice applies to mixing without cleaning? Or are there reason not to mix despite cleaning?


texts: Mascarpone left outside fridge overnight - still usable?

texts:
I forgot the mascarpone yesterday, so it sat in my bag in the living room for half a day and the night, instead of in the fridge.

The question is, of course, is it still ok to use? It looks fine, of course, or I wouldn't be asking.


texts: Do egg whites thin out when salt is added, which will make them easier to mix?

texts: Does adding salt to eggs cause the white to thin out and increase in size, making it easier to mix?


texts: Why does adding sugar to sour things cause them not to be sour?

texts:
This is one of those things which I've always thought to be obvious and never really noticed as strange.

"Obviously", if you add sugar to something sour, it makes something sweet. Take for instance Bramley apples in apple crumble, or lemons in lemonade. This is just something that people know!

But if you add sugar to something bitter (coffee, say) it doesn't stop tasting bitter! It just tastes like sweet coffee.

Any explanations?


texts:
I've found very few places that dare to combine those two in one dish. None of them succeeded, in my opinion.

At first I thought it was due to mixing rice and wheat, then thought it was due to the different temperatures. Whatever the reason, I still want to make something that combines both, something that could be considered pizza and that could also be considered sushi. Is it possible?


texts:
I work in a coffee shop, and we stock Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa flavored sauce.

However, this sauce is constantly overflowing.  We are losing approximately a quarter cup per day (if not more) due to chocolate dripping from the pump.  Is there any explanation or remedy for this?  Note that it occurs even if the chocolate is kept cold.


texts: What is the difference between a macaron and an amaretti biscuit?

texts: Other than differing in origin (Italian (amaretti) and France (Macaron)), what is the difference between these two biscuits?


texts: Chicken breast sous vide: Time in fridge matters?

texts: I have kept a chicken breast, packed in plastic (possibly in a near-vacuum environment) in my fridge for more than a week. The best-before-date is tomorrow. I am considering cooking this breast sous vide at 65 C for 1,5hours. It is about 2.5cm thick. Would this be considered safe?


texts:
It seems about time for me to give in to peer pressure and get a kitchen scale like everyone else. It seems like they would give my cooking more consistency if nothing else.

I've payed attention to scales as I've been in various stores. Their prices seem to range widely- from $20 at Harbor Freight to a couple hundred at Bed Bath and Beyond.

My question is two-fold:

What processes benefit most from the use of a scale?
How much should I expect to pay for a decent scale? Is it worth saving up to get the top of the line or will the bottom of the line work just fine?


texts: Pizza dough is way too wet, already in the oven. Fix?

texts:
I'm cooking some pizza with homemade dough, using rice flour. I put all of the toppings on the pizza already, and put it in the oven. It's been there for quite some time, but the dough is just way too moist for it to cook properly. It's just a mushy mess.

I turned the oven off and it's cooling down now. The tomato sauce and cheese on top is almost burnt already.

What are my options to salvage this mess?

Thanks!


texts: Why might I have trouble making butter from Crème Fraîche?

texts:
I tried making cultured butter today from a supermarket variety crème fraîche. For some reason the butter hasn't split from the whey although I've "churned" it with the hand mixer for 20 minutes or more.

This recipe for cultured butter suggests that about 2 to 5 minutes is needed with a food processor, and my previous experience with the hand mixer is about 10 minutes for sweet butter.

I checked the ingredients list of the crème fraîche and I don't see anything unusual: cream* and an unspecified culture. That's it. No artificial thickeners for example.

What could be the problem?

Update:

I'll just note one avenue I've already explored: temperature. I've tried varying the temperature during churning from just above freezing to around room temperature.

* The cream is "högpastöriserad" which is Swedish for a pasteurization process where the cream is held at 80°C for 5 seconds. I'm not sure this term translates directly to a common English term.