texts:
I'm trying to write up a how-to guide for braiding six strands of dough.

I figured that for comprehension I would instruct the cook to move the pieces of dough based on a color-coding scheme. E.g. I would say place the black strand between the blue and green strands.

However, in order to identify which strand is which, I need food-safe colored items that can be stuck into the ends of each strand of dough [to be removed after braiding is complete]. What are some items that can fit this purpose?


texts:
There is so much variation in jerk recipes that it would be nice to have some clarity on the do's and don'ts. I like Jerk chicken, but my attempts to make it have generally not worked as well as the versions I have purchased.

I normally do something like:

Spring onions
Garlic
Allspice
Some fresh thyme
Brown Sugar
Cayan (or scotch bonnet pepper if I can find it)
Ginger
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Orange Juice.

I then marinade, my best results seem to involve cooking in the marinade. However the results are still a little acidic.

Am I going down the right route?
Am I doing everything in the right order?
What are the key ingredients that are needed to produce a good balance and the distinct profile of flavors?


texts: Can i put yeast into cookie dough to make them thicker looking?

texts: I want to make cookies thicker looking can i add some yeast into cookies dough to make them thicker.


texts: How should I pick a flour volume to weight conversion for an arbitrary recipe?

texts:
There are a variety of weight-to-volume conversions online for flour, with considerable variation even among reputable sources:

King Arthur Flour says 4.25oz/cup but in their measuring tips article says it's 4oz/cup when sifted, up to 5.5oz/cup when scooped, and yet that somehow 4.25oz/cup is "closer to what bakers actually measure volume-wise".
The Kitchn says 4.5oz/cup.
Cook's Illustrated says 5oz/cup, based on real testing: "...had dozens of volunteers measure out 1 cup, weighed the results, and took the average..."
Serious Eats sort of agrees, with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt finding a 4-6oz/cup range from tests, and ultimately deciding on 5oz/cup as an average but with Stella Parks deciding to use 4.5oz/cup, with the cup measured by spooning flour into the measuring cup.

The full explanations with varying volume measurement methods and big ranges all seem pretty realistic, but of course leaves the issue of what number to actually use when confronted with a recipe that just has a volume, and no mention of a measurement method.

Of course, after testing a recipe we can just note weights and forget about volume, but if I'm starting from an arbitrary recipe and I want to measure by weight, how can I decide what initial guess to use?


texts: Recent bought a chef's knive and a paring knife,  both are high carbon stainless steel. The chef's knife is quite sharp and can cut a piece of butcher's twine just by touching it, with little or no pressure. The paring knife cannot. In fact, I can even grip the blade quite hard and it doesn't cut me. Should I have it sharpened?


texts: Is it safe to thaw chicken to have it brined and then freeze again?

texts: I didn't realize that I thawed so much chicken to brine.  I don't need half of it so is it safe to freeze the half portion again?  It was thawed in salt water in room temperature for couple of hours and then put back into the fridge for one day for longer brining.


texts:
I frequently buy a half or a whole lamb and always get a rack of ribs with this - but I never really know what to do with them.  I've tried roasting them (which does kind of work), and I've tried some of the recipes that you see around for pork ribs which don't seem to work with lamb.

Can anyone give me any suggestions for what to do with them?


texts:
I live alone and almost always cook just for myself. With most recipes, I can just cook a smaller amount than given in the recipe, and I have optimized most of my cooking gear for small quantities. But I have a problem with some dishes which are both too rich to eat more than one, maximum two portions in a day, and too perishable to store for longer. Some of those, like the egg foams (zabaglione, hollandaise) and some sweet dishes involving melted chocolate, require a bain marie.

I don't have the storage space for single-purpose gear. When I need bain marie, I use a regular pot and a Pyrex bowl whose upper diameter is somewhat bigger than the pot's. My smallest pot is 16 cm, and a bowl which fits on it is too big for one or two yolks. When I try beating them, they smear themselves on the walls and cook there before they've flowed to the bottom. Also, the heating is somewhat quick, because the whole mass is only 1 cm thick or less. Making 40 g ganache is no easier.

I prefer beating such small amounts in a tea cup or mug or in a 6 cm bowl, inserting a single beater into the mixer. But I cannot do it when I need a bain marie, because I have no pot where they'd stay on top. And even if I could find a small replacement for the pot (like a steel mug or a djezwe), it won't heat on my induction hob - even if the "pot" was ferromagnetic, the hob  has a built-in protection and only switches on if it detects a cooking vessel at least 12 cm wide.

Do you have any ideas for an easily built bain marie setup which is small, uses common utensils (not necessary kitchen ones, but preferably something I already have), and quickly dismantled when not in use? Maybe there is some way to suspend the tea cup into the big pot and hold it firm despite the mixer's force?


texts:
Cooking baby  potatoes  and small carrots with it.  It is only about 2 pounds.
Hoo
Honestly never cooked a pork roast beforeand there are  so many different ways I am really confused.


texts: Skinless Sausages why they disintegrate?

texts: A lot of sausages these days appear to be made skinless.  Ok, this is not a problem, but they do tend to disintegrate in the pan.  First off, why, and secondly, how do I stop this from happening?


texts: How do tomatillos differ in taste from under-ripe tomatoes?

texts:
I can't get access to tomatillos, but I would like to know what they taste like.

This helped me a bit, but it's not entirely clear to me what would be different between tomatillos and under-ripe tomatoes.

Or are tomatillos closer to something else?


texts:
One thing I've always wanted to do is make savory cotton candy, but I'm not sure how to go about it. I understand that cotton candy is spun sugar so that introduces a challenge. I have a cotton candy machine but I'd be willing to try any technique that would result in the texture being that of cotton candy. I'd like to go as savory as physically possible, (ham flavored cotton candy would be one of my goals).

This may sound unusual but this is not a joke. I sincerely want to taste savory cotton candy. It's an experience I can't even imagine.


texts:
Does nutmeg come with a good-before date? How long can nutmeg stay good? Is there a way to 'see' (observe) how old the nutmeg is?

I'm asking because I bought a bag of nutmeg seeds and one was moldy. Maybe just bad luck, but it made me wondering about the freshness of the rest, and how that must affect the flavor in a negative way.

According to the Wikipedia, freshly ground nutmeg has a psychoactive substance, but I guess that must be from fresh nutmeg. So, I'm looking for a way to distinguish between potential poisonous nutmeg and stale nutmeg.


texts: Why refrigerate bagels after shaping dough?

texts:
I've noticed that recipes for bagels call for a refrigeration period after shaping. Why does it matter if the refrigeration is done after shaping?

The shaped dough takes up more space in the fridge so it's not ideal.

At least with respect to pizza dough one source says that:

  Doughs that are shaped and proofed after a slow, cold fermentation
  demonstrate noticeably better flavor and better structure.

So why shouldn't we refrigerate the bulk dough and shape afterwards?


texts: Why mono and diglycerides instead of xanthan?

texts:
Xanathan gum (like many other vegetable gums) is often used as an emulsifier and for thickening liquids.

Meanwhile, mono- and diglycerides (aka glycerin flakes) are used in a similar way.

I have read that mono- and diglycerides need to be dissolved in an oil, not water for them to work. They also need to be heated in order to dissolve completely.

But besides the above two constraints, when are the glycerides more appropriate to use, compared to xanthan?

More specific reason for my curiosity....
I am preparing a frozen ice-cream type dessert that contains, among other ingredients, coconut oil and almond milk. The final step will be churning in an ice cream maker in order to incorporate air. Now, if I understand correctly, I could heat the oil and add the glycerides to it before combining with the milk.... Or I could hydrate the xanthan in the almond milk, before combining with the oil.

Which is the better approach? Are there any general principles or rules of thumb for when to use glycerides?


texts:
We are currently preparing to bake bagels after a recipe by Cynthia Barcomi. Strangely, in that recipe she uses both dry and fresh yeast in equal amounts. When searching the internet all I can find is advice on when to use which, but nothing on when to use both.

Can anyone explain why she does this?


texts: Substituting minced garlic for whole garlic cloves

texts: How much minced garlic is equal to 3 medium garlic cloves?


texts: Melted chocolate + olive oil = lumpy mess

texts:
I melted chocolate to put on top of some caramel flapjacks.  The chocolate wasn't very runny so I added a little bit of olive oil.  However this made it grainy and lumpy as if I had added water.

Should I have used vegetable oil instead, or should this have worked as I expected?


texts: How can I create a sweet pizza that looks like pizza?

texts:
Looking for a bit of inspiration for an idea I have. I want to serve 3 courses of pizza: starter, main and dessert. It's a gimmick, I know, but a fun one I think.

Got the starter and main nailed, but as neither of these will look much like a standard pizza, I wanted the dessert to look just like a pizza.

My (as yet untested) idea is to make a slightly sweeter base (not too sweet, toppings will add sweetness) and for toppings I am thinking:

Rasberry Jam (as the red base)
Mascarpone and peanut butter (as the cheese, peanut butter to add a little crunch)
Caramelised Sugared banana slices (hopefully, these will come out brown enough to look a little like pepperoni)

Will the above work?  If so, do you have any suggestions for the execution?  If not, what should I do instead?


texts: How to apply transglutaminase brand "Saprona TG F"

texts: I have transglutaminase/activa powder branded "Saprona TG F". The ingredients are Salt, Gelatin, phosphate and transglutaminase. The dose is 1%. I'm making chicken roulade - should I apply it as a powder, a slurry or some other method?


texts:
The cake recipe is calling for a vegetable oil. I have refined sunflower oil, and refined soyabean oil.

Do they qualify for flavourless oils? I haven't noticed any taste in any oil by now! Taste buds problem, perhaps.


texts: Achieve butter-like aroma in a vegan recipe

texts:
I am planning to cook a French bœuf bourguignon, but a vegan version. Apart from the wine and the herbs, I recall that the butter had quite an impact on the vegetarian version that I previously made.

When reading about vegan butters online the goal is usually to aim for a certain consistency, for baking etc. Is there a way to add butter flavor to this vegan recipe?


texts: How to retain the smell of frying green onions/scallions in cooked dish?

texts:
I have always loved the smell of frying green onions/scallions but was never able to retain the smell of it when the dish is done cooking.

I was in Singapore about 1.5 years ago and in a small food court, I enjoyed a plate of fried rice noodles and the aroma of the frying scallions was very much present which made the dish much better.

I was not able to replicate it at home, no matter when I put the scallions in, the aroma always disappeared at the end. The smell of it was quite strong in the dish I had and I have no idea how it is done.

Is there a trick to retain the smell of frying scallions? or maybe it's something else that producing the smell?


texts: Ground beef meat colors seem different these days

texts: Why is it that in the "good old days" (I've been cooking/ buying/butchering for 6 decades) freshly ground meat was red until prolonged oxygen exposure turned it brown (store-bought, packaged meat was a bit greyer...darker red on the outside and nice pink/ red on the inside). Today I notice the opposite, red on the outside and grey on the inside. Why is this happening?


texts:
How do I keep my ground venison from having a spongy texture? We have tried making it into burgers, into chili and into patties in gravy.  It still has the same spongy, tasteless flavor — almost what I would expect tofu to have, if I ate tofu! Is the problem in the grinding or are we doing something wrong in our cooking?

Update: As far as I know, beef fat was added to the meat. My cousin shot the deer and has his own processing equipment; he is the one who processed it for us. His other meat (sausage, etc.) has never had this consistency so we were wondering what caused it.


texts: What is the Chinese celery and cabbage appetizer called and how is it made?

texts:
My favorite Chinese restaurant for 30 years closed a few months ago. Back many years ago they had an appetizer that they served when you were seated that was excellent.

It was very simple, only fresh, crispy celery and cabbage. It usually came in a small bowl or in a small plate with a very small amount of clear liquid. Occasionally you might see a red pepper flake. It had a light, mostly savory flavor with just the slightest hint of sweetness and a little heat.

I'm usually pretty good at duplicating flavors but I have tried to nail this many times over the years but can't quite get there. There are no strong or identifying flavors I can grab onto. And it had no sweet, sour, or vinegar taste like pickled veggies have.

I asked many times for the recipe and each time I was told that it was not made at the restaurant but delivered by their distributor. I was never able to find out if it was a freshly prepared food or if it came in a jar or can.

Does anyone have any idea what this is called or how to make it? Or is it something that can be purchased? Any help or ideas would be very much appreciated.


texts: Can containers that held spoiled food be cleaned and be safe again?

texts: Came home from trip to a broken fridge and spoiled food in both glass and plastic containers.  All was a lukewarm mess.  Can I clean the containers and reuse them, or should I throw them out?


texts: Split Pea Soup, but peas aren't dissolving

texts:
I'm making split pea soup (vegetarian, using the Moosewood Cookbook recipe). I've made this several times before, and I remember that at some point the peas dissolve, making a thick broth. I made sure to soak the peas overnight before cooking them. But the soup has been simmering for over an hour now (very low flame, partially covered, other veggies in the soup for the later 40 minutes) and they don't seem close to dissolving.

Did I do something wrong? How can I fix the soup? And how can I avoid this in the future?


texts:
I was tempted last week-end by Cherrystone clams.

They were large and with heavy shells.

Reading about them, there were supposed to eaten raw; I tried to open one of them with an oyster knife, and failed miserably.

So I tried steaming them, a bit like steaming small clams or mussel( shallots,garlic, white wine...)

The problem I had is that one of them opened quickly and the other ones took more a lot time.

The result was that most of them were too chewy to be really good.

Other than improving my skill in opening clams (I can open oysters easily), how can I cook them so that all the clams steam properly ?

Maybe my pot was not big enough and they had no space to open (remove the ones already open)?
Should I have them out of the fridge before so they were not too cold before putting in the pot?

Thanks.


texts:
I'm going to get a hand-hammered, round-bottomed wok through the mail in the near future. Trouble is, I have a glass top stove inside, so that's entirely off limits—not to mention completely useless in terms of heat output even with a wok ring. Thanks to the great Alton Brown, I was introduced to the wonderful idea of using a turkey fryer burner for this task. As I searched around, none of the burners that I could find (and I searched well) had the same wok-friendly design as the one AB used:

http://i.imgur.com/h7ksimQ.jpg

Notice the lack of any horizontal bars. The two-ring design works perfectly for this purpose, allowing the wok to sit comfortably in the center. However, I could not find a single burner that looked like that.

Could anybody point me in the right direction for a similar burner?


texts: How can I make melted chocolate set faster?

texts:
I am going to be operating a stand selling frozen bananas (just like in Arrested Development), and we dip the bananas in chocolate. I bought some milk and dark chocolate wafers that can be used in fondu fountains, however we have no fountain. We will just be dipping the bananas in the warm chocolate.

My question is, how can I decrease the setting time of the chocolate? That is, I want the chocolate to solidify into a shell around the banana as quickly as possible so that the chocolate doesn't drip off the banana. Is there something that I can add to the melted chocolate wafers to decrease the set speed?

Edit: Just found this question, thanks to rumtscho's comment.
No-melt chocolate coating on ice cream bars


texts: How to I need to treat dried green lentils?

texts:
In the attached picture you see green lentils which I want to prepare in order to make a Dal. They are obviously dried although it is not mentioned directly on the package.

My question is: Do I need to treat them like dried chickpeas? Dried chickpeas must be unpacked and then stay submerged for around twelve hours to be edible and cookable. Do i need to do the same with the lentils? One lentil has far less mass than a chickpea so I had doubts.

EDIT: I am aware of this possible duplicate but the submitter of the question has not clarified what types of lentils he wants to cook:
Best way to cook lentils?


texts:
I picked up what I believe to be an old cast iron Crêpe pan at the thrift store. I made a batter, and its consistency seems like what I made in the past when using a frying pan. This time, however, I can only get these octopus looking things, or worse, batter all over the stove top.

The picture doesn't help, but the dome is maybe an inch high and eight inches in diameter.

Searching around, it looks like this implement is a little out-of-date and arcane at this point. So how do you do this, anyhow?


texts: How can I stop the cooking in my chicken and noodle soup?

texts:
I usually enjoy my chicken noodle soup right after cooking it to perfect noodle doneness. Most of what I cooked goes into the fridge. My problem is that while I'm waiting for the left-over soup to cool off, the noodles get overcooked. How could I prevent that?

I don't want to put the warm soup in the fridge or freezer, and eating the just-done portion more al-dente isn't an option.

The noodles are wide egg noodles, and there's about 2-3 l water in the soup.


texts: Does putting knives in a wooden block blade down wear out the blade?

texts: I'd always wondered.  The blocks usually seemed designed to have the knives go in blade down, so that the blade touched wood coming in and out.  But I know that when I whittle, cutting the wood wears the blade of a knife down very, very quickly.  I'd always wondered if that regular contact with the wood from sliding into and out of the blocks could be wearing my knives down.  Does it?  If so, does putting them in blade up (against the design of the block - it would seem) do any better for them?


texts: How can you prepare turnips to make them less bitter?

texts:
I peeled and quarted turnips, then roasted with carrots and onions in olive oil and maple syrup, but the turnips were really bitter. Is there a way to roast them (or even another cooking method) to remove that bitterness? How long should they be roasted?

Or do I simply need to pick a better batch of turnips?


texts: Does adding salt when soaking dry beans toughen or soften the skin of the bean?

texts:
I have heard opinions on both sides of this.  The the latest answer on this site, says salt softens bean skins quoted Cooks Illustrated (I can't see the article, but I trust CI), while another answer says salt hardens the beans' skins.

In case is varies by bean, I'm interested in:

Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Small Red Beans

So which is it?
Inquiring Minds want to know.


texts: Am I using my knives for the correct jobs?

texts:
I've got a limited collection of knives which I was moderately pleased to discover meet the "minimum requirements". But, recent activity on here has got me thinking - am I using them for the correct jobs?

I have:

Long (8 inch) flat-blade knife (Chef's?).
Short (4.5 inch) flat-blade knife.
Very short (3 inch) serrated knife (Paring?).
Long serrated bread knife.

We can, I think, ignore the last one as I'm hopefully managing to use that for its intended role.

I currently tend to use the serrated knife for veg with any sort of "skin" (e.g. peppers, tomatoes, onions, etc), the short flat-blade for anything else small enough, and the large knife for meats and anything too big for the smaller flat-blade.

From what I've been reading on here, I get the feeling I'm using them for the wrong jobs - am I?
And what's the best use for each of these knives?


texts: Is freezing browned meat the best option

texts:
I've previously browned chicken in the pan before freezing it for use at a later date but recently a thought has occurred to me to prepare it 'white', freeze and then brown it when using it defrosted later. Is this a better approach and can it be done with other meats just as well?

To clarify, nothing is especially wrong with the chicken I prepare just now using the above method but if anyone else has experience with similar, have you noticed a better flavor from browning after thawing rather than before?


texts: We have been open for two months. In this two months, I feel like the pizza dough is coming out different every time, even though we use the same ingredients and the same amounts. I have been worried lately because I see a gum line in my pizza dough and I don't know what to do to get rid of it.  Usually, I use 25 grams pressed yeast, 330 grams sugar, 200 grams salt, 2QT corn oil, 4 QT water, and ten scoops of flour.  I don't know if my dough mixer is not doing the job, if the oven is not hot enough, or if I am making a mistake somewhere in the process.  Any suggestions?


texts: Are there any fish bones which are edible without canning or pressure cooking?

texts: As the question states, are there any.  I know things like sardines require pressure cooking or canning but what about thuings like anchovies or other, is the bone edible without having to pressure cook? My goal is to get calcium from bones with the least amount of cooking, if any at all.


texts:
I bought a wok at a Goodwill a little while ago and haven't really used it for much yet.  I don't know how to determine what material it's actually made out of.  I suspect it's just got a teflon coating on it, since it's fairly light and both the inner and outer sides of it appear to be different materials.  I don't want to use it at high temperatures in case it's got a non-stick coating, so it's kind of important to figure out if it is.  What would be good determining aspects of the different, most common wok materials?

Edited to add: The outer side of it is a dark, grooved, almost matte black, while the inner side is a slightly ligher shade, almost more grey.  The reason I was first thinking it might be teflon is that there's a light scratch on the inner side where a much lighter, steely surface shows through.

Pictures: 1 2 3 4

edit to add: After getting a carbon steel wok, I can confirm that what I had here was definitely not anything like that.  Comparing my old wok to ones in stores, it seems the one pictured here almost certainly has some kind of non-stick coating, and so isn't very good for a wok's high temperatures.


texts:
I made stock last Sunday, which I intended to use as the base for homemade tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen.  Accordingly, I used both chicken and pork (roughly equal amounts of chicken backs and pork hocks).  I also added several cloves of garlic, a large leek, celery, carrots, and small knob of ginger.

I boiled the meat/bones briefly before straining and starting over with cold water (for clarity of finished stock), added the other ingredients, and brought to a boil.  I then reduced to a simmer and skimmed the very small amount of scum from the surface.  The stock simmered for about 8 hours before I strained it through a cloth.

The resulting stock is perfectly clear, with an excellent, thick mouthfeel and gelled nicely in the refrigerator.  However, the stock also has very little flavor-- even copious amounts of salt don't help much.  Since my stock is by all other measures a success, I'm puzzled as to why it's so flavorless.

Where did I go wrong?


texts: Does the cooking time, adding more water and using high quality and expensive rice help to produce soft and non-stick rice?

texts:
Most of my friends told me that to prevent the rice from sticking at the bottom of the rice cooker pot (as shown in the picture below) and to prevent the rice from becoming very hard at the bottom of the rice cooker port, I have to do the following:

Decrease the cooking time
Adding more water and
Using high quality and expensive rice (e.g. Paw San Fragrance rice)

Currently, for each cup of rice that I added, I add two cup of water. The current cooking time is about 1 hour for two cup of rice and the rice use is the normal plain rice.

Would appreciate if anyone can confirm that I should decrease my cooking time to 30 minutes and add 4 cup of water for each cup of rice and the use of high quality and expensive rice?


texts: Why are jelly donuts usually raspberry flavored

texts: Why are jelly donuts filled with raspberry flavored jelly unless specified otherwise.  There are lemon filled, strawberry filled, etc but if you just ask for a "jelly donut" it will be raspberry filled.


texts:
I've made my first attempt at cooking moules frites however I'm a bit disappointed with the results.

The batch of mussels were purchased from an online fishmonger specialising in Cornish seafood in the UK. Two thirds of the batch had already opened so following advice online I discarded them. The remaining ones I thoroughly washed in cold running water and removed any beards visible. On cooking, they all opened however they all tasted gritty and in the shells I could see black sludge.

Have I done something wrong? Is there an additional preparation step I missed? Or is it a bad batch?

Any help or advice is much appreciated. I haven't cooked fresh mussels before so it's a bit of a learning experience for me!


texts: How does pH and temperature affect emulsification of vegetable oils?

texts:
This question discussed about how the molecular properties of the fat in vegetable oil affect emulsification in the making of Mayonnaise. The answer in there suggested that lemon has minimal role (if any) in the emulsification.

I made mayonnaise using home made unsweetened soy milk. I made the milk by soaking the soy beans overnight and boiling them before blending. Then squeezing out the milk, I added 100 ml milk to 200 ml of corn oil (2:1::oil:milk ratio). To this I added 5 lemons squeezed out. And then used an immersion blender to blend it. Initially the milk and oil were immicible. But on blending the layers mixed together.

However the mayonnaise I made did not become creamy. It was a watery liquid where the oil did not form a separate layer. I do not know why it did not become creamy.

I would like to know how the environmental factors external to the fat molecule like pH and the temperature of the solution to be emulsified affect emulsification.

How does temperature affect emulsification?
What is the best temperature for emulsification?
How does pH affect emulsification?
What is the best pH for emulsification?

Edit 1:

After reading the answer below, I was able to make excellent mayonnaise.

I first blended the soy milk with salt while slowly adding oil. After all the oil has been added, I added the curdling agent (lemon juice or vinegar). I visualize the emulsion being contained by the curdling of proteins. This produced very nice mayonnaise even without mustard (which is a stabilizing agent). It was a little thin compared to the mayo with mustard. Thank you all for helping!


texts:
As part of my Thanksgiving preparation, I made a chicken and turkey stock by first roasting the bones and then cooking them very low for a few hours. About an hour or so before the end of their cooking, I added roasted vegetables -- a combination of onion, carrot, celery, parsnip, turnip, and parsley root. I didn't add any other flavoring other than a touch of salt. (I know most people don't salt their stocks, but I tend to undersalt everything, so adding it at every step will help.)

My stock is tasty, but rather sweet. Is this a factor of too many sweet vegetables (or not enough celery)? Or is there something else I'm missing?

(I compensated in my gravy by adding a touch of soy sauce and fish sauce to add more umami flavoring. But I'd like to understand why it happened.)


texts: I saved the geletinious material from roasting the turkey. Is this appropriate for use in turkey soup?

texts: I saved the gelatinous material from roasting a turkey. Is it appropriate to use this when making turkey soup?


texts: What are the advantages of vanilla sugar?

texts:
When/why would one use "vanilla sugar" instead of just plain sugar along with vanilla extract and/or beans/pods, particularly in recipes and baking?  Is it just a matter of convenience?

I understand that some people might actually like to have vanilla sugar for direct use, such as sprinkling on things (as people also do with things like cinnamon sugar).  I could imagine other "direct" uses, like flavoring coffee or tea with sugar that has a hint of vanilla.  Besides convenience, in these cases having the vanilla already mixed in could allow quantities much smaller than would typically be measured otherwise in extract or whatever.

However, I've also seen an increasing number of recipes listing, for example, a cup of "vanilla sugar" in something to be baked.  I can perhaps imagine a few cases where even the small amount of moisture or alcohol from extract would be undesirable (or something like that).

But aside from such unusual situations, when baking or making a recipe that has a decent quantity of sugar, are there advantages to the vanilla-infused sugar version compared to extracts or vanilla beans?  Are there significant flavor differences/advantages to vanilla sugar?

Or is there some other reason it is popular?


texts: Choosing a chinese cleaver/chukabocho fit for a cooking enthusiast

texts:
I want to buy a traditional japanese knife (EDITOR COMMENT: it is a chukabocho not a wabocho (traditional japanese knife) ) inspired by this video that demonstrates the knife as a single all-purpose alternative to the typical knife set. This is a shopping recommendation question. If such questions are not allowed on this site then better close it quick!

Now first up, I'm not a pro chef and not even a very good cook, but I'd like to buy this for a friend who is a semi-professional chef. (very skilled, self taught, but does not work as a chef) I have no idea about which blade materials are best and whatever but I'd like a recommendation on which knife seems like the best buy. Here are my leads (all from AliExpress with intl. shipping):

CCK (reputed knife manufacturer)
CCK Link 2
Carbon Composite Knife
Composite Steel Knife
Forged Kitchen Knife
Forged Carbon Steel Knife
Carbon Steel Knife


texts: I'd like to make yogurt with non-fat dried milk enriched with canned (full-fat) evaporated milk.  Since both these products have already been heated in the manufacture, do I need to heat/cool the mixture (as I would fresh milk) before adding the starter culture?


texts: Is it best to slice roast meat if eating the next day?

texts:
So I have just roasted a chicken, a lump of beef (not sure which cut) and some pork shoulder.

We will be eating the meat over the next few days.

Would it be best to slice the meat now (after resting), or leave it uncut until just before eating?


texts: Can I substitute Fenugreek seeds for leaves?

texts:
I have accidentally brought a load of fenugreek seeds, as apposed to leaves, and wonder if I can use them as a substitute.

if not, what any ideas for what I can do with them before they go in the bin?


texts: Is Black/Cloud Ear Fungus toxic? Ought I shun it?

texts:
My friend from Hong Kong read this article that reported two deaths from Auricularia polytricha poisoning. I can't read Chinese, and thus I'm assuming  his interpretation is correct. She then   warned me not to touch, let alone eat,  Auricularia polytricha.

Is her fear warranted? Is she being level-headed and reasonable?

Every week, I make my own Black Fungus with Ginger Strips & Vinegar Dressing based on Din Tai Fung's rendition:


texts:
I have gotten my hands on a number of fresh blackish Desert Truffles, which are apparently quite different from the European ones. To quote:

  Desert truffles have nothing to do with their European cousins in
  terms of taste, texture and aroma. Kemeh is more like dense mushrooms
  rather than the truffles you know.

I'm looking for some guidelines on how to cook with them not for recipes, as this is the first time I'll be using them. I'm looking for guidelines that will emphasize their flavor such as "use and grate fresh" or perhaps "cook with the peels as well".

For those wondering what they look like after scrubbing off the sand:


texts: Safety of Quick-Pickles at Room Temperature

texts:
I just followed a recipe for pickled turnips, but am questioning the step of letting them sit out at room temp for 5 days before refrigerating.

The recipe used:
1 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
3 cups water
70 grams salt

It's a 1:3 vinegar to water ratio and, if my math is right, has a salinity level of about 7.5% (by weight).

I have found this same, or nearly the same, recipe on several websites so it seems to be pretty standard, but just wanted to ask about the safety of skipping refrigeration for nearly a week.


texts: How can I cook more flavorful Chicken through and through?

texts:
When I cook chicken, the flavor seems to be concentrated in the skin.  But when I get a rotisserie chicken from Costco, it seems to be very flavorful through and through, beyond just the skin.

I've experimented with various seasonings, including salt/pepper, soy sauce, or various store-bought marinades. They're all good, but again, all the flavor seems to be in the skin.

In my chicken quest, and out of admiration of Costco chicken, I've purchased a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie oven, which I use regularly.  I'm quite the novice cook, so it has certainly helped the level and consistency of my chicken. However it seems to make little difference when it comes to flavor.

From what I know, cutting the chicken into pieces gives the chicken more flavor. But I'm looking for other solutions please.

How can I achieve more flavorful chicken through and through?


texts: Which protein sources have the lower carbon footprint

texts:
I'm concerned about the climate change and I've noticed that the meat industry has a huge role in it.

I'm wandering which protein sources have lower CO2 footprints.
I know wheat gluten has lot's of protein and it has little effect on the climate change compared with beef.

I'd also like to know this footprints it in matter off "leftovers" protein sources. I.e. I suppose surimi is still a low footprint in CO2 because it is raw material is fish leftovers, which is abundant (at the moment). That wold mean (just guessing) that a rise on it's demand wouldn't imply the emission of more CO2.


texts: Should I have more than one dishwashing soap?

texts:
In Brazil, there is a soap paste ("sabao pastoso") commonly used to clean aluminum pots
with steel wool.  I'm guessing the benefit here, compared to normal liquid dishwasing soap,
comes only from a higher soap concentration and the pastier consistency (to keep the soap
from running downward during scrubbing).  But, the paste is black and appears more
complicated.  Is there more physics here?

And, would there be any drawback (besides cost, since you tend to use more soap when it's
more concentrated) in using this paste to clean ceramic plates with a normal sponge?

I'm not familiar with this pasty soap in the USA.  We usually use the same liquid
dishwashing soap for every surface...is this is a bad practice?


texts: What kind of oil and vinegar are used on italian subs?

texts:
I'm a huge fan of sub sandwiches of all varieties, especially the type usually advertised as "italian". One thing I've come to love is oil and vinegar - whenever it's offered as a condiment in a sandwich shop, I always ask for it.

I'm working on duplicating my favorite sandwiches in my own kitchen, but I'm getting stuck on this - what kinds of oil and vinegar do sandwich shops use? Would it just be olive oil and balsamic, or something else? Are there specific types or varieties that will give me better results?

I understand that this varies by shop (one of my favorite places touts a top-secret proprietary blend of oils), so I'm looking for what types of oil or vinegar are most commonly used by sandwich shops.


texts: Black paint chipping of electric grill: is it still safe?

texts:
My electric grill, without the heating element looks like this:

There is black paint chipping away and also, what appears to be rust.

I was planing to convert it and use it as a charcoal grill, but am wondering if the rust and especially the paint or whatever that is could be unsafe?


texts:
I made this bagel recipe, and here is the result:

As you can see, the tops are beautiful, but the bottoms have stuck to the wire rack they were baked on, and have torn upon removal. The recipe does not mention greasing the rack (in either its written or video form), but should I be doing that anyway? Or is there some other way that I'm supposed to keep these bagels from sticking?


texts: Is 1 cup of rice powder equal to 1 cup of uncooked rice? The recipe I am following states, "1 cup rice." I want to use rice flour. Does the density and volume differ?


texts: Tips for cooking a classic French omelette in a carbon steel pan

texts: Are there any specific tricks or tips for cooking a classic French omelette in a carbon steel pan?


texts: Prevent the grinder basket on Cuisinart coffee maker from sticking

texts:
I have a Cuisinart grind and brew coffee maker.  The grinder basket is very hard to remove.

I have cleaned it as well as I could and Cuisinart just offered to sell me a new part for $30 that may or may not help.  Anyone have advice?


texts: (How) can I keep cheddar in a car in summer for 2 weeks

texts:
Is there a way I could prepare and store some cheddar cheese such that it would stay edible while being stored in a car in summer for about 12 days.

I am going on a road trip, and I am trying to figure out what sort of food I could bring with me.

I have read that aged cheeses can stay at room temperature*, but I am not sure what sort of preparatory steps I should take, especially since it will be staying at above room temperature slightly...

Can this be achieved?

*A good portion of the time will have AC on, or be at night, so I imagine in the end it would be somewhere near room temperature. Also I am trying to minimise effort. Last year I took a big plug in cooler, and I just want to see if I can down size and simplify by packing strategic food.


texts: Cutting cold butter into flour - which mixer attachment should I use?

texts:
I have a kitchenaid 6 quart stand mixer and a large family of nine.  At the moment we're using coupons to buy biscuit dough, but I wanted to look at the time and effort to make our own.  Not just for cost savings (though that would be nice) but more to control what we're actually eating.

Many of the better recipes call for the butter to be cut into the flour.  I have a hand tool for this, but am unsure whether the paddle or whisk is best, or if there's another tool I should consider purchasing.

What tool should I use, and at what speed will best duplicate the process of cutting cold butter into flour without warming up the butter too much?


texts:
I was practicing and trying to make an apple pie depending on this source: http://allrecipes.com/howto/perfect-pie-crusts/detail.aspx

In the Liquid section, it's said: "A little bit of acid--vinegar or lemon juice--helps tenderize the dough and prevents it from oxidizing."

What's "Oxidizing"? First time I read/hear this term in cooking?

Please help me learn, I'm still a beginner!
Thanks in advance


texts: What is the difference between using only yolks and whole eggs in a curd?

texts: So, i've been searching for an explination of why some curds use only yolks and others the whole egg while making a curd (for example a Lemon Curd). How can i exchange them ? How does it thickens while using only Yolk if the protein is in the White ? Thanks


texts:
I was reading this question, and there's a solution to the OP's answer. I'm not fond of salt and this is a drawback for bacon (to me, that is). I do want to end up with pieces of cooked bacon (so mixing in milk or less bacon won't work), but less salty. Where I live, we also don't have 10 brands of bacon, so choosing the brand with the smallest amount of salt isn't good enough.

Is there a way that I can reduce the saltiness of bacon?

I don't care about the actual salt percentage. I'm curious about salt perception, so masking up the salt would be nice.


texts: How can I determine fat content in beef?

texts:
I'm looking to determine with as much accuracy as possible (without buying specialized equipment) the fat percentage of ground beef.  Is anyone aware of a method that will get me reasonably close?

I found some ideas over here but I'm not confident that any of them are terribly accurate (save the one with the calorimeter.)
http://ask.metafilter.com/152910/A-way-to-test-the-fat-content-of-minceground-beef-at-home


texts: Beef rib roast - how much do the bones weigh?

texts: I'm trying to compare prices for bone-in vs boneless beef rib roasts (aka standing rib roast aka prime rib aka ribeye roast). What is the weight of the bones as a percent of the total pre-cooked weight? Without this number it's impossible to compare prices. (Please no debate about which is better - save that for another thread.)


texts: Why does my chicken breast become so dry?

texts:
When I roast a whole chicken, I always make sure that my chicken is cooked to the proper temperature. Quite often, this results in juicy legs and thighs, but dry breasts.

Is there a reason the chicken breasts end up so dry, while the legs and things are moist and delicious? Are there any ways to roast a chicken to prevent the breasts from drying out?


texts: Can I safely roast a chicken for 4 to 5 hours on a low heat?

texts:
Hard pressed office worker and cook here. If I go home at lunchtime and put in a medium sized chicken to roast in the oven can I ensure it's ready to eat when the family get in in the evening?

I've found a recipe instructing me to roast at 120C (250F) for 5 hours, uncovered. The recipe mentions ensuring it reaches 85C (185F) internally.

Does that sound reasonable? Any other tips to ensure I don't risk a charred/undercooked bird?


texts:
I want to make little pumpkin mousse brûlée deserts, and I also want to play with my new whipped cream dispenser. Do you think pumpkin purée would do bad things to my dispenser?
I swear I've seen TV chefs doing stuff like this, but they don't actually pay for any of their equipment so I doubt they care much if they ruin something to get a result. I don't have a production company buying my kitchen toys though, so thought I'd see if anyone has tried this and maybe I can learn from your mistakes/success.


texts: Red kidney beans, break up long cooking time

texts: Since they take so long to cook I was wondering if I could do  something like cook them half the time one night and then finish cooking them the rest of the time in the morning or if there would be some problem with that.


texts:
When I started to cut up these store bought mushrooms, I saw there were holes in them. There weren't any holes or spots visible on the exterior. Are they still safe to eat? They also started to turn a bit pink after cutting, maybe some oxidation but it seems unusual.

I buy these all the time and I've never seen these kind of holes in them.


texts:
A particular honey-and-mustard chicken I make frequently has, on a couple of occasions, come out tasting extremely salty, the saltiness overpowering the flavor of the chicken and the sauce. I'm trying to figure out what happened here, so I can avoid it in the future.

The sauce is simple honey, mustard, curry powder, and a bit of pepper. Nothing salty in it. I cover the chicken and bake it 1.5-2 hours; usually uncovering it for the last bit.

This has happened to me twice; I've made the recipe many times. This past time, one chicken I made came out salty, another didn't (or significantly less so) - same sauce, but different pan and cooking time.

One friend suggested that this might be because I'm using kosher chickens, which are kashered with salt. But I've been eating kosher chicken all my life, and I don't remember getting an oversalted chicken ever before.

Does anybody have any idea what might have caused this? Could this be a consequence of over-baking, or is kashrut a likely culprit? Something else?

Thanks muchly :)


texts: So I got some scented dish washer soap the other day and my wife used it the first time the other day in the dish washer including by sandwich container. Today when I eat my pb&j she made it tasted like scented soap. Do you think this is from left over water/soap or from it being scented soap?


texts: Why would a pregnant woman not be able to eat soft cheeses?

texts:
I just finished preparing a wedding today and one of the specs was that the bride (who is pregnant) was unable to eat certain types of cheese. Goat cheese, Brie, and Camembert were all no-no's but hard cheeses were OK.

I should know why and I suppose I could google the info also but I'd prefer to put it to the floor.  Why could this lady only eat certain types of cheese?  I'm assuming the fact that she is pregnant holds a clue.


texts: do I need to adjust the cooking time for a pound cake baked in two separate bundt pans instead of one regular tube pan?

texts:
one pound cake recipe baked @300 degrees in tube pan for 1 hr 20 min
same pound cake recipe baked in 2 bundt pans  n
Need to know if I need to adjust the cooking time


texts: How To Get the Popcorn effect on Pigskin Cooked on a Roast?

texts:
I have been researching cooking skin-on pork roasts (for example Porchetta).

And what I have noticed is that the main difference between them is the skin texture. It does not matter if it is high or lower temperatures, cooking for 10 hours or 3. Some recipes I am looking at come out looking just like darkened skin, while others come out like light flaky popcorn.

So how do you cook a skin-on pork roast to produce this pork rind/popcorn effect?
(If at all possible only using an oven.)


texts: What is the difference between connective tissue and suet/fat deposits?

texts: A google image on the term 'meat connective tissue' seems to show what I believe to be fat deposits/suet in the case of meat pictures.  So what then is the difference between fat deposits and connective tissue?


texts: I like the red onions in my toss salads.  Seldom do i use a whole one, because they are usually so large and i want to know how can i keep the already cut onion from going bad.  I have tried just about everything, zip lock bags, wrapping in foil or plastic wrap, brown paper bags etc.  But for some reason and sometimes the onion becomes slimy on the cut part, at which point i have to cut away a portion of the onion before i can use it.


texts:
I just saw a deal on Sodastream system on bfads, and as someone who was never especially enamored with the idea of carbonated drinks, it dawned on me - I have no idea what the actual point of carbonating drinks is, from culinary viewpoint.

Is it just so the bubbles tickle the mouth? Or does it change the taste or the culinary experience in more ways?


texts: How to make bubble tea - the "real" (tea-less) version? Is there a way to create the powdered flavoring?

texts:
I've been unsuccessful thus far in recreating Khmer bubble tea, or the pastel-colored bubble tea one can find at many small cafes and stands.

The specific kind of bubble tea I'm looking to make uses the following:

flavored sugar powder/creamer
ice
water
tapioca pearls in syrup

Can anyone lead me to the proper way to make the flavored powder/creamer? I'm NOT looking for any varieties with fresh fruit, tea, honey, or anything else. This is an original variety of bubble tea (obviously with no real tea!) from Southeast Asia, and I can't seem to recreate it. My combinations of creamer, extracts, and sugar have failed thus far, resulting in a sugar water with little actual flavor. I'm looking for what might be a place to find the actual powders, or a possible makeup of the ingredients used. The result should be a bright color, a more creamy than watery texture, and full-bodied flavor.

A photo of the bubble tea (bright colors, hand mixed, not sealed by a machine) can be found here.

There are ways to order giant packs of the flavored powder/creamer online, but I really don't want to pay $15 for a pound of one flavor if I can create a version of it myself. Any ideas?


texts:
I threw a whole bunch of vegetables in the crock-pot with water and realized I had forgot to buy meat for it. I cooked it anyways and it is extremely bland. Any ideas on what I can do to fix it now? I don't want all this to go to waste...

I basically just threw a bunch of random vegetables that I picked up from the farmers market in there: 3 squash, 2 zucchini, an onion, kale, a handful of green beans, 4 servings pearl barley (I had half a bag laying around I needed to use up), 2 handfuls black beans, half a head of cabbage. I put some salt & pepper, about 6 teaspoons of chicken bouillon, garlic powder. It's a big crock-pot and I filled it to the brim with water (besides all the veggies).

Any suggestions would be great...


texts: Could I add butter to single cream to make whipped/double cream?

texts:
I want to make some whipped cream for millefeuille but I only have single.

If I added butter to single cream and whipped it, would that add enough butterfat to it to make it suitable for whipping?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I use lye as a leavener instead of baking soda?

texts:
I'm interested to try to make waffles using a concentrated lye water instead of baking soda as a leavening agent. I have three questions related to this subject:

Would this potentially make my waffles fluffier (due to increased CO2 producing reactions or otherwise)?
Would it impact the flavor of the waffles?
Is it safe to ingest waffles that have had a lye water reaction occur in them? (Obviously I should let the lye reaction complete before ingesting).

How long should I let a lye reaction occur before cooking?

Notably, I often use sourdough starter in my waffles, which has an acid component - I've noticed that I get a strong reaction from the baking soda as a result, and it got me thinking that I would get an even stronger result from lye, but I'm worried about taste and ingestion safety.


texts: Food Identification: Restaurant outside Batu Caves in Malaysia, what did we eat?

texts:
I had a meal in one of the restaurants at the base of the Batu Caves in Malaysia that served a dish that I quite liked, but I failed to record what I ordered. I'm looking on Google Maps and I believe the restaurant is called "Dhivya’s Cafe".

The food was vegetables, at least potatoes if I recall correctly, served in a yellow curry-like sauce. There were pods in the curry that I think may have been mustard seed but could be wrong. It was served with bread.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Edit: Based on a comment I looked at the picture again and suspect it must have been the restaurant over. I've edited my question.

Also, here is a picture of the bread they served with it: https://pinoyfamilytravels.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/pinoyfamilytravels20120916-0001dhivyascafe.jpg


texts:
I enjoy the "earthy" flavor of beets -- I would like to know:

What way(s) of preparing beets result in the most earthy flavor?
And are certain types of beets known for tasting earthier?


texts:
I have been trying to replicate a bloomin' onion, but it seems that I can never keep the batter on the onion during the frying process. It doesn't completely fall off, but it is definitely not the same as what I see in restaurants.

I usually do a mixture of 2 eggs and a cup of milk for the wet and flour with spices for the dry. I dip in the wet first, then dry, wet again, then dry again. I fry it at 350, but when the time suggested (6 minutes) is up, I pull it out and it just seems to crumble off half the time.

Could it be that my oil is not the correct temperature? Am I leaving it in for the incorrect amount of time?

I am trying to follow the recipe found on food network's site.

Edit: As suggested by @Satanicpuppy I will try coating it in the flour mixture first, giving it a total of five dredgings. I will update this once I try it again if that is the solution.


texts: Why does my store brand butter break apart

texts: I've been buying my store brand butter for a while now.   For the past while, I've noticed that when I open the butter and slice it, it falls apart in a chunky way.  Sometimes as if there were a circle in the middle running long ways.   What's going on with it?  It tastes fine, but I'm worried it's not good.


texts: Do wire oven racks and solid plate oven racks have different functions?

texts: In South Africa, domestic ovens have wire racks and solid plate racks. Does each type have a specific function or can anything be cooked on either type?


texts: My kids like their bagels like they just came from the oven or the bagel bakery with a crisp crust and soft chewy center. However, it is not practical to make bagels or buy bagels in the morning on school days. What can I do with a frozen bagel to mimic fresh out of the oven?


texts:
Sorry if this question is slightly gross.

I happen to have a significant amount of hair on my arms and the back of my hands.  When preparing food using my hands (e.g. kneading dough), sometimes hair gets in the food.  How can I avoid this?  What would a serious / professional cook do?

Would they wear gloves and long sleeves?  Would they shave their arms?  Are there other approaches?


texts: Baking great chewy oatmeal cookies with Quaker Instant Oatmeal Fruit packs

texts:
I recently bought a box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal Fruit and Cream Variety Pack, and I want to use a few of the packets for baking cookies.

Can these packets be used in a regular oatmeal cookie recipe to bake chewy oatmeal cookies?


texts:
How do you halve a recipe that calls for 1 egg?

Clarification: I do not want to have to make the full recipe just to use half and I don't have powdered egg substitute.


texts: What is the coating of this spring roll called, and how is it made?

texts:
I had these spring rolls at a restraunt, but as you can see the outside was quite different to the 'normal' spring rolls I usually see.

The texture is light and crispy and looks 'stringy (but doesn't taste or feel that way).

I think it was quite interesting and would like to give them a shot but aren't sure what they're called to search for a recipe.


texts: Left a 10 pound cryovac wrapped frozen ribeye in garage for 3 hours - is it safe to eat?

texts: I purchased a 10 lb sleeve of ribeye from a friend who works at a sausage factory. It was purchased within an hour of it being brought back from the sausage factory and it was frozen solid.  Got busy with other things when I got home and did not remember to take it out of the car & put in the fridge for three hours.  For three hours.  It's Georgia, so likely the temperature in the closed garage was around 80°  In the evening  – when I took the meat out of the car it was still frozen in the middle, but thawed everywhere else,  but still felt cold. Is it safe to cook and consume? Thanks!


texts: Undercooked eggs that were in the pot plenty long

texts:
I'm seeking information because oddly this has recently also happened to several of my friends.

I cooked my hard-boiled eggs like I normally would; they were in the pot until the water boiled and I even left the burner on low while I ate dinner. I tend to over-cook them anyway, so they were in there at least 20 minutes. I pulled one out of the refrigerator this morning and it was very soft-boiled; even the white was gooey. What could be causing this? These eggs are not old, but could they be spoiled?


texts:
Can you use regular knife sharpeners on  damascus steel?

I'm aware it should be sharpened properly once a month on a wet stone, but I want to know if I should keep it bright by using a steel between uses?

Is there anything else to bear in mind? I was thinking of getting a little gadget which was recommended, but I don't know if it can be used.


texts: How to create a soup with frozen chicken?

texts: I have chickens in the freezing box. How long can I keep my fatty chicken legs there until they become dangerous to eat? How should I defreeze the chicken? Can I just put it to the hot water or should I slowly warm it up to boiling water? How does freezing chicken cooking differ with non-freezing chicken?


texts: Adjusting dessert recipes to accomodate a larger slow cooker

texts: I have a recipe for Mississippi Mud cake that calls for a 3.5 qt slow cooker. I own a 6 qt. Do I need to double the recipe?


texts:
My housemate often manages to pick up reduced meat from the local supermarket (Sainsbury's in the UK) at the time he comes home.

It's usually silverside, topside or brisket of beef. Occasionally it's pork shoulder.

Without fail however my meat ends up "tough". Here's the exact procedure I follow for my standard "roast":

Take frozen joint of meat out of the freezer around 8-10AM.
Prepare 2 onions, celery, carrots and half bulb garlic. Throw them in my roasting pan.
Season joint with salt and pepper, pour extra virgin olive oil over it, sear it in a frying pan.
Cook at 20degC less than the suggested temperatures for the suggested times according to my MasterChef book, specifically for that cut of meat. For instance tonight's brisket was 900g - I cooked it at 160degC for 1h30m.
Rest for 10-15m while I make the gravy and finish off the potatoes in another pan.

I cook it at 20deg less because it's a fan oven.

Can anyone explain the factors that affect how tough the meat becomes? Am I not searing properly? Is the meat prone to being tough because it's not fresh (reduced stuff)? Is it not defrosting for long enough?

Thanks in advance,


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

texts:
Just a moment ago, I was making muffins. The recipe calls for 125ml oil.
As a footnote, it says that you can replace the oil with 125g butter.

Can you do so in every recipe (not just muffins or pastry)?

I've found this, but the amounts aren't the same (while my recipe says to use the same amount).


texts: Is salt really necessary for cooking pasta?

texts: I never put salt into the water when I boil it to make pasta even though cooking directions always suggest I do that and the pasta comes out fine. How necessary it is?


texts: Skillet cooking Medovik (Russian Honey Cake)?

texts: Medovik traditionally calls for baking individual pancake shaped layers in the oven. Would frying in a skillet be a workable alternative?


texts: Blending pineapples and coconuts whole, safety and experience?

texts:
A coconut and a pineapple are blended in their entirety, shell, leaves and all. Resulting in a smoothie like drink.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XbKCA1KUeqQ

Is this safe? As for example, it contains the woody part of the coconut.

How does the experience, such as taste and texture, differ from the usual, more selective approach?


texts: How long will homemade salad dressing stay good in the fridge?

texts:
How long can I keep salad dressings that I made?

Since this is probably affected by what it's made up of, let's say we're talking about different salad dressings made from a combination of the following ingredients: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, sugar, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice...

And are there any other ingredients that I should watch out for that could affect salad dressing shelf life? Any rules of thumb regarding storing salad dressings...?


texts: How can I prevent egg casserole from deflating?

texts: I have a simple egg breakfast casserole made of Bisquick, eggs, milk, a can of chilis and cheese.  It tastes great, but when in carafe single serve dishes, it puffs up beautifully as it bakes, but collapses as it cools.  Is there anything I can add so it remains puffed up after baking ? I don't think separating and whipping the whites would work as all the other ingredients are so heavy.  Thx Steve


texts: How do I bake chocolate chip cookies like Subway?

texts:
I want a chocolate chip cookie like the ones Subway has. Those cookies have a smooth top and chewy texture.

I have a recipe for 3/4 cup fat, 0.5 cup sugar 0,5 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1 egg, 2 tsp extract. I get a semi stiff dough, but also an airy cookie, not as dense like Subway. I use room temperature margarine.

I have tried to bake cookies with 2 eggs and with 1 egg, but they always come out wrinkly on top, not as stiff. Is it possible that using an egg and a yolk would work? (But wouldn't that waste a lot of whites if that's how they do it?)

I think as part of this I want a stiff dough, that'll leave the bowl clean, to minimize spread and keep the tops from getting wrinkly as stiffness will keep the the cookies from expanding and contracting. Is that true? If so, I'm afraid that if I add more flour to stiffen the dough will make the cookies cakey - is that the case? How would I avoid that?


texts: What's the US equivalent of double and single cream?

texts: I can find whipping cream, half and half, and even clotted cream where I'm staying in the US but not double or single cream, are these familiar terms or is there a US equivalent term?


texts: Why is the texture of the pasta in a store-bought pasta salad different to the texture of pasta I've cooked at home?

texts:
So I've bought a store-made pasta salad and I've tried to recreate it at home.

It consists of Penne and a tomato dressing, fairly simple, however no matter how hard I try I can't emulate the exact texture of the pasta of the store-bought salad.

At first I thought it was because I overcooked the pasta, but I was pretty certain I didn't. But to be sure I tried several different cooking times on several different batches of the same pasta. To no avail, the texture I am after still eludes me. The texture of the store bought is soft, yet slightly firm and has a pleasant chewiness to it.

I checked the ingredients on the back of the pasta salad and it says the pasta is made out of Durum Wheat Semolina (and water), this is the same ingredient as the pasta I used is made from.

So now I am left wondering what the difference in texture could be down to; any ideas?


texts: Why is it that bread made during the day is lighter than bread made in the early morning


texts:
Tomorrow morning I want to try a soft-boiled ostrich egg in my sous-vide cooker at a temperature of 65°C.
Does somebody know how long the egg has to stay in the sous-vide cooker? I've found an online calculator which says 1h40min.
Do you think that's enough time? I'am a little bit skeptical. :D


texts: What gas output required for home stir frying?

texts:
I love stir fries, but I've never been happy with the result from using my 2400w electric nonstick wok.

I've bought a nice heavy steel one and know I need a gas burner but not sure of the output I really need? My bbq has a 12000btu output side burner (about 3.5kw) which will obviously do better than the electric wok, but is this enough?

What is the optimum output to use without getting into the professional output range?


texts: I have a (somewhat) recently purchased spice jar of cloves in my pantry that isn't getting much attention.  I've seen stock/broth recipes that call for whole peppercorns, and am curious if subbing cloves would create a different/unique taste profile, or if it will just ruin the stock.   Curious for input on how best to use these as I have some leftover turkey from a pre-Thanksgiving trial run I did and was planning to make the drumsticks/carcass into a stock.


texts: What type of baker percentage should one use for brown sugar when compared to white sugar?

texts:
I was told not to substitute by Brown sugar by weight since it weighs more.

How would I go about substitute then? I saw a few questions addressing this issue, but it does not say the Baker's Percentage and doesn't say how I would go about doing it when compared to white sugar.

Can someone explain?

Thanks!


texts: Is there any way to enhance the heat without changing the taste in a hot sauce?

texts:
I have been making a three pepper chili for years, but the spice content leaves a little to be desired for some people.  I wanted to make a hot sauce that would complement this chili, but my first few attempts haven't been hot enough.  I used jalapeño and poblano as the base along with vinegar and garlic.  The sauce tastes exactly how I would like and tastes great with the chili, but it isn't hot enough.  So, is there any way to torque up the heat with out changing the taste?

(I did use a few habanero on one batch but all I can taste is the addition, it throws the sauces flavor off in a fairly noticeable way)


texts: How can I clean dark non-stick pots (e.g. Calphalon)?

texts: We have Calphalon non-stick cookware and it seems, after 5 years, not to want to get clean.  Even the best scrubbing leaves kind of a hazy look on them.  Additionally, the exterior of our most used pan is darkly stained, kind of like a well-seasoned cast iron pan.  Is that okay, or do I need to clean it better too?


texts: fluffiness of medu vada without baking soda

texts:
How do we keep the medu vada batter fluffy without adding baking soda?

I would like to use it less, hence trying to find a substitute for the ingredient, or better if the technique for cooking medu vada can be changed so that I don't need to use a substitute either.


texts: What can I bake with only flour, water and sugar?

texts:
This won't be haute cuisine unfortunately, but I am kind of stuck. I want to bake some snacks, but have only access to water, flour and sugar (student, between two jobs, need to save). I'm pretty sure I can make something "edible" out of it, that I could then dip into peanut butter, jelly, or whatever I have laying around here.

The only requirements are:

need to use only water, flour, and sugar/salt (no baking powder, or eggs)
edible (crackers-like things are ok, but no rock-like things)
doesn't have to taste great, or even to have a taste at all

So, what is your most simple and minimalist recipe available?

Thanks!


texts:
Yesterday I tried making French fries, but they were not crispy.

I heard that if I use 2 spoonfuls of Mobil oil with soybean oil, the fries will be much crispier.

Is that true?

Or is there any way to make them crispy?


texts: How to prevent bread sticking to cast iron pan?

texts: I have seasoned the bread pan, and generously apply oil before putting the dough in (note: I use no-knead method and let my bread rise in the pan, then put it straight into oven). The bread itself turns out great, and white bread does not stick. However my whole wheat honey bread sticks no matter what I do. I suspect this is due to sugar in the honey, but am not sure. Is there anything else I can do to prevent sticking?


texts: Are these parts of the ginger plant edible?

texts: Are these tiny roots edible? My home grown ginger has lots of them and it seems a shame to throw them out if they're edible.


texts: I recently purchased a cast iron bread pan, and didn't see that it was made in China on the Amazon sales page. Oops. I saw it on the box and haven't opened it yet. I know there is a lot of concern when it comes to Chinese goods and heavy metals. I like heavy metal { \m/...(>.<)…\m/ }, but not in my food. So, is something like this safe? I Googled the question, but like with so many things it looks more like uninformed fear than anything else.


texts: Is sous vide better for lean meat or fatty meat?

texts:
(Apologies if this is already asked, I tried searching and, surprisingly, nothing came up).

I’m unclear as to whether the benefit of sous vide (over conventional methods) is greater for lean meat or for fatty meat.   I do have some theories / guesses but would really like expert views.  (I’m fairly new to SV cooking, but have read a bit about it).

[Didnt want to over complicate this, but there is a third element, connected tissue.  ]


texts: My mother taught me from her mother that you don't have to do a hotbath to make dill pickles.  this is my first ever batch on my own.  I use vinegar, water, pickling salt and alum for the liquid. i bring that to a vigorous boil and fill each jar.  I pour it in to my filled jars of cucumbers that already have dill and garlic added.  most of the jars sealed.  but my mom said if there are some that do not seal, do a hot bath on them.  I'm not sure how to do a hot bath.  and I don't know if i just need to open the jar, make sure the seal is clean.  I dont' think that will work because the jars have already started cooling.  Advice?


texts: I discovered tilapia, and started to like it. Could I use tilapia for recipes that require sole?


texts: Is it possible to season chicken breast with BBQ sauce before baking it in the oven?

texts: I always put BBQ sauce on my chicken after it is done baking, but I was wondering if I can do the same while seasoning it to save time?


texts: How can I best select a knife to purchase for learning how to sharpen?

texts: I want to buy a good all-purpose Chef's knife and also sharpen it myself. But I have no experience sharpening with a waterstone so I'm a little afraid of spending much money and then ruining the knife. What is the most basic type of knife in terms of materials and style which would allow me to effectively practice sharpening?


texts: How can I keep my freshly baked loaf fresh until the next morning if I bake it at night?

texts: I wwould like my bread to be fresh the next day when I bake it at night but I know you shouldn't cover your freshly baked bread as it will soften it. Can I leave it on the counter uncovered overnight? Will it still be fresh?


texts: Does washing kimchi with water reduce the sodium content much?

texts: Does washing kimchi just before eating it reduce its sodium content much, or do I have to put it in water overnight or several days?


texts:
How do I roll or wrap up pasta into a log-like shape for presentation?

Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

Do they use some kind of tool to wrap the pasta around?


texts: What is a substitute for half-and-half cream?

texts: I need to know if there is a substitute for half-and-half (~10%) cream because I am baking a cake without it and I am allergic to it.


texts: How long should bread dough warm up after cold fermentation?

texts:
I'm trying to experiment with cold fermentation. I've put dough in the fridge and I see that it slowed down. However how long should it ferment afterward before final kneading - is ~10 hours out of the fridge good enough (this way I can put it out before I go to work and bake after I return)?

If it makes a difference it's sourdough whole wheat/white/rye in equal proportions fortified with nuts and seeds.


texts: Can the duration of the whistle determine if food inside a pressure cooker is cooked

texts:
Building upon this question, I was wondering if the duration of the whistle can be used to determine if the food inside a pressure cooker is cooked.

As suggested by a couple of answers in the question referenced above, certain things do not work:

The manufacture recommended two whistles in India, but in Germany it takes 6-7.
The aroma can not always help, for example in case of making plain rice.

I have been trying to observe this event for the past few days. As the time increases, the duration of the whistle decreases (I have not measured it per se...just an observation). Has anyone else observed this. If this observation is actually correct , can this be scientifically explained?


texts: How do restaurants make chicken fried rice? What ingredient am I missing?

texts:
Everytime I try to make chicken fried rice like I get at the take out place it never tastes like it does when they make it. We all know the basic ingredients

Rice (1 day old),
Chicken,
Green Onions,
Sprouts,
Eggs,
Soy Sauce,
MSG (optional)

I have a wok and I cook it just like them, I've heard all sorts of things as to what the "missing" or "secret" ingredient is. Some say it's a different type of soy sauce (not the standard La Choy) that they use.

I've been searching for definitive answers for this for a long time. It seems no one knows or anyone who's worked in a chinese place doesn't wish to share the knowledge. I went as far as adding MSG thinking that was what made the take-out place's Fried Rice taste different. MSG helps (sold as Accent Flavor Enhancer in your spice aisle) but that's not it.


texts: I've just proofed a sachet of dried yeast and it seems to be fine (it's still foaming up the glass as I type).  Can I go ahead and use that very same batch of yeast to make bread (by including its liquid volume in the total ingredients) or it is now spent?  It seems like a waste not to use it.


texts: What is a good technique for making candy floss (cotton candy)?

texts:
I have a candy floss machine, but I'm struggling to get the floss all together. It just flies around and makes a mess of the bowl.

It looks like this:

What is a good technique for making a stick of candy floss?


texts:
I've been making freezer burritos and eating them for lunches this week. The first batch I made microwave beautifully: just 45 seconds and they're hot all the way through. They were layered with rice, beans, and corn, nothing else (I don't eat cheese and I wanted them to be non-spicy so I can eat them when I'm feeling unwell).

The second batch replace the corn with ground beef, cooked and seasoned. The exact same beans, the same rice made the same way. They're smaller, due to using a different package of tortillas; after almost 2 minutes of heating in the same microwave, the meat burrito I had brought still had cold spots in the middle.

What causes this? Can I avoid it somehow? Should I mix the ingredients instead of layering?


texts: How do I accurately take a chicken thigh's temperature?

texts:
I tried to bake chicken thighs the other day and I used my probe thermometer to tell me when they were done.  Well it seems that I did something wrong when inserting the thermometer because the thighs were still undercooked.

How can you use a probe thermometer on a chicken thigh to accurately take its temperature?


texts: I am new to baking bread, and I have a recipe that calls for 2 1/4 cups total liquid to 2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 2 3/4 cup unbleached flour. I have made this several times, and can never mix in all of the flour, which will cause the bread to fall when baking. I do not have a mixer or bread machine, and this recipe is not for a bread machine. Help! Thank you!


texts: Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake - How to stop collapsing?

texts:
I've recently found videos about Japanese "Cotton" Sponge Cake.  (Possibly also called a 'Jiggly Cake'?)  I've never had it, but I figured it looked good, so why not try it?  All of the videos I have seen list ingredients, and demonstrate technique, but don't necessarily explain the techniques.  I feel I have missed something.  In particular, 2 of my 3 sponges collapsed very shortly after they come out of the oven.  My three variations all used the same recipe, but had varied baking technique.  Here's the recipe I've been using:

Ingredients:

50 mL canola oil
80 g cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
90 mL half and half *
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
5 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
80 g sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat canola oil in a pan. **
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium pan.
Add the oil to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
Add the half and half and vanilla to the mixture and stir until smooth.
Add the egg and egg yolks to the mixture and stir until smooth.
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer, stir.
Whip the egg whites until foamy.
Slowly add the sugar while continuing to whip.
Whip to medium to stiff peaks (under is better than over).
Add 1/3 of the whites to the flour mixture and incorporate.
Switch to a spatula.  Add the remaining whites to the mixtures in two batches, folding gently to just incorporate.
Gently pour the mixture into an angel food cake pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and drop the pan from about 6 inches onto a hard surface. ***
Cool upside down.

My two failed attempts involved using:

a water bath and a loaf pan (with parchment extending the walls) instead of an angel food pan
a steaming tray (half sheet pan with water) on the rack below the cake, and a springform pan (again with parchment).

Both of these attempts resulted in cakes that had not cooked all the way through the bottom. and collapsed within seconds of coming out of the oven.

Of the third attempt, I did get a nice, lightly, subtly sweet cake.  It's something like the texture of an angel food cake, but with more of a pound cake flavor (from the yolks, I assume).  Still, it loses volume, and I can't keep that nice domed top that I've seen in the videos.

Questions

Is collapse inevitable?  The Angel Food Pan retainted about 2/3 of its height. (But was at least cooked through)  How  can I keep maximum volume?
Is there something wrong with my technique or ingredients?  I'll point out: I've replaced 80 mL of milk with 90 mL of half & half; I've added the cream of tartar because that is a standard technique I've learned when whipping egg whites; and I've added the baking soda to offset the acidity of the cream of tartar and to help with lift.
Is there a benefit to the steaming or water bath?  How should I use it without getting an uncooked center?

Footnotes

*The recipes have called for milk, but I don't keep it on hand.

**I have no idea why some of the recipes I have seen do this.  My next attempt will likely avoid heating the oil.

***Supposedly, this helps prevent collapse?  I've seen it in the videos, anyway.


texts:
My wife and I both love to cook and I'm looking to buy a nice, 6 qt, enameled dutch oven.

Le Creuset is the first that comes to mind, but I've been doing some research and have since learned that the Lodge Enamel product line often comes up as a close competitor in quality (not aesthetics).

Would you guys recommend purchasing a Lodge enamel dutch oven?


texts: Which type of onion for homemade onion rings?

texts:
I've seen some recipes, like this one, but they don't specify which type of onion to use.

What kind of onion is good for onion rings? E.g. is it better to use yellow or red, sweet or tart etc?


texts:
Google results have confused me so much. I learned to make a Nescafe Classic coffee a year ago.

All I would do is: Add some coffee and sugar in a mug/cup, add a few drops of water or milk and start shaking it with spoon. A few minutes later it changes it's color and becomes a paste. It releases the flavors. Now you can add hot water or milk according to your taste. Most YouTube videos also show similar results and believe in this theory. That's it.

Now Google results like this really confuse sometimes. Kindly don't write your answer based on just this link. If you search "should you boil coffee" you'll see tons of articles or answers that nowhere tells a method like shaking and making a paste before adding the milk or water to get the flavor. They will support your Google search and say like:

Boil water and then add coffee in it
Add coffee in water and boil it
Heat water and add coffee in it

And so on.

Why is it like this? If flavor can be accieved by the method I described above, why people use boil mothod?


texts: How do you crack eggs on a tawa without running away?

texts:
My iron tawa looks like the following. It is a bit shallow in the center.

I pour some oil on the tawa and it gets collected in its center. Then I wait for it to get heated. After that I crack the egg with a blunt spoon and break it on the tawa with my both hands, and after that I run for my life.

The problem is that when the egg touches the tawa, the hot oil spills here and there, and due to that I have often burnt my wrists.

I have observed that the oil spilling problem occurs only when the oil is hot.  If the oil is not hot it doesn't spill and also causes the egg to stick to the tawa.

What's the way out?


texts: Does double-frying French Fries in an air fryer make it crispier?

texts:
I didn't find this question asked on this site, and didn't find it being answered anywhere on the Internet.

I've tried the recipes that are given online. They're all more or less the same where they ask you to single fry the potatoes (and they all stress on shaking it in between).

There's got to be a better way. I'm sure that there exists another way to make the fries crispier. My question is focused on double-frying rather than "how to make fries".

I have gone through the other questions on this site and come to know that the normal process of making crispy french fries is to fry them twice (and freezing them in-between).

However, what about the case when we're making them using an Air Fryer? Should we follow the same procedure of frying them once, freezing them, and then frying them again after a few hours?

If not, then how can I make crispy french fries using an Air Fryer?


texts: What is a good technique for initially seasoning a wok, keeping it seasoned, and preventing rust?


texts: "Soften" ice cream to make ice cream bars

texts:
I am trying to make ice cream bars using a silicone mold, and the instruction sheet that came with it says "fill the mold with softened ice cream". I was wondering what the best way is to "soften" the ice cream?

I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Should I stop the machine when it's at soft-serve consistency and pour it into the mold, or just hard-freeze the whole thing, then thaw it in say, like a microwave? Would there be any differences between the two? I kinda think that the latter feels redundant.

If any of you could shed some light on this, I'd really appreciate it!


texts: I have a friend that is training for a marathon and he drinks 6 raw eggs before running (Yes, like Rocky) - is this safe?


texts: How do I follow a recipe if my oven doesn't go as high as the recipe states?

texts:
I want to bake bread. I found this recipe from Alex French Guy Cooking on YouTube.. His recipe says that the oven should be 250 degrees Celsius. My oven only goes to 220 degrees. I bought an oven thermometer to confirm and it taps out at 230 degrees. Do I just bake the bread for longer? If so how much longer?

UPDATE:

Here are the instructions from the comments section of the video. I did link the video in the original question but I see the link isn't very visible. (Just in case there is anything else you want to check)

  Ingredients you need : Flour, Water, Yeast, Salt and a Dutch Oven. Yes a dutch oven. It's the perfect way to bake your bread at home. Also, No need for sugar, modern yeast are powerful enough. No need for oil either.

  Instructions :
  40 grams of fresh yeast,
  in 600 ml of tepid mineral water, or 15grams dry yeast.
  In the bowl of the mixer drop 18g of salt.
  Then add 1 kg of bread flour and start slowly mixing.
  Add the water and the yeast.

  As soon as everything is properly incorporated, set the speed to minimum, and knead the dough for 10 minutes.

  First proofing : Place the dough in an airtight container and let it proof in a warm and dark place for 1 - 2 hours.

  Then, Press down the dough, shape as seen in the video.
  Second proofing : Place the dough in an airtight container and let it proof in a warm and dark place for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  Meanwhile, Heat dutch oven to 250°C or 480°F.

  Out of 2nd proofing, Sprinkle the dough ball with flour.
  Now using razor's blade, score the surface a few times.
  Squeeze on oven proof gloves, get the dutch oven out, place the dough ball inside. Back in the oven.

  I bake my bread at 250°C for 30 minutes, then at 230°C for another 30 minutes.


texts: How can I cut lots of cherry tomatoes in half quickly and evenly?

texts:
Is there a tool to cut cherry tomatoes in half? Since they are so regular it should be possible to build such a machine.

Alternately, what can I do to improve my speed and accuracy when halving them with a knife?


texts: What are the advantages of a two-day braise?

texts:
I'm going to braise short ribs for a dinner party this weekend. The recipe suggests braising the ribs for four hours, then refrigerating overnight. The next day, the directions say to skim off the fat that forms on top of the liquid, reheat, and serve.

What are the advantages of this method over serving immediately? Does it greatly affect the taste? And to refrigerate, should I keep the meat in the liquid and chill the whole pot? What's the best way to reheat?


texts: Why do my stored cashews smell like fish?

texts:
I have a 30 Oz plastic jar of Roasted, Unsalted Archer Farms Cashew Nuts. I've noticed that after having it 'open' for a week or two (i.e. the lid is tightly screwed onto the jar, but the initial paper seal has been broken), the nuts begin to develop a fish-like smell. They are still hard and there is no sign of mold --- the nuts are perfectly good, but they don't taste quite like typical cashews.

First, what's going on here? I read somewhere that this is due to oxidation, perhaps a too-high moisture level in the air when I open the jar. Second, how can I correct this? Would it be better if I were to keep the cashews in the freezer? Should I buy salted cashews instead? Intuition tells me that salted cashews should not be affected by this issue, as the salt would absorb the moisture.


texts:
I've just read a blog post from Amass restaurant. I got very curious about roasting beetroot in coffee grounds as they said in the article. Looking a bit further, I've also found an article by Amass' chef, Matt Orlando, where he gave us a bit more detail on it:

  We roast beetroot in the grinds and dry them until they are rock hard. Then we juice some other beets (saving the pulp for kombucha) and reduce this with used tea leaves from the restaurant service. We rehydrate the dried coffee grind-roasted beets in the beet and tea reduction and they end up having a wonderful toffee texture.

Inspired by this, I thought about baking small beetroots (and maybe carrots too) using the salt crust technique, but replacing salt by coffee. I'm thinking about trying using egg whites in one of them, and in the other just burying the beets on the grinds. I'm just a bit afraid that the grinds might burn during the cooking.
Anyone has ever tried replacing salt in the crust with something else? I would love some advice from some more seasoned cooks to make this work.


texts: I have microwave oven, but I can't bake cakes and cookies in it. So I need an electric oven, but people are suggesting I buy a convection microwave to do both baking and normal microwaving. Will that work? Or do I really need to get an electric oven to bake?


texts: Mousse has Raw Eggs -- is it Really Safe?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it safe to eat raw eggs?

I looked up a recipe for chocolate mousse the other day, and I noticed that pretty much all of them have raw eggs in them. And they're not cooked.

How is this salmonella-safe?

Is it really safe to feed to young kids (under one)?


texts: Choice of new seasonable cookware (iron/carbon steel, pan/wok)

texts:
I am interested in getting some form of cookware that will... take seasoning? Become seasoned? Cast-iron, carbon-steel, et cetera. I currently have two pots (one tall, one short) and one nonstick stainless-and-aluminum pan. I do not have infinite money or shelves so I do not want to buy all possible cookware. I am also uncertain whether a pan or a wok would be preferable.

For any pairing of (carbon steel, cast-iron, forged iron) and (wok, pan), what would be preferred?


texts: Why is Rum not affected by distillation like Vodka is?

texts:
Is this true:

  Distilled alcohol such as gin, vodka, scotch, whisky and rye are
  produced from fermentation and distillation of wheat, barely or rye.
  The distillation process separates the alcohol from the gluten
  proteins, producing an extracted product that is gluten free. Despite
  being manufactured from grains that contain gluten, the final product
  contains NO gluten.

  Rum is distilled from sugar cane and is high in FODMAPs, so avoid if
  you can. However, it is a gluten-free option safe for those with
  celiac disease.

Why by vodka is the gluten gone but by rum the sugar still an issue if they're both distilled?

Quoted source: https://stephanieclairmont.com/alcohol-doesnt-make-belly-ache/


texts:
I'm not an experienced baker, so I need a little help. I don't like the sweet taste corn starch leaves in some items I bake, like cornbread (cornbread is not supposed to be sweet, that's cake).  Do alternative thickeners such as arrowroot or tapioca flour leave a sweet taste?

Thanks for your help!


texts:
Settle a longstanding feud in our household for me: is it safe to put pots and pans in the dishwasher?

Assume we have both stainless steel and various non-stick pans. Assume we have frypans, sauce-pots, and larger pots that would conceivably fit, but we're not talking about cast iron pans here, or bakeware. The answer may differ based on the type of pan specifically being used, but assume all boxes and manuals have been lost since we bought the pans and we don't know if it's rated for the dishwasher.


texts:
I hope someone has an answer.

Although I have been baking 2 or 3 loaves a week for 4 years using a breadmaker, and I haven't recently changed my flour mix or any ingredient proportions, my last 3 loaves have risen fully as normal, but, when cutting a slice, the bread is sticky and heavy and goes to paste when chewing it.

The bread has also become friable, the gluten structure seems to have gone, i can pull the slice apart easily, it has no structure holding it together. The air bubble distibution in the loaf is good and even as normal, no large air pockets.

I tried reducing the usual amount of water, no difference. The yeast is new, the flours are new. If it makes an difference, this has happened after the recent hot weather although my ingredients are stored away from warm or humid air.

Any ideas, I am wary of baking another now, and we need some bread cooked !!

Regards Jonathan


texts: Why do hand held can openers stop working so quickly?

texts:
Is there any way to fix or adjust a hand held can opener?  I keep buying new ones because
within a month or so of buying them, they won't roll correctly on the can lip.


texts: Undercooked areas in chicken breast even though thermometer reads 165 degrees in thickest part

texts: I pan fried chicken cutlets and stuck the thermometer in the thickest part and it read 165 degrees but when I ate a bit there was a small spot of pink, slightly raw tasting chicken, kind of on the side. These were fairly thin pieces. Does the thermometer average the temperature and while some parts may be quite hot can it still have colder spots? How do you ensure that all of the cutlet is cooked if the thermometer is missing the cold spots? My thermometer seems reliable when I use it on roast or baked chicken.


texts: Why can't you reheat pasta in a microwave, grill, or wok?

texts:
I understand that to reheat pasta it must be done by boiling in water. Why must this be the case?

Why can't you just microwave it, stir fry, or even quickly grill it?


texts: What is the fuzz on my homemade granola?

texts: I made a double batch of my homemade granola and this morning I notice that the top of the granola was all fuzzy. I keep it in an airtight container. Does any one know what would cause it?


texts: Is the aluminium foil usable in this condition?

texts:
As the title says, is the aluminium foil still usable in this condition?

If you notice, there's a very obvious white portion in the center of the aluminum foil and the entire roll is like that. Usually when I buy it from the store, it is pure silver without the white line. However when I keep it for some time, this white line appears which appears to me that the foil could be "spoilt"?

May I also ask what is the name of the condition of this aluminum foil and what causes it to be like this.


texts:
When i get my Pâté out of the fridge, and try to spread it on bread, I notice it gets really chunky and hard to spread all over the slice.

I have tried other pates that are much softer and spread smoother around. The one I have even breaks the bread sometimes. Is there any trick to make it more "spreadable"?


texts: I saw this ingredient (farro) listed in a recipe that I was interested in making; however, I've never seen nor heard of it before.  Could you explain what it is, please. What can I substitute for Farro?


texts: Is there a good, clean way to pit black olives?

texts: I wanted to pit a black olive, like a Kalamata, and retain the shape - is there a good clean way to take the pit out?


texts: Almond bark (the candy coating) seems to have no almond in it, why is it called almond bark?


texts: I have 4+ lbs of beef chuck steak in my freezer. I was wondering if I could use those to make beef stew, or if I would be better off with beef chuck roast. The steaks are 1-1 1/4" thick, frozen. Thank you!


texts: How to translate a baking recipe for box mixes for cast iron skillets?

texts:
I recently purchased a skillet at the advice of a trusted friend. I have seen a number recipes for a lot of foods including baked goods. But, the recipes are all "from scratch". Now, I realize that this is probably the best way to go. But, I saw recipes for making chocolate chip cookies and brownies in a skillet in the oven (in Dorie Greenspan's cookie book). I have some box mixes at home.

How can I modify the baking instructions for the box mixes for use in a cast iron skillet? Are there general guidelines for this?

The only thing I could find after searching online was on the Jiffy Mix pages for using their various box mixes in a cast iron skillet.


texts: Why is my meat still tough after hours of cooking?

texts:
I have been cooking this meat

in 200-250f for hours. But its still very tough. It doesnt stand the fork test.

Why? Could it be because the collagen needs lower temperatures to break down?


texts: How to remove the excessive saltiness from gammon?

texts:
I've tried a few time to roast gammon, typically my method is to soak the gammon and then roast for a few hours.  The result is typically just this side of editable.  I've even tried boiling it first (after a suggestion that this removes the salt), but to no avail.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: How to minimize splatter using an immersion blender?

texts: When I use my immersion blender (for soups etc.), I always have a lot of splatter. Is there a way to minimize this splatter? Is it better to put the blender on and put it in the to-blend substance or the other way around? Are there other tricks?


texts: How can I make pastry cream for a cake filling more a bit more firm/sturdy?

texts: How can I make a pastry cream for a cake filling a bit more sturdy/firm.  My recipe called for 5 egg yolks and 3 T. cornstarch, 1 1/2c. whole milk, 1/2c. whipping cream.


texts: How can I turn rolled oats into flour without a food processor?

texts: I don't have a proper food processor, just a little baby-food-sized one, so when I made Alton Brown's all-oats oatmeal cookie recipe before, I used half oat flour and half rolled oats. They were perfect, so I'd like to repeat them for my friend with celiac disease. I found gluten-free rolled oats, but the only oat flour I can find is labeled "may contain traces of wheat." Is there a way I can make rolled oats into flour with something other than a food processor?


texts: Does using frozen coconut milk lead to poorer consistency than canned?

texts:
Curries or baking, I use coconut milk/cream often with my share of failures. I put it down to the variations in fat content between brands or when measuring out of a large container -which I then freeze for later use... Could freezing be the source of some of my issues? Or is graininess, splitting while cooking, small flecks of pure fat after blending, all signs of my inferior skills?

This is from http://www.realthairecipes.com
"There are bags of frozen coconut milk available in some Asian groceries. While the flavor is better than canned, it separates and gets chunky when you heat it. I’m not sure why freezing does this to coconut milk. I’ve experimented with freezing my own homemade fresh-pressed coconut milk, and the same thing happens. The flavor is OK, but the consistency is quite odd. So, I recommend canned. If you are lucky enough to find Chao Koh brand coconut milk in a paper carton, this is even better."

*I prefer pure coconut in UHT packages (no gums or preservatives)


texts: What is the advantage to crushed garlic over minced garlic beyond texture?

texts:
I use a lot of garlic in my cooking, especially minced garlic.  But lately I've been doing some more recipes with crushed garlic and while I love the texture of cooked garlic, I can't see how it could be better than minced garlic for the overall taste.

Is there an advantage to crushed garlic over minced garlic, beyond texture?