texts: What's the minimum time to cook raw prawns?

texts:
I typically cook raw prawns in boiling water for around 3 minutes. If they go over a little bit longer they can tend to become rubbery.

Is there a minimum/optimum time a raw prawn should be boiled?


texts: Ready to eat food not suitable for microwave

texts: I bought a pre-made cornish pasty fromt the supermarket. The packaging says it can be eaten hot or cold, which presumably means it is already cooked. But the packaging also says it "is not suitable for microwave" and recommends 22 minutes in an oven at 200Cif it is to be heated. Why can't I heat it up in the microwave?


texts:
Can I use cornstarch instead of gelatin in a fondant icing? If so, what is the needed quantity of cornflour/starch given that the original recipe asks for 1 teaspoon of gelatin?

I want to know because I'm a vegetarian, so I want to avoid gelatin.


texts: Can I freeze stew made from leftover roast beef?

texts:
I bought a large joint of beef which I roasted on Sunday. On Monday I made a stew from leftovers.

From a food hygiene/bacterial growth perspective am I ok to reheat the stew after freezing/refrigeration? I wouldn't do this with ordinary leftovers but I wonder if the boiling for 1.5Hrs kills any bacteria in the leftovers.

Thanks


texts: Stir fry - garlic burns if I put it in first, what am I doing wrong?

texts: I read everywhere that I should put garlic first in the oil for a stir fry. However, whenever I do this the garlic burns into little brown chunks. What's the proper amount of time for letting garlic sit before adding other stuff ? Thanks


texts: Looking for the name of an orange crunchy snack

texts:
The snack I'm talking about has an exterior similar to Chinese sweet and sour pork.

However, its shape is long and spindly. There is no meat in it. It is just the dough part. It is a bit sour and it is really sweet. It was sold in a box of the sweet. It is possibly Jewish or Arabic (I'm not certain about the letters I saw), I'm not sure. The texture is similar to the exterior of sweet and sour pork too, but it's only the outsider, doughy fried part.

The snack was encountered in Canada. It was long and looked kind of like a kebab without a stick and if all the pieces of meat were joined together. It definitely wasn't made of fruit though.

Jalebi (as mentioned in comments) just might be a possibilty. Whether or not it's really jalebi, it definitely looks similar to the food I'm thinking of. I will try it given the chance and update this.


texts: Leaving the ladle in the soup considered harmful?

texts:
There's this belief in my family that leaving the ladle in the soup is bad, but nobody actually seem to know why it would be bad; it's really just a persistent piece of family lore. I never really cared one way or another, but it really started bugging me now that I've started cooking.

Is it just a myth? Or is it indeed harmful in any way to leave the ladle in the soup for any extended period of time? And if so, why? Food safety issues? Maybe outdated food safety issues from the times ladles weren't made of stainless steel? Or it's just seen as impolite?


texts:
An entire category of cooking oil sprayers seems to exist on the market.
I intend to use such an oil sprayer to deposit a thin layer of oil on a cast iron pan before cooking (crepes, omelettes..).

The idea from using my own oil sprayer is to avoid the ingredients (lecithin, dimethyl silicone, butane/propane) that are in the industrial variety (Pam)—besides that lecithin could cause the polymer seasoning to become tacky.
If I use the sprayer daily, I can hope that the nozzle would not clog, but if I use it weekly, it seems hopeless.
I'm thinking of this recipe:

Estimate the oil (canola oil, melted coconut oil) needed for one cooking session; pour in the clean and dry sprayer.
After use, discard the remaining oil, fill with a little vinegar and a touch of baking soda. Shake. Spray until empty. Rinse with water. Air dry.

The bottle itself is dishwasher safe. I don't like the idea of running diluted dish soap in the mechanism since it's too easy to leave trace amounts.
What are my chances of success? Will the steps above keep the nozzle from clogging? Can you suggest an alternative?


texts: I'm having trouble converting the chili recipes I find to use something other than of-the-shelf chili-powder. Thanks to a simply wonderful local spice shop, we have several different kind of chili-flakes. We've already learned that grinding them and substituting 1:2 with powder is ("$@$^@ ow, pass the milk") not correct. What is the ratio-neighborhood we should be exploring for this substitution?


texts: I’m cooking boiled potatoes for 60 people for a party, how can I keep them warm and ready to serve until needed? Would sticking them in an oven at a low temperature work?


texts: On what temperature should I leave my sauce to cook?

texts: I decided to cook a pizza sauce. I know that the longer you leave it on your stove, the better it might taste. I want to leave my sauce on the stove for an hour or so. At what temperature should I keep it?


texts: Is it possible my cream was too cold prior to whipping?

texts:
I've whipped cream before. I recently bought whipping cream (a brand I'm not familiar with) and placed in the fridge prior to whipping. When I took it out of the box, it was a somewhat solid consistency (not liquid at all). So I tried whipping it and every time, it separates into curdle and liquid before even forming soft peaks.

Is the problem because the cream is solidified? instead of a liquified version where the air can encorporate. In this case, should I bring it outside first to see if it will liquify somewhat? Or should I just toss this container and buy my regular heavy cream instead.


texts: What should I substitute for dried anchovies and kelp in a stock

texts: I was thinking of making this tofu-/seafood-stew, but I am having some trouble getting a couple of ingredients for use in the initial stock - namely the dried anchovies and the kelp. A friend suggested that I should just make a stock of the heads and shells of the shrimp used later in the recipe, maybe with some soy sauce or anchovies in oil added in, to get that umami flavor mentioned on the Maangchi-website. If so how much should I use of the various ingredients, and should I clean out the shrimp heads in some way before attempting to make a stock from them?


texts: Are there any types of food that have magnetic properties?

texts: In terms of food presentation, I thought it would be spectacular to have it float or levitate above the table instead of being served on a plate. Hence I wonder whether there are any types of food that have magnetic properties. Or, put differently, I'm curious whether magnetic material exists that is (safely) edible.


texts: How can I serve banana flambée for the next day?

texts: How can I serve banana flambée the following day without it going bad. This is for a French Project about MArtinique.


texts: How can I add flavorings and colorings to white chocolate?

texts:
Today I melted some white chocolate in a double boiler along with some red food coloring (liquid) and strawberry flavoring (liquid). The liquid was added before the chocolate melted. As the chocolate melted, I quickly got a blob of pink play-doh with half-melted cubes of chocolate embedded in it, rather than the creamy liquid chocolate that you get when white chocolate is melted on its own. Apart from anything else, this made it hard to evenly stir in the coloring and flavoring.

With a little effort I was able to spread the mixture into a slab and let it set, and got my strawberry chocolate. It was nice, but the chocolate's traumatic experience in the double boiler seemed to have changed its texture a little.

How can I combine melted white chocolate with liquid ingredients without causing it to congeal?
Does it matter if it doesn't congeal? Does melted and resolidified chocolate taste better if it was melted properly?
As a side question, is there a more intelligent way of combining flavorings and colorants with white chocolate?


texts:
I personally hate the texture, so I avoid shrimp heads. Given that I've only been to a handful of American restaurants that serve shrimp with the heads or shells attached, I'd bet I'm not alone.

But I'm curious if anyone knows of other nations, through their personal or professional travels, that show a similar preference? I imagined it was a Western preference but after time in Paris and London, I've decided this isn't so (unless they too are catering to a small proportion of tourists).

Anyone have any insight?


texts: What's the difference between bacon and gammon?

texts: What is the difference between Gammon and Bacon? Would it be generally reasonable to substitute the two as required?


texts: How to keep seasonings from separating in soup

texts:
I’m cooking soup that consists of chicken broth, water, creme, butter, and puréed vegetables.

When we add the seasonings (sage, creole, etc), after a while the seasonings all float to the top.

I was wondering if there was anything I could add that would keep the seasonings from separating, but not drastically alter the flavor?


texts:
I switched to cast-iron skillet/griddle (dont know what it's technically called) recently for my omelette because I read somewhere that non-stick coating can leak carcinogen during cooking
For cast-iron pan, I see how it is recommended to season it via the oil-bake method - the coating that will then help avoid food sticking to the pan and for its longer shelf life
I want to understand that, will the oil, when heated to high temperatures for the effect of seasoning, will that oil become a carcinogen? Am I borrowing (carcinogen) from peter(cast-iron) to pay paul(non-stick)?


texts: Multi cooker - with pressure cooker versus without

texts:
I crock a lot.  My small pot is getting old and it feels like the controller switch is getting weak.  My large crock has a crack but it does not leak (yet).

With the new programmable can start in the AM and set it to go to warm at 2 PM.  Can sear, do rice, stay on warm for 24 hours, ....  Also a lot more money.

Can get a multi cooker with pressure for instant meals.  I don't pressure cook and have don't find myself in need of fast meals. If I had a multi cooker with pressure I might come to find fast as the best thing since sliced bread. Not yet convinced a 7 minute stew will equal a 7 hour stew.

Finally to the question.  Are there any slow cooker regrets to a cooker that will do slow and fast (pressure)?

I know it will be brand dependent. I am considering the Instant Pot (pressure) versus the Kitchen Aid (no pressure).

It is minor, but for me the opaque bulky lid is a regret.  If that is the only regret I will get the pressure multi cooker.

Wow, multi-cooker is not a tag.


texts: Choreography of making many yorkshire puddings

texts:
Say you want to make a lot (>4) yorkshire puddings, but your form only has 4 molds. What is your choreography?

Do you ...

stack several forms in the oven
use one form, take out the pouddings when done and refill the hot form immediatly with fat and batter
something else entirely

Background: I'm about to buy a form as a present for my mother, who often cooks for more people. The question is: Is it worth it to buy two forms?


texts: How long to boil curry sauce left sealed in fridge three weeks to make safe

texts:
Please this is not a duplicate: This is not a general question about food storage time and safety, about warming stored food but about boiling food that is possibly spoiled. Or even let's say spoiled.

I am not talking about simply reheating but about raising the temperature to at least boiling and keeping it there for at least an hour.

I didn't bother freezing it because I was planning on returning home after the weekend. But things turned out to keep me away for three weeks.

It's a tomato sauce based curry with some ground meat. I'm thinking to add a bit of water bring it to a boil and let it simmer for the afternoon.

Safe?


texts: Is there a difference between "magret of duck" and "fillet of duck"?

texts:
In my local supermarket, they have 2 kinds of duck breast meat: something called magret and something called filet. If you'd ask me to recognize which is which based on just the meat itself, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. There also doesn't seem to be much of a difference in price: both are a little under 21 EUR/kg, with magret being slightly cheaper.

Is there a difference between these 2 meats?


texts:
I eat 2-3 apples a day and use them in various recipes - usually desert or pork related.

I have found that I am literally terrible at picking out apples though and seem to be getting no better.

What I am looking for:

Crisp - this is a deal-breaker for me.  If it is mushy, I don't want it.  I have a hard time eating a slightly mangy apple no matter the actual taste of it.  These have to get mashed up into a dish.
Sour - I would like the apples to be as sour as possible - within reason.  I have never had an apple be too sour so I going with the assumption that anything goes here.
Sweet - Not overly sweet and not overpowering honey taste but sweet.
Thin skin - I like the skin.  I however don't like to be able to measure the thickness of the skin.

I am looking for what type of apples (I have a few favorites but even in those it is hit or miss), season, size, coloring, or anything else that helps identify a good from a bad apple.


texts: Flour/Instant Dry Yeast Ratio in Thin Pizza Dough

texts:
I researched this question before asking, but I could not find a clear information. I'm sorry if I missed it.

I want to make pizza from a leavened dough. I will use instant dry yeast. There are lots of pizza recipes. Is there a ratio for flour / yeast when making pizza dough? Of course, this will vary according to the type of flour. We can talk about bread flour.For example, X grams of instant yeast is used for each cup of flour.

Some sources say that you can use instant yeast up to 0.5% of the amount of flour. Can we make such a generalization?


texts: What type of Bread Improver should one use for non-yeast bread?

texts:
From what people are telling me, there would be no benefit from using S-500 and similar bread and dough conditioners on an unleavened, non-yeast dough.

What would you recommend for such types of bread/dough?

Thank You.


texts:
I recently visited Puerto Rico and was blown away by how consistently good the rice was at restaurants.  It appeared to be a medium grain rice very similar in consistency and texture to East Asian rices that have a certain degree of stickiness while maintaining its shape and grain integrity. Later, I was very surprised to learn that Puerto Rico imports nearly all of its rice, but that gave me hope that I might be able to find the same variety back home. I visited a supermarket while there, however, all of the rice I found was labeled "Long Grain" (despite appearing to be medium or even short grain).

What variety of rice is typically used in Puerto Rican cuisine?

Wikipedia suggests that longer grain rice is often used in the Puerto Rican diaspora; I am specifically interested in the type of rice used today in Puerto Rico, and what typical varieties I can use to mimic it.


texts: How to make your own Granary® flour from existing ingredients?

texts:
This flour which is widely available in the UK is harder to obtain elsewhere and also appears to be surrounded in some secrecy.
Does anyone have an approximation of the ingredients/substitutes and proportions?
https://www.hovis.co.uk/granary-wholemeal
"Granary® is not just a type of bread. The ® is there for a reason. It’s a brand and registered trademark of Hovis®. So if it’s not Hovis® it’s not Granary®. The Benedictine Monks of Burton Abbey discovered that slowly toasting wheat flakes used in their brewing process offered a distinctive malty taste, which is what gives our loaf its unique flavour today"


texts: Reduce the watering from tomatoes in a dish or sauce

texts:
There are many questions asking on how to reduce the watering from (fresh) tomatoes in a dish or a sauce (most likely baked):

How do I prevent tomato making quiche soggy (mentioned in comments by SAJ14SAJ)
How to avoid getting the pizza all watery?
Can I turn my marinara sauce recipe into "pizza sauce"?
how to improve the consistency of my pizza sauce
How to thicken marinara sauce?
My tomato sauce is very watery
etc.

There are several ways to do that, but what are the pros and cons of each technique?


texts: How to tenderizing chicken with soy sauce instead wet brining?

texts:
Since brining is about how much salt/water you use, how do I switch to a soy sauce marinade?
If the standard brine for 2lbs of meat is 1/4 Cup of Table Salt and 1 quart of water, then that means that is 28320mg of sodium. For 30 minutes to an 1hr. 1 tbsp of Kikoman Soy Sauce is 920mg.
So 28320/920 is 30.7. That means I have to marinate 15 to 30.7 hrs instead of 30 mins to 1 hr?
Or increase the amount of soy sauce up to 1 cup?


texts: Best heat source for fondue? Will an induction cooktop work?

texts:
I recently visited a fondue restaurant, which had a cooktop built into the table.  By all appearances, the cooktop appeared to be an induction cooktop, but I wasn't sure; it could have simply been a contemporary-style glass-top burner.

Does an induction cooktop lend itself well to quickly heating (and maintaining the temperature of) fondue?  I thought about getting one of the various portable induction burners available online.

In a more general sense, is there a 'best' type of heat source for fondue?


texts: Earlier today, I defrosted two different sticks of butter from my freezer. Both tasted sour. Neither had expired. The manufacturers were different, so it wasn't the same batch. Has anybody run into this before? Is my freezer a frothing cesspit of bacteria or something?


texts: How can I keep my split pea soup from becoming too thick during storage?

texts:
Every time I have made split pea soup, I have to try to estimate the amounts to be finished in one meal. If I store the leftover soup (in the refrigerator or the freezer), the soup thickens to the point that it's barely liquid anymore.

In Ham and Pea Soup with Whole Dried Peas, there's a passing comment that split peas break apart more to thicken soup. Is there any way of reducing this effect or simply predicting the amount of thickening that will happen? No matter how much liquid I add to the original soup, I can't seem to store the leftovers without getting a porridge-like texture.


texts:
Last night we cooked the lentils in a pressure cooker 20:00. They were on the kitchen shelf for about 3 hours before I put them in fridge.

I took them out in the morning at 9:30, and took them to office on scooter (It takes 30 minutes to reach office). Day time temperature here is 35 C.

Office has AC switched on. I opened the box of cooked lentils at 14:00 in the office and found colour of the lentils quite a pale green. That is not normal for properly freshly cooked lentils.

I stirred the lentil box with a spoon and found that the lentils below the surface were of normal green colour.

Is it normal for the colour of the cooked lentils to change overnight even when they were kept in fridge?


texts: What is the 'Steam-Chill-Bake' method of making hot wings?

texts: This question had a response mentioning the 'Steam-Chill-Bake' method.  What is that?  Why would someone cook wings this way?


texts: Can you substitute whole eggs for egg whites in baking?

texts: Will using egg whites instead of whole eggs have an effect on the finish product when baking?


texts: What is the best way to turn soup into stew without using flour?

texts:
I was hoping to make stew, but I made soup by forgetting to add thickener--my intended thickener was keto flour because, due to an autoimmune disease, I cannot have wheat or corn or potatoes.
I was just looking up how to turn soup into stew and found a recommendation of mixing flour with cold water, and adding that mixture to the soup.
Is there a way to thicken soup without use of flour?


texts: How to put mushrooms in soup/stew without creating foam?

texts:
This is something that has happened to me twice now:

I like making boxed Japanese curry, so I tried adding some sliced (fresh) shiitake mushrooms, because I like them. Before you actually add the curry blocks, it’s basically just a pot of water, meat, and veggies. Like a bland soup. When I add mushrooms and leave it to boil, it froths and bubbles over. This never happens any other time, with any other ingredients. Just mushrooms.

I tried looking up solutions, but it seems like I’m the only one having this problem.
Any ideas?


texts: When making Vegan Carnitas, BBQ, & etc., is canned green jackfruit superior to fresh green jackfruit? What about frozen?

texts:
weI have seen a lot of debate regarding the use of green/young jackfruit as a meat substitute in vegan cooking, but the opinions i find on the subject are all simply reading copy, or incorporating third and fourth party quotes or talking points into their article.

Which one renders the best texture? Why does that form have a better texture?

Are there any other pros and cons of each option?


texts: How does water behave in Dutch oven baking?

texts:
Recently I made a research about how steam works in baking. I found four main functions:

Steam condenses and keeps the dough surface cool, preventing the crust to form too soon, what could hinder the oven spring.

As the water condenses, it releases a lot of energy into the dough, heating it faster.

Because the surface is not too hot, the enzymes work longer and we get a better crust.

The combination of heat + water gelates the starch and we get a crispier and shiny crust.

That makes perfect sense. Almost all of that information I got from the amazing book "On Food and Cooking", Mcgee.
Knowing that, now I am am very confused about how baking in a dutch oven works.

Because all the water in the environment (Dutch oven with lid on) comes from the dough. I understand that it won't condense back into the dough, so I won't get that "water layer", neither the initial "blast" of energy of the steam condensing into the dough.

Is that right? What am I missing?
My personal experience says that the Dutch oven works, I get a good oven spring and crust. But I don't know if this is because of the "humid environment" of the trapped steam as almost everybody says, or just because the dough is closer to the radiant source, so it heats faster.
By the way, do we really need to bake at that high temperature? What would happen if we could bake at 100º C (212º F) to get the oven spring and only after work on the crust color?


texts: What ingredients are used in peri peri Powder?

texts:
I have been looking for possible ingredients that are being used to make peri peri powder.

Is there any significant difference between peri peri powder and peri peri sauce. Interms of ingredients?


texts:
One day I had an idea for a special "sauce" to use on (chicken) burgers. The basic idea was to give it some sort of "salad dressing" like taste.

The basic ingredients are cream cheese, mustard, vinegar and freshly ground black pepper. Plus a bit of salt and maybe some herbs I had lying around (mainly tarragon).

Now, I know I probably didn't invent something completely new, so my question is, what kind of sauce have I created? Are there similar widely known (named) ones?


texts:
3 days ago, I decided to do some brown lentils, so I did a lentil soup with zucchinis and spice (a lot of cumin and cayenne). I didn't have tupperware so I left  it in the pot with the lid.

And this morning, I found out they are fermenting. then is some bubbles and a strong fermenting smell, still a "clean" smell.

I'm not sure what to do, part of me want to throw it away but I don't want to waste it either. Can I save it or maybe use it for something else?

thanks


texts: If I am not going to immediately eat meat, should I freeze it before or after cooking it? How is taste and freshness affected by your choice of when to freeze it? I've done both options, but I've never compared the final preparation side by side.


texts: Is there a name for the Cinnamon-Mint under-flavor?

texts:
I was experimenting with Italian Sodas, and added flavor shots that perfectly balanced the heat and cool flavors between Cinnamon and Menthol, and they canceled out. What remained was a previously unknown-to-me third flavor that was very, for the lack of a better word, clean tasting. It was refreshing, and also palate cleansing. I haven't experienced this flavor before, and was wondering if it had a name already. For the lack of another name, I've been calling it "Seng'd" (pronounced "Shinged", it just felt a name that fit the flavor, not much to the name really). But making up my own words, if there's' an existing one, is just silly since it doesn't help me talk about it.

Does this flavor have a legitimate name?


texts: Why do small things taste better than big things?

texts: Small berries have more flavor than large berries, small scallops have more flavor than large scallops, cherry tomatoes have more flavor than beefsteak tomatoes. I can't think of any cases where the larger an ingredient was, the more flavor it had by weight. Why is that?


texts: Is cheese a condiment? (Burgers, sandwiches, etc)

texts:
I work at a restaurant and got a request for no condiments on a burger. I took that to include cheese as well as ketchup, mustard, etc. The customer was not pleased and requested his money back.

So what's the verdict on cheese? Is it a condiment?


texts: I like my scallops caramelized a bit, but every time I fry them I make an enormous mess.  Oil splatters everywhere.  Any tips?  Should I grill them?  Can I use the oven?  (I try to use scallops without any sodium tripolyphosphate).


texts: I am making crème brulee for 60, I intend to sous vide them (thinking 180 degrees F, roughly 83C?), and I would like to create an "old fashioned" flavored crème brulee. To accomplish this, I intend to add brandy and bitters to the base. Does anyone know if there is a point where too much alcohol could cause problems with brulee? Any advice for appropriate amounts or ratios of alcohol to base?


texts: Not long ago, my parents purchased a tin of lychees. They tasted ok when eaten straight out of the tin, but I was wondering: Is there a proper way to eat them (like rhubarb needs to be eaten in a crumble with custard) ?


texts: What’s the difference between cracked and coarse rounded black peppercorns?

texts:
I saw a video of cracked peppercorns where the cook was cracking them with the bottom of a pan.  Coarse grounded is obviously done by grinding coarsly.

Assuming both are done freshly what is the difference between the two?  It seems the only difference is how they have been broken? Are there any implications for taste, digestion, aesthetics, why did the cook/why would you use cracked black peppercorns over coarse grounded ones?


texts: Will using a knife sharpener reduce the lifetime of my knife?

texts: In the long run, is it better to regularly use a knife honer instead of a knife sharpener once in a while to keep the edge sharp?


texts: Help me find a chinese recipe from "Green Tea" restaurant in Beijing

texts:
Some years ago I went to Beijing for a business trip. My chinese hosts took me out for dinner to a restaurant called Green Tea (it was exactly this restaurant at this location).

Amongst many delicious meals I ate there, there is this one I am trying to remember the name and looking for its recipe.

The main ingredient was chinese cabbage or something similar. I think it was quite smaller than chinese cabbage. There was also soy sauce involved, garlic and it was a little spicy. No meat at all. It was served in a wooden bamboo bowl I think.

I hope there is someone who can tell me the name of this meal and the exact recipe. I would like to cook it at home.

PS: I already tried contacting my chinese hosts but without success.


texts: What do you do with left over tomato paste?

texts:
I sometimes make sauces that use tomato paste. The problem is that usually I need only one or two tablespoons and I don't know what to do with the rest of the can. The smallest can I could find is 6 oz. and while it only costs 50 cents, I hate the thought of the rest going to waste. It's also not particularly flavorful.

Any ideas?


texts: Dehydrating fruit/veg, temperature, and safety

texts:
I have a food dehydrator, which I've used in the past for chillies, apples and herbs.  I intend to dry some tomatoes with it soon, a process that apparently takes about 8 hours at 60°C (140°F) (it actually took considerably longer in my case).  This temperature is exactly at the top of the US FDA's danger zone and is unlikely to be maintained in an entire dehydrator with a thermostat in the air stream.  Dehydrators also allow lower temperatures to be used (mine does 35–70°C).  Sun-drying tomatoes takes place at an uncontrolled temperature, which we can assume is sometimes ideal for bacteria/mould growth. Apple rings are often dried cooler and take 12+ hours.

These are sliced/halved fruit/veg, so aren't protected by their skins; they wouldn't dry if they were (as I found with blueberries).  And for much of the process they're rather wet.  The pH is usually uncontrolled; apple slices may be dipped in lemon juice but only to keep them from turning brown.

So why don't we get mould/bacteria growth during the dehydration process?


texts:
When thawing frozen beef in hot water (meat in sealed bag / container in water), what is the maximum temperature that the water can be to not inadvertently start cooking the meat or otherwise affect it? The goal being to speed up thawing with the same end results as not using water.

What about pork and chicken, if different?


texts: Can I make a pot roast in a foil roasting pan with lid?

texts: Can I prepare a pot roast in a foil container a few days before cooking?  I also want to brown the meat and veggies, and add the stock and wine.  Then place it in a foil roasting pan with the foil lid, and cook it two days later.  What are the dangers if any???  I think the pot roast will be full of flavor as it been marinating for a few days.


texts: is Doubanjiang (Szechuan hot bean paste) an acceptable substitute in recipes calling for Doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste)?

texts:
I have a LOT of Doubanjiang taking up valuable space right now. I wanted to make some Ssamjang which calls for Doenjang.
Even the names are remarkably similar...


texts:
This is not a product request. I was looking to replace a couple baking pans, the 9"x13"x2" that serve many uses, brownies or cakes among them.

Even with the dimensions stated, to be clear, I'm talking about these. I don't know if there is a more specific word for them.

One review for the product I'm likely to buy said "These pans burn everything I bake in them.... They cook too fast. Have to cut bake times in 1/2 from what recipe says and things still burn.... cakes, brownies, even granola...."

Does this even make sense? I've had to change times when I changed ovens or stovetop burners. The complaint here makes no sense to me, and I'm curious if it's something I should take seriously.


texts:
I recently made popovers and I knew they would 'pop over'.
Yet, I was surprised they came that high.
I'm curious how this is possible, since there is no yeast, baking powder, self-rising flour, beaten egg whites...

I think it's because of the egg, but I'm not sure.
So, can somebody explain this?


texts: How to find a good sweet potato fry cutter?

texts:
I am looking to make my own sweet potato fries, however sweet potatoes are harder to cut than regular potatoes.

Even more expensive cutters such as the Nemco N554503 fry cutter are not recommended for cutting sweet potatoes.

Does anyone know what makes a cutter suitable for sweet potato fries?


texts: Is it ok to fill an  electric kettle straight after it's been emptied? I heard that it does something to the element. Please help!


texts:
My butcher prepared our Christmas prime rib with a bacon wrap. He suggested 325° roast until internal temperature, but I’m skeptical of that method. I was going to do this 200° slow roast with a quick 550° finish technique.

However, I’m unsure how to integrate the bacon wrap. Should I remove the bacon wrap for the 200° slow roast and reapply for the 550° finish? Should I leave it on throughout? Or should I keep the bacon for flavor during the 200° roast and remove for the 550° sear so the beef itself gets browned?


texts: Regarding Connecticut style steamed burgers - is the container necessary?

texts:
To my knowledge, Connecticut style steamed burgers are only found commercially in Connecticut, but thanks to the Internet, they have become a kind of thing elsewhere.

If you don't know what they are, here's a video that shows one of the burger joints making the burgers:

Ted's Burgers

Basically they stuff the ground beef into miniature loaf pans which then go into the steamer. They do the cheese the same way, separately.

America's Test Kitchen (sorry, paywalled) has published a recipe that just puts the burgers straight on the steamer:

I plan to use washed out tuna cans for the cheese because the pouring of the cheese is pretty cool. But is there any good reason to open two more cans of tuna for the burgers themselves? I kind of don't see the point, but I don't want to miss any of this bizarre experience.


texts:
Recently, we made a variety of cocktails from Ottolenghi and Scully's NOPI book. Now, we are left with two sugar syrups. According to the book, they can be stored a few weeks in the fridge. Skip ahead a month or two, and we're now left with two bottles of syrup that I'm not sure whether they are still safe to consume. As far as I'm concerned, the sugar acts as a preservative (like in jams) and it should be no problem; however, I'm a bit reluctant to ignore the advice of a distinguished chef - but perhaps he was just referring a change in flavor.

The syrups in question are 50/50 water and sugar (in weight), infused with cloves or saffron, each boiled for about 10 minutes. There is also a recipe with fresh ginger that is not cooked but blitzed, which may be more of a problem than the others.

How long can a syrup be preserved? What, if any, are the signs of a spoiled syrup?


texts: In the 1970's in Canada (Ontario), I ate this food, it was referred to as "candy".  However, it was some sort of fatback/bacon type of stuff (though I don't remember any meat, it was just soft fat inside the crispy outer shell; also I don't remember it as being particularly smokey), that was cut up into bite-sized cubed, and fried until crispy.  Is this some type of traditional Canadian dish? What exactly was it made of?


texts:
I used to make a lot of cakes using tapioca flour. Now I've moved to another country and rarely stumbled upon the flour in the supermarket. Last time I found gari which also made from cassava. Can I substitute gari for tapioca? Can I put it in food processor first to make the texture more similar? From what I've read, usually gari's mixed with water to make porridge, but I don't have a lot of ideas in how to use it (other than all my tapioca flour recipes).

Thank you.


texts: Can Splenda be substituted for regular sugar when making your own sweetened condensed milk?

texts: Can you substitute Splenda for the regular sugar in making your own sweetened condensed milk


texts: Why does my 1 tablespoon of coffee grounds not equal 15 ml?

texts:
The bag of coffee I am using instructs to "Add 2 1/2 tablespoons (37 ml)" of ground coffee. When I measure out 2 1/2 tablespoons onto my food scale, it only comes out to about 13 ml.

Why does my 2 1/2 tablespoon measurement not equal 37 ml?


texts: Which baking dish is best to bake a banana bread?

texts:
When I bake a banana bread or cake at home, I always use a square Pyrex(about 20cm in width and 7 cm high) dish.  The batter only fill the dish at half its height or less and I set my oven to 350F.  I bake the banana bread for 30 min in the middle of the oven and when I check for doneness, the middle part is a bit wet(about 90% done) while the surrounding area is perfectly done.

Is a square Pyrex a good way to bake banana bread and cake or should I get a loaf pan or bundt shape one?  Does a loaf pan bake the banana bread or cake evenly in a set period of time?  From this recipe, the baking time in the load pan seems to be 1 hour compared to 30 min in the Pyrex.


texts: How to I prevent shortcrust cracking while using a tartet machine?

texts:
I am using a tartlet machine to make tartshells for my bakery, but it keeps having little cracks and also pale in colour despite changing the recipe and baking temperature multiple times. What could be the problem?

My recipe is

600g Margarine

500g icing sugar

125 Corn flour

1375g flour (higher protein type)

4 eggs

I bake it for 12-15 mins in the machine, at 165 C top heat, and 115 C bottom heat.

I am not allowed to change the recipe as my boss only wants the ingredients in it (no butter).
Could I make the shells better by changing the baking temperature and timing instead?

Thank you for your help.  :)


texts: Why is chorizo spice-mix rarely sold in stores?

texts:
I'm not much of a cook, but I do enjoy anything made with chorizo.

I've looked far and wide for pre-made chorizo spice-mix in grocery stores, international food stores, etc., but I've never found it.

Yet, chorizo sausage is widely available at grocery stores, restaurants, butcher shops and even convenience stores.

The closest thing I've found to pre-made chorizo spice is a backcountry mix on Amazon.ca.

Question:

Is there a known reason why chorizo spice wouldn't be sold in stores? For example, is it just as easy to make it as it would be to buy it?


texts: How to get my croissant flakier and bigger? Is it possible to get a hollow inside?

texts:
I am slightly new to the puff pastry process and have gotten the layers and and folding. I use a three fold, and the temperature remains at a cool degree so the butter does not melt or seep out of the dough during the process.

I just can't seem to get them bigger and flakier. I am using 7in / 18cm triangles and I stretch them out and roll them into the classic croissant shape. Then I egg wash them, sprinkle a little sea salt on top, let rise for 40 minutes, bake at 400F/200C for 10 minutes, and then at 350F / 180C until golden brown on top.

Any suggestion or any way to get the results?


texts: How to deal with small batches on a KitchenAid?

texts:
We recently got a Kitchenaid pro 450 stand mixer. It’s lovely, but when we just want to mix a small amount of things the mixing head doesn’t reach the bottom and nothing happens.

What’s the solution? Do we need to spend $60 to buy the 3-quart bowl? Would that even work?


texts: Adding melted chocolate to a sponge cake batter

texts: I have baked a victoria sponge cake and it came out fine. In order to make a chocolate sponge cake, Can I use the same recipe of Victoria sponge cake and just add some quantity of melted chocolate to the batter? Will that work?


texts: How to remove pizza pan from oven without a peel?

texts: I was given a set of mini-pizza pans for making personal sized pizzas, but I noticed these pans don't have handles or ridges around the edge like my larger pizza pan to grip with my oven mitt. I don't have a pizza peel, so I'm wondering what the best alternative method for getting the pizza out of the oven with equipment I probably already have around the kitchen?


texts:
I just made muffins, which turned out to have a great flavor and density, but are very crumbly.

I followed this recipe, and made the following substitutions:

1/2 cup of flour --> coffee flour
3/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup coffee --> 1/4 cup milk + 1 cup coffee

The recipe also calls for the butter to be melted before mixed. I'm currently thinking that both the small amount of fat (1 stick of butter), and consistency (melted as opposed to cold/room temp) is probably causing the crumble.

Are there any ways I can make the recipe less crumbly without increasing the amount of fat or oil? Or only doing so slightly?


texts:
Well I have a Jack LaLaine Power Juicer Express. This did not work so well with the ripe guavas. Twelve washed and whole guavas and no juice. Lots of pulp though. Decided to scrape all this pulp out into a Ninja processor and pureed with about 1 cup of filtered water. Pulp is still quite dense even with the added water. Then strained it through a wired sieve. Going to freeze these in some neoprene ice cube trays with push out bottoms and seal them up in 1 gallon FoodSaver zip lock bags for individual uses, mix & match. Cubes equal roughly 1 tablespoon each.

I keep hearing you should use any juice asap but that isn't always possible so I decided freezing was the next best option.

Any thoughts on this?


texts: can one use a toaster oven to bake cakes and cupcakes?

texts: I am an amateur chef that has passion in cooking.m looking for a small affordable oven to use for my baking but I am not sure which one to go for. i.e a toaster oven,a microwave oven or a mini oven. please advise.


texts: What is a cheap but good cut of beef for grilling?

texts:
If I grill filet mignon it comes out tender and easy to cut and delicious of course but no matter what other cut of beef I grill it's like eating leather.

I've read about "salting" the meat for about an hour before I grill and wanted to try that but there were so many choices of meat I still had no idea what to get. All I know for sure is the meat should be about an inch thick to try the salting thing.

Any ideas?


texts: How long can pie batter stay in the refrigerator?

texts: If I prepare a mixture for pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie, which has eggs in it, how long is it safe to stay refrigerated before I pour it in a pie shell and bake it?


texts: What's the approximate dry to cooked weight conversion ratio for beans?

texts:
Cooked in water, they of course absorb some of it. Looking for weight, not volume conversion. If it varies by type, this is for Red Kidney Beans, but I'm guessing one general number can be good enough for most of them.

Cooking without soaking in a pressure cooker.


texts: How should one go about reheating pasta?

texts:
Ok, so, I know the answer, "You shouldn't, because it's easy to make it fresh."

But on occasion, I end up making too much pasta, not having enough sauce, etc. and the pasta gets stowed in a tupperware awaiting a secondcoming. Usually it just ends up being packed for lunch and eaten cold. But on those other occasions, when I may like to have it warmed up and served with a sauce of some kind, what would be the best way to go about doing so?

I haven't really experimented yet, but thought maybe putting the pasta in a steamer basket could work well? Has anybody tried this? thoughts?


texts: Does cutting sweet potatoes with non stainless steel knives cause oxidation poisoning?

texts: I have found when cutting up sweet potatoes prior to cooking that the cut edges go grey or black when soaked in warm water. I read on another site that using a carbon or non stainless steel knife causes oxidization. So my question is, if this be true, is it a health hazard?


texts: reheating leftover omelette on stove in pan without overdrying or making it too oily?

texts:
I am, probably, a beginner at cooking (can make a small variety of dishes well). Of late, I have been expanding my skill set and have been striving to reheat leftovers (no more than a day or two old) on stove.
For omelette leftovers, which I originally cook in butter, I add about half a tbsp butter for reheating. But it ends up oily in some places and dry in others.
Is there a particular amount of butter or other oil best for reheating omelettes? Should any liquids be added?


texts: Fish balls aren't bouncy and fall apart easily

texts:
So I tried making fish balls using the recipe at https://thishungrykitten.com/2013/11/14/homemade-chinese-fish-balls-the-way-they-should-be-made/ and I don't think I did anything wrong, but the result is certainly not what I had been hoping for or what was described. Specifically, the fish balls fell apart extremely easily (basically dissolved in very lightly boiling water) and weren't bouncy (the only fish balls I've had have been frozen fish balls from the local asian market used in hot pot). So I'll just describe what I did and ask what I may have done wrong.

I went to Walmart and got 2 pounds of frozen cod fillets, with the bones and skin already removed. I kept them in the freezer for a few days (under a week). After thawing the cod in the sink for an hour or two, I took 3 of the fillets (relatively small, total weight between all 3 probably around a pound) and chopped them into 1-inch cubes. Then I put them in the food processor and turned it on for 2 minutes. I removed them, added 1/4 tsp salt and some black pepper (since I didn't have any white pepper) and started throwing the paste (into a metal bowl so that it wouldn't go flying everywhere). I slammed it probably around 100 times in there, then added a tablespoon of corn starch (with a little water), mixed it in, shaped a fishball, and put it into some very lightly boiling water. The water quickly turned a cloudy white and started foaming, and when I tried to scoop it back up it slipped through the slots of the spoon and dissolved entirely. I tried to thicken up the paste and help it hold together by adding more corn starch, but every time it just dissolved rapidly. Eventually I switched to deep frying, where it managed to stay together, but when I bit into the ball it wasn't bouncy at all.

In addition to asking a general "what did I do wrong / what should I have done?", I have some specific questions:

Can frozen fish be used for fish balls? I understand the recipes all call for fresh fish, but my search-engine-fu has failed to tell me whether frozen fish is an acceptable substitute (I live in Nebraska, "fresh saltwater fish" as a requirement has some logistical difficulties)
Does it work to use cod for fish balls?
Do properly-made fish balls have issues with falling apart during cooking?
Roughly how hard should fish paste be slammed (I wasn't exactly going pitching speed, just "toss across the room speed", if that makes sense)? Are there effective alternatives to slamming?


texts: Is there a difference between seasoning and flavouring?

texts:
I find the meaning of the word 'seasoning' slightly elusive. Before I started to take cooking seriously, I'd have said that any herb or spice used in cooking could be called a seasoning.

Without having had it spelled out to me, I'm now under the impression that seasoning refers only to the addition of salt and pepper during cooking. Some recipes will simply say "season to taste"; the implication being that salt and pepper will be used for this. Needless to say, not all recipes are consistent in this usage.

Does anyone have a definition of 'seasoning' that disambiguates it from the more general 'flavouring'?


texts: How long does it take to steam brown rice?

texts: I would like to know how long it takes to steam brown rice.


texts: I prefer my eggs hard boiled. But sometimes I end up with boiled eggs that have runny yolks, either due to my own carelessness or the overeager nature of the house help. Is it okay to boil eggs after they have been completely peeled? Will the results be close to a normal hard boiled eggs? Will I face any issues like the egg opening up and leaching the liquid parts into the boiling water?


texts:
The aruvamanai is an indian kitchen multitool used by my grandmother's generation consisting of a fixed curved blade on a roughly boat shaped block. Its typically used by placing it on the floor, somehow holding down the block and pushing the thing to be cut against the blade.

It seems counterintuitive, but considering the condition of some of the ones I've seen, there's clearly a 'proper' way to do this safely.

So, how do I use the cutting surface of one of these without accidentally losing a finger or a hand? What's the safe way to use a aruvamanai? The coconut grating part of it is out of the scope of the question, since we don't use it, and that design is fairly well understood


texts: What will happen if you cook in a container that has traces from another day of cooking?

texts:
Basically the idea is you're bored of doing the dishes and you want to save time.

Is it unhealthy? Will the chemistry alter a lot?

Assume the container has been in the fridge [and what had in it isn't spoiled] and the traces are what remains if one quickly puts the remains out with a fork. The food recipe has been the same.


texts:
I was wondering how successfully the formula of wasabi peas can be applied to other green vegetables?

I'm familiar with them as a snack in some pubs in England, the peas become hard and crunchy, and 'spicy' in the same way as horseradish is, partly because wasabi is usually made with horseradish.


texts: The NYT coq au vin recipe called for 3 1/2 cups red wine and marinate overnight, then reduce to make the sauce.  Husband added an extra 2-3 cups of wine to the marinade. It is now the morning after. Which should I do? Reserve 2 cups only of the marinade to reduce (as probably 1 cup has been absorbed by the chicken?), or take the time simmering all of the wine down.


texts: I want to plate a carrot sphere, made using reverse spherification, for a hot entrée. How do carrot spheres hold up to heat?


texts: Combining hot melted sugar with cold liquid ingredients

texts:
So I was making a corn-syrup-free pecan pie, and it called for a procedure that I've never seen before. To combine the liquids (milk, eggs, vanilla) with the solids (dark brown sugar, butter, flour) it called for combining the solids over medium heat, cooking it until the sugar was completely melted, and then combining with the liquids.

Now, my candy experience starts and stops at "things containing chocolate", but I can melt sugar. However with the addition of butter and flour I was worried about it burning, and I didn't render it all the way down to full on molten sugar. It was quite melted but it poured more like a thin batter than like liquid sugar.

Combined the liquid(y) sugar with the liquids, and exactly what I thought would happen, happened: the sugar immediately solidified into chunks, and wouldn't incorporate. Rescued it by heating the whole thing, and stirring until it incorporated. This worked, but I think it sent the texture off a bit.

My question is: is this even feasible? Can you really melt sugar to a thin liquid, and then seamlessly incorporate it with a cold liquid? And wouldn't the addition of flour cause issues with cooking the sugar? I pretty much expected it not to work, so it may just have been a failure of will on my part.


texts: Some packs of sun dried tomatoes come a bit too hard to chew.  How do I soften them for use in a salad?  Should I toss them?


texts: Is it safe to put fresh hot soup in a glass mason jar?

texts: I make soup in a slow cooker and I'd like to store individual servings. If I take the freshly made hot soup from the slow cooker and ladle it into mason jars and screw down the lids, is that safe? I don't have any experience with canning.


texts: With which of these 9 cheap dull knives ought you practice sharpening on Shapton Glass Stone 1000 Grit 5mm?

texts: My grandpa needs to practice how to sharpen knives with his Shapton Glass Stone 1000 Grit 5mm. So he compiled these 9 dull, but cheap and fully expendable, knives. Which ought he practice on? Please don't hesitate to pick more than one, and rank them in order.


texts: How can a tandoor oven cook skewered meat evenly

texts:
I am going to build or buy a tandoor. Before I invest, I have done some research into how to cook in one.
The part that confuses me is, all the video's I have seen, show the skewers in the tandoor that are nearly vertical as per this picture.

In my mind, this would make it impossible to cook evenly enough given the meat at the bottom of the skewer is closer to the heat source and as such, will cook much faster compared to the meat closer to the lid (that is further away from the heat source).
I'm not aiming for perfection with my question, meaning, I don't expect every piece of food to cook 100% perfectly / evenly etc. One video (at 7:50) I've seen even shows that the meat at the top was a higher temperature compared to the meat near the heat source.
My question is, how can this cook so evenly?


texts: Scale build up on outside of cast iron skillet

texts: I have an old used cast iron skillet that is good on the inside but it has build up lumps on the outside. How do I get that off?


texts: Raw sausage left at doorstep for 4 hours

texts:
So guidelines say 2 hours unrefrigerated for raw sausage and raw meatballs... but I was wondering if it's still ok at 4 hours if it passes the smell test.

I had a grocery delivery during the day where they didn't ring the doorbell and I only discovered it at 5pm.  It was left in the shade but is the first hot day of the season.  It was still luke cool to the touch but definitely not cold.  The ice cream bars had melted and become runny.

I was going to cook all the bratwurst and meatballs the next day if it would be ok.  Otherwise, I'd have to throw them out.

Should I eat or throw away?


texts:
I was looking at a recipe and it said I needed to add sugar, ginger, yeast and yeast nutrient and other stuff.

I would have thought that it would be referring to the sugar, but can anyone confirm for me please.

The recipe is for Ginger beer, if it helps.


texts:
I purchased both guar gum and xanthan gum in little unmarked baggies from the bulk section of my local health foods store.

This was months ago and since I foolishly forgot to label them, now I have no idea which is which. How can I tell? Are there any experiments I can do? Taste tests?

One is slightly darker, but that's the only obvious visual difference.


texts:
Bay Nuts are the fruit of the California Bay Laurel.  Few people have seen (or heard) of them, because the trees don't produce enough for commercial harvests.  However, I was gifted with a jar of them by a friend with a fruiting bay tree.

The way one is supposed to eat the nuts is to roast them and eat the seeds, which taste vaguely like chocolate or coffee and vaguely not.  However, that's where agreement ends; roasting times and temperatures are given as:

350F for 45 to 90 minutes
450F for 45 minutes
450F for 20 minutes
Various other temperatures and times, from 375 to 475 and from 20 minutes to 90 minutes, depending.

So my question is: approximately how long, and at what temperature, should I be roasting the nuts?  Does anyone have direct experience with Bay Nuts, or an authority which looks more definitive than the many blogs which lack rigorous testing of roasting conditions?


texts: How do you make cheap asian instant noodles without noodles?

texts:
So, I have been falling in loving with the yum yum instant noodles. And the reason might seem a little odd. I usually add a lot of extra water when making them, because I enjoy them as "a soup". that is I like the flavour and taste the seasings add to the boiling water, and I easily would eat them without the noodles.

Now the thing is, I don't wanna buy a package of them just for the seasonings and throw the noodles away.

To clarify, I am not necessarily  interested in "recreating" the yum yum seasonings, but I was wondering how I could make such a soup myself in larger quantity without having to buy the noodles.


texts: Effect of the type of oil on a vinaigrette's texture?

texts:
When I prepare vinaigrette, I always use the same basic technique: first the vinegar (or another acid liquid like lemon juice), some salt, a spoonful of Dijon mustard and then I add oil little by little (not as carefully as with mayonnaise – in that case I use an electric whisk – but not all at once), whisking or even simply mixing it with a spoon or fork.

Usually, that's enough to obtain a nice emulsion but in some cases the oil and vinegar never seem to mix properly and the texture isn't right. It's merely anecdotal but I have the feeling that the type of oil I use is the key factor here. Olive, walnut or pumpkin seed oil all seem to work very well, sunflower oil not so much.

My question is: Is it really the case? Does the type of oil have a well documented effect on how easy it is to get a good emulsion? And if that's the case, is there some “neutral” oil I could use instead of sunflower oil if I want to avoid the strong flavour of olive or walnut oil?


texts: Cooking potatoes - baking covered in salt for mashing

texts:
I was wondering about a detail of a recipe I recently read in a magazine.

The recipe is for Gnocchi, so basically it's about making a potato mash dough.

Instead of just boiling the potatoes, the recipe was roughly like:

  Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes into a large casserole, cover them
  wholly with ample stone salt, and slowly bake them for 2 hours. (...
  then peel cooked potatoes and put them through a ricer ... ...)

What gives? I'd just put them into a steamer and cook them, what's the point of putting them into the oven for 2 hrs covered with salt?

(Note: It was a recipe from a posh restaurant, so it may well be more complicated than necessary :-)

Here is the original (german) recipe for reference.


texts: (International / UK / US) RÖMERTOPF equivalents?

texts:
I have a RÖMERTOPF at home. It is a porous clay casserole dish.

I have recipes, sure. But I'm always looking for more. I'm not asking for recipes, though: I'm asking what the closest international / UK / US equivalents would be, so that I could be sure that I find appropriate recipes when looking for it.


texts:
Every time I have had a really good pizza (usually in Italy for some reason) there's one thing that stand out more than anything else and that's the crust. What I have noticed about those really good pizzas is that the crust have a very rough texture, almost like sand paper. I have tried to find a picture of this but it's hard to find any. This was the best I could find now:

You see all those white spots? (They are all over the pizza, not only on the bottom like in this picture) What are they and why do only a few pizzas have them? Is it a special kind of flour in the dough? Is it some other secret ingredient? Every time I see a pizza with this texture I know it will be a good one. Note: It's not just dusted with flour. It seem to be embedded and part of the dough.


texts:
I need to replace the grill grates on my Weber Genesis grill, and I see that I can get either enameled porcelain (like I already have) or upgrade to stainless steel.

A few concerns spring to mind when considering the upgrade:

Are there any differences between the two other than appearance?
Does one hold heat better than the other?
What differences are there to the grates' maintenance/upkeep/cleaning/appearance?


texts: Is there any trick to make a palindrome-cocktail?

texts:
I'm trying to make a palindrome cocktail:

made by building the components, like for example the classic B52; and also
having the same ingredients going from top to bottom as it has going from bottom to top.

At first I thought it was surface tension that separated the layers of a built cocktail. However, it seems it is density that determines where a particular component will go. One of the resources on density I found was this spirits density chart. Now, of course: no particular spirit is found twice on that chart! This makes the palindrome cocktail quite a challenge.

The Question: Are there any products, tricks or techniques available to separate layers in a built cocktail without relying on density?

Some brainstorm-ideas I came up with but have no faith (yet) in trying:

Separate layers with a sort-off crême-brûlée-style crust. However this will most not seall off completely on the edges, plus I risk setting the spirits on fire.
Use some kind of gelatine product?

As a side note, even though my question is about a true palindrome drink (with the exact same spirits top-down as bottom-up), if there are no real tricks, I'd also be interested to see some added suggestions on a "fake" palindrome where it's just "looks" like a palindrome (color/transparancy wise). I tried this, but given the above density chart that felt as a hard-enough challenge in itself.

Logged attempts

I'll update this section as I experiment with provided answers (but the question above won't change, of course).

A Cointreau + Baileys + butterscotch liquor. An attempt to make a color-based palindrome (a cheat!), but the colors are obviously not similar enough.
B Dark Rum + Cointreau + Dark Rum. The bottom dark rum was mixed with gome syrup and even more sugar (as much as would dissolve) to make it sink to the bottom. Based on this answer below. Still have to work on color though.

J1 Cherry-butterscotch-jello + lemon liquor + cherry-butterscotch-jello. The top jello kind-of sunk inside the middle melon layer.
J2 Cherry-butterscotch-jello + lemon liquor + cherry-butterscotch-jello. Same as J1, only more careful sliding the top jello in on the back of a spoon.
J3, the proof of concept! Melon-liquor + cherry-butterscotch-jello + lemon liquor. First I put the bottom liquor in the freezer, then the jello on top (wiggle it in place), then more liqour on top, and wait a few minutes for the bottom layer to melt.

Footnote

Although I'd accept any tricks that allow a basic palindrome-cocktail, I'd be extra happy if they allow for palindromes above 3 layers (so 5 layers and up).


texts: Bake frozen pizza without a tray - will it melt and drip?

texts: How can frozen pizza be baked in an oven without a tray, without running the risk of melting like in the picture below (found on teh internets)? Or does that just not happen?


texts: Onion has yellow center. Is it safe to eat?

texts: I cut open an onion I had and it had a yellow center. I read online it might be a sign of sprouting but I am uncertain if that's actually the case. Is it safe to eat? Should I just throw the onion away?


texts:
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, I bought some black honey that someone was selling on the roadside in unlabeled jars. It was the most delicious honey I've ever had. It tasted like caramel but also like honey. It was very dark, almost black. It was less viscous than typical honey.

I tried finding it on the internet, and someone said it might be forest honey, but I found two imported European forest honey products, and they were not the honey for which I was looking.

Can you help me find that delicious honey? I'm curious what it's called and where I can buy it in the US.


texts: How effective is the George Foreman grill in draining fat from cooking meat?

texts:
New to this site, and new to cooking, well cooking properly.

I have in my possession a George Foreman grill, not because of the advertising hype, but because I have a very limited space for cooking in my apartment.

My question is, just how effective is the George Foreman grill (or any other grill like it) in draining the fat off meat while cooking?


texts: How to prevent carrot juice from turning brown?

texts:
I've been juicing up carrots with a centrifugal juice extractor. There's a lot of overhead (prep and cleanup) so it makes sense to do a big batch and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days.

Unfortunately, the refrigerated juice seems to turn brown pretty quickly. Here it is after 48 hours:

The pulp has precipitated to the bottom and retains its pleasant orange hue, but the juice has turned an ugly and unappetizing brown. It tastes better than it looks, but the flavor has suffered too. It's pretty extreme at 48 hours, but there is significant browning even at 24.

I'm using refrigerated carrots and putting the juice immediately in a plastic screw-top (Ziploc) container in the fridge.

Is there anything I can do to keep my carrot juice looking and tasting fresh?


texts: Can I pressure can roasted sweet peppers without sugar or vinegar?

texts: I want the naturally sweet flavor of the pepper preserved, so no pickling or added sugar is desired. Can I pressure can sweet fire roasted peppers without sugar or vinegar, or are those required for safety?


texts: Macronutrients and cooking temperature of beans?

texts:
For other foods, the cooking temperature seems to make a difference to which macronutrients are extracted, and subsequently, to the taste of the final product. For instance, the temperature is strictly controlled in home beer brews to maximise the extraction of sugars, and low-temperature processes are used to extract protein from peas commercially.

If I vary the cooking temperature when boiling soaked beans, how might it affect the macronutrient profile of the beans? For example, will a long, milder cooking process with lower temperature water extract a different amount of starches or proteins from the beans compared to a rapid boil?

Or, alternatively, what would happen if, instead of simply soaking the beans for a couple of days beforehand I kept them in warm (say, 60c) water for a while before cooking (instead of soaking at room temperature)


texts: Smoothie - water as base liquid, originally?

texts:
I am wondering, for termbase purposes, about the base liquid for smoothies: is it originally water?

I would appreciate your help as native English speakers, as we were considering equivalents in our language made using milk, yogurt, fruit juice as a base liquid for this drink.

Thank you very much!


texts: How can I get a very thick or viscous paste (e.g. caramel, ganache, thick mayonnaise) into small-necked squeeze bottles without heating it up?

texts:
This is a problem I've had with several types of food/sauce.

I'll make a big batch of something like a thick caramel sauce or an extra-thick mayonnaise and it simply won't pass through a funnel into a squeeze bottle.

I want to be able to transfer the sauce (or whatever) into a narrow-necked squeeze bottle so it's easier to decant. Even though it's very thick, it'll still come out of a bottle under pressure.

Is there some kind of in-line pump or similar method which I could use to pump these thicker liquids from a bowl into small-necked bottles?

I know such pumps exist for industrial applications but I want something usable at home.

(My only idea was to use a sausage stuffer, fill it up with the sauce, and apply pressure with the pusher from the top to dispense it from the end like sausage meat, but the pusher would need to be air-tight and I don't know which ones are or not.)


texts: Do the improvements touted by the ZPM Nocturn (PID-controlled espresso machine) sound sensible?

texts:
I have previously struggled with coffee equipment. I don't know anything about the technical side of making coffee. The ZPM Nocturn claims to have solved a number of technical issues, making better equipment more affordable.

I feel convinced, but I'm not an expert. Is it possible to tell (based on what they are describing before production starts) if the approach they are taking is sensible? If so, please point out what does/does not convince you.

I'm not looking for an endorsement, just to confirm that they aren't talking nonsense.

An answer before the Kickstarter deadline ends would be best :)


texts: Would ground "popcorn meal" differ from regular corn meal?

texts:
Purely a theoretical question I'm afraid - I haven't experimented (yet). If you take popped popcorn and grind it to a flour, would the result be similar to cornmeal? One difference, I imagine, is that it is in principle ready to eat, as opposed to regular cornmeal which still needs to be cooked to denature the proteins.

Are there things you could achieve with this "popcorn meal" that don't work with regular cornmeal? For example, what would you get if you used this for making polenta? Could you make a "raw polenta" that doesn't require much cooking?


texts: I recently made duck confit in my slow cooker. I purchased a 2 lb container of rendered duck fat for that purpose, which I'd like to save. Is it possible to re-use the fat? If so, how should I store it?


texts: substitute for shiso leaf in umeboshi makizushi

texts: I would like to make umeboshi makizushi, but I don't have access to shiso leaf which is traditionally paired with the umeboshi. Is there any acceptable substitute for the shiso that is more readily accessible in the US?


texts: Why does my cake lack air bubbles and looks like a molten mass?

texts:
I have tried to do cakes many times and I frequently have the problem of my cake not having the bubbly structure I expect, but rather looking like a smooth mass on the inside.

So far I have attributed this to user error, but after my mom also had the same problem I am starting to think if it may be the oven?

What I have noticed is, that I have to frequently bake longer than the recipe suggests until the fork comes out dry. However, when using a thermometer the temperature seems to be generally OK in the oven, although it does seem to fluctuate a bit (+-5°C).

This is what my last iteration looks like:

What I expect is something like this, a structure with many bubbles:


texts: A general rule which applies to different types of bread

texts: As someone who is not new to baking different types of breads, I would like to conclude from different recipes that regardless of what the directions is about you can add dry ingredients together and whisk, do the same thing about wet ingredients and then mix them all together. Is it right or it depends on the bread you are baking?


texts:
I bought these coffee beans in Bali. I tried to grind them up to make a cup of coffee this morning, but they didn't grind properly, leaving lots of big chunks. It was more like grinding peanuts than coffee. The coffee didn't taste or smell anything like coffee either, and it was a really weak brown colour.

I'm assuming that I've gone and bought unroasted beans (although it didn't say anything about that on the pack). Is this the case?


texts: I've often found dirt deep within a leek, under several layers. Going through it all can be a very tiresome process. Is there any trick  you can use to clean a leek, without cutting it up and ruining it's natural shape?


texts: Quantities of salt and MSG for a chicken stock substitute

texts:
I am making a stew, so all I am after in the stock substitute is some saltiness and umami. What would be the correct ratio of water, salt and MSG for this purpose?

I can just attempt to make this by taste, but some input from the community would help me a lot. I am brand new in terms of using MSG as an ingredient.


texts: Perfect Hollandaise every time using a blender/food processor?

texts:
I was a cook at a cafe recently that was buying in Hollandaise. I started making the sauce from scratch following the same basic procedure each time but got varying results. sometimes the Hollandaise would be too thick; more like a butter spread than a sauce. Then, for a real long stretch right up til I got my current office gig, the stuff wouldn't thicken at all and just stayed runny.

This is the procedure i followed every time:

Melt half a pound of butter in the microwave
Carefully separate 2 eggs
Add egg yolks to blender and blend until aerated
Add capful of white vinegar
Add pinch of salt
Slowly add melted butter

What changes should I make to this procedure so my Hollandaise will come out perfect every time? What factors were likely for causing the failed (too thick or not thick at all) batches? And how does the temperature of the liquid butter factor in?

No offense intended to any food purists, but I'm not interested in answers that feature whisks and/or double boilers. Answers featuring blenders/food processors only please. Thank you!


texts:
I have a santoku that I will be wanting to get professionally sharpened in the next few months. This is the first knife I've owned that was reasonably expensive so I want to make sure I take care of it. Are most professional knife sharpening places familiar with the differences in Japanese knife edges vs a more traditional (for the U.S.) German knife? For example, the angle is different and one side is flat on my santoku compared to, say, a French chef's knife.

Aside from just asking them if they know what they are doing, are there any specifics I should look for or questions to ask in finding someone who can do this properly? Also, is there any kind of reasonable price range I should expect or does that vary too much to say?


texts: What to do with left over rejuvelac grains

texts:
I have been making rejuvelac from wheat berries in order to make vegan cheese. After I am through with the rejuvelac, I have been throwing away the wheat berries. I tried to find something else I could do with them. The only things I saw were to grow wheat grass or dehydrate them.

I don't wish to grow wheat grass and do not have a dehydrator.

Is there anything else I could do?


texts: Should I preheat a pan, or start the cooking timer immediately?

texts:
I'm getting ready to heat up a pre-prepared meal (the ones that are kept in the freezer), and the instructions say to place in a pan and cook on high heat for three minutes.

When should the three minute timer start? As soon as I turn on the heat, or after the pan is nice and hot?


texts:
I’ve been trying to make authentic Alfredo sauce using this recipe.  I’m normally pretty good with sauces, but this one is eluding me.

I simmer the pasta water and melt the butter, and everything emulsifiers fine, but as soon as I add the Parmesano-Reggiano I end up with a gooey mess that sticks to the whisk and the bottom of the pan.

I’ve tried freshly grated cheese, cheese grated by the store and several different brands of cheese same result each time.

Am I just doing something wrong in my process?


texts:
We found a nice recipe lately for barbecue sauce and made 3 variations to test out. The problem is: now we have ~3 pints of homemade barbecue sauce that we need to use before it goes bad. (It won't last nearly as long as store-bought stuff with all of their preservatives).

What are some tasty ways to use up our new sauce?


texts: How should I prepare a whole (already roasted) leg of lamb bone for stock?

texts:
So, I already made the leg o lamb and have some set aside for stew after I make the broth.  I chopped the huge bone in half so it will fit in a lobster pot.  The question for me at this time is: will it help to roast the bone for half an hour pre-stock?

I spent so long looking online with no specificity found on this question that I've grown impatient and already started roasting the bone at a lower heat than I might usually--only 325 F-- since I figure it couldn't hurt.  But I wonder if it's necessary/helpful since the bone has been roasted (albeit beneath the meat) for four hours already.

Also, there is a little meat still on the bone before roasting, but mostly connective tissue and stuff.

Thanks for any tips about re-roasting leftover roasted meat bones!


texts: Is "sealing in the flavor" an actual thing?

texts:
Someone mentioned searing food to "seal in the flavor". My response was that searing was a way to add a delicious crust, and nothing more or less. However, I recently noticed a frozen food mentioning their ground beef product is "flash frozen to seal in flavor".

These are really just buzz words, right? Even if you're talking about juices as opposed to "flavor", you can't seal them in, can you? When the product rests the juice will be redistributed, won't it?


texts: Black sludge, black flakes after seasoning

texts:
I recently purchased a new infrared grill. It has stainless steel emitters and porcelain coated cast iron grates above the emitters.

The instructions said to season it. So I put vegetable oil all over the emitters like it advised. I completed tbe seasoning process and turned the grill off and let it be.

I came back to the grill the next day and there are black flakes on the grates and there is a black almost sludge on the emitters.its not completely covering them but it’s like little flakes of black super soft something and the sludge is like a gummy residue.

My question is: the porcelain isn’t like flaming/flaming off or anything right?

I was thinking maybe the heat got to high in the gril and turned the vegetable oil into sludge and than into paper flakes as some of it evaporated or burned off. I’m just scared to use the gril and was looking for some reassurance of what it is or what I should do. I don’t want to call the company and sound horribly stupid so I figure I would come ask you all and get roasted here instead.

My gut tells me it’s the oil and to just clean everything and we are good to go but if it’s defective and dangerous I would rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks


texts: Honey changing into unusable, hardened clump

texts:
I buy raw, unfiltered honey from the grocery store in jars sold/packed directly by the farmer.
When I had used the last jar to about half, I noticed the honey beginning to dry(crystalize?) to the point where I couldn't use the honey around these spots.
Not too long after this, the entire jar had crystallized into a block of unusable hard stuff.

I didn't do anything differently with this jar than the last jar, but only now am I having the issue. My question(s):

Why is the honey crystallizing, and why so rapidly?

1) Is the honey unusable at this point?

2) Should I store the honey differently after purchasing it(move from jar to other container)?

3) I've never seen this happen to the filtered, strained(fake) honey from the store, so what causes this to happen in the raw and unfiltered form?


texts:
I would like to do at home frozen yogurt. Do I have to use an ice cream machine, or is there a technique to prepare it without a machine?

PS: I don't really like ice cream without the machine as the ice crystals are too big. I wonder if the highest density of yogurt helps.


texts: Why cut and discard the base of asparagus, before dipping in water?

texts: Please see this City Super video clip. Why do they recommend truncating the base in step #3 (將蘆筍末端切掉) before standing them in water?


texts: I am trying to make a salad but I can't find a knife at my work. Is there a way I can cut the tomato without a knife?


texts:
Yep.  Every several years, a pot of beans is left unattended, sinks up the place and ends up with a rock formation of encrusted bean matter that can't be removed.

This time, it's my dearly-beloved Calphalon One Anodized Infused pot.  Sigh.

This method got me to the point where the bottom of the pot is nice and clean.  The problem is that there is a ring of burnt-ness starting an inch or so up.  It would be very hard to apply the vinegar/baking soda method to the sides of the pot.

Any ideas?


texts: If you boil cumin or other seeds, do the volatile oils get released into the sauce?

texts: As above, if you use fennel, cumin or other seeds whole, will the oils get released into the pot liquid or must one ground the seed then add for the oils to come out?


texts: Baking or Cooking - why orange and not other sweet citrus fruit?

texts:
In most of the recipes that have any sweet citrus flavoring, it is usually Orange (zest and juice). In fact I've hardly seen a recipe that uses a substitute like mandarin, grapefruit, etc. Is there a reason why orange takes a preference and how easy is it to be substituted with another citrus? Lime and lemon of course are used a lot, but I'm referring to sweeter citrus fruit like orange, mandarin, grapefruit, etc.

The reason for this question is that I was looking for an orange a month back and couldn't find it in any big supermarket. So, I bought a blood orange for its zest but luckily, after hours of looking, found one at a small grocer. So, if the situation comes up again, how do I know what to substitute the orange with? This is the recipe I wanted to make.


texts: Black greasy residue from stainless steel pot on lid only after simmering turkey stock for 18 hours. Question is the stock safe to eat ?

texts:
Is the 18 hour simmered stock safe to eat? I don't want to poison myself .
I cleaned the stock pot and lid before use and when I opened the lid it was this black film like grease. I was able to use bar keepers friend to remove it, but what about the stock? AL clad!


texts: What does "wedge" mean, as in "wedge" a head of Cabbage?

texts: In a recipe on Corned Beef and Cabbage, the instructions read "wedge" the head of cabbage before putting it in the slow cooker.


texts: Many of the recipes for roast marrow bones suggest a short (20min), high temp roast. Are there any reasons to cook them at such a high temperature instead of, say one hour at 350°F?


texts: My bone broth dehydrated in slow cooker overnight

texts: My bone broth dehydrated overnight to the point where the meat and veggies were brown and dry on top. I've added water back in, but was wondering if it is any good.  Perhaps I'll have a batch that tastes different.


texts: Coconut milk/cream vs cow milk in recipes

texts:
I want to know if I can freely substitute coconut milk and/or cream for cow milk in dessert recipes.

The reason I wish to substitute is to try new flavors and explore new frontiers. I have never used or even seen coconut milk or cream before, therefore I have no idea not only if I can substitute them but what to look for in said products.

I saw that my local store sells canned coconut milk and cream, however I am not sure about their quality and have no way to tell from my experience.

In addition what is the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream? Are they like cow milk and cow cream?


texts:
I want to ask the best way to make hazelnut oil using an oven, a blender, and...cheesecloth?

(At this point no online article seems helpful).

My plan is to bake hazelnuts at 300 F for 8-15 minutes until surface has an oily sheen and is fragrant. Afterwards, put into a blender and pulverize until oil is extracted. Filter through cheesecloth.

Is this a sound methodology?

My goal is to mix the fragrant oil into my chocolate sauce recipe (which already has salt, vanilla, brown sugar).


texts: How do I prevent burning when searing in batches?

texts:
Often, recipes require you to brown meat or pan sear meat. When working with large amounts, how do you prevent any of the bits that stick from burning?

A practical example: I marinaded chicken breast fillets with Chinese five spice. Whilest pan frying on a cast iron, pieces of chicken got stuck. Since I had to cook in multiple batches the pieces that got stuck eventually got burnt and ruined any possibility of using the fond (of course, you probably wouldn't use this fond, but this happens with beef too).

I want the cast iron to be hot for a nice browning but raising the temperature inevitably makes any stuck pieces of chicken burn even faster. Oil helps to a point but I don't want to use too much. Cleaning the cast iron becomes a pain because now there's charred patches that are rather hard to properly make out on the black surface. Any ideas?


texts: How can I make sugarless chocolate brownies more moist

texts:
I am making chocolate brownies without sugar using the following ingredients:

cocoa nibs, 1 & 1/4 cups
carob powder, 1/4 cup
margarine, 125 g
flour, 50 g
stevia, 1 tablespoon
vanilla essence, 2 teaspoon
baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon
2 eggs

How can I make the brownie less dry and have more flavor? I don't want to add sugar as it aggravates my skin.


texts:
These days, stocking up on and eating canned food to reduce grocery shopping trips is tempting but reports have found possibly BPA can be an issue with eating certain levels of those foods [1]. Aside from if you believe BPA is possibly harmful or not, can cooking food (e.g., from a can) in a non-BPA container help destroy any BPA in the food? If so, what level and type of cooking may be needed, boiling in water on the stove or simply the standard microwave directions on cans?

Reference:
[1] https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a19993318/canned-food-safety/


texts:
I frequently make wagon wheel (rotelle) pasta (Racconto brand and probably others) for my kids, but the shapes rarely stay intact.  Pieces of the outer edges often break off of most pieces, and some wheels are completely severed in two.

I noticed that pieces are already breaking apart during my initial constant stirring to unstick it from the bottom of the pot.  I do stir it fairly frequently, especially at the start.  I also use plenty of water--three or four inches above the pasta, about three quarts water and one cup pasta.

What can be done to cook the rotelle and help keep it intact?


texts: Canned Stewed Tomatoes without lemon juice

texts: I'm making stewed tomatoes & forgot to put the lemon juice in before sealing the jars. Will they still be ok or should i start over?


texts: How do I remove bitter flavor from lime rind in soup?

texts: I just made a large pot of soup. It's a Mexican Caldo de Res. I added a bunch of lime juice, and thought, hey, maybe i'll throw the lime rinds in there too for a bit. This was a huge mistake. Now the whole thing has a really bitter flavor. I've removed the rinds, are there any suggestions on how to save this?


texts:
I have been trying out brownie recipes baked in a muffin tin. I am using the muffin tin so that I can get all edges. (And I have been decorating the tops!)

My brownies tend to rise, in my opinion, too much. This rising is also not quite uniform for all the brownies. Some are flatter than others. The result tastes fine, but is not dense like other brownies.

Other than maybe air that I beat in, there are no rising agents. How do I stop the brownies rising to get denser brownies?

Edit, recipe ingredients:
Butter
Cooking chocolate
Sugar
Eggs
Regular flour
Vanilla essence
Cocoa powder
Salt

Edit, some of the process: melt butter and choc together, let cool, mix in the eggs, then the sugar, then everything else.


texts: How to to prepare red deer haunch without using high temperature, so that its not dry?

texts:
I am trying to perfect the method of preparing red deer haunch, and so far I was unsuccessful to make a really good one. I already learned to tenderize it with vinegar/papaya/kiwi for 24 hours before cooking, and although it makes it more tender, after cooking the meat still comes out dry.

What method of cooking to use to so that it doesn't come out so dry?

Because of health concerns of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) I'd prefer to use as low temperatures as reasonably possible while still achieving a tasty meal. Similarly out of health concerns, if possible I'd also prefer not to use alcohols or sugars during preparation.

Some tip I've been told is to completely immerse the meat in goose fat and cook on low heat several hours. Is this a good idea or is there a better way to do it?


texts: What are the different effects that different washes produce in baked goods?

texts:
Just before you put something with dough in the oven, often you have to brush it with a liquid.
I've seen recipes that say with egg wash, with egg yolk, with egg white, with milk etc.

Does it make a difference what you use for brushing? If yes, what is best suited for what purpose (shining, browning, I don't know what else)?


texts: Does it have a significance that some coffee beans are shiny and others are dull?

texts:
Some espresso beans have a deep "luxurious" luster while beans from other packages seem dull. Although I have only anecdotal evidence it seems that my usual brand, Altomayo espresso roast, often has the luster while some others don't (always).
Is that from a difference in the beans, or the roasting, or is it just coincidence?
For example, my last package of Lavazza qualita rossa seemed duller. I notice that the Lavazza is a mix of Arabica with Robusta while the Altomayo is pure Arabica but I think some pure Arabica also looked dull in the past. The packaging is very similar, and all samples come in kilogram airtight foil bags.
The luster clearly makes the beans look classier; is it a sign of quality?


texts: Why is there liquid in my macaroni salad, potato salad and tuna salad the day after making them?

texts:
When I make potato salad, macaroni salad, tuna salad, and sometimes ham salad, it seems like there's always a puddle of excess liquid at the bottom of the storage container the next day.

Does anyone know what is causing this or how to prevent it from happening?

I always cook the pasta in water with oil to limit absorption, and I always try to drain it thoroughly. I also always use regular mayonnaise or salad dressing instead of the light ones which have more water in them. A day later, I am always draining off the excess liquid and remixing with mayonnaise all over again.

The supermarket salads never seem to have this problem: what are they doing differently? Can anyone help???


texts: What does a meat thermometer display if the meat temperature is uneven?

texts:
Let's say I'm cooking a piece of meat and the whose outside temperature is higher than its inside temperature. If I stick a meat thermometer through the piece of meat so that part of the needle is at the center and part of it is at the surface, what reading will the thermometer report?

the temperature in the center (minimum temperature)
the temperature at the surface (maximum temperature)
some average temperature

Also, would the reading be skewed if most of the needle is not touching anything? Should I stick the needle through a second piece of meat so that the whole needle is covered?

(Background: I'm thinking of food safety)


texts: Why using both baking powder and sodium bicarbonate?

texts: I have a few recipes at home that call for adding both baking powder and sodium bicarbonate to flour in a cake. Given that the latter is the main ingredient to the former (along with some starch), what's the purpose of using a bit of both?


texts:
Recently I got a bag of dark chocolate chips, 12oz (340g) for $3.95.

(15g per serving) It's total fat content is 4g, 2g of which being saturated. The bag does not state the cocoa content percentage.

(40g per serving) In comparison to another bag of chocolate chips of the same brand labelled as semi-sweet. It has 14g of total fat and 8g of which is saturated fat. However, this pack cost $6.20

My question is, does the fat content affect the 'meltability' of the chocolate when used in chocolate chip cookies? I'm aiming for a cookie that is filled with gooey chocolate rather than firm chocolate chips around. Should I get the semi-sweet pack instead?


texts: Can I RE-freeze chicken soup after it has thawed?

texts: Can I RE-freeze chicken soup after it has been thawed and heated?


texts: What can be used to thicken chili other than masa harina?

texts:
We like to make our own chili and it seems like masa harina is pretty traditionally used as a thickening agent. However, I don't particularly like the flavor it adds and I always have to add more spices after using it.

Does anyone know of other ingredients that can be used in place of the masa harina?


texts: Using steamed rice the next day or later safety

texts: Can someone knowledgeable about Asian cuisine and cooking culture please give me a reason why it's safe to use old steamed rice in a recipe? I know people in Asia typically use old rice to make some common recipes (fried rice, congee, etc.) without a second thought, but I'm constantly told by Westerners that it is risky due to bacteria growth. Anyone know different? Thanks in advance!


texts: Does simple syrup require refrigeration?

texts: I'm curious about plain simple syrup and simple syrup with other ingredients. For instance, cardamon simply syrup. Do other ingredients make a difference?


texts: I'm looking to glaze some carrots, maybe some beets, and a decent chunk of the rest of the season's worth of farmshare. I'm sure there's plenty of recipes on the internet, but I'm looking for some general advice as to method: how to do it properly, what to look out for, etc. Help me out?


texts: How to achieve a crispy skin when roasting a chicken?

texts:
I have an accurate electric oven, but when I attempt to roast a chicken, it always seems to come out more steamed than roasted. A lot of liquid seeps out during the cooking, could this be causing the chicken to seem more steamed than roasted?

Here’s what I do:

I bake a 3-pound roaster chicken at 325-350 deg F, in an electric oven. I place the chicken uncovered on a wire grate over a sheet pan or shallow roasting pan. I seasoned with salt and pepper, following what seems standard procedure in most recipes. I use a meat thermometer and remove the chicken when 160 deg.F. is reached.

I tried dumping out the liquid during roasting, which didn’t help. I even tried browning in a skillet first, but that was just a mess.

I would like to crisp up the skin. How can I do this?


texts: Kitchen knife rust after one day of use?

texts:
I've taken the plunge to buy two expensive kitchen knives and somehow they picked up these stains (rust?) in less than 24 hours of use. I dried them, I thought completely, before putting into the block last night.

I tried to remove with vinegar but the stains didn't come off.

Any suggestions are highly appreciated.

Many thanks.


texts:
i recently cooked a bone-in, 6 lb Prime Rib roast using the "5 minute per lb @ 500F then closed oven for 2 hours" method and it came out absolutely PERFECT!  mediuam rare and delicious.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/221958/chef-johns-perfect-prime-rib/

i have a boneless, 11 pound New York strip roast and was wondering if the same method and calculations can be used to create the same medium rare perfection?  i dont want to take any chances on overcooking this expensive roast!

thank you for your help


texts: This source claims that adding baking soda is crucial when soaking chickpeas. Is this true, and if so, what is the reason that this works?


texts: What's the difference between a souffle and a mousse?

texts: I thought souffles would be baked, while mousses would be only whipped, but I've seen recipes for cooked mousses before. Is this just a case of using the wrong name for the wrong recipe or are there important differences between them?


texts:
I bought some juniper extract for making bath stuff, and it doesn't seem to be very effective for this purpose. I have used juniper berries before, so I thought I might be able to use the extract for cooking or baking. I have not been able to find any recipes online.

Is juniper extract ok to eat? What types of applications would it be good for, I assume whole berries is much better choice for marinades. Would it have the same uses as orange or peppermint extract?


texts: I bought dough containers and would like to know a couple things: When I mix the dough do I put it in the refrigerator right away and can I seal it with the lid on or do I use seran wrap? When I take the dough out how long does the dough have to sit at room temperature? Do I shar it first?


texts: Cooking a nice pan seared steak for picky eaters

texts:
So here's the situation:
I love a tasty steak. I also have really particular family. If the meat is not cooked all the way (aka very little or no pink left) it's still partly raw and no one will eat it. If the meat has globs of fat on or in it, they dissect it and remove them. My Mom buys steak on the principle of the less fat you can see, the better meat it is (and is therefore convinced that more expensive steaks are worse, not better, and not worth the outrageous price). Obviously, my goal is to convince my family that this is not true, so we can have some better beef sometimes. They like delicious food, so I know they'll still love the taste of good beef, IF I can work around the aforementioned roadblocks. After much pleading, I convinced my mom to get to some better steak as a treat for me. She brought me some NY strip (what I asked for), though it's thin cut (it is a bit under 1/2 inch thick, I think). I'm hoping that the thinner meat may actually work in my favor, since it has to be medium well to well done anyway or no one will eat it.

So, a lot hinges on the results of the meal I'm cooking tomorrow, and I want to get it right. After much internet research, here's my game plan:
Remove steak from fridge about an hour before cooking, pat dry and salt it.
Heat a thick bottomed stainless pan to super hot (we don't have cast iron).
Dry steaks off well, coat them in canola oil, and put in the pan. Sear a couple minutes on each side.
A few minutes before finishing, add some butter and minced garlic and spoon over the steaks while they finish cooking.
Take em out, discard the garlic, let them sit a few min while finishing other meal prep stuff, and then slice them up in thin strips (against the grain, of course!) and serve them.

Am I missing anything? Anything else I should know? Thanks!

P.S since I haven't cooked with these before I'm not sure about all that fat my mom is so offended by. I know the marbling makes the steak tender and juicy, but will it cook down somewhat and be less "present and offensive"? Or if I trim what's along the edge before cooking to help avoid complaints, will it ruin the way the steak cooks? Any help here on how to still make a still pretty tasty steak that my family can't be overly snobby about is welcome!

Also, please: if the only thing you have to say is "if you're going to cook it near well done then you're ruining it anyway, so why bother?" DON'T. It's not helpful unless you also have some nice tips on how to make a more thoroughly cooked steak better.

UPDATE: Steaks were actually closer to 1/4 in upon closer examination, and so they cooked really fast. Ended up a bit overdone even for what I had in mind. BUT they still tasted much better than what we usually have, weren't noticeably fattier after cooking, and even overdone weren't as tough as some of our usual beef. I got more compliments than complaints and they seemed to be a hit, so I consider this one a win. My brother said it was the best thing I'd made since I took over most of the cooking. :) The only thing I did differently from my original plan was I cut back on the amount of garlic I used, since I didn't want to overpower the meat's flavor too much, as someone pointed out in their answer. Thanks guys!


texts:
I like milk. So I thought of doing milk with instant coffee. I mean, I have coffee here but it says I should use water. I always use it with water and put a little bit milk.

Can I also use only milk without any water?