texts: Korean rice cakes (tteok) sold unrefrigerated

texts:
I bought some tteok, cylindrical Korean rice cakes, that were displayed on a table. It didn't have a date on it. They seem to need soaking before cooking as they are not very soft but only packaged in a Styrofoam container with plastic wrap.

Is this safe to eat (there was no date on it) or is this the old rice left out issue? Thanks!


texts: Salt 'n pizza (how much salt should be in the dough)

texts:
I've made a pizza today and thought the dough could use a little more salt. I've looked at this answer and have a question about the salt ratio. How is it calculated? The percentage of flour, or the percentage of dough?

My pizza recipe calls for 300 g flour, 150 ml water and 3 g salt. That is 1% of the flour weight, but less of the total weight. If 3% is the recommended salt level for bread, I should be using 9 gr for the flour, or 13,5 g for total weight. That is a huge difference.

Edit: The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 bag of dry yeast (but I use my own mother dough), and 60 ml oil.

Edit: I believe I measured one tablespoon to be 3g :-(


texts:
I currently rent, and the only problem I have with the house we're in is that it has a glass-top range.  I absolutely love my cast iron cookware, and use it as often as possible.

I've heard a few reasons not to use cast iron on glass, including:

You can scratch the glass if you're
not careful
It's very easy to break the glass if
you drop it
You can melt the glass top
(mentioned in linked thread)
It can be hard to minimize hot spots

I'm not very concerned about (1) and (2), as I've already been using cast iron on glass for years with no problems (I'm very careful when I do use it).

While researching (4) I came across (3), something I had never heard before.  So, I now have a few questions:

Is melting the glass really
plausible?  This seems unlikely to
me, as a quick search revealed that
lowest melting point for common
glass types is 1500C or higher, a temperature I have no plans to reach - but
I'm not a physicist or a chemist, nor do I know what kind of glass is used to make a glass top stove.
Is a heat diffuser effective on a
glass range?  I have experienced a
few hot spots on my large (12")
skillet, and obviously when
experimenting with my two-burner
griddle.  Would a heat diffuser help, especially with the two-burner (which I've all but given up with on
glass for now because it's so
uneven).
Any suggestions for safely and
effectively using cast iron on a
glass-top range (short of being very, very careful when moving the pans)?


texts: Which is better, baking in glass or metal?

texts:
How does baking in glass differ from
Baking in metal?


texts: What is the difference between green, white and black tea? Are all based on original tea leaves?


texts: One base cake mix and then make several flavors

texts:
Does anyone know how to make one base cake mix and then make several flavors for cupcakes? I was thinking a basic white cake mix then SPLITTING mix into Vanilla Bean, Chocolate and Strawberry.
Thank you in advance.


texts: Alternatives to serve with a tomato salad

texts: This weekend we are making a Tomato and Chorizo salad. The recipie suggests serving it with goats cheese and ham, but we don't really fancy that. We are trying to think of alternatives to serve it with and we just can't think past Mozzerella. Does anyone have any good ideas of what we can serve with it?


texts: Making Souk. When do I add these Moroccan spices?

texts: I'm making black-eyed peas.  They've been washed, boiled for 2 minutes, set for 1 hour. Now I'm cooking them stovetop on low after bringing to a boil. The spice combination I have is used in making Souk, a Moroccan dish. When do I add the spices?


texts: What does "lightly crushed" mean for cardamon pods?

texts:
I am currently attempting to make the “Fragrant Spiced Rice Pudding” on page 136 of “Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking.”

I am a novice with cooking so forgive me if my question is common sense for those more experienced.

The recipe calls for “2 cardamom pods lightly crushed” along with some other spices which I heat in a pan prior to mixing in any other ingredients. In the image accompanying the recipe I can see he leaves in the vanilla pods, and thiis leads me to believe that I am leaving in the husks of the cardamom pods.

My question is regarding the phrase “lightly crushed.” Does this involve breaking open the husks and crushing the seeds inside or just crushing the husks so that they crack open?


texts: How can I make fluffy chocolate mousse without gelatin?

texts:
I'm not a vegetarian but I don't want to use gelatin.

I have seen various recipes for making mousse but they seem to be the gooey type. I'm looking for a recipe which will set so I can make a mousse cake which can be free standing.

This picture is similar to what I'm looking for:

I have a stand mixer and am happy to use eggs, double cream, etc. and to experiment, but don't want to make a massive amount. I can use agar but so far am always lost as most recipes which call for gelatin cannot easily be converted for use with agar.


texts: Why does fish stick to a pan which is not very hot?

texts:
As we have seen there are several threads about preventing the fish from sticking to the pan by making the pan very hot.

I want to understand why does the fish stick to a pan which is not very hot.

What is the science behind it?


texts:
What is the difference between pink salt and more typical coarse salt (e.g. sea salt)?

I know it is pink due to mineral deposits, but culinarily is it any different? e.g. does it taste different, is it used differently, etc.

Since there may be more than one kind of pink salt, I'm talking specifically about "Himalayan Pink Salt".


texts: Why do my homemade chocolate bars start to melt as soon as I take them out of the fridge?

texts:
I used this recipe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOIN-7zay6g) w/out corn syrup and honey comb bars to make a chocolate bar. The problem is that as soon as I take out a bar from fridge to eat the bar starts to melt within minute. This was my first attempt to make some thing out of chocolate bars. Is this normal/OK? Or do I need to reduce the amount of butter I used?
I made the bars as following

melted two Cadbury's Bournville dark chocolate bars, exactly these http://www.bournville.in/html/cocoa.html, with around 150 grams of butter
added 200 grams of classic salted peanuts
set in the freezer for 2-3 hours

That's it. The average temperature at place where I live is not more than 27 degrees Celsius.


texts:
Let me start with some background info:

99% of the steaks I cook are strip skirt steaks because they are delicious and thin.  This makes them ideal for stovetop cooking.  I usually use a non-stick pan on high heat to brown each side, then medium for 5 minutes to cook the insides.  This works well enough for me, but isn't going to win me any medals.

The Problem:

I'm planning on making steaks for that special someone tomorrow and went to my local butcher today to pick up the skirts.  Unfortunately, they were unavailable, so I picked up a monster flank instead (~2.5 lbs).  I've had incredible flank steaks before, so I like the cut, but I've never cooked it.  The problem is two fold:

1) I assume I cannot cook it the same way as skirt

2) I'd like to aim a little higher on the culinary totem pole

So my question to you is what is the proper way to cook a Flank Steak on my stove or in my oven? Specifically, what are the differences I need to watch out for when preparing a thicker, larger steak.

Some Extra Info:

I have a 12 in non-stick pan and 12 in flat cast iron pan at my disposal
By "proper" I mean the method which will result in the most tenderness.  I've read through this very helpful question and this one as well and certainly plan to take the advice provided.
I have a wonderful dry rub that I plan on using (so no marinades as a mechanism for tenderizing)

Thanks in advance!


texts: How should I store vacuum-sealed sliced salami?

texts:
I had a whole Genoa salami that I sliced into very thin slices. I would like to save the remaining meat for consumption later, so I separated them into approximately 1-pound bags and vacuum-sealed them for storage.

How should I store the bagged salami, and how long can I expect it to keep? The original salami was rated to be shelf-stable with no refrigeration for about 8 months judging by the date on the label, but I'm not sure how that changes once it is sliced.


texts: Why are there no nutrition facts on this US bottle of vinegar?

texts: I recently noticed that a bottle of Heinz white vinegar that I purchased a while back has no nutrition facts label on it despite the fact that it's intended to be used with food. Is there a reason why the label wasn't required?


texts:
I made some beef jerky with Maddog 375 hot sauce (generously poured into the marinade).  It's ridiculously hot and basically unedible (I can eat it but just slowly).

This kinda sucks because I don't enjoy it, and it seems a waste to throw it out, can I do anything to it to reduce the heat on it?  Wash it? Any ideas?


texts: Will I definitely get food poisoning from unrefrigerated meat?

texts: I took a piece of beef steak out of the freezer yesterday at 4pm. I left it on the windowsill until 11am this morning. It stayed pretty chilled because the temperature here is below freezing, but it probably got above fridge temperatures. I then put it in the fridge before I cooked it tonight at 6pm and ate it. Will I definitely get sick?


texts: How do I make chocolate chip cookies taste more buttery? I do use real butter (I have tried both salted and unsalted). Should I try a particular brand? European butter?


texts:
Why Heston Blumenthal says it needs to soak chicken before low-temperature baking in salty solution of water? I always thought that osmosis goes better if water would be unsalted, and meat would be more tender soaked in pure water?

Thanks.


texts: I need help to remove husk from grain - specifically spent grain from the beer production. Does anyone have any kind of experience with that?


texts: What is the proper way to prepare rhubarb as to not poison anyone? What parts of the plant is poisonous? and what general precautions should be done when making food involving rhubarb?


texts: Can I use the same kind of tools to sharpen my knives as I do my chisels?

texts:
I'm not sure if this would be better suited for here or the woodworking stack, so please migrate if needed.

In order to sharpen my woodworking tools (chisels and hand planes), I currently use a DMT diamond plate (the fine and extra-fine, what they call 900 and 1200 mesh). I plan at some point to get a ceramic water stone (e.g., Shapton), probably a 5000 grit to start.

My process involves flattening (or polishing) the back of the chisel / plane iron and then flattening / sharpening the bevel on the front. The process is seen here in a video by Rob Cosman, although he uses a much finer stone.

Is this procedure (that is, diamond plate potentially followed by water stone) appropriate for kitchen knives? Obviously kitchen knives don't have a flat back like chisels do, so both sides of the knife would get a bevel.

My knives are mostly Wusthof classic, and use the chef's knife and santoku most often.


texts: I failed to make yogurt, what have I made?

texts:
In the past I have successfully followed the instructions at makeyourownyogurt.com to make yogurt using siggi's as a starter for the first batch and from then on used the last of the previous batch as a starter.  This worked great for a few batches.

For my latest I used some milk that had just gone off.  It was at that stage where it smells a bit off and will separate in hot liquids.  The end result was not yogurt.  It was very liquid, but smelled like yogurt.  A night in the fridge and it was separated into a white solid and a pale yellowish liquid.  I poured off the liquid, and noticed the solid smelled and tasted like strong yogurt.  I squeezed the solid through a cheesecloth and have obtained a crumbly cheese-like solid with a strong yogurt tang.  I've used it in my oatmeal.  I would put it on a cracker and serve it.

What have I made?  Pot cheese?  Queso Seco?  A mess?
Is there anything I could have done to fix the mistake?
Was he off-milk the likely culprit, or a dead starter, or something else?


texts: How do I identify the fermentation process in a wild ferment?

texts:
TL;DR - How do I go about to identify the microbiological processes in a wild ferment?
Background
I have a recipe for rose hip wine based on wild (spontaneous) fermentation, that I got from a Swedish wine/beer makers forum. The recipe is simple (I've translated and summarized it a bit to make it fit better in the Q&A forum style). I've used the recipe above five times now with good results. The wine becomes very sweet and it has a quite low alcoholic content. It has a strong character of dried fruit and rose hips.
The recipe used

Take 2.5 liters of rose hips. Pick off bad parts but don't clean them with water or desinfect them in any way - make sure the wild microbes are kept!
Make a syrup of 3 liters (0.66 gal) water and 1.5 kg (2.2lbs) white sugar.
Add rose hips and syrup to a big ceramic jar with a plate as a lid (optionally use a proper fermentation lock). Let ferment like this for 3-6 months.
Strain and age on a carboy for 3 years. The taste is terrible initially, quite okay after 1 year, good after 2, excellent after 3.

This differ from most recipes online only on a few parts. (a) this is the only recipe with wild fermentation that I've found (b) the amount of water in other recipes is rather 7-10 liters for the same amount of hips and sugar (c) the first fermentation is 3-6 months instead of the typical 1-3 weeks seen in inocculated wine making (d) other recipes typically have some acid introduced in the beginning. lemons or lemon juince and possible lactic acid.
This is similar to other recipes online in the proportion of hips to sugar, and the recommendation to age 3 years is the same.
The current ferment
This year is the first that I use a fermentation lock. I altered the recipe slightly by admitting oxygen freely the first week, stirring occasionally to get the ferment going. After that, I put the lock on.
The fermentation is slow, but carbon dioxide is released continously. A bubble every minute or so, and has now been going so for 3 weeks. The specific gravity is still very high, so there is sugars in abundance. The smell from the bubbles is a little yeasty. The smell is also a little sour, but not at all like vinager. This is the typical smell this ferment makes!
I've read online that rose hips are high in malic acid, so I guess the long aging is for malolactic fermentation to take place.
The question
I would like to know what fermentation is currently going. Is it yeast or LAB? Could there be other carbon dioxide releasing processes of significance?
This very slow fermentation indicates to me that there might be not enough nutrition to sustain a larger yeast population. It would be nice to do some kind of before/after test if I would ad nutrition to see what effect that has.
I have pH measurements and gravity measurements currently. I consider getting other equipment for up ca $200, such as a microscope.
How does one go about to analyze the fermentation process at this hobby level?


texts: Equipment: Intense candle for nabemono. What is it?

texts:
I went to a Japanese Nabemono (Chankonabe?) place, in Tokyo. The meal was basically a hot pot. But instead of the typical small candle or small methanol pot/gel I've seen used elsewhere, they had a sort of gel that came wrapped in a foil. Unwrapped, it stood on small metal legs.

Once lit, it burned like crazy. Scary even. Nothing like the run-of-the mill methanol burners for fondue. Brought the pot from refrigerator cold to boiling in under 15 minutes. It also happened to stop burning just at the right moment, so I figured it was sized accordingly to the pot. I'm looking for the name or description of this burnable material. Search engines don't seem to bring up anything with this level of power output. I can only find the usual candles or small gels I've seen used in North America.

Anyone familiar with these? I feel really bad now for not having taken a picture.
(I tagged the question fondue, but the level of power would definitely be too high for cheese fondue. This is something for water-based hot pots)


texts: What is a halogen burner or (?) cooktop? How does it work?

texts:
I often order from a restaurant supply store for commercial quality items. I just received a new fry pan and on the label it noted that it was safe for electric, gas, and halogen.

I haven't ever heard of halogen burners or cooktops. I looked up "halogen burner" and the results were for stand alone burners that are electric (plug in).

So, I guess I want to know if halogen burners would have a commercial purpose and what the benefits or downsides would be. And, how do they work?


texts: How to make a good looking cake with a mountain like shape?

texts:
Generally speaking, and not specifying any particular recipe, why does my cake have a small dome on top, while the chef's recipe looks like this:

The dome on top looks like a mountain, with a good looking shape and shiny syrup glaze.

A local chef said that I should add a line of butter on top of the cake batter, so it will help explode in the middle and allow for even cooking.

But I still can't get the mountain shape.

My cake looks good but not as the original:

Is it an oven problem ?


texts: How do you make the shell for this dinosaur egg dessert?

texts:
I found this very interesting dessert online:

How can I make this? In particular, how would you make the eggshell?


texts:
I have a big Eucalyptus Gunnii (If I am not mistaken) tree just out my door. It smells splendid and I have always wanted to know if I could make tea out of its leaves. However, something stops me: I don't know this tree, it could be dangerous to ingest. Can you tell me otherwise?

This is what the tree looks like:


texts: Mystery "organ" on the underside of chicken thighs?

texts:
There is a small, round, black "organ" under chicken thighs, and some people like to eat it.  Identifying this seems to be quite the lingering Internet mystery.

They are there on prepared fried chicken--specifically Popeye's, but I'm sure it's there on any prepared bone-in chicken thigh.  I've read various claims that it's the "oyster", liver, kidney, or a blood vessel.  By "under" the thigh, I mean that it's found on the bony side opposite the meat.

See these pages: 1,  2, 3.  There are tons more if you search.

Photos follow: Chicken thigh with gizzard thing exposed, then removed, then cross section.


texts: What causes the sugar to turn grainy after I have cooked it for a glaze or cooking it with butter for carmelizing?

texts: I tried several times to cook the glaze for a strawberry glaze pie and the sugar, water, and cornstarch would thicken but then the sugar would turn grainy.  I have also tried to boil water, sugar, and butter to make a carmel type sauce to pour over corn curls and it thickens and seems to be fine but then turns grainy right after I take it off the stove.


texts: How do you cook grass-fed beef so it is not tough?

texts:
I recently went to a farmers market and bought some grass-fed beef.  I went with what we normally buy, and got a couple of bone-in thick cut ribeye.  I typically prepare this by liberally applying salt and pepper, letting it come to room temp, grilling (gas) over high heat for a few minutes on each side to about 125-130, then letting it rest for 10 minutes or so.  This gets it to a good medium-rare after resting.  I then slice it across grain, cutting each piece about .25 inch think.

This works great, and loved it every time.  I love the ribeye since it has a good amount of fat (thus flavor), and it not too tough.

The guy we bought the grass-fed beef from warned us that they typically are a little tougher and less fatty so they typically marinate overnight.  I thought this was odd for a ribeye, and prepared it like normal.

Although the flavor was VERY BEEFY (almost too much), way more than the typical high end (probably corn fed) beef we buy, it was SO tough.  It was like leather.  I guess this is not uncommon for grass-fed beef, but what should I do next time to make this more enjoyable?

Marinate?  Emulate dry aging by cooking low temp for a while, then grilling?  Any other tips?


texts: Shelf life and Validation of Coconut Milk?

texts:
I use coconut milk for a pasta dishes, then put the carton back in the fridge.  I may use some of it for a coffee additive, the use plenty more for another pasta dish or recipe.   Alas, I do not cook at home all that often, and sometimes the stored coconut milk tastes bad, so I toss it and go to the store for a fresh carton.

What is the shelf life, in a fridge, of coconut milk?   Is it actually bad if it tastes bad, or could it still be used at least for some purposes?  How to tell if it's about to go bad even if I can't smell anything out of line?


texts: How do espresso machines hold pressure at all?

texts:
Kind of a science question: I've been hacking the electronics of a cheap espresso machine a bit to see if I can get better results, and was wondering - espresso is recommended to be brewed at around 130 psi of pressure. That's a lot. My machine is a single-boiler steam pressure machine, and from what I can tell it barely manages 5 psi when pushing water through the puck.

When I use compressed air to step up the pressure to 60psi, the water shoots through in about 1 second - a tiny bit less than the recommended 25 sec :). So how is this supposed to work in a "real" high-end machine? Seems to me the tamped coffee is never going to be able to offer up that much resistance, to where 130 psi of back pressure could be sustained.


texts: Can I use fermented milk product as starter culture?

texts: Can I use fermented milk product as starter culture for vegetable fermenting?


texts: Vanilla fudge attempts turn into caramel

texts:
I am absolutely addicted to making my own candies and confections, and I just adore making all kinds of fudge and truffles.  However, I seem to have this issue whenever I go with a very simple recipe: vanilla fudge.  I get caramel. Every. Single. Time.  Don't get me wrong - it's delicious!  But it's definitely soft caramels, not creamy vanilla fudge.  Where am I going wrong?

Heat ingredients to soft ball stage *about 235.  Remove from heat and pour into kitchenaid mixing bowl.  Let sit til cooled to 110.  Add vanilla and beat on low until mixed.  Step up a speed, a minute at a time, until at medium high.  Beat until no longer shiny.  Pour into sheet pan to rest and set up.

Caramels.  Every. Single. Time.

Help?


texts: Why are store bought paninis only par baked?

texts: I bought some mini paninis from the super market and the packet had instructions to bake them again for another 5-6 minutes before serving. Why are paninis sold par baked and not completely baked like other bread?


texts: I baked some cookies and did not realize the flour might have been too old.  It has been stored in my canister on the counter.  Can rancid flour make anyone sick?


texts: I successfully canned one batch of roasted red pepper pasta sauce but had to step away from the kitchen for a half hour. When I came back the sauce was still warm so I heated it a bit more while I boiled my next set of jars. Everything looked good going into the water bath canner, but when I started to pull them out sauce started bubbling out of the jars. Did I somehow ruin the sauce by letting it cool then reheat? Can I somehow save it and re-can or should I bag and freeze it. Thanks all.


texts: Making a gelatin-based and non-sticky "salmon"

texts:
I am trying to make sweet sushis that look like standard (savory) ones.
Most of them I can make easily (using black-coloured pancakes as nori sheets, grapefruit as salmon, kiwis as avocado, and s.o.).
But I am stuck when I try to simulate a slice of salmon around the rice.
Something like that
I read a hint from a (french) recipe : using a mixture of gelatin and fruits purée, spread over a silicon sheet.
Unfortunately, I have tried it many ways, but kept encountering the same pb : it's sticky and nearly impossible to remove from the silicon without tearing it miserably.
My question is not about how to simulate the salmon slice (I will find other ideas), but about how I can (or IF I can!) make such a gelatin-based slice that I can easily remove from the silicon (or whatever tool you may suggest)
Any idea/hint?


texts: How long does unwhipped whipped topping last in the fridge

texts:
I have a defrosted container of frozen non-dairy whip topping (specifically, Rich's Rich Whip). How long will it last in the fridge before I whip it?

It's essentially a non-dairy substitute for cream. It comes in a frozen container. You defrost it and then whip it up to make non-dairy whipped cream. Ingredients (from the Rich Whip FAQ):

  water, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated coconut oil, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, contains less than 2% of the following: carbohydrate gum, sugar, polysorbate 60, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, salt, sodium alginate, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, sodium citrate, natural flavor, colored with turmeric and annatto extracts.


texts: What grains and/or technique will result in a thin pancake with a artisan bread type structure?

texts:
I have tried whole wheat flour, using more fat, using more liquid, but not
getting good texture - usually just a weaker pancake. I'm trying to get a thin pancake with texture that is hearty,somewhat porous and tender.


texts:
I learned, that "marinating" for days before cooking, doesn't actually work, since nothing can actually penetrate the meat very deep.

However, with salt, it seems to be a different story.

Does that mean, that marinating works, but only the salt is actually penetrating the meat?

And does that also mean, that when dry brining, you should rather only use salt in order to maximize its absorption and not have other stuff stand in the way?

Are there other ingredients, which penetrate the meat in a matter of days, like salt?


texts:
I just got this from the Asian supermarket:

It says on the back "product requires cooking before consuming!", but nothing else.  How does one cook frozen Ban Su Xue?


texts: Which materials used for plates absorb microwaves?

texts: I was thinking about getting plate that can be safely heated by microwave. What material should I look for? My point is to (partialy) turn microwave into induction heater. Plate like this is already sold by Samsung as "crusty plate", but those are hard to come by - I have seen them only along with new microwave.


texts:
I have a favorite carrot cake recipe that I have made many times.  it is always beautiful and tasty (although I am sure some would debate that since it contains pineapple).  However, that last two times I made it, it went into the pan looking normal, came out looking normal, and within 3-4 hours it turned a very dark grey, almost black even.

I am guessing that there was some sort of chemical reaction going on involving the pineapple.  i used a different brand than usual while everything else stayed the same.  I will say I haven't yet tried switching back to the original brand of pineapple to see if that solves it (haven't had a chance, but a good scientist - which i am not - would do that pronto).

The contents are :
2.5 C whole wheat flour
2   C brown sugar
2   t cinnamon
1   t nutmeg
1   t cardamom
2   t baking powder
1   t soda
.5  t salt
1   C chopped walnuts

4     eggs
1     egg white (or just another egg)
3   C shredded carrots
2   C crushed pineapple, with juice (no measure on the juice, just "some")
1   C veg oil
2   t vanilla

Anything there the pineapple would be reacting with?  And why oh why would it be great for many years and then start turning so sickly looking?


texts: How much turkey should I plan per person?

texts:
For the holidays, I plan to do a turkey, but I need to order in advance since the place I'm buying from is popular and usually sells out in pre-orders. Estimates of how much turkey to plan per person vary widely across the internet; does anyone have authoritative data on how much turkey to buy? There's clearly a difference between a small child and a hefty eater, for example, and I'd imagine the meat-to-bone ratio changes as the turkey gets larger or smaller. I also want to plan to have leftovers, since my family enjoys leftover turkey sandwiches. Does it matter how many sides I plan to make?

Note that this is for Americans at Thanksgiving, so portion sizes are intended to be larger than normal.


texts: Why won't my butter and milk mix when trying to make cream?

texts:
I wanted to make a heavy cream substitute.

Here's what I tried:

Melted butter and stored it in a cup.

The pot I melted it in was not washed.

Used the same pot to boil milk.

Afterward, the milk looked yellowish with bubbles on it.

Strained the milk and put it in the refrigerator until it's cool.
Added the melted butter to the milk.

They wouldn't mix. They stayed separate like oil and water.

 My questions:

Why wouldn't they mix? And how do I get them to mix?
Why did the milk look that way? Was it because of the remaining butter in the pot?
How can I make use out of this milk and butter?


texts:
Many recipes for the raw-egg yolk sauces and dressings suggest using pasteurized eggs for safety, and say they are available in stores.  I've never seen them for sale anywhere.  Generally I accept the 1 in 30,000 risk of salmonella (healthy, young, comfortable with calculated risks);  however, when I cook for others, I feel uncomfortable exposing them to the risk.

Now I'm wondering:

Where can I obtain pasteurized or irradiated eggs?
Are they only available in special stores, or in certain regions?  Just in big cities, or in Europe?
Is there an easy way to pasteurize your own eggs (preferably in the shell) without affecting texture?
How does using pasteurized eggs impact the shelf life of homemade mayonnaises and custards?


texts: Is the double boiling canning procedure really necessary?

texts:
It seems the usual procedure is to sanitize cans and lids by immersing them in boiling water, to fill the cans, and then to cap them and boil for a few more minutes.

If I sanitize a can and then fill it with boiling jam, and cap it with a sanitized lid, then why bother with the extra boiling?   It seems like a totally redundant step.

Conversely, if you are going to immerse the filled cans in boiling water to process them, then why bother pre-sanitizing them?

This makes no sense!


texts: How can you prevent the lettuce from wilting if covered with something hot?

texts:
If I want to make a shrimp salad, I put the lettuce and other raw vegetables on the plate, cook the shrimps and put them on the veggies. However, after a minute or so, the lettuce becomes soft, like it's wilting, probably because of the heat.

Is there a way to slow this process down? It's not easy to make a simple salad for multiple persons that looks nice when you deliver it.

I'm pretty sure this also applies to other vegetables and other cooked food. If not, please mention so in your answer.


texts: Using pastry flour for standard sourdough bread recipe?

texts:
I am trying to make sourdough bread, but was only able to get whole wheat pastry flour (due to covid). Characteristics of this flour (from Bob's Red Mill) are: 1) low protein content 2) stone ground 3) super fine/densely milled. So far, my results have been very bad: both starter and dough are rising very slowly, and after reshaping, dough will not rise much. Standard (i.e. not for pastry flour) recipes I tried so far are:

Sourdough focacia
Beginner sourdough bread

How can I do to use this pastry flour for a sourdough bread? Are there specific recipes? Any parameters I should adjust, such as water content, rising times, starter feeding, etc?

Thanks!


texts: Can you become a chef without cooking school?

texts: Is there some other path to becoming a professional chef? If I wanted to teach myself, what would that kind of "program" look like?


texts: How to consistently get golden beads on meringue topping?

texts: Sometimes, golden beads form on my cheesecake with meringue topping. I very much like this effect, but I can't get it to appear consistently. Can anyone give advice as to what to pay attention to?


texts: JKWhy is my brisket rubbery when I cooked it

texts:
Injected, cooked until 160, wrapped, cooked until 200, just like it says online. Still very rubbery and tough.

Maybe my meat thermometer is inaccurate? Maybe I should go beyond 200 next time.

It was a very small brisket, about 4.5 pounds.


texts:
I found this old wok in my new apartment, and I was wondering if it would be useful (and safe) to use after completely scrubbing off this kind of black enamel, which is already wearing down.
What kind of lining do you think it is? It is black and glossy, not a matte finish like your classic Teflon or any other non-stick lining I've seen before.


texts:
I am making an old family recipe for Easter Bread, but I would like to make a vegan version of it for a friend.

The non vegan ingredients that the recipe calls for are:

milk (substituting with almond milk)

butter (substituting with Earth Balance)

3 egg yolks

Help!! I can not think or find a good alternative to just 3 egg yolks. I am questioning the consistency of a lot of the suggestions I have found online.

Thank you in advance for all suggestions and ideas!


texts:
If I buy dishes, such as garlic chicken, from take-away restaurants, the garlic appears to be in small white particles in the meal.

How do restaurants chop up the garlic for this purpose?  Are they using some kind of food processor, or do they purchase pre-made garlic sauce from a supplier?


texts: Is it okay to keep flour in the freezer?

texts:
Years ago I noticed I was getting little bugs in the flour that I kept in the pantry.  To prevent this, I started keeping my flour in the freezer.  I don't do a lot of baking, but I was wondering what effects this might have on anything I do bake.

Do baked goods turn out any differently when flour is kept in the freezer vs flour kept at room temperature?  Also, if it's okay to freeze flour, how long will it last this way?


texts: How does replacing some butter with shortening affect rising / leavening in cookies (biscuits)?

texts:
I have been replacing half (half a cup) of the butter called for by some cookie recipes with half a cup of shortening and have noticed that some of these cookies rise less than I expect.

Is there any difference in rising power of butter compared to shortening?  If so, how do I counteract that difference?


texts: Should I cook frozen salmon differently from fresh salmon?

texts: I bought some frozen wild-caught salmon fillets for the first time so see how we like it.  Can I broil it the way I usually cook salmon, or does the freezing process lend itself better to other methods, like sauteeing or poaching, or does it even matter?


texts: Where can I find this exact spatula, with a short handle and asymmetric head?

texts: What kind of spatula is this? My boyfriend's father has this and I want to get him a new one for Christmas but cannot find it. It does not have a brand on it and he does not know where the spatula came from.


texts:
Can I just put a stack in the freezer, with some paper between each? Do I need to make any changes to my ingredients (Milk, Flour, Butter, Sugar, Salt, Eggs) for efficient storage?

When I reheat them in the pan, will they regain the same texture?


texts: What is this cutting spatula with holes? (See photo)

texts:
What is this tool? What is it called and what is it for?

It's like a steel angled spatula with a cutting end and holes on the tip. It's not big (see the finger for reference), little more than a centimeter wide in the tip. The cord in the photo is just something in the floor.

I've tried to find this in Google Images several ways to no success.


texts: There are only 3 rack settings in my gas oven.  I have baked on the top rack and my bread is raw. Which one should I use to cook at 350f for 35-40 min.


texts: Why do Vietnamese dishes feature cut-up meat with the bone in?

texts:
Except pho, it seems most Vietnamese soups and similar dishes feature meat that is already cut up into bite-sized pieces.  It would seem that this is a very nice way to have meat served because you can simply eat each piece without having to cut it up yourself.  However, many times there's a bone in that piece of meat.

I just don't understand why someone would cut the meat up into small pieces without cutting around the bone.  Cutting through beef and even chicken bones isn't a trivial task so it must be a decision that is made because of the bone, not in spite of it.  Personally, it ruins a meal that might otherwise taste good (especially when it's soup) to have to try to bite around the bone in a piece of meat.  Is the bone left in the meat simply to preserve flavor?


texts:
What does liquid glucose do for a marshmallow?

Has anyone replaced liquid glucose with golden syrup or any other syrup for that matter?

What are the effects of using alternatives for marshmallows?

I see a lot of American recipes have corn syrup as a ready alternative but this is not widely available in the UK.


texts: How to seal a jar with a jam so that it can be opened without breaking the lid?

texts:
When I make a jam, I put it while it's hot into a jar, then close the jar with its lid (a single-piece, screw-on metal lid) and put in cold water. After doing this, I can usually keep the jam outside the refrigerator for months. But, when I try to open the jar, it is very difficult and in many cases I have to use a plyer to fold the lid open.

Is there a way to seal a jam for long-term preservation, such that it can also be opened easily?

EDIT: I just bought a jam at the supermarket. It is canned just like my jams - in a glass jar with a single-piece screw-on metal lid. It can remain on the shelf for months without refrigeration. Opening it is very easy - I just twist the lid slightly and it opens. I don't need to use force or any special tool or technique. The lid remains intact and can be used again. HOW DO THEY DO THIS?


texts: What happens to dough when sugar is added?

texts:
I've been experimenting with a brioche recipe. After mixing the first few ingredients (flour, liquids, etc.) and develop some gluten, I add the sugar per the recipe's instructions. At this point, it seems that the dough starts taking on a different texture -- smoother, and almost wetter-looking.

What exactly is happening to the dough when sugar is added? Why is the texture changing? Is it really getting wetter? I doubt the sugar turning into a liquid during kneading to cause this effect. I'm assuming something else is going on???


texts:
I am looking for a new set of cookware.

Being a graduate student, I don't
earn much money, so I'd like to know
if there are some suggestions about
    what are available on the market
    with reasonable quality and price,
    according to your experience. Mine
    current set is Cullineary Edge 7PC s/s Cookware Set - Bakelite Handle

It cost me around $20~30. However
    after three and four years, the
    bakelite knobs and handles started
    to become shaky, more or less, and I
    have to tighten their screws every
    now and then, until it became
    impossible recently. But still I can
    bear its quality, with its
    relatively low price.  I found some on
    the internet, such as

Cook N Home 7 Piece Stainless Steel    Cookware Set,
Fntinc 02207 7Pc Cookware Set -    Bakelite Handle,
Mainstays 7-Piece Stainless Steel    Cookware Set
Cuisine Select Alverton 7 Piece    Stainless Steel Cookware Set.

It kind of confuses me, because they
all look similar to my current set
but with different levels of
customer reviews
As I searched on the internet, I
prefer those health-friendly, and
the only thing I know is to choose
stainless steel without non-stick
Teflon and aluminium. For example,
Cook N Home 7 Piece Stainless Steel
Cookware Set

Its features are:

Mirror polished stainless steel body
Aluminium capsuled bottom
Stay cool bakelite handle and knobs
Tempered glass lid
Dishwasher safe

I am concerned about the usage of
aluminium. According to
what it says, is aluminium just used
on the outside of the cookwares and
in no contact with food inside? What
is the purpose of "Aluminium
capsuled bottom"?

Thanks and regards!


texts: Can I substitute agar-agar for gelatin in pudding?

texts:
Can china grass (agar-agar) be substituted in place of gelatin when making pudding?
Or is there any other ingredient i could use as a substitute that could give me better results?


texts: How to make a facsimile of corned beef from (plant-based) ground?

texts:
I became vegetarian about a year ago, and one thing I still crave constantly is corned beef hash. I've found that impossible meat has been a fairly good substitute for when I really crave a dish with beef in it, and I just cook it like I would have cooked real ground beef - but I'm flummoxed about how to replicated corned beef.
In my (limited) experience, corned beef is made by marinating an entire brisket, then slow cooking it. But of course I only have a vegetarian substitution for ground beef, not for a big slab (as far as I know, no brand of fake meat does pieces that could be marinated). I've never heard of marinating ground beef, and worry that trying to copy this directly wouldn't be a good idea.
Does anyone have any ideas about how to impart corned beef seasonings/spices into a (plant-based) ground beef dish?


texts: What do the numbers on my deep fryer dial mean?

texts:
I'm very new to cooking. I bought a second-hand deep fryer, without a user manual. The dial has these numbers on it:

What do the numbers mean? Do they refer to wattage, or temperature (degrees C/F?)?

How do I find out what types of foods are best suited for each of those numbers, or what settings are appropriate for each food? For example, to which setting should I set the dial for fried chicken?


texts: What is the difference between kosher salt and unprocessed sea salt?

texts:
I have read that the difference between sea salt and kosher salt is that sea salt is generally processed in that it has minerals added to it which were lossed during the evaporation process while kosher does not.
Somebody also told me sea salt is inefficient for brining and it contains impurities
I have also read that unprocessed sea salt and kosher salt is the same thing.

I am using saxa sea salt which on the box says is 100% natural and has no ingredients added.  This being the case is it the same as kosher salt or not?

**

Thank you for your answer.  I would like to add a related question.  You said sea salt does not stick very well to meat during brining.  Does this point apply to dry brining only or does it apply to brining in a water solution where the salt is dissolved?


texts: Can I replace eggs, oil and water with apple sauce or just eggs?

texts: So I am wanting to make chocolate zucchini bread and I plan on buying muffin mix from the store. I generally use apple sauce to replace eggs but I know the muffin mix also asks for water and oil. Do I add extra apple sauce to replace those two as well? If so, how much?


texts: Why does my girlfriend love onions, but hate garlic?

texts:
So, my girlfriend absolutely loves garlic, but hates onion with a burning passion. I'm reading up on this - they're both allium vegetables, and that's cool and all. But why is she offended by onions, lukewarm on leeks, and greedy for garlic? Chemically, what's going on, here?
I plan to experiment with various kinds of onions to obtain more data.


texts: What is a good method to clean stainless steel hot water pot?

texts:
Cleaner / Stripper

Note - If this question requires more information to be a better fit for the website, please comment so that I can make it a better question.

I have seen the suggestions over at the following thread: Given the images of my pot and the nature of the stains (not sure if they are grease or what, we do use the pot only for boiling water, but the stains feel thick and somewhat greasy). I have no interest in buying a new pot as this one seems serviceable.

To be honest I can't recall if the pot was this orange color or not but at this point, I'd like to end up with a stainless steel pot stripped down. Please give me a solid recommendation to accomplish this objective.

Thanks in advance.

BTW ~

I've already used a lot of elbow grease and Brillo pads with cold water to get to this point (~ 1hour). I am hopeful that any solution could simplify the task.


texts: Reducing acidity in Northern Indian Cuisine (chana masala)

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I have been buying various spice mixes to make Pakistani/North Indian food myself. My issue is that in dishes with yoghurt and/or tomatoes, the end result always winds up being too sour. It happens with my karahis and also, most annoyingly, with channa masala.
I have tried various kinds of yoghurts, including plain low-fat yoghurt but also a Turkish one I found which had 10% fat. The result didn't change much. So, I don't think the type of yoghurt I am using is the problem.
Other than the acidity these dishes turn out alright. Which steps can I take to reduce the acidity of my dishes?

Update
I am restricting this question to chana masalas since that's what I have played around with the most. However, I am open for more general answers as well.
I usually put about half the amount of onion as tomatoes. Other than that, I usually follow the recipe on the box. The one I am currently using is this one.


texts: I just made pho. It turned out great but for one thing, I found the cinnamon flavor to be just a tad overwhelming. No worries, I just added more of everything else to bring balance to the broth. It made me wonder though. I picked up all of the spices at a halal grocery, including cinnamon sticks. The ingredient list on the package just says "cinnamon", the product was imported from India. The sticks are bigger and fatter than I am used to, and the flavor did seem extra strong. Is this a picture of "cinnamomum verum" (ceylon), as opposed to the more familiar (to me) "cassia"?


texts:
I have been putting up Kirby cucumbers following Grandma's recipe for over 30 years using just 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, garlic, spices, dill, alum and water (NO VINEGAR). I'm using dishwasher-cleaned wide-mouth Ball Quart jars stuffed with the ingredients above.

After boiling new lids and rings, my husband sealed them as tight as he could and we immediately put them in a crawl space for 6 weeks to 10 months before opening each jar.

This worked like a charm in the midwest. Since moving into an apartment in CA we have struggled to find a basement or crawl space to store opened jars, so I put all 26 quarts in my second refrigerator.

It's been a couple of weeks now, and I'm worried about fermentation and storage for the rest of the "pickling time."  Will my cucumbers still "pickle" in the refrigerator (turned up to 46 degrees?)Can I remove them to store in an above-ground dark closet or above-ground crawl-space at friends after having been in refrigerator for these weeks or longer?Note that we're having a heat wave right now.


texts: What type of vegetable oil should I use for tempura?

texts:
If I want to make a really superior vegetable or seafood tempura, what kind of oil should I use, and what temperature should I heat it to?

I've been using refined peanut oil (Lion & Globe brand) and heating it to around 375F.  However, the results haven't been as good as I'd like them to be.  Would using a different type of oil help?


texts: Are ripe meyer lemons supposed to be soft?

texts: At the grocery store they were selling meyer lemons in mesh bags, they all seemed to be much softer than an ordinary lemon. Are meyer lemons supposed to be a very soft fruit? just touching them lightly was like I was squeezing a rubber ball, I can't even think of another fruit that would have that much give.


texts:
I have a medium-end, drop-through burr espresso coffee grinder (a Solis Maestro Plus).  I haven't cleaned it since I first bought it, and I thought it was about time.  Both the plastic bean funnel and the grounds drawer were coated in extremely stubborn caked-on coffee oils and grounds.  So, some questions:

Getting the caked coffee oil off the plastic parts was very difficult, requiring multiple soakings in hot water and citrus-based dishsoap.  Was there an easier way to do this?
How do I clean the burrs themselves, now?  I can't remove them from the machine.  Presumably I can't use water, and I certainly can't soak them.

Thanks for any advice!


texts: What effect would replacing the egg in a pie crust with egg whites have?

texts: Based off of the recipes I've read it seems like adding an egg to a pie dough makes it easier to work with and improves the final flavor and texture of the crust. So would adding only egg whites make a drier/flakier crust? Or at least cut down on any egg flavor that might come through?


texts: Simple recipe that when combined in a different order yields different food?

texts:
I'm trying to organize a science demo, and one of the lessons I'd like to get across is that information and order matters when ingredients are combined! Mixing together a pile of raw chemical elements, of the same amount that is in a human, won't produce a human.

Is there an easy, simple recipe in which, when the ingredients are combined differently, you get two "different" foods (or foods which people perceive as being different)?

EDIT: I'm hoping to find something that's not just "a cooked/baked thing" and "the same cooked/baked thing thats all mashed up" if possible


texts: Are screwed on pot handles an indication of quality?

texts:
Is the use of screwed on handles any indication of the quality of a pot?

What determines the choice of screws versus rivets or welds?


texts: Can I safely eat uncooked raw chicken that has been in my freezer over a year?

texts: Can I safely eat raw uncooked chicken that has been in my freezer since April 2018 (over a year)?


texts: Microwave watt does it vary according to temp settings

texts: I have an inverter of 600watt.  If I want to use a microwave of 700watt on the inverter and set the microwave temperature on medium and not high does the watt output of the microwave become less the lower the temperature?


texts: What to do with the olive oil from canned sardines?

texts:
Olive oil is good for you, and it seems wasteful to throw it away.  Yet all recipes call for draining the sardines prior to usage.
Any good ideas on what to do with that olive oil?
Is it some bad kind of olive oil maybe?  Very low quality?  What would that even mean?  Some of the canned sardines say it's "extra virgin olive oil", which should be a good kind.


texts: Can I make a buttercream using cacao butter?

texts: My nephew have lactose allergy and I want to bake his birthday cake , were we live we don't have a lactose intolerance products but I found a cacao butter can I used to make buttercream frosting??


texts: What are potential causes of splitting in baked pie dough?

texts:
I'm trying to identify some potential causes to what might cause the splitting (pictured below).

You can see from the photo that the top and bottom, to a lesser extent, are fine. However the other 2 have significant separation.

Having made other batches with the same dough recipe and same the same filling recipe and not having any splitting I am curious of what other things I can look at and tweak to try and prevent this behavior.


texts: How can I tell the difference between a rabbit and a cat?

texts:
I received a shipment of prefabricated skinned rabbit last week and the shipment seemed unusual. Rabbits have a very close resemblance to cats once their “hair” and skin have been removed. Is there a telltale sign that I’m working with Bugs Bunny, not Sylvester?

I have a suspicion that Elmer Fudd is running out of legitimate product.

All jokes aside, how do you tell the difference?


texts: Should maple syrup be stored in the refrigerator?

texts: Is there any reason to store maple syrup in the refrigerator? It tastes better when it's a little warmer.


texts: New oven still puts out terrible odor 5 days after buying?

texts:
I recently bought a new convection oven/microwave/grill combo made by Sharp. The user manual said for first time use to run the convection oven at max heat (230C) for 1 hour, which produced a verybad odor but I felt like this was normal. Now, even 5 days later, after cook several frozen pizzas/french fries/bacon and other good stuff, the oven still produces a bad odor when in use.

Can something be done about this or should I expect it to go away after some more time?

Here's the exact oven combo if you're curious, https://sharp.vn/vn/index.php/thiet-bi-gia-dung/lo-vi-song/dong-dien-tu/299/r-c951dvn-st-1-detail


texts: For what culinary reason would a bread recipe choose skim milk?

texts: Skim milk is specified for the whole wheat bread recipe list included with my new bread maker. Is there a particular culinary reason to specify skim milk not skim milk/whole milk? The other ingredients are whole wheat flour, self-raising flour, salt, sugar and yeast.


texts: Can I substitute almond meal for breadcrumbs in meatballs?

texts: I am gluten-free and want to make some turkey meatballs. I was thinking about putting almond meal in the mixture. Would that be okay instead of breadcrumbs? If not what would be a good substitute?  I don't really want to buy breadcrumbs or bread for one thing of meatballs. This is not something I make very often.


texts: We had some great organic popsicles made from pineapple. They were a bit pricey so we decided to make some ourselves. The problem is that we can't get them to release from the plastic molds very well. Other than running them under hot water, is there a trick we can use to get these things to release a little easier?


texts: Collecting & using cooking profiles on foods like coffee roasters do

texts:
With precise devices like sous vide, which have sensors like thermometers that you can download readings from, I am curious if people have started collecting 'cooking profiles' much like coffee roasters do when they measure temperature, moisture, etc while roasting beans?

An example profile, showing environment and bean temperature versus time:

see also: some forum discussion of profiles, and a video of someone using one

These are used in coffee roasting to help produce the best roast you can.  Different beans usually have different profiles and even different roasting equipment.  The profiles can be used to experiment with different settings like temperature and air flow.  They can even be used to control those settings.

I'm curious if people are experimenting in this way with other foods?  For example I could imagine eggs being very interesting with their three different layers.


texts: I am trying to make alfajores, following this recipe. What steps should I take to make them more crumbly?


texts: Should I not sear and broil eye of round the way that I do filet mignon or chuck tenderloin?

texts:
I recently started cooking filet mignon for my wife (I hate steak/beef myself) every once in a while by (1) coating the steak in a melted butter rub (that has a bit of salt and pepper), then (2) searing each side for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat, and finally (3) broiling in the oven for approximately 8 minutes. The results have been fantastic (or so she tells me), despite my mere aping of some instructions I found online.

After a while, I decided to try another cut, and repeated the same process with some 1-inch thick chuck tenderloin steaks. These happened to curl up quite a bit while searing, but the end result was apparently again quite delicious (and my wife liked their curled up shape to boot :-). So far so good.

Well, I tried the same method with some 1-inch thick eye of round steaks, and the results were quite disappointing. When I seared them, they failed to brown quickly, and perhaps because I then overdid the searing, the steaks came out pretty tough (and visually unappealing too IMO). Should I not have tried to cook this cut this way, or is that aspect just a red herring? There was one other difference: in my previous efforts, I completely neglected the idea of letting the steaks come to room temperature for a while before cooking, whereas this time I let the steaks sit out for a little over 30 minutes before proceeding. But since that is apparently what one is "supposed" to do, I wouldn't think that that would yield my one poor result so far, but I really don't know.

  If it's at all possible to determine from the information I've given here, where did I go wrong?


texts:
I bought a Hamilton Beach slow cooker a while ago. I never had success with it since all the stuff that I made didn't smell good. I finally figured out that it was the rubber gasket on the lid that smelled bad. I don't know if the smell was concentrated food aroma or burnt rubber. I soaked the lid in vinegar overnight and then rinsed it. The smell was gone. I then made some pinto beans in the slow cooker and the gasket again stinks, this time similar to a very very strong pinto bean smell. I am thinking of either giving up on slow cooking or buying a crock pot brand. My questions:

Is the extremely strong smell from the rubber gasket a common occurrence in slow cookers in general?
If not, I guess I should just go and buy a different brand/model and shouldn't have this problem.
If they are, are there any gasketless slow cookers or lids that would solve this problem?
Does overcooking tend to bring out different, or offensive smells from otherwise normal food and sauces?

Results: For those coming here with the same problem, I simply removed the gasket and everything was fine. Since the lid has a small hole to release pressure, there was no need for a gasket to make a seal in the first place.


texts:
I saw in TV chefs making carpaccio.

They get a nice raw meat and fillet them in thin pieces.

Then they make a sauce and side dishes.

Isn't eating this raw meat dangerous?


texts:
Which vegetables and/or fresh herbs should be used when making vegetable stock?

Are there any vegetables/herbs that should be avoided?

Can parts of vegetables that would otherwise be discarded be included (eg. potato peel, carrot tops, onion skins)?


texts: How does dried cilantro relate to fresh?

texts: Is coriander dried cilantro seed?  Has anyone used dried cilantro, and if so how does it compare to fresh cilantro.  I assume fresh is better but please describe the difference (less pungent, etc...)


texts: Quattro Stagioni pizza comes out unbalanced

texts:
I like to make my own pizzas from scratch, including kneading the dough myself etc, and they usually work out pretty fine.
But there is one problem with Quattro Stagioni pizzas, where you're supposed to put different ingredients in different segments of the pizza.
For instance ham, bell peppers, mushrooms and artichokes. If I do that, the parts containing ham and bell pepper turn out great, but the problem is, that half is much more flavourful than the parts with artichokes and mushrooms.
(With pizzas where you can spread out all ingredients all over, this is no problem, since all the flavours will blend together very nicely.)

So, how to avoid half of the pizza being very bland in comparison to the savoury other half?
Can I pour extra salt on those parts? The problem is, none of the recipes I consulted mention anything about adding salt.
So, does anyone have any advice?


texts: Is regular unsweetened cocoa powder safe uncooked?

texts:
Presumably, the cocoa isn't raw. I can't find anything on the safety of consuming it uncooked.

I see here the questions on how to make it dissolve in cold milk, but would prefer a stronger confirmation.


texts: Home-made fermented/ cured sausages numbing sensation

texts:
I have two questions regarding my home made sausages.
1- They were great after the normal time-period, fermented well and were a great taste. Now, after another 2 months, all of them taste strongly perfumed, not nice at all and I have to throw them away. How come?
2- In the beginning a bit, but now a lot, they give me a numb sensation in my mouth. What is causing that?

I used color salt for fermenting and ensuring I wouldn't get botulism, but I believe that never is a guarantee?

Thanks for your answers!

B


texts: Why does my Victoria sandwich have a hole in the base?

texts: I've made the same cake recipe for years, no changes but suddenly my cakes look fine on top but when I turn them out there's a big hollow underneath! Help!


texts: How do I make sugarfree chocolate mousse made with 100% cacao chocolate less stiff?

texts:
I recently made chocolate mousse with 50g of 100% chocolate, and 2 egg whites. No sugar, sweeteners, or cream added. This resulted in a very stiff and even slightly grainy (but that might just be because my chocolate wasn't hot enough) chocolate mousse. Trying the same recipe with 70% chocolate results in a slightly softer, consistent mousse that is easier to handle and mix during the preparation. It becomes even easier to make when a bit of sugar is added.

The sugar seems to alter the texture of the chocolate mousse to make it somewhat fluffier. How do  i replicate the texture of a 70% cacao chocolate mousse when using 100% cacao chocolate without adding sugar? If possible I'd like to make a chocolate mousse without adding cream because I like the lighter feeling of a mousse made with just egg white + chocolate. Do I just need less chocolate in relation to the egg white to make up for the increased concentration of cacao so that the 70% and 100% cacao mousse end up with the same amount of cacao in them rather than the same amount of chocolate?


texts: Coconut cream pie needs more coconut flavour

texts: I have just made one of my favourite pies (coconut cream) and it was delicious, but it didn't pack a ton of coconut flavour as I was striving for. I made a shortbread crust with coconut that I toasted, nice and brown. The filling contained coconut, a full can of full fat coconut milk, and pure coconut extract. (Added after the cooking so it didn't lose its flavour). I topped it with 35% whipped cream which I also added pure coconut extract. The top was sprinkled with more toasted coconut. What more could I have done to really emphasize the coconut flavour?  I know coconut is a mild flavour, but I thought that with all the different layers of coconut flavour I added, it would be much more pronounced.


texts: Seasoning steamed vegetables (in particular potatoes): advisable?

texts:
We're going through a healthy-eating phase at the moment, and this includes eating a fair few steamed vegetables. Unfortunately I find steamed vegetables (especially potatoes) can be painfully dull when they make up a good quantity of the dish.

I have an undying urge to season them with something before steaming, but I've no idea with what (nor if this is even a good idea).

Worryingly the last urge like this I humoured was deep-fried egg; which was both amazing and awful.


texts: What are the differences between a Dutch oven and ceramic casserole?

texts:
I've been looking for information about the difference between cast iron Dutch ovens and ceramic casseroles.

I use my Dutch oven for baking bread and would like to know if ceramic will have the same effect on the crust.

Aside from the fact that cast iron and ceramic require different care, I have found little information about the relative properties of the materials.

I imagine that cast iron is a conductor and ceramic is an insulator potentially leading to different effects during cooking. However, both have been traditionally used for slow roasting and baking.

Is there any difference and if there is, what is it?


texts: When baking, is it better to use a gas or electric oven?

texts: I'm looking for an oven and wanted to know if there is any difference between a gas or electric oven when it comes to baking things like cakes, biscuits and scones?


texts: What all spices and herbs can be used to flavor vinegar?

texts: What all spices/herbs can be included to flavor vinegar. Also want to know which spices/herbs can be paired together in this case.


texts: Why does the shrimp stick to the shells?

texts:
I made some NoLa bbq shrimp last night, using the same recipe I’ve used countless times; the only difference is that, on Alton Brown’s advice, I brined the shrimp in a salt/sugar bath for 15 minutes before I cooked them. The dish was delicious, especially since I found some heads-on shrimp, but the shrimp were inexplicably hard to peel. The flesh and the peel were bonded, and it was like peeling a cooked egg when it just goes wrong.

Could this be because of the species of shrimp, or how long it’s been sitting in the display case, or did I make an error in cooking?


texts:
I would like to make some meatballs to go with a generic pasta dish. I am thinking about 10 balls from a pound of raw ground pork or beef. I have been searching for how to safely do this. Some say to boil the meatballs for about 30 min, others claim that 10 min is enough. I imagine just boiling them in a large pot in broth or water with spices added.

How can one safely boil meatballs?


texts:
Soaking liver in milk is said to be a common technique that supposedly helps to remove impurities, softens flavour, and tenderises the liver.

I tried it, and the liver turned out alright, but it got me wondering: how does this work? What's the chemistry behind it? Exactly what's happening between the milk and the liver?

Is it the acid in the milk tenderising the liver? That would mean I could soak liver in a marinade based on lemon juice or vinegar? (It doesn't seem like a terrific idea)

Or is there something else involved? I searched around, but nothing I found seemed terribly exact.


texts: How to reduce the masala taste from chicken roast

texts:
We cooked chicken roast and we cooked it in three batches. this is for a party.
Good thing- OF the three batches two of them turned out to be pretty good.

Issue- The third one turned out to stand a bit front in masala. Is there a way to reduce the masala taste in this? We mixed all the three batches together (I know we shouldn't have however it was soo late in the night and bad decisions).

The pieces used are legs and thighs.

We are going to make another 3 more batches.

Does anyone have a suggestions?

Wanted to clarify that the spice level is ok. its the whole masala taste which is standing front.


texts: I have a bottle of grape juice. I want to freeze the juice to extend the life of the juice. After thawing, can the juice be refrozen without ruining the juice?


texts: What is this type of (Greek?) chilli pepper?

texts:
The chillies pictured below are fairly common in Greece (particularly the north of the country). They are known as "kafteres" (καυτερές) which roughly translates as "spicy".

I'd like to have a steady supply of them, however I don't know what they are called outside of Greece. What is the name of this variety, and would it be feasible to grow them in the UK?


texts: I'm a fan of James Martin and have no problem with the amount of butter that he uses.  However, I'm totally unsure what type of butter to use!  Salted or unsalted?


texts: Why remove the vegetables from vegetable stock?

texts:
Most meat stock is based on boiling bones, so it's not hard to imagine why you'd want to remove the bones before using the stock.
Vegetable stock, on the other hand, is broadly similar to the mirepoix that's used as the basis for a huge number of savoury dishes: onion, carrot and celery. When you cook something based on a mirepoix or soffritto, you leave those ingredients in. Yet most stock recipes suggest you filter them off and throw them away.
So why not do the same for a stock? I'm specifically thinking of ways to try and add flavour to the broth of vegan noodle dishes, and I'm struggling to see a reason why I wouldn't just grate the onion, carrot and celery and leave it in the stock for texture and better nutritional value.


texts: Cleaning wax and pesticide from apple skin

texts:
I love apples. I like to eat them with skin as it has plenty of fiber in the skin. But apples are famous for wax and pesticides on the skin which I don’t want to ingest. I have read many articles on the web and suggestions for removing the wax from the surface.

These suggestions include soaking in vinegar or hot water and other methods. They suggest that soaking apples in vinegar removes the wax that can be seen in the vinegar. I have done that, but never seen any residue of wax in the vinegar.

So I have set aside a new kitchen sink Scotch-Brite scrubber for this purpose and been scrubbing the apple skin under running water before eating. I think this method should remove most of the wax and pesticides. I would like to hear your input.


texts:
Is it safe to cook Ornamental Cabbage such as this

Should I just pretend its your average cabbage when cooking with it?


texts: Mashing bananas for Muffins: By hand or with blender?

texts:
I am planning to bake some Banana Muffins. The recipe calls for mashed bananas. From my experience I know this can be tricky, because when mashing them by hand, of course they aren't as finely mashed as if I use my stick blender.

What is the ideal consistency for mashed bananas in muffins?

When done by hand I am afraid some parts of the banana will sink to the bottom. When done with the blender I am afraid it gets too liquid.


texts: I cured my Mangalitsa pancetta for 7 days and it was stiff. Then I rolled it and it got very soft. I double covered it with cheesecloth and now it is leaking into the cheesecloth. Is this good, bad or indifferent. Right now it is in my basement which is very dry, 40%. I am upping the humidity to 65% (all I did was turn the dehumidifier up to 65% and the basement is doing the rest) and the temp is between 65F and 70F. (Right now I'm double checking the top temp because it was reading 75F as the top temp.) BTW, the Mangalitsa belly was very thick and I used prague #1 and prague #2. (I thought I might age the pancetta for longer but it looks like that's not a good idea.) What should I do? BTW, by accident I put 10X the amount of prague #2 and caught it 4 hours later. I washed off the cure and completely redo it with Prague #2 at the appropriate strength.


texts: Are there any particular type of corn chips that are made from masa flour?

texts: I am wondering if the type "Mexican Style" or "Restauant Style"  or "Tortilla" corn chips also means they are made from masa flour? I cannot tell from the ingredients list. It does not say what process was used to make the corn flour.


texts: Can you make orange juice with a blender?

texts: I have a box full of clementines. Can I make orange juice in a blender?


texts: Can you put polystyrene in the microwave oven

texts:
I want to know for sure if you can use polystyrene trays (such as those that meat comes in) in the microwave oven?

I have read some fairly official looking reports and articles that say there's not danger, but there is some anecdotal evidence that they can melt, which while apparently harmless, is not ideal.


texts: For slow cooker meal prep should I freeze the vegetables separately from the meat and sauce?

texts: I have a new food saver vacuum sealer.  I want to seal up all the ingredients for a slow cooker meal.  Should I add the vegetables separately from the meat and sauce, or all in together?  I was concerned some vegetables should not be frozen (such as onions).


texts: Does using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar make cookie dough drier?

texts:
I was baking cookies last week using granulated sugar (white and brown) and they were great.

The recipe says to put all 3 sugars into the molten butter and to stir for a while. Yesterday I thought it would be easier to grind the sugars into powdered sugar and add it that way.

The cookies this time are drier and taste less like vanilla than before. Could that have something to do with the powdered sugar?

I hope the question is on point enough. Sorry for the metric units.

250 g     flour
2 g       baking powder
0,33 tsp. salt
170 g     butter, melted
110 g     brown sugar
50 g      white sugar
1 pck.    vanilla sugar
1 pck.    vanilla pudding powder
1         egg
1         egg yolk
200 g     chocolate chips


texts: Is it possible to make dough with no water or milk? Please see details for specific ingredients list

texts:
I found this business online selling frozen yogurt toppings, and they list the ingredients used in each product. This one is for sticky rice:

Ingredients: HYDROXYPROPYL DISTARCH PHOSPHATE, GLUTINOUS RICE, MALTOSE, SUGAR, SALT.

As you can see, it contains no liquid as a binding agent. No water, milk or the commonly used coconut milk.

I am wondering if you can use viscous liquids like honey, liquid glucose or in this case, the (possibly liquid) maltose, as a binding agent.

The ingredients list is from: https://www.bossenstore.com/collections/no-cook-toppings/products/original-mini-mochi

Thanks


texts:
When we make polenta, we use polenta leftovers for lunch, grilling them.
Are there any other uses for polenta leftovers?


texts: What is the shelf life of unground coffee beans?

texts:
I love coffee, in many of its forms, and have recently started playing around with grinding my own, brewing it and so on. When I grind beans, I usually use a specific amount by weight, and go from there.

The beans that are not ground are kept in the bag in which they came, which is kept sealed, with as much air squeezed out as possible. How long should the beans last?


texts: The recipe calls for pastry flour which I can't find here. I would like a substitution which results exactly the same dough as they show in the video.


texts: At what point (after clams die) are they ok to eat

texts:
I bought clams yesterday they were all closed.

I put them in room temperature water overnight (with 3% salt). Not in fridge.

Now 50% are open. 50% have their tongues hanging out.

The main question I have is once they are dead - what is the length of time in which they are ok to eat.

From what I read the ones with tongues hanging out are ok to eat. How about the ones that are open? Are they ok to eat? They have only been open for around 10 hours or so.


texts: Is there an inexpensive substitute for truffles?

texts: I recently had a hamburger whose main ingredient was Truffle shavings ($50.00 btw) - I loved the flavor, but can't afford to buy the real ones, any substitutions with similar flavor?


texts:
I've tried to make Chinese Baozi a couple of times now together with my girlfriend, who is half-chinese and knows the dish from her mother. We tried them according to various recipes, and in our latest attempt I even tried to pour all my knowledge about bread and pizza crust in -- without any success.

I have tried plain white-flour-yeast doughs with a quick proofing, as well as an elaborate dough made from 3 different flours (German type 405, 650 and 1050) with additional flour-gluten, barley malt syrup for additional amylase, as well as making a "Poolish"-style starter overnight and properly kneading, stretch-folding and resting the dough.

After filling the dough, we rest them for a small while (~10-15min), and then place them into the [hot,cold] pots with water onto the steaming trays (laid out with fine cheesecloth, to let through steam but prevent sticking), and steam them for 15min. We tried preheated (already steaming) pot, cool pot, then heat up when the buns are in. We tried shorter steaming (raw filling) or longer (after too long steaming they start to shrink) -- no success either. Following we tried lifting the lid instantly, or letting them cool over the course of ~10min, at the end of which I would open the lid very, very slowly.

The End-Result is always that the Baozi shrink heavily and quickly develop a hardish skin. Upon biting them the dough doesn't feel light and airy anymore, but only slightly airy with a "short crumb", much like German pretzel dough would inside...

What could be the cause of our problems? Thank you for any suggestions!


texts: Does soaking apples in baking soda for 15 minutes remove pesticides?

texts:
I read this on the internet. How can this be true when apples are waxed?  Wouldn't the pesticide be under the wax?
If anybody has any ideas how to get rid of both at the same time without using boiling water which will trash the pot you use with baked in wax I would sure like to know.


texts: Substituting Soy milk +vegan butter for whole milk +margerine for whipped fluffy icing

texts:
I would like to make an icing for my family member who has a milk allergy.
I have a recipe for whipped fluffy icing using whole milk, flour, sugar and margerine. It is cooked, then cooled and additional steps follow. Will it turn
out well if I substitute soy milk and vegan margerine? Also, can it be refrigerated?


texts: What is the difference between various types of flour?

texts: Is there a difference between the various types of flour that you see in the stores (i.e. Cake, Bread, and All-Purpose?  Is it really necessary to stock 3 types of flour in my pantry or is this just a scheme from the manufacturers to get more money?


texts: Does unopened whole wheat flour have to be refrigerated?

texts:
The organic whole wheat flour that I bought is in a sealed thick plastic bag and has never been opened. Should it be refrigerated (or frozen)? And does opened white flour need to be refrigerated?

My question refers to unopened whole wheat flour. And the second part of my question refers to white flour which I now understand is better in the freezer. Thank you!


texts: What is the lowest temperature possible (of water) to cook meat in?

texts: Say I want to cook a piece of meat by putting it in water and bringing the water to a certain temperature. (In celsius please) how low can the temperature be for it to be still able to cook the meat? Does it need a boil, or can it be done with say 40 degrees celsius? And if so, how long does it need to be in the water for it to get done?


texts:
We have a new gas oven which is consistently 30-40F low compared to the dial setting (we've checked with two oven thermometers).  While we can get it calibrated as a service call by the manufacturer, I'd love to know how to do it myself.  However, sources I've been able to search out via Google so far have been uninstructive and somewhat untrustworthy (e.g. eHow.com).

The range is a Summit TNM63027BFKWY 24" gas range.

Questions:

Has anyone on SA calibrated their own gas oven?
Is gas oven calibration generally the same for most gas ovens in the USA, or does the method vary widely by manufacturer?
If (1) is yes, and (2) is "mostly consistent", then can someone point me to a good resource on calibrating your own oven, or failing that, describe the steps?


texts: The ingredients I used in my recipe were too cold and they did not mix well. Is there anything I can do to fix this

texts:
I already started mixing the wet ingredients and they are clumpy, is there anything I can do to fix this?

I would hate to waste all those ingredients(especially since I doubled the recipe...yikes)  Please HELP, thanks :)

I am making blueberry muffin bread, I creamed the butter(1 cup) and sugar(2 cups) and then added 4 eggs, 2 tablespoons of vanilla and 2 cups of milk. No dry ingredients yet.

It is very "lumpy", I did let the ingredients sit out but apparently not long enough. Tried to include picture but it would not download. Thanks again :)


texts:
I've made deviled eggs hundreds of times over the years. On rare occasion, after being refrigerated, they weep.

I always follow the same procedure, making sure that the egg whites are completely dry inside and out. I let my diced pickles drain thoroughly. Basically I take every step to ensure that there is no unnecessary liquid.

99 times out of 100, they don't weep. But there's that one time that they do. I made some yesterday, and today there was an unreal amount of water in the covered dish. (They've been refrigerated since immediately after I made them.)

I should mention that all ingredients were cool to cold. Everything but the eggs and salt came from the refrigerator, and the eggs were quite cool from being immersed in ice water after boiling.

Putting everything together is a pretty quick process, so they didn't sit out for any extended period of time.

As I always follow the same procedure, what factors could cause them to weep one out of a hundred times? Could humidity be a factor? (Wondering about that as the humidity in my area has been extremely high the last few days, ~85% inside.)


texts: Why do chefs insist that cleanliness is next to godliness?

texts:
From what I've heard and seen, chefs seem to be very concerned that the area that they are working in is kept spotless.  For instance, when cutting up veggies, they are careful to keep everything on the cutting board and are quick to clean the counter if anything gets on it.  Is there more to this, or is it really just because they want a clean and orderly area?

Thanks!


texts:
I am generally a bit strapped for time, so in an attempt to maximise my time my plan is to crack eggs into clingfilm and tie them so they make poaching pods, freeze them, and drop them into water when needed.

Has anyone tried to freeze these poaching pods and then poach the eggs from frozen?


texts: Fastest way to peel petai? Parkia speciosa, Bitter Bean, Stinky Bean, Sator

texts:
I am looking for a fast way to peal Parkia speciosa, (as known as Petai, Bitter Bean, Stinky Bean, Sator).

We are processing thousand rows of petai every day. We need to find more efficient ways to do our job.

Our goal is to peel the beans out of it's skin and it's inner skin. The bean should come out clean without cutting it through.

The following video shows the current technique we are using.
See video: https://youtu.be/3F7TfAdMYiU?list=PLHHnWHMetsOqJArvQK9FjAsnCGCKuWs0h

Petai has a thick outer skin with rows of beans within. The petai bean are it's seeds which are coated with an soft inner skin (also known as testa or seed coat)

[Picture of] Parkia speciosa (from Wikipedia) - shows the fruit as it was picked from the tree, with some of it's bean has been peeled off clean and some are still intact with it's soft inner skin.

Pealed clean

Do not cut through

I have tried searching for any technique, devices, or machine but could not find any better way than what we are doing now.

I wish someone had an answer with the best solution to this.


texts: Cooking a turkey in an electric roasting pan for the first time

texts: My oven is not working so I'm cooking our turkey in an electric roasting pan and I can't find the wire rack to go in the bottom. Can I still cook the turkey in the roasting pan? Is it going to be soggy? How do I get the skin crispy? Any other suggestions?


texts: Adding melted butter to cold milk in baking

texts:
I've seen a lot of recipes, particularly for things like quick breads, that call for combining melted butter with milk and eggs before mixing with dry ingredients.

Of course, if the milk and eggs are cool the melted butter will immediately solidify. Is there a technique for this that recipe writers are assuming I know? Or is it just intended that there be little droplets of solid butter suspended in the batter or dough?


texts: How to make sweet potatoes disintegrate in stew

texts: I'm working on recreating a curry-like stew which is based on a thick sauce made out of disintegrated/dissolved sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Is it enough to just let the sweet potatoes cook to get them to disintegrate, or is there some other step to this that will make them "melt" into the sauce?


texts: What's the fastest way to cook oatmeal porridge?

texts:
I often eat porridge for breakfast, and the way I've been cooking it is by adding oats & milk/water to a bowl, putting it in the microwave until it boils, and waiting for it to cool.

The problem with this method is that the whole process takes 20-25 minutes, mostly due to the time taken for everything to cool down to a level that doesn't scald my moth.

Unfortunately this amount of time is often unacceptable in the mornings.  Is there an alternative way that is faster?  I could shave a few minutes by adding boiling water to dry oats, but there is still 15-20 minutes to wait for everything to cool.


texts: What's the best way to cut strawberries to consistent thinness, for dehydrator?

texts:
I like making dried strawberries as candy snacks for my kids, but my knife skills aren't fantastic so the thickness when I hand slice is not consistent, also as I'm doing it it feels like something there should be a better solution for.

I tried a mandolin, which does produce a couple of even slices out of each strawberry, but the strawberry tends to fall apart before I'm finished with it. I tried freezing the strawberries for a short period of time before using the mandolin, but it didn't make an appreciable difference, and after leaving the strawberries in the freezer for more than an hour, they were too hard to slice.

Any advice on how to efficiently the process a large batch of strawberries into consistent even then slices?

Thanks in advance!!!


texts: How to inject carbon dioxide into hard candy, to make popping rocks?

texts:
I have a great idea for a unique candy recipe, but to achieve this I need to be able to make pop rocks. The pop rocks would be inside the candy.

Doing some research I have learned that pop rocks have pressurized carbon dioxide gas inside each tiny rock. I would not have any problem trying batch after batch and getting the ingredients right to make these pop rocks. But it would be useless if I can't get the CO2 inside.

Does anyone knows of an easy way of doing this at home? If not, what type of machinery do you need?


texts: I prefer a whetstone to a "steel" for knife sharpening. Over the years my whetstone has become loaded with steel particles from the knives. As it is basically 13 % chrome stainless steel it is not easy to dissolve. It is immune to nitric acid and hydrochloric is very slow , if at all . Any ideas for cleaning a whetstone ?


texts: What temperature range is suitable for grill smoking?

texts:
I've noticed when smoking on the grill that sometimes there is no visible smoke, though there's the clear smell of burning wood.

Once the wood has begun to smoke, what grill temperature will ensure the process continues and that the food is smoked?  Is the chosen temperature just a matter of maintaining this minimum temperature and stretching or shortening cooking time and smoke exposure?


texts: I recently rendered some lard at home from some pork fat I bought from a nearby Mexican grocery store (Mi Pueblo in San Jose). The lard is delicious and I'm glad I made it, but I wish I knew how best to make it "cleaner". It's not very light-colored now that it's chilled, and I can see some burnt pork solids left it it. What's the best and easiest way to get my lard nice and clear?


texts:
Why did my pork center cut loin turn out tender but tasteless?

First I marinated the meat for two hours with a mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and Italian seasoning. Then pan-seared it to brown its surface. Finally I braised it in the oven, covered with aluminum foil, using a vegetable sauce, until the internal temperature was 150 F.

The result was a tasteless meat, very tender but with a mushy texture.


texts: Why does lemon juice thicken condensed milk?

texts:
Or is it the other way round? For instance when making a cheese cake.

Anyways, the more chemical the explanation, the better!


texts: Reasons to sweeten ground beef macaroni casserole

texts:
A friend gave me a beef and macaroni casserole. It had an odd sweet taste, so I asked about the ingredients and seasoning.

Turns out it included a half-cup of dark corn syrup[1]. I am wondering where the idea for this came from (she doesn't know where her mother got the recipe originally) and if there is too much sweetener for the casserole, or there shouldn't have been any in there in the first place. Was it perhaps somebody's substitution for molasses?

I'm not planning on making it myself so I don't necessarily want to fix the recipe, I'm just baffled by the flavor profile and trying to understand the intent :)

[1] For an idea of the proportions, other ingredients included 1 pound of ground beef, a large can of tomatoes, a half-teaspoon each chili powder and salt, 3 cups cooked macaroni, and 1/2 cup cheese on top.


texts: Why does the carbs / fiber ratio decrease after cooking?

texts:
According to USDA, medium grain raw brown rice has carbs and fiber at a ratio of  76g / 3.4g = 22.4.

When cooked, the ratio changes to 24g / 1.8g = 13.3.

Are these numbers wrong, and if not, why does this ratio change in favor of fiber? Mere dilution shouldn't change this ratio.

EDIT: The missing 0 hypothesis seems to be the most plausible explanation so far, but I'd like to find sources completely independent from USDA to be sure. All of the sources I found just copy USDA directly or indirectly.


texts: Can I mix up dough today, refridgerate overnight in bowl, then bring to room temperature and continue the rising, shaping the next day?


texts: What parameter is best to increase - time or temperature?

texts: I'm heating frozen eggplant parmesan in a toaster oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, as specified, but it's not coming out hot enough. Which parameter - time or temp - should I try to increase first to retain the most moistness? Or does it matter? Or should I try nudging both up?


texts: Is it really necessary to wash a skillet that will be heated up again soon?

texts:
I made some eggs in a cast iron skillet yesterday and didn't wash the skillet.  Today I want to make eggs again.

Is it really necessary for me to wash the skillet before making more eggs?  It would seem to me that heating it up would kill germs that had accumulated in the day since I used it.

Is it just breaking the social norm that is the problem or is there really danger here?


texts: What dishes are paired with agnolini in Mantuan cuisine?

texts:
I am preparing agnolini alla mantovana and I would like to pair the dish with a second course and side in classic Mantuan style.

 source

Mantuan cuisine is famous for its "set meals".

What are the classic pairings, in the sense of pairing tastes but also of reuse of resources, for example if I pair it with boiled meat, I can use the stock with the agnolini? I'd rather avoid the boiled meat in this instance.


texts: Three ingredient peanut butter cookies - how to improve texture

texts:
I am Gluten free and I thought these looked good for peanut butter cookies:

peanut butter,
maple syrup
salt.

They really do bake up beautifully. However, they crumble on the way to your mouth.

I added egg.
Now the batter has become gummy and pasty.
I added baking soda.
While stirring in the baking soda the peanut oil separated from the peanut butter based cookie dough. I baked them and they are an interesting texture of tough and chewy.

What can be done to the original three ingredient cookie recipe that will make them not crumble so much, and not alter the entire texture to a totally different cookie. I think I have run out of options.


texts: I never succeed in thickening sauces with pasta water. What am I doing wrong?

texts:
Every cook praises how starchy pasta water is great for thickening sauces and helping the sauce cling to the noodles.

But no matter how much pasta water I add, it never thickens the sauce.Yesterday I cooked one pound of pasta in a liter of water (which should yield extra thick pasta water) and the pasta water was still not nearly as thickening as a cornstarch slurry.

Is it over hyped, or is something wrong with me?

I use Barilla and DeCeCo pastas


texts: I want to defrost chicken breasts and would like to marinate them.  Since time may be an issue, can I place frozen chicken breasts in zip lock bag with marinade?


texts: I'm looking to know how to store home made crispy fried onions. I'm not looking to refrigerate for a week or two. I want to be able to know how to store them in a glass bottle for long term storage.


texts: What can I use in place of shiitake mushrooms?

texts: I would like to know what can I use instead of dried Shiitake mushroom for stock/broth making, a small deviation from the original flavour is acceptable but please share something pocket friendly.


texts: What alternatives do exists for properly squeezing lemons?

texts:
This happened to me often when I go to some restaurants or be on a visit to somebody place. It just happen that I want to add some lemon to my soup or use it as an addition to my meals but they do not have access to a lemon crusher. Is that the name of the tool?.

I've seen people used forks, spoons and just their thumb for squeezing the juice of the lemon. But is there a method which has proven to work the best to take out all of the juice without trying to make much force with the hands or something?. Is there a tool that can be carried on maybe portable for this purposes?.


texts:
The common way for taking butter from milk is to shake the cream captured from milk. There is also a traditional way to shake yogurt to separate butter. However, I was unable to find any instruction for separating butter from yogurt.

Although, separating butter from high-fat cream is quite easy, but full separation of cream from milk at home is almost impossible. However, transferring milk to yogurt is quite easy. Therefore, there is an advantage for getting butter from yogurt (rather than cream), when the starting point is raw milk.

Why this method is not popular? Is there any drawback for that?
Where to find a practical instruction for this procedure? the
best temperature? using Greek (heavy) yogurt or adding water to
it?


texts: When I go to slice my meatloaf it falls apart on the plate

texts: Why does my meatloaf fall apart when I cut it for serving. I used 2 eggs and 1 cup of breadcrumbs in the loaf. I just don't get it.


texts: Is it safe to keep reusing a portion of old dough?

texts:
My grandma told my mum a weird process of making flatbread dough recently that she started to use. But I am not sure about it's safety at all.

Initially, normal wholewheat bread dough made with Instant Yeast. Used to make bread but a small piece is kept (~70-100gm) in refrigerator.
Next day, when making new dough, that 70-100gm portion of old dough is mixed in and it's allowed to rise for 2-3 hours.
A 70-100gm portion of this mixture is kept again in refrigerator and mixed in next day.
Repeat same everyday.

The result is definitely great for the flatbread naan but I am not sure about safety of this.
Question: Wouldn't a small part of it be too old after 2 weeks or so? I am sure some of of the old dough remains, however diluted. Mom claims she'd start process totally fresh after a month but I believe that's too long.
Edit: I heard it's similar to Pâte Fermentée but I'm still not sure if about a whole cycle.


texts: How to make Black Glutinous Rice sticky?

texts:
I've been to a Cooking Class in Thailand and learned how to do many yummy Thai dishes. One of them was Mango with Sticky Rice, but with black rice.
My problem is that somehow my rice is not sticky at all although I'm doing what is written in my little recipe paper that I got from the cooking class.
I show you two pictures (first time and second time):
The first time, with little coconut sauce:

The second time, with a bit too much coconut sauce:

So now to the cooking instructions.
I've got this brand for the rice:

And according to my recipe paper, I need to soak 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of water at least 8 hours. (I usually do about only 8-10 hours).
And then I need to steam the rice in a rice steamer for 20-30 minutes. I don't have this so I'm using the ikea steel steamer:

(source: ikea.com)
And I'm using a normal pot with water to steam it with the lid closed so no steam comes out.
The result is that the rice is "dry" and not really sticky at all. The last time I did it we had so much of the rice left, that we thought we could do sushi with it. But it was impossible since it does not stick at all...
What am I doing wrong?


texts: How to serve a fish filet: skin up or down?

texts:
I've seen filets served both ways. I personally feel that fish - especially trout - should be served skin down. I want to use a fork to pick the flesh away unimpeded.

But I've seen Jaime Oliver and one of my favorite restaurants in DC (Le Diplomat) serve trout skin side up.

Is there a best practice here?


texts: What else is being done to make these biscuits

texts:
I am looking for a basic Biscuit recipe, and found the one on the Bisquick web site. Looks fairly basic. Too basic to make the biscuits pictured. There are distinct ridging on the tops and the browning looks too defined not be something like butter or egg.

So, would additionally would i have to do to get the same look? Or is this just a picture of plastic rolls?
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bisquick-rolled-biscuits/3e0c95f0-8aec-4a01-9463-73759b2ce066


texts: I didn't put the lid on my slow cooker(crockpot) for first hour of beef stew. Will it still be safe to eat?

texts: I didn't put the lid on the slow cooker (crockpot) properly for first hour of beef stew. It's on high now with the lid on, will it still be safe to eat?


texts: How long should I plan on cooking a 16 pound spatchcocked turkey?  What temperature would be best to cook a 16 pound spatchcocked turkey?


texts: By `1 tbsp of x` should I assume heaped tablespoon or leveled tablespoon?

texts:
When they (recipes) say 1 tbsp of flour (example), do they mean heaped or leveled?

What's the standard guess?


texts: I've made a chili sauce mainly with fresh chili, herbs and spices and olive oil & small bit of balsamic vinegar, I've sealed it tightly in a PRESERVE bottle mainly used for making jam, but it seem to be bubbling after a few days?what could be the problem


texts: Homemade Pepper Sauce - Suggestion for a serving bottle

texts:
I'm planning on making a homemade pepper sauce that I saw on Serious Eats.  The recipe is straight forward, but am concerned about the best way to 'serve' this sauce.  I think the traditional way would be to have a tabasco-type bottle since that controls the amount that will come out (a drop at a time).  Anyone have another suggestion?  I would prefer to stay away from plastic squeeze bottles since the vinegar in the sauce could interact with the plastic.

Thanks