texts: How can I make a large amount of caramelized onions for a french onion soup?

texts:
I am looking to make a large amount of French Onion soup (for ~16 servings), and rather than spend hours in front of a skillet (as I would have to do several batches), I am looking for an easier way:

could I bake a large amount (~20 onions) in an oven to achieve a similar effect?
should I put them in a pressure cooker?
are there even better alternatives?

In particular if anyone has advice as far as what else or details as to how to make it work (temperatures for ovens, convection/broil, pressure to cook at, etc. (I already read this, which while it would help, aims mostly at speeding it up & not doing a large amount which is more along the lines of what I am thinking) I would be interested, as I don't want to experiment with a large quantity of onions several times in order to get it right

P.S. - I am using yellow onions, although I'd imagine this would apply to all onions

P.S. #2 - what do restaurants do?


texts: Preparing as much as possible of a cake in advance

texts:
It's my girlfriend's birthday this WE and I plan on secretly preparing a cake she likes. However, we'll be in the countryside with friends this WE, and I'll have very limited time to prepare on site without getting caught.

So my plan it to prepare/mix as much as possible before hand, and do as little as possible there before throwing the whole thing in the oven.

However, I have little experience in deserts, and I need help determining what can/can't be done the day before.

Here's the recipe: https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-chocolate-cake/

Two parts:

The (chocolate) cake itself

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil OR melted coconut oil
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups earth balance vegan butter, softened baking sticks preferred
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Can I safely prepare the chocolate cake batter on one side, and the buttercream frosting on the other side, the day before? I would keep them in containers, in the fridge...

Thanks!


texts: I bought some scallops and they have an orange crescent part attached to them which I haven't seen before. Is this part meant to be discarded?


texts: In this recipe it says to use 2 tablespoons of peach preserves what can I use in place of the preserve?   My supermarket does not have it.


texts: Minimum quantity of heavy whipping cream to get whipped cream from dispenser

texts:
I tried to make whipped cream with a 500mL dispenser by following the instructions (chill the dispenser for 3 hours, shake at most 7 times), but since I didn't want as much as commonly directed (2 cups), I only used 6 tbsp. However, that led to the cream coming out runny/liquid (Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream, if it matters).
What is the minimum quantity of heavy whipping cream you need to put in dispenser in order to get actual whipped cream out?


texts: How do I find a recipe for the New Years Treat of Kozenach?

texts:
Many years ago (at least 50) my dear Babuska and Auntie used to make something called "Kozenach" on New Years Eve.  At the stroke of midnight our entire family would drink champagne and eat this wonderful desert.  This desert consisted of the best freshest pure honey my father could find from his beekeeper friends and walnuts that we all would crack open carefully so as not to get the shells in.  The women would prepare these 2 ingredients by cooking them together and spreading them on many plates because everyone ate this like it was the best thing in the world, it was.

I have looked all over the internet for recipes, asked friends, gone to church but couldn't find anything. Does anyone have any clue or has anyone experienced this wonderful sweet of my childhood called "Kozenach"?  Do I not have the right name? Is there something else like this I could search for?

This was a Russian dish but people of different ethnicities (Armenians, Russians, Germans, etc.,) also enjoyed it very much.  I have tried to find the elder women who are still alive who made it, but unfortunately their touch and memory is not there.  It is the same for homemade "halva" which is totally and unfortunately not the same that is sold in stores, pre-made or even made at the stores.  I used to make this but again, my memory and my own recipes are lost (this recipe is basically making a roux and adding sugar water).


texts: Would freezing a whole pineapple change it visually?

texts:
If I freeze a whole pineapple with skin and stalk left attached, is the color likely to be affected?
The fruit will be used for a fruit tray display only, so taste is not a concern.

Thanks!


texts: Are these tomatoes San Marzano knockoffs?

texts:
I buy these tomatoes at my local grocery and always assumed they were San Marzano brand. I was waiting for my soup to simmer and was reading the label when I noticed the initials on the label actually say "San Merican Tomatoes".

Google turns up nothing for that other than the trademark of Simpson Imports, which is also listed on the back of the can, although as the distributor, not an importer.

They are labeled as "Made in the USA", and I was under the impression that San Marzanos were imported from Italy.

Are these knockoffs? Or perhaps some other distribution? The label is so similar to the traditional SM label.


texts: How to make fried chicken tender and juicy?

texts: I prepare fried chicken (imitating broasted chicken) at home. Normally to make it tender and juicy I will add baking soda (gives unpleasant flavor) or glutamate, but it doesn't make it that tender. How do I make it as tender and juicy as broasted chicken in restaurants?


texts:
I am planning to cook a 10lb (4.5kg) bone-in pork shoulder at 250°F (121°C) for about 8 hours.

Is there any danger in overcooking if I cook for a few hours longer? I know it needs the time for the collagen to break down. I'm just wondering if there is an outside time danger of it becoming dry?


texts: I have purchased a bag of atta flour and am wanting to make pasta - is this flour suitable? And is atta a self raising flour or plain flour?


texts:
So, I'm not too sure if there's a stack website that talks about cleaning but I figure I can ask the experts chefs!

I wanted to cook some rice in my pressure cooker earlier and when I opened my lid, I saw a bunch of small flies coming out and around the pressure cooker! It was really gross and I've been using it alot recently!

Anyways, I realized that all this time, I should have been cleaning the pressure cooker and not just the removable pot. So my question is, does anyone know how to clean a pressure cooker fully? I was thinking of submerging it in a tub of water mixed with some bleach and letting it dry few a week or so. Let me know, thanks.

Also - I have one of those pressure cookers with a heating unit in it and I've been using it for the past two years without cleaning it (except of course the removable pot).


texts:
I have a huge (for me) leg of pork that's 5.9kg/13lb. I'm thawing in the fridge for the next 4 days before cooking.

How do slow cook for tenderness/fall off the bone as well as great crackling?


texts: How can I ensure that my pizza is properly cooked?

texts:
I occasionally make homemade pizza using pre-made dough (similar to this), however I can never seem to get the dough cooked properly all the way through. It ends up with nicely done edges but an underdone middle, or a properly cooked middle but overdone edges (occasionally I get lucky and get overdone edges with an underdone middle too).

Generally for cooking it I follow the instructions on the packaging, about 15 minutes at about 450F. It is cooked on an upside-down cookie sheet.

What can I do to get a pizza that is the proper done-ness throughout?


texts: How do I make sure I don't overheat my teflon pan?

texts:
I cook in my teflon wok pans all the time. I recently saw an answer here suggesting to preheat a pan to a high temperature and cook in small batches when preparing stir-fry food. I would like to try that, and several other things like roasting peanuts or spices. However, I know that teflon pans do not handle high heat well.

I do not want to ruin my pans and I prefer to err on the side of caution, but I think that maybe some of my dishes could taste better if I preheated the pan to a higher temperature than I do now. I'm afraid that I will overdo it though.

How do I preheat a teflon pan without having to worry about overheating it? Is there a technique that would help me find the sweet spot?


texts: Is not using soap when washing cast iron pans safe?

texts:
Most advice on cast iron pan care says that most of the time you shouldn't use soap when washing a pan. However, that may leave some residual fat/grease from your cooking on the pan.

It can be fat/oil with a low smoke point which is going to smoke then next time you heat the pan.

Would it be safe to cook in such smoking pan? Should you burn it till it stops smoking? Is this smoke in the kitchen safe for your lungs?


texts: Should you add specific garden-fresh herbs to a stew at the beginning or the end?

texts:
There are several questions about when to add spices and herbs to soup, but this one is more specific. I'm making a stew that is to be thickened with roux. A soupy tomato based soup will be simmered for a few hours, blended, chilled, then added to a roux to thicken.

I have a variety of garden herbs that I'd like to cut and add; specifically some combination of basil, oregano, thyme and summer savory.

Should I add these to the soup as it is simmered, so they will be blended and incorporated? Or should I mince the herbs and stir them into the thickened stew at the end.

Mind you, this isn't a bouquet garni situation where you flavor the stock as it simmers, I'm experimenting with incorporate a larger volume of fresh herbs into the meal itself as a principal component; something I picked up from the heavy use of dill and parsley in some spanakopita recipes.  I want the herbs to provide a green bulk to the stew, but I also want the flavors to persist.


texts: What does 'turn out' mean in bread baking?

texts:
An instruction in this recipe says:

  Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and
  dusted with cornmeal.

I am confused by the use of the words "turn out".  Does this have some special meaning regarding bread dough?  Or do they simply mean "take and put"?


texts: What is the effect of lard in tortilla dough? Can a vegetable oil of preference be substituted for it?


texts: Egg substitution in Indian meatball recipe

texts:
I am cooking for a dinner party in a couple of days and one of the friends is allergic to egg but the 2 recipes I found and like ask for eggs. The recipe that mum uses also asks for eggs to bind the meat so the meatballs do not lose shape and breakdown when boiling in the curry.

http://cooks.ndtv.com/recipe/show/mutton-kofta-100384
http://allrecipes.co.in/recipe/144/hyderabadi-nargisi-kofta.aspx

Can someone please help and suggest something that will still bind the meatballs without losing too much of an Indian touch to the flavours?


texts: How long can halloumi be stored in refrigerator?

texts:
I am planning to store a cooked meal of halloumi + couscous in the refrigerator.
How long can it be stored safely?


texts: How to add lemon flavor to scallops with fresh lemons?

texts:
I ate at a teppenyaki restaurant. The chef griddled scallops on a teppan. At the end he squeezed JUST fresh lemon juice on them. He never grated lemon or put lemon zest on scallops – trust me, I remember.  I could taste fresh lemon in the scallops! This why I haven't tried lemon zest.

I prefer steaming – no searing or griddling. But I can't replicate this lemon flavor at home. I juiced fresh lemons and tried these different steps! But I didn't taste lemon in my scallops in the end!

When I start steaming scallops in my pan on the stove, I add the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
When I almost finish steaming scallops in the pan on my stove, I add the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
I marinate defrosted scallops in the freshly squeezed lemon juice for 24 hours before steaming.


texts:
I’ve been feeding my 40g sourdough starter with 40g water and around 45g wholemeal flour (for a firmer consistency, as I’ve had bad experience with liquid accumulating on top) each day. It initially started smelling quite acidic and yeasty and started bubbling nicely.

From what I had read online, I was afraid that my first bread would be way too sour. But in fact the opposite was the case: after a few days, my starter stopped smelling sour altogether and started smelling almost unbearably fruity-sweet instead. The starter was still good however, so I made bread from it, using a variation of the beginner’s sourdough bread from The perfect loaf. The bread came out alright but rather than tasting sour, it tasted fairly sweet.

I don’t mind the taste that much but I’m still wondering what’s causing my nicely active sourdough to smell and taste distinctly sweet and not the least bit sour. From what I’ve read, the opposite should be the case: my firm sourdough should be more acidic.

For reference, the sourdough jar is standing next to a radiator but my house isn’t heated during the working hours, nor between midnight and 7am, and will get down to 16 °C. To compensate, I’ve wrapped a kitchen towel around the jar.


texts:
Lately two different bags from two different makers of low net carbohydrate wraps have arrived home with the entire mass stuck together. In both cases the expiration date had not passed. The first bag went right into the fridge when I got home and I opened it a week later. The second bag/brand I opened as soon as I got home.

They're not stored in the fridge at the grocery store. Could the recent hot weather be an issue? Or did I manage to pick from two bad lots lately? Any hints on getting the things apart?

I've emailed one manufacturer a few weeks ago, they have not bothered to respond yet.


texts: How can I add a strong orange flavor to my dishes?

texts:
I love the taste of oranges, and I'm looking for ways to introduce that flavor into some of my cooking.

I've tried adding orange juice and pieces of orange when frying or baking, but I find that these only add a hint of orange to the dish, and of course it is really easy to drown something in orange juice without adding much flavor.


texts: How clean should the outside of pots and pans be scrubbed?

texts:
I’m the official pot-scrubber in our household. I have a question on how clean one should scrub the outside of stainless and copper pots and pans and whether this is merely an aesthetic choice.

I note that cast iron cookware shouldn’t be scrubbed at all.

Does keeping the outsides of stainless and copper pots and pans serve any purpose other than aesthetics? For example: might heat transfer be better if the bottoms were shiny instead of blackened?


texts: Can you make whipped cream with a SodaStream?

texts:
So, whipped cream is basically just cream that’s been whipped until lots of tiny air bubbles become suspended in it and it becomes a much thicker foam, right?

Would it be possible to use a SodaStream machine (or some similar carbonation machine) to make whipped cream by carbonating the cream until it becomes whipped cream?


texts: Cooked or caramalized onions in the refrigerator

texts: How long can I store caramalized onions in the refrigerator?


texts: How can I boil an ostrich egg to ensure it is soft boiled?

texts: Is there some guide I can use for cooking soft boiled ostrich eggs?


texts:
I have a large amount of very good quality dry aged beef fat (not suet). I would like to try making cookies using the beef fat in place of the butter. I was thinking of using a simple shortbread-style recipe or something similar (i.e. no other flavourings apart from the fat and sugar), just replacing the butter with rendered beef fat. I am, however, aware that the melting point of beef fat is comparatively low.

Is this possible, and what adjustments should I make, if any?


texts: Safety Question about making stainless steel flat-top

texts:
I work in the office of a metal fabrication shop. I have access to cheap(comparatively) metal and a means of getting pretty much exactly what I want.

I've recently been watching youtube.com videos and making some of the really thin "smash" burgers. The problem is that even with my biggest pan on the stove top, I can only put in about 2, maybe 3, and it's hard to get a spatula in to flip, much less where some of the videos recommend scrapping with force to help keep the crispy crust you just formed. I'm specifically thinking about some of 'Balistic BBQ' channel's videos.

This guy uses a bunch of different cooking surface styles. I think he is a rep for some of these grill companies or gets paid to promote the products, but does it in a cool way by making different food items, mostly burgers, and doing them on these various cook tops. He's got a cool one that is a grill on one half, a griddle on a quarter, and a mini deep fryer on the other quarter.

I just think it's a really good idea to have something like that outside where you don't have to worry about a mess or spilling. You can also get all around it and do whatever you want to the food. I think he even had his own SS cooking surface made and may sell them, but I can make mine cheaper.

My question is about quality and safety. What grade and thickness of material would be best? I can pretty easily get SS-304-.25 material. I thought that would be a good thickness. My plan, as it stands now, is to get a rectangle cut to go on my gas grill. I can easily adjust the burners and I'd sit it on top of the cast iron grates. I'd have a back and sloping sides made and welded on to provide carrying handles as well as something to push against if food slides while flipping.

I also realize before anyone mentions it that I have perfectly good cast iron grates to cook a burger on. However, some of the burgers and techniques need a flat surface with no holes for anything to fall down through. You need it for "smash" burgers, throwing chopped onions on to caramelize, doing the metal bowl dome to steam or melt cheese, etc... It'd also be great for doing mass pancake cooking or anything else you'd use a flat top for. My mother has a small Teflon coated flat top for "pan" frying lots of pork chops, but the grease will splatter and make a mess. This would be perfect, assuming it does a good job of transferring the heat from burner to grates to surface.

So, does anyone know if this would be a good material or if there is any danger in using it. I don't think there is. I did a little research and found that 304 is the most widely used for cooking utensils. I also have access to 430, but that didn't look like it'd hold up as well. Hexavalent chromium isn't supposed to be an issue at cooking temps. I think it has to get up to 2500deg and become liquid before it's toxic. From what I read anyway. So any help would be appreciated. I'm sure it'll be fine to make this, but I wanted a second or tenth opinion. Also, do you guys think this is a good thickness or would I do as well with a thinner guage. Thanks.


texts: What to look for when choosing a dutch oven?

texts:
I've never had nor used a dutch oven, but I have a pile of recipes I want to try that require one.  Are these all pretty similar?  Or are there things I should look for in a good dutch oven?  Or will it depend on what I plan to make?  (just soups & stews so far)

(might be this should be CW, but I don't have the option here yet)


texts: Which foods become shelf-stable on cooking and why?

texts:
Certain foods are normally refrigerated, but after cooking can be kept at room temperature for a few days at least.  An obvious example is cheese -- e.g.  cheese-topped rolls  normally have a best before date a few days after they reach the shelves.  Many cake ingredients have to be refrigerated, but then the resulting cake can be kept at room temperature.

How can we tell which foods undergo this change? Alternatively, what's a change -- is it just drying and water activity (it might be, given that dried hard Italian cheese is shelf-stable).

The question is about the science but the motivation is things like savoury flapjacks as appetising carb-heavy snacks for cycling, when the sweet stuff becomes unappealing.  For it to be worth making a batch, they should have keeping properties on a par with biscuits (cookies/crackers), i.e. almost forever if airtight (so longer than my first example, but that's because the bread would go stale).


texts: How to adapt recipes to hard wheat flour

texts:
Unlike in the USA, flour in most European countries isn't differentiated by protein content. The distinction criteria in Germany are "type", which concerns the proportion of bran contained, and, (for special uses), "grippiness" or size of the particles. There is no such a thing as bread flour or cake flour.

I decided to experiment with bread and bought hard wheat flour (durum flour) online. It is milled as rather large particles. I decided to mix it 50/50 with my normal flour and use a very simple bread recipe - 1% salt, 3% yeast, 55% water - which is correspons to a middle-range hydration with the typical Type 405 non-grippy flour standardly used here. I kneaded by hand, as I don't have a food processor. But while kneading the liquid in, the dough got quite firm, so I stopped adding flour. (at this point, 12% of my flour was left over). The dough was a bit easier to handle than soft wheat dough, almost non-sticking, but it was very unelastic, and didn't pass the windowpane test well even after long kneading. The baked bread was OK, but it was dense and didn't rise much. All in all, I feel it could have went better.

So I am wondering how to best adapt my usual AP-flour recipes to this flour. Obviously, I should use more hydration, but how much more? And what to do about the firmness, is this normal for durum, or just the result of insufficient hydration? Why didn't it rise, should I add sugar for the yeast to be more active? And how to make it properly elastic?


texts: How hot does garlic need to get to lose its sharpness?

texts:
Inspired by the recent questions here, I made manicotti over the weekend. The recipe I used called for minced garlic in the filling. I love garlic and usually put in at least double recipe-prescribed dosage.

After baking for about half an hour the cheese was completely melted and the filling was set to my satisfaction. The garlic, however, was not sufficiently cooked and, although minced fine, was still caused some bites to be unpleasantly sharp. I wish that I had roasted the garlic in advance.

The question is twofold:

How hot does garlic need to get to be
cooked? That is, sweet and not sharp.
Is there a better way besides
pre-roasting to ensure that garlic in
such a dish does not distract?


texts: Best way to preserve nutrients while dehydrating fruit and veggies

texts:
I am getting into fruit dehydration (and maybe of other foods) for backpacking. I'd really like to backpack with my own made food as much as possible and reduce vitamins and minerals supplements to a minimum - or to nothing, if possible.

I have read that dehydration spoils some nutrients, most cited are the vitamin C and A, that are volatile and that would be "killed" by a 50°C temperature which is the one that is recommended by most instructions I found on the web.

I would then like to know what are the recommendations about this; like, if there are some fruits that are less susceptible to this loss, or if there are any fruits that can be successfully dried at a smaller temperature (30°C is the minimum allowed by my device) thus reducing the nutrient loss as much as possible, or any other useful technique/tips.


texts: When should I add meat/vegetables when cooking congee?

texts:
Congee is cooked for a long time, at least an hour or so. Most recipes I've seen simply recommend dumping all the ingredients in at the beginning and then letting it cook until the rice has broken down.

But if I do this then surely the meat and vegetables will be completely flavourless and mushy by the time the congee has finished cooking?


texts: How do I work out how large a cake tin I have?

texts: I am making a cake and the recipe calls for a 900g/2lb loaf tin. How do I work out if the loaf tin I have is the correct size - or how do I work out how big my tin is so I know whether to scale the recipe appropriately?


texts:
I have a sourdough starter that I started about 3-4 months ago with bread flour and it's done really well. I am not baking a lot right now and would like to refrigerate it knowing that I need to feed it at least once a week. Can I feed it with some rye flour and bread flour?  I'd like to add some rye flour to the starter to keep it happy.  Would appreciate some guidance. I mostly make rye bread but I do make other types that use bread flour and a mix of whole wheat and rye.
thanks.  I tried to find this answer in the search but couldn't find it.


texts: Why would the first few pancakes come out perfect, but only get worse from there?

texts:
I have never been a pro at making pancakes. I tried again yesterday making them, using this recipe:

Ingredients
1½ cups flour (375ml)
2 eggs
600ml milk
pinch of salt

Method
Mix all the ingredients until bubbles form on the top of the mixture.  Then simply pour into a non-stick pan on medium heat. Flip the pancake once bubbles have formed on the surface.

The first 3 of 4 come out perfect: fluffy, slightly brownish and not breaking apart when flipping.  From there it only gets worse, going to big black spots, not fluffy and the spots that aren't brown are undercooked. Why is this?


texts: Are egg yolks neccessary for proper pancake structure in flourless pancakes?

texts:
I have read many great things about the surfacing two-ingredient egg/banana pancake recipes...
However, I am a fitness nut and don't want to overdo it on the cholesterol, which is found in the yolk.

Question:
Does this recipe work if I use two egg whites only (instead of eggs with the yolk)?


texts: What is the formal definition of savory?

texts:
What is the formal definition of "savory" when used in cooking?  I hear a lot about things coming in either sweet or savory forms — e.g. crepes — but in context it doesn't seem that savory is the term for all things that are not sweet.  Does it have to do with preparation methods?  Ingredients?  Taste of the final product?

I have been assuming that "sweet" means something like "sugary," as it does in common usage; please correct me if that's not the case here.


texts: Where can I get Chocolate Bar shaped silicone molds from in the UK?

texts:
I need to find some chocolate bar shaped silicone molds, ideally about 100 grams in each bar,  although I could go for smaller bars but not much.

Could you please let me know where I can get some from in the UK as I could do with ordering them by the weekend, only I have got fudge bars I need to make.


texts: help with consistency of dough being made in bread machine

texts: If I am making dough for sweet cinnamon rolls in a bread machine how can I tell if the dough needs a little more liquid or a little more flour  when the paddle is mixing it? Is there a finger test or similar?


texts: Fatty liquid vs non fatty liquid in dough

texts:
I have been making bread at home over the past month or two using a simple 4 ingredient recipe with 60 - 75% hydration and have become familiar with the soft, light consistency of the dough when the gluten is fully developed.

The other day I tried an enriched dough for the first time, it included additional eggs, sugar and oil. I noticed it handled like a completely different animal.  It didn't feel as silky as the plain dough after kneading and felt a bit more dense and was not as fluffy when baked.

Since then,  I have been experimenting with different liquids in doughs with different fat levels. milk, buttermilk, oil, water. These have all turned out slightly differently from my usual bread and are richer but not as light as I've achieved in the past.  I understand that the water hydrates the gluten which makes the dough light and stretchy and silky, but what happens when a more fatty liquid is included in the mix, perhaps a mix of oil and water? does the fat inhibit the absorption of liquid by the gluten? The recipe usually calls for adding less water than I would normally because oil is included.  Does this reduce how much hydration I achieve?

Is this the reason why these doughs tend to handle differently and not be as light, or is it possible to achieve the same consistency even when making an enriched dough?


texts: Calcium chloride as substitute for sodium chloride

texts: My husband is on a low sodium diet. I have been thinking that Calcium chloride might work for making pickles, smoked fish, etc, because the sodium is the bad actor, not the chloride. Who knows about this?


texts:
So when I was away on holiday we had a lovely lovely meal which was basically soup. But the soup was served in bread which you could then eat aswell. It was so tasty, the bread was essentially hollow with only the crust but there was a little bit of the dough stuff left which became lovely and gooey from the liquid of the soup.

So as I am a great soup eater (and my boyfriend even more so) this is something that we are really looking to try and do...
Can anyone suggest the best way to do this - do I just bake a loaf of bread and then scoop out the insides, or is the some kind of clever way of making the bread hollow so that essentially I am making the crust?

Hope that someone can help as this is something that I would love to serve at a dinner party!

Thanks :)


texts: gas range hack for greater power output: does it work?

texts: In the documentary, 'I Like Killing Flies,' Kenny Shopsin describes how he drilled bigger holes in his gas range to increase the power output. Ignoring the possible safety issues, would this work on a standard home gas range? It would seem that the gas output is somehow limited by the knobs. Also, increasing the gas output could potentially change the gas/air ratio, which, I think, might change the flame temperature. Has anybody tried this?


texts: Millet (wild yeast/sourdough) fermentation decreasing thickness of the slurry

texts:
In order to reproduce a traditional Turkish drink recipe for Boza. Which has a thick consistency, low alcohol content (around 1%), and a slightly acidic sweet flavor.

I'm repeating this two step recipe in batches. First batch is with the starter, subsequent batches are using the "boza" from the previous batch.

Millet Wild Yeast Starter:

Grind some millet grains into flour (i.e. using a coffee grinder).
Mix 50 g millet flour with 50 ml water.
Keep covered with a cheesecloth and wait for it to ferment for 2-3 days.

Boza:

Cook 50 g millet grains with 550 ml water.
Blend into a slurry which has a thick consistency, let it cool down to room temperature.
Blend in 50 g of sugar and start the fermentation either by inoculating with old Boza or the starter (50 g).
Let is ferment for 3-4 days.

I'm trying to understand the reason why the following is happening:

The first 2 or 3 batches, I end up having a "Boza" with a very very thin consistency akin to water; after the 3rd or 4th batch or so the final product starts to get the desired thick consistency and further batches after that keep producing the same desired results.

I initially thought, the problem with the first batches could be caused by an enzyme like amylase (from the millet flour used in the starter) breaking down the starch and thus reducing the thickness. To test this idea, I've heated the millet flour to 135C (just shy of browning) and kept it there for more than an hour to deactivate enzymes like amylase that might be present. Still the results were the same, the first batch turned out to be as thin as the first batch from the other iteration.

What's the underlying reason for the first batch turning out this thin?


texts: Cake sinks in the middle when baking. Only happens when I make a Coca-Cola Cake

texts: When making a coca-cola cake I follow the directions exactly.  But when it comes out of the oven it appears all the miniature marshmellows went to the center and sank.  Hard to frost when the middle is sunken in.  What am I doing wrong?


texts:
I have some parsnips, and recipe for them which said to:

  Wash and scrape parsnips, and cut into 2 inch strips.  Place into 2 inches of boiling water, and cook for 10 minutes, covered.  Drain, add butter, salt and pepper as desired.

By "scrape", does the author want me to just clean of most of the dirt / color with a brush, or should I just peel the parsnips?  Also, should I retain the core of the parsnip?


texts:
I'd like to try this bete noir recipe, but it's for Passover.  I'd like to make it parve (dairy free).  I'm thinking about substituting butter with margarine (which seems pretty straightforward), and for the ganoche, whipping cream with almond milk (which feels iffier).

Any immediate thoughts on a better approach, or advice for using the almond milk, in particular??

UPDATE:  I took the good advice to serve something else, and wait to do this recipe justice.  I was ready -- even found some coconut milk with guar right in it, marketed as a cream substitute, but chickened out.  Made it with whipping cream this week, and it was worth it-- though the ganache is just a thin layer on top of the cake, and I suspect the coconut w/ guar would have worked just fine.


texts: Are there books describing the general principles of cooking?

texts:
Perhaps my question is too weird, but whenever I read a book on cooking, it's just a list full of recipes. There are a lot of examples but there are no explicit laws or general principles of cooking  - here I must admit that I don't browse this kind of books often, so perhaps this is pretty common and I still didn't have the luck to find them.

In the cooking books I've looked, as I said earlier, there are a lot of examples. So one must practice a lot to learn how to improvise or change or invent. I'd like to know about principles from scratch - examples are welcome, but the principles are more important than the examples (in my search).


texts: Is it okay to bake caramel pudding rather than steaming it?

texts:
I have a simple recipe for caramel pudding. It says to steam the pudding mix until it's set. It's a somewhat old recipe I've never tried before.

So, rather than steaming (which is very time consuming), can I use my oven instead? And what temperature and time would be preferable? Since the recipe only asks me to steam, I'm thinking of baking it for about 45 mins at 120°C.


texts:
What do truffles (the fungi) taste like?

I'm just curious. I saw it on television the other day.

I just know that they're expensive and i know i probably won't buy any anytime soon. I don't know much about them either.


texts:
Recipe used:

75g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
80g sugar + 15g sugar (for the meringue)
2 eggs (60g each)
35g oil
60g water

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except egg whites and 15g sugar in a bowl.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar while continuing beating to firm peaks.
Using the same beaters, mix the egg yolk mixture until just combined.
Fold the meringue into the egg yolk mixture in 3 batches.
Pour into the prepared cake pans then bake in a preheated 160°C oven for 55-60 minutes.

I've noticed that the cake sets up on the sides very early into the bake. It then continues to rise in the middle to create a dome.
Around the 40 minute mark the dome flattens.
It further flattens once cooled and un-molded. When I flip the deflated cake upside down it looks like the cake sunk in the middle.

Does anyone know what I did wrong? Could it possibly the recipe that is failing me?


texts: Will this recipe for vegetable fritters freeze well?

texts:
I have a recipe for vegetable fritters that I've been given which consists of:

200g flour
200g raw beetroot, peeled and grated
200g carrot, peeled and grated
spring onions

The ingredients are combined with 'enough water to bind the mixture together', split into four fritters, shallow fried for 2-3 minutes until crisp on each side and then oven cooked for 10 minutes at 180°C.
I'll likely only want one, or two, of these and would like to keep the remaining fritters for a later date by freezing them. Will the ingredients lend themselves to freezing and if so would it be best done before or after cooking?


texts: What are the ingredients (spices) of Sri Lankan curry powder?

texts: In the following accepted answer you can find the ingredients of the Indian curry powder.  I usually cook with Indian curry powder, however, I recently received some Sri Lankan curry powder.  The aroma is different when I use Sri Lankan curry powder, (in my opinion, better,) and it tastes different too.  Does anyone know the spices used in making Sri Lankan curry powder?


texts: How can I fix my dry crumbly cookie dough?

texts:
After following the recipe for sugar cookies, I chilled the dough wrapped in plastic for 2 days (recipe specified that I could chill anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days).

As I'm trying to kneed/roll the dough it is very dry with cracks forming, and I'm afraid if I just roll it out and cut cookies that the cookies will crack easily.

Is there anything I can do to "fix" the dough?  Should I even worry about it?


texts: How does the power setting on a microwave work?

texts:
In general, how does the microwave power setting work? Is it a straight percentage of the maximum wattage or is it something less precise?

For example, would the time to cook something in a 700 watt microwave be the same as a 1000 watt at .7 power?

Is there any other major deciding factor in how one microwave cooks compared to another besides the power? (Assuming it is actually running at its listed power. Is it even possible for a microwave to drift off its posted power due to age or some other factor?)


texts: How do you make sauce for a Thai dish such as Chicken Pad Khing?

texts:
I've eaten Chicken Pad Khing (Ginger Chicken Stir Fry) many times in Thai restaurants.  Really love the dish.  I'm a very amateur cook and recently attempted this at home.  It came out ok with the exception that every recipe out there doesn't include much sauce.  In the restaurant, there's normally a good amount of sauce with the chicken and vegetables.  In the recipes, it advises a couple of table spoons of fish sauce, couple of table spoons of oyster sauce and some sugar.  This produces a very small amount of sauce that once cooked, doesn't leave any visible sauce left.  I'm sure it's added to the flavour but the dish is still quite dry.

The obvious conclusion could be just to make more of the same sauce. My concern is that that before cooking, this sauce has an overwhelming fishy, and not very nice smell.  When you get the sauce in the restaurant, there's certainly no fish taste to it.  My feeling is that multiplying the ingredients by 4 or 5 would make a largely fish tasting sauce.  I'm therefore wondering if anyone knows what normally goes in to the dark sauce that is served up in a Thai restaurant?


texts:
While reading a thread on cooking, an old question popped into my head: I am an Asian and had no problems with dishes with both meat and “fish.” But some of my elder German friends say that meat and “fish” don't fit.

Why is fish not considered as meat? And what kind of species are considered as "fish"?

Some thoughts about that:

When I was a child, I thought every creature that has muscle tissue has meat. Fish (these animals that swim in the water and have fins like Nemo or your goldfish) included.

A friend of mine calls herself a vegetarian. I thought a vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat or more explicit: Someone who avoid dishes that contain parts of something that has a central nervous system or called "animal." But she eats fish.
Another case: On Good Friday (or Friday in general?!) some Christians in Germany (or anywhere else) eat "vegetarian" food - but including fish.

Then I heard about the biblical story: God hated the humans but liked Noah, Noah built an arch, rescued himself, his family and some animals and God made it rain until everything drowned. The only species that didn't drown... fish. So I thought fish were the holy animal since the Protestants had a fish as a symbol (aside from the cross).

And what about shrimps, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, squids, clams, crustaceans (I avoid to use “shellfish” ;D), …? They are also called “fish.” I don’t think that the bible would refer to these kinds of … fish. The texture of these compared to real fish is completely different.

After some googling, I found some “nutrition scientists” in a forum who claim that fish are no mammals and therefore have no “meat.” But then I would conclude that poultry and reptiles would neither have “meat.” Other claimed “scientists,” say that only animals with red meat would have meat. No, then whale meat, tuna meat, duck meat, and beef would exist but no chicken meat, turkey, pork, ...

A mutual property of real fish, shrimps, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, squids, clams, crustaceans is the ability to stay for some time in the water (sea, lake, river or pool) and the ability to reproduce themselves by laying (?) eggs. What about sea snakes, jellyfishes, lungfish, whales, dolphins, seals, frogs, turtles and other animals which go for some time from water into land and vice versa?


texts: Is there a practical way to make belgian fries for four at home?

texts:
I would really like to make some professional style belgian fries at home, with the specific restriction of frying them twice.  Frying in a frying pan is difficult to control the temperature, smoke, and splatter, especially with having to fry the potatoes twice.  Counter-top consumer fryers don't usually have enough volume to make four servings of french fries in a reasonable time.

Do you have any advice on how to mass produce some near-professional quality french fries in a home setting?

I would be willing to invest in a professional fryer if the price and functionality is right.


texts:
A recent question tipped me off about juicers. I have heard of them before, but I had always written them off as TV informercial gadgets that were not really useful. Is this true?

If I had and orange, a tangerine, and a grapefruit, could I just put them in a juicer and have my own fruit "cocktails?" Is there a special juicer, just for amateur cooks?


texts:
Making pot roast right now for dinner tonight, but have a couple questions that I’m just not altogether clear on...
I used a Dutch oven and it’s in a 275-degree oven currently. Once it’s done, I was planning to put it in the fridge until I reheat it about an hour before dinner time.
Should I...

Remove the meat from the liquid and strain it before putting it in
the fridge or leave the vegetables and strain after reheating?

Cool the meat and liquid separately or together?

Slice the meat before or after reheating?

Just take it out when it’s done, let it all cool for 30 minutes on
the counter before taking the whole Dutch oven (meat and unstrained
liquid) and stick it in the fridge until ready to reheat?


texts: Can I make bread/pizza dough with only cricket flour and no wheat flour

texts: I want to make bread and pizza dough, but all recipes I find online include other types of flours than the one I am interested in. Is it possible to make with only cricket flour? Acceptable ingredients are cricket flour, eggs, yeast, water, salt and baking powder.


texts:
What would be the procedure for this pie recipe from a 50 year-old cookbook?

1 1/2 c. mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 6oz can evaporated milk


texts: What kinds of corn are the standard for nixtamalization? I mean, do they use sweet corn, popcorn, dent corn, flour corn, flint corn, pod corn, something else, or some/all of the above? I'm guessing it would work with any corn, but some might be ideal for the purpose. Maybe it depends on what you want to do with that nixtamalized corn. Let's assume it's for masa de maíz, for use with tortillas and stuff.


texts:
I want to use some chicken bouillon cubes I have to flavor the sushi rice I have, which I'm going to use to make yakimeshi (Japanese fried rice) in accordance with this video.
I'm not sure if I'm going about this the right way, but this is what I've gathered after googling/reading some answers:

I should keep rinsing the rice until the water is clear
The ratio for
short-grain Japanese rice is supposed to be 1 cup of rice:1 cup of
water (or liquid?)
I should use 50% broth and 50% water for boiling the rice

The cubes say that 2 cubes make 1 quart (4 cups) of broth, so if I wanted to make 2 cups of broth, I would use 1 cube. Thus, I would use 1 cube to boil 4 cups of rice (in 2 cups water and 2 cups broth).

Am I doing everything right?

Also, do I need to add salt if I'm using broth?


texts: Smoked a brisket that was edible but not great. What would you do differently?

texts:
I smoked my first brisket last weekend and even though it wasn't terrible it was a little dryer and rougher than I would have liked.

Here is the smoker I used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B7W8NHW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here are the steps I followed (along with some notes on things I may have done wrong):

I bought a four pound fresh brisket from a butcher.  It was 9.99/lb (next time I'm going to hit up Sam's club and try and get a 10-12 lb packer cut of USDA Choice)
I used Stubb's store bought dry rub.  I rubbed it on and then seared the meat on the grill.  I did not sear the fat cap. (Should I have let the dry rub sit longer?  Also, next time I'm thinking about doing equal parts salt, pepper, and paprika.  Should I have seared at all?  A lot of people seem to throw the meat right in the smoker after giving the dry rub some time to set in).
I had turned the smoker on and set it to 200 degrees before searing, so when I put the brisket in it was at 200 degrees and was already smoking.  I used dry wood chips and filled the water pan to the mark specified in the pan.
The smoker stopped producing smoke about 30 min in.  I wet some wood chips and put them in, but the smoke never came back.  (How often should I be adding wood chips?  Should they be wet? How long should the smoker be spitting out smoke?)
I let it sit for six hours.  I didn't have a meat thermometer at the time.  (What internal temp should I go for next time?)
I pulled the meat out, didn't wrap it in foil, and cut it after 20 min.  The bark looked nice but the meat was brown like a pot roast. I know when I get good restraunt BBQ that the meat tends to be a little red/pink.  The meat still tasted ok although it was a little tough.

Other questions.  Should I have wrapped the brisket in foil at some point?  When should I do this and what are instructions for after?  Some people seem to advocate doing so once the meat hits ~150 degrees F which will drastically decrease the cooking time.  Others seem to advocate taking the brisket out when it hits about 180, wrapping it in foil, then putting it in an empty cooler until it rises to ~200.

I know that this is really a bunch of questions rolled into one but I feel like this is a typical experience for a smoking newbie like myself.  I don't expect answers for every item but please try and point out the things I've done which are just empirically wrong.


texts: Beef and veggies in crock pot turn out hard and tough

texts:
I have a Hamilton Beach 6 qt Set 'N Forget Programmable slow cooker, and I keep having the same problem-- when I try to make beef stew, the beef comes out almost inedibly tough, and the veggies don't soften. I can't for the life of me figure out what's wrong!

My cooking method:

  Put in 1.5ish lbs stew beef-- the stuff that comes from the store
  already cut up into pieces.

  Add carrots and celery, chopped about 1/2 - 1 inch long.

  Add splash worsterchire sauce and cajun spices.

  Add enough water to fill the crock pot halfway (I did this because
  last time I didn't use as much and thought that might be the source of
  the problem-- but apparently not.)

  Set crock pot on low until it reaches 160* (within about an hour and a half), and then leave on warm through the rest of the night (it maintained the temperature at 160*),
  for a total of 11 hours.

I've read that acidic ingredients can prevent vegetables from getting soft, but that wouldn't explain the beef. Anyone have an idea what the problem might be?

And on that note... does anyone have any suggestions for what to do with a couple pounds of tough, cooked beef, hard carrots, and celery?

Thanks!


texts: Is there anything I can add to homemade bread to preserve it?

texts: I love making our own bread - we rarely buy shop bought, but it tends to go off very quickly. Part of the appeal is that it doesn't have any "junk" in it - artificial preservatives - which I'm sure contributes to the lovely flavor. Is there anything natural I can add to it to stop it going moldy so fast?


texts: What is the purpose of vermouth in potato leek soup?

texts:
I have taken elements of a number of different recipes and have developed my own recipe for potato leek soup.  The ingredients are:

Potatos
Leeks
Vegetable and chicken stock
Butter
Garlic
Heavy cream
Salt, various herbs and spices
Vermouth

Quite a few of the recipes I built mine from included the dry vermouth so I built it into mine as well.  In an 8 qt stock pot I use 2/3 cup (specifically Martini & Rossi Extra Dry).  It's not enough for me to notice a flavor difference between batches that I make with it and without.  That leaves me to wonder what it's there for.  I guess it could provide a touch of sweetness.  Would it be for the acidic factor as well?

If you need more detailed information on the ratios of ingredients I'd be happy to share, just left it out for brevity.


texts: Why is this croissant dough not behaving as expected?

texts:
I followed this video recipe for croissants, but whereas the video shows a soft, silky dough that proofs beautifully, I ended up with a dense, dry dough that has not risen appreciably after 90 min. I measured with a scale and proofed the dough in a warm environment, so I'm confident that neither of those is the problem. I did substitute dry yeast for fresh, but I also used yeast from the same package to make bread just the other day, so I'm confident that the yeast is healthy and active. What else could be going on?
1. Recipe

500g flour
70g sugar
10g salt
20g fresh yeast (which I converted to 8g dry yeast according to a website that claimed the correct multiplier is 0.4)
125g water
125g milk
350g butter

Combine dry ingredients; combine water, milk, & yeast; combine the two mixtures; knead in stand mixer 12 min.; proof until doubled in volume...

Obviously the recipe goes on from there, but that's the relevant part.
2. Further details

I did use a scale.
I have not verified the accuracy of the scale.
I proofed the dough in the oven, with the light on. I did not measure the temperature in there, but I'm going to say 30C/85F.
I proofed the dough for 90 min.


texts:
Cheese pulls are trendy now a days. What are some ways to get a longer cheese pull and overall stretchy cheese?

Is there a particular type of cheese that is better than the rest?

Should I mix multiple types?

This is for general dishes like pizza or grilled cheese, nothing specific.

Would thickening the cheese with flour help for example?


texts:
I've just found my new-found love for making chocolate cups. And on one of the videos of how to make chocolate cups, the lady used a chocolate transfer sheet to get a really pretty chocolate cup, which she then filled with some mousse.

I wanted to buy some chocolate transfer sheets myself and started to look on ebay and found a lot of very beautiful sheets at very good prices. Before I go ahead and buy them, my question really is if they are safe to use (health-wise) and if I need to be aware of any issues with them, for example, should I only buy brown ones and avoid any that use colours.

Here are some pictures of them.


texts: How long will they stay looking good after placing on the cake, I'm using one on an iced rich fruit cake & trying to finish it a couple of weeks before the party


texts: Can Chick Peas take over two hours to cook?

texts:
I have been cooking Chick Peas for 2 hours, and they still feel too hard to enjoy. (I did soak them for 24 hours before that).

Can that be? They have been sitting in my pantry for some years, would that affect them? (They look and taste perfectly fine, just won't get soft)

Edit: I checked of course on the recipe and the internet - they all say 1 1/2 hours. So what could I have been doing wrong?


texts: Ganache by pouring before fondanting a cake

texts:
in a few days, I will be trying to create a buttock shaped cake (back and buttocks). I want the fondant to look very smooth and want to ganache the cake to have a smooth effect. I will be using dark chocolate to make the ganache. I am pretty good at ganaching a square or a round cake (traditional method) before I fondant the cake but am not very confident getting the ganache smooth on a carved cake. I only did it once and it was a disaster and wasn't smooth at all.

I was wondering if I could pour a layer or 2 of ganache while it hasn't set yet but is cool enough so that it sets firm on the cake and gives me a smooth finish. I couldn't find anything anywhere and was wondering why its always the traditional ganaching method and if the pouring method would work or not.

This is the look I'm trying to achieve but with a carved cake


texts: I left a 5 pound block of sliced white American cheese in my car all day it was hot out like 75/80 it was very soft I put it in the frig is it still good to eat


texts: Substitute pig trotter for powdered gelatine in an aspic

texts:
I'm intending to make a raised game pie, which involves making aspic from the stock.

The recipe says to make 1 pint of stock from the game bones and trimmings, herbs, root vegetables, and to whisk in a 0.4oz sachet of powdered gelatine before chilling the stock.

However I'm aware that the traditional method of producing savoury jelly for pies is to use pig's trotters.

How many pig's trotters should I use to produce 1 pint of aspic for a pie? Is there anything I should know that I might not have thought of?


texts: Is there a difference between the grocery store package of chow mein noodles and the package of lo mein noodles?

texts: I'm looking at making a recipe that calls for lo mein noodles.  All I can find in the grocery store are chow mein noodles.  Is there a difference between these two types of noodles?  I am referring specifically to the packaged ingredient, not a dish.


texts: Will roasted pistachio nuts keep well in freezer?

texts: Will I ruin roasted pistachio nuts(still in shell) by freezing them? If not, any advice on how to best freeze whole in-shell roasted pistachios?


texts: Our freezer was accidentally switched off approx a week ago and it was full of beef which had been frozen when very fresh will it be safe to refreeze


texts: Best pan to use for cooking in olive oil?

texts:
I have just bought a Tefal Pan with nonstick Teflon coating. The instruction manual says that using olive oil to cook will gradually ruin the nonstick coating.

What are the best options for buying a pan where one could cook and fry in olive oil without worrying about the toxins entering your food.

Thanks


texts: Which type of oil/fat should I use for deep frying?

texts:
I just got my first ever deep fryer yesterday. Looking round in the shops, I found that I can get bottled frying oil, or a white solid block type of fat which I've never used before, I guess it may be lard (but I'm not sure this is the right word, as I'm not a native speaker).

In terms of handling, is there any benefit of using the solid stuff over frying oil or sunflower oil? (For example, I'm not sure if the white stuff would get solid again when cooled ...)


texts: How do I ensure that I cook scallops all the way through?

texts:
Whenever I cook scallops, they tend to shrink up quickly and burn on the outside.  Even though I leave them in the pan for several minutes at a time, despite the shriveling and burning, they always end up raw in the middle.  The insides are cold, fishy tasting, and, to be honest, pretty nauseating.  What am I doing wrong?  I usually saute them in a little oil on high heat, flipping them every so often when the side touching the pan starts to brown and stick.  Scallops are my favorite food; please help!

Thanks!

Alyssa


texts:
Due to a shortage of ingredients I made pate using odd proportions of ingredients and my pate hasn't set at all. Can anyone suggest ways to help it set? Would heating it up and evaporating off some moisture work?

Butter and cream are what I lacked... I used mascarpone instead thinking that would do as the substitute saturated fat. I don't have any exact measurements but probably around 300g of chicken liver, 1 onion, maybe 150-200g of mascarpone, and a good glug of marsala.


texts: How can I translate my bread machine recipe to using a stand mixer instead?

texts: I really like the whole wheat bread recipe I've been using in my bread machine, but the machine dying on me. How can I use my stand mixer instead? Do I need to add liquids with the yeast and let it proof for some time, or can I add all the ingredients into the stand mixer, add the dough hook and let it start mixing until dough forms?


texts: Anyone knows how this seed/fruit is called? (bush)

texts: If someone can help me would be good.Thanks in regard.


texts: What is the difference between sautéing and stir frying?

texts:
I put 1 tablespoon of oil in an iron Kadhai. Then after it gets a bit heated, I put a chopped onion in it, and start moving it with spatula so that it doesn't get burnt and gets cooked evenly.

So, what am I doing, stir frying or Sautéing?


texts: Deep frying corn kernels starts busting/exploding in oil

texts: I tried to prepare a recipe of crispy fried corn. I coated the corn kernels with corn starch, but the starch didn't stick to the corn kernels properly, so when I deep-fried them in hot oil they started popping, bursting.


texts:
Some honey producers claim that they are honey is unheated. Assume that the producers in question are decently large scale and sell their honey in typical bottles/jars/pails.

However, talking to other producers, they indicate that they had to heat the honey in order to liquefy it for bottling. E.g. from one producer:

  In order to liquefy the honey for bottling, it is gently warmed to around 110 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit (~= 43.3 to 47.8 degrees Celsius) and then strained through a cheesecloth.  The warming process includes only air circulation and doesn’t directly touch the honey.  No “cooking” is involved.

or from another producer:

  Our raw honey has never been heated over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (~= 37.8 degrees Celsius). Most of our honey is heated at some point. However, we do have some right now that is cold processed and has never been heated. We have cold processed until it crystallizes and then we have to warm it in order to pour it.

Does honey always have to be heated in order to liquefy it for bottling?

Example of bottles/jars/pails:


texts: Everytime I heat up chicken in the microwave it tastes pretty strange and has a not-so-appealing odour too.. What is the best way to heat up those leftovers?


texts: I need to soften some cream cheese to room temperature. I forgot to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator and don't want to offset my bake start time letting it sit. Is there a way to quickly soften the cream cheese that doesn't require just leaving it on the counter?


texts: How will the taste of black tea change when I infuse it with water colder than 90-100 degrees Celsius?

texts:
I recently bought a small glass teapot. I want to use it at work. On the box there's a warning that 80 degrees Celsius is maximum for this teapot.

I know that you shouldn't brew green tea in too high temperature, as it makes tea more bitter, hiding the real taste we're after. I want to prepare black tea in my teapot. How will the taste change I infuse it in 80 degrees or less?


texts: What else can rid the fishy smell of fish besides Casein?

texts: ATK says TMAO binds to casein but is there a dairy-free alternative that can bind to TMA?


texts: I love onions, but as an IBS sufferer, I find that it is one of my trigger foods and gives me diarrhea. Is there anything that I can put in recipes as a substitute?


texts: How long should I slow roast a large (7.5lb/3.5kg) chicken for?

texts:
This Moroccan Slow Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives
recipe suggests to cook a regular sized chicken for 3 hours at 325° F (160° C).

I have a largish chicken (7.5lb/3.5kg) that I want to cook. For how long should I (slow) roast this chicken for?


texts: How long will vacuum-packed truffle last in the fridge?

texts:
I have a vacuum-packed truffle in the fridge since a few weeks now. The mushroom was fresh when it has been vacuum-packed.

Does anyone know how long will it last? Is it still ok to eat it?

It looks ok from what I can see....


texts: What kind of containers for homemade ice cream?

texts:
In the past, I've usually stored homemade ice creams and sorbets in reusable/disposable plastic containers (e.g. Gladware), but I've busted more than a couple of these when trying to scoop hard-frozen ice cream. The cold plastic is somewhat brittle, and the scoop can easily punch a hole in the side. One solution is to let the ice cream warm up a bit so that it's easier to serve, but who has time for that?

Can you suggest an airtight, ice cream-friendly storage vessel that'll stand up to a forcefully-wielded scoop?


texts:
This happened a couple of years ago, but I still don't have an answer. Christmas eve. I had a duck in the oven. I tried to cook it at a slightly lower temperature and a little longer than the recipe dictated. Also, I didn't turn the duck over at all.

The duck was completely done. My wife complained about the horrible taste of the breast, while I was happily eating the leg. Later on I found that the breast was foul smelling and tasting...

Any idea why this would happen? Did I cook too long, should I have turned the duck over, why should the leg be tasty and the breast foul???


texts: Canning Tomatoes: When are they too blemished and why does it matter?

texts:
In every canning recipe I have seen, the recipe calls for unblemished tomatoes, but this has never been explained further.  The sources of these recipes has been on various internet sites (the kind with the interminable story preceding the recipe about how the great-aunt-twice-removed used to love this recipe), on recipe cards left by my relatives, and in that venerable bible of preservation: The Ball Blue Book.
What is the reason we should avoid a blemish?
Surely there is some good reason blemish = evil.  My guesses on the matter:

A blemish makes it harder to blanch.
The blemish through the surface of the skin allows bacteria to penetrate into the flesh.
A blemish may indicate the presence of a bigger problem with the tomato.

Are all blemishes equal?
Consider the following from my wife's garden:
Case 1

This tomato (heirloom: Principe Borghese) has been over-watered and has begun to split.  The split has begun to show blackening on the edge.  When I was canning the batch when this tomato was picked, it was still fresh and unblackened.  To me, it looks someone made skin cut too deep prior to blanching.
Case 2

This ugly looking specimen is typical for the "Purple Cherokee" heirloom variety.  The large fruit grow quickly and every specimen we have picked shows the same radial splits.  The green and dark red is typical for the variety as well.
Case 3

This is a tomato, another Principe Borghese which has been attacked by an unknown insect.  The little black dots are very small bore holes through the skin.  I assume that this tomato is the most obvious unacceptable example, but I wanted to include it anyway to see what the experts think about this kind of defect.
Is this some old piece of granny wisdom which has been lost to us?
Ideally, I'd like to have a reference for this.  Scientific literature is a plus.


texts: Marinating beef with lime juice for someone with dietary restrictions

texts:
A little background - I am cooking for a person who has a specific diet after gallbladder removal. Lots of spices are a no-go, as is onion, any type of hot pepper, tomatoes, etc. Any citrus also causes this person pain.

If I marinate beef in something like an olive oil and lime juice mix, will any of the citrus / acidity remain once the meat has been cooked (assuming it has been marinated for 24 hours)?


texts: Is the "gamey" taste of venison just a polite name for "rotten"?

texts:
I have had a theory for a long time that it is the blood in the deer which causes the gamey flavor.  Hunters gut the deer soon after a kill, but they don't bleed it or chill it for hours or days.  It takes time to haul it from the woods, then drive home and wait until the next day before visiting the processor.  It seems that the blood would be the first part of the animal to spoil.

It is my opinion that the bad reputation of venison’s “gamey” flavor comes from poor processing habits and the serving of meat that is actually rancid or at least borderline.
The key to fresh tasting meat it to get it cool and skinned as fast as possible.  Leaving it hot or leaving the hide on will cause it to rot quickly and leave your meat tasting quite “pungent” (i.e.: rotten).  This is important whether you plan to butcher the animal yourself or are taking it to a pro.  If you leave the hide on longer than necessary or don’t cool the meat quickly, it will have a bad flavor.

http://lazyhomesteader.com/2012/08/21/the-gamey-taste-of-game-meat-part-ii/
Is it true that the gamey taste is caused by spoiled blood in the meat?


texts: What can I substitute for the egg used to seal egg rolls?

texts: I would like to make a vegan "egg roll". In a normal egg roll, the filling is cooked and then placed in a wrapper, which is folded and sealed with egg before frying. I know how to make substitutions for the filling to make a vegan end product, but what can I substitute for the egg sealant?


texts: What do I need to know about coffee machines and grinders to get started making good coffee at home?

texts:
How to make a strong mug of instant Coffee?

  "Crema" is a light-colored foam layer which builds on top of espresso, and many people like it. Espresso is also stronger than normal coffee. For both, you need an espresso machine and real coffee beans. Different coffee brewing methods produce different types of coffee. Espresso is the hardest to make at home. Instant coffee is easy, but has bad reputation taste-wise, so don't expect to get coffee shop quality with it.

Questions:

At home, does grinding coffee in a coffee grinder and then making coffee in a typical machine produce the same results as you would get in a typical coffee shop with a proper Barista (assuming the beans are freshly ground)?
Are their coffee machines and grinders available which would be suitable for single servings? If not, then what do you do when you need to make coffee only for yourself?
If I could only pick one (between a grinder and a decent coffee maker, which is more important in achieving the best possible coffee at home?


texts: Is it possible to make your own DIY cookie mix?

texts:
Is it possible to create DIY mixes for cookies? I make chocolate chip cookies often enough to want to streamline the process. My idea is to create my own combine the dry ingredients, storing them in a box/tupperware of some kind, and then combining it with the wet ingredients when its time to bake.

My hypothesis is that it -should- be possible with pretty much any cookie recipe, but I thought it best to ask.


texts: Besides salmon, what other meats can be grilled on a cedar plank?

texts:
I've fallen in love with this wonderful Cedar Planked Salmon recipe - the two times I've made it have turned out excellently!

What other meats (or meat substitutes) can be grilled on cedar and not take on too much of the distinctive wood flavor?


texts: omelettes and scrambled eggs - How long can I store them?

texts: Is it a good idea to keep make a lot of them and keep them in the refrigerator? I like them for breakfast but I don't like cooking every morning. For how long I can keep them?


texts: How does ambient humidity of flour storage influence dough?

texts:
Cooking lore places a lot of importance on air humidity for doughs. When a dough fails, people quickly point that out as a possible factor, that happens on our site too.

Is it really true? I don't doubt that the actual flour moisture content changes, but is it noticeable in the dough preparation, or is the difference too small to matter?
If it makes a difference, what can I do about it?


texts: Differences between canned and fresh tomatoes

texts:
I read on the web (including here) that canned tomatoes are usually more suitable for tomato sauces (in particular pizza sauce) than fresh tomatoes.  It is unquestionable that both are really different, but What makes them so different ?  Canned tomatoes aren't supposed to be baked already, or are they ?

I'm thinking it may have to do with the maceration in tomato juice, in which case one should be able to achieve similar results by making jars of fresh tomatoes.  Another possible (partial) cause could be that tomatoes are much more mature than fresh tomatoes a normal human would pick.

Of course I'm assuming we are considering similar tomato varieties (e.g. Roma, I guess).


texts:
How does prepared dried-&-salted fish hold in the freezer?
The fish has been (properly) desalted, and, other than that, the recipe contains tomato (boiled down to a paste), tomato puree, onion, garlic and madame jeanette. There's tons of minor twists, but mostly it boils (haha) down to that.
I'm not worried if it's safe, I'm mostly wondering how it will keep texture wise.
The whole thing can (in general) be prepared in about two hours (including desalting), but I'm wondering if it's worth making it in bigger batches and freezing it. Desalting the fish produces quite a powerful smell, but refrying small batches of the prepared doesn't (as much). And while I don't mind the smell at all, my better half does ;)
Edit:
The salted fish is cod, and the fish has been desalted before cooking it with rest. The idea was to freeze the whole thing, but it's actually just as interesting to know if just the desalted cod will freeze nicely.


texts: Understanding 2 unit yield from 1lb ready to cook chicken

texts:
I have a recipe that calls for 2 unit (yield from 1lb ready to cook chicken) and it says it is 158 grams.

Can someone explain how this measurement works. How does 2 units from 1lb of chicken end up as 158 grams? Please explain it like I'm 5. :)


texts: Years ago in Denmark a friend used to bake bread in the French style but containing lots of mixed seeds. Something like a baguette but short and fat with a crusty top. Is there any reason why I shouldn't simply add seeds to my usual baguette  dough, change the shape but otherwise follow the usual baguette recipe?


texts:
I tried making spring rolls last night and for whatever reason they turned out soggy and I was generally disappointed.

I cooked them in about 5cm vegetable oil in a wok that was on a pretty high heat using generic spring roll "paper", but they just didn't crisp up.

I have a feeling that maybe it was because my fillings were a little wet side (but not too much) but I'm a little stumped as to what has caused them to be soggy.

Any tips on how I can get them to crisp up next time would be greatly appreciated


texts: Vacuum Seal Meats with Bones that could be sharp

texts: I am interested in vacuum sealing things like bone in pork chops and t-bone steaks for sous vide cooking. Is there a technique to keep the bones from puncturing the bags?


texts:
I recently found a recipe for making a monster egg... i think it may have been medieval. The recipe required 6 eggs for yolk and white. the yolk and whites would be separated into 2 pigs bladders and respectively poached.

I would like to attempt recreating the recipe.

I don't have access to pigs bladders, or at least I have no desire to use one. Is there anything anyone could recommend? I wondered about sausage casings but they aren't circular/egg shaped.

It would also be very cool if I could make the egg a shell. I am unsure what material I could do this with... I’m imagining a savoury version of a thin meringue... is there even such a thing? or is there something better suited? and how might this casing be cooked or attached? (In my mind I'm imagining blowtorching the meringue, baked alaska style... however, I don't think this results in a crisp casing.)

On request from Jefromi, here is an edit:
 I would like to discuss how a giant egg might be created in the simplest way possible, that looks and tastes like an egg, albeit large.


texts: I am thinking about buying a larger amount of Parmesan and freeze it for later use. Is this possible? How long can I keep it for? How is the taste/texture affected?


texts: What can I do with the meat and fat trimmed from the top of lamb ribs?

texts:
I'm making rack of lamb tonight. I got the rack at a local farmer's market and it was a bit less butchered than I expected. I can (and did) trim it myself, but there seems to be a lot of meat embedded in the large amount of fat I trimmed off the top of the ribs. I'm not really sure what its proper name is ("rib meat"?), so here's a couple pictures to make it clear:

I'm talking about the large slab of fat and meat in my hand in the second picture. As far as I can tell, it's usually just discarded, but there seems to be a good deal of meat there, and it was expensive, so I'd hate to just toss it.  I'm fairly patient and good at separating the fat and meat on membranes, so I can probably isolate a good portion of the meat, if necessary.

Is there anything I can do/make to avoid throwing out so much good meat?

For the record, I got about 12 oz of usable meat out of this. Didn't weigh the fat, but probably 20-24 oz.


texts: Any time / temperature recommendation for a short braise of a tender piece of meat?

texts:
I have a recipe for braised lamb shanks that I'd like to convert to use lamb loin chops instead. The original recipe calls for the shanks to be browned and then braised in a 350° oven for 2 - 2½ hours. Since the loin chops are a lot more tender than the shanks, I'd rather not cook them to death.

So, leaving aside the question of how to get good flavor development and consistency in the braising liquid (which I think I can work around), is there a good braising method for tender cuts of meat?  In particular, should I still use the oven or stick to the stove top? And what temperature and duration should I be shooting for? Thanks!


texts: How can I prevent pan fried chicken from becoming too chewy?

texts: Every time I cook boneless/skinless chicken breast in a pan over the stove-top it seems to end up slightly chewy. What am I doing wrong?


texts:
So, I rolled out some lovely old-fashioned donuts and cut them out... got my oil to 340... and proceeded to fry them. Instead of lovely “blistering” at the top of the donut, mine seemed to split along the sides... looking like 2 halves of a donut held together in the middle.

What could have caused this? This is my first foray at frying donuts.


texts: Dried tomatoes vs. dried tomatoes in oil

texts:
I have a soup recipe that calls for 24 oz. dried tomatoes in oil, drained and patted dry. I would like to use dried tomatoes (not in oil), but don’t have a clue how much to use.

Is there a conversion by weight? Should I substitute by volume?


texts:
Hi, everyone – – I’m wondering if I could get some help identifying this type of squash. I grew it in my garden, and the plant seedling was marked as a pattypan squash, which it’s obviously not! The flesh inside is green, and I had to scoop out the innards and seeds  before cooking it. The skin seems to be quite thick, like a butternut. I removed it before cooking as well. The flesh is firmer than a zucchini.  I included the Sharpie for size comparison.

Thank you!!

More examples


texts: Melted plastic wrap in oven at high temp

texts:
Tonight I preheated my oven, forgetting that I had some dough proofing inside. The dough was sitting in a glassware bowl covered with glad cling wrap and the oven reached about 350F before I realized and took it out. The stretched wrap had a weird hole in the center almost like the plastic had vaporized. Around the sides of the bowl the plastic kind of baked on and got crusty.

Nothing seems to have dripped onto the rack or the inside of the oven and everything came off of the bowl after I washed it with cold water. The dough went in the trash, but is there anything I should do to the oven to make it safe to keep using? I’m worried about plastic particles stuck to the walls of my oven or something. Is the bowl safe to keep using?


texts: Any cheap ways to clean restaurant stainless steel fridge?

texts:
so I know they have antibacterial solution to clean, but what can I say its expensive. Currently we use water+soap solution but its not working well. I am looking to clean the inside of fridge/freezer.

Update from comments: I'm looking to mainly clean, mold around the rubbers of the fridge.


texts: What is the difference between pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce?

texts: Pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce are both tomato-based, have roughly the same seasoning (Italian) and look a like. However, I (and a friendly user here) think there is a difference between the two. So what is it? Or isn't there one and you can interchange the two without a weird feeling or taste?


texts:
When cooking a curry using meat that has been marinaded in yoghurt tikka masala for instance, I have noticed that it often curdles/splits/gets grainy when cooked. I use 3.5% fat yoghurt, Balkan style - but this tends to happen with any yoghurt. Is there a way to prevent that from happening?

Any advice at all on this subject would be helpful!


texts:
do mustard seeds melt into a dish if they are an ingredient in making a sauce?  if not, would they be strained out after a specific lenght of time?  Do they get softened in liquids?
I wanted a sauce that reminded me of a sweet and sour sauce from a chinese dish and would compliment the meatloaf but not be too thick like a flour or starch based gravy.

Cranberry and Red Pepper Sauce:
 2 thinly sliced red peppers
 1 cup red wine
 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
 1/3 cup sugar
 2 tsp mustard seeds
 3 tbsp dried cranberries

To make the Cranberry and Red Pepper Sauce return the frypan to a low heat and cook the red peppers for 5-6 minutes until soft, then add red wine, red wine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and dried cranberries. Simmer 10-15 minutes until reduced by about two-thirds. Cranberry and Red Pepper Sauce can be made in advance and reheated when needed.

I am familiar with pickling spice and use of mustard seeds in a scratch made recipe for Sloppy Joes my mom made and put the mustard seeds in but do not remember if the seeds were even noticed and know that the only crunch in mom's recipe was from celery.


texts: What is the lowest temperature at which botulism spores are killed?

texts:
I am wondering if it's possible to pressure can low-acid foods in my Instant Pot. Now hear me out. I know it's not recommended because the highest pressure that can be guaranteed on it is 10.2 PSI, and many low-acid foods require 15 PSI for a certain amount of time to reach the proper temperature (240-250 degrees fahrenheit, I believe). However, I have also read that killing spores is a function of temperature and time. So my question is, does anyone know if a lower temperature (possibly attainable by my Instant Pot) for a longer period of time would do? Does anyone know of a table that lists various times and temperatures a food must be held at to kill botulism spores (not bacteria)?

Additional information: I live at 4564 feet above sea level. I am most interested in canning chicken and beans. Here are the links I have found helpful in my search thus far.

USDA Recommendations for meat https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE05_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf
USDA recommendations for beans https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE04_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf
Instant Pot increase in cook times for altitude https://instantpot.com/cooking-tips/
Resource that says that spores are killed when food is held at 121 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit) for three minutes. https://www.fsai.ie/faq/botulism.html


texts: Browned butter + roasted flour = baking magic?

texts: I love the flavour of browned butter, and I've tried baking sable cookies with roasted flour (delicious). Is there a good reason why, in a bog-standard chocolate chip cookie recipe which calls for melted butter, I could not use browned butter? Will the fats react differently in the baking process?


texts: Can I use amaretti cookies in a cheesecake crust?

texts:
I'm making a cannoli cheesecake from this recipe (http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a43604/cannoli-cheesecake-recipe/).  I will be adding 1-2 tsps of cinnamon to the cheesecake batter and possibly almond extract.  All the recipes say to use a graham cracker crust, but that doesn't seem like it would be as authentic.  Can I use crushed (ground) amaretti cookies, like in the cookies below?  It seems like it would behave similarly to graham crackers or Nilla wafers.

Again, I'm asking about the crust and the use of a different cookie (since I've never used something outside of wafers or graham crackers or Oreos for crusts).  I understand that this will not be actual cannolis but a cheesecake designed to remind you of a cannoli.  I've updated the title as well so hopefully my request for help is clearer.


texts: Can garlic or onion stored in the fridge help to sanitize? How to protect fridge from dangerous elements which can spoil stored food?


texts: candied mints storage and transporting long distance

texts:
I'm making mints for my nephew's wedding (containing powdered sugar, butter, white syrup). The wedding is in August. I have to travel more than 1,000 miles to wedding. I have two questions:

If I make them ahead of time, how do I store them to keep them fresh?
How do I transport them in an automobile?


texts: What can I do with dried chipotle chillies?

texts: I have a bag of dried Chipotle chillies. All the recipes I see use chipotle paste. How can I make a sauce with them? Any good methods?


texts:
I made halloumi at the weekend using this process with cows milk. The rennet I used had a best before June 2014 date on it.

The cheese came out fine and tastes good after being brined.

However when I fry the slices of halloumi the result is that the cheese is too soft (by general concensus in my house) and doesn't 'squeak' like a true halloumi should.

So my question is what might be the cause for my too soft halloumi? and what can I do to make it firmer next time?

My initial thoughts are that I could 'press' the curds more before poaching, or it could be the rennet (although they seemed to work fine). Or it could be the cows milk rather than ewes milk.

It may also be that it will firm up whilst it sits in the brine. Does anyone know if this is the case?

Any thoughts?


texts: Two temperatures for making caramel candy

texts: When making caramel candy the recipe often calls for boiling a water/sugar/butter mix to one temperature, then adding cream and boiling to another temperature.  Often the second temperature is higher than the first.  I assume the second temperature is set to get the proper amount of water driven off and the proper caramelization of the sugar.  What is the purpose of the first boiling?  How would the result be different if we just mixed the water/sugar/butter/cream and boiled to the second temperature?  If the first one is higher I can see we get more caramelized sugar that way, but if the second is higher I don't see the purpose.


texts: What is the benefit of a pasta pot with an inset?

texts:
All my life I’ve cooked pasta in regular pots. The most fancy thing I had in regards to pasta cooking was a pot with little holes in the lid and a locking mechanism, so that you could use that to drain the pasta:

Said pot now broke, and as I am looking for a new pasta pot, I see a lot of large pots with some strainer-ish inset:

What is the benefit of such a strainer inset pot over a regular pot?
These strainer pots seem more expensive, taking up more space, and I'd have to clean more.
I can see that the strainer may be useful for other things like steaming vegetables.

Anything else, especially when it comes to cooking pasta?


texts: Substituting fresnos for habaneros to lower the heat

texts: Anyone know of a thinner walled chili pepper that is mild like the Fresno pepper? Like the taste of the Fresno but it's a bit too meaty, and it doesn't blend (the skin) to a smooth consistency like the habanero. Straining the sauce was my first thought, but doing so changed the consistency of the sauce to much. Trying to cut down on the heat. Also needs to be red so I can keep that bright color the sauce has.


texts: Is it possible to fry vegetables in cream?

texts:
Cream A: The fat that gathers on the top of boiled milk.
Cream B: The cream available in packets: http://www.amul.com/products/amul-freshcream-info.php

Can vegetables be actually "fried" in these types of cream? Any precautions need to be taken in this case?


texts: Frozen bread dough that has been thawed out in the refrigerator for five days

texts: Is it safe to use frozen bread dough that has been thawed in the refrigerator for five days?  It was on a metal tray and dough covered with wax paper to keep it from drying out.  It did rise already some.  Not using it to make a regular loaf of bread so not concerned about it rising as much.


texts: Can I make potatoes sweet by cooking them?

texts:
I've heard that cooking "breaks down" carbohydrates such as starch. I also know that starch is a complex carbohydrate, which is essentially made out of simple carbohydrates (sugars).

Potatoes contain a lot of starch, so I was wondering: is there a way of cooking potatoes that will break the starch down and make them sweet?

Of course, I'm not expecting to be able to make them sweet like candy, but I'm wondering if I can get some amount of sweetness out of them.

I'm just asking out of curiosity; I don't have any particular goals or dishes in mind.


texts: Substituting fresh shitake mushrooms for dried

texts:
My question is exactly the reverse of this one:
Substituting Dried Shiitake Mushrooms for Fresh

I have a recipe for vegetarian gravy which calls for 8 dried shitake mushrooms, but I only have fresh shitake mushrooms. How much should I use?

For reference, the recipe was found here:
http://umamigirl.com/2011/11/best-vegetarian-gravy-recipe.html


texts: Is unnecessary refrigeration problematic?

texts:
Our local grocery store's produce section has a few areas of refrigerated produce along the walls--mostly "wet" vegetables like lettuce, squash, peppers, green beans, etc. The rest, in the middle of the produce section is simply on shelves in bins, like potatoes, onions, corn and bananas.

For the most part, our home storage tends to follow the store's--we keep lettuce in the crisper and onions out.

However, there are a few pieces of produce that tend to generate some controversy in our house, and they tend to be small and round, like grapes, cherries, and berries. The questionable item this week is blueberries. My tendency is to follow the store's practice of leaving this out, whereas my wife seems convinced they will rot in a matter of hours and insists they should be refrigerated.

I'm more or less satisfied with refrigerating them--as long as it won't cause a problem. I've heard that some items will actually go soft faster, or lose flavor, if stored cold.


texts: How to remove every insect from romaine lettuce?

texts:
How do I get rid of tiny insects on my lettuce, I know that there will always be insects on it but I'm so paranoid about it. I have a huge fear and I love lettuce so much. I get rid of most insects by first removing each leaf, soaking the lettuce in a vinegar water mix for 10 minutes or so, and running each individual lettuce leaf through water.
Usually this works, but I always get these little insects that don't seem to get off, I literally see them holding on to dear life when I run water through them.
I posted a pictures here too

Is there a way to get rid of these little insects? Also, what are they?


texts: I understand that one should not keep homemade salad dressing that contains garlic for a period longer than a week or so. Does this also apply to using shallots in the dressing?


texts: What determines if the handle of a pan gets hot while in use?

texts:
About three years ago, we replaced a one 10" skillet with another, both Macy's Tools of the Trade anodized aluminum teflon skillets. (The teflon coating didn't last on the old pan.)

The old pan had a metal handle bolted onto the body, and the new one has a silicone insert on the bottom of a metal handle, also bolted on. We're going to have to replace this new(er) pan because the handle gets too hot to touch after a few minutes of use, even though the pan itself works extremely well; the hot handle is a safety hazard.

We're considering the skillet that will replace it, and we'll get another, similar piece. However, it would be nice if it lasted for more than a few years. And, while any pot handle will eventually get too hot to touch, I'd like to be able to pick up the pan without an oven mitt.

What determines how hot a handle does or doesn't get while the pan is in use? I've been researching brands, and this isn't something that I've seen covered much in the reviews.

Edit: Pictures may be of help. Sorry for the mess, we just made dinner. (Tilapia with snow peas, garlic, and ginger with a side of mushrooms.)

Old pan (Well, it's another pan with the same handle, I tossed the old one):

The new pan, showing the infamous plastic insert:


texts: Why store food in an airtight container when it's in the fridge?

texts:
The common wisdom for storing prepared food for later is to store it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge, the temperature of which should be at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celcius). I understand the purpose of the temperature is to slow the growth of bacteria to prolong the shelf life, but what about the airtight container? Is that also to slow bacteria growth, is it more about preservation of quality by preventing oxidation, or is it something else?
For the purposes of this question, I am more interested in the food I am storing itself, from a food safety and quality stand point. I get why you would want to store something pungent in an airtight container lest its odor get into any of your other items in the fridge or if you trying to prevent cross contamination between raw and cooked items. I simply would like to know what effect the airtight container has on the food itself vs. if I stored it in a non-airtight container.


texts: Can I find out the caloric content of bread by dehydrating it?

texts: If I microwave a piece of bread until all the water is evaporated and then weigh what is left, is the caloric content estimated by finding the calories in the same weight of flour?


texts: I baked custard at too much heat, is there a name for what I created?

texts:
Recently a friend from the Americas gave me a simple recipe for custard, I never had custard (or at least not knowingly) and thus wanted to try it out. The recipe in it's original form would be:

  3-4 eggs
  1/2 cup sugar
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  3 cups milk
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  some nutmeg

  Blend & put into bowls, put bowls into larger dish filled with water.
  Put into the oven at 176F & cook for around 45min.

Knowing that I am from Switzerland he tried to translate it to metric (this is the recipe that I got from him):

  3-4 eggs
  118ml sugar
  1.2ml salt
  709ml milk
  4.8ml vanilla
  some nutmeg

  Blend & put into bowls, put bowls into larger dish filed with water.
  Put into the oven at 176C & cook for around 45min.

As my oven only does 5C increases I put it in at 180C and didn't spend much time thinking about it. The result does not taste bad at all, but the consistency is less that of a cream (looked up custard on Wikipedia in the end) and more that of supermarket flan.

Q: Is there a name for the monstrosity I created or is it still custard?


texts:
Jambalaya calls for either Andouille or Chorizo sausage.

Is this sausage meant to be fresh or smoked?


texts:
I'm new to fermenting. I would like to make fermented dill pickles. My question is: Can I process fermented dill pickles in a water bath to ensure a longer storage life? I have made pickles in the past, using vinegar, and then processing for 20 minutes in a water bath. Is this safe and effective with fermented pickles?

Thanks,Joe


texts: Can I still use frozen beef brisket left out at room temperature for 12 hours?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?

I left out 2 raw but frozen 6 lbs beef briskets in the sink at 7PM to thaw out because they were rock hard from the freezer. I had intended to transfer them to the refrigerator but only the next morning at 7AM did I remember that I had forgotten to put them in the refrigerator.

They will be seared on both sides first in a heavy cast iron pan and then braised for 3-4 hours in the oven. Is this still safe?


texts: My wife was cooking a turkey leg/thigh quarter in the oven at 350.  She turned off the oven after cooking and mistakenly left it in there for two days(!).  If the leg/thigh was cooked to the right safe temperature to kill bacteria, and if 350 is hot enough to kill any bacteria in the oven, and if the oven was never opened after turning the gas off, would the turkey still be safe to eat?


texts: How bakeries do a soft crust breads and making the same at home will result in a crisp crust?

texts:
A baker gave a pain de mie recipe which he do in his bakery, and the result is a soft and fluffy bread.

I tried at my home at same temperature with same recipe and resting time, the result was acceptable from the inside (fluff, and airy) but it has a crispy crust. His bread was completely soft (soft crust and soft interior).

Is it because at bakeries the ovens are essentials in creating such textures ?

The read contain: flour, salt, yeast, sugar, water and butter.


texts: How to get good color steak without sous-vide

texts:
The internet is filled with videos and pictures of people using sous-vide and obtaining rosy, almost red steak "fibers".
For the last couple of months, I've been making bone-in ribeyes by reverse searing from air-fryer oven to carbon steel pan.
The temperature I shoot for was always 55 to max 60, no matter how many times I try, the steak fibers always comes out not as bright colored or "pink" when sliced, instead they are gray-ish with lots of bright reddish colored "juice".
My wild guess is that the reason for not getting the rosy colored fiber in sliced steak is that the temp is not precise. Could it also be the steak itself and the diet of the cow?
Is the only to get good colored steak as seen all over the internet the sous-vide?
My ribeye cuts aren't very marbled, they came from a younger cow.


texts: 'Artisan' is a term thrown around a lot right now in the bread world.  What defines something as an 'artisan' bread?  Is it a function of the recipe, the technique, or the person?  Note, I'm not talking about just store bought bread here - but books like Artisan Breads Everyday.  So clearly it can't be just a grocery marketing term.  (It could be more generally a marketing term.)


texts: What is the purpose of dry aging a steak?

texts: I picked up some Porterhouse steaks this weekend and intend to cook them up steakhouse style, dry-aged and broiled(US) under high heat. What does dry-aging do to the steaks, and why is this one of the steps to cooking a truly excellent steak?


texts:
do I need to cover the jar that the fermenting bread starter is in?
If so, cover with what?


texts:
I'd like to try rendering schmaltz, and to that end have been stripping skin off the store rotisserie chickens my family buys (I've got two chickens-worth of skin atm). In doing some research I found a detailed article from The Splendid Table, but noticed that in their pictures the skin is raw to start. Is there no point to my trying to render from roasted skin? If so...any advice on what to do with all this roasted skin? I was thinking maybe a variation on bacon salt....

Also, whether I get to rendering schmaltz now or later, any general advice? I've had bad experiences with rendering fats in the past, but I'm pretty sure it was due to my lack of patience. As far as I can tell, it's very low heat and a lot of time that renders fat properly.

Thank you in advance!


texts: Does it matter what type of wine is used to make mulled wine?

texts:
I had mulled wine at a French restaurant I went to for dinner last night, and it was a very dry wine - which was interesting, since there was definitely added sugar and the spices are typically something I think of as paired with sweeter flavors. It resulted in an odd (but not unpleasant) mixture of flavors.

I know that mulled wine / glühwein / glögg varies depending on region and culture, but is there a class of red wine that is typically used to make mulled wine? Or does it depend entirely on personal preference or what's available?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why is it dangerous to eat meat which has been left out and then cooked?

Around 3pm I took out steak to thaw, the steak was wrap in foil and plastic wrap and i stuck it in the oven! i found i forgot it this morning! we all know that when you buy pre pkg steak, it doen't carry the best looking shade of red we like but hey what can you do, i found it this morning, the steak has no smell but it has some grey color to it and it looks like it started to cook you know if you take a steak and rinse it under hot water it will start to cook, so would it still be good to use


texts: I got a pat of "butter" today at a restaurant and the wrapper said that it contained "pasteurized cream" and salt. Is pasteurized cream the same thing as butter?