texts: What is the best substitute for eggs when baking cookies?

texts:
I do a lot of vegan baking and I was wondering what the best substitute is for eggs in cookies? Lately I have been using aquafaba and extra baking soda, but maybe using that is just as effective as using water?

I don't know much about the science of baking, but I would really like to learn it as I find it very interesting. Maybe if I know more about it I will find substitutions easier.

I've read many places that applesauce and carbonated water are good substitutes too; is that true?

If I were to replace the eggs in the following recipe, what substitution would be best?

Ingredients
3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (247 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (340 grams) semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
If time permits, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. This allows the dough to “marinate” and makes the cookies thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop.
Divide the dough into 3-tablespoon sized balls using a large cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.


texts: Can I mix multiple types of pudding powder?

texts:
I would like to create a pudding with vanilla + cocoa pudding powder, from the same brand.

Can I combine the two safely(cooking them all at once)?


texts: How to prepare squid to avoid spermataphores

texts: I was just reading about how some people, when eating squid, have ended up with squid spermataphores in their mouth. Apparently, it is painful (and not that appetizing for me). I am wondering how to prepare squid so that this part is removed.  Can this also happen with octopus?


texts:
I splurged and bought some Weck jars for canning.   I purchased the .5 liter tulip jars.   I notice that they have a substantially larger mouth than Ball/Kerr jars.  They also appear to be both fatter & shorter.   I tested with my canner, and can get only 5 jars per level instead of 6 jars with the Ball pint jars.
Does the difference in shape mean any changes I should adjust any recipes from the Ball Canning book?  I am particularly wondering if the head space should remain the same.


texts: Is there a way to lessen the unpleasant smell of steamed broccoli?

texts: I really enjoy snacking on steamed vegetables lightly sprinkled with some salt and pepper, especially broccoli. However I find that steamed fresh broccoli has a slightly sulfuric smell that smells a little bit like fart. I was wondering if there is anything I can do to lessen that smell.


texts:
I have a raw fruit relish that I'd like to like to thicken into more of a jam consistency.  I'm thinking about heating in a saucepan with some cornstarch or syrup, but I don't have any idea how much cornstarch to use, and I don't want to mess this up.  What approach should I take to thicken this relish?

Here is the recipe for the relish:

  2 pounds fresh cranberries
  1 cup sugar
  1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur
  1 orange, zested and juiced

  Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, pulse
  several times to breakdown the cranberries and incorporate the
  ingredients; it should still be a bit chunky. Allow the cranberry
  relish to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, so the
  flavors can marry.

From Fresh Cranberry Relish by Tyler Florence and JoAnn Cianciulli.


texts: If I vacuum seal a food product like beef stew then boil it in the bag, would it keep un-refrigerated?

texts: I'm wondering if after vacuum sealing something then boiling it, if that would act as sterilization allowing the product to remain safe without being refrigerated.


texts: Can we use white sugar, instead of brown sugar?

texts: I want to bake a cake but I don't have light brown sugar. Can I replace it with white sugar?


texts: Why do they put the fruit on the bottom?

texts: Why do they put fruit at the bottom of the yogurt? Why not at the top, or just mixed in?


texts:
I have seen recipes for gluten free American style pancakes, and suppose that they turn out OK as long as they contain something which keeps them from falling apart. But I was wondering if I can make gluten free palatschinken or crepes. I am reluctant to just use some gluten replacement like starch and non-wheat flours, because it won't bind the crepe together. And I want the result to be like a real crepe - very thin, and flexible enough to be rolled.

Does anybody have experience with gluten-free crepes? Do they work? If yes, how are they made, what should I pay attention to?


texts:
I have always made pulled pork with the shoulder, but this time I want to make it with the leg of pork.

Will turn out dry, does it need less cooking time?


texts: Achieving perfection via manual drip-brew coffee method

texts:
Every time I make coffee it seems to taste different, and I've found there is a lot more room for error with the manual drip-brew method than using a Moka coffee maker or an automatic drip-brewer.

There are too many variables to list, but I'll try:

Type/color/brand of filter
Amount of coffee
Wetting the filter
Wetting the grounds
Amount of time between wetting the grounds and pouring the rest of the water
Plastic / ceramic / glass cone
Coarseness of the grounds
Rate of water flow
Temperature of water
Height from which to pour water
Trickling water or constant pour
Clockwise / counterclockwise / or straight-on pouring
Whether to fill it up to the brim and let it seep down or be patient and pour a little at a time
And many more.

But what are the most important factors (either from this list or anything I might have missed) that I need to do every time to ensure that the cup is a most excellent brew?  How do those factors actually affect the brew and why?

Please include only factors specific to, or of particular import to this method of coffee brewing.


texts: How can I safely re-heat a chicken pie without burning the crust?

texts:
Last night I made a chicken pie with ham, cheese and other awesomeness inside. However, I'm worried about re-heating it safely for consumption. I estimate there are two servings (so today's and tomorrow's worth) left.

Last time I tried to re-heat a pie in the oven, even with foil over it, the crust burned and the insides of the pie were still only lukewarm after 10 minutes plus.

My questions:

Is it safe to re-heat the pie considering it contains already cooked and cooled chicken? The pie was placed into the fridge about 10-15 minutes after cooking.
Can I do this twice for tonight and tomorrow?
How do I avoid burning the crust whilst ensuring the middle of the pie is properly heated?


texts: How to make chicken absorb more salt when cooking a soup?

texts:
This is a really important question for me, it can actually make the difference between me recovering from a chronic illness or not.

Basically I have been cooking a basic soup : 1kg chicken: 1.5 litre water and 4grams sea salt.  Note there is no vegetables for testing purposes.  I add the ingredients at the beginning, bring to a boil, simmer and then eat.

The problem is that on some days it seems the chicken absorbs a lot of the salt making  the chicken it taste nice and leaving the water seemingly less salty while on other days the chicken doesn't absorb a lot of the salt and this ends up leaving the soup water too salty.   I need it the first way as my stomach tolerates it however if the water is too salty my stomach starts giving me problems.

Since ingredients/ solids weight are the same I am convinced the problem is in the way I am cooking. I am doing something which is affecting the absorption of salt by the chicken.  I wondered about possible causes and thought about the following:

1.May be slow/quick heating affects  absorption
2.Maybe as the chicken gets softer any salt it absorbed starts to come back out, so it’s a question of timing
3.Maybe washing the chicken at the beginning has an effect,
4.Maybe cooking time affects absorption

I tried and tested various scenarios in the above but I cannot figure out what the specific cause is, perhaps you can kindly help me out with an educated/tested opinion.
The one thing I believe I noticed was that on those days it comes out right during the simmer the water seems to go low, perhaps evaporates or gets absorbed.  In either case I imagine it may be temperature issue but I am not sure and could even be mistaken about the water being low.

Do you guys have any ideas, please this is a major issue for me and only if I cook the right way will my stomach start to recover.  My nutritionist didnt seem to know the answer and she said 'you'll just have to keep cooking and note what you do differently'.   Any help will be highly appreciated.

Many thanks


texts: I found a recipe that calls for 5 “pucks” of frozen spinach. I cannot find a definition of the term. I need to know how many ounces are in a puck?


texts: How can you cook multiple omelets without burning them?

texts:
Over the weekend, I was making omelets for 5 people in a single frying pan. The first few came out fine, but by the time I got to the fifth one...well, I'm glad that one was mine. The pan had gotten so hot that the eggs burned almost immediately, and while it was still edible, it certainly wasn't good.

How can I prevent the pan from overheating when cooking for multiple people? I've had this problem before with some other foods as well (e.g., quesadillas), but the problem is most pronounced with eggs, at least for me.


texts: What, other than popcorn, can be made in a popcorn maker?

texts:
What can successfully be made using a popcorn maker, other than the various kinds of popping corn?

I've tried pumpkin seeds and, while they didn't pop, they did become toasted and actually quite nice.


texts: What are the decision parameters, when you have rendered fat to store? Glass or plastic? Refrigerated or not? I'm not looking for long-term storage; just what's the best-practice way to store it for use over a month or two?


texts: Why is the paddle and not the whisk used for making cake batter in a planetary mixer?

texts: And would there be a difference in the cake using the whisk and the one using the paddle?  If so, what would it be?


texts: Can milk chocolate candy be used as a chocolate substitute in fudge?

texts: Can I melt Brach's Milk Chocolate Stars or Hearts to make fudge?


texts: What is the shelf life of cookies made with Greek Yogurt?

texts:
After baking cookies with greek yogurt,
How long would they be good if stored in the freezer or fridge?

Will they still be safe to enjoy?
Is this the same with greek yogurt cakes/pies?


texts: What do I do with the egg that contains a crack while curing in brine?

texts: I am making some salted eggs using a saturated brine solution. I just noticed one of the eggs has crack in it. Should I be worried? The recipe instruction says I should check if one of the eggs have a crack but did not specify why or what to do with it.


texts: I want to make white risotto, but I can't as the broth is usually brownish and makes the rice to have the same color. I don't know how to make/get white broth, any ideas how to make white risotto?


texts:
We made homemade pizza last night. We made extra, uncooked, pies, and accidentally left them out overnight. As soon as I noticed, I put them into the freezer just in case they were still good.

What do you think? Will they kill us?

TIA!

EDIT: There are yogurt cheese, peppers, and onions as toppings.


texts:
Many sauces and pastries call for beaten yolks. You need to beat yolks well, till they are thick again and are lemon-colored, so using mixer is a must.
But if you need only one or two egg yolks, regular mixers are too big for the task. What I'm currently using is a battery-driven micro mixer, and it is not powerful enough and eats up batteries fast.
Can anybody suggest a good solution to the problem?


texts: I've heard that using a wok helps ensure not only perfectly cooked meats and vegetables, it also just makes food taste better. I've purchased a new wok and am looking forward to putting it to use. As a beginner, what are the key steps I need to follow to cook properly using a new wok?


texts: Is it ok to eat sealed pack bacon after I accidentally forgot, left it in an ice box without ice for 8 hours? Its frozen when I left it. And after 8 hours its still cold.


texts:
On occasion I have bought sliced/chopped, pre-tenderized, frozen octopus from the local market and each time I attempt cooking it, it always is still a little chewy and smells like bay water. I suspect I'm not cleaning it right and boiling it too long but am unsure the right way to get a decent tasting octopus dish.

What is the best way to make a simply tasty octopus?


texts: How to store fresh coriander for future use, outside refrigerator, so that they don't lose their taste?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to Store Fresh Herbs

I have seen this thread: How to Store Fresh Herbs, but I won't want to use a fridge neither I have any garden. All I have is the plastic bottle.


texts: My oven seems to cook the outside faster than the inside

texts:
I'm not in any way any kind of good cook, I just eat a lot of chicken breasts.
I used to have a bargain basement janky gas oven that I would run on full heat, and I would put a Costco precooked frozen chicken breast in ("cooking time 35-40 minutes fan oven 180 degrees") and after 43 minutes it would come out absolutely perfect, with crispy skin and not too dry or tough.
I moved house and now have a more expensive oven, which is electric.
I have tried to cook my chicken breasts but the results are always disappointing. Generally, the skin seems to cook then burn. The instructions say 180C so I have used a laser temperature probe pointed at the chicken and adjusted the dial so that this value is 180C.
I find that after 33 mins the skin starts to burn. So I often cook it for around 30 minutes but it's a little bit tough and doesn't taste as great as my old oven.
I can't really tell what I should change to improve it. I feel like I need to cook the inside longer without burning the outside, but I am not certain.
The variables I can think of are to increase/decrease the temperature and increase/decrease the cooking time.
Is there a general rule of thumb about temperature vs time based on what aspect of your food is cooking incorrectly?


texts: How to prevent creamy sauces from separating upon reheating?

texts:
When I reheat pasta with some kind of cream sauce, the sauce always ends up separating into oil and cream stuff. I am using a microwave, but, I am open for other methods of reheating.

How can I reheat and store pasta without the sauce separating?


texts: What are the differences between the grades of maple syrup?

texts: You can get maple syrup in different grades, but what defines the difference between the grades?  Why is one syrup grade A and one grade B?


texts: Any magic formulas for roasting a gammon joint?

texts: wondering if there is a magic formula (i.e weight/temp/time) in order to get a gammon just right?


texts: What are the 'natural flavors' in a fruit drink that contains no juice?

texts: When a fruit (flavored) beverage says it contains all natural flavors but no juice, where is the flavor coming from? Is it possible there are man-made additives being thrown in that can be technically considered "natural"?


texts: Non-coconut substitute for coconut cream

texts: I'm planning on cooking a Massaman curry but for someone who really dislikes the taste of coconut. What would a good substitute be? I'm thinking of just using cream instead - do you think that would work well?


texts: What are the advantages and disadvantages to using a griddle instead of a cast-iron skillet?

texts:
I have moved into a house with a nice Wolf-range griddle, and I would like to know what the primary advantages of the griddle are over a cast-iron skillet, including, is there anything I can do with a griddle that can not be done with a skillet?

I have found that the primary downside to using the griddle is the time it takes to heat up, so when cooking for one, I would choose the skillet. The primary advantage of the griddle is that it provides a larger, easier cooking space.

Am I missing other major advantages of having a griddle?


texts: UK laws regarding consumption of food or beverages in a commercial kitchen?

texts:
When cooking in a commercial kitchen in the UK, what are the rules about consuming food or beverages while on shift?

I was previously trained to not eat or drink freely in the kitchen. If hydration was required, we had to drink our water it at the allocated sink and go back to work. The place I'm at now seems to allow sipping constantly from a mug of tea or bottle of water leaving the bottle or mug here and there on work tops.

Does it depend on place of work, or is there a food hygiene law about it?


texts: Smoking Boston Butt and Smoker Went out - Food Safety

texts:
I borrowed a buddies pellet smoker to test it out. I got it going bright this morning. Got it up to about 225 and loaded it up a 6.5 pound Boston Butt. It never really stayed at 225, but hovered between 200 and 225 for the first 3-4 hours of cooking.

Then the fire went out, it started to drop. The meat was around 130. I wrapped it in tin foil and set it on my outdoor table while I looked at the smoker. After an hour of not getting it going again, I put it in the oven @ 225. After another hour I got the smoker working. Turns out the fan got jammed up and I had to get it moving.

So the question is, is my food still safe? A summary of the facts:

6.5 Boston Butt smoked for about 3-4 hours @ 200-225, temp got to
around 130.
Fire went out, It spent one hour in foli and an other
hour in the oven @ 225.
Temp when going back onto the smoker was
about 125.
Now everything is working, it is running @ 250 and the
meat is 163.
I plan on cooking it to 195 or 203 (if time permits).

Thoughts? Thanks!


texts: How can I make whole grains stick to the top of bread?

texts:
I want to bake bread or bagels that have whole grains like poppy seeds, cumin, caraway, etc. stuck to the top.

I have tried just pressing them to the top but they fall off during or shortly after baking. I tried an egg wash but I don't want my bread to have an eggy surface.

Does my dough need to be wetter? Do I need to water down my egg wash more? Or is there a better way entirely?


texts: Caramel Coating producing inconsistent results

texts:
I have been experimenting with a recipe for Caramel Coated Pecans.
The problem I have been experiencing is that (I believe) the instructions are too general.

The first time I used a 'larger' sauce pan and I ended up with something that was more like a 'pecan brittle' which tasted slightly burned.

In my second attempt I used a smaller sauce pan and I ended up with a very grainy result (much of the caramel coating turned to

I suspect that instructions of "four minutes at medium high heat" are not specific enough to achieve the desired result. What I need is to know what temperature to raise the sauce too in order to get a smooth coating. (or if I am wrong, any 'other advise' would be welcome.)


texts:
My oven heats up by putting on the grill. Yesterday I was making pie and the top burned a little bit. This happens almost every time. It happens at the moment the grill goes on for a short moment because the oven has cooled down a bit. So the top of my pie burns, but the middle is not fully cooked jet.
I always make sure the oven is fully heated before putting in the pie, and of course keep the oven door open as short as possible.
I was wondering, is there a trick so that my pie does not get burned when the oven is re-heating?
Right now I turn down the oven a little bit so it won't re-heat which indeed prevent the pie from burning. However, in this way I do not get the optimal result.


texts: How important are ingredient ratios in pasta-making (as compared to baking)?

texts:
It's well-known that the ratios of ingredients matter a lot in baking -- tiny changes in ingredient ratios can create big changes in the quality of results.
However, there are other situations where ingredient ratios don't matter as much (for instance, it doesn't matter much whether you use x grams or x+1 grams of tomatoes in a salad).
Question: In pasta-making, how sensitive is the quality of pasta to changes in ingredient ratios, and how does this sensitivity compare with that of baking?


texts: What is this hinged tool with a box full of wicked grooves and teeth?

texts:
Recently, while cleaning out my mother's kitchen, we came across this tool:

When closed, it is about 8 inches long (the box at the end is maybe 2 inches by 2 inches by an inch or so).  The two sides come apart very easily.  The tool is quite light-weight, and seems to be made of aluminum.  Other than that, I have idea what it could be, and there seemed to be no identifying marks or branding.
Honestly, I would not be surprised to learn that it is not even a kitchen tool (my money is on Medieval torture device), but it came from one of the kitchen cabinets, so maybe it belongs there?


texts: Is it possible to freeze wine for future use?

texts:
I wanted to freeze some leftover wine (about half a bottle) to use for cooking at a later date.

Will it keep at all?
Are there any special ways to freeze it?
Would freezing it in the bottle be safe?
Should it be defrosted first before using, or can I use it straight out of the freezer?


texts: Why do American supermarkets only carry lamb and not mutton?

texts:
When I go to the supermarket I do not see much, if any, mutton, just a lot of lamb.

So, I have postulated some possible explanations:

mutton (the meat of a sheep) is being sold as "lamb",
mutton tastes weird to Americans so all of it is exported,
mutton tastes weird to Americans so it is turned into dog food,
all adult sheep are only used for wool and are then retired and put out to pasture where they live out their retirement years playing pinochle and shuffleboard.

What's the explanation, why is there is so little mutton and so much lamb meat?


texts: Is it possible to make transparent / translucent pastry?

texts:
I'm looking for something that works like pastry (malleable before baking, rigid after baking, mild unobtrusive flavour) that is transparent or translucent.

The idea is to use for topping savoury pies, where the base and sides are regular shortcrust pastry and the top is something similar but translucent, so that you can have a selection of different pies of the same size and shape on a sharing plate and people can see which is which - without leaving the top open so not exposing the contents to the elements.

Since things like glass noodles and translucent dough wrappings for Chinese dumplings exist, I'm sure it must be possible  - maybe based on corn flour, or pure starch like glass noodles? Apparently translucent rice is also a thing. The closest I've found are recipes like this one for transparent Chinese dumpling dough - but these aren't very transparent and are gooier than would be ideal alongside pastry.

If there's no such thing that has an established name or recipes, it would be great to have a few basic principles on how it might work: for example, how the pure starch that glass noddles are apparently made from could be sourced and adapted to be pastry-like without losing translucency? Perhaps simply making a starch dough, glazing it with oil then baking might be enough to make it work like pastry?


texts: How to make a brittler, harder chocolate coating?

texts:
I'm not sure whether this is a duplicate of this question partly because that question seems to be dealing with making your own chocolate. Which I'm not doing.

In my case I want to add a thin coating of chocolate to flapjacks or homemade biscuits or similar for a sweeter treat. I melt some cooking chocolate then add it to the biscuit base. Then chill in the fridge.

This works fine. However I may want to remove from the fridge, transport the treat to school or workplace, and if left out of the fridge long enough the chocolate can get pretty squidgy.

Is there any trick that'll result in a chocolate coating which stays brittler and harder at room temperature?


texts: Should I marinate or dry-brine a steak first?

texts:
I've read that pineapple contains an enzyme called Bromelain that breaks down muscle fibres, and therefore a pineapple purée makes a great tenderizing marinade for tougher steaks.
I'm also a big fan of dry brining steaks, as in covering them with salt and leaving them for a day or so to absorb it all.
My question, is if I wanted to do both, which should I do first? I don't want the steaks turning to mush if there's any leftover enzyme on them after the marinade. However I also don't want the water in the marinade leeching out the salt that was absorbed in the dry-brine.


texts: How do you make popcorn with "indian corn"

texts: I bought a couple ears of this corn at the farmers market and the woman at the stand said to throw it in the microwave.  Does anybody know how long it should be in the microwave for?


texts: Does Agar Agar expand in the stomach if not diluted enough?

texts: This might be an odd question. But I am making gummybears from fruit i mixed smooth in a food processor and agar agar. I read that agar is a potential chocking hazard when taken with insufficient amount of water. Since I used about 3 teaspoons for my mixture to set it firm, will it expand once it comes in contact with the fluid when eaten? Or is the structure changed once it got heated and then cooled again into jelly form?


texts: How do I clean my gas oven at the very bottom where the burner is?

texts:
Last night I was baking a peach cobbler at 400F when my son noticed orange flames coming out of the vent holes at the sides of the bottom panel of the oven.  I shut off the oven and eventually the flames went away.
After I let the oven cool off (next day) I removed the bottom panel of the oven (two little screws at the back) to reveal the oven burner.  It was obvious that the flames were caused by the tremendous buildup of oil/grease in this area of the oven.  I could see the black area where it had burned on the metal plate under the burner.
You would think I could simply clean this area and be good but it's not that simple.  This oven seems to have three layers of 'panels'.  The first is like the drip panel - the one I removed - that has the little vents on the sides.  The second is below the oven burner.  This one has a few large pill shaped holes cut in it directly under the burner and on either side of the burner revealing the third panel.  This third panel is about 1/2 inch below the second one and is coated in grease.  I see no way to remove the second panel to get to the third beyond disassembling the whole oven.
Take a look at the image.  It looks like I poured a whole can of Crisco in there but I've never had a major spill.  In the hole at the bottom right you can see where I've scraped away grease with my finger.
This oven comes with an 'Alternative Clean' feature which requires that I pour 1 1/4 cup of water in the first panel.  How would this clean the grease out of the very bottom of the stove?  I Googled it a bit and there seem to be a lot of people that think this feature doesn't work at all.
I actually tried to replicate the orange flame situation by turning the oven up to 500F but it heated up and was fine.  There was a little bit of smoke but it eventually went away.  No flames.  I'm assuming that I had burned away the combustible material yesterday but that it will eventually build up again.
So, how do I clean out the very bottom of this oven? The model # is IGL730CS0 Whirlpool.


texts: When a recipe says, 'simmer uncovered', what's the issue?

texts: Many a recipe or package instructs: 'cook uncovered' without stating a reason. As a general matter, is this to protect me from boilover, or does it have some more subtle purpose?


texts: Why you shouldn't use soap to clean a pizza stone? or some pans and pots?

texts:
I was reading answers to this question How do I season my new pizza stone? and many people advised not to use soap on a pizza stone, I don't have a pizza stone but I have read similar advice for some pots and pans,

My question is why you can't use soap to clean this stuff, is it just unnecessary (because a pizza stone is always in the oven and every thing on it will burn) or there is a reason NOT to do it?


texts:
Looking online at a copy of Mrs Beetons Book of Household management and I came across a recipe that called for "White Moist Sugar".

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Mrs_Beeton%27s_Book_of_Household_Management.djvu/1628

Anyone know what a reasonable modern replacement would be?


texts:
I love the taste of cardamom seeds, as does the family.

But I am the only person in the household who doesn't mind chewing the seeds as a part of the rice dish.

For flavoured rice, it's quite easy, but fried rice with mixed vegetables etc I always end up missing some.

Thoughts?


texts: My Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread is moist but it crumble when you cut it. How can I fix it?

texts: I have been baking zucchini bread for many years. I bake several different kinds. I found this new recipe and decided to try it. It is moist and tastes great. The problem is when I cut a piece it crumbles. So you can't hold it and eat it like a piece of bread. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this problem?


texts: Can a rice cooker be used to evaporate remove all water in a soup?

texts:
Suppose I cooked a soup and now wanted to evaporate/remove all water from the soup leaving behind fat, oil, minerals etc.  Could I place the soup liquid in a rice cooker, switch it on and expect it to have the desired result?  If not why not?

Is there an alternate device I can use to get the intended result?


texts: How will baking chicken at a high heat differ from a lower heat?

texts: I want to fix my daughter's favorite foods for her birthday -- chicken and fries -- but don't want to actually deep-fry anything.  (Don't have a deep-fryer, for one thing.) I have found a couple of highly-rated recipes for baked "fries"  and pan-fried then baked chicken breasts.  The only problem is that the fries call for a 450-degree oven and the chicken calls for 375.  I only have one oven, so I am trying to figure out the best way to cook both and have them ready at the same time. I thought about baking the fries first, then the chicken and putting the fries back in to re-heat for the last 5-10 minutes.  I don't want soggy fries, though, and am not sure this way is best.  I also don't want dried out chicken. although the pan-fry then bake method promises that it will be tender and juicy.  Ideal would be to find a way to cook them at the same time, as I will be doing this after getting home from work. I do have a convect-bake setting on my oven, if that makes any difference.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Should I keep the meat boiled off of bones when making beef broth?

texts: I am making a simple beef stock from the leftover bones from a New York cut roast beef. Beyond adding a mirepoix and boiling the bones for three hours I'm not doing anything special. When I make stock I typically throw out the leftover meat and vegetables, but do I have to throwout the leftover beef? Aside from the beef I have boiled off the bones I do not have a lot of leftover meat and do not want to potentially waste what could be useable meat.


texts: Does dumping the water from boiling ramen noodles reduce the fat content much?

texts:
I enjoy eating ramen noodles cooked in the microwave at work.  I've already learned to toss the sodium seasoning packet to avoid the salt, but I notice the noodles themselves have lots of fat and much of it saturated.  (I understand the noodles are deep-fried as part of the preparation for packaging.)  In an attempt to reduce the fat content, I dump the water after the noddles are cooked and add more water to start up a new broth.

(For reference, I add Thai red curry seasoning and either an egg, canned salmon or both.  If I have one, I'll squeeze a lime over the finished product.)

Does it help reduce the fat content of the meal if I dump the initial broth?  Is there any way to know how effective the practice is?


texts: Should I preheat glass and ceramic pans before baking bread?

texts: I never bake a loaf of bread before and I would like to bake a no-knead bread. For your information, I have an electric oven, a glass and ceramic pans. Should I preheat the glass and ceramic pans in the oven before baking?


texts:
Is there a way to make a chemiluminescencent reaction that is safe for consumption by humans?
That is to say is it possible to make an item of food or drink that glows and is at worst non toxic? There are quite a few references available for general reactions of this kind (e.g. Wikipedia) but none of them are obviously safe to consume. It seems if I could find a way to make such things safe to consume then it would open the door to awesome punch and/or cake recipes.


texts: What can replace milk, for vegan pancakes without eggs?

texts:
Please see the question in the title. My goal is to make vegan pancakes without:

eggs,
milk,
any milk alternative that uses Natural Flavours, like soy or coconut milk.

I live in Ontario, Canada and visited these 6 stores, yet all their soy and coconut milks contain Natural Flavours: Loblaws, Longo's,  Metro,  Noah's Natural Foods, Whole Foods Market, Your Good Health.


texts: How can I tell when ground beef is fully cooked?

texts: So, how do you know that the ground beef is fully cooked when you are stir frying it on a sauce pan ?


texts:
I read that brining makes meat moister by causing protein cells to absorb water from the brine via osmosis (Wikipedia) So I thought, hmm, why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone: brine + slow-cook (sous-vide) at the same time for 12 hours or so (temp at 158º-160º). Boy, was I wrong, the pork came out tough and dry! :(

Is the effect of brining the opposite at higher temp?

UPDATE: I should also mention that later on, I slow-cook another one but this time in its own juice instead of brine and it turns out better.


texts: Necessary to empty my pellet grill auger when I'm done grilling?

texts: So, I have a wood pellet grill. Is it a good idea to make sure there aren't any remaining pellets in my hopper or auger when I'm done cooking?


texts:
I was thinking about alternative ways of processing olives.
Has anyone tried to bake raw olives? What did it look and taste like?


texts: Do the Properties of Oils Change if They're Cooked?

texts:
Someone told me a while ago that if you cook with olive oil (in a curry, for example) that its properties change compared with using it in a cold dish (e.g., salad dressing).

Firstly, is this actually true of olive oil, or any oil, for that matter?  If so, how are things like the vitamins, antioxidants or saturated/unsaturated fat balance of a particular oil changed when it's cooked?


texts: I would like to prepare Artichokes as a side dish, any preparation tips?

texts: I would like to cook artichokes and eat as a Side Dish, since I've never tried to cook them before I wanted to see what recommendations people might have: Boil, Roast..take it apart first, cook them whole?


texts: I have a question about Ruhlman’s home cured bacon recipe. I do not have a smoker and I know the smoking step is optional but I was thinking that if I used Maldon Smoked Sea Salt Flakes instead of the suggested Morton or Diamond Crystal it would give the bacon a nice smoky flavour. Has anyone tried this or has an opinion?


texts: How long does tahini last past expiration date?

texts:
I have a jar of organic tahini which expired one year ago.

It smells good and tastes ok. I don't know how it was stored, it was however always sealed (but already opened).

Is it safe to eat in large ammount ?


texts: How much salt should be used in dishes for the best flavor?

texts:
Is there a way to determine how much salt per quantity of food is required?  For example if I use 1kg of ingredients then I need at most one tbsp of salt. Any such metrics?

The quantity of salt to be added to food is a major problem for many people just learning to cook.


texts:
I am going to make Gravlax and found the following recipe:
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/11/30/chef-hamid-salmon-gravlax/

Ingredient list:

2 or 3 salmon fillets, deboned with skin on
2 lemon, peel rasped/finely grated
1 orange, peel rasped/finely grated
300 mills sugar (by volume)
150 mills kosher salt (by volume)
50 grams dill, finely chopped
1 tbsp fennel seed, toasted ground

Question 1: I am assuming that by "mills" he means milliliters. It seems highly unlikely that it could mean anything else, but I hate guessing. Does anybody know for sure?

Question 2: By "2 or 3 salmon fillets", does he mean 2-3 whole sides of salmon, or 2-3 portion-sized pieces of salmon fillet? Judging by the amount of salt and sugar (assuming of course that I am right in thinking that "mills" == milliliters) I think it should be the former.


texts: Does keeping a fridge/freezer full significantly help energy efficiency?

texts:
This is one of those statements I frequently encounter, but I've never really seen evidence to support it.  The advice often goes even further to say that if your fridge/freezer is relatively empty, you should add something (e.g., bottles of water).

Such statements have appeared here too, as in answers to this question, this question, this question, and most recently this question.

I'm assuming that there may be some minor energy savings in some circumstances, but is it significant enough to actually care about?  Moreover, is it enough to offset the energy lost in, for example, cooling or freezing water (or other things) just to fill up the fridge?

Note: I've been doing some of my own research and was going to post it in the question, but I think it will be more appropriate to provide what I've found in an answer below.  However, if anyone has reliable sources that give a different answer (and preferably actual measurements or studies to back it up), I'm very interested.

EDIT: After writing my answer, I just found this, where Cecil Adams argues strongly in favor of the full-fridge hypothesis.  I rarely disagree with Cecil, and he makes reference to a number of studies, though no citations.  So I'm interested if someone can point to some of these studies.


texts: How did my Turkish Delights/lokum end up tasting like orange?

texts:
I made lokum, or Turkish Delights yesterday. I used the more traditional ingredients - cornstach, cream of tartar, sugar.  From what I've researched of the dish, you can have flavors of lokum different than the traditional one (rosewater), usually using some form of flavor extract. But, I didn't have any extracts laying around my house.

So, instead... I used coffee. I figured it would probably end up tasting lightly of coffee, given all the sweeteners. But, instead, it ended up tasting... acidic, citrus-like. It tastes like candied orange peel. I figure I must have done something wrong, but I don't understand how I got to this flavor. Should I have used espresso? Stronger coffee? The grounds? A coffee extract?

Here are the ingredients:

4 cups sugar

4 1/2 cups water

1 cup cornstarch

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp medium roast coffee, liquid

Red + green food coloring

1:1 powdered sugar & cornstarch coating


texts:
I just made creme brulee but it felt a lot like I am eating butter.

I know it should be made with ~35% fat cream so it makes sense to be "fatty". I just have never eaten "real" creme brulee with which to make a comparison and am not sure if it really should taste fatty like butter or if I did something wrong.


texts:
I've found a pita bread recipe (that turned out well) that indicates to knead after rising the dough (for about 3 hours).

What's the difference between kneading before or after rising?

It's even better to kead before and after rising?


texts: Techniques to Remove Water from Vegetables?

texts:
While listening to a radio cooking program, one of the guests claimed that vegetables can often be made to taste better by removing water from them. His reasoning being the ratio of tasty elements is increased relative to water content. He gave cooking celeriac in salt as an example. The conversation then moved on to other topics. Having recently started eating more vegetarian meals, I'm looking for ways to add flavor back into my meals.

What methods exist to remove water from vegetables?


texts: What are the main styles of pizza that are popular in America?

texts:
Background: I found a pizza in Italy that was sold as "American pizza", and that used bell peppers, corn, and hot salami as toppings. In the USA, is there a pizza that is called "American pizza"?

Are there well-defined regional styles of pizza in America? If so, what are they called and what are their distinguishing characteristics?


texts: Substituting margarine for butter in cookies

texts: I want to make cookies but I am allergic to dairy. Is margarine an acceptable substitute for butter in cookie recipes, and if so, how do I substitute it?


texts:
I tried making a popular Ethiopian spice mix, berbere, following a recipe by Marcus Samuelsson. I followed it exactly, only making a few modifications.

4 tsp corainder seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp allspice berries
12 cardamom pods
8 cloves
1/3 cup onion powder
Dried chiles de árbod
1 tsp nutmeg ground
1 tsp ginger ground
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp paprika (I used Spanish dulce paprika)

Modifications:

Instead of cloves, I used ground clove, substituting 8 whole cloves for 3/4 tsp of ground clove
I didn't have the chiles, so I used 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper powder instead. I also didn't want it to be too spicy.

Following the recipe, the seeds were toasted on a pan before being mixed using a pestle and mortar with the other spices. However, the end result was pungent and slightly bitter. How is berbere supposed to taste exactly?


texts: Cooking rib roast for a large group with minimal time

texts: We're having a decent sized party, and hoping to serve rib roasts (we're looking at 3 7-rib roasts).  The problem is, we only have access to the ovens on site 2 hours before we want to eat.  This doesn't give us enough time to do the full cooking on site.  What's the best way to start them at home and finish them off on site?  Would it work out to do a couple hours at 250 or so to warm them, transport them foil wrapped in a cooler, and then blast them at 450 on site?  Or flip that around and cook at high heat first and try and hold them once we get the kitchen?


texts: What kind of soup is this lady most likely making?

texts:
I was watching Gordon's Great Escape: Vietnamese and they do a scene with an old lady selling soup. However, it isn't clear what kind of soup she actually makes only that it at the very least contains banana blossoms, bean sprouts, water spinach thins, vermicelli noodles, sweet basil and the broth seems to be an orange like color.

A link to the video is here: Gordon's Great Escape: Vietnamese and for your benefit the link should led to start of the scene that I am talking about. If it doesn't the scene starts at 20:07 ish.

Hopefully, that is enough to work off of.

Thanks.


texts: I was making seaweed salad for the first time tonight and had just finished soaking my wakame for some time.  I rinsed it and put it in a colander, but just couldn't squeeze out very much water.  The pieces stuck to my hands, squished, and made gurgling noises; but for the most part remained sopping wet, and later tasted completely waterlogged.  Am I missing something here?  I know there's a way to get water out because I've tasted wonderfully light and refreshing seaweed salad before, but my wakame (even hours later) is just a slimy bowl of sopping seaweed.  Thanks!


texts:
tl;dr:  I've got 6 lb of super-thick pork shoulder country style ribs.  How long should I cook them in the oven if I want them to taste good?

I recently bought a 6 lb. package of delicious, super-thick pork shoulder country-style ribs.  But I bought them without any idea on how to cook them.  So I started looking online for recipes but the cooking times vary considerably.  My best assumption is that the cooking times vary due to the quantity of meat and temperature.  However, I've had trouble estimating exactly how much meat is present since some of the recipes list the rib ingredient as simply "one rack" or something ambiguous like that.  I don't really know how much "one rack" is.  "One rack" of baby back ribs is, I'm quite sure, much less mean than what I've got sitting in my refrigerator.

So, how long should I cook these babies for?


texts: Why does this sourdough recipe call for 2 and 1/3 cups starter? Isn't that too much?

texts:
The recipe at this popular site says 2 and 1/3 cups of starter and 3 and 1/3 cups of flour, along with water (1 cup). Is there a printing error? Other recipes are about tablespoons, not cups. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/sourdough/how-to-make-sourdough-bread/

Not the video, recipe below the video.


texts: How to keep a chocolate fondue in a liquid form?

texts: I'm trying to make chocolate fondue for dessert to serve in a restaurant on Valentines Day. What should I do to prevent the chocolate fondue from burning during heating, and setting as it cools.


texts: Why does a white sauce (bechamel,veloute) sometimes turn grey?

texts:
I usually see this happen with bechamel. Sometimes as the sauce cooks, it starts to get a faint grey tint.

I don't believe I am cooking the roux too long. I think that would tend to brown rather than turn grey in color.  Am I simply cooking it too long, or could it be something else?


texts:
Bolognese sauce is a recipe that has earned my disrespect, despite me always keeping a pound of supermarket ground beef in the freezer ready to make it.

You see, I use it as a fall-back recipe for those days when my interest in cooking is waning and yet I still need to produce food. I therefore never look forward to making it. And since the meaty part of the sauce always turns out a little dry I don't often look forward to eating it either.

This could be a problem with cooking technique, but I'd first like to see what difference it makes using better quality ingredients.

What cuts of meat should I ask the butcher to grind? And is it worth adding ground pork or veal to the mix as some recipes suggest.


texts: What Kinds of Recipes Should I Sift/Aerate The Flour?

texts:
We've talked about methods for sifting flour (How can I make sifting easier?), and the purposes of sifting (What is the purpose of sifting dry ingredients?).

How can I tell whether a recipe specifies sifting for aeration?  How can I tell when to bust out the food processor?  In what kinds of recipes will I see a better result by fluffing those dry ingredients?

For example, when I make cookies, I do just whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together in a bowl, and they turn out just fine.


texts: Is using vinegar a viable way to reduce burning? How would it affect taste?

texts:
In House, MD, in season six episode three the main character tags along to a cooking class with his best friend, Wilson. During the subsequent scene, they engage in a conversation which ends up distracting Wilson, causing him to begin burning his meatballs.  As he notes, they're still raw inside, and he needs to continue cooking them without burning.

To combat this, House adds vinegar with a brush, stating that it would slow the maillard reaction because of the acidity.

Is this possible, and if so, how would it affect the flavor of the meatballs?


texts: Good (cheaper) alternative to Vitamix Blender

texts:
I've just got back from a department store where they happened to be doing a demonstration of the Vitamix TNC Blender. Obviously, now I want one. Is anyone able to recommend a good alternative, thats not quite as pricey (this thing was £430 / €500). Basically, the features I'm interested would be:

Ability to heat for soups, etc.
Ability to blend ice.
Really, really fast.
Durable

Is there anything out there that can compete? Or are the vitamix blenders pretty unique in that respect?

Cheers guys,
Alex


texts:
I got two circular cake pans for Christmas, and finally put them to use for home-made yellow cake layers. Feeling lazy, I tossed them into the dish washer afterwards instead of hand-washing, and realized afterwards that I didn't know if they were safe for it.

After coming out they've turned from silvery to looking like they have a chalky white "coating" all over, that won't wash off. It feels very strange to the touch, almost like a chalk board.

The "coating" (I'm guessing it's actually a lack of coating, that the dishwasher destroyed) is very uneven over the pans.

Nothing comes off on your fingers when you rub or scratch at it, though.

Are these still safe to bake with? I'm perplexed and don't know what to do with them now.


texts: Why does a cold saturated sugar solution melt chocolate?

texts:
In this YouTube video at 3m22s, a chocolate easter egg melts when a cold saturated sugar solution is poured into it.

Why does a cold sugar solution melt the chocolate? I would totally understand if the solution were warm/hot, but there must be some other factor which causes the chocolate to melt when exposed to a cold sugar solution. What's happening here?


texts: How to grease a pan without shortening or butter

texts: I need to grease a baking pan (which I don't have) for brownies. I also don't have butter or shortening. I do have one of those pyrex oven safe glass pans and something like a small dutch oven, but with a glass top instead. Could either of these substitute for baking pan instead? And in lieu of the butter, could I use vegetable oil and a paper towel to grease one of the pans that I do have (without affecting the final results of the brownies)?


texts:
I'm recently the proud new owner of what I appears to be a Le Creuset "Skinny Grill" which is an enameled cast iron grill pan.

I fairly new to cast iron but I'm accustomed to the no-soap cleanup and maintaining a season. This pan, however, is making me crazy. The little ridges make it difficult for me to get anything down in there. They are higher and spaced more closely together than the photograph below may indicate. I can barely get a fingertip down between the ridges, let alone a paper towel or rag. If you do manage to get something in there for wiping, little bits and fibers get torn off because of the rough surface. That's clearly not good eats.

Most of the "advice" I've read online (mostly message board conversations between folks who are facing this exact problem) say to use soap and water and scrub it down like it's any other pan. If I'm reading it correctly, the general advice on the Le Creuset website even suggests a ride through the dishwasher! I'm worried about ruining the season. It's tempting to dunk the whole thing in warm soapy water and go at it with a scrubby pad but that just feels wrong.

Incidentally, the previous owner abandoned this pan for this very problem. It "made a mess" and they "didn't know how to clean it."

Do I just treat it like a regular cast iron skillet?

It makes a tasty burger...

Edit: After playing around on the Le Crueset website a bit I'm finding separate instructions for cast iron and something they call "Satin Black Enamel." Is this not a cast iron surface? Now I'm extra confused.


texts:
I just moved into a house with a large quantity of mint growing in the yard.

It is late in the season and a lot of the mint is going to seed.

I picked two packed cups of leaves and trimmed off all the stems.
I pulsed the leaves in the food processor with granulated sugar until it was a paste.
I then used the paste as the flavoring for homemade ice cream.

The ice cream texture was fantastic but the flavor wasn't. It was weirdly grassy and not very minty at all.
The kids wouldn't even eat it until I added a good quantity of mint extract to fix it.

I thought the mint leaves themselves were minty enough.

This is my first time using fresh mint this way.
Did I use the mint improperly or is mint only used very young?


texts: What's the best (minimalist) way to cook venison, specifically the backstrap?

texts:
A friend is trying to cook a recently butchered deer.   He was going to grill it, but was then advised that venison would do better with a slower cooking method.

The goal is a simple preparation - I'm not looking for recipe ideas, just the recommended way to cook deer backstrap to bring out its natural flavor.


texts:
Aside from water, are there any other liquids I can use to stew tomatoes to make a purée?

I was thinking maybe chicken stock or vegetable but don't know how that would taste or if it would even be worth wasting stock unless the flavor would be very significant.

Has anyone tried?


texts: What's the simplest method to cook rice?

texts:
For me, the perfect rice is whole, loose and flavorful. To get that result, there are a number of techniques. As the flavor depends on the broth used, let's take that out of the equation.

I'm looking for a 'fail-safe' method so the rice won't pass, without using preprocessed rice.

At this moment, the method I'm using most is Rice Pilaf. This yields a good result, but it's not fail-safe. It's possible to either under or overcook the rice.

So, the question is what variables are important and how do I adjust these to the rice I'm using?


texts:
I'm really trying to make a great low fat muffin. No matter how hard I have tried with this one (I am not over stirring), I can't get these to rise past a mini muffin height, and this batter is so sticky, it's all I can do to get it off the spoon. Any insight/suggestions?
https://www.averiecooks.com/skinny-blueberry-muffins/


texts: Pudding vs. laundry starch - Add water gradually or all at once?

texts:
I recently watched a YouTube video "How to use old fashioned starch" by  Constance MacKenzie about how laundry was starched in ye olde time. The only relevant information for my question is that you can use potato, wheat or rice starch and that it must be made into a paste with water and boiled, very similar to a pudding / blancmange / custard. Laundry starch has only those 2 ingredients: starch and water.
The process in the video started by mixing the starch into a little amount of cold water. This was then put on the stove at medium heat and roughly "a kettle full" of hot (but not boiling) water was added in very small increments under constant stirring. The mixture only started boiling after all of the water was added.
This process reminded me of making a roux sauce. You start with melted butter and flour and have to add the liquid in small increments to avoid lumps. It makes sense to first evenly mix butter and flour because the butter would probably stay seperated otherwise. But laundry starch doesn't contain any butter or fat.
If you added some flavors to the laundry starch you would end up with an edible pudding / blancmange / custard. Those are usually made by mixing all the ingredients and then heating them up with all the liquid already incorporated. This has the benefit or avoiding lumps. So I see no reason why the laundry starch needs to start with such a small amount of water that needs to be tediously increased in increments.
On the other hand, I learned that our ancestors weren't half as stupid as we make them seem and probably had reasons for starting with less water. They may not have understood the chemistry and physics behind the process, but they had much more practical experience.
My question is:
Is there a difference in the physical or chemical properties of starch if you:

start with a small amount of water and gradually add more while heating the mixture, or
add all the water before heating the mixture

assuming you never stop stirring during the process and you let the mixture boil until it looks translucent? It may be important to keep in mind that the quality of the end result (starched laundry) depends on the properties of the dehydrated, coocked starch.


texts:
I have had barley a few times where each pearl is light, slightly dry and separate. When I've cooked it at home I get a very gummy, clumpy texture.

I have been cooking it by rinsing the barley, adding to cold water, bringing to a boil and then simmering for about 50 minutes. I use 1:3 barley to water.

Any tips for a better end product?


texts: What is the secret to keeping breading on chicken when pan frying?

texts: Sometimes the coating will stay on pretty well, other times it almost all falls off.  What is the secret to keeping it on?  Thank you!


texts:
I tried making some Spanish rice the other day and it's turned out really chewy. I can't figure out if I used too little chicken broth or not enough.

It came out really starchy I think - very clumpy, feels like it's sticking to my teeth when I eat it. Basically, not very pleasant!

Here's the recipe I used:
- medium grained rice from Albertson's - bag said 1 3/4 cups of water for each cup of rice. I used two cups of rice and so put in 3 1/2 cups of broth.
- 1 16oz can of diced tomatoes - I drained most of the juice out before I put them in
- 1 sm can of diced chilies - again, I drained out most of the liquid
- some salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder

I fried up some chopped onion and peppers in a small amount of olive oil before adding the rice and broth and other ingredients. Then let the whole thing simmer for about 20 minutes - or until there was no liquid left.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Ross


texts: Egg safety. When to eat and when to not eat

texts:
I have a question about eggs and when it is safe to eat them.

I've read online that there are 2 ways to test if an egg is safe to eat or not (without cracking it open):

Float test: Get a massive bowl, fill it with water and place the egg inside. If it sinks to the bottom and lays on its side, it's "fresh" (not old). If it bobs up slightly then it's a few weeks old and if it floats to the top throw it away (too old).

Those sites also say that test is no indication of whether or not an egg is rotten, it only indicates the age of the egg and that eggs can be rotten before they even expire.
Slosh test: Gently shake the egg near your ear. If you hear a distinct sloshing sound, the egg is rotten and should not be consumed.

Is the above true? Are they old wives tales/myths?

I've also read that egg shells covered in crap and blood are not safe to eat because they more than likely have bacteria. Why do most eggs have crap and blood on them?

I've also read that eggs with dark colored spots all over them should not be consumed. Why? Why do most eggs have weird colored spots all over them?

Sometimes when I gently shake an egg, it does not slosh but I can feel the insides moving around (it kind of feels like a big ball inside rocking back and forth) - is that normal? Is it safe to hard boil and consume those eggs?

I guess my question is, what are the guaranteed ways to determine if an egg is safe to consume without cracking it open? And please, if you can provide any official sources that would be great.


texts:
I only started making gravy a year or two ago, so I don't fully understand the process, although I appreciate the taste. As I was making gravy for Thanksgiving, I noticed that the color was significantly yellow and it wasn't clear, but milky-opaque. I know from this question that the yellow color is from using the fat I skimmed off of my stock to make the roux. (I made a combined chicken and turkey stock.)

But what makes the gravy appear opaque and almost milky? The color came almost as soon as I mixed my stock into my roux.

(Incidentally, my stock wasn't hot when I added it to the roux. Would that make a difference?)


texts:
I tried making pudding in the microwave for the first time. I took 20 g rice starch and 250 g milk. First made a slurry, then mixed the rest of the milk, constantly stirring. Then added 10 g sugar and half a tablespoon of vanilla extract, and stirred well again. The mixture was fully homogenous.

I put it immediately in the microwave at a low setting, and turned on for 3 minutes. It was still really liquid, so I put it in for another 3. When I took it out the second time, it had built a skin. I tried stirring it in, and suddenly realized that all the starch has sedimented on the bottom and has half-gelled there. Stirring with a spoon only broke it up into solid pieces.

I blended it smooth, cooked it some more, and got a thin, reasonably smooth pudding. But the question is, how should I have prepared it from the beginning to make it in one go, without a blender?


texts: How to compare the strength of commercial natural vanilla extracts?

texts:
Vanilla extracts usually don't give details on the content of vanilla. Only the main ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration.
On the Kirkland brand I saw a figure of 2000ppm naturally occurring vanillin.
So:

How to compare the strength of commercial vanilla extracts?
How can the consumer properly compare prices for different varieties without details on the concentration of vanilla extracts?
Are there differences in intensity of different vanilla bean varieties?


texts:
Some Chinese shrimp dishes like the spicy garlic shrimp is served with the shell still on but head removed.  Since the shell was on during cooking, the seasoning is all over it.

Are you supposed to eat the whole shrimp with the shell, or remove the shell and only eat the meat?  I usually taste the seasoning on the shell and then peel it away to eat the meat only.


texts: Can I replace sugar with cane syrup in sourdough recipe

texts:
I'm baking my own sourdough bread (whole wheat-rye). Recipe calls for adding 2 table spoons of sugar with a bit of milk to get the starter, well... started.

I thought about replacing it with cane syrup (unsulfered molasses) as it contains more micronutriens. Is this a good idea?


texts:
I have some store bought Cold Mountain brand Koji rice. On the container it says it keeps in the fridge for "6-12 months". I've had it for about 8 months, but can detect no change from when I bought it by either sight (still white and chalky), touch (perfectly dry), or smell (not sour, a little sweet).

That said, this is a fungus we're dealing with, so I want to be sure I can still use it.

How can I tell if Koji rice is still good to use?


texts: I have been cooking bacon in ovens for several years. Our new house has a gas oven, a new experience for me, and while I've generally mastered it, I'm struggling with cooking bacon in there. It certainly cooks, but it doesn't seem to get that charred, crispy taste we used to have. I imagine this has to do with the extra moisture in gas ovens? Either way, does anyone have a solution? I would also appreciate the scientific reasoning behind the phenomena.


texts:
I'm having a birthday party this weekend, and therefore I need to make some food for my guests. For dessert I want to make a chocolate sphere with some kind of stuff inside, and then pour it with caramel sauce.

In order to make the chocolate spheres I bought some half sphere chocolate moulds in polycarbonate. But the one I have only have room for 6 at a time, and I need to do 24.
So my question is, since I want the day of the birthday to be as stress less as possible, can I make these moulds in advance, while they still remain shiny (Of course only if my tempering is done correctly) and not the white spots, and if so, how should I store them, and can I do it 3 days in advance, or is 1 day advised ? :)

Basically: I need to make some tempered chocolate moulds, but I'm pretty sure I won't have the time to do all 24 the same day, since I will be having lots of other stuff to do as well. So can I do it in advance ? :)

Best regards


texts:
So I found this amazing pizza dough recipe. It calls for flour and baking powder (or self rising flour) and sour cream, but I do not have self rising flour or baking powder/soda.

Is there anything I can do to make this work? And basic recipes to use instead? Or even any other pizza dough recipe that doesn't call for this?


texts:
I was just wondering how long you could keep chia seeds in the refrigerator after they have already soaked in the water. I know dry chia seeds have an extremely long life if stored properly but I can't find anything online about once they are already soaked.

Thanks.


texts:
As Crystal Gale once wrote, "You're gonna make my green tea, brown."  Or something like that.

When I typically order (the free or close-to-free) green tea at Japanese restaurants, it's usually noticeably green.  At home, regardless of brand and time on the shelf, it's typically brownish.  I follow good guidelines for making green tea: 170 degrees for about 90 seconds.

Am I buying the wrong kind of tea; or are restaurants using food coloring?

UPDATE: I'm pretty sure the Japanese or sushi restaurant green tea I'm used to is either partially or fully matcha, giving it the distinctive green color.  After trying out many different green teas, some Japanese, some not, it seems that Japanese green teas are generally greener in color than non-japanese, and the matcha powder provides the greenest color by far.  Some green tea bags come with matcha powder mixed into the tea bags, including Costco's green tea.  I found it to be better than any of the many bagged green teas I bought at the asian grocer.


texts:
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/sweet-potato-souffle0-2200751

I typically make this for Thanksgiving when we host, but I'm not hosting thus year.  Could I make this the day before, but skip baking it, and just pop it in the oven the next day to finish it at our hosts house?

I usually make it the same day, but since I'll be traveling I'd need to make it in advance, and I've heard soufflé s typically can't be prepped a day ahead of time.


texts: We recently made fresh beets, which was a new experience for me, and I was surprised to discover that a freshly cooked fresh beet tastes quite like a similarly cooked turnip. Is there any connection between the two foods?


texts: I have been trying to sauté beef and make pan sauces, but the meat seems to always become somewhat dry and chewy. How do I avoid this? I have the same issue when stewing beef in a slow cooker or dutch oven.


texts: I added too much corn starch into my potato cutlets - what do I do now?

texts: I wanted to make a dough so I added cornstarch in my potato cutlets dough and now it tastes like flour.


texts: Convection microwave oven capable of only 200C

texts: I am thinking of getting my first convection microwave oven but the specs indicate it's only capable of a maximum of 200C in convection mode. Is this good enough for roasting chicken and baking pizza, breads and cakes?


texts: How much coffee do I need to grind per 4 cups of coffee?

texts: If I want to make 4 cups of coffee (in the pot), which is actually 2.5 cups if I put it in a regular liquid measuring cup, how much coffee should I start with?


texts: Why is soba not entirely buckwheat flour?

texts:
I thought that soba was completely made of buckwheat flour, but I learned that it's actually around 80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flour.

Is there a reason for this mixture ? Is it for flavour or ease of preparation or cost ?


texts:
I had a cast iron pan that I wanted to strip and reseason. I stripped it using the oven cleaner method and then I dried it in the oven at 200C. It got super rusty but I was able to get that all off with oil and a paper towel. The oil I am using is a mix of Canola and Soybean.

This is where the problems start. So I oiled it (just a thin layer and wiped up the excess) and put it in the oven at 400C for two hours. It came out with this dark orange rusty color. Its certainly got a layer of seasoning on it. Wiping it with a paper towel doesnt surface any rust.

So I stripped it with vinegar. While it was still wet I coated it in a bunch of oil. Then I stuck it in the oven at 200 for 15-20 minutes. When it came out there was just a touch of rust. That came off with more oil and elbow grease. Then I added a thick layer of oil, I didnt wipe it off. This time I cooked it at 400C for an hour and a half AND THERE IS STILL THE RUSTY SHEEN.

What am I doing wrong?


texts: Can vegetable juices stop bread from rising?

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I used vegetables juice for the additional liquid ingredients in milk bread, and it didn't rise. I think there is something in vegetables juice that killed the fermentation of dough.

This is a study, a food experiment. I used radish, mustard green, ginger, onion, garlic, beans, tomato, squash, eggplant, winged beans, winter melon, bitter melon, mexican turnip, and sponge gourd juice. The first step that we did was, we mixed first the yeast, milk and the juice. After mixing all the ingredients the dough become sticky, and it didn't rise.

In our first trial, we have done it right by using the extract of vegetables. And in our 2nd trial, we used the process of juicing, we actually use a juicer to get all the juice. and after all, the juice had an effect in our dough.


texts: Fresh turkey cooking for 2 hours but no juices appearing in pan why

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I have been cooking a fresh 25lb turkey at 350 degrees for 2 hours so far and there are no juices in pan. What’s the reason and is that a problem?

There is no stuffing in turkey and it is not in a cooking bag.


texts: I had fried fish at a restaurant and it wasn’t cooked all the way. I brought it home and wondered if it was okay to finish cooking the next day or will it make me sick?


texts:
I'm working in a small bakery shop and my boss is new to the business and have no passion in baking at all. He only learned it from his dad few years ago and his dad learned from other people too.
I love baking but was told not to try anything different than what he's told me to do.
At the moment, the pies I make, the flaky crust on top keep lifting up after baked and don't know why.
Here is how i make the bottom crust pastry:

7kg of all purpose flour
3.5kg of butter (forgot the brand name and the butter is ok to leave outside at room temperature)
2.1L of water
Mix it for about 7 mins roughly until it combine together and sometimes it's quite stretchy after 7mins of mixing (is this normal?)

Here is how i make the top flaky crust pastry

6kg of all purpose flour
1.5kg of pastry gems
3L of water
Once it's all well mixed, add 2.2kg of pastry gem on top and mix it for 1 mins just to roughly combine.

So normally I would just mold all the bottom crust into the pie trays and leave it at room temperature then add the filling then cover it with flaky top pastry that usually keep in the fridge for about 1 or 2 hours. I also notice that the top pastry need to be refrigerated for at least 2 or 3 hours before use, otherwise it is hard to cover the pie tray.

After I cover all the pies with flaky pastry top, brush with eggs then usually my boss leaving the tray at room temperature for about 10mins as he would turn the oven on after I have made all the pies.

My question is, are these the right way to make good crust pies and why is the top flaky crust keep lifting up after baked?


texts: I work in a burger factory and I have a question about a product we are trying to produce. We want to create a burger patty with butter in it. But when we mix all the ingredients (mostly ground meat and butter) in a metal device, most of the butter sticks to the metallic side instead of blending with the meat. Any ideas?


texts: Best practices for seasoning cast iron, currently getting mild food poisoning

texts:
I have been cooking with my two cast iron pans for quite some time now.  Tracking the occurrence of when my wife and I have tummy trouble leads me to believe that my seasoning of the pans is not optimal.

The reason is most likely because I don't always season them the night of cooking (I will do it the next day).  When I thought that this might be the issue I did an intensive seasoning.  Normal seasoning is: brush with hot water, warm on range with layer of oil.  For the intensive seasoning I will put a layer of tinfoil on the bottom rack, and place my pans upside-down on the top rack, then heat the pans at 400° for 45 minutes.

I believe the intensive seasoning does kill any germs that might be there otherwise.  Should I have to do this every time?


texts: Beef Steaks : Cooking older-grade meat (C-Grade)

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I'm an amateur cook and I can't afford to buy "good" steaks, so I made my own Sous Vide circulator to try and get the best out of cheap meat cuts. Thing is, where I'm from, even the less-glamorous cuts of A-Grade beef is too expensive for me. So I buy C-Grade rump, which is basically meat from older animals.
My question is: How do I adjust my Sous Vide temperatures and times for the older beef? I tried a 1-inch rump steak at 65C for 2 hours and it came out dry cos all the juices from the meat seemed like it oozed out into the bag. I salted it before the sous vide phase.
I previously tried a big piece of rump on a 16 hour cook time, and it was also very dry cos all the juices had come out into the bag.

What are my option to make a decent steak out of C-Grade rump?

EDIT#1: So a few suggestions that my temp controller isn't accurate... I do have a candy thermometer lying around. I'll try double-checking it against that. Also, from the other question that was linked, there's  a suggestion to hold back on the seasoning until after the cook is done. I'll give that a try next time. I've looked at Douglas Baldwin's "Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking" and I think I might try a sub-60C cook to extract the magic from this passage:

  Indeed, collagen begins to dissolve into gelatin above 122°F to 131°F (50°C to 55°C) (Neklyudov, 2003; This, 2006). Moreover, the sarcoplasmic protein enzyme collagenase remains active below 140°F (60°C) and can significantly tenderize the meat if held for more than 6 hours (Tornberg, 2005).

EDIT#2 : See my link below. It's a scholarly article on fibrous connective tissue, which makes comments about older animals and the effect on collagen. It's a bit over my head, but might be interesting to anyone who has the appetite for food science...
Click Here for the article


texts: Horseradish substitute in creamy chowder

texts:
I would like to cook a pot of seafood chowder today but it's Christmas, the stores are all closed and I forgot to pick up horseradish. Is there a good substitute for horseradish in a creamy chowder?

I figured wasabi and mustard might work and those ingredients do turn up in a Google search but I'm not sure that they would work in a chowder. The flavor would be fine, I think, but I'm worried that the final product would be tinted green or yellow depending on the substitution. I could see wasabi and especially mustard working well to replace horseradish in something like crab dip though.

Any other ideas?


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I have tried to make red wine sauce using this recipe, but it didn't end up so well.

One problem was this step:

  Bring to a boil and let boil boil over high heat until mixture is reduced to a thin layer in bottom of saucepan.

How much is a "thin layer"?

Ideally, I would like to see a movie of how it should be done, but YouTube doesn't have such.

Does anyone know a recipe that is explained more in detail?


texts: How can I clean my stainless steel teapot?

texts: I have a rather nice stainless steel teapot that I use every day.  I've started to get some black buildup due to using it on a gas range.  What method would work well for restoring my teapot back to its original condition?


texts:
A couple weeks ago I tried making a danish rye bread using Magnus Nilsson's recipe from "The Nordic Cook Book."
The recipe basically calls for a preferment of rye, yeast and buttermilk which you let sit for 72 hours before adding the rest of the rye flour, buttermilk and rye kernels and waiting another 24 hours.
The problem is that by the end of those 96 hours, my concoction was so foul smelling that I can't imagine it turned out correctly. It was the usual rye scent with a strong hint of vomit, and I didn't even try to bake it.

What should the dough smell like after four days of fermentation? How can I tell if it's gone wrong?

For this type of recipe that requires buttermilk or cultured milk, is it possible that the milk+lemon juice substitute simply doesn't work? You need the actual bacteria from real cultured milk?

If my dough did go bad, was it just a matter of bad luck in getting the wrong bacteria, or was there something I could have done?


texts: Why yoghurt comes out different every time?

texts:
When I make yoghurt at home the result is different every time even though I follow exactly the same procedure:

Bring a gallon of milk to 85°C
Cool to 43°C
Add yoghurt culture from the previous time
Keep it at 43°C for 2-3 hours or until ready
Cool it to refrigerator temperature

Milk is always of the same kind from the same store (Costco). I use thermometer and keep the temperature with 1°C precision.

Sometimes it is extremely creamy, soft, homogeneous, and almost sweet, and sometimes a lot of whey forms on top and it becomes very sour.

Obviously I like the the former outcome rather than latter one.

I can't figure out what is wrong, why it is different every time?

I also noticed that when I start with the store-purchased culture the first batch is likely good (creamy).


texts: Do cooks in the US measure volume using 'traditional' or 'legal' units?

texts:
The wikipedia article for the cup unit identifies two different measures used in the US: a legal cup of 240ml and a customary cup of ~236.588ml.

Similarly, the tablespoon and teaspoon articles describe traditional measures (~14.8ml and ~4.93ml respectively) and measures used in "nutritional labeling" (15ml and 5ml).

Are measuring spoons in the US calibrated to the traditional, or to the legal definitions of these units?


texts: Does white whole wheat flour need to be refrigerated?

texts:
I know that regular whole wheat flour needs to be refrigerated, but does white whole wheat flour also need refrigeration? I hate to use up the space in the refrigerator if I don't have to.

I have 5 lb. (2.3 kg), and it would probably take me a month or so to use it all.


texts: Can “quick cook” brown rice be cooked in an Instant Pot?

texts:
I have a package of “quick cook brown rice, and I am hoping I can cook it with my 2 quart Instant Pot. Will this work? How long should I cook it, what pressure level should I use, and what release should I use?
I’ve been able to find plenty of good information on cooking rice that is just normal raw rice or soaked, but not on “quick cook” rice.
Here is the package in question:


texts: Can I substitute chocolate chips for cacao nibs in a cookie recipe?

texts:
I found a recipe for Chocolate Brownie Cookies and am wondering whether I can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for the 3 TB cacao nibs? I'm going to be serving this at a party so I don't want a bitter taste.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies Recipe
3 cups gluten-free powdered sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs

I saw that this question was asked previously but the answers all assumed that the bitter taste of the nibs was preferred. I tried to post a comment but don't have 50 points!


texts: Can I put other vegetables in a manual wheat grass juicer?

texts: I'm thinking about buying a wheat grass juicer, but the fact that it only juices one thing gives me pause.  Are they adequate at juicing vegetables such as spinach, kale and carrots?


texts: How to Make Nutella Icing without Powdered Sugar

texts:
I received so many good tips on how to make a sugarless no-bake cheesecake:
How to Replace Icing Sugar in a No-Bake Cheesecake

As a final touch I want to put Nutella frosting on top of the cake. A layer of Nutella will be amazing, and it really complement the basic recipe. But nutella is very thick, and rigid. Spreading it on top of cheesecake will be tough, and I thought why not change it into an icing ! I found a number of recipe to do this, but they all involve powdered sugar. For example (I got this from http://juliatylerfoodblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/29/nutella-frosting/):

Ingredients:

3/4 c butter, softened

1/4 Nutella

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs milk

3 c powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency by adjusting with a little more milk if too stiff, or a little more powdered sugar if too runny.

Can I still make a frosting out of this recipe without a powder sugar?


texts: What causes the black discoloration on this plastic electric teakettle?

texts:
In the break room at work, there is a tea kettle that has some unappealing discoloration. I would like to use it, and lots of people do, but I find it terribly unappealing.

I can't remove it with soap, and my fingernail has no effect. I can't even feel it, so it doesn't seem like buildup. What causes this, does it adversely affect health or water taste, and is there a way to remove it or improve this teakettle?


texts:
I am always ultra paranoid about cooking food properly - especially fish.

I have started buying frozen salmon. On the packet it says to cook from frozen covered with some water in the microwave. I wanted to make some salmon pasta so I prepared a white sauce (with onion,garlic,flower,water,button,milk,wine,herbs,etc), half cooked the salmon in the microwave then cut off the silver bit, cut it into chunks and chucked the chunks into the sauce to cook for a while.

Is this ok or should I make sure the salmon is completely cooked before adding it to the sauce?


texts: I accidentally dropped my steak in soapy dish water for a couple of seconds then rinsed it off and now I'm marinating it. Will it be safe to eat?


texts: Anyone ever seen a "wok adapter" for induction cooktops?

texts:
In theory a cheap pressed steel wok would work on an induction cooktop, but the "contact patch" for a traditional round bottomed wok would be so small it would be ineffective.

Has anyone seen a steel or cast-iron "wok adapter" with a flat bottom and a concave "bowl" on top to sit the wok in, serving dual purposes of supporting the wok on the stovetop and transferring the induction heat to the wok?

Could anyone speculate if this would this even work? Or wouldn't you be able to get the wok hot enough?


texts: Can I substitute Soy Milk when a recipe for cooking (not baking) calls for regular (or 2%) milk

texts:
This question asks the question for baking.  For for regular stove-top cooking, will it work.  Other than minor adjustments for cooking time.

EDIT 3/22/11: the specific items I am making are white sauce for pasta, mashed potatoes, for example


texts: Are Non-Stick Bread Pans Destined to Fail?

texts:
Bought a pair of generic non-stick bread pans (Ecko or Good-Chef or some such).
After 100 to 150 loaves, and gentle care, they're now more prone to sticking bread than the non-coated pans they were meant to replace, even when liberally oiled.
Is the problem a bad coating technology, or does this short lifespan apply to all non-stick breadpan coatings?
Are uncoated bread pans fundamentally better for long term use?


texts: When roasting or sauteeing vegetables, does it matter if it was fresh, canned or frozen?

texts:
I am duplicating a recipe I used from Homechef, using store bought ingredients.

One thing I often see is that canned or frozen vegetables (sometimes in streamable bags) are cheaper then fresh, but when originally cooking them they are always fresh.

Would it be possible to use frozen or canned products instead of fresh when roasting or sauteeing them. Would there be any significant change in taste or anything?


texts: I would like to brine a brisket for pastrami but would prefer not to use curing salt. Does himalayan salt in  brine make  brisket pink as if  using curing/pickling salt?


texts: Is there any way to salvage an old rusted wok?

texts:
Hello Seasoned Advice: I cannot find an answer on any previous posts here relating to woks about what to do if the wok is Already Rusted. I found this wok in my husband's house when I moved in - he has no idea where it came from or how long it's been there.  I have no information about this wok, other than that the faded manufacturer's label indicates it was made in Taiwan, presumably by an Asian cooking supply house - has Chinese (?) characters above, then in English: "Seven S---G Co., Ltd" (the --- indicates where the label is faded and illegible) with an address, international phone number and fax number. It is black, has a welded, hollow steel handle with a hole through it for hanging, and looks to be a commercial, or restaurant-grade wok of carbon steel, well used. It was stored in an under-counter cabinet next to a leaky sink, so I have no doubt about where the original rust came from. Has about 10 small pits on the bottom and almost half of the entire upper right side of the circumference of the wok is almost one continuous thin (not pitted) area of rust.

Previously, I had spent the better part of a day alternately: scrubbing the rust (with coarse salt and fine salt), wiping with vegetable oil and heating over a high gas flame -then repeating this process 3 or 4 times until I was sure there was no rust or moisture remaining (although it is still pitted in some places at the bottom), and then another thin coat of oil to seal against moisture, heated again, then wiped. It worked very well for a couple of weeks, but as I don't currently cook Asian-style on a regular basis, after a few weeks of disuse it turned rusty again, almost worse than when I found it.

Should I be using steel wool to scrub the rust down to bare steel first, or just the salt? Using a different oil? (WD-40?  Just Kidding). Oven vs Gas burner heating?  How should I be storing this? (I have limited space-so most of my equipment is hanging on the walls or on a steel kitchen shelving rack, so I don't think air-flow is an issue.)

As this looks like a relatively decent piece of equipment, I want to do more Asian style cooking and be able to use it on a more regular basis. Is this wok salvageable? I would hate to have to put it on the curb and spend the money for a new restaurant-quality wok.  Thanks in advance for any guidance. P.S., I have pics, but due to a software issue with my camera, I am unable to post at the moment - will try to send pics if I get an answer to this question.


texts: Where to purchase sushi-grade ahi tuna in Arizona? (or purchase online overnight shipping)

texts:
I was looking around and I couldn't find any good options for buying ahi tuna for sushi/sashimi in Arizona and was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction.

I've also tried online at Honolulu Fishing Market, Seattle Fish Company and Catalina. No luck here.

BONUS: If I go to Costco or the like is the fish here also acceptable for sushi/sashimi/nigiri?


texts: So im relatively new to cooking and im reading all the technique focused books I can. I noticed that for the same exact goal (ie browning a piece of meat) some books call for you to heat the oil until it shimmers (Salt Fat Acid Heat)) whereas others call for you to heat the oil until it is just smoking (ie most of the America's Test Kitchen books). Can anyone clarify which is correct? Or are there any guidelines for knowing whether your oil should be shimmering or "just smoking"? Maybe im overthinking this and the difference is negligible? Thanks!


texts: How do I tell if a metal can is safe to bake in?

texts:
I'm hoping to make some Boston brown bread in the near future, and the recipe I plan to use (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/10/gluten-free-boston-brown-bread-recipe.html) calls for 'unlined 28-ounce cans', but doesn't specify what it means by 'unlined'.  Other recipes I've looked at either say 'any metal can' or just say to use a loaf pan, and I've found lists of which brands of canned food don't use BPA in the lining of their cans, but nothing listing completely unlined cans.

Is there a website somewhere that lists either where I can find food-safe unlined cans, or which types of lining are safe to bake in?  (Or am I just overthinking this, since presumably the cans are exposed to equal or higher temperatures during the canning process?)

Thanks all!


texts: Why am I getting runny whipped cream from my iSi canister?

texts:
Lately when I try to use my iSi the whipped cream just comes out very runny.

Does anyone know why this happens and what I can do about it?


texts: What tempering process do you use when moulding chocolates

texts:
I want make moulded chocolate but am always having a hard time keeping the chocolate in temper for the sealing process.

I use the microwave method to temper the chocolate and I do so with a batch of about 600g. Once the chocolate is tempered, I fill the moulds with the chocolate and then empty the moulds back into the bowl of tempered chocolate. I find that when I do this the chocolate in the bowl is already setting and becoming hard.

One idea I had was to temper more chocolate so that there is more in the bowl and will keep in temper for longer. But if I do this, I will have a lot of tempered chocolate left over.

Is there a better or more efficient way to make a one-off batch of moulded chocolates?


texts: How to figure the calories in a boxed cake mix if applesauce is used instead of egg and oil?

texts: How can I calculate calories in a cake if I use applesauce instead of egg and oil? Because on the box it is counted using the egg and oil.


texts: Sniffing out a rotten egg from the dozen

texts:
Is it possible to tell if an egg has gone off?

I am not referring to those eggs that have been especially brined to look like they've been sitting around for decades, but to fresh eggs you want to use and not feel like being punched in the face with a sweatier-than-thou sock.

Is there a trick to detect if an egg is rotten before opening up the shell?


texts: Is it ok to eat kimchi that is causing its package to expand?

texts:
For non-fermented foods, I feel like it's obvious that they shouldn't be consumed if they're causing the package they're stored in to expand, even if they're still within the "best by" date. Does this apply to fermented foods like kimchi?
I had some yesterday and, while it's still in date (just), the sealed package was notably "inflated". It popped when opening and the kimchi made a "fizzing" sound for a little while. It didn't smell off and it tasted OK, albeit a little more acidic than usual.  So far I haven't suffered any adverse effects.
I have one tub left. Is this Korean Roulette, or should it be fine?


texts:
What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

I would think an herb is from a plant, but then I have no idea what specifically a spice is.  Not being much of a cook, they all seem related to me, and I often hear them referred to them all as "herbs and spices".


texts:
A few weeks ago, I went to Amsterdam and bought several pounds of cheese, including one massive (3 pound) round of Edam.  It was wrapped in wax paper and was told that I could leave it out on cold, shady spot of the counter until it was broken up, at which point I needed to refridgate it.  I left it in the paper for a couple of weeks and imagine my surprise when I went to get a slice and it had what looks like white mold growing on the top.  It has spent only three weeks on the counter and appears to be in a yellow parafin wax (it's got printing on it, so I'm assuming it's wax).

Can I still eat it?  If I wash off the mold, would that make it better?  Should I have put it in the fridge?

If it is edible, how exactly should I store it after it's cut?

I was really looking forward to that cheese.


texts: How relevant is the expiration date on uncooked Rice (different varieties)? Are there ways to store rice to prolong it life?


texts: Vegan egg substitute in sweet roll dough

texts: Every Christmas we have home made sweet rolls.  The recipe calls for 1 egg.  Is there anything I could use to replace the egg so the new vegan people in the family can still eat the rolls?  Or can I just leave the egg out?


texts: Can I counteract bitterness in apple sauce?

texts: I erred in making apple sauce by not coring and peeling the apples before cooking. Now I have a large quantity of bitter apple sauce. Is there anything I can add to counteract the tannic flavor?


texts: Is there a loss of taste when pressure cooking bitter gourd?

texts:
I like the bitterness of bitter gourd and it helps in a low insulin situation. Almost every recipe I've seen, recommends frying it. My objective is to lessen the cooking time, but it's hard to find recipes for cooking bitter gourd in an ordinary pressure cooker. The recipes I found, use some kind of a cooker with a timer, and they cook it only for a minute (which I assume wouldn't cook it fully).

I'm accustomed to pressure cooking mixed vegetables until the first whistle. But is there any special reason for not pressure cooking bitter gourd for as long as the first whistle or a reason that people almost always fry it? Is it because of some loss in nutrition (polypeptide-p or p-insulin) or crunchiness?

I'd really appreciate an ordinary pressure cooker recipe for bitter gourd, where it can be cooked with some masala's added (for extra taste). The point of using a pressure cooker is to reduce the cooking time and to be able to cook a large amount of bitter gourd in bulk and keep it in the freezer so I wouldn't have to keep purchasing it and cooking it every now-and-then.


texts:
Soon, I'll be serving garlic bread, but I would like to add something to the garlic-butter, to make it darker (gray or black). It should look like lead.

So far, I've found two ideas:
- add dark olives
- add caviar

I don't like the idea of the olives because it'll be served with scallops in cheese sauce and some mushrooms. I don't think the taste of olives will fit well.
The idea of adding caviar is better, but expensive, or other black fish eggs are not easily available here.


texts:
A while ago I attempted to make the Better than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce from food.com.
One of the ingredients it calls for is heavy cream and as I live in Canada where they don't sell heavy cream I decided to substitute it for equal amounts whipping cream. The other ingredients called for are sweet butter (I used unsalted butter), minced garlic cloves, white pepper, grated parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and pasta.

The finished sauce was way to sweet and we didn't finish our plates let alone keep the leftovers. The only sweet ingredient I can see is the heavy cream so I am guessing the problem lies with that ingredient so I ask... Did I substitute the right ingredient for the heavy cream? Should I have changed the portions? What do you recommend.


texts: I burned some sweet potatoes in my new microwave- is the microwave ruined?

texts:
I put two small purple sweet potatoes in the microwave for 12 minutes and they burned in my new microwave. My dad claims I destroyed the microwave because I burned something in it just once. Is he right!? If that were the case, I’d think most people would be buying new microwaves every month and that’s not the case.

If the microwave still works, when can I use it again?


texts: How to make nut butter without a food processor?

texts: I want to make peanut butter and almond butter. My food processor heated after a couple of minutes last time, so this time I first used a mortar and pestle to grind it a little and then use the processor. After 3-4 minutes, the motor just stopped and I had to press the reset button. I'm a kid and have to use my mum's food processor, so I'm really scared that I'll break it. Any other way to make the butter? I don't add any oils or anything and would prefer not to.


texts:
I should have paid more attention but after regular washing of top surface, my half-inch-thick board is rocking like a cradle.

It is not practical to use flipped over as it has a counter lip.

I tried keeping the backside moist over 24hrs with no noticeable affect.

Wet grass and sunshine was suggested here but it doesn't sound very practical for me. What indoor solutions can I try?


texts:
I came across a reference to this in an article about Scandinavia.

They are apparently a regional delicacy.


texts: i took some frozen fish out the freezer Tuesday night and sat it in a sink of water, how ever my parents decided to get pizza and i thought the put it up, but it sat in the sink over night and the next day (Wednesday) it sat in the fridge till the next day. i feel bad for wasting over is so i am wondering is it still good to bake or grill or to just dump out, ive already cleaned it and 10 mins ago? i need help on this.


texts:
For some reason I always thought bread boxes were supposed to be wood, and that some property of wood helped keep bread fresh.  Like a cigar box, perhaps.  But after looking for a bread box, I see that many are plastic and metal.  Before I buy a bread box, I should probably understand what exactly I'm purchasing.

What is a bread box for, and do all types of bread boxes accomplish the intended purpose?


texts: What causes chicken fat on the surface of soup, and does it add flavor to the dish?

texts:
I was making a Japanese ramen soup recipe which involved cooking raw diced chicken thigh in the soup for a few minutes. Soon after adding the chicken to the soup, globules of fat started appearing on the surface.

As a very beginner cook I am wondering what happens in the process of boiling chicken thigh (which had a lot of fatty deposits), and if this fat content adds much taste to the dish?