texts: Method to brew a large batch of iced tea without steeping in a plastic container

texts:
I have concerns about steeping tea in plastic pitcher because I do not want anything to leach out of the plastic with the hot water.
Glass would solve this problem, but it does not handle thermal shock well, so it is usually a matter of time before a glass pitcher will shatter if it is routinely used for brewing.
A traditional brewing method would be a ceramic tea pot, but my experience is that these pots are designed to brew hot tea a cup or two at a time.  I have not seen any large teapots designed to accommodate 32 oz or more of tea.
Stainless steel seems like it would be acceptable since this is how commercial kitchens brew batches of tea, but it looks like home stainless-steel pitchers are an afterthought. Few have lids and those that do are generally not airtight, so after the brew is complete it would need to be transferred into a different pitcher and chilled for storage or plastic wrap over the top.

Certainly there must be a best practice for brewing iced tea at home without a plastic container, right?


texts: What went wrong with these pots de creme au chocolat?

texts:
I baked pots de creme au chocolat yesterday following this recipe, but something went wrong:

As you can see in the photos below, the chocolate seems to have separated out, forming a relatively firm top layer, while the remainder underneath is lighter in color and has an unappetizing wet mousse-like texture.

I followed the recipe closely, but let me add some clarifications to avoid ambiguity:

I made the chocolate variant only, so doubled the quantities of dark chocolate (I used 65%) and cocoa
I beat the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment, then added the infused milk and then the melted chocolate while still mixing on low speed
I poured the resulting mixture into eight 4oz glass canning jars (~3oz per jar). At this point, the mixture appeared to be homogenous.
I arranged the jars in a 9x12x2" steel pan, placed it into an electric oven preheated to 320 degF, then filled the pan with boiling water to about halfway up the glass jars.
I baked these until the tops would hardly wobble when I tapped the jars, which was at the 29 min mark
Once I removed the jars from the water bath, the layering was immediately obvious in all eight pots de creme. Interestingly, the bottom of the chocolate layer seems to roughly align with the water level in the bath.
After cooling briefly, I put lids on the jars and refrigerated them for several hours. The photos above are after refrigeration overnight.

The only possibility I can come up with is that I inadvertently filled the pan with cold water. I used an electric kettle, and while I thought I heard it bubbling in the background, my attention was focused on another recipe. Maybe I never switched it on.

Is this a likely explanation for these results? I can see how a cold water bath would result in uneven cooking, but I haven't been able to find good reasoning for why the chocolate would separate out on top.


texts: Why does "hot chocolate powder" lose taste?

texts:
Yesterday, I made hot chocolate with "Schokotraum Typ Trinkschokolade" from Krüger. I was very surprised, that it didn't taste sweet at all (which is bad; it didn't have a lot of taste overall).

The ingredients are:

  DE: Zucker, Süßmolkenpulver (32,3%), Kakaopulver (25,5%), Magermilchpulver (6%), Speisesalz.

  EN: Sugar, sweet whey powder (32.3%), cocoa powder (25.5%), skimmed milk powder (6%), salt

I opened it last year and it should be good until November 2020. I don't quite remember, but I think it was sweet last year

Why didn't it taste sweet?


texts: What reasons might make day-old pastry the preferred choice in these recipes?

texts:
Almond croissants ("croissants aux amandes") are a French pastry sold in every bakery.

Several websites (FR) describe (FR) recipes using croissants that were baked the day before.

Is there something specific to puff pastries that might result in a better taste when using it the day after it has been cooked? Or is it just to salvage leftover food?


texts: Adding lime juice to green curry paste and heating

texts:
I am trying this recipe which requires preparation of a green curry paste with lime juice as one of the ingredients. Once the paste is prepared, I add it to a pan with hot oil (after which I add coconut milk to the paste)

My doubt is - is it a good idea to add lime juice to a hot mixture because the heat probably destroys the vitamins in it? Or is it better to add lime juice later towards the completion of the preparation of the dish?


texts: What type of methylcellulose would be appropriate for gel noodles?

texts:
I'd planning to attempt some flavoured methocel noodles; I know that type K is the softest (best for things like marshmallows) but I've never experimented with the firmer kinds and I'm not entirely sure just how firm they get.

I'm pretty sure I'll want one of the high-viscosity types and there's a supplier here selling 4000 cP, but will type A (A4M or maybe A15C according to this chart) be close to the texture of spaghetti or could it end up being too firm?

Which type would be similar in texture to the 1.7% agar solution used in Schellhoss's parmesan spaghetti recipe included in the Khymos collection?

Also, is there any chance that this type might "melt" as it cools back down to room temperature - i.e. would it be imperative to consume the noodles while still hot?


texts: What is the difference between fruit teas and pure fruit teas?

texts: In this Livestrong article they make a distinction between "fruit teas" and "pure fruit teas". The only difference i picked up on is that pure fruit teas have more sugar. But dont fruit teas also have sugar? Im confused.


texts: What I can use to replace black beer on roast recipe?

texts:
I have a "basic" recipe for roast beef that uses 1 bottle of black beer as an ingredient.

I am looking for a non-alcoholic ingredient to replace it because my parents don't drink alcohol and I usually don't have alcohol on hand.


texts: How long will double cream stay whipped?

texts: I'd like to prepare some whipped double cream in advance for a dessert I'm making. How long will the cream stay whipped (i.e. peaky) if I do it in advance?


texts: How much shelf life do oxygen absorbers add to food?

texts:
I am in the process of storing all my dry foods in airtight jars and bottles. I mainly want to prevent pests, but also want to increase shelf life. There are some foods I need very infrequently and I have to keep throwing those away.
My question is, how much difference would it make, if I add an oxygen absorber to my already airtight jars? For example, for flour and other grain-based products. I don't plan on keeping my food for 30 years. Would it really make a huge difference, if I am filling the jar to the brink? How much air could be there, if a flour jar is full?
Basically are oxygen absorbers just a prepper meme, or are they useful for general food storage as well?


texts:
I want to try out low temperature cooking of some meat, e.g. beef

I don't have a reliable oven and am looking for advice before starting. Or alternatives to ovens.

I heard some people use meat in vacuum sealed plastic bags that they cook in a pot of water, (easier to measure temperature?)

What are the timings for weight/temperature combinations?

What dis/advantages does low temperature cooking have compared to grilled?

Anything else I should now before trying out?


texts: Are there any Oven only or Stove-Top only Cast Iron Recipes?

texts:
So im still an intro cook, and this really isn't lazyness more than curiosity...

But every "pot roast" or "beef stew" aka "Rustic" recipe that you'd think would go in a cast iron pot is always seared on a pan before put into the Pot.

Are there any recipes where you don't do this? As in cook it all the way through on stove top, OR all the way through in the oven.

I imagine it'd be slower, but I like cooking slow. Plus.....it seems like thats the way our ancestors would've done it since they had just fire and a big pot at one point. Im not saying this is the best way..but are there still good recipes where you do just this?


texts: Why is my lemon curd metallic? How should I fix it?

texts:
I used this recipe and followed it to the letter. I used organic/unsprayed lemons (and was careful not to zest the pith) and free-range eggs. I did a quick Google search, but the only cause I could find was using a reactive saucepan, which couldn't be the case because both the whisk, the strainer, the bowls, and the pan were nonreactive, stainless steel. Yet the lemon curd ended up with a metallic aftertaste, that got stronger as it chilled.

Why was my lemon curd metallic, and is there any way to fix it? How?

    3 large eggs, or 1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks
    Zest of 1 medium lemon
    1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice (from about 3 medium lemons)
    1/2 cup sugar
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

  Set the strainer over a medium bowl.
  Whisk the eggs (or egg and yolks) in a small nonreactive saucepan to blend. Whisk in the lemon zest, juice, and sugar. Add the butter. Whisk over medium heat, reaching into the corners and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan, until the butter is melted and the mixture is thickened and beginning to simmer around the edges, then continue to whisk for about 10 seconds longer.
  Remove from the heat and scrape into the strainer, pressing gently on the solids. Scrape any lemon curd clinging to the underside of the strainer into the bowl.
  Refrigerate until chilled before using. Lemon curd keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

EDIT: I made a new batch, using 1 part lemon juice to 1 part sugar plus the zest from the lemons, and the same amount of butter. I omitted the egg yolks and used cornstarch instead. The lemon curd came out perfect, so it must have been the yolks. Why?


texts: How do I know when my avocado has gone bad, and how can I keep it fresh?

texts:
I am a big fan of avocados but I usually don't eat a full one in one sitting.  I usually cut them in half, leave the pit in the side I don't eat, and use the other half.  In a day or two, when I come back to the uneaten portion of avocado -  it is usually black and doesn't look good.

How can I recognize whether my avocado has gone bad or not?  (besides blatant mold)

I usually put whats left of the avocado in a bag in the fridge and keep the pit in.  Are these best practices to extend the life of my avocado?


texts: Why are my apple fritters too doughy in the center?

texts:
I'm making deep-fried apple fritters, and the recipe I am using has me drop them into oil as batter (a bit runny). Dropping them in as batter gives them the kind of crispy-bumpy outside I like.

My problem is that they always end up doughy in the center, because if they cook all the way to the center, the outside will be burnt. I have tried making them more doughy (less water) but that gets rid of the crispy-bumpy outside, and makes them quite dense.

Is there some way for me to make them thinner so that they are not doughy, or how else might I be able to get the center well done, and not lose the crispy-bumpyness?


texts: How to prevent large rice noodle from curling?

texts:
Today I cooked big rice noodles with chicken in oyster sauce, Thai style. It was very delicious.

I had not fresh, but dried noodles (photo not mine).

In order to make it right, I needed to first cook the noodles in boiliing water for 2-3 minutes before actually stir-frying it, otherwise it would stay tough. But the instant I poured boiling water over it, all the nice rectangular sheets of noodles curled into noodle straws. How would I prevent that?


texts: How to dehydrate nuts using an oven for a short time?

texts:
The websites say after soaking nuts, I can dehydrate them using oven on low heat for 12 hours.

But can I do it using higher heat for 1 hr only?

and what would happen if I store nuts when they are not completely dried?

Thank you!


texts: Question about consistency of homemade ice cream

texts:
My family has been making homemade ice cream for years. I run the machine, but usually there are many other hands that want to make it. I know their is the custard less variety, containing milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and any other flavoring or fruit they want.

Recently, I found a recipe for 'banana pudding ice cream'. I decided to give it a go. Unlike the other ice creams we make, it has a custard base of milk, cream, sugar, and a pinch of salt. You add in pureed banana, a little lemon juice, and a little nutmeg. So I tried this recipe, doubling everything to get 3 quarts.

It really didn't want to get made as first, the custard foamed up on me and ran over in about 3 seconds, then when I was blending the mixture, the bottom didn't come out with the rest of the blender and I lost some there. I persevered and got the mixture done and in the fridge over night. I put it in the machine the next morning, because it called for making it, folding in the crushed/frozen vanilla wafer cookies, and letting it set for 4hrs.

I did this and it turned out great. It came out of the machine at the consistency of soft serve. I folded in the vanilla wafers and it froze from ~9-10am on to around 5pm. When we pulled it out of the freezer, it was a similar consistency and everyone liked it.

However, the next day I didn't go back to the river and the rest of the family did. They ate more of my ice cream and while one person said it was really good and tasted the same, my dad said it had frozen funny. I couldn't figure out if he meant it crystalized or just froze up harder than soft serve.

To be honest, I don't really eat leftover ice cream, because there are usually enough people to polish it off, so I don't know how either version turns out when left to freeze over night. What I'd like to know is what can I expect if I make another batch. I have a trip to the mountains this weekend to see more family and after hearing about it, they want to try it. I plan to make the mix and churn it up there, because I'm worried it'll do something funny if I freeze it too long. Is custard based ice cream supposed to be set up hard or can the soft serve consistency be what I expect? Is it prone to getting too hard or forming crystals when frozen over night? That's the kind of thing I need to know. I'd just like to repeat my experience with the good ice cream and I don't want to disappoint them by making a hard icy ice cream instead of the soft smooth goodness I made last time. Thanks for the help.


texts: What is the best substitute for sherry vinegar?

texts: I want to make an Ajo Blanco soup and one of the ingredients is sherry vinegar, but where I live I didn't find it to buy it. The recipe calls for 2 tbsp. I have never tasted sherry vinegar, so I have no idea how I can replace it. Can someone help me?


texts: How much dry ice should be used to keep this much dough frozen in a box of this size?

texts:
I would like build a package with frozen food products (to -18 °C). The products are small balls of pizza dough (diameter of 4 cm). Total dough ball weight is 10 kg (333 balls, 30 grams each).

I'm going to put them into a styrofoam package with dry ice (sealed and insulated) that has inner dimensions 33 x 23 x 28 cm and a wall thickness of 3.5 cm. The dough balls will be stored from 2 to 5 days.

The data for the dry ice:

16 mm granules
Sublimation temperature: -78.5 °C
Density: 1.1 - 1.4 g / cm^3

External temperature where the box is stored:
 a) 10 °C.
 b) 21 °C.

My question:

How much dry ice should I include to have all balls still frozen, i.e. have them in a temp. around -2°C, in the case when:

a) time of storage = 3 days
b) time of storage = 5 days


texts: Attempting Tartine's basic country bread

texts:
I'm trying to bake the basic country bread from Chad Robertson's book "Tartine Bread".

I've followed the description for making a starter faithfully (p. 45/46). In Step 2, it says that "a dark crust may have formed", that we should "note the aroma and bubbles caused by fermentation" and that "the culture smells strong like stinky cheese".

After 2-3 days, I do notice a darkening of the top and there is a strong smell. However, the top is soft and there are a few spots of gold/brown liquid. There are no bubbles and the culture is very gooey and hard to get off the fingers. (Nothing like the photos on p. 44, assuming that these show the starter after 2-3 days.)

When this happened the first time, I thought that something was wrong. I speculated that the temperature may have been too low. I say this because, following the direction "place in a cool, shaded spot", I left the culture at 18 C (64 F). So the second time, I did exactly the same, but I placed the starter in a different spot that is continuously at 20 C (68 F). The outcome is the same, so I take it that the temperature is not the issue.

Is this what is supposed to happen or has something gone wrong? If so, do you have any suggestions for what I should try differently?


texts: Can I continue to age store bought cheese?

texts:
I know that many cheeses are considered to be better when aged.  After I've purchased a nice block of Parmesan or such, can I continue to age it at home?

Is it practical? Will I get the same result?


texts: Can I make panna cotta using a flavored, non-gelatin "Jell Dessert"?

texts:
I'd like to make panna cotta, but all of the recipes I've seen call for unflavored gelatin, and the closest thing I have on hand is a product (Gefen brand Strawberry Jell Dessert) that is neither gelatin nor unflavored:

It is a kosher-certified product that replaces gelatin with maltodextrin, adipic acid, and carrageenan.
In addition to these gelling agents, it contains a great deal of sugar as well as flavorings (similar to the more famous Jell-O).

Can I make a [strawberry-flavored, naturally] panna cotta using this product, somehow?

(I keep kosher, and my local supermarket doesn't carry a kosher-certified, unflavored, gelatin-type agent. I know that such products exist, but I want to make panna cotta right now, while the inspiration is fresh in my head.)


texts: How can one make a reasonable curry with limited spices and poor quality equipment?

texts:
When travelling one has to make do with whatever cooking equipment is available. Typical deficiencies I've encountered are: thin saucepans and frying pans that have lost any non-stick coating (maybe only one of each), a hob with just one or two rings, unreliable ovens, a toaster but no grill, blunt knives, limiting working space, ....

My original question was overly broad, and asked for cooking techniques (rather than recipes) that are reliable even with poor equipment. In this edit, I'll ask just one specific question that's troubling me at the moment. Please assume that I can buy all the usual spices etc, but not cheaply. I don't want to buy very many, because they will all be duplicates of better quality ingredients I have back home.

  How, if at all, given the constraints above, can one make a reasonable vegetarian curry using only one saucepan, and a small frying pan that's lost its non-stick coating?


texts: Cajeta with powdered goat's milk? Or evaporated?

texts:
I have fallen in love with Dulce de Leche, which I make by long boiling unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk.

I've heard wonderful things about Cajeta, the same thing but made with goat's milk.

I want to try it. Alas, sweetened condensed goat's milk doesn't seem to be something I can get a hold of. I have been able to find recipes, like this one for Cajeta or Dulce de Leche that start with whole fresh milk (cow's or goat's). I'd do that, but I can't find find fresh goat's milk around here.

That leaves me with powdered or evaporated goat's milk (full-fat).

Especially after reading SAJ's answer here: Can evaporated milk be converted to "regular" milk?, I don't doubt that either of these products would work if I reconstitute them first with water, and then follow the recipe as if I had whole fresh goat's milk. Is there anything I should consider when choosing powdered vs evaporated?

Finally, can using canned or powdered milk for Dulce de Leche or Cajita speed up the condensing process by starting with less water (or even none in the case of evaporated) than I would use to fully reconstitute the milk? But still optimally caramelize the sugars?

EDIT Well, with no answers so far, and not being able to find any, I'm trying it tomorrow with evaporated, whole goat's milk I bought today. I have 2 cans, 12oz (355ml) each. They are double strength, so I would add 2 cans of water to make full strength goat's milk. I'm going to try it, but only add 1 can of water. I'll add the sugar, salt and baking soda according to the above recipe as if I had 48oz of milk, but in fact I will only have 36oz of liquid. So I'll multiply the other ingredients by 1.5. If all goes well, I should end up with just over 1 1/2 cups of Cajeta. As of this writing there is still time to stop me if you have reason to believe it won't work.


texts: Sausage left to thaw more than 2 hours - is this safe to eat?

texts: I have a package of sausage that I intended to use yesterday. It was taken out of the freezer to thaw at about 4 o' clock. At 9 o' clock it felt fully thawed but we ended up putting it back in the refrigerator where it sits as we speak. When used the sausage is going to be baked in the oven for half an hour. Are we safe to eat this?


texts: The glass door on my convection oven broke. Can I still use it?

texts:
I have a KitchenAid microwave + convection oven combination. I was cooking a pie (350F), and this happened:

The inner glass shattered; the outer glass and all other parts seem fine. I'm getting a warranty replacement, but in the meantime...

Hypothetically, is there any reason I couldn't continue using the microwave, convection oven, or both?


texts: Sugar alternative when beating eggs and sugar together

texts: If I wouldn't want to use refined white sugar in recipes warranting sugar and eggs beaten fluffy, what would be the best alternative to use? Would the result be very different?


texts: Cherries + 2% salt + 1 week at room temperature =?

texts:
Around a week ago I had a tray of leftover cherries. I rinsed them, cut them in half and took the stone out, mixed them with 2% by volume Kosher salt and vacuum sealed them.

I then left them on a counter in my kitchen for a week at room temperature (North Wales, for reference), "burping" the mixture on day 3, 5, 6,7 & 8.

I've opened the mixture today - the cherries were sour as expected, however I'm not sure if that is from the liquid that's come out of them, which smells pretty strongly of alcohol.

What have I made here? I was working off from the Noma fermentation guide and guess I sort of expected lacto-fermented cherries?

Googling would suggest I have made something in between this cherry chutney:

https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/lacto-fermentation-recipes/lacto-fermented-cherry-chutney/

or umeboshi:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umeboshi

Any help gladly appreciated!


texts: How do I make large spheres using spherification?

texts: I've had great success making 'caviar' with sodium alginate and calcium chloride. I've used both an eye dropper and a Parmesan shaker (when I needed a whole lot of spheres). But I've never been able to make the larger spheres, sometimes referred to as ravioli. I've had them in restaurants as big or slightly bigger than a grape. What's the technique to get them this large? Anything in particular I need to watch out for?


texts: How do I make my chocolate brownies 'fudgy'?

texts: What are the key requirements, in terms of both ingredients and techniques, for baking chocolate brownies with a fudgy centre?


texts: Are there other reasons to not remove the sealant from a granite kitchen counter?

texts:
My in-laws have a granite countertop in their new kitchen.  Normally, granite is quite heat-resistant, but they found out the hard way that the resin "sealant" that coats it to make it shiny is not.  From my perspective, one of the reasons to have a granite countertop is so that you can put pots and pans straight from the oven or stove directly on it, so this is undesireable.
I've done some online reading on granite sealers, and as far as I can tell they're applied for two reasons: (1) to make the granite extra-shiny, and (2) to fill in any natural roughness in the stone that would provide a surface that could stain.  However, this granite is a deep mottled reddish-brown, so it's hard for me to regard reason (2) as valid; how would you even see a stain?
Given that, are there other drawbacks to stripping the sealant off the countertops that I might not be anticipating?
(Posting here to ask about culinary drawbacks; for questions about the difficulty of removal and drawbacks for long-term maintenance I'll ask on Home Improvement)


texts: How long should I braise a small beef chuck roast, about 1 pound, on top the stove?  Does it need to be totally immersed in liquid?


texts: garlic powder and onion powder substitutes

texts: recipe calls for 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder all I have is garlic salt also 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and all I have is onion salt how much do I substitute for each


texts:
I need help!  I just finished making sauerkraut and was using a mason jar inside of a larger mason jar to weigh down the cabbage. Now, I can't get the inner mason jar out.

I've tried soap around the rim of the jars.

Any suggestions?


texts:
Researching bao for overnight proof.  I made the recipe with instant yeast and baking powder. The yeast is still the primary leavening agent in the recipe (1.5 tsp yeast to 1 tsp baking powder).
My questions are:
a) is the baking powder going to toughen the dough overnight?
b) is the baking powder even necessary?
c) can I form them, proof them overnight, then steam them once? Or is a pre-steam/re-steam necessary?


texts: How to soften diced meat that was has had too much of its juices leave from being cooked too long?

texts:
I have a bad habit of wanting to over cook meat on the frying pan. It's from a phobia that any juices or red/pink coloring inside the meat may contain bacteria/germs etc. So when I cook diced meat on the frying pan I leave them on till there is not red/pinkness left in them, but they are then dry and hard. It is unpleasant to chew.

I would like to know if it is possible to soften the meat again and maybe add some juice from a sauce maybe into the meat to make it more tender and tasty. I tried boiling or sautee but this did nothing.

EDIT: this applies to beef and lamb


texts:
for all bakers out there, which pie thickener do you use? I have tried to use Modified starch which smell bad when making slurry then pour in hot gravy liquid and I have noticed it changes its taste a bit but thicken very nicely.
I would like to know which thickening do you guys use. I have googled and cornstarch is always come up and i have tried it. While hot, it thicken to the right consistency i want but when cool over night in the chiller, it becomes like hard gelly i can pick and break into pieces. I am not sure if i use the cornflour too much or whatever but while it's hot, the thicken consistency is just right for steak and cheese pie but for some reasons, when cooled, it becomes like hard gelly. Oh the taste is no good too.
Please help!


texts: What is the reason behind seasoning "from a distance"?

texts:
I've seen some top chefs like Gordon Ramsay seasoning their food in the "air" or "from a distance".

Please take a look on the following example, where Chef Ramsay is seasoning a scallop:

https://youtu.be/SyBF8S_Ocf0?t=1m12s

Why is this technique used? Chef Ramsay specifically gives directions to season like this, so I imagine there must be a reason.

Other similar example is this now famous Turkish chef who has become an internet sensation and meme.


texts: Why does some frozen food puff up when defrosting?

texts:
I know freezing is supposed to make foods expand but it seems that two pre-packaged sealed food items that I have in my freezer seem a bit puffy (chicken curry and chicken dumplings with cabbage) after taking them out of the freezer.

I don't think they were that way when I bought them but not sure. My freezer seems to working well (although my fridge is a bit variable) and foods always seem well-frozen. And I only left them out less than half an hour.

Can sealed food packages expand when they defrost rather than the other way around? Thanks!


texts: I know this sounds odd, but my kids want to know what rotten eggs smell like. (We were learning about volcanos and the smell of sulfur in the air, and it was described as smelling like rotten eggs.) I took an egg out of the refrigerator and am keeping it on the counter. How long should I wait before cracking it open? I want a horrible, strong smell. :)


texts: Why do the best pan-and French-frying potatoes differ?

texts:
Why aren't the best potatoes for pan-frying the best for French-frying, vice versa? Pan- and French-frying potatoes both heat potatoes in oil.  What distinctions have I over-looked?

Cook's Thesaurus: Potatoes

  Best for pan-frying: red-skinned potatoes, white round potatoes, new potatoes, and fingerling potatoes

  Best for French fries: russet potato, purple potato, Bintje potato


texts: Any fix for a warped carbon steel fry pan?

texts:
I bought a De Buyer 14" Mineral B Round carbon steel fry pan approximately five years ago. I've used it a fair bit, but recently I think I warped it in the oven when I put it under a broiler for a bit. Now it wobbles when I put it down on a flat surface.

Is there any remedy for this? Or should I recycle it?


texts: Is it ok to keep reusing a water bottle indefinitely?

texts: I have a 1.5 liter plastic water bottle (the disposable kind) that I keep on a shelf by my bed. I fill it every night before bed, and generally nearly finish it by the morning and refill it when I wake up. I recently noticed that I've been using the same bottle for months... is there any issue with this? Any mold concerns, etc? Or can I keep using it indefinitely?


texts: Cooking steak in frying pan, problem with oil splatter

texts:
I was using canola oil and put the stove top setting on "high - 9". I read plenty of guides suggesting there will infact be oil splatter, but it was pretty excessive and burning my arm with one drop getting near my eye before I stopped. I turned the heat setting down to "medium - 4", where the oil splatter seemed to drop substantially. Before I try to make steak again I'd like to get some clarification

So my questions are:

Which heat setting am I supposed to use?
Is that type of oil splatter normal or should I try using a different oil, and if so, what oil?
Should oiling the meat instead of the pan help the problem?


texts: What are the names of these food dishes?

texts: There is pizza on the bottom, but what are the names of the remaining dishes like the one with the asparagus on top of what looks like bread and then the one to the left of it with a bunch of thin sheets?


texts: Are there any substitutes for Shortening?

texts: I was specifically thinking about the Crisco shortening that is used in baking.


texts:
I know about the danger zone for Sous Vide cooking (Pasteurization etc.)
My question is - is it only relevant for meat / pork / poultry, or is it relevant for vegetables too ? (Both greens and root vegetables)


texts: How to make tofu that is crispy and flavorful outside and soft inside?

texts:
I know how to fry tofu to make it firm, and also how to dry fry it and marinade it to make it flavorful.  Neither of these cooking techniques mimics the tofu I get at my local Thai restaurant.

When I order tofu there, it is perfectly fried to give it firm texture on the outside, but when you bite in, it's juicy and melts in your mouth, making the tofu experience much better.  It literally blends with the other flavors this way and I can't figure out how they do it.  I'll also note that the inside is not seasoned, it's the internal texture that makes it taste so good.

Is it the type of tofu maybe?  Or the frying time?  Any ideas?


texts: I think my whetstone has smoothed over by constant use at work, is there a way to repair it or should I just go buy another?


texts: How to achieve a flexible consistency on ice cream? (photos attached)

texts:
I'm an amateur ice cream maker. I've tried to emulate this ice cream without success: it is thick and flexible; the texture reminds me of melted marshmallows yet it´s not overly sweet. It's so flexible it hangs from the spoon without dripping even when it was already soft. I bought it from a small shop downtown.

It is a dairy based ice cream. I've done ice creams with milk, cream and cream cheese but the resulting flavour is overly milky and barely creamy.

I don´t know what should I add/do to achieve this kind of consistency: more animal fat, vegetable fats, sugar, whipped egg whites, some special chemical?

I add photos for visual proof.


texts: What can I use as a replacement for ricotta or cottage cheese in a lasagna?

texts:
I really cannot take the texture of ricotta or cottage cheese in food, to the point where I will gag when it is in my mouth.

However, most of the recipes I have seen for lasagna involve using one or the other. Is there something I can use as a replacement that will do the same sort of cheese thing that they do, without the weird texture?


texts: What does a healthy cast iron skillet look like?

texts:
I've read plenty about how to restore and season cast iron, but I have no clue whether any of the old cast iron I've inherited could benefit from this.

Is healthy cast iron black? or should it be somewhat metallic looking (ie. a bit silvery, like steel). Does the black color come from even one seasoning process, or will it develop over time?

Is is smooth? or is it alright if there are some lumps in it's surface texture?

and finally: after seasoning, is the surface supposed to have a slight oily appearance or should it be totally dry? and will healthy cast iron leave a residue on a rag if I wipe it? Some of mine do, and I'm not sure if that is good or bad.


texts: What flavorants stand up to long cooking?

texts:
My answer to this question (link) prompted a question in my own mind. I wanted to share some tips regarding when to add herbs, spices, aromatics, etc., and had a few suggestions (bay leaves and garlic go early; vanilla and black pepper go late).

These are, however just a couple of things I've noticed in my own cooking, and I'm not sure how good my information is. For example, I've heard that Hervé This has discovered that black pepper is optimally added eight minutes before the end of cooking.

Is there a list of ingredients that take time for flavor to develop versus those with more volatile flavors that need to be more closely guarded? That may be too much to ask; perhaps folks have a few guidelines or tips?


texts: Adjusting muffin recipe ingredients when adding a can of pumpkin

texts:
I want to add a can of 100% pumpkin to my favorite bran/ww flour/oatmeal muffin recipe and think I may need to add a bit more dry ingredients. Picture of recipe card is below - hopefully. This is just my second posting at this site. I will greatly appreciate any advice on amending the recipe.

Recipe:

  3/4 c milk
  3/4 c bran
  1 egg
  1/4 c vegetable oil
  1/4 c molasses or honey
  1 c uncooked oatmeal
  2/3 c whole wheat flour
  1 tbcp baking powder
  1/4 tsp salt (optional)
  1/2 c raisins, nuts, chopped apple (optional)

  Bake at 400 F about 15 minutes


texts: Is there a way to add shine to a chocolate coating after it has hardened?

texts:
My recipe calls for melting chocolate chips and pouring the liquid chocolate over the cake for a coating.  That works but, when it hardens, it returns to that dull gray/brown color of chocolate chips, i.e. to the color of the chips before they were melted.

Is there a way to polish or add some shine to the hardened coating?  Would rubbing a thin coating of butter on the surface work?


texts: Creating ideal temperature for dough to rise

texts: Are there machines that maintain optimal temperature for dough to rise?


texts:
How do the plucking standards of tea (imperial pluck,
 fine pluck, …) actually relate to the leaf grades?

PG Tips claims “we pick the top two leaves and a bud known as the tips”, so that would be called ‘fine pluck’ in the following diagram:

But going by the following diagram, we wouldn't get an orange pekoe with a fine pluck – that doesn't feel right.

So how do they relate? Or does it differ from region to region? Maybe I'm wrong but it seems in Nilgiri even expensive teas are designated with less “colorful grades”.


texts: Kitchen utensil identification - tong of some sort

texts:
My wife got this from a thrift store for a good price; and hey, it would be good for something. The bottom plate has several long slender slots.

Any ideas?


texts: Should I lightly boil or steam meat (eg, beef) before searing?

texts:
The common technique I know of is braising, or, basically, sear the meat (eg beef, pork, chicken), 2 minutes per side, then add liquid, cover, and put in oven at low heat for 1 - 2 hours. This works great for flavorful, tender meat. However, it does not develop a crust or 'bark' on the surface, I think because the 2nd part of covered heating in the oven causes the surface of the meat to get lots of liquid. And any sauce or dry seasoning I put on the surface of the meat falls off. This leads to the meat having a single texture of tender and moist.

Is there a technique of slow, covered cooking first, followed by searing or heating to get the desired crust or bark on the surface? My goal is to have the tender, moist texture on the inside, complemented by a drier, crunchier surface with lots of dry seasoning.


texts:
How to keep onions from sinking in a salad?

I like raw and cooked onions.

I like raw onions in a lot of salads but the problem is diced onions end up in the  bottom of the bowl.


texts:
I have made why I fear is far too many beef and pepper and onion kebabs for a party. Can I freeze any of them beforehand, or will the vegetables be mushy when thawed?

Is there a better way for me to preserve the kebabs (say, for a few days to a week)?


texts: Why does instant coffee have less caffeine?

texts:
I had gone completely cold-turkey on caffeine for a while due to anxiety issues, and I'm slowly reintroducing caffeine to my diet.  I have read in many places that freeze-dried instant coffee has less caffeine than the equivalent amount of fresh-brewed, but I haven't seen any explanations as to why.  Is it something inherent to the freeze-drying process which causes this change?

And, of course, how much lower is the caffeine content in general?


texts: Quick pressure release vs natural pressure release

texts:
I have read recipies that suggest letting the pressure naturally release when cooking grains in a pressure cooker. I've always just released the pressure quickly through the pressure relief valve.

What does releasing the pressure quickly do to grains as apposed to letting the pressure dissipate naturally through cooling?


texts: Plantain were not ready to puree, can they be saved?

texts:
I was planning in making plantain empanadas but the plantains were not really ready and after boiling them for a long time and trying to puree them they ended up being only a pile of crumbly plantain little pieces that will not hold together to make the dough.

Is there anything that I could do in order to "save" them and still use them for the desired purpose?

I was thinking to maybe blend them with some liquid, like water or even cream, but I don't want to try something doomed to fail without asking first.

Any recommendation will be welcomed and appreciated.


texts: Sanitizing fridge and freezer after days of no power

texts:
Coming back from 10-day vacation, we found that our fridge was off the whole time. Fruit and packaged ham in the fridge, veggies fruit and meat in the freezer. Oops.

Obviously everything has thawed and became really smelly. Even tbough the meat was in bags, some of the "juice" may have still leaked. There was quite some liquid in the freezer drawers, though most of it probably from fruit/veggie.

What nasty things could have grown in there? How do I clean up this mess without throwing away the fridge?

We've already applied both the steam cleaner and boiling hot water (the latter only to plastic drawers and glass shelves). What else should we do? What chemicals?

I'm concerned that something may have gotten into all the platics or air circulation. In case it matters, the fridge is a 2-year fairly expensive bosch - probably not the most vulnerable thing, but not all glass and stainless steel either.


texts: How to slow down evaporation when cooking?

texts:
Does water evaporate faster when rolling boil with a lid or simmer without a lid? If I use a certain stove plate with a certain sauce pan set to its lowest setting it will cause the water to roll boil with lid on and just simmer without a lid.

My question is, will the lid compensate for that water that evaporates faster (I assume?) when it is rolling boiling compared to when it just simmer?

The context is brewing tea. I have found a new tea that should be cooked for as long as possible (an hour is not too much) and I want to leave it unattended.

How to avoid too much evaporation?


texts: Is it safe to eat frozen flatfish with brown color?

texts:
I bought some pieces of frozen flatfish. All pieces are white except one.
That piece is brown, with black strips at the center.

Does that indicates corruption?

Note: After unfreezing, I found that the brown piece is not as flexible as others. So I threw it away for safety.


texts: Why fry onions without oil and then add oil?

texts:
In several recipes I have seen lately, the instructions are to sautee onions and garlic without oil for a few minutes, and then add oil and continue until golden. If it's of any help, these are Ethiopian traditional recipes.

I know that the two processes are different, due to heat transfer by the oil, and the Maillard reaction etc.
What could be the reason to start without oil and then add it though?


texts: What damage is caused to kefir when it comes into contact with metal?

texts: Advice differs. And what about contact with stainless steel, which was only invented in the 19th century, when kefir had already been consumed in the North Caucasus for centuries?


texts: substitute for chickpeas in "bean blondies"

texts:
I'm trying to make "chickpea blondies" However, my brothers won't eat them because chickpeas are estrogenic.

In the recipe, you have to puree the chickpeas, add some peanut butter for strength and taste, and then bake it. So it needs to be relatively firm, sweet or nutty, and hold up in heat. . Is there some other sort of firm bean/food item that could be substituted for the chickpea? They don't have to be beans. I've seen avocados used in recipes like this, but one brother is allergic

Please don't say flour, because making actual brownies defeats the purpose. The fun of it comes from making an  tasty imitation dessert out of unconventional non-dessert ingredients like *beans.

*excepting red beans


texts: How do I figure out how much spaghetti, sauce, etc that need for a fund raising lunch that is targeting 100 to 125 people...we want to be generous in our portions but no clue how much to fix, how to keep it from turning into a mushy mess


texts: What makes breads different from one another?

texts:
I have two bread recipes I use frequently. recipe one is a type of flat bread called taftan, and the second recipe is called barbari. Taftan is griddled while barbari is baked in the oven. As for the amount of water, what I usually do is adding water until it forms a dough that is only slightly sticky.

Recipe one:
3 cups flour
0.5 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1 ts sugar
Lukewarm water

Recipe two:
3 cups flour
0.5 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1 ts sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
Lukewarm water

The only difference is baking powder that one of those recipes calls for. But they result in totally different breads, with respect to both taste and appearance. I wonder what makes a bread different. Is it the shaping method you use, rising, proofing? Even when the ingredients are identical, why do the tastes differ so much?


texts:
Cherimoya is an amazing delicacy that I highly recommend; however, I haven't found much culinary use for it other than eating it raw.

What's your experience on cooking with this fruit?

and on a side note, it sucks that I can't find it here in Canada :(


texts:
I'm making some hazelnut spread at home and trying to preserve it as long as possible. Basically, I blended a mixture of ground roasted hazelnuts, skimmed milk powder, sugar, cocoa powder and very little amount of hot water in food processor. I then added melted vegetable shortening and lecithin in the mixture and blended until it has a nice texture and spreadability. It was kept in a sterilised glass jar.

I was hoping the finished product might last a few months before it turns bad, however, there were some bacteria/mold/fungus on the surface only after about three-four weeks.

My questions are 1.) what causes the bacteria growth (is it caused by the water/moisture level) ? 2.) what other substitutes for hot water (to dissolve the powder mixture)?

Thanks in advance guys :)


texts: What is the foam that comes out when making clarified butter?

texts: When making clarified butter you get a bottom layer of milk solids, the center layer of clarified butter, and the top layer of foam. What is in the foam? Does it have any uses?


texts: To pre-slice or not to pre-slice fajitas?

texts:
In both skirt and flank steak, and when cooking indoor, is it more ideal to preslice marinate then cook? or marinate cook then slice?

My understanding is that pre-slicing allows you to marinate more, but at the price of meat juice.


texts: Why does my homemade mustard thicken only some of the time?

texts:
For the first time in many years, there are enough red bell peppers in the harvest for me to make this recipe for roasted red pepper mustard, which I have made off and on for 20 years or so.

It's been a long time since I've made it, and there's one aspect that didn't always work.

As you can see, the recipe involves

A) mixing .75c dry Colman's mustard (or equivalent) with 2.5c water+vinegar. let it sit.

B) boil 1 1/6c sherry+wine for 7 min (reduces it some, but not a whole lot)

C) mix A+B, cook in double-boiler until thick.

D) stir in red pepper puree.

My memory is that sometimes step A thickened up while it was resting, and sometimes it didn't. When it didn't, no later step ever really got thick enough. And that was a pity, because the mustard is incredibly delicious, kind of pricey to make, but makes a super gift if it sets properly.

Could the difference be that sometimes I substitute Penzey's regular mustard powder for the Colman's? Would Oriental mustard powder do instead? Or do I need to just resign myself to buying Colman's in bulk? I like to make a lot of this stuff.


texts: Why do my brownies inconsistently end up hard and thin?

texts:
When I make brownies, I sometimes end up with really hard thin brownies instead of thick fudgy soft brownies.

I bake them the same amount of time, use the same ingredients, and use the same equipment each time.

Are there any reasons why my brownies sometimes end up thin and hard, and other times not?


texts: Why does salt prevent soy milk from curdling in hot coffee?

texts:
As many people have experienced, soy milk will often curdle in hot coffee. I've experienced this myself with both instant and fresh coffee, and with my homemade soy milk (not my favorite soy milk brand from the store, which has a few extra things).

There are many people out there with the same problem, which is typically blamed on the acidity of the coffee, acid being well-known as a coagulant:

http://www.thekitchn.com/why-does-soymilk-curdle-in-hot-148329
How to prevent curdling in a local vegan coffee creamer- aka- Post Apocalypse hippy coffee creamer?

One day, I tried adding salt to my coffee, knowing that it is said to reduce bitterness (ref). That day, my soy milk didn't curdle. On each day thereafter, if I added a pinch of salt to my coffee before adding the soy milk, it wouldn't curdle. My heating procedure has remained the same: mix instant coffee with boiling water to dissolve, add cold soy milk, stir, then microwave until hot again.

What chemical interaction could plausibly result in salt preventing the curdling of soy milk?


texts: How to make crescent rolls soft and fluffy?

texts: I have tried a couple of times to make my crescent rolls light, soft, and fluffy, but I have not managed to achieve that yet. They turn out a bit too heavy. My guess is that the dough is too sticky, so when I knead it I add more flour than is needed. Any help here? Thank you.


texts: How do you separate whole chicken skin from the breast (for basting) without ripping it?

texts: In this recipe in minute 7:00 the cook separates the chicken skin from the breast to put butter between the skin and the breast for basting. When I tried that (very slowly) it always felt like I was about to rip the skin. When I finished a sizable part of the breast was left exposed because some of the skin ripped.


texts: Ayer cooking kielbasa and sauerkraut in a 300 degree oven for one hour, can I eat it after it was sitting on kitchen counter for five hours

texts: After cooking kielbasa and sauerkraut an hour in a 300 degree oven, I left it sitting on the kitchen counter for five hours. Is it safe to eat?


texts:
I am eating a mix of boiled bacon, broiled chicken, and boiled beans (+ salt & pepper). It tastes awkward. What can I add to improve this flavor within $5 to restaurant quality?

(I am not actually the one who came up with this concoction of madness)


texts: My recipe calls for .25 ounce package of active dry yeast, and the package of active dry yeast that I purchased from the store is 1/4 ounce packages is this the same amount of active dry yeast that I need for the recipe ??


texts: Is there a safe way to remove items that have fallen into a Garbage Disposal?

texts: I've always been told to never reach into a garbage disposal, for obvious reasons, but always seem to drop items in that I don't want to risk ruining the blades with by grinding them.  Is there a tool(s) that can be used to efficiently retrieve items from a disposal?


texts: Why is it not recommended to microwave UK or Canadian bacon?

texts:
Following this thread (Is it possible to cook bacon without melting as much fat?), @Italian Philosopher mentions that this is not a good idea for UK or Canadian bacon.

I've noticed that most bacon I purchase in the UK says do not microwave, although I do occasionally nuke a few slices of back bacon for a short blast to get the water and phosphates out before frying.

Having eaten a few sandwiches in the past that the bacon has been microwaved, I'm still here to tell the tale. I assume the "don't microwave" advice is because the fat won't fry or render properly, but why is this OK for stateside pork?


texts:
Some Indian cuisines require mustard oil as an ingredient. However, I cannot find any FDA approved mustard oil, and most of the bottles quote "for external use only."

Is it possible to find FDA approved mustard oil? Or, is it unsafe to consume mustard oil?


texts:
I have used xanthan a few times, sometimes successfully, sometimes less so. The one thing I've noticed: it is certainly not enough to just stir it in until it is well dispersed. Sometimes it will not thicken no matter what I do, sometimes it will stay liquid for ages while I'm stirring and then suddenly become one big gloop with no taste left. And sometimes it will get thicker with whisking and then get back to liquid.

Following factors could play a role:

stirring
whisking (actively beating air into it)
time (maybe I have to leave it to hydrate on its own?)
temperature: I have gotten it to thicken at room temperature, but does it work better or worse when hot or cold?
liquid ingredients: How does the percentage of sugar, fat and other solids influence it? What about pH?

Can somebody explain

How do the above factors affect thickening, and
What is the most efficient method to get a liquid thickened?


texts: My cake batter always comes out sticky. Is this normal?

texts: When I was growing up, mum's cake batter was always smooth with a consistency like honey -- enough to pour in to the caketin. Now I'm living out on my own, I'm cooking for myself, including cakes. But my cake batter is much stiffer and thicker than I remember mum's being: I always have to scoop mine into the caketin; it won't pour. Now, I don't recall what method she used, but I'm using the creaming method. The cake still bakes just fine. But am I doing something obviously wrong?


texts:
A lot of cooking involves caramelization, and I want to get a better understanding it. Does caramelization happen instantly when each sugar molecule reaches the correct temperature, or does the sugar need to maintain that temperature for a specific amount of time?

If it needs to maintain temperature, is there any way to estimate the amount of time needed before cooking?


texts:
I wanted to see if anyone has tried to pickle avocados?

Mostly I am interested to use only vinegar, and/or salt.


texts: Is US flour significantly different than it used to be, or than flour outside of the US?

texts:
I encountered this statement elsewhere:

  The wheat in the US has been genetically modified to be much higher in
  gluten. People who live in other countries and then come here cannot
  use their old recipes because our flour is so different than theirs.

Is the second sentence true for a non-professional cook purchasing all purpose flour in a US grocery store? Would a bread recipe calling for AP flour used by someone from outside of North America need to be modified to work with the AP flour typically available in the US?

Please address the first sentence only if it's relevant to your answer regarding the second sentence.


texts: french press vs. chemex - oil absorbed by chemex filters?

texts:
I've always understood the french press to be the superior way to prepare coffee because it lacks any paper/cloth filter thus leaving the flavorful and aromatic oil in the beverage. However, I've noticed a lot of my favorite coffee places now prefer chemex or pour-over style claiming it to be the best way to prepare and coffee.

Does the paper filter used in chemex's in fact absorb the coffee's oils? Does this impact the flavor/aroma of the beverage? If not, what is it about the chemex/pour-over makes it the preferred method by so many high end/gourmet coffee shops? (Aside from it's obvious visual appeal, show-like quality.)


texts:
I'm currently at a hotel in Spain. We are having a buffet breakfast and one of the meals are sunny-side-up fried eggs. I estimate they probably fry several hundred eggs per breakfast. I wondered how they pull it off in the kitchen, especially the "breaking eggs" part.

I can imagine two extremes:

A cook is breaking eggs manually, taking extra care not to put any shell onto the frying pan.
Some kind of automated process takes place, e.g. eggs are put in some foamy container, the top is cut off and then the whole lot is flipped over the pan.

The truth is probably somewhere in between. Anyone with mass-kitchen experience, care to enlighten me?


texts: What is the best standmixer 350 wattage or higher

texts: What is the best Stand mixer with 350 or more wattage?


texts: How can I get frozen egg whites out of the ice tray?

texts:
I read in Can raw eggs be frozen? that you can freeze eeg whites and use them later.

I saw this suggestion about using an ice tray to make frozen egg white cubes (which makes it easier later on when you want to use a few eeg whites out of a frozen batch).

My problem is, the frozen cubes won't come out of the ice tray! They seem to expand or for some reason stick to the tray very hard. I needed to melt them by running the back of the tray under hot water to get them out.

Obviously I can't use any oil or anything like that in the tray to prevent sticking.
Any suggestions?


texts: Is lemonade better when made with simple syrup?

texts:
On a hot summer day and with a basketful of lemons I often want a nice cold glass of lemonade. A lot of recipes suggest making lemonade with simple syrup, which requires cooking, whereas other recipes just have stirred-in sugar.

What exactly are the benefits of making lemonade (or limeade) with simple syrup versus just stirring in sugar?


texts: How does the performance of a warped pan compare to a level one when using gas?

texts: Of course there will be hot spots when using it on anything besides gas because it won't sit flat.  But are there any performance disadvantages when using a slightly warped pan and gas? As far as I can tell even a brand new pan will still pool oil depending on how level your stove / floor is.


texts:
I'm planning on making some peppermint meringues tonight but am a little concerned about my recipe. I've successfully made meringues in the past with peppermint extract but this recipe contains crushed peppermint candy.

A commenter on the recipe mentioned that the moment they added the peppermint pieces their meringue went flat. What is the proper way to add an addition such as this to a meringue?


texts: Cooking Brown Rice on a Portable Induction Burner

texts: Are there any tips on how to properly cook brown rice using a portable induction burner? I use my standard ratio of 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cup water bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low for 20 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes on the regular electric stove top. However my induction burner is labeled warm, simmer, boil and I have yet to achieve satisfactory results.


texts:
I once had the opportunity to taste ricotta that was very smooth. The texture was like a thick greek yogurt (but the taste very different). I loved it. I could not find that anywhere else as a consumer. (I am in Andorra, a small country in Europe. I can find Ricotta here but it is not very common and there are not many options)

I try to reproduce that smooth ricotta, without success.

All the ricotta recipes that I have tried do not have that texture. I tried to reincorporate some of the whey at the end and stir. It does not work.

How to make smooth ricotta?


texts: Can we store cut up onions in the fridge or do onions go bad in the fridge? Do they become poisonous? Can onions be safely stored in the refrigerator after peeling? Also how can you tell if an onion is bad?


texts:
This Mediterranean breakfast bun recipe calls for active dry yeast which is dissolved in tepid milk. What should I change if I use instant yeast instead?

  Mediterranean Style Breakfast Buns (Yield: 12)

  1 3/4 oz. (50 g) fresh yeast
     1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 ml) tepid milk
  1/4 cup (60 g) regular sugar
  1/4 cup (50 ml) sunflower oil
  3 1/2 oz. (100 g) feta cheese , crumbled
  1 medium boiled potato,
  grated   2 1/2 cup (315 g) all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon salt


texts: How can I make custard for a friend (as part of a desert) who is egg and gluten intolerant? Should I just not bother?


texts:
I just came across a pizza recipe that requires Wisconsin Brick Cheese.
It kind of looks like Cheddar or Emmental, however I do not know by taste.
As I am living in Portugal, finding that cheese is not that easy, so I am wondering if there are alternatives to this type of cheese, ideally from European countries, if from Portugal, the better (but I am open to alternatives available worldwide).


texts: Rule of thumb for cooking multiple things in a microwave at the same time?

texts:
Is it possible to cook multiple things at the same time in a microwave and how do I adjust the cooking time?

What if the two items are identical, do I double the time or multiply it by some other factor?

What if the two items are different and have different individual cooking times?


texts: Did 150 °C (300 °F) ruin my cream sauce, or is it just overcooked, or fine?

texts:
I made a new recipe -that had chicken, mushrooms and onion sauteed in butter, to make a casserole.  I made a white sauce - butter/flour, lactose-free milk, and it thickened very slowly, so added some cornstarch, and it thickened nicely.
As the recipe said, I whisked in one cup of heavy cream, poured it over the chicken/mushroom/onion garlic mixture, then put it in a 13x9 glass tempered dish, covered with foil, tightly, and put it in an oven at 150°C (300°F); and it was in there for two hours, maybe 2.5.

When I got it out, it was brown, through and through, and it looked like butter had separated; no white cream sauce to be seen.  The flavors were separate, and althoguh I didn't like it, my husband ate it, and I am thinking it was burned through and through -- but I am not sure this was the way it was supposed to turn out.

The original instructions didn't have 2.5 hours at 150°C (300°F), but 100°C (225°F), for 2-3 hours - and the recipe used a dutch oven, which I don't have. The higher heat was an oversight.

Did I burn it?  Is it just overcooked, and edible, or is it bad?  I have absolutely no idea at this point, but I have been reading that cream sauces have a top heating level of 200, so I think I really blew it with the 300 degrees.


texts: How do I dehydrate hot peppers in the oven?

texts: I have a bumper crop of jalapeno hot peppers that I would like to dry in my oven. I love to roast and grind dried chiles for Chili Con Carne or Enchiladas. The correct oven temperature and drying time are the obvious questions that come to mind.


texts: What's the point of the first action in double-acting baking powder?

texts:
Modern baking powder is basically always "double-acting". This makes a lot of sense compared to the older single-acting powder, since the gas formed during baking won't be removed by mechanical actions like pouring batter into a dish, and occurs when the starch is ready to form a gel, stabilizing the foam.

So what's the point of the room-temperature reaction? It doesn't seem like there's any particular point in producing gas immediately, compared to during the baking process.

Note that I'm looking for documented reasoning from manufacturers or food scientists, not people's informed guesses or personal opinions.


texts:
I am in the process of making a ballotine of foie gras.

The liver has been cleaned of veins and is currently in 2 large pieces. It has been marinading in Sauternes / salt / pepper for the last 24 hours. Should I chop the Foie Gras, or leave it in larger pieces when I make my ballotines? To make the ballotines I will wrap in cling film, pierce air pockets etc. and then simmer in water at around 80C for 10 mins before refrigerating overnight for consumption tomorrow.


texts: Correct way to join two halves of sponge cake?

texts:
When you join two halves of sponge cake (as in this photo) which way round are you supposed to do it? The instructions I've used seem to assume what comes out of your two cake tins are two fairly even, level cakes.

In my case I always get quite domed results.

Am I supposed to

a) squish the top one down on top of the bottom and disguise the poor join with filling

OR

b) turn the bottom one over, for a good join, but a wobbly cake, but sort of works if you firm the bottom one down

OR

c) cheat and slice off the dome of the bottom cake


texts: Why are holes punched into rice packages?

texts: When you buy imported rice in the store, there are often rows of tiny holes punched into the plastic bags. What is that for? Doesn't it contribute to spoiling and spreading of bugs?


texts:
My son has a severe egg allergy. We've tried a couple of egg-less brownie recipes but they always end up terrible. I've tried making a batch with an egg replacement and one without. In both cases, the brownies start to rise a little, then completely collapse in the center. The result ends up being a oily brownie that has no moisture and doesn't taste very good.

Any suggestions on how to make good tasting egg-free brownies that are moist and flavorful?

Update

The egg replacement we use is called "Egg Replacer" made by Ener-G Foods, Inc. It's gluten free, wheat free, and nut free. My wife just reminded my that using this left the brownies in a liquid state for the most part and never really hardened.


texts: Is there such a thing as too much vanilla?

texts: I have been making cookies for decades and I have noticed a dramatic change in quality based on the usage of vanilla.  Using weak vanilla or just not enough will lead to bland cookies, oftentimes regardless of the usage of other ingredients.  This has lead me to add twice to three times the amount of vanilla that is called for in my recipes.  So far, I have been happy with the results.  Is this a common experience?  Is there a recognizable upper limit to the addition on vanilla? Or is it that, since I am a fan of vanilla, I am simply making cookies to my personal taste?


texts: Should steaming water be used for stock/gravy?

texts:
Should I use water from steaming to make stock or gravy?

Does it depend from what I have steamed (e.g., potatoes or vegetables)?


texts: How to preserve and ship home made mayonnaise

texts: I am trying to preserve home-made mayonnaise so that it can be shipped to family and friends, without the hassle of putting it in dry ice packs or the like. Is there a way to preserve it and ship the bottled mayonnaise by regular mail or courier?


texts: Is there a difference between green and spring onions?

texts: I've seen some recipes call for green onions but always use spring onions? Is there a difference between them? Is there a better substitute?


texts: Is my blue glazed crock safe to make wine vinegar in?

texts:
I have an urge to purchase a "vinegar mother" and make homemade vinegar with leftover red wine. According to what I have read, it is not a difficult process, and I have had great success with making kombucha, which is a similar technique, only uses tea and sugar rather than wine. I have a lovely dark blue glazed crock with a spigot at the bottom that would work charmingly, if I could verify that it would be safe to use.  Is there any risk of the acid of the vinegar reacting with the glaze? Is there any way to test whether it would or not?
Thanks, and any advise on vinegar making is appreciated, as well as good sources for buying a mother.


texts: Is there a way to preserve donuts and sell them in retail packaging, similar to how you would buy chips and cookies at the supermarket. I see Entenmann sells packaged donuts but I'm curious to know how they are able to maintain freshness. Any thoughts


texts: Hop flowers are primarily used to preserve and flavor beer. Now that hops are starting to ripen in the northern hemisphere, I'm wondering: are there any other uses for them in the kitchen?


texts: What's the best way to get a charcoal taste on a propane grill?

texts: I recently was given a propane grill that is a lot nicer than my charcoal grill, however my family really likes the cooking and taste of a charcoal grill. I hear the propane grill tastes a lot different. Is there something specific I can do to get a taste similar to a charcoal grill, while using the benefits of my newer, nicer, larger, propane grill?


texts: Why is it that caramel sauce should not be stirred after it has boiled?

texts: The internet says swirling is fine, but not stirring. Why is that so?


texts: When you bake (cookies etc) commercially with egg in your recipe, do you have to add any preservatives and if so, what?


texts: Who first put ridges on Ramekins and why?

texts: These white things are called Ramekins. Why do they have the ridges around them and who was the first person to make the ridges on them?


texts: Can I selectively breed my sourdough starter?

texts:
I have a nice bowl of sourdough starter sitting in my kitchen, and I love making my bread as sour as possible.

Right now I let my loaves rise for a little longer, but is there a way I can alter my starter's environment to select for a sourer mix of microorganisms ("selective breading" would probably be the appropriate phrase)?


texts: How do I remove turmeric stains from metal/plastic cookware?

texts:
As much as I value tumeric for its rumoured cancer-battling qualities, I find its tendency to stain anything it comes into contact with (including 'stainless' steel) discouraging to the point that I use it much less than I would like.

In a previous question regarding a tumeric-stained marble mortar and pestle, it was recommended that bleach be used to remove the stain. Is this recommendation applicable across the board? Pots? Pans? Plastic colanders?

I hope there is some other way to remove these stains because I am starting to accrue tumeric stained clothing that I can't bleach, as recommended.


texts: Is leaving eggs out of the fridge, prior to cooking them a direct cause as to how shell break?

texts:
I have friend who went to culinary school who claims that cold eggs crack cleaner than eggs at room temperature.  Do egg shells crack cleaner coming cold out of the fridge?

Does warming up to room temperature for a few minutes cause the eggs to crack less clean?


texts: Using Chakki Atta instead of whole wheat flour?

texts:
I bought a bag of chakki atta from an Indian grocery store. The back of the bag says that it's 100% whole wheat flour. It was cheaper than traditional American style whole wheat flour, so I decided to buy a bag to see how well it would work.

At home, the main thing that I noticed was that chakki atta looks different. The whole wheat flour that I'm used to is tan with dark flecks. Chakki atta is a more uniform yellowish tan without any flecks, or maybe the flecks are just really small. I've used it a few times in bread baking, and it seems to work well.

My question is, does anyone have a better idea of how packaged chakki atta is different from whole wheat flour, and what kinds of things it is good for?


texts:
I have made my own vanilla extract, without sweetener and I am interested in making others like hazelnut, almond, lemon, mint, etc. The recipes I have found call for vodka and sugar, honey, simple syrup, sweetener, etc.

Is sugar a required ingredient for effective extraction? I assume the sweetener and its amount should be the responsibility of the recipe calling for said extract. Then again, I do not know, maybe the sweetener is added to the extract to off set known bitters?

This Question and Answer leads me to believe that with liquor based extract adding sugar may be a bit of folklore?


texts: What is the proper volume to weight conversion for Bisquick?

texts:
Most recipes that call for Bisquick have volume measurements, but I've read it's better to measure most dry ingredients by mass (not to mention more convenient and less messy). So what is the proper conversion factor for Bisquick (i.e. it's density)?

I assume it's close to that of flour, but different types of flours have different densities and I wasn't sure which one to use or which one the Bisquick manufacturers assume when developing their recipes.


texts: Looking for some advice on cooking the puff pastry in Beef Wellington

texts: We usually have Wellington for Xmas. I usually cook at 350 or so and rely on a thermometer to tell when its done. I was thinking this year of cooking it at something like 275 for a longer period of time, like 45-55 min. I'm concerned, though, that the puff pastry might not cook properly this way, so any input on how viable this idea is would be appreciated, thanks.


texts:
What are the conversion rates between yeasts: cake yeast(compressed yeast), dry active, instant, and yeast flakes.

Preferably in grams please.


texts: Are there aged cheeses I can make which don't require a cheese fridge?

texts:
I enjoy home cheesemaking, and often make fresh cheeses at home, including ricotta, paneer, queso fresco, and microwave mozzarella.  I've stayed away from hard, aged cheeses to date because they appear to all require aging in a special cheese fridge.  That is, every hard cheese recipe I've seen requires at least some aging at 55F / 13C.  A regular fridge is too cold, and room temperature in our apartment ( 65F / 17C ) is too warm.  But I live in a San Francisco apartment, so building a cheese-aging fridge is out of the question.  There's no room.

Does anyone know of cheese types or techniques for making semi-soft or hard cheeses which can be aged either at regular fridge temperature, or at 17C room temperature?


texts:
I like to experiment with my pizza recipe, and I love the taste of butter.
Right now my pizza dough recipe is something like this:

2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of water
1 ts of yeast
2 ts of honey
1 spoon of olive oil

...if I remember correctly.

How and when can I add butter to this?
Or is it better to add it to the sauce?


texts:
I made a batch of cherry ice cream last night and for some reason it seems to taste like I have used cherry flavouring/syrup  rather than the actual cherries which were used instead.

The cherries themselves had been frozen / defrosted before being added to the custard base, which I wouldn't have thought would make a difference (but maybe it does), but apart from that I'm a bit baffled as to why this has happened?

edit Cherries went into the freezer fully ripe and tasting delicious - they were unpitted and frozen in one whole batch (not separated out as you might do with say blackberries)


texts: What kind of rice is used in Chinese cooking?

texts:
I love the Chinese food we get from takeaway shops, and often to save on the cost we will cook our own rice at home. This is good, but the rice never seems to have the same texture as takeaway rice - it's less sticky, and much harder to eat with chopsticks. I usually use plain long grain rice as that's what I have in the cupboard. Does anyone know what kind they would use in a Chinese restaurant or takeaway?

Also, out of interest, what kind is used in authentic Chinese cooking? (I am well aware that this is vastly different from what we eat as "Chinese food" in the West!)


texts:
How can I get the right strength of tea?

I recently have been trying Gyokura Imperial, a Japanese tea, experimentally, but it is hard to know whether I have the dosage correct because I don't know what it's supposed to taste like.

I guess if I had a color card maybe, but it would have to be for this particular type of tea, which has a somewhat yellowish color.


texts: How can I remove the little white insects from semolina and flour?

texts: Sometimes I feel that little white insects seem in flour and semolina , specially in rainy season. The flour and semolina attacked  these insects can be used ? If yes then how can I remove these insects from flour and semolina ?


texts: Need help cleaning an old aluminum coffee pot

texts: I use an old Wear Ever heavy aluminum coffee pot for boiling water. I don't allow unused water to sit in it. It has stains inside and needs a good cleaning. It has white residue at the water line that I cannot remove. For now I have been washing it out with soapy water but not using anything abrasive. Any ideas on how to clean it? I just want to be sure it is safe to use, if the stains cannot be removed so then they are meant to be.


texts: Marron glacé / Candied chestnuts breaking up. How to avoid this?

texts:
I always use frozen chestnuts to make marrons glacés since I can find those all year long (not only during winter) and because they're already pealed.
I can cook them in simmering water without making them split or break up. But they always start breaking up on the third or fourth day when candying them.
How can I prevent them from breaking into pieces and keep them whole?
When I candy them, it's 75% sugar, 25% water, brought to boiling point. I turn off the heat, wait for the boiling to stop, and put the basket inside the pot. And wait 24 hours before next plunge.
Thanks for any help


texts: Why adding soda without vinegar to the cake batter?

texts:
I have this well-rated chocolate cake recipe that I have not baked yet.
It's ingredients (among others) are

175g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

My understanding is that soda is needed to make the cake fulffier, and it only works when it is dissolved in vinegar (or there is something acid in the batter, e.g. kefir). And there are no acidic ingredients in this recipe (sunflower oil, self-raising flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, golden syrup, eggs, semi-skimmed milk).
So what's its purpose here?


texts: What does beating eggs actually do (chemically speaking)?

texts: When I look at a lot of recipes, any eggs usually have to be beaten before they're added. If it's all going to be mixed anyway (and well, in dough for example) is it really necessary?


texts:
I want to know what is the minimum time required to soak oats to make them overnight oats. Now a days it’s Ramadan and I have very tight schedule on which I get 2-3 hours to eat.
I wanted to know how much time is minimum required for overnight oats?


texts: Is storing a Bechamel Sauce in the fridge for up to week ok? Will it curdle or otherwise go bad? I love eating Croque Monsieurs for dinner and adding a bit of Bechamel is awesome but I would rather make a batch once and then use it later.


texts: How can I marinate meatballs without making them "mushy"?

texts:
I like to marinate my meatballs in a sauce on the stove for several hours, but they always seem to be "mushy" after cooking for so long. Is there a way to marinate the meatballs without having them cook?

Will the meatballs marinate while sitting in the cold sauce just as well as in the hot sauce?


texts:
I have been cooking with my stainless steel pan for a while, and have tried many techniques to prevent sticking. Hot pan then oil did work to some extent, but I still had trouble with eggs, potatoes, and tofu. While I was doing this, I did make sure that water droplets were able to glide across the surface, and not evaporate.

Recently I have been trying to to "season" the pan each time before cooking by getting the pan hot, adding oil, then letting it cool all the way. This way, I could add eggs at lower temperatures as I might in a Teflon pan, and they were able to slide around and not just release. I found this to work well for fried potatoes as well.

However, I am having second thoughts about this method for several reasons. For one, I am not sure it is healthy. Second, no matter what method I try, I always have trouble making crispy skin salmon in my stainless steel pan. Therefore, I would like to revisit the hot pan + oil method properly.

One problem I had was that the temperature of the pan to be hot enough, the oil would always smoke when added, and would start to splatter when I placed the salmon. Is there a way to achieve the Leidenfrost effect without burning the oil? Also, if this effect is indeed due to the pores of the metal remaining open at a certain temperature, how can I cook proteins at lower temperatures? Finally, how can I achieve the food gliding effect of seasoning before each use without reheating the same oil?


texts: How can I make a panna cotta based on Jelly bellys?

texts:
I want to make popcorn panna cotta.  I had a couple of ideas for this, either steeping milk in popped corn or (my preferred option) melting butter popcorn Jelly Belly beans into the milk and then making a panna cotta from that.

These were to be served as petit four with a caramelised popcorn piece on top, and so I was going to make them in ice cube trays so each one was bite size.

However I wasn't able to get the texture right.  I tried melting different amounts of jelly belly beans in my milk, but they never seemed to solidify just going a sort of thick creamy consistency with the tops sometimes getting a skin on in the more concentrated versions.  Then if I added gelatine as I would for making a panna cotta then they came out firm and rubbery.

So apart from continuing to try different amounts of gelatine in my dissolved Jelly Belly mixture, does anyone have any ideas what I might be able to do to get this to work?

(I'm going to try using the steeped milk/real popcorn version again, but this wasn't that popcorny and tasted slightly of the oil that the corn was popped in.  It should at least be easier to get the consistency right on that one)


texts:
Last week I made mozzarella cheese (not fermented) for the first time. After heating the milk and removing the curds, I microwaved the curds repeatedly until getting them to 135 degrees F, then formed the cheese. Last week's cheese was delicious.

I tried again today and the cheese turned out very "squeaky" in that its texture is kind of plasticky and it actually makes squeaking sounds when I chew it. This batch seems drier than the first batch as well.

My guess is that I either overworked or overheated the cheese. I ended up heating it to 135 degrees twice: it cooled down too much when I was working it, so I heated it again. I also heated it in longer bursts than I did the first time as I realized that it took quite a few 30 second bursts on my microwave to get the cheese to 135 degrees. Finally, I heated the cheese a bit too much on the last burst: it got to 138 degrees.

I can't tell which of the aspects I mentioned in the last paragraph are relevant to my issue. I'd rather not make poor cheese from another $5 gallon of milk...

Edit: I may have found the answer, posted below. Other insight into this is still appreciated. (as well as suggestions for how to fix the botched cheese)


texts:
When making risotto one of the first steps is to saute the rice in some oil for a few minutes (or until the rice is translucent).

What is happening when the rice is fried? What effect does this have, and what would happen if this step was omitted?


texts: Why does the heat of peppers seem to manifest differently?

texts: I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I have noticed that the heat in peppers seems to "manifest differently" depending on the kind of pepper. Some linger longer, and some are shorter lived. Some, like ghost pepper, "sneak up" on you, and others, like habanero in my opinion, are immediately spicy without remorse. I know the heat in peppers is chemically the same, being caused by capsaicin, but is there some reason for this observation or am I perhaps losing my mind? Or maybe it's just on a per pepper basis?


texts: Kids Lunch box - suggestion for fruit smoothie packaging

texts:
Could you suggest how to package a home made fruit smoothie to make it appealing to young children. The kids seem to love fruit tubes by innocent in their lunch boxes as they are colourful, easy to open and drink from.

How could I pack a home made smoothie to make it equally attractive?


texts: I find that in authentic videos of making matcha (ones made by japanese people themself) that the preparation begins with mixing a bit of matcha powder with water and then whisking it (see 1:46 of this video for an example). My question is what exactly is the reason for doing this?


texts: How to use a preferment / poolish? Cake vs ADY?

texts:
I'm experimenting with a yeasted dinner roll recipe. I'd like to use a pre-ferment (poolish) to enhance the bread's flavor.

According to https://food52.com/blog/17140-preferments-and-how-to-adapt-any-bread-recipe-to-use-one, I should be using 20% - 30% of my flour's weight for the pre-ferment. So, let's say I pick 20% for starters. A poolish uses the same amount of water to the flour, so I'd use 20% water. Let's also say I want to do pre-ferment up to 16 hours in advance. According to https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/more-artisan-bread-baking-tips-poolish-biga/, I should be using .03% to .08% (of the 20% flour).

Once I make this poolish preferment, do I still need to use the original yeast called for by the recipe? Or does the pre-ferment eliminate the need for the yeast?

Also - if yeast flavor is what I am after, should I be using cake yeast instead of ADY?


texts: factors affecting the flavor of cinchona bark

texts:
For a tonic syrup recipe extracting from cut bark :

Cold brewing or boiling:
Is it just clarity or are there flavor differences too?

Does metal affect the flavor:
Glass or enamel pan vrs Stainless steel make any difference for steeping or storage?

Any differences steeping with acidic ingredients vrs adding in after filtering?


texts: How long will a balsamic reduction keep?

texts:
Related to making small quantities of balsamic reduction, if I make a large quantity of balsamic reduction, how long will it keep? What's the best way to store it?

I know vinegar will keep for a long time, but the reduction tastes so sweet and so not vinegary that I have no faith that preservation is related.


texts: How deep do you need to insert the probe in a piece of meat to guarantee accuracy?

texts: I have a wired thermometer that I mainly use for roasts, which can support the entire probe inside the meat.  However, I used it last night to cook some country style ribs (pork) and was only able to insert the probe about half-way into the rib.  It wasn't touching any bone and when I calibrated it, it still read true. Anyway, when the alarm went off on the pork (I set the alarm for 160 expecting the temp to coast up to 165), it was still massively underdone. The probe lacks the dimples that I am familar with on my instant read thermometers and I would like to know if anyone has run into a problem like this before.  All I can think is that the heat from the oven was being read off the back side of the probe.  The tool is so useful that I would hate to regulate it to roast only duty but I have no idea how to fix this so it will work accurately.


texts: How do I separate crackers stuck to parchment paper?

texts: I just made sunflower seed cheddar crackers. The dough is spread all over a layer of parchment on a cookie sheet . I baked for the required time but the parchment is stuck to the bottom of the crackers. They are not fully cooled, will that make a difference?


texts: As someone who cooks for themselves alone a lot, how can I improve my efficiency/speed of prep, cooking, clean up etc.


texts: What is the name for a round flaky pastry that has a chocolate cream filling in the middle

texts:
I'm trying to make a dessert I had in Palermo, Sicily. I wanted to find a recipe for it online, but I can't remember the name of it now. I know it's fairly common, but googling didn't help. It's basically just a large round flaky pastry with a large opening in the center and filled with a chocolate cream. The cream is not hidden by the pastry, but it is in the open. It's similar to a danish.

Edit by rumtscho

Unless I am terribly mistaken, this question is about this thing, only with a chocolate creme instead of vanilla pudding in the middle:

And no, I don't know an English name for that thing more special than "Danish", else I would have answered already.


texts: How long to stir-fry vegetables to retain most nutrients?

texts: If I need to stir-fry vegetables, how long is the ideal time? I like stir-frying vegetables (almost my staple food) but I don't want to  lose much of the nutrients.


texts:
I have a Polish cookbook (translated to English) from the 1950's and most of their soup recipes contain a bunch of greens/veggies but it's not always clear if they are just to be used as flavor or as ingredients. For instance (partial recipe):

1/2 oz dried mushrooms
2 med. onions
1 leek
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 parsnip
...

Simmer mushrooms and vegetables until thoroughly done, about an hour.
Cut mushrooms into thin strips and return to pot.
...

This would imply to me that the other vegetables should be discarded. Is that accurate?


texts: Does freezing meat lead to differences detectable by blind testing?

texts:
"Fresh" meat tends to be coveted relative to frozen meat. I'm not inquiring about the debate of frozen vs. fresh, but rather am wondering about the potential magnitude of the differences between fresh and frozen meat.

Imagine a scenario in which a person buys a whole striploin, or chicken, or salmon, and freezes half of it. Later on, the meat is thawed and it is cooked alongside the fresh (never frozen) meat, and a taste test takes place comparing the fresh vs. frozen meat.

Is the effect of freezing meat so large that it can be detected by blind testing? I'm looking to get into freezing meat and am hoping that it has a very minimal impact on flavors and texture, assuming I do it correctly.


texts:
I am watching a Gordon Ramsey youtube video, he is cooking dumplings. At approximately the 6:04 mark of the video Gordon mentions "Next the dumpling essentail, soit". It looks to be a off white substance about the size of rice kernels, almost exactly like shredded cheese.

What is this "dumpling soit"? I assume some form of animal fat?


texts: What would be an alternative cooking technique for the Orion Cooker to get more tender ribs?

texts:
After cooking my first batch of baby back ribs on the Orion Cooker, I found that they were more "Kansas City Style", as opposed to what I like (fall off the bone).  So although the Orion Cooker is exceptionally fast (1:15 for six racks), and the smoke flavor is easy to control by adding just a few wood chips, the ribs are not as tender as I would like.

The standard Orion Cooker method is simple (fill it with seasoned meat, fill it with charcoal, light the charcoal, come back after the prescribed time).  Has anyone found a "tried and true' method to alter the standard Orion Cooker method that will provide a more a more tender result?  I was thinking that less charcoal could be used (lower temperature), and just allow the ribs to cook longer.  But it would be hard to come-up with an alternative cooking methodology by trial and error since opening the cooker to check doneness would suspend cooking for a significant amount of time.


texts: Why don't my muffins rise and develop tops properly?

texts:
I would like to make muffins that have that "spilled over" look that shop bought muffins have, but no matter what I do, the ones I make always look flat or only just reach the top of the paper cases.

What can I do to make the muffins rise more and have wide tops?


texts: How can I cook chicken in a similar way to how it was done in Biblical times?

texts:
I want to make a historically accurate biblical meal for a group. I'm using chicken, and serving it with flatbread and an Israeli salad (sans tomatoes and other new world vegetables)

Does anyone have a recipe for a historical barbecue chicken or an idea of what sorts of spices were used back then?

edit: Just thought I'd let you guys know

I marinated the chicken in a mixture of rosemary, thyme, oregano, toasted sesame, garlic, salt and a bit of mint/pepper overnight. Then put them on skewers. Maybe not 100% authentic, but tasty.


texts: Making Tamales using a corn meal alternative

texts: What can I use to make tamales other than corn meal? My son is allergic to corn.


texts: What kind of domestic use machine is needed for preparing Brown Rice from Paddy?

texts:
The brown rice is extremely expensive here so I was wondering if it is possible to get some machine for converting Paddy into Brown rice at home?

What prerequisites need to be fulfilled for the achieving the same? Is it practical even?


texts:
Mise en place definition for those unaware.

Mise en place (French pronunciation: [mi zɑ̃ ˈplas]) is a French culinary phrase which means "putting in place" or "everything in its place". It refers to the setup required before cooking, and is often used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients…
The practice can be applied in home kitchens.

My google-fu fails me on this. Dictionaries tell me what it is, but it has no antonym.
The idea cropped up as I was …ermm 'mentioning' that my partner's anticipated meal-time would be easier to hit precisely if everything was ready-prepped leaving only the actual cooking (I'd secretly estimated her dinner time would be half an hour later than she thought… shhh, she's now prepping it all in advance after some small discussion;) I then wondered what you would call my more common method of 'just in time' prep.
Depending on the dish I'm making I will either do a full mise en place, everything prepped & ready to go, or I will run a 'just in time' process where each ingredient is prepped just in time for it to be needed, eg prepping onions after rice goes on, then chopping the tomatoes whilst the onions are sautéing. Salad prep after everything hot is on the boil etc. Everything comes together only at the very end, at plating.
Is there a specific term for this 'just in time' prep?


texts:
I realize that serving on warmed dishes is preferable to serving on cold/room temp dishes, so as not to leach the heat out of your freshly-cooked food.

How can I warm my plates?

I have two kinds of dishes: ceramic (cheapo from a department store) and Noritake china (circa 1955-60).

Neither says "oven safe" on the bottom, but would a warm oven do the trick? Or microwaving? Or a hot water bath?

I'm not sure how to achieve warmed plates, but I'm tired of eating cold fish.


texts: creaming butter vs adding to flour in cakes

texts: Most cake recipes call for creaming the butter and sugar first, then adding liquids and flour alternately . Recently I have seen several recipes instructing to add cool butter in small chunks to the flour/sugar mixture beating  after each butter chunk, then adding the milk and eggs.  what does this produce?  Thanks


texts:
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSaR4WmVvRI

Alton Brown refrigerates his wings, then steams them, then refrigerate them again. The rationale behind refrigerating them was to dry them out so they would be crispy after baking them.

Was the first refrigeration actually needed? The wings are steamed afterwards, so pre-drying them seem pointless. Or was the first refrigeration's purpose something else?

Interestingly, that first refrigeration isn't mentioned here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/buffalo-wings-recipe.html


texts: When *brewing* Irish coffee in a drip coffeemaker or French press, do I need to use more Irish whiskey?

texts:
Back in the early 1980's I received a very nice coffeemaker as a gift. (Okay - it was very nice for the 1980's.) There was a small recipe booklet that came with it that had a great recipe for Irish coffee in which the Irish whiskey was put into the carafe along with superfine sugar and then the coffee was brewed into it. After the coffee finished brewing you would stir it and let it sit on the hot plate for about 10 minutes and then pour, top with whipped cream, and serve.

It was so good! It seemed to have more depth to the flavor and no hard edge on the whiskey. Smooth but not lacking in any way.

The recipe booklet is long gone and I can't remember the details of the recipe. When making Irish coffee the standard (for lack of a better word) way, adding Irish whiskey to a cup of coffee, I usually add 1-1/2 oz to 2 oz whiskey to 6 oz of coffee. (Depends on what mood I'm in or who I'm serving it to.)

I want to try the brewing method again so I'm wondering if I need to use more Irish whiskey to get the same flavor. I hope someone has an answer. If not, this could be a fun experiment!


texts:
I like to marinate my chicken with honey, orange and soy sauce. My problem is that when I pan fry, with a little olive oil, the pan gets black even before the chicken is done. Burning a little skin but the chicken inside is fine, except for a little hint/scent of burned.

One time I tried to hit the chicken in the pan when very hot, and after it looses it up a bit even throw some wine to bring the temperature down make some sauce. But didn't worked that much as I expected.

So, my question is how to properly make a chicken that is tender and full of flavour, not burn and that is properly cooked ? What am I doing wrong ?


texts:
And what does he/she principally use it for?

I'm thinking of crème brûlée to start with and maybe blackening the skin of a pepper. Apart from that mine sits on the worktop pretty much unused.

Oh ... one other use (possibly unwise) .. occasionally using it under supervision does get my very young son more interested in cooking!


texts: Can I freeze a Tyson Premium Young Chicken packed in broth? I bought a twin pack of Tyson's Premium Young Chickens at Walmart. They have a broth packed in them that makes the packages resemble water balloons. Will the broth burst the sealed plastic liner if I freeze one? Thanks for your help. Jw


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Frozen juice or frozen punch freeze up as a solid block of ice.  I want them to be more like a sorbet or gelato, though still solid enough to hold the shape.

How might I make them softer?  Either aerated, or polycrystalline without having to "do anything" while it's in the freezer?

One thought is to somehow make it more syrupy so it will hold air long enough to stay there while freezing. Gelatin comes to mind, but I wonder if something better is advised?


texts: Improving tomato sauce in beef liver recipe

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Possible Duplicate:
  What kind of sauce can I make for beef liver?

I boil the liver in order to be healthier but a own variant is to heat it on a pan afterwards  or fry it with little oil from the beginning. I made sauce using garlic, a bit of onion and tomatoes. However, the tomato puree is too bland and I am not sure if the tomato puree is the best fit. Maybe I should use diced tomato. What can I do to improve my recipe in the sense already described?


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Recently I was experimenting with bakers chocolate. I proceeded to add some butter and continued to mix until smooth. Afterwards, I added a small amount of whole milk and the chocolate didn't really change. Once I added more milk the consistency of the chocolate radically changed and became a lot smoother. Additionally the chocolate separated into two layers, what appeared to be a water layer and a very smooth chocolate layer.

Could someone explain what was going on? Why did the water layer form? Was it from the moisture in the milk? If I try this again, does anyone have a good method of removing the water layer?