texts: Cooking more than one meat - will I have to adjust my cooking time?

texts:
So I’ve got two amazing recipes for pork and lamb shoulder. The pork takes 6.5 hours at 150°C with the last thirty mins at 220°C to get the crackling right. My pork (de-boned) weighs 3kg and will have some water in the tray for the gravy.

I also have a lamb shoulder that weighs 3kg (bone-in).

I only have one oven. It is a modern Bosch electric oven.

I want them both, ideally, to go in the oven at the same time, with the pork on top. I’ve cooked both these meats separately before.

Will I have to adjust the cooking time?

I was going to cook this so that it’s ready 2 hours before serving, then resting it for thirty minutes before I then wrap it tightly in foil and leave it in my boiler room.

In this time my potatoes will be roasting. Once the potatoes have roasted I’ll be putting the meat back in the oven - with the foil removed for fifteen minutes or so to come to temperature.

Does it sound like my cooking times will be OK? I’m hoping for melt in the mouth meat.


texts: So I just finished a jar of home-made pickles. They were excellent! Not too salty, a bit spicy, very good. They were so good that I'd like to get some more pickles out of that jar. I was thinking of pickling some eggs in that same brine. Is reusing brine ever done? Are there any reasons I shouldn't do it? I've never heard of this being done, but I don't see why not.


texts: What is the Purpose of Using Onions in (Almost) Every Soup Recipe?

texts:
Almost every soup recipe seems to call for sauteed onions. For instance, I'm looking up recipes for squash soup, and every single one calls for onions -- but every soup recipe I can think of uses onions, so it's not just this type.

So what's the purpose of adding onion?


texts: Should i worry? We just had a vinagret made with olive oil, crushed garlic, white wine vinager, dijon and chives. It was on the counter in air tight container for 6 hours and then stored in fridge for 3 days.


texts: Alternative to Escolar ("Butter Fish") for Nigirizushi

texts:
I want to make Nigirizushi with a fish similar to Escolar (also called Butter Fish), but prefer not to use that fish.

Are there other fish with a similar taste and texture?


texts: My dad used my tea brewer with coffee and now the plastic makes my tea taste like coffee. Bleach?

texts: How can I get the coffee taste out of the plastic in my tea brewer. Its all plastic. Will bleach ruin it?


texts: Ratio of marrow bones to regular bones to marbled meat?

texts:
I didn't see any question particularly addressing this so I thought I'd ask.

Today I've attempted my first stock. It is still cooking, using:

Beef marrow bones
Ox tails
Leek and onions
Water
Some herbs

Marrow bones to ox tails to veg is something like 10:3:1

Since I started cooking it, I read a bit about stock. Some people seem to think using marrow bones will give it a kind of nasty, "innardy" taste. Before reading up a bit I kind of thought that bones were bones.

Would I have done better if I'd used some marbled meat instead of the marrow bones? My local grocery store only sell marrow bones, so I can't really get other bones...


texts:
Forgive the heresy, but I've recently had some pizza delivered. I noticed it was quite oily, and I have seen and heard horror stories of pizza basically drowning in oil.

This does not happen when I make pizza myself, even with salami on top the amount of oil is small, and certainly not soaking through and through.

Is the oil added intentionally? Some (e.g. Asian) delivered foods are put in oil to keep them hot, but that does not seem to be a viable option for pizzas.


texts: I bought some razor clams today and all of them were open with their "tongue" or meat coming out of the shell.  When I got home I noticed they had a really strong smell to them. This is the first time I've bought razor clams....so how do I know if they are safe to eat?


texts: High altitude pizza crust - how to adjust yeast?

texts: I'm trying several pizza crust recipes at an altitude of 4,500' (about 1500 meters).  All of the recipes I have are presumably for sea level, and the results are as expected - too much yeast for this altitude causes the dough to over-rise and then collapse.  Can anyone suggest how much to reduce the yeast at this altitude - 30%, 40%, 50%, more?


texts: What can I do with some whipped cream and egg yolk mix?

texts:
I had a bit of a cooking disaster last night, where I was trying to make a tiramisu using a recipe I'd never used before.

The recipe called for mixing marscapone and egg yolks, but I  was using cream instead. I was hoping the cream would whip and be fluffy, but after 10 minutes beating it looks like it was never going get fluffy. So I've got a mixture of about 1 litre of cream, 5 egg yolks, 100gm sugar, and some Marsala. It's a light liquid.

It tastes quite nice, but isn't suitable for a tiramisu.

What can I do with it?


texts: Edibility of frozen blended chicken and vegetable smoothie

texts:
I boil an eclectic mix of vegetables and some chicken breast (I boil the vegetables and chicken breast separately) then blend everything together in a blender (using water from boiling the vegetables plus some more water). I then pour this smoothie into a Tupperware container and put it in the freezer. My questions are:

If after X days, I put my Tupperware container with my frozen smoothie inside the microwave and heat it until it's not frozen (but still cold), will my smoothie still be edible? How high can X be (for how many days can I keep my smoothie frozen before it spoils)?
If the answer to 1. is 'yes', approximately for how long will my smoothie be edible? i.e. If I defrost my smoothie in the morning (using a microwave) so that it's a cold liquid then put it in the fridge, will my smoothie still be edible 12 hours later?
What could compromise the edibility and the nutrients/enzymes content of my smoothie?

Note that I do not care about taste or texture. Also note that I will not be re-freezing anything defrosted.


texts: I have a lot of Russian kale and would like to know if there is a way to keep around for a couple of months?


texts: Can I put a disposable aluminum pan directly over a burner?

texts: If I need to melt margarine on the stove and have no pots or pans available, can I melt it in a thin disposable aluminum pan directly on the burner (on a low flame), or will the pan burn/melt?


texts:
We've had a container-based herb garden on our deck all summer, which has been wonderful.  Unfortunately, the weather is predicted to hit freezing in the next week or so, and now I'm looking for ways to preserve as much as possible from the garden.  I'll see if I have any luck moving the pots indoors and keeping them growing, but I'd like to trim the plants back and dry the herbs as I move them.

So...  how do I dry herbs?  Of course the goal is still cooking with them, so I'm concerned about food-safe handling.  But honestly, I've never dried herbs, and have no idea how to approach this.


texts: What could I use in a vegetarian b'stilla?

texts: I love the idea of b'stilla but not sure I have any great ideas for a vegetarian version. Searching the web I see people trying it with winter squash, chickpeas or seitan. Any other suggestions?


texts: What is the difference between cake flour and AP flour?

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

I am baking a Yule Log (Buche de Noel) for solstice and the recipe I generally use calls for a lot of coconut and pecans and I have people who don't like those things coming to dinner, so I am looking for another recipe. The recipes I am finding though all call for cake flour and I don't bake a lot of cakes so I didn't want to buy it just for this recipe, can I turn AP flour into cake flour or what is the difference between the two? I have bread flour and AP flour in the pantry.


texts: Why do so many dessert/biscuit recipes have salt in them?

texts:
Whilst I can understand salt in the majority of recipes, I never really understood why it is in so many desserts or biscuits.

When I have asked a few friends or family who do a lot of cookery, the vast majority say pretty much the same thing "the salt cuts across the other flavours", or "you always just add it!".

But... So many times, when I eat biscuits, if I chew a lot and then just as I swallow, I can always taste salt... The ones I probably taste salt the most on are (Worst first) : Custard Creams, Digestives, Rich Tea.

In my honest opinion, the salt just isn't needed - I don't think it adds anything, and, it just seems to leave a horrible after taste (I can usually always taste it, but a lot more when I chew a lot).

In particular, now that so many people are on low salt diets and so many people say it is bad for you, I don't understand why it is there!

So, is there a good reason why it is added?


texts: Food safety of sauerkraut whose brine evaporated below surface?

texts:
We started a batch of sauerkraut about a month ago. We used the outer leaves of the cabbage to cover the shredded cabbage below. The cabbage was brined with adequate salt (about 2 tsp per pound). The brine level was well above the surface of the cabbage, which was displaced even more by a plastic bag filled with additional brine.

We last checked it about a week and a half ago, but the brine was at the same approximate level.

Today we checked it, and the brine level was below the surface of the cabbage. The top leaves smelled musty, so I removed them, as well as the 2 or so inches of cabbage below them. At that point, the cabbage smelled exactly as it should - salty, lactic-acidy. It also tastes excellent.

Most recipes I find simply note that if the brine level drops below the surface, just add more brine. My concern is that I don't know how long the brine has been below the surface.

I know most toxins can't survive in a lactic-acid/salt-rich environment, so are we ok? I am planning to hot pack and can today just to be safe, but it seems to be passing all visual/taste/smell tests. My biggest concern would be botulism, but botulism can't survive with that amount of salt.

Am I ok? Or should I err on the side of caution?


texts: Is it safe to use an enamel/cast iron Dutch oven with small cracks and worn enamel

texts:
I have a few-years old enamel/cast iron Dutch oven. I haven’t looked after it that well, and the inside is showing small cracks (crazing), and there is some grey discolouration which looks almost like the enamel is worn off in places. It isn’t chipped or visibly damaged, but looks worn.
Is this safe to continue using?


texts: I have a new gas kitchen stove.  The oven seems to burn so easily. I have a thermometer in there and it is registering the temp that I have the oven set on.  I have seen where people have used a pizza stone to even out the heat.  I want to know if you place a rectangle pizza stone directly on the bottom of the oven or should it be placed on a rack on the lowest setting?  I would appreciate replies from anyone who has used this and if it had helped the problem


texts: Digital meat thermometer that does not cause juice losses

texts:
Sometimes when I'm trying a new cooking method that uses different cooking temperatures compared to what I use normally, I find it difficult to estimate when my roast/meat is done.

Digital meat thermometers that make a noise when the internal temperature reaches a certain value are therefore attractive to me. However, when I have used meat thermometers (I have not used one of those digital thermometers where you leave the probe inside the meat during cooking) and penetrate the meat with the probe, juices start to leak out when I then remove the probe and the meat will start to dry out.

How do you usually deal with this? How do you use meat thermometers and prevent juice losses?

Another note:
Is there an information sheet somewhere that tells you, approximately, how long you have to cook different kinds of meat products on a lbs basis to meet target internal temperatures or meat texture (e.g. rare, medium, well done, etc.)?


texts: Best practices to minimize smoke when cooking meat using a cast iron skillet

texts: What are the recommendations to minimize the amount of smoke generated when cooking burgers, steaks or other meats in a cast-iron pan?


texts: White stains & muddy deposits in stainless steel pots

texts:
I use stainless steel pots on an induction cooker for boiling water for preparing food for an infant. I use bottled and supposedly clear and soft water.

When I pour the water into the pot it is crystal clear. I noticed that after boiling it's not that clear anymore. It's somewhat muddy and has visible whitish deposits.

I also noticed that there are white round spots on the bottom of the pot. When the water is boiling, apparently those spots are where the bubbles appear. I bought a brand new and not-so-cheap pot today and after the first use the same spots appeared.

I am not absolutely sure, but I think the two issues are related.

What is happening? How to prevent it? All I'm interested in is boiling water that is as clear after boiling as it was before.


texts:
Some people use cast iron pans for certain foods or dishes but not much else. I have a beautiful set of copper pans and, like cast iron, they're heavy and cook beautifully but I hate cleaning them. I have a complete set of cast iron cookware and have been tempted to start cooking with them alone.

I've cooked eggs without issue on one well seasoned pan so I believe I can do everything in cast iron. Does anyone here cook with cast iron alone? What issues am I not thinking of? Or is this just a bad (or good) idea in the first place?

EDIT: I have a gas stovetop.


texts: How long can an uncooked roast sit on the counter?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it safe to cook a steak that was left out (raw) for 7 hours?

My husband pulled a moose roast out of the freezer, marinated it in the fridge for 2 days and then put it in the slow cooker this morning. I just got home and noticed that he never plugged in the slow cooker, so this defrosted roast has been sitting on our counter for 7 hours. I plugged the slow cooker in and turned it on high. There's no dairy products in the marinade. Are we going to get sick if we eat this roast?


texts: Is there a super close substitute for graham crackers?

texts:
I'm from Canada (where there are multitudes of graham crackers!), but I'm currently living in Australia. They do not have anything like graham crackers here, and I could really use them for a couple recipes I'm developing.

Does anyone have a close substitute for graham crackers? I'm looking at making my own, but that seems like a tedious task just to crumble them up again.


texts: I bought some kiwi fruit on Friday ( 2 days ago) and left them in the plastic bags from the store... the fruit and veggie plastic at the grocery store . I also had them tied so no air was actually able to get to them. I was going to put them in a bowl when I got home bc that's how I usually store them but I forgot. It says to store them in plastic with ventilation or in a paper bag or fridge. Will the kiwi I have still taste decent or ? I didn't know the reasoning or if keeping it in a bag like I did with no oxygen is bad .  They look alright but I wasn't sure if their was other reasons they would be bad . Any help or suggestions ?


texts: What percentage of my chicken legs are bone

texts:
I usually buy chicken legs in a pack of four from the supermarket and the packet comes at 1000grams.

This would mean that each leg should be 250 grams.

I am trying to calculate how many calories are in each leg after I cook them. (I cook them on the bone without the skin in the oven)

I usually eat my chicken legs on the go so weighing them before and after I eat the meat is not an option.

I am not sure if my chicken legs would be considered small, medium or large and am trying to calculate the amount of calories I eat when I eat each chicken leg.

If anybody has any idea this would be of great help


texts: How can you tell if a freezer rose above freezing?

texts: How can one tell, after a power failure, if the contents of a freezer warmed above freezing?   Knowing this, and knowing the actual temperature in the freezer, will help decide whether food can be kept, or must be discarded.


texts:
In another question I ask about the ideal flour, sugar, butter ratio to use in crumble. It appears that the amount of sugar people add in their recipes depends more closely on how much butter is added than how much flour is.

I theorised that butter reduces perceived sweetness, and I remember reading that fat acts as a taste inhibitor. I googled a bit to check this, but some say it can enhance taste.

So, does butter reduce perceived sweetness or enhance it? Surely it can't do both.


texts:
I've seen many things on the web of people baking things into cupcakes, whether it be a pre-baked heart cake shape into a cupcake or a hershey kiss and I have some questions!

When you put a pre-baked cake into cupcake batter and bake it again, does it become very dry since it will be double baked?
I've seen people put hershey kisses into cupcake batter for a surprise on the inside, would this work with just a candy melt disc, or would it just sink to the bottom?

THanks!


texts: I need to make fettuccine alfredo with chicken,it's for my daughters Quinceñera. I need to know how much pasta and chicken need to purchase to make for each person approximately  2ounces .


texts: Why don't dry bread crumbs spoil, when bread does?

texts: Why don't store-bought bread crumbs spoil?  Can you make your own bread crumbs and save them for later use?  Will homemade breadcrumbs mold?


texts: What are the ingredients that make vegan meat taste like real meat?

texts:
I tried making a vegan burger in my kitchen before, and it turned out all right. However, when I taste a vegan burger or a vegan hot dog at restaurants or in frozen foods, it seems much closer to the real taste.

So I was wondering, what are the ingredients that make vegan meat taste like real meat?


texts: Is it redundant to add umami to tomato-based sauces?

texts:
On the wiki page for umami, it says that tomatoes are "rich" in umami components.

Does that mean it is redundant to add umami (such as monosodium glutamate) or soy based flavorings to tomato-based sauces, or is there a benefit?

For example, a typical tomato-based sauce is cocktail sauce, which often has worcestershire sauce in it as an ingredient. However, the main active component of worcestershire sauce is fermented fish sauce or soy, which is primarily valued for its umami. So, if umami is already present in the tomatoes, why add the worcestershire at all?


texts: 120 guests including children - Amounts needed please for party catering

texts:
Together with our families, my fiance and I are doing the food for our post wedding party.
We have 117 guests including around 15 children.

We are serving the following
Beef Chilli - GF (100 people)
Veggie Chilli - V/VG (17 veggies)
Creme Fraiche
Jalapenos
Bread - French Sticks etc
GF Bread
Butter
Cheese
We are also having Coleslaw & Potato Salad (friend who is a caterer is doing this for us so I don't need info on this)

My question for you all is, how much chilli should I try to make?
How much bread should I buy? Thiking french sticks, in a basket with a bread board/knife so they can chop this up themselves.

Chilli etc will be cooked on the hob in the kitchen and kept warm in slow cookers where guests can help themselves.

This will be a buffet of sorts, nothing being served as such.

Any information/advice would be greatly appreicated!

Thank you


texts:
I would like to know if full-fat milk contain Vitamin-D.

The reason is that in Norway, low-fat milk is enriched with Vitamin-D due to the lack of sunlight. However, there is no Vitamin-D enriched product for full fat milk! Is this because it already contains significant amount of Vitamin D?


texts: I am not one to waste anything, and happen to have a load of agar agar, but a lot of time I only want to use a small amount, and seem incapable of making such an amount - is there anyone out there who knows some great tricks here?


texts: Are there gas ovens that come with a thermometer?

texts:
Is it possible to buy a household gas cooker with a built in thermometer. All of the ones i have seen so far don't have these so there is no way of knowing what temperature the oven has reached.

I can see that i can buy a separate thermometer to hang in the cooker but i was wondering if any manufacturers have produced a cooker that has a built in one with an indicator when the temperature has been reached?

UPDATE

I am based in the UK


texts: How important are eggs for a muffin recipe?

texts:
I have not actually read Michael Ruhlman's Ratio.  I know that he describes a basic muffin as 2:2:1:1 of flour, liquid, egg and fat.  Prior to discovering Ratio, I only ever thought of a muffin in terms of dry:wet ratios, fat as adding richness, and egg (depending on recipe) as adding richness or structure, so this is new to me.

I am asking because I have not had much success with muffins in the past and am wondering if it is because I have been using recipes without eggs for convenience (because we have usually been out of eggs in this house).

How essential a part do eggs play in a muffin recipe?


texts:
I'm on a quest of learning how to prepare a more than edible sushi. I figured that with enough practice I can achieve the goal of being able to make sushi. The most important part of sushi as I see it is the rice, and that's where I'm not really sure what I am doing wrong.

Although I'm making progress with the rice, it still comes out wrong, too sticky - ie not brittle enough - after it sticks it very hard to break, becomes a sort of Plasticine.

My question is, what variables should I try to change in order to make it less Plasticine? Cook it less, put less oil, boil it less time, let it steam on low fire more etc... Or more generally put, which parameters influence the texture of the rice and how?


texts: Does re-heating something "reset" the spoil timer?

texts:
I cooked a lot of pasta sauce a few days back, and have much of it in my fridge. I intent to use it all shortly, and would prefer to not freeze it.

If I heat it back up in a pot, and let is cook all the way through, does this "reset" the time before it spoils?

I fully understand the consistency will change, and I'm OK with that - I do like a thicker sauce.

Soliciting answers specific to this question.


texts: Is there a way to cook onions in recipes that won’t have them release a lot of sugar like cooking them in liquid. I am on a very low carb diet and am not allowed onions as they apparently release too much sugar when Caramelized


texts: Stirring butter toffee mixture while cooking

texts:
When making toffee (equal parts sugar and butter, half-pinch of salt, water, vanilla) is it necessary to continually stir the mixture after it comes to a boil and the sugar has completely mixed in with the butter?

If it is not necessary, is it also not recommended?  Or does it matter one way or the other?


texts: Looking for ways to improve a keto no-bake lime cheesecake recipe

texts:
I have a recipe for an extremely low-carb lime cheesecake I found online that I tried, and enjoyed.  I'm having trouble finding it now, but from memory the recipe is pretty basic:

For crust, melt butter with stevia, blend it with some almond meal and unsweetened coconut flakes, and press the mixture into a pie pan

For filling, mix some lime jello at about x2-x3 concentration (compared to if you were following the label), then mix it with 1lb of cream cheese, some lime juice, and some vanilla (I use a stand mixer for this)

Pour the filling into the pan and chill, and you've got a sugar-free cheesecake.

I like this cheesecake, but I think I can make it better.  It's dense, and I don't think the cheese flavor comes through the jello enough.  I'm considering trying again, with some modifications:

First, use 1/2 lb of cream cheese, but add: 4oz Ricotta, 3oz sour cream, 3oz mascarpone.  This adds more dairy for some more flavor, and also adds some curds and some creaminess in there to interrupt the flan-like consistency of the final product.

Second, maybe reduce the water in the jello even more and substitute some heavy cream in, or maybe leave the water the same and add some egg-whites?   The idea here is to make the cheesecake "fluffy" and/or "creamy" (as opposed to rubbery and jello-y) preferably by adding a component like eggs or cream, and setting the stand mixer to a high enough speed that it will introduce some air in there.

Third, hit the crust in the oven before I put the filling in.  This is mostly just because I think a toasted almond/coconut crust sounds tasty.

My concerns about my ideas are:

I kinda just pulled the ratios out of thin air, and have no idea if the quantities I'm planning seem reasonable.  Particularly, I don't know if it makes sense to add both sour cream and heavy cream and/or egg white, or how much of any of those to add
I'm not sure about introducing boiling jello water into a bowl with the cheese or cream that I'm adding--I'm worried about the water causing curdling. I don't want a curdled mess
I'm not sure if any of the ideas to make the filling more airy will last through chilling the cheesecake, or if it will flatten by the time it sets up.  Maybe I should set it up in the freezer?
I have no idea what the bake time or temperature should be to toast the crust
I'm not sure how much I can reduce the water while still having the jello dissolve in it
I'm wary about adding egg whites to a no-bake recipe.  Is it safe?
Maybe I'm over-complicating my recipe--part of the nice about this dessert is that it's super simple; just toss all the ingredients in the mixer and you're done.  Maybe there's an easier way to accomplish what I want?


texts:
We are using a product called Mallowhip from Bakels as the base for marshmallow which is then piped into wafer cones.

The wafer cones are lined with a compound chocolate prior to piping the marshmallow in to them to try and prevent the marshmallow from making the cones soggy.

For some reason sometimes they work fine, other times after a period of a few weeks the cones become soft and soggy and rubberish.

Any ideas on why and how to best resolve this?

We allow the Mallowhip to sit for roughly 3 - 4 hours prior to piping to help reduce the moisture content.  Should we let this sit for longer?

The cones are coated with a compound chocolate rather than a pure chocolate.  Would a pure chocolate work better?

We then let the entire cone sit for 3 days with the mallowhip inside prior to enrobing the entire product.

Any ideas would be appreciated.


texts: How to get intended taste using baking powder instead of acid + baking soda?

texts:
A coffee cake recipe calls for using sour cream and baking soda. I understand that acid + baking soda is a leavening agent and you can use them as a substitute for baking powder. But I only have baking powder.

If I use baking powder instead, will the taste of the coffee cake be majorly affected? It won't have the sourness of the cream anymore, but how important is that in a coffee cake?
Can I add something else along with the baking powder so I can get something close to the intended original taste?


texts:
I have a marinade I really love for chicken that has a base of pineapple and lime juice, aromatics, and a little canola oil. There's no salt in the marinade and I don't season the chicken before putting it in either. I tried using this marinade overnight, but found that the flavor wasn't as intense. I think this could be solved by marinating for longer and/or adding some salt to essentially brine the chicken.
I know that a typical wet brine is around can be up to 20% salt, and this is what I'm thinking of doing for the marinade. However, I'm not sure if I'd ruin a big batch of chicken with this much salt. Given that it already has all of these ingredients, should I lower the salt content and marinade for longer, or just bite the bullet and go with the standard brine ratio?


texts: Should hands be washed after touching the outside of an egg shell?(UK)

texts:
Say someone was to remove some eggs from their box to place them in the fridge. Assume this is in Britain(where eggs aren't cleaned before sold, I believe).
Is there a risk of salmonella spreading if they do not wash their hands afterwards?

What if they washed their hands, but with cold water and no soap, then dried them on a towel?

Thanks,
Anthony.


texts: Sugar syrup with orange juice foams excessively

texts:
Today I made an orange chiffon cake with buttercream frosting. I used Rose Levi Beranbaum's Classical buttercream recipe, in which 100 g of sugar and 90 g of water are cooked to a softball-stage syrup (114.5 Celsius) and then added to the yolks.

After making the cake batter, I had 50 g of just-squeezed orange juice left over. So instead of using 90 g water, I used 50 g of orange juice and 40 g of water for the syrup, hoping to have a more fruity flavor in the buttercream.

Shortly after passing 100 Celsius, the syrup started to foam, throwing very large and stable bubbles. I was very busy beating them back, using both my stirrer and blowing on them to pop them. But the foam still almost managed to climb out of the pot, it did form a heap above the upper wall level (the actual syrup only covered about 1-2 cm at the bottom of the small pot). I was also afraid that I will get an uneven heating, as the syrup forming the cell walls, with all the air inside, was probably not at the same temperature as the syrup puddle at the bottom.

The moment I took the syrup off the heat and poured into a cold cup, the foam disappeared completely.

Is that foam really a problem? Could it have ruined the syrup, or do I simply take a deeper pot and live with it?

Also, what caused the foam? Was it the orange juice, or can it happen without it too? If it happens without, what is the most likely trigger for it (I have made syrup before, and cannot remember such strong foam-building).

Regardless of whether it affects the end result, I found it difficult to work with. Is there something I can do to prevent it?


texts:
I am looking for the name of a dish that I used to eat a few years ago in The Hague, Netherlands. It looked like a cordon-bleu stuffed with chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, fennel, and maybe millet) for what I remember. The outer part was kind of a fried breaded crust.

It was served as the main course at the vegetarian desk of the cafeteria, and now I blame myself for not paying attention to its name.

Does someone have a clue of the name of that dish ?

EDIT : As requested, here are some precisions about the shape. It was half-oval shaped : one side was straight and the other side was rounded (like on this picture)


texts:
If I use cast iron pan to sear it, and then put in the oven I have some questions:

If I sear it from both sides, one side 2 minutes, other 1 minute, and then put in oven for 6 minutes. Do I have to flip it half way? I wouldn't like one side to burn since the pan will be sizzling hot and will burn one side in the oven in those 6 minutes?
What is the usual temperature of the oven for this technique?
Shall I broil it, or have it somewhere in the middle?


texts:
Several years ago, I had a friend of Vietnamese descent.  She went back to visit her home country and returned with gifts.  I was given a box (possibly yellow) containing several foil-wrapped cubes or rectangles.  They were a sort of caked or compressed powder, and somewhat unpleasant to eat.  I have since lost touch with my friend, but I would love to be able to track down (or at least identify) this food.

I remember that the first ingredient listed was "grease pig."


texts: How to make croutons crunchier throughout without burning?

texts:
I've made homemade croutons a few times now and experimented with using more or less olive oil and cooking shorter/longer.

My first batch was the best tasting, however they were a little chewy inside, which is great if that's what you're going for, but I want them to be consistently crunchy throughout.

I wondered after first batch if I used more olive oil if it would soak in more and cause the inside to cook more like the outside. I tried but I also was experimenting with temp and time (I'm using a convection oven for the first time) so it was hard to tell if it worked because on the one hand I did get the desired texture that I wanted but on the other hand I over cooked them just a little. If you like a tinge of that burnt flavor then they are perfect but I don't.

I'd love to not have to expirement for too much longer before finding my answer so hope you guys can help! What's the best way to get a consistent crunch throughout without burning your croutons?

Oh, also I'm just using regular sliced bread. I think just using some other kinds of bread would solve the problem, but I want to be able to do it with this kind of bread so I can salvage stale bread in the future.


texts: I don't know what candy to use for gingerbread windows

texts: I am looking for a candy to use for windows.What should I use!


texts: Is this video showing an exception of the common wisdom that you shouldn't cook with EVOO?

texts:
I know this question has been discussed here before, such as this question. But I am asking it again to share the video in this blog post.

The video shows how you use the extra virgin olive to cook, even to fry potatoes, the oil does not even come close to its burning point. Do you think this settles the question in the favor of cooking with extra virgin olive oil?


texts: Difference between Vietnamese and Moroccan preserved lemons?

texts:
One ingredient that I enjoy using is Moroccan preserved lemons, which are lemons that have been packed in salt.  However, I don't always get around to making my own, so I sometimes buy them at Middle Eastern markets, where jarred ones are quite expensive ... from $7 to $12 a jar in the US.
So I was startled to find a jar of Vietnamese preserved lemons at a local Asian market for $3.  As far as I can tell, these lemons are made exactly like Moroccan ones are: with lemons and salt, and indeed the ingredients on the jar are lemons, salt, and water.
So ... are there other differences I should be aware of, or can I just enjoy my new cheap preserved lemons?


texts: I was thinking of adding pine nuts to a caneloni filling, but wasn't too sure if the heat would make the nuts release anything nasty.


texts: Cooked chicken on bone - how to refrigerate and reheat some

texts:
I've made a cooked chicken on the bone (Coq Au Vin), however some guests couldn't attend, so two Chicken legs are left over.

I'm planning to cool then refrigerate these and then re-heat in a pan tomorrow (we have no microwave).

As long as I get it piping when I reheat it is it ok food safety-wise or should I be doing things differently?


texts: What are the easy ways to skim off the scum and fat from soup & stocks?


texts: Is there a big difference between Yellow and Yukon Gold potatoes?

texts: After moving to Canada six months ago, I still haven't found Yukon Gold potatoes at the grocery stores. Instead I find Yellow potatoes and was curious as to whether or not they are considered to be the same or if they are completely different. I find that the texture is a little bit "harder" than the Yukon Gold potatoes but overall seem pretty similar. So, are Yellow potatoes the same as Yukon Gold and can they be used interchangeably?


texts: Can I make a sourdough boule, freeze it then thaw it and bake it?

texts:
I think sourdough yeasts don’t do well with being frozen normally, but if I’ve let the dough go through all of its rises and shaped it into the final loaf can I freeze it before baking since the air bubbles that will provide the rise in the finished loaf have already formed?

Alternatively, are there any good ways to create a sourdough bread dough that I can take and throw into the oven without having to go through the long process of bulk rising, shaping, etc... immediately before baking? Ideally I’d like to make a lot of loaves all at once and have them on hand so I can have freshly baked bread whenever I want.


texts: Conversion rate in volume of freshly picked beans as opposed to dried beans

texts: I wish to use fresh beans instead of dried ones.For a kg of dried beans as per the recipe how much of fresh beans should I use?


texts: Will texture of fish cooked sous vide change, when cooking times increase?

texts:
I am experimenting with sous vide these days. I have successfully cooked salmon sous vide (60C to pasteurization according to Baldwin).

One thing with sous vide that people brag about is the possibility of letting food sit in the bath for longer than necessary ("I drop the steak in the bath and go to work, eat when I am back from work."-type situations).

Now I wonder, how well does fish respond to long time cooking? If I drop a piece of salmon in the bath and it stays there for, let's say, 10 hours. Will taste and texture change?

What about other types of fish, e.g. cod?


texts: Haggis - taste difference between traditional and artificial casing

texts:
Haggis, though considered purely Scottish could possibly have originated in the North of England.  It appears that the earliest known recipe/method is from the 15th century.  Just after a hunt, the offal was mixed with herbs, placed in the stomach lining of the (now dis-embowled) animal and cooked (a way of using parts of the animal that would otherwise have gone bad before being transported back to the manor house).

However it is now prepared all over the world and consumed on all days of the year, not just Burns Night.  Does using an artificial casing instead of an animals stomach change the flavor in any way?  Is it necessary to obtain the stomach lining to match the taste of a traditional/authentic haggis?


texts:
It seems that tea with lime water (hard water) tastes different.

Different enough that tea manufacturers have a different product to cope with the difference in taste.

My question is: Why does tea with hard water (lime) taste different?


texts: Does dried milk powder retard yeast growth in bread making

texts:
I have found that when using dried milk powder to soften the crumb on wholemeal loaves that the dough doesn't rise as well, even when using 25% strong white flour to increase the gluten.

Is this because of the milk powder?


texts: Just cracked open fresh coconut.  Water is sweet, meat is thin, bland and soft.  As a kid years ago, coconut meat was very firm and thick.  Is this soft, bland coconut safe to eat?


texts:
I'm arranging a cheese tasting for 10 adults in a few weeks, mostly hard Italian cheeses, and I'm wondering what to serve with it?  I want the taste of the cheese to come through, but I also want people to taste the cheese as they would eat it normally, too.

Some thoughts I've had (mostly traditional cheese accompaniments): tart apples, dried fruit (apricots), prosciutto

Most of us are not big wine drinkers, so I'm not too concerned about that.  If there is something non-alcoholic drink-wise to recommend, though, that would be good.

In case it is relevant, the cheeses I'm thinking of bringing are: Provolone (domestic & imported), Parmigiano-Reggiano plus a domestic Paremsan, Pecorino Romano plus Locatelli (not sure if there's a difference), Asiago, Piave and maybe a 1-year-old and 3-year-old Cabot.


texts: Why does coconut milk separate in coffee?

texts: When I put coconut milk in coffee, curds and lumps form, which does not look good in coffee. When I heat coconut milk, curds are still form. What can I do to avoid this?


texts: How do I add guar gum when making ice cream?

texts: My ice cream is great tasting but it gets very hard over time and has a lot of ice crystals. I realize that I have to freeze it faster to reduce the size of the ice crystals but it was suggested to me to use guar gum to help.  I tried adding it but it clumped up (like gum not surprisingly, lol) so do I have to put in a little boiling milk to dissolve it or how should I add it next time? The ice cream was a little stringy or syrupy after adding it to the ice cream. Did I add too much?  I used a tsp of guar gum for a home size Hamilton Beach ice cream maker.  I am allergic to corn so I can't use xanthum gum unless I can find a corn free source.  I'm hoping that I can get the guar gum to work.


texts: Why does peanut butter become very hard when adding egg yolk?

texts: I'm making some peanut butter meringue-type cookies and I noticed that when I mix the egg yolk into the peanut butter, the mixture immediately becomes very hard and stiff. Based on the speed, I'm guessing there's some sort of chemical reaction. The peanut butter I'm using is just peanuts and salt and the ratio is 225g peanut butter: 1 egg yolk. I'm very curious as to why this happens. It doesn't affect the finished cookie, but it does make it very hard to fold in the meringue.


texts: Is there a substitute for tahini in hummus?

texts: If I don't have tahini is there anything similar to use to make hummus?


texts:
Say, for example, I eat a very spicy jalapeno and I have a burning sensation in my mouth and throat.

Are there any foods or drinks to wash that away?


texts:
I have a friend who is allergic to yeast so I'm looking for a way to make a pizza dough with baking powder instead of it.
Should I add a bit of lemon juice to counteract the baking soda?


texts: how to make fruit-juice flavored gelatin firm vs watery?

texts:
I have been mixing unflavored gelatin with fruit juice to make flavored jello dessert (to have a healthier and more natural, as well as cheaper fruit jello dessert).
I mix the proportions of gelatin to liquid according to instructions. I use hot water mixed with room-temperature juice (making sure proportions of liquid to powder are as needed), mix very thoroughly, and set it overnight in fridge.
However, I cannot seem to get a firm jello result - it's firm at the top but watery at the bottom, even after a night+a day of being in fridge.
Is the fact that I don't boil the juice I use an issue? Should I not be using water at all but just juice?


texts: Squeezing as much liquid as possible out of a stock: a practical approach?

texts:
When making stock at home (i.e. with a combination of chicken parts and vegetables), I am often at a loss for how to get the last bits of liquid out of the stock. I often use a mesh strainer, but this doesn't let me apply force to squeeze the liquid out of all the vegetables.

I'm making homestyle stock, so I'm not interested in coagulating proteins or making the stock as clear as possible (e.g. What's the best way to strain stock?) Instead, I'm interested in extracting every last bit of liquid for use later.

What's a practical way, using items that would normally be found in my kitchen, to squeeze my stock remnants as much as possible? I'm imagining something that actually resembles juicing a fruit. Currently I pour the stock into a colander and press on the top with a wide bowl, but I'm worried about breaking the colander and think I could do better.

Possible approaches I've considered, that aren't optimal:

Filling this 'milk bag' and twisting it. I'm be afraid of ripping the bag by twisting it too hard.
Using a potato ricer. But it would take forever to process a large pot of stock this way.


texts: Method for how much cinnamon to add to recipe

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I have an apple pancake recipe I would like to add cinnamon to. Cinnamon is not part of the original recipe. How can I determine a good starting amount for cinnamon in any recipe?

The original recipe uses 3 tablespoons of sugar. Comparing this to another recipe, I eventually went with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. My wife says it doesn't need any more but I'm wondering if I should step it up to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons).

EDIT: In his book "Ratios", Michael Ruhlman says there are fundamental ratios between ingredients that can be applied to cooking and baking. I am wondering if there is a fundamental ratio that can be used for cinnamon and, perhaps, sugar content in a recipe.

And, no, cinnamon is not in the book.


texts:
I'm really confused before I thought when you hone a knife you bring the edge towards you however the other day I was watching gordon ramsay bringing the edge away when honing. I tried searching on this topic however couldn't find anything. Could someone explain to me if this is a different technique or what? Thanks appreicate it.
The video of him doing it is linked below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBn1i9YqN1k


texts: Pink curing salt turned yellow - safe to use?

texts:
I have a bag of pink curing salt (Prague powder / instacure) #1 that has been in a cupboard since November 2019. It has been stored in its original packaging: a zip-lock style bag, which I have opened and resealed several times. The seal has been reinforced with a clip. The powder has now turned yellow, and I can't figure out why or whether it is still safe to use. Curiously, a plastic container containing a mix of the curing salt with sugar and 'regular' salt has kept its color, while being stored next to the bag of discolored salt.
I know the pink color comes from food coloring which could oxidise or be affected by light, but why would this only have happened to one of the two containers?
The discolored salt:

The mix of curing salt with sugar and regular salt:


texts: Why can't this ice cream scoop go in the dishwasher?

texts:
I have an ice cream scoop that is labeled with something like:

  Do not immerse in water hotter than 140 °F / 60 °C. Do not wash this item in the dishwasher.

What is the real reason for these warnings? I have found mentions of things like:

Hot water will "dry out" the chemicals inside. (What chemicals? Why are they there? How would temperature affect them exactly?)
The finish on the scoop may change appearance and may rub off during later use. (Is this due to the hot water? Detergent? Bleach?)

I have a scoop that has accidentally gone through the dishwasher a couple of times without apparent ill effect. Is there now something deficient about my scoop? Is it not being as effective as it was when it was new due to the lack of some mysterious chemicals? Is the finish now coming off into my ice cream even if I can't see it? Is there any health or safety risk due to this?

The scoop is metal. Probably aluminium. Looks like this but not so shiny (don't recall whether it ever was):


texts: Lifting the lid on cooking rice - is it such a big deal?

texts:
I don't know about you, but some people I know will freak out if I lift up the lid on a pot of cooking rice to stir or check its done-ness. They say "you should never ever ever lift the lid". It is like a commandment.
Sure I can see that some steam will be released, and temperature lowered.
But is it such a problem to lift the lid once or twice when cooking rice?
Are there some consequences that I am overlooking?


texts: How do companies find out how many calories are in their food?

texts:
In the United States, virtually every food that I buy from a grocery store has Nutrition Facts on it that contain the calorie count on it. For instance, the label on a granola bar might say that it has 150 Calories.

According to Wikipedia, a Calorie (with a capital C, also called a kilocalorie) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree. However, it's not clear to me how companies would figure out how this translates to the Calorie count of their granola bar. I presume they don't just incinerate the food. Also, I'm guessing that they could ship off packaged foods somewhere to have it measured, but that wouldn't work for restaurant prepared foods.

There was a similar question titled How to calculate the calorie content of cooked food?, but it was focused on home food and relied on estimation. I presume that companies need to be much more precise in order to meet regulations.

So how do companies find out how many calories are in their food?


texts:
Why do fatty foods tend to go with acids?

Mayonnaise and hollandaise contain lemon juice, and fatty fish tends to be served with lemon.  Barbecue pork and pork belly are sometimes served with a vinegar-based sauce.  I've also heard that fatty foods should be paired with acidic wines.

Is there something about the way we taste fat or the way we digest it that makes us crave sourness?


texts: Why would one need to mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, soda) separately and before mixing into the liquid (butter, sugar) than just mixing everything into one bowl at the same time when making cakes? What would be the result if done ?


texts: Why did my Sourdough starter stopped rising?

texts:
Ok so I started my starter (no pun intended) a few days ago. I got a recipe that said I should keep it at room temp and feed it once a day with 1/2 cup of any flour (I used whole wheat) and 1/4 cup of water. I live in a place over the sea level, near a mountain and it was a pretty warm weather when I started.

So this is what I did:

Day 1: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup of water, got a thick consistency. Leave it on top of the fridge.
Day 2: I see some bubbles on the bottom, get rid of half the mix and feed.
Day 3: I see a few bubbles on the top, a lot of bubbles on the bottom and it rise a considerable amount. I get rid of half, feed and keep on with my day.
Day 4: It did not rise or have as much bubbles as before. The weather changed a bit, not as hot but still warm. Still got rid of half and feed.
Day 5: No change whatsoever, still some bubbles on the bottom but nothing on the top nor it rise. The weather changed, today it's cold and raining.

Everyday it got a vinegary smell which I read is supposed to happen.

I feel like my dough predicted the weather haha. Anyway, what should I do now? Do I keep on feeding it? How long until I know that it didn't work and should start a new one?


texts: Can I make a cheesecake with cookie crust Ina a parchment lined rectangular pan so I can cut it in little squares?


texts:
Based on a the coffee questions I've seen, it seems that hot beverage questions are in scope, so here goes mine:

We like keeping iced coffee in the fridge, particularly in the summer. It's easiest to add sugar to the entire batch, but we both like differing amounts of sugar to coffee. Sugar doesn't dissolve in cold liquid very well.

If I make a sugar suspension and put it in the fridge to sweeten the coffee as we drink it, will the mixture stay liquid or will the sugar crystals re-form? If this is impractical, can anyone offer another solution?

Edit: Here's a picture of sugar solution that we've been keeping in the fridge and using. I made it 8 days ago and it's staying in solution quite well.


texts: I decided to make 2 sourdough starters, to see if one would come out better. I only want to keep one and I dont know which one to choose. One has formed a hooch, while the other has not but otherwise they are identical in size, consistency, and smell. Which one should I keep?


texts: What is the purpose of vinegar in this lollipop recipe?

texts:
I found a recipe for lollipops. It uses 2:2:1 ratio of sugar:water:vinegar. What exactly is the role of vinegar in it?
The recipe was:

10 spoons of granulated/crystalic sugar
10 spoons of water
4 spoons of vinegar
food coloring

Combine ingredients and cook approx 10-12 minutes since water has started to boil. All water has to boil out. You can test if it is boiled enough by making a drop.


texts:
Last year I tried eggnog for the first time, following a homemade recipe involving egg, cream and sugar. The result tasted like a thin vanilla ice-cream milkshake (with spices and alcohol).
Recipes for homemade ice-cream use similar ingredients (without spices and alcohol).

Is this just superficial, or do the definitions of ice-cream milkshake and eggnog overlap so that it is reasonable to conceive of eggnog as a flavoured milkshake?

(I am looking for a technical answer that rules out my milkshake theory, or suggests it's an acceptable substitute.)


texts: Does a plain latte have chocolate in it?

texts: I cannot eat chocolate but would like to drink a latte.  Is there any chocolate in a regular latte?  I know you can get a chocolate latte, but need to know if a plain latte has chocolate in it.


texts: I am looking into making icing using yogurt powder. My question is, would it still need to be refrigerated after I make it. The ingredients in the product I am look at are nonfat milk solids, whey solids, lactic acid.


texts: I cooked quinoa like rice and ate half of it. I am planning to have the other half for breakfast. Is it safe to leave it in room temperature overnight (I don't have a refrigerator)?


texts: I have a recipe for cassoulet which takes 45mins plus 30 mins extra when you put the beans in. How long would it take when recipe is halved?


texts:
I am an electrical engineer, who have studied ins and outs of microwaves - so I would find ludicrous, scientifically and physically wrong conjectures like microwaving destroys the "structure" of food or makes it radioactive.

Why do restaurants and ascribed "good-chefs" avoid the reputation of using the microwave oven? At least, I get that vibe from Hell's kitchen.

To me, when used expertly, the microwave oven in combination with convection or grilling produces excellent and tasty food. And it saves electricity. For example, I microwave my chicken first for a few minutes in an enclosure, before roasting or grilling it.

Why would a restaurant or renowned chef not boast of "expertise in microwave" but in fact, hides it, as much as he/she would boast of their expertise on the wok or on the flame?

Is microwaving bad for your food? Or reputation? Why?


texts: Name of a cheese they prepare in Switzerland

texts:
When I was in Switzerland, the cooks prepared a special Swiss type of cheese and I've been wondering how this was called. It looks a bit like doner kebab(in the sense it is on a stick and they used some flame on it) and it smells a lot. Just in case this helps - this was in Zurich(the meal may be local for there).

Can anyone help me in pointing the name of that cheese(or maybe the meal name)?


texts:
I had the ill thought of adding raw lemon to my apples jam (half for ~2.5lt, in other words half for blender load), it tastes inhumanly bitter. Apart from the level of acidity which can be fixed with soda I don't know how to fix the bitterness, the lemon peel nearly causes me nausea.

Is It fixable?

If not, how can I reuse it? Chutney?

What's the mininum number of ingredients for chutney?


texts: Tomato sauce - tomatoes, then juice vs tomatoes & juice

texts:
Recently I made a simple tomato sauce using canned tomatoes. In the recipe it said to first put the tomatoes in the pan, then the juice. I followed this advice and the sauce was great, but will the sauce turn out great again even if I put tomatoes & juice in the pan at the same time? Does it make a difference putting the juice into the pan after the tomatoes?

If you need more information, this is the recipe I used.


texts: How long does fresh salmon last in the freezer?

texts: I bought salmon 2 weeks ago, and left it in my freezer. Is it still safe to consume it? what about consuming it raw?


texts: Suitable alternative to cast iron pan for sweet potato cornbread

texts: I'm making sweet potato cornbread and the recipe calls for a cast iron pan to be use. What is a good alternative to it? Could I use a thin metal pan?


texts: How to best store not-yet-used frying oil?

texts:
I occasionally deep fry using peanut oil. The small amount used in my deep fryer (around one quart/1 liter) is easy enough to store in a polypropylene container that came with the fryer. Originally, I was storing it, after filtering, in the fridge, but it'd still develop off flavors within a month or so. After Cook' Illustrated informed me (sorry, subscription required) that freezing works, I started freezing it, and it does indeed keep the oil fresh much longer. A quick run through the microwave warms it enough to dump into the fryer.

Unfortunately, refined peanut oil is sold either 1 gallon (~4L) or 35lbs (~15.8kg) containers. Those do unfortunately go rancid once opened—even if stored in dark place. Of course, 35lbs is half the unit cost (but is way more than I'd use before it goes rancid, if stored in its original container).

I'm wondering, is a good way to prevent unused peanut oil from going rancid? Would something like 1qt mason jars, with the lids vacuum-sealed on, help (stored in the pantry)? Alternatively, are there some additives that would help (and not prevent its use in deep-frying)?

Getting a gallon in the freezer is possible, but 35lbs is way too much freezer space.


texts: Can you\why don't some restuarants marinade without chicken skin?

texts:
I bought some grilled chicken from a restuarant and it came with marinade on the skin.

I asked the seller if they can provide grilled skinless with marinade on flesh.  He said we don't do it like that because the marinade doesn't go well on the chicken flesh.  I also notice other shops dont marinade without skin.

However I have previously bought lamb chops from the same restuarant and it has been well marinated.

My thinking is, if you can marinade and oven grill lamb chops then you can grill chicken too with marinade to a similar effect?

What did he mean, is there a reason why restaurants may marinade meat but not skinless chicken meat?


texts: Custard surface has tiny pockmarks when I use fruit pulp

texts:
I have a custard recipe that I use for creme caramel (milk, eggs, sugar, salt). I have made thousands of creme caramels using this recipe. I use vanilla a lot but also use chocolate, coffee etc. When I try to use fruit pulp in the custard, the texture looks like it has small pockmarks across it - see pic). Even if I only use pulp weighing 10% of the whole recipe. I know I could get around this with extracts but I would rather use fruit puree if I can.

I have tried using a water bath and a steamer with the same result. I have tried blending the fruit into a puree prior to cooking, dissolving whole segments of fruit in cream as it warms, pushing pulp through a sieve prior to cooking, straining through cloth after cooking. The pock marks persist. Is there anything that can be done to smooth the surface out? The custards taste great, but I'm used to them looking flawless too. It has only ever happened when I use fruit puree. Love to hear suggestions.


texts: Where can I Buy Kaima or Jeerakasala Rice?

texts:
I'm trying to prepare an Indian Biriyani dish, and it calls for Kaima rice, also known as Jeerakasala. I understand that there are alternatives, like Basmati, but I really would love to try this particular variety. Where do you think I could purchase some (I live in the US, in  NC, ordering online would be great)?

If nothing else, could you suggest a rice that is extremely similar?

Thanks in advance.


texts: What's the best way to learn what each seasoning is?

texts: For example, Iike cayenne pepper is spicy and marjorum has a smoky flavor. I just want to learn the different flavors of each seasoning, so I can know exactly what seasonings to use for the different types of food. Trying to educate myself, I want to become a chef someday.


texts: I followed a recipe for cruelers that came out delicious! Unfortunately they didn't puff the way I was expecting them to. Just wondering if Anton might know why or have some tips for getting them to poof.


texts: Court-bouillon: Why delay adding the wine and vinegar?

texts:
I'm preparing the court-bouillon recipe from James Peterson's Sauces (p. 103 of 3rd edition).  The procedure is, roughly:

Sweat vegetables,
Simmer vegetables for 10 minutes,
Add white wine and vinegar, simmering for a further 15 to 20 minutes, and then
Cool and strain.

My question is about step 3.  For what reasons would the wine and vinegar be withheld for the first 10 minutes of simmering?  Is this an evaporation issue?  Or is there some deeper interaction between wine/vinegar and vegetables to be accounted for?

Thanks!


texts: What makes Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise so different from Hellmann's?

texts:
According to Amazon, Kewpie mayonnaise contains vegetable oil, egg yolk, vinegar, salt, MSG and spices (no sugar). Hellmann's (which I specify only because it seems like it's the 'canonical' American mayonnaise) contains soybean oil, water, whole eggs & egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, natural flavors and calcium disodium edta.

To me, the Kewpie mayonnaise seems sweeter, even though it doesn't contain sugar, and the Hellmann's does contain sugar. But that's not even the big difference to me. Somehow, the Kewpie is just "right" in sushi rolls and for just about every other application from that part of the word that benefits from mayonnaise. Yet, I find Kewpie just awful on a bologna sandwich. How are they so different?

If I make mayonnaise, the list of ingredients will look more like the Kewpie, but taste more like Hellmann's.

What gives?


texts: If a recipe calls for 'ready-prepared potato wedges', what exactly does that mean

texts: Does it mean the frozen potato wedges you can find in supermarkets, or does it mean fresh potatoes that I've cut into wedges (if so, does that include/exclude the skin, or is that optional?)


texts: How does one alter a recipe that calls for one fruit with another fruit of differing water content?

texts:
For example, I often make banana bread. I'd like to effectively keep the same recipe but use pumpkin instead. Bananas are ~72% water while pumpkins are ~90% water, and roughly a 20% increase in water content seems substantial. (I actually have a loaf of apple-bread in the oven; and apples are about 80% water—we'll see how it goes. :D)

I wouldn't be surprised if there were other things I'm not taking into consideration (e.g. - chemical composition of fruits) that affect any substitutions I make. This being said, is there some heuristic I can use when substituting fruits in baking? Or are the differences between fruits enough to warrant totally different approaches when going from fruit to fruit?


texts: What is the approximate shelf life for herbal infused olive oil, coconut oil, glycerin, or vinegar?

texts:
What is the estimated shelf life (assuming you keep it in a dark place) for:
1)herbal infused olive oil? coconut oil?
2)herbal infused vinegar
3)herbal extract made from 50% glycerin in water (and would you refridgerate it to prolong its shelf life?)
3)does food grade beeswax even have a shelf life?
Thanks for any help you can provide.

Update: Thank you! I should have specified olive oil infused with dry herbs, not fresh-- I think it keeps for significantly longer,  especially in the refrigerator,  on account of the neatly absent water content. The herbal academy of ne site says to use only dry herbs because of the risk of mold, and to discard it after a month.  I thought that might be excessively careful,  but I guess not.  By the way my main focus is not cosmetics,  but rather "dietary supplements " for health purposes,  made from edible ingredients and foodstuffs.  If they taste,  smell, and look good, so much the better!


texts:
I have wanted to make Vietnamese pho bo for a while, and a simple recipe I found calls for 6 star anise. I couldn't find this, and instead bought some anise seed since I read anise seed is used as a substitute for it, sometimes. I'm wondering if a) the anise seed will work for pho and if so, b) how much anise seed should be added when the recipe called for 6 star anise?

Thanks!


texts:
I've seasoned my cast iron for about 6 times after I got it. It is a 10" Lodge skillet. I used flaxseed oil for seasoning the cast iron pan. Followed every step found on the web, thin layer, baked at 400 degrees F for about an hour. There was no problem seasoning the pan. It had a shiny finish with NO sticky surface.

However, when I fried an egg in the hot pan with a lot of oil, it got stuck badly. I had to scrub the residue with salt. When the pan dried, the seasoning seem to have come off with patchy spots on the pan. How do I fix it? I thought minimal seasoning is going to come off and a seasoned pan is going to be non-stick? Please help.


texts: Is it really necessary to avoid using soap on a cast iron skillet?

texts:
Hello Seasoned Adviced community!

When talking about cast iron skillets, it is common to hear the advice "don't ever use soap to wash the skillet." However, I rarely hear specific reasons for why it would be necessary to avoid using soap on a cast iron skillet, and I can't think of a valid explanation for why this must be true.

An article on Serious Eats calls the "no soap" advice a myth, stating the the origin of the advice is the idea that since soap removes oil, the seasoning of the pan would be ruined by using soap. But, as the article states, the seasoning of the pan is a thin layer of polymerized oil, which is a plastic-like coating on the surface of the pan, and soap won't hurt the coating. There is a chemical bond between the coating and the pan which soap can't damage.

So, will using soap on a cast-iron skillet damage the skillet or is this a myth?


texts: Why isn't my American-style baked cheesecake very sweet or rising significantly?

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I am trying to make a good American-style baked cheesecake.

I tried one recipe and it did not rise as much as I would have expected and it was not as sweet as I would have hoped.

Hope that someone can solve this problem for me!

thanks :)


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When I buy 'cook at home' poppadoms or order from a restaurant/takeaway they are usually very crispy and expand and bubble up as soon as you fry them.
I tried a recipe for homemade poppadoms which consisted of gram flour and water (plus some seasoning and cumin), which I made into a dough and needed for a few minutes until it was smooth, rolled it into paper thin rounds, dried out gently then shallow-fried in about a cm of hot oil. They did not expand at all and turned out more like something between crackers and a flat bread.
I'm guessing they need some kind of raising agent to make them like the restaurant style ones? Are these style of poppadoms easy to make at home? Does anyone know the best way to make them?


texts: How to get that crispy skin on a roasted turkey or chicken

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I love making roast chicken, but I don't seem to be able to get the skin to crisp to that nice mahogany color, like this:

Some of the things I have tried:

butterfly and roast at 500 (Alton Brown method)
pat dry and brush with oil before roasting at 375
flash under broiler
brown breast on the stovetop in a very hot cast iron skillet before placing in oven

results: #1 & #2 don't seem to work at all -- The skin cooks but it doesn't crisp. #3 only the peak of the breast gets seriously brown. parts further from the broiler are less and less brown. #4 just the parts touching the pan brown

I do have an in-oven thermometer, so I know the temps are correct

UPDATE: added #4


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The "wonder pot" is a type of stovetop bakeware that seems to have been popular in Israel during a period of austerity. I'm looking for a (preferably USA based) supplier for a new one.

Here's a link to a page with a photo of the item in question.


texts: How to calculate the calorie content of cooked food?

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I like to cook from scratch, and I'm currently trying to loose a few pounds. I know that cooked food is generally more calorific than raw food, so if I add up the calories of the ingredients I know it won't give an accurate result.

So my questions are two-fold:

How much difference is there between a raw food item and a cooked food item?

Is there a method to deduce the calorie content of cooked food (given the know values of its raw form) ?


texts: I saw a recipe (in Croatian, check out if you understand) for making octopus salad that says boil the octopus with a piece of wine cork.  The article doesn't explain what effect the cork gives.  Do you know what the purpose of it may be when added to boiling octopus?


texts:
After using utensils to prepare/eat longkongs, the utensils are very sticky (by far stickier than for any other types of fruit that I have tried so far). I tried to use soap and dishwashing liquid, as well as letting the utensils in the water for a few hours, but the  utensils are still sticky.

How can I clean utensils (e.g., knives) used to cut longkongs?


texts: Should I use panang paste or red paste when making a duck curry. I have tried red.


texts: How do I make this quick-bread recipe less moist?

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I modified a Paleo quick bread recipe so I could make it without any flour - coconut, nut, or other alternative. It is really good but super moist. Grilling it helps, but is there something I'm missing in the recipe? I haven't yet tried to pat dry the shredded carrots. Thoughts?

Coconut Carrot Quick Bread

2/3 cup processed dried flake coconut
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2.5 cups shredded carrots (medium grate)

Combine coconut, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda. In separate bowl, beat eggs and vanilla. Add dry to wet, mix thoroughly, add grated carrot. Pour into glass bread loaf dish greased with coconut oil. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1.25 hours or until done. Best served grilled in frying pan, warm. (recipe by ZeraMarie)


texts: Best practices for baking experiment 'design'?

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Is there a generally accepted best way to experiment with recipes?

When starting with a recipe that is not 'quite right', if you wanted to tweak the quantities of various ingredients (and taste the results), what would be the most efficient or 'correct' way to go about this? I am asking in the context of baking where it is hard to know how something will turn out until it is finished.

Is it best to do one batch at a time, taking notes of how the result turned out and then tweaking next time around, but having to go through many batches before figuring out the best recipe? Or, is it generally better to make several mini-batches at once, and taste them side by side?

Is there an accepted standard for how to implement this experimentation process?

Thanks.


texts: Bbq pork ribs accidentally started cooking in crock pot on warm for 2 1/2 hours before noticed

texts: I put country style pork ribs in my crock pot this morning with bbq sauce and didn't realize I set the control to only warm. It was not noticed until it had been on warm for about 2 1/2 hours. I immediately turned it to high.  Will they be safe to eat after cooking on high for a few hours and low for a couple more?


texts: A coffee cup that is described as a 8 ounce (for example) will hold this amount filled to the top of the cup's lip or to some other arbitrary level?


texts:
I heard that the best frying pans for steak are copper. Most are way too expensive but these are cheap in comparison. For example, this is three times the price - both with a 2mm gauge, although the more expensive one is 2cm larger in diameter.

Is there something I need to look for when buying copper pans?


texts: I just made ice cream. Unfortunately, it became gritty in the end result. What is a way to make use out of it?

texts: I just made vanilla ice cream with my ice cream machine. The taste was amazing, however, the texture was sandy and gritty. I made a awful lot, and I do not want to dump the ice cream. How am I going to make it creamy, or use the ice cream for something else?


texts: Can I buy cocoa butter squares for cooking?

texts: In the 70's, I used to be able to buy cocoa butter squares - like unsweetened chocolate - made by Hershey's.  They no longer make it.  I made white chocolate fudge with it.  Is there anything out there like that now?  I'd really like to make some of this fudge again for my daughter and grandchildren.


texts: A lot of the kimchi I see in stores doesn't say "live and active cultures" like yogurts and kefir. I'm trying to up my probiotic intake, but I'm not sure if all the kimchi I get is helping me towards this end. If a kimchi doesn't list "live culture", does it mean that the culture has been killed by heat or other means?


texts:
One of my molecular cookbooks goes into the use of acidity / alkalinity in cooking. What it doesn't describe is what safe pH values are that you can still serve food at.

Note: I am not looking for danger or 'cooking at the edge'. I'm a chemical engineer by training and won't be likely to mess this up, and yes, I'd have access to litmus paper or similar tools.

If the 'safe' range is broader than a (commonly) accepted range where food still tastes good, that'd obviously be good to know as well.


texts: Unsweetened or fruit sweetened ice cream - Replacement for sugar in ice cream?

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What is the best carb or protein to replace sugar in an ice cream recipe?

I would like to remove cane sugar, artificial sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, xylitol, stevia, erythritol, etc. from my ice cream recipe.

I read in another forum about unsweetened ice cream that sugar adds “bulk” to ice cream insinuating that it is necessary to make a pleasant textured dessert.

I’m thinking banana, tapioca flour, and/or sweet potato may work well because of their thicker consistencies and starch content. Before I attempt this, I would appreciate any advice or concerns.

Cheers!

Side note: I will use an ice cream maker. I will include egg(s) to the recipe. To prevent an icy texture, I will use some vanilla extract and/or another form of alcohol.


texts: Making caramel: how the ingredients effect the outcome?

texts: I was making a simple caramel with sugar, water, and lemon, and salt. How do the ratio of these ingredients affect each other? What does a longer cooking time change?


texts: I bought a bag of frozen blueberries 4 days ago. They have been out of the fridge for 2 days. They look good and there is no mold. Are they still good to use?


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I bought some chestnuts last week. The package date said December 4th and I want to cook them. It's the 5th today. I kept them out on kitchen counter all week. Are they safe to cook and eat still?

If the chestnuts are safe to eat, how long do I keep them in oven to cook them? I have never cooked chestnuts before so I have no way to compare notes to how I cook chestnuts.


texts: Are ladyfingers and Genoise made the same way?

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I think I have heard somewhere that ladyfingers are made from the same batter as Genoise cake layers. But I don't remember where I heard it, whether the source was reputable, and if I'm not misremembering something else.

Now I want to make a cake or trifle which will go well with a ladyfinger-like texture. So, when choosing what layer to make, I thought of Genoise. But will I get the same texture as store-bought ladyfingers, and if not, how will it differ?


texts: How does gelatin interact with grease (fat)?

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I made an escalivada (eggplant, red pepper and onion in the oven, peel, cool) yesterday, and today I've added gelatin to make a nice presentation.

I used about 5gr of gelatin for 150ml heated 'escalivada juice (lots of olive oil)'.

The result was all right, but the top layer stayed liquid. The rest stayed together.

Any idea as to why the top layer stayed liquid? Does the olive oil affect the gelatin?


texts: Can swamp eels be used for unagi like American or Japanese eels?

texts: So, at my local fishmarket, there is both live and frozen yellow swamp eel. I was not able to find very much on texture, flavor, or otherwise, so I was wondering if any of you have had much experience cooking with it, and is it suitable to make unagi with? Here are some photos of it if you don't know what I am talking about (live and frozen in that order):


texts: Yesterday I baked a special loaf of bread with an egg yolk glaze.  After it was mostly cooled I covered it with plastic wrap and set it on the counter to be served today. I am now concerned that I should have refrigerated it, because of the egg glaze.  There is some condensation that formed and the crust is a little damp.  Is it safe to eat?


texts: Why do some creams/fats whip better than others?

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Wikipedia makes whipped cream look very simple: gas bubbles are trapped in the fat and create a colloid. However, we all know that you can easily come across "whipping cream" that just won't whip even with all the necessary precautions. Meanwhile a different cream will whip up in a matter of seconds even at room temperature. This is despite both having the same fat content and ingredients.

Furthermore, in my experience, if you take a product with the same or higher fat-content but with animal of vegetable fat instead of butterfat, then the consistency of Chantilly cream will be impossible to achieve. (With, perhaps, the  notable exception of coconut cream although I can't say it worked well for me.)

Why does this happen? What is the physics/chemistry behind this discrepancy? Obviously, something sets real whipping cream aside. Something other than just fat content which allows the colloid to appear.

NB. I know, the Internet is full of lists of "whipping cream substitutes" ranging from nut butter to pureed onions. I'm pretty sure, however, that most of these will not incorporate air and fluff up anywhere near as well as homogenized heavy cream.


texts: Is it possible to freeze fresh hyssop? Can I expect it to be as aromatic and flavorful after defrosting?


texts: Why do egg white cartons warn that pasteurized egg whites shouldn't be used for whipping or meringue?

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We're baking a ton of meringue cookies for a party this weekend, so I picked up a carton of egg whites. It wasn't until after I got home that I noticed a warning stating:

"Due to pasteurization, liquid egg whites are not recommended for whipping or meringues."

I don't quite understand this. While pasteurization could denature proteins if the temp goes too high, the eggs whites generally shouldn't be getting hot enough for that to really happen. Further, you can buy dried egg whites at grocery stores labelled as "instant meringue" and those are also pasteurized.

I went ahead and whipped them anyway, and they seem to have worked just fine. The peaks could be stiffer if I had beaten them longer, but I was working quickly and just needed them to come to a reasonable piping stiffness.

I'm just trying to understand the rationale of the warning on the label. Is it also a matter of age? Maybe these were fresher?


texts: Have I over- or under-cleaned my cast iron dutch oven?

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There are several questions on this site addressing how to fix a cast iron pan or dutch oven when it collects rust or gets rock hard black food melted into it, including this question that I posted yesterday.

The TL;DR version of that question was that I cooked a pork roast in my dutch oven at way too high a temperature, and the animal fat and other juices (apple cider vinegar, etc.) essentially fused with the cast iron (just kidding! but not really, take a look at the photos in that question above).

However, after following the suggestions of scrubbing with steel wool, what I have been left with is a situation where I can't quite tell how clean (or not) my cast iron dutch oven is:

So you can see in the pic above, after scrubbing this thing hard for about 20 minutes w/ a steel wool (to the point where it started to break apart and send nice little metal slivers into my hands), there are some portions that are now smooth and black, and other parts that are a dull, shiny gray. I can't tell which is the case, either:

The smooth black areas are still areas where animal fat/juices are burnt/charred/fused into the cast iron, and the shinier gray areas are the parts that I've actually managed to clean; or
The smooth black areas are the places where I have correctly sandblasted the burnt/charred/fused animal fat away, leaving behind the original surface/coating of my dutch oven, but the gray shinier areas are places where I've gone too far and worn away the outer "layer" of my oven

So my first question is: which is it? Did I take the scrubbing too far, or do I still need to put in more sweat equity to get the whole thing gray & shiny? And if it's the latter and I've taken scrubbing too far, then what are my remedies here (if any)?

Another tangential question worth asking here is: does this even matter? My understanding of cast iron cooking (which is very little, obviously) is that its good to let some residue cake on to the metal, for adding flavor in subsequent cooks. And that as long as you coat it with oil to prevent rust, you're good to go. So, either way, am I good to go? Why/why not?!? Thanks in advance!


texts: Can you Refreeze baked/cooked chicken? How long can it stay in refrigerator after cooked?

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Can you Refreeze bake/cooked chicken?   How long is cooked meat good in refrigerator?


texts: Why does fruit from a particular market go bad so quickly?

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I live near several produce vendors, including a supermarket, small grocers, and a semi-open-air market. The open-air market carries more local produce, but some items are imported to Canada from the U.S. The other stores source their fruit more internationally, but still have a great deal of local fruit.

The fruit from the open-air market seems to go bad much more quickly than fruit from any other store. A box of blueberries will have mold in it a day after I bring it home. Peaches shrivel and develop mold within 3 days. This occurs whether or not I keep the fruit in the refrigerator. Does the market, which is a permanent structure (not a collection of stalls), possibly have more mold circulating? Is this just how fast fruit goes bad on certain supply chains? Could it be that the fruit at the market is older?


texts: How can I keep greengage jam green rather than orangey brown?

texts: How Cani keep greengage jam green rather than orangey brown?


texts: Can I use mascarpone as a substitute for cream cheese?

texts: Is it possible to use Mascarpone in place of cream cheese in cookie recipes? If so, is it an equal amount substitution? For ex: if the recipe calls for 8 oz. of cream cheese, can 8 oz. of mascarpone be used instead with no other changes to the recipe? I want to make a spritz cookie that calls for cream cheese, but would like to use mascarpone instead.


texts: For how long can you keep store bought packaged frozen coconut milk in the refrigerator after it's been thawed?


texts: How long does raw ground meat last in the fridge?

texts: Does it make a difference if it's raw ground pork or raw ground veal?  There is no sell-by date since I got it at the butcher.


texts: How do I replicate the unique crispiness of Korean fried chicken?

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I recently tasted Korean fried chicken and I was surprised at the crispiness and texture. It's unlike anything that I have had before. I looked up some recipes online and it seems that there's more cornstarch in the recipe than flour. Some recipes, like this one, uses potato starch and sweet rice flour with some regular flour.

What is it about these other dry ingredients that give the chicken this other kind of light crunchiness?


texts: Layer of yeast on top of sourdough discard?

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Most of the time when I feed my sourdough starter I find uses for the discard, but on occasion I don't have time or good ideas, so I put it in a separate jar and store it, with a tight lid, in the fridge.
Yesterday I took the discard jar out and found something I've never seen before: a layer of dry, off-white, stringy material (see photo), with the distinct smell of baker's yeast:
Hooch often appears in the discard jar after a few days, but this is definitely not that. It also doesn't look like any type of mold I've ever seen - and definitely doesn't smell like it either.
Luckily this is just the discard jar and not my active starter, but I'm really curious. Could this be yeast? If so - where could they have come from? And how have they grown on top of a lively sourdough culture?
N.B.: I had made this starter from scratch (i.e. flours and water) without using yeast or any other additives, and have never seen this in the 6 months I've been using this culture


texts: How can I prevent pastry becoming soggy when it has a filling and is stored overnight?

texts: I want to make sausage rolls the night before and store them in the fridge before cooking. I am worried that the sausage meat will make the pastry go soggy. How can I prevent this?


texts: Why does my Heavy whipping cream pound cake have an aftertaste between flour and metallic?

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All of my dry and wet ingredients were perfectly measured and at room temperature.   I did not use baking powder as the recipe did not require it.  I substituted vanilla extract (McCormick) for vanilla flavoring (McCormick).  I baked the cake in the oven on 325 in a pre-heated oven for 90 minutes, let it cool for 20 minutes, and then removed it from the baking pan and onto a cooling rack for 3 hours.   Otherwise the cake baked perfectly and was delicious until I finished the first slice.

The recipe was as follows:
Ingredients

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) of salted butter, softened
3 cups of white granulated sugar
6 large eggs (room temp.)
3 cups of sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
½ tsp of vanilla extract
½ pint of Heavy Whipping Cream
2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) of butter, melted
2–4 Tbsp of heavy cream
Extract/flavoring, if desired

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325°F.
In large mixing bowl, cream butter then gradually add sugar beating on medium speed until creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Add Swans Down Cake Flour and heavy whipping cream alternately beating on low speed until just blended as over beating will yield a dry and heavy cake.
Add vanilla; for richer flavor, add additional 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract.
Pour into prepared pan
Bake 90 minutes


texts: Potatoes that have been in proximity to a really bad potato

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This is not about potatoes sprouting. I had a large bunch of potatoes in the plastic tray I keep them in and with one thing an another, they got overlooked until I realized they'd been there a long time. I decided to make soup out of them and started to get them out of the tray - only to find that one of them was completely rotten and had ugly looking black (!) juice under it and it was frothing. YIKES! Obviously I threw it away and cleaned all the potatoes around it, first in hot water, then in cold water. I thoroughly cleaned the tray, too. YUK. Then I peeled the potatoes until they were printine and white. A couple of them were a bit soft, but no green bits on them no sign of spoilage.

I'm assuming these are okay to eat? I'm making potato and onion soup, as I hate to waste them (but will if there is still any danger of poison). What do you think?


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I am trying to master the homemade Neapolitan pizza, from dough preparation to cooking it.

After following the recommendations at Seriouseats.com for the dough preparation, I came across some doubts regarding the oven use.

I understand that ideally I would make it in a 900F wood oven, but at home we don't have such equipment!

What is the best practice to make the Neapolitan Pizza in a regular gas oven that heats up to 530F? (i.e. temperature, time, tray positioning...) Are there changes in the way the dough has to be prepared?


texts: Are there cheeses with less saturated fat?

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I like cheese, but I'd like to find ones with better fat ratios.

Do all cheeses have high amounts of saturated fat? More importantly, are there any natural cheeses that have a high mono- and polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio?

I know for instance that nuts can vary in this regard. Some nuts can be high in saturated fat while others aren't. I'm looking for something similar with cheeses.

Finally, if such cheeses exist, are any of them suitable for pizza?


texts: What is the minimum time for a decent meat marinade?

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Is there a good minimum time to recommend for the time to marinade meat? Or is it always best to eave overnight if you want good results?

Do citric juices such as lime or vinegar reduce this time?


texts: Can I use an enameled trivet on the stove top?

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I noticed a trivet at Aldi going for quite cheap and picked one up. My understanding of a trivet is that it's something you use to diffuse the power of a burner however, the one I got seems to be made to put hot pans and pots on. There are no instructions on the packaging however, so I'm not sure.

The trivet I purchased can be seen in the picture below, it's the round one. It's cast iron, enameled all around. I was wondering if something like that could be used on a gas stove?

Edit: Assuming I removed the thin layer of rubber coating on the feet of course.


texts: Why is grocery store celery trimmed of its leaves?

texts: I only use celery as an ingredient. It’s part of the trinity, and gumbo wouldn’t be gumbo without it. While I was in Asia, I learned how useful and delicious celery leaves are, but I can’t find a local supermarket that sells un-trimmed celery. Is there a reason why produce wholesalers remove the leaves?


texts: Ideal pressure cooker size for cooking a pound (454g) of beans

texts: I'm shopping for a pressure cooker. Could anyone advise me on what size of pressure cooker is sufficient for cooking a pound of beans? I don't want to buy one that is too small and overcrowd it.


texts: Is there a way to neutralize or override coconut flavour in a vegan dish?

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I made a simple vegan cheesecake: coconut fat from coconut milk blended with pre-soaked raw cashews. Turned out real nice but the only thing is a strong coconut flavour.

Is there a way to neutralize it somehow?


texts:
At work we have a coffee machine that makes 10 cups of coffee in about 3 minutes. Sometimes, 3 minutes is too long to wait for coffee :P So I will poach it as it comes out of the dispenser and then quickly replace the coffee pot so the rest is caught. However, I am not sure if I am getting the short end of the stick.

Should I wait for the entire process to finish before getting coffee? Is the coffee that is first dispensed from the machine the same quality as the coffee which is dispensed in the middle or end of the process?


texts: Just got an All-Clad LTD2 saute pan and I was wandering if it is save to put it in the oven. Thanks


texts: When making crockpot chili and adding raw hamburger, won't that make the chili greasy if not strained?

texts: If you add raw ground beef, what about the grease in the meat mixing in with the chili? ill..


texts: Is there any way to counteract the calcium chloride included in most canned beans?

texts:
All the beans I can find in the local supermarkets have calcium chloride in them, which helps them retain their firmness.

But I want soft beans.

Yes, I can cook my own beans from dry, but sometimes I just want fast access to beans. Beans that will be soft and break down in soups or stews.

But beans treated with calcium chloride just sit there, even tasting a bit undercooked in the center. Is there some way to counteract the calcium chloride so that they will break down and get soft?


texts:
Does the size of the pepper have any affect on how hot/spicy the pepper will be?
ex. Is a smaller ghost pepper less hot than a ghost pepper twice its size?


texts: I have a recipe for an asparagus/pasta dish with a goat cheese sauce, Can I substitute Feta?

texts: Even generally speaking can Feta be substituted for Goat Cheese? I'm guessing that since Feta is usually more salty I would have to watch the salt, but any other consequences?


texts: Tiny orange yellow bug in raspberries? What is it?

texts:
There's a tiny orange yellow bug in raspberries:

What is it? The fruit was sitting in the fridge for 3 days


texts: Does the direction matter in the Stretch and Fold method?

texts:
I am currently making Poolish Ciabatta bread from the recipe in Bread Bakers Apprentice. Within the recipe, one of the methods used to shape and work the dough is the "Stretch and Fold" method. Essentially, you stretch the bread until it is a long rectangle and then you fold the two sides down letter style.

My question is, does it matter what direction to fold the dough in. Do I have to continue folding in the same direction so the bread dough begin to "line up" the gluten development?


texts: Transporting chicken between refrigerators - how long is too long?

texts: My work lunch routine currently consists of cooking chicken over the weekend and refrigerating it, then cutting up a piece and adding it with rice and vegetables in a refrigerated, sealed tupperware container the night before work. In the morning I take the container out of the fridge and put it in my backpack, where it stays for about 2 and 1/2 hours (or a little more) through my morning commute. As soon as I get to work I put it back in a refrigerator, microwave it and eat it about 4 hours later. Is this too long out of the refrigerator to safely eat?


texts: Do I always need to peel the avocado or I can just chop it?

texts: Do I always need to peel the avocado, or can I just chop it?


texts:
I've always wondered what sauce they served with Peking Duck at various Chinese restaurants (at least in Australia anyway). Whenever I order Peking duck as takeout, they normally provide a cute little container with a dark liquidy sauce which has a rather sweet taste.

I'm inclined to believe that it could be sweet bean sauce as suggested at various places on the internet but from what I can tell, it's supposed to have a thick consistency. However, this is not the case here. Any ideas what it could be?

It's consistency and colour is very reminiscent of soy sauce but the taste is sweet, like black bean.


texts: Want to bottle and sell a marinade/sauce

texts: I have a marinade recipe I want to sell to local small stores but I don’t know the logistics of how to make the product last with shelf life and I’ve read about oils causing botulism. I’m not sure where to find this information or how to go about it .


texts: So I scratched my new ceramic pan by trying to cut something in it (definitely regretting that one) and was wondering if it can still be used? They are very small scratches. Can it even be restored?


texts: Should I peel garlic before pressing it?

texts:
I've never been sure about this. It doesn't impact the taste or texture, as far as I can tell.

I'm talking about those little crushing tools that you put a clove of garlic in, and squeeze it like pliers, and it presses the garlic through little holes.

Should you peel the clove before you do this? Why or why not?


texts: Smoke detector goes off when baking chicken breast

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Smoke comes out of my oven when I bake chicken breast fillets. As soon as I open the oven door I can see some smoke escaping, and 30 seconds later both fire alarms are going off. This has never happened when baking other foods (pies, cakes, etc..).

I've been trying to figure out what it is that's causing all the smoke. The ingredients are...

1kg frozen chicken breast fillets
4 teaspoons soy sauce
8 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
granulated garlic
italian spice

I bake the chicken on two baking sheets lined with foil. I set the oven to 375 and let it bake for about 23 minutes. I don't bother letting the oven preheat.

Last week I came across some information that said extra virgin olive oil smokes at 375, so today I dropped the temperature down to 350 and tried to cook for a few minutes longer. The fire alarms still went off.


texts:
I'm really impressed how here in Bavaria people can cook some delicious things... Well I fell in love with Käsespätzle. I keep having trouble making them just like at the restaurant, where no matter what, the chef doesn't want to tell me his secrets.

I basically buy the Spätzle at the supermarket, let them cook 1 minute in salted and boiling water, then put them (without water of course) in a wok with some olive oil.
Meanwhile I "fry" onions chopped into small rings in a bit of oil until they become brown, and I prepare some grated Gouda cheese.
I put onions and cheese on the Spätzle and I stir until the cheese melts.
Easy.

The difference between mine and the restaurant's are the following:

The Röstzwibeln ("fried onions") are not totally crunchy
The consistency of the Spätzle is somehow different
The entirety doesn't seem to develop crunchy sides after the last steps

While I'm ok with the fact that the supermarket-Spätzle cannot be super-good, I don't get how to cook the onion and I feel that I'm using a wrong cheese (beware: I don't want CREAMY stuff, I want the CRUNCHY one!).

Can anybody help?


texts:
I am attempting to replicate a Thai delicacy called 'Pla Tuu'.
It is a small fish that is salted, cooked in water, and then reheated periodically to preserve it.

My question is: Should the initial salting be done before the fish is cooked for the first time, or afterwards?

My worry is that the salt will be washed off or leached out during cooking, and the preservative effects will be lost. On the other hand, I have never heard of preserving a fish or meat after it has been cooked.


texts: How to increase butter fat prior to browning?

texts: I like to create recipes utilizing Brown Butter however when I am in other countries outside the USA the butter fat is lacking.  May I add heavy cream to the local butter to increase the fat solids when cooked to obtain better flavor results?


texts: What is the name of this Chinese Fish Soup where guests cook their own fish in broth?

texts:
One of my friends tells about some kind of a delicious fish soup that he ate in china. But he doesn't know the name of the dish.

It was served in a big bowl in the center of the table (in a restaurant). The bowl is heating, and it's a soup that does not contain any fish. Some pieces of fresh cleaned fish are in front of each person, so he can put it in the soup, and after a minute, the fish is ready to be eaten.

Do you know the name of this food?


texts: Can you inject carbon dioxide/nitrogen into a dough/batter to provide leavening? Or use dry ice/liquid nitrogen?

texts: Can you use carbon dioxide/nitrogen directly to provide leavening? It's known that vegetable shortening is actually pumped with nitrogen bubbles to aerate it, so maybe there's a way you could use them like this in baking? The two options I see are either injecting them in or using them as solids or liquids.   Thoughts on this please, thanks.