I made challah dough and it was still sticky after 9 cups of AP flour I only needed a few more tablespoons of flour, but I had run out. Instead I substituted half the amount of cornstarch. Will my bread still have the right texture when baking?
Here is the recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/132319/sweet-challah/
Below are the ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
⅓ cup white sugar
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup white sugar
6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon water

I have conflicting experience to @Benjamin. I often add a little extra starch to my bread actually, specifically potato starch or sweet rice flour. While all starches gelatinize a little differently, I would not expect you to have any issue shaping the bread, or with rise. What I would expect is a little extra chewiness to the crust and perhaps a bouncy quality to the interior, and maybe a tighter crumb with finer bubbles. The first time I added starch to a bread as an experiment (and far more proportionately), I joked that I had successfully invented storebought bread at home, because that's what the texture reminded me of. That said, I would not expect the textural differences to be huge in your case because you added very little.
Since percentages and math are on the table (I'm sorry but I love math), let's break down the amount of gluten and starch in here.
The recipe calls for 9 cups of flour total, and there are 16 Tablespoons in a cup. So how much gluten is in one of those cups? If we say it's ~12% (I asked Google), then in one cup of flour, there are about 1.92 T gluten, and about 14.08 T starch. If you round, that means about 2 T gluten, 14 T starch. That's a proportion of 1:7.... and I'm rounding up the gluten.
So what difference does a few tablespoons of corn starch make, proportionately? Well, for every T of corn starch you added instead of AP, you were missing one-seventh of a Tablespoon of gluten, or less than a half-tsp, but more than a quarter-tsp. And that amount counts up with every T you added. So, if you added a quarter-cup of corn starch, then you're "missing" almost 2 teaspoons of gluten. If you added a whole half cup, you're missing a little over a Tablespoon of it. But again, we rounded the gluten up before, so... you aren't even missing that much. This is an overestimation.
In the recipe as a whole, you have 144 T in those 9 cups of flour. That means you have 17.3 T of gluten total, and 126.7 T starch. Even if you added the whole half-cup of corn starch, changing the amount of starch to 134.7 and the total amount of "flour" to 152 T.... You've only changed your gluten content from 12% to 11.4%, which would still be within range for all-purpose. Some brands have higher gluten. Some have less. King Arthur brand's all-purpose flour has as much gluten as some other brand's bread flours. And again... I'm assuming you added significantly more than a few tablespoons. That drop from 12% to 11.4% represents a worst-case scenario.
So while there will be a difference, I'm guessing it will be subtle, maybe even undetectable if you aren't looking for it.
One thing I noticed reading the recipe is that they don't call for resting the dough. A short rest (often called "autolyse") after adding, say, two-thirds of the total amount of flour will give the flour a chance to hydrate and soak up some more moisture. That way, it will require a little less flour to get a workable dough, and your final product will be just a little softer and moister as a result. IF you make this recipe again, it might be helpful.
I'll be curious to hear how your experiment turns out (hopefully okay!)


Collecting acorns to eat - how/when? Acorns of many oak species are edible.
They've been used as food in many traditions, but almost all need boiling and/or soaking to leach out the tannins.   I'm curious to try them, as nuts, a hot drink, or ground into flour for baking. I'm particularly interested in the European Oak (a.k.a Quercus robur, English or Common Oak) as I have several growing over my garden.
I've found plenty of sources on how to prepare them, but little on how to select them.  I assume they should be brown to be ripe, but do I need to get up and pick them as soon as they turn brown, or are fallen ones good?  Apart from obvious signs that something has started eating them, is there anything I should beware of?
Update:
Even after discarding the floaters I had to throw away quite a few.  they were quickest to shell by quartering them lengthways with a sharp knife.
Unroasted ground acorns worked well in place of ground almonds in a biscuit (cookie) recipe, but the coffee substitute has a flavour closer to malty than nutty and isn't great.  I may not have roasted the acorns enough, because despite leaching until they weren't bitter, they turned dark brown on drying so I couldn't see how roasted they were.

While I have never collected acorns to eat, only to feed to animals, I have foraged and served beechnuts and chestnuts, and the same principles apply.
Ripe acorns will fall - so picking them up from under the tree is perfectly fine, no need to climb and risk anything.
As for most nuts, fallen acorns are protected by the outer shell and can withstand being on the ground for a bit. As they need a cold phase to germinate, they will remain mostly unchanged during the autumn, giving you a generous window to go out and forage.
You want to pick large and plump acorns, leave small, cracked, soft or otherwise damaged ones to the wild animals. You should wash them when you bring them home1 or before processing them. This is also a good occasion to sort out the random hollow acorn, because they will float.
Then proceed as per your chosen recipe.
1 If you don’t process them immediately after foraging, make sure they are dry on the surface to prevent mold.


Substitute for egg yolk in ice-cream (Egg Allergy) I have a few questions regarding egg yolk in ice-cream.

I would love to try making homemde ice-cream but a lot of recipes I see have egg yolk.  Is there a substitute that I could use or is it possible to just leave out the egg yolk?

I have heard that I could substitute egg yolk with coconut cream or maybe it was coconut milk.  Is this true? What is the purpose of egg yolk in ice-cream?

One of my favourite ice creams involves fresh strawberries (just picked), cream, and sugar. That's all. It can be hard finding "recipes" for things that are simple, so when you search for recipes you get all kinds involving you making a custard first and so on. If you've made eggless icecream and don't like something about it, that's one thing, but my guess is you haven't made eggless icecream yet. Try it.


Is wagyu beef suitable for amateur cooking I love steak and I've recently had wagyu beef at a local restaurant and it was delicious and unlike any other steak I've tasted.

I noticed that a local supplier sells wagyu beef and it's close to $100 / kg and whilst it isn't something I'd have every night, I'd be interested in trying it out myself.

Having said that, being such an expensive cut of meat, I don't want to just dive in head first and ruin it so I was wondering if I there are any special techniques that need to be applied when cooking wagyu beef to "maximize" it's flavour, or at least to avoid ruining it?

Is it something an amateur could attempt or should it be left to the pros?

When you are dealing with very high end ingredients, it is more important than ever to let the product speak for itself.

At the restaurant, we rarely use Wagyu, but when we do it is fantastically simple: salt, fresh cracked black pepper. Sear and mark it on the grill, and finish in the oven. A little melted butter on it when it comes out, and that's all.

Do be aware that when you are cooking Wagyu (or, if you're very lucky, Kobe), you actually want to take it to at least medium rare, or even a little bit beyond. I know, that's heresy, and it's coming from a person who likes his steak cooked only to the point where a competent veterinarian could actually resuscitate it at the table. The reason is that when meat is as highly marbled as Wagyu (that is to say, when it has such a high distribution of intramuscular fats), you actually need to cook it further than a lean cut in order to melt the fat and extract all the flavour.

Beyond that, I would agree with Treblekicker. Practice on less-expensive steaks first. Learn how to really maximize the essential beefy flavour of a not-great steak; those lessons will make sure that as you move upwards in quality, you will be getting the most bang for your buck.

So for cooking steaks, a few guidelines:

Medium is overdone. Seriously. Learn to love your steak red, there is a LOT more flavour
Learn how to check for doneness by touch; cutting into the meat will release juices = losing flavour. To do this, hold up your left hand, palm facing you. Feel the pad at the base of your thumb. That is blue rare. Touch your forefinger to the tip of your thumb. That is rare. Do this sequentially with the rest of your fingers; that will be med-rare, medium, and well done in order. Well, that's North American colours; the French go slightly less for each level of doneness.
There is conflicting advice on seasoning (salt and pepper) your steak. Thomas Keller maintains that meat should be seasoned 20 minutes before cooking and left to rest. Harold McGee (I think it was him) says that steaks should only be seasoned after they are flipped. I prefer seasoning before grilling, as the salt helps draw out some moisture which therefore assists in the Maillard reaction (browning and accompanying flavour development).
Always let your steaks rest a few minutes after cooking. This redistributes juices throughout the meat. In practice, this means taking steaks off the grill or out of the pan a bit before they are done, as carryover cooking (residual heat) will continue to cook the meat.
Only flip steak once. Try to keep an even cooking time on each side so that the inside cooks evenly. There is a caveat to this however! If you are cooking in a pan, frequent flipping (every 30 seconds or so) will create a much more evenly done steak, and bastes the meat in its own juices. This will come at the expense of slightly less browning, but will be significantly more tender. This is also the best technique for cooking hamburgers in a pan or on a flat-top grill.
Never squish your steak with your tongs. This presses juices out of the meat.

That's all I can think of for now.


Can I make my dough for dinner rolls ahead in bread maker and refrigerate overnight? I want to make my dough for dinner rolls tonight in my bread maker and bake in the morning. Will this work? Also do I cut and shape before putting in the fridge for the night or do I do this in the morning before baking?  Thank you.

Yes, you can refrigerate after the machine has kneaded the dough. Cover the bowl tightly. In the morning, take the dough out of the fridge and let it 'wake up' in a warm place for an hour, cut and shape, then either prove them again or bake straight away (a second prove will give you a lighter texture).


Does the weather outside make a diference in oven temp. for baking I know that the humidity can make a difference on how your bread might turn out. Do you ever have to adjust the temp. on the oven depending on the weather? I finally found a good bread recipe that my husband really liked. I made it again and the crust was really hard. I did every thing the same. It was colder out side when I made the first one. The bread tasted really good like the other one it's just the crust was very hard. I melted butter on it just like the first one. I always put melted butter on my bread when I take it out of the oven.

A properly calibrated oven with a good thermistor will not be impacted by external temperatures or environmental factors.  While, as you mentioned, humidity and environmental factors can impact cooking and baking, which influences the end product, they will not impact the temperature of the oven itself.  I believe the problem is more related to the varying environmental factors, rather than the cooking temperature of the oven.  As such, it might require a change in baking time, and more close monitoring the bread, rather than adjusting the temperature at which you are baking.

With that being said, I would suggest using an external oven thermometer/thermistor to confirm that there is no need for oven calibration [ie make sure that the temperature of the oven is what it was set to].  I have seen ovens begin overheating/underheating within a few days span, when the thermistor went bad.  Also, it might help to make note of the ambient humidity and the results of each batch of bread you make.  As you notice differences, you could take notes of what works best at differing levels of humidity, and therefore be prepared in the future to adjust according to environmental changes.


Hulling pumpkin seeds - Possible? Easy? I have a recipe I want to use that calls for "hulled pumpkin seeds (the green ones)". I have pumpkin seeds saved from carving pumpkins. Do I just... peel them? Any fast way to do this? Is there any other preperation needed?

Describing the only method I know, and hoping that somebody will come up with an improvement, because this one is quite time-consuming.

First, clean your pumpkin seeds and toast them. They cling to the hull when they are raw. When toasting, it is preferable to use lowish temperature for a long time, so you can prevent strong taste changes and burning. If I remember correctly, it is also a good idea to let them cool them first, because they are more likely to break when hot, but

When the seeds are ready, you want to pop them out of the shell. For this, hold a seed between your thumb and index finger. Apply pressure to the most prominent parts of the edge.

Ideally, the pointed part of the hull will split along the edge, and the seed will fall out, or you will be able to squeeze it out. Even if it goes like that seed after, it is a slow, monotonous work. Often, the hull will refuse to split, or the seed will break within the hull, or it will cling to the hull and refuse to come out after it has split. And then there is no guarantee that you'll get the beautiful plump seeds you see in the supermarket, because carving pumpkins aren't bred for nice seeds, it can happen that yours are very small and thin and not a particularly good decoration.

Conclusion: it is possible, but even if I had the seeds sitting around, I'd throw them out (or feed them to birds outside) and get hulled seeds for cooking, instead of spending half a day to get a handful of seeds out of their hulls. If it doesn't bother you, or if you can find a more efficient method, feel free to do it and share your process improvements here.


Lemon and Mint drink I once had a delicious lemon and mint drink on a flight with Qatar airways, but I have no idea what it was or how it might have been made. Does anyone know what it might have been and how it was made?

Edit

I'm not sure if it was made on board or not. It wasn't carbonated but it was chilled when it was served. It did have a slight syrupy consistency like there might have been some sugar syrup in it. There wasn't any alcohol in it and I couldn't make out any other flavours.

There's a lovely middle-eastern recipe for mint lemonade.
I used to make loads of this stuff in my navy days.
So, for a jug serving six sailors:

Juice of about 2-3 lemons
Six tablespoons of sugar
nice handful of mint

Put the mint and sugar in the jug and pour about half a cup of boiling water.
Stir well, and leave for a few minutes so that the mint can think about what it has done.
Add lemon juice and water slowly while stirring.

The amounts may not be precise, as I used to make this in an eight gallon saucepan, and these days I make it in a 2-cup shaker.


What are "hog lumps"? Some recent questions about pork rinds inspired me to inquire about this.  My wife and I are quite fond of the English film Shaun of the Dead.  The characters in the film refer to a certain bar pub snacks as "hog lumps" at one point and "pig snacks" at another.  You don't actually get to see them, but I just assumed they were referring to what we in the United States call pork rinds.  However, in the comments on this question Sam Holden said they call them "pork scratchings" in the UK.  I did a little searching and many hits just say something to the effect of "what they call pork rinds in Shaun of the Dead".

So, are these specific to the film, or actually common slang?  Actual brand names?  Are they even actually referring to pork rinds?  Can someone from across the pond clarify these terms?

Eat My Brains has listed under trivia for the movie:

  Specially designed packets of 'Hog Lumps' were designed for the film by Edgar's brother, Oscar.

I don't think they're real, although there have been some claims online that there is a real product out there that markets itself as 'Hog Lumps' :

  They're real. Mr Porky's Hog Lumps and they're awful. Blech.


Attempted deep frying smoke fiasco I recently tried deep frying some chicken and it went horribly wrong. The oil started to smoke so much that I had to step outside because it was so thick. Even after I brought the Dutch oven I was using outside it smoked for a long while after. My question is why was it smoking so much.

The oil was cooking in a 9 inch cast iron Dutch oven. I had the heat on about a 9 (out of 10). The oil was peanut oil. At one point I put the lid on the cast iron. It was after I took it off that it began to smoke. I should have been more careful about how I researched the safety of doing this sort of cooking. Can anyone explain why this happened?

When deep frying, the most important piece of equipment you can have is a decent thermometer--many candy/frying thermometers have a clip that can be positioned on the edge of a dutch oven so that you can keep watch of the temperature while frying (like this one).

Different oils have different smoke points. For refined peanut oil, the smoke point is 450°F / 232°C. It sounds like you got your oil too hot, and it reached the smoke point. This can be very dangerous. Just above the smoke point is when oil can actually ignite, causing a serious fire risk.

Generally, you would want to fry well below the smoke point temperature. Recipes generally will recommend frying temperatures of 300°F / 150°C to 375°F to 190°C, depending on what you're frying.

Trying to regulate heat simply by using the knob/setting on your stovetop is not a reliable way to maintain heat when deep frying. Using a thermometer will help ensure you are able to keep oil in the desired range.


Making ice cream and fats don't dissolve in base I am making ice cream from this recipe:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/apple-browned-butter-sour-cream-ice-cream-recipe.html (the first variation)
Upon reaching the final mixing step for the base, I find that small clumps of something (I assume fat) are not dissolving at all in the mixture (I've stirred for 10+ minutes with no effect (I don't have a blender)). The recipe warns that I need to completely dissolve the "butterfat" in the emulsion, otherwise the ice cream will be "grainy."
What has happened, and how do I fix it? Preferably without buying exotic ingredients I won't use in the future.

I have deviated from the recipe in these ways:

I have no strainer, so I did not brown the butter as much as is called for and then just let gravity work to strain out the brown particles. I wasn't exactly sure how much to let the butter cool before adding it -- I let it sit for at least 10 minutes before adding it, but it was still molten when I did add it. Within 8 minutes or so the stuff I hadn't added had solified, so it wasn't that hot.
I have pre-made, refrigerated apple cider syrup, so I used that instead of the boiling apple cider. The nutmeg really did not dissolve at all in the syrup even after stirring, but I figured it would do so once I added the syrup-nutmeg mixture to the other ingredients.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Update: I took Russell's advice and heated the mixture up while stirring. That worked to dissolve all the solids!
Update 2: Recipe finally turned out as expected: interesting, not-very-sweet ice cream. Thanks everyone!

Looking at the ingredients in step 3, my guess is that the sour cream is causing the milk to curdle, possibly made worse by the heat from the melted butter.

You might try experimenting with first mixing everything except the sour cream together, then letting it cool completely, and then slowly whisking in the sour cream.

You might also try slowly heating the lumpy mix you already have, and see if whisking it over a low heat helps it to dissolve.

Good luck.


Can grocery store chocolate be used as chocolate coating? Suppose I want to coat a random object in chocolate.

(Because, let's face it, why would you not want to do this??)

Can I simply buy my favorite brand of chocolate, melt it, and pour it over stuff and wait for it to set? Or is that likely to ruin the chocolate in some way?

(The obvious follow-up question being "if that's not the right way to do this, what is?")

Cocoa butter crystallizes into various types of crystals depending on the temperature at which it cools. If the butter cools into an ad hoc assortment of crystal types then they don't arrange themselves uniformly and the chocolate will be dull and sticky.

The process of melting chocolate to encourage proper crystal growth is called tempering.
You will find quite a few questions on the subject here.

You can use any chocolate that contains cocoa butter. However, if you are going to be putting that much work into tempering your chocolate you might spring for the nicer quality chocolate and not just plain Hershey's.

Alternatively, if it meets your needs, you can either serve your chocolate still melted or make a thick syrup/fudge dip that stays soft and doesn't need to be tempered.


Why does a brown paper bag speed ripening? I often see this technique suggested as a way to speed ripening. Why does it?

Also, is there any data available on how fast it ripens comparatively?

Placing fruit in a bag will help hasten the ripening for only a few fruits.  Most fruits will not ripen (ever) once they have been picked.  The only fruits that ripen once they're picked are bananas, avocados, pears, mango, and kiwifruit.  Ripeness in fruits is based on sugar content, not color, thus most tomatoes in grocery stores have no flavor because they were picked green and exposed to ethylene gas to induce color change.  Tomatoes are what are known as a "climacteric fruit" which means they'll change appearance based on climactic conditions but they don't ripen.  Yes, they continue to soften but that's simply the process of cell deterioration know as decomposition.

Some fruits such as peaches, plums, etc. will seem to develop more sweetness as they sit on the counter but that's because they're also losing moisture and the residual sugars are concentrating in the cell walls.

Placing fruit in a paper bag helps to concentrate the levels of ethylene gas which is what helps induce the ripening of the above mentioned fruits (bananas/avocados, etc.). In fact, avocados and pears must be picked in order to ripen.  Pears that are left on the tree will simply rot.   As mentioned previously...  brown paper bags used to be something everyone had around their house so it was a commmon item before the switch to plastic bags.

Have you ever noticed some people like red bell peppers and not green ones?  The reason is due to ripeness.


How to freeze cabbage? I have a glut of home-grown cabbage at the moment, more than I can eat before it goes bad! Is there any way to freeze cabbage (raw, cooked, whole, shredded...) or would I have to make gallons of cabbage soup / pickled cabbage?

I've never had particularly good experiences with freezing cabbage so that it's usable as a "fresh" vegetable afterwards. Personally I'd recommend going down the cabbage soup / picked cabbage route, I'm afraid.


Manwiches made on the stove I am making manwiches for Halloween, how long can I keep it warm on the stove so that the kids can eat off and on during the day?

The Danger Zone for food is between 5 C / 40 F and 60 C / 140 F.

Assuming that you cook your food first, you will exceed the recommended 75 C / 165 F initial heat, so keeping it hot above the danger zone even for hours is safe.

Whether it is a good idea to do so depends a lot on your dish...


Blue Cheese has gone bad? On the outside the white part of the cheese has got a bit yellow and the blue mold has turned green in a bit of places.

On the inside, some tiny bits have become greenish too and some slightly brownish. However the white part didn't go yellow.

The best before date is July the 1st. I store it at the right temp.

Has the cheese gone off for some reason? Should I cut off those bits and eat it? I can eat those bits too? It tastes fine now even the weird coloured parts.

As explained in this Wired video Gordon Ramsay answer twitter questions Blue cheese can't go off.
What it actually can do is turn from blue mold tint to green.

If you search for Bleu de Gex you will see that the cheese is in fact yellow and mold is greenish.

The only thing that would point to bad cheese is it's taste. If the cheese taste ok than it's ok.


What are preaseasoned cast iron pans preseasoned with? I'm shopping for new pans right now and keep seeing cast iron advertized as "preseasoned".  What does this mean?  What are they preseasoning it with?

They're pre-seasoning with some sort of fat. It varies by manufacturer, though soy is probably fairly common (its both cheap and has a high iodine value). For example, Lodge uses soy oil.


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

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

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

There is no chemical difference between adding salt early or late in the cooking process. However, if you salt just before eating, you can take advantage of textural differences between different types of salt. (Kosher salt is flakier and so gives a burst of saltiness that is quite pleasant.) (Some people will say that you should salt earlier to bring out flavors more, but once the salt is dissolved in solution, the chemical effect is the same.)

In general, fresh herbs tend to be added later in the preparation -- with the exception of parsley or dill added to soup early on to flavor the broth. However, if the herbs are added early, they must be removed, since they will lose all their flavor. (The broth will gain flavor, but the herbs will be exhausted.) You'll maintain the bright flavor if you add them late.

Dried herbs tend to react better to longer cooking, with bay leaves in particular requiring lots of time to render out their flavor.

As far as pepper goes, there's a fantastic answer to this question that goes into the chemistry of the volatile compounds in the spice. In general, I find that I prefer adding pepper later in the cooking process.

Garlic, ginger, onions, and other aromatics can be cooked a long time, although the flavor of alliums will change enormously as you cook them. (Garlic, in particular, will change enormously from a sharp flavor when raw or quickly cooked to a rich sweetness when cooked a long time.)


Quick-cooking vs. regular oats for bread I've got a bread-machine recipe for oatmeal bread that calls for either quick-cooking oats or regular oats.  Is there a reason to prefer one over the other?

'Quick cooking' (aka 'instant') oats have been cooked more, and are in smaller pieces than regular (aka. 'old fashioned', aka. 'rolled' oats).

If you'd prefer more texture in the bread, go with the old fashioned oats.
If you're trying to make them less noticable, go with the quick cooking oats.
If you only have one on hand, go with whatever it is that you already have.


How long can I freeze uncooked rice noodles for (not dried but in sealed bag) I live in a rural area and don't have transport so when I get chance to shop I tend to buy in semi bulk and I bought several packs of rice noodles (not the dried ones) and put them in the freezer. How long can I keep them in storage? Thanks for any advice.

Welcome pam! According to this article about rice noodles on  everything2.com , you should be able to store them frozen for up to 2 months. Excerpt below:

  If you really need to store them for a longer period, keep them in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.


How to make 'proper' Caribbean Roti Having been around the Caribbean a few times I got used to eating Roti from street vendors.  Normally young guys and girls who would make them at home, put them into an insulated box and sell them on the street for a few dollars (ec).  The wrapper that these delicious and filling snacks is what makes them so fantastic.  Light, and almost translucent, they somehow manage to contain the spicy/curried contents even whilst the eater devours it.  Now, we can argue about what is truly a Roti, flat beads etc...  but I am not interested in that, I want to know how (and what type of flour to use) to make the covering for what is considered to be a Caribbean Roti.  PS:  The best ones always seem to come from Grenada.

Wikipedia has this, but somehow it is not quite right for what I want.  I have tried looking into rice wraps, not quite the same as they are more Asian. Please help...

Your question intrigued me and I'm curious to know what these rotis are like. I make rotis often and have for a number of decades but I learned how originally from a Punjabi family. I don't really make them the same way as I've developed my own method over time. I use a mix of white flour, whole wheat and soy flour with a handful of wheat germ added. I don't butter mine when finished cooking either. My rotis are soft and hold up well as I also use them as a wrap instead of tortillas or pita bread. So I'm thinking a certain difference in flours can affect how they hold up for wraps.

I did some searching online and found a recipe for Caribbean wraps and filling that's supposed to come from Trinidad. Looking over different Caribbean roti recipes, one thing I noticed is they all have baking powder in them. I've never used it myself for rotis so perhaps that also affects how they turn out. The recipe link I'll give also adds a pinch of yeast that might help. All I can suggest is to try a small batch and see how they turn out.

Here's the recipe link. The part for rotis is at the bottom of the recipe.Trini Roti recipe


Greasing a pan with butter vs. with shortening Is there any reason one should prefer one over the other?

I've always used shortening (probably because that's what my mom always did), but my fiancee has always used butter.

There's no significant difference I can think of (for this application), but I thought I'd ask.

Both will do the job of greasing a pan but there are some differences. One of the big differences is that butter will add a very desirable flavor to whatever you are cooking—which especially complements sweet baked goods.

Shortening is pure fat whereas butter is only about 80% fat by weight. Butter may bring additional flavor to your recipe (even by greasing the pan) but it also adds some water which may not be wanted.

One final difference is that butter burns/browns more easily than shortening.


Looking for a tasteless emulsifier, or a method to mix oily substances into water I've been experimenting with blending flavors into water based drinks, but these experiments have largely ended up with a thin oily layer on top of my watery liquid. What I require is an emulsifier to stabilize my oil-water mixture while:

1) Not adding any additional taste,

2) Not sequestering the taste of my flavor compounds,

3) Will preferably not turn my solution milky.

Some examples that do not work include adding sodium citrate (adds sour salt flavor), PG/DPG (bitter taste), ultrasound sonication (too expensive), and simply waiting for natural diffusion to occur (time-intensive).

Example flavors I am working with include beta-damascone (fruity, petal, apple flavor) and muscone (sweet, musk, vanilla-ish).

Some possibilities I can think of but have not tried include polysorbate, maltodextrin, and using a blender. Any helpful tips would be appreciated.

EDIT: I'd like to add that the flavors do mix if given enough time, albeit slowly, taking at least several days to weeks.

Use soy lecithin powder. Cheapest and easiest place to find it is in the drugstore where drink supplements such as Ensure nutritional drinks are kept for those unable to eat solid food. It lasts forever and has no taste whatsoever. It is the perfect emulsifier when egg yolks or mustard aren't an option. Start with about a teaspoon for your average vinegrette recipe. Can also be used to make vegan mayo in place of egg yolk. Lecithin can also be used to make foams. The proportion needs to be more precise, however. Too much can collapse foams, but when done well, it will last as a foam for hours good luck.


Do you need cheesecloth to wrap around a dry aged beef? If so, how many layers do I need to wrap them and how does it work?

I read from another article, that cheesecloth allows air to pass through while also preventing excessive dehydration since home refrigerators are less humid. But in my case, I control the humidity level at 80%-85% inside the cooler. Do I still need to wrap my beef with cheesecloth even though the environment is controlled?

Cheesecloth is not 'required' for dry aging, but it is helpful. You can substitute a wrapping of paper towels. You want something to absorb the moisture that will be released during the aging process. For a good primer on home dry aging see Alton Brown's "Porterhouse Rules"


How do I clean a vintage carbon steel pastry cutter? How do I remove old rusty spots from a 70-year-old pastry blender & make "food safe"?

Prefer not to use polishes or other volatile, caustic products.

Look up what has been written on restoring carbon steel knives, similar techniques apply.

To clean up loose rust, steel wool, sandpaper and wire brushes will help; afterwards, you might want to try and build a patina by treating it with a food-safe acid (vinegar, lemon...).


Are slightly moldy beets edible after boiling? I have some beets with mold on the stems and top which is hardly visible but has a noticeable smell.

If I cook them for 60 minutes and then peel them, will the beets then be edible?

If it were just mold, I would say you could just cut the moldy portions off prior to cooking. The smell, however, tells me they have turned bad. The mold may very well be more extensive than just on the exterior, it has probably penetrated through the stem to the center of the beet. If food ever in any way ever looks or smells "off" don't use it. Possibly getting sick or even food poisoning is not worth it. There would also probably be a very bad smell in your home while they cooked that would be hard to get rid of. Play it safe and throw them away. I grew up learning the phrase: "when in doubt throw it out." I have no doubt here, though that these beets have gone around the bend.


Sous vide topside beef- what went wrong? So, I’ve had many sous vide successes over the years but yesterday suffered what feels like a big failure and I’ve no idea why.
Long story short, I had a 2kg beef topside joint which I seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper then cooked for four hours at 56C. When I took it out of the water it felt deliciously soft- even delicate. I cooled it immediately in a cold water bath and then left it in the fridge overnight.
The next day I blasted it in the air fryer on as hot as it gets until the fat left on it browned and caramelised. At this point it looked and smelled fantastic.
The problem is that when sliced and served the meat is extremely chewy and not nice at all to eat. Parts of it that were not chewy were absolutely delightful and tasted great but so far the majority of it has needed prolonged chewing then spit out what’s left of that mouthful. It breaks my heart to see a mountain of chewed meat left on a plate!
So I’m wondering what I did wrong? Most recipes online suggested 56C and 4hrs were the correct choices. At this point I’m stumped. Could it just be as simple as a tough piece of meat? What can I do to save it, since I’m not really looking forward to eating any more of it right now?

Your process is in line with the practice of sous vide and cooking beef topside roast, which leads me to believe that the culprit is your particular cut of beef.  Did you purchase at a reputable butcher shop, or pick it up from the shelf of a grocer?  In either case, it might be worth a conversation with a knowledgeable butcher for some advice for next time.  In the mean time, maybe mince or grind the leftovers and use for a pasta filling like an agnolotti.


How should the smoke appear in the exhaust in a kettle charcoal grill I am about to start my BBQ adventure. I intend to buy a Weber charcoal grill. I am going to use it for grilling and smoking. I was listening to a podcast where the desired smoke color was discussed. They claimed thick white smoke to be undesirable, but a clear blue smoke to be preferable.

Why is that? What texture/color is optimal and why? What is going on in the combustion process?

I don't usually pay attention to the color of the smoke. Just don't put anything on the grill/smoker until the charcoal has turned white or gray. This allows them to reach proper temperature as well as burn off and chemicals used to start the fire. If smoking, soak the wood chips or chunks first. They will burn slower and give off smoke longer, which is a good thing for consistent flavoring. A thick white smoke will be given off after first putting on the wood, then slow as the wood burns off. I prefer to keep the smoke less and cook at lower temps for longer periods, as the smoke gets deeper into the meat as opposed to thick on the outside.


Will an IPA beer work properly for beer bread? Is there any reason an IPA beer would be bad or not work for a beer bread dough?
Does it take longer, the same or short than a typical beer bread to rise?

IPA, especially these days, tends to have high bitterness...40 - 60 IBUs in general...often much higher.  Your biggest issue would be whether or not the bitterness would significantly influence the flavor or your bread. As far as the rise, as is mentioned in the comments above, active yeast in the beer may or may not be a factor.  You could always add some yeast to the recipe.


Switching out butter for vegetable oil (like canola) when making caramels Before I ruin a batch, I'd like to check for ideas - are there any potential problems with using vegetable oil instead of butter for caramels?

I already switched out from heavy cream to butter (making some adjustments for quantity) and that turned out well. As a matter of fact, it cooks much faster now.

Just a note - I regularly switch replace butter with vegetable oil for cookie recipes, and they taste fine to me. Also, the caramels I make are flavored (chocolate or licorice) and not plain caramels.

There are some vegan caramel recipes that use coconut oil and/or various nut butters to achieve something similar to normal caramel. I haven't tried making them myself, but a vegan friend has used them for various desserts. I personally find that they can be slightly grainy compared to normal caramel, but the flavour is fine. So, it's certainly possible to make a caramel with vegetable oils. I would look up a few recipes for vegan caramel to get an idea of the correct amounts.

Side note: taste would not be my main concern if I replaced butter with oil for cookies. I would expect the cookies to just not set properly when they cooled down.


Fresh cream versus butter and buttermilk I buy fresh cream and shake it off to get butter and buttermilk for baking.  Would there be any difference if I add the fresh cream directly into the dough instead of the separated butter and buttermilk?

Yes, for two reasons. First, baking involves much more complex chemistry than other cooking, and can be sensitive to things like the the precise way in which things are mixed. Creaming butter and sugar, for example, is not just about combining the ingredients but about developing a texture. Things like development of protein strands and air bubbles and emulsions are vital.

Secondly, the "buttermilk" that remains from making butter isn't likely to be much like the buttermilk in your recipe. When a baking recipe calls for buttermilk, they probably mean cultured buttermilk, which is the leftover stuff with cultures added to it and allowed to ferment like yogurt.


Does the fatty acids in olive oil convert into trans fatty acids when heated? There is not much I can add on the title without going off topic, just was wondering about it.  Any seasoned advice?

No.

Trans fats require a specific process to form. Oil is heated under pressure, and hydrogen gas is injected in the presence of a catalyst. This forces a chemical reaction to occur, resulting in what we call trans fats.

No kitchen is likely to have the ingredients (e.g. hydrogen gas) and equipment necessary for making trans fats. You will not make trans fats by accident in your kitchen through heat alone.

Sources:

American Heart Association
Popular Science: Where Do Trans Fats Come From, And Why Are They So Bad?
Myth Buster: Olive Oil is One of the Safest Oils for Frying and Cooking


What is the difference between preserves and conserves? I will start off by admitting that I do see technical definitions here, but I did not actually learn that there was such a thing as conserves until today.  I am used to putting jelly, or jam or preserves on my toast in the morning, but apparently I can also put conserves on toast as well.  So what is the difference then between the two and how would a cook use them differently?  Is it a regional thing, or are there times one would choose one over the other?  Does one complement certain foods better than the other?

The main difference is conserves are boiled down until they reach a consistency that can heap on a spoon. Preserves generally are not boiled down, and are chunky.


Does kale taste sweeter and more flavorful after being frozen? According to this wikipedia article it does.

However a chef at my restaurant had not heard of this.

The wikipedia article seems to be missing citations, and I don't have time to perform an experiment.

You have misread the Wikipedia quote. It says (emphasis added):

  Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost.

While not terribly well written (since there is the red herring that it freezes well), this doesn't mean that the harvested plant was frozen, but rather that the live plant in the ground was exposed to frost.  This causes it to begin converting starches to sugars in preparation for winter, giving it a sweeter taste.

Per Burpee, for example:

  Frost enhances the flavor. Some of the tastiest kale is harvested
  under a foot of snow! Never harvest kale until after a hard frost or
  two. A few freezing nights make all the difference in flavor as the
  kale plants need a hard frost to transform their starches into natural
  sugars.


Substitute for Nestle Semisweet Chocolate Chips in Australia? I am living in Australia and having a hard time finding a good substitute for Nestle semisweet chocolate chips. What should I look for in a good quality semi-sweet chocolate chip in Australia and where can I find them?

Semi sweet equates to our garden variety dark choc chips in Australia. If like me You're wanting a bit more of a cocoa hit try looking for 70% cocoa cooking chocolate or choc chips. I know Aldi get them from time to time and our Super IGA gets them so I'm guessing the other supermarkets will maybe have them or try european style delicatessens for them.


Scotch oats to substitute Fine Oats in Rum Balls I have a recipe for Rum Balls that calls for "Fine Oats." I couldn't find anything at bulk barn so I ended up with "Scotch Oats" after talking to a rep. I've never eaten oats before so I'm not sure if I can eat these particular oats raw and if I should blend it to make it more powder-like (if that's what fine oats are).

You should be able to figure out pretty easily if you can eat your Scotch oats raw - just put some in your mouth.  Is it hard as a rock, or soft enough to comfortably chew?

Anyway, Scotch oats, which may or may not be the same thing as Scottish oats (depending on the producer) are typically fairly roughly milled uncooked oat groats. If you got yours from Bulk Barn, it may look like this:

I had not heard of fine oats before - probably because they're typically marketed more as a nutritional supplement than a cooking ingredient.

According to The Protein Works,

  Fine Oats are a low Glycaemic Index (GI) carbohydrate that are considered ideal for providing a slow sustained release of energy for an athletes...fine oats are easily added to protein shakes...many sports nutritionists use them in various recipes such as nutritious homemade bars or cakes.

Two things in that description make me think that Scotch oats won't be a perfect substitute.  First, Scotch oats could probably not be added to a protein shake without being cooked first. Second, I don't believe oats are typically considered to have a low Glycemic Index value.  The Mayo clinic lists them as a "Medium GI" food: Glycemic index diet: What's behind the claims

I don't know if something is done to fine oats to change their nutritional properties, or if this is just a disagreement about Glycemic Index labeling.

If you're not concerned about the Glycemic Index value of your rum balls (and it seems hard to imagine low GI rum balls), this doesn't matter.  The only important thing is whether the texture of the Scotch oats be suitable. My sense is that they will be too firm to chew without cooking. Some rum ball recipes call for brief cooking, which may be enough to soften the Scotch oats. But if yours is a recipe that involves no cooking, and if you have the means, you may want to grind those oats more finely.


Why use clarified butter in a bearnaise I love Bearnaise. I use a recipe that calls for clarified butter, but why just not normal melted butter?

Is it purely taste? Or is it because filtering the milk solids away changes how the bearnaise reacts to heat or something else?

You can make make Bearnaise with normal butter. The version with clarified butter has a more subtle and, some say, refined taste. I think the missing milk solids negatively impact on taste, which is why I always use regular butter.


Transporting confections Lately I've been making a lot of chocolate truffles. The problem is, if you put them in a plastic box and drive them somewhere, they rattle around in the car, and end up dented and scratched. How can I prevent this?

Obviously the way the professionals do this (i.e., if you buy a box of chocolates) is to put them into a custom-shaped plastic tray which exactly matches the shape and dimensions of the individual confections.

Now I could buy a box of chocolates and keep the box, but I rather doubt that my home-made sweets would just happen to fit in the same tray. (Their size and shape tends to be rather random.)

Any better suggestions?

One option is paper candy cups (or foil if you're feeling fancier). This is how chocolates are "nestled" in place in many candy boxes when there's no pre-molded tray, there's flexibility in the size of candy that can fit in them, and they are pretty widely available.

Image below is from an Amazon listing. I've also seen them in craft stores and some cooking stores, and there are doubtless lots of internet sources.


What food can contain a hot drink? Tempered chocolate, thickened caramel, even ice can all be used to produce a container (aka cup, mug, glass) for a liquid which, after drinking, can then also be consumed.

Is there an edible material which can be used to create a container for a hot drink? eg: Hot chocolate or coffee?

The other requirement is that this needs to be fairly straightforward to make at home; I'm aware of an espresso cup available in Italy, but this is using industrial techniques by professionals.

I have wondered about using brandy snap, but have only just learned how to make them, so have not had time to experiment.

Bread bowls are frequently used to serve thick soups, so they could probably hold coffee or hot chocolate.  Here is a patent application for an edible cup.  It might give you some ideas.  See also, this project, where an industrial designer is attempting to replace disposable containers with edible ones.  Probably critical is how hot your liquid will be, and how long you want it to be contained.


Can I used induction ready cookware with traditional stoves? I am thinking of buying some induction ready cookware, but I still do not have an induction stove - I am planing to buy this sometimes in the future when redoing my kitchen.

Can I use this induction ready pan on my electric stove without destroying it?

The answer is almost certainly yes. In 99% of cases, you can use that cookware on your normal stove. In the remaining 1%, you can't, but being induction-ready is not the reason why you can't, it just so happens that there are some designs which won't work on a normal stove but will work on induction.

Being induction-ready means that it is made of a ferromagnetic material (or, for sandwich-bottoms, contains a sheet of ferromagnetic material). If you can stick a magnet to it, then it will work on induction. So, in reality, many pots and pans were induction-ready long before there were induction stoves. They were made of stainless or enameled steel, or of cast or forged iron, and that made them suitable for induction. While not every traditional material works with induction, every induction material works with traditional.

The last small percentage that won't work with a traditional stove is not due to material, but due to shape. Take for example a cast iron pan in a shape that is very widespread in the US, with a short iron handle, tiny spout-like indentation on both sides, and a 2 mm high lip circling the bottom. This lip is what makes the pan terrible on an electric stove. It creates an enclosed space between the hob and the pan, into which the hob blasts heat. Not only do you have trouble with properly heating the food (because you now have a thin layer of great insulator - air - between the pan bottom and the heat source), it can also heat up so much that it can melt a ceramic hob. In some other specialized cookware, there is no such enclosed space, but the surface curves away, for example in some induction woks. Since induction heats contactless, that's not a problem, but the electric stove won't manage to heat properly the parts which are not in direct contact.

So, to summarize: If you have a standard pot or pan with a flat bottom that comes in contact with the stove, everything is fine. It will always work on the standard stove, including those which have an induction-ready label. If you have a bottom shape that leaves gaps between large portions of the bottom and the stove, you will have to find out more about the consequences of using it on an electric stove.


Seasoning Mineral B Pan Is the strategy for seasoning a mineral B pan the same as as standard cast iron pan? Is the oiling/baking step necessary? Or do you just let the cooking process season it gradually?

This is the pan in question: http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/mineral-b-element-round-fry-pan

Per the  manual  for your MINERAL B pan, you should season it as follows:

Seasoning: preparing your frying pan
Pour about one millimeter of oil -just to cover the bottom of the pan- and heat it until smoke appears. Next, thrown away the oil in a pan and wipe your pan with paper towels . The more the pan is used, the better the performance. The darker it becomes the better it is for natural nonstick properties.

The manual continues on with use and care instructions.


How can I remove salt from a saline infused pork sirloin roast? How can I remove salt from a saline infused pork roast. I purchased 4 of them.

After making the first one I could not eat it.  I am on a low sodium diet.

Before cooking, Remove any packaging and soak in cold water for 4 - 6 hours changing the water once or twice


What's the best (minimalist) way to cook venison, specifically the backstrap? A friend is trying to cook a recently butchered deer.   He was going to grill it, but was then advised that venison would do better with a slower cooking method.

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

You can cut it into medallions or leave it whole. This is a very lean piece of meat. You can handle it as a steak and fry it in a skillet. However the middle should be (medium) rare, whatever your steak preference is. I would advice against a slow cooker method, but I haven't tried it.

After frying it in the skillet, use the sticky bits to make a wonderful sauce (with some red wine).


What is this bread making technique called? I saw a video wherein a baker made a well in his flour, poured all the formula's water and yeast in the well, then let that sit for a while before proceeding with the rest of the incorporation of ingredients, kneading, etc.

What is this method called? And how does it compare to autolyse (which is from my understanding just flour and water fully incorporated - no well - and without no yeast)?

The "well method" is commonly used in pasta making, though some bread bakers also use it. When one uses an autolyse step in bread making, all the flour is mixed with water.  This begins hydration and enzymatic processes.  With the method you describe, all of the flour making up the "well" is just sitting there...inert.  The only thing I can think of is that the baker in the video is letting the yeast proof before mixing.


My ginger is moist and floppy... has it spoiled? I have a piece of raw ginger root which I bought a couple of weeks ago and stored in the produce drawer of my fridge. I always store my ginger root this way, and it remains usable for weeks.  Today I pulled the piece out and discovered it looked and felt different:

It is a darker yellowish colour
It is flexible instead of crisp and brittle; I can bend it
It is damp, as if it had been soaking in water
It has a tangier, sharper ginger flavour than I remember from other ginger roots

I checked the produce drawer; it is dry.

I suspect that my piece of ginger has spoiled somehow. Does anyone recognise the signs? Am I right?  If it is spoiled, is it a fluke of that specific piece, or am I storing it wrong?

P.S. Following the principle of "when in doubt, throw it out", I set it aside and won't be eating it.

Here is how you can find out further if your ginger has gone bad in the fridge:

extra moist
skin will peel off easily when touched and texture is slimy
obvious blackish, dark yellowish skin
aroma is no longer the fresh one, but rather a ginger aroma covered by a sharp unpleasant earthy smell/mixed smell. You can notice it's going/gone bad.

You may cut it in half and check the inside still. If it looks fresh and smells fresh, then hard-peeling of the skin up to 2-3 mm can still leave you with good piece of ginger. But in order to store this now, you have to slice it, dry and put a zip lock. It can last for about a week.

Ginger is a root and there are ways you can store it without even freezing. I have had the luxury to dig a ginger root when needed. However for the recent years we had been storing it either outside, in an indoor soil basket or in the fridge. All are proven methods that many are successfully using. Otherwise I wouldn't want to blabber...

Keep unpeeled ginger root in an outside rack, e.g. an onion rack, or in a dry place that has proper ventilation. You will see it sprouts and/or dries a bit, but it can last with flesh inside up to a month. You can cut the portion you need and keep it back in this place. This way it doesn't get moist or turn into the texture that you encounter usually by storing in the fridge.
Make sure the root is not damaged by slugs. Get some soil/sand into a bucket, and bury it in it like how you can store winter veggies.
Store it in the fridge by wrapping it with a paper towel or a piece of paper or of thin cloth. Extra moisture will be absorbed by the wrapping.


Does the location of where an octopus was imported from determine the flavor/quality of the meat? I recently bought frozen octopus that was caught and imported from Portugal because the local stores were sold out of the octopus from Spain. There was also a package of octopus imported from Vietnam but the seafood department employee said that wasn't as good. Does anyone know if there is a difference in taste or quality of the octopus meat depending on where it was caught? If so, how extreme is the difference and would the difference be apparent to the person eating it?

actually seafood's country origin does make a very relevant difference. Why? ocean floor type, water tempearture, tradewinds, upwelling and feed availability. Best octopus comes from Spain and Portugal (actually portuguese octopus is the best) Viet, China,  Indonesia or Mexican octopus live in hot water. Portuguese coast has a very mild water temp, from 10 C to 20 C and a lot of sun exposure that triggers phytoplankton blooms. I could expand on this as I am a professional fisherman. Now, any country can import any seafood from anywhere and then label it as "theirs" so one must know which species are native to a certain location. Sustainability is also very imnportant  and both Portugal and Spain are EU members where sustainability is a very serious matter.


Why does my De Buyer pan cause food to burn? My De Buyer Mineral B Element iron fry pan burns everything I cook, even though I’ve been using low to medium heat with non-stick foods (mostly potatoes) and canola oil. The pan has been seasoned with grapeseed oil. I’ve tried varying the amount of oil and potato slice sizes to no success. No matter what, once they are added to the pan, the underside of the potatoes will burn and blacken within seconds.

Then you aren't using "low to medium heat". The heat is defined by how quickly your food cooks, not by the setting on the stove. Lower your heat until the food fries at a reasonable rate. As for the oil, if in doubt, err on the side of adding a bit more than you think you'll need.


Why do yolks break so easily (sometimes)? Separating eggs without breaking the yolk isn't one of those problems that keeps me awake at night. Nevertheless, there are occasions where I can't get a single damn yolk to hold together and other times when I can do anything short of play a round of tennis with 'em.

Could the freshness of the egg determine how likely the yolk is to break? Or maybe the temperature of the egg?

Generally the problem comes not when I crack the egg, but when I start to transfer the yolk from shell to shell.

Yes, the freshness is the factor. In the US eggs are sold in three grades: AA, A, and B (rare). The grading is based primarily on age. AA are the freshest, and B the oldest.

Here is a diagram depicting the internals of an egg:

The characteristics of the freshest eggs are:

A large thick albumen (white)
A small thin albumen
A sturdy thick chalaze
A small air space
A sturdy round yolk when lying flat

As the egg ages the following things happen:

Thick albumen breaks down, getting smaller
Thin albumen gets larger
Chalazae degrades getting thinner and weaker
Air space increases
Yolk membrane weakens, when cracked it lies flatter
Embryo may become visible as a red speck

As a result of the weakening membrane the yolk is indeed easier to break. Michael's suggestion to use your fingers to separate the eggs is spot on. The edge of an egg shell is a little too risky for reliable separation of eggs.


Relation between concentration of sugar in syrup VS its spoil rate My mother recently created a Centella asiatica vegetable juice.

She states that we should add some sugar (e.g. 2 tea-spoons for 1.5 liter of vegetable water) to reduce the spoil rate of the juice.

I disagree because I feel that the concentration rate is too low for that - it would increase the spoil rate instead.   However, it bases on just my feeling.

My assumption :-

I believe water, sugar and honey can be stored almost forever, but syrup has relatively short storage time.

There has to be some figures of sugar concentration (e.g. X gram of sugar per 1 liter of water) that make the spoilage rate maximum (parabola?), right?

Question :-

How is the relation between sugar concentration and spoil rate?
How much it can be applied to vegetable juice?

Please also provide some graph/reference/research to support your answer because the belief will impact the rest of my life.

Edit:
Here is what I interpret Juliana Karasawa Souza's answer :-

For a clear direct response for your question: yes, there is a correlation between sugar concentration and spoil rate. The correlation is actually between any kind of solute and spoil rate, so that's the reason for using salt and sugar as agents for preserving foods.

The technical name is "water availability" and the maths behind that is "free water equivalent". That's because bacteria and other microorganisms need what we call "free water" to grow and reproduce - if the water is "bound" to other components like sugar or salt, they cannot be used for growing.

The minimal concentration of sugar is 65% weight by weight if it is a simple solution of sugar in water (a.k.a. simple syrup)

If you want to use less sugar, you have to include other chemicals (called preservative agents) to prevent spoilage and bacterial growth.

Here is the easiest to digest information I could find for how to do the calculation, without getting into many technical details on the chemical properties


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

I can't read French fluently (or quickly), so I missed any specifics there.
It looks like you probably already cooked your fruit puree? If not, you should. Various fruits contain enzymes that will actively break down the gelatin protein and prevent it from setting properly. This would typically leave a bitter taste. But this might not be your problem.
The other thing you can try is simply using more gelatin powder. 2.25 teaspoons will set about 2 cups of liquid to a fairly soft consistency. You can increase the amount of gelatin to get a firmer, non-sticky gelatin sheet.
I will occasionally make gelatin "noodles" for dessert by 1) hydrating roughly 1/4 cup of unflavored gelatin with 1/2 cup of water, 2) and melting the lump of gelatin in 2 cups of whatever flavored/sweetened liquid I like. I let it set in a non-stick baking dish, or just a Pyrex dish, and generally gave no issue removing the sheet from the pan or slicing it into noodles. The edges might stick, but generally once the seal is broken, the gelatin can be slowly, gently pulled off the bottom of the pan. It will stretch a bit without breaking.
That works out to nearly 4 times the amount of required gelatin. I haven't experimented with reducing that amount since it serves my purposes, but there is plenty of room to do so. The texture of this gelatin is very firm, but it will still melt in your mouth, if more slowly, and is not rubbery or chewy. It also is not the least bit sticky.


Reconciling Food Safety Tips: Food vs Water I've never understood why water found in the wild should reach a temperature of about 200 to be safe, but food leftovers only need to reach 165 to be considered safe. Does someone know the reason for this difference?

165F will kill many things and leave meat proteins very tasty. That is why it is the recommendation for meat.

Water doesn't burn when heated past 165F. And if heated to boiling (212F) not only will it kill more things faster but it is easier to tell when you get there. Who carries a thermometer with them when they go hiking?


Why does Weikfeild cocoa powder does not taste bitter? Ingredients of Weikfeild cocoa powder. https://sites.google.com/site/cocoaexposed/cocoa-confectionery/product-survey/weikfield--cocoa

It says it has 0 sugar. So, why does it not taste horribly bitter when I taste it?

I add it to coffee without any sugar and I do not notice any extreme bitterness.

Why is that so?

I'm not familiar with that brand, but cocoa powder can be processed differently. The major categories are "natural" and "dutch processed", the latter being less acidic and having a somewhat milder flavor. And of course various brands may vary.


My brownies are flat I have followed the following recipe for my brownies:
Ingredients:

1/2 cup sunflower oil
3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Oreos (about 15)

However, the batter didn't seem enough for my 9" x 9" brownie tin. What can I add to make the batter consistency cover my entire tin? Because at the moment my brownies have become really flat and have not risen. What am I doing wrong?

Brownies are usually not supposed to rise. If your recipe calls for beating the eggs then the eggs may provide a tiny bit of leavening, but the final result will still be about as thick as what you put into the oven. Brownies are typically a dense cake and therefore shouldn't rise very much.
Brownie batter is typically very thick, so you may need to spread it out using a spatula before baking. If there's not enough batter to cover the entire tin when you try to spread it out, then you are using a tin that's too big. Not all brownie recipes are made for a standard brownie tin. You need to check the notes for the recipe and make sure you're using a pan with the same dimensions (or at least same surface area) as the recipe states.


Fresh pearl onions vs frozen Our recipe called for frozen pearl onions & I only found fresh.  What do I need to do to the fresh ones?

Fresh ones will require peeling, and probably slightly longer cooking, as the freezing process tends to break down some of the cell membranes. The frozen ones are typically pre-peeled.

The easiest way I've found to peel pearl onions is to score them accross the top in an X pattern with a paring knife, dip them in a pot of boiling water for 15 seconds or so, shock in an ice bath. Then, one by one, grab them by the stem-end, and squeeze gently -- the onions will typically pop right out of the peels!

Again, depending on the dish, you may have to cook them a little bit longer. If it's a fast saute or stir fry, you may want to leave them in the boiling water for another 30-60 seconds when you're peeling them to soften them up more. If it's a long braised or stewed dish, I wouldn't bother.


Mascarpone left outside fridge overnight - still usable? I forgot the mascarpone yesterday, so it sat in my bag in the living room for half a day and the night, instead of in the fridge.

The question is, of course, is it still ok to use? It looks fine, of course, or I wouldn't be asking.

Cheese is a cultured product, so you should follow the advice in the question:

How do you know when a cultured item is no longer safe to consume?

Since it's been acidified and (if it's store bought) probably also pasteurized, it's very unlikely that any harmful bacteria would be able to compete with the "good" bacteria. Most cheese never go bad in this way - they just go sour, rancid and/or grow mold.

Which means that if it looks fine and smells fine and tastes fine, it should still be safe to eat.

Cheese is essentially preserved milk; it was originally intended to be stored at room temperature (before refrigeration existed), it just keeps its quality longer in the fridge.


Pressure Canner vs pressure cooker I am wondering what the difference is between a pressure canner and a pressure cooker? Will they do the same thing? Isn't the difference mainly in the size e.g.: width of the bottom?? Thanx...

A pressure cooker basically has two settings, high (about 12.5 psi for electric, and 15 psi for stovetop) and low (4 to 7 psi). There are no gauges to accurately specify the pressure in pressure cookers.

Pressure canners, on the other hand, are generally larger, and are equipped with accurate gauges so that the user can measure the exact pressure inside the pot.  It is this accurate measure of pressure (and time) that is necessary to safely can food.


What to do with left-over rices from Chinese takeouts? Nobody here eats much of the rice, that Asian restaurants include with take-out orders. Three people can finish their entries sharing a single box of rice. But we don't like to throw out food either.

There are currently five boxes of cooked white rice aging in the refrigerator -- is there something cool I can do with it to make it palatable to the rest of the family? Thanks!

Apart from the Fried Rice mentioned.

Rice Cakes - not the polystyrene looking discs.

Wor Bar/Puffed rice cake (Shape is strictly personal preference)
 drying/dried wor bar
 fried wor bar
 fried wor bar

Pressed/shaped rice cakes are dried, before frying into a puffy rice cake, to be eaten on it's own or with some dip/seasoning, or as a crispy sizzling base for a saucy dish).

The rice needs to be wet/sticky enough to squish together form a cake (alternatively add some flour, try 1 tablespoon per cup of rice), before leaving to dry on a rack, low oven, or a dehydrator.
Once dry, deep fry in hot oil until all the rice puffs up (ideally the rice stays white, but fry as long as you prefer)

Mi Xiang - Puffed rice cake
 mi xiang being pressed/rolled
 mi xiang bars

Puffed rice with a binding agent (honey, syrup, or caramel), typically mixed with roasted peanuts, sesame and/or coconut (however, any fruits, nuts, or grains can be added), before being compressed, then cut into bars (similar to a flapjack/granola bar)

Puffed rice - Cooked Rice can be dried, then placed into hot oil, which will puff up similar to 'rice krispies'
Jhaal muri
Puffed rice mixed with a selection of spices, and optionally other fruit, vegetables, nuts or sauces.
Deep fried rice balls/Arrancini  - A deep fried rice ball, which can be stuffed with filling and/or coated (breadcrumbs, flour, nuts, etc)
Rice Tamales A rice parcel with sweet or savory fillings, that is wrapped (bamboo leaf, banana leaf, corn husk, etc) before being boiled or steamed.
Onigri - A compressed oval/triangular shaped rice, can be plain or filled, and/or wrapped with a sheet of roasted seaweed 'nori'.
The completed Onigri can be grilled, broiled, or pan fried into 'Yaki Onigri'
Thickening agent - Soups and stews can be thicken as the rice absorbs liquid and breaks down.
Sushi - gunkan, nigri, maki, temaki, oshi sushi, inari sushi, etc.
Chirashi sushi - A bed of rice (seasoned with vinegar), with toppings covering the rice.
(Cheat's) Hainanese Chicken Rice - A Boiled chicken and rice dish, originally from Hainan, China.
(Cheat's) Congee - A rice soup/gruel/stew , which can be flavoured with stock, meat or vegetables.
If you steam or broil a dish, try using rice as a bed, it will heat up and absorb any sauces or juices.

There seems to be a number of leftover rice recipes on the internet.


Problem with crepe batter collecting on spreader Ok so here’s the deal, I’ve already read the thread someone else posted about “how can I spread crepe batter before it cooks”. I’m having a different issue and I’m at my wits end. Here’s what I’m using... Krampouz CEBIR4 crepe griddle, wooden spreader, Krampouz round greaser, 14” long thin steel spatula, 230°C (445°F), griddle HAS been pre seasoned as per Krampouz instruction, using exact krampouz sweet crepe recipe AND have also tried the Pancake-world.com French crepe recipe (both from scratch and made to the exact recipe method including resting in refrigerator). After a lite greasing of the surface I pour the batter on and as soon as the batter hits the griddle the first problem begins which is an almost boiling of the batter. Then upon attempting to spread with the spreader, the batter litterally collects on the spreader creating an impossible to spread clumped mess. Yes the batter is smooth before I begin and yes the spreader was resting in hot water before I begin. This happens every single time. I’ve attempted to adjust the temp down... no change. Attempted to add more milk...same result. If I’m following every last detail about this process to the letter, why in the hell is the batter sticking to the spreader??? Oh and yes I tried a steel spreader too... same result. No I am not pressing down on the spreader. Trying to cover all comments people are going to ask me. Anyway, someone please help. Thanks.

I have the an earlier model of this griddle, and have made hundreds of buckwheat crepes (galettes) on it, so here's some advice based on my own experience.

Your answer is in your description: "After a lite greasing of the surface I pour the batter on and as soon as the batter hits the griddle the first problem begins which is an almost boiling of the batter."

The griddle is way too hot.  You need to turn it down more.  If you can't turn it down enough to not get the batter to foam on contact, then you have a defective griddle that's too hot and you should return it.  It's possible that it's too hot because you're letting it sit for a long time with the heat on before using it; for some reason the griddle seems to build up heat as it sits.  In that case, wipe it with a wet paper towel to bring the heat under control.

The correct heat is when the batter sets right when it hits the griddle, but does not boil, foam, or immediately turn brown.  As many times as I've used the griddle, I generally have to fiddle with the heat level and ruin one crepe before I can get it right.  In the model I have, the heat dial is labeled 1-10 instead of with temperatures, and I generally have it set to 2 or 3 ... no higher (so probably 120C to 150C on yours).

Snefel is right that you may also be greasing your griddle too much.  Personally, I grease it with 1 tsp of butter before the first crepe, and not again after that.


What oil has a smoking temperature high enough for broiling? Lately we have been broiling vegetables in the oven with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on them, but we keep setting off the smoke alarm in the kitchen although the vegetables come out deliciously. What oil has a high enough smoking temperature to be appropriate?

If you like the taste but not the fire alarm, either turn on your hood/vent or disconnect the fire alarm while cooking. If the flavor isn't burned, changing the oil will likely change the flavor as olive oil has a distinct flavor that is missing in other oils.

If this isn't a solution for you, choose any neutral, high smoke point oil you like. Canola is  popular choice for most vegetables. It has little flavor and a decently high, 400°F/205°C, smoke point, somewhat higher than olive oil's 325-375°F/165-190°C.

For a really high smoke point, try safflower (510°F/265°C), or even light olive oil (465°F/240°C), though you may have the slightly lower soybean or peanut oils (450°F/230°C) in your kitchen already. The chart lists peanut as "neutral" but I tend to feel it has a flavor and it has the added issue of being a no-go for people with peanut allergies.

If you have the time, you might also consider clarified butter (450°F/230°C), which should be delicious with vegetables.


Cheap sources of protein? Soy meat, flax seeds and peas are probably the best known such sources. Are there other cheap sources of protein?

Chick peas/Garbanzo beans, lentils, and other legumes (black beans, Great Northern beans), and nuts (nuts are a bit pricier). Cheap and vegan/vegetarian friendly!


Can you heat up a pudding mixture with cool whip? I'm making a dessert that needed instant pudding, but I got the cooking one by accident. I added it without realizing. The mixture is the pudding, milk, and cool whip. If I heat it up, will it ruin the cool whip part? Will it be okay? I don't wanna ruin it. Thanks!!!

I've never tried heating cool whip, but your only option is to try. Instant pudding will set without heating it, but if you don't cook a heat-set pudding mix it will stay runny, so there's 3 possible outcomes:

Don't heat it - ruined
Heat it and the cool whip goes wrong - ruined
Heat it and it works - success

You lose little by trying.


Saving spoiling mushrooms? Are there any recipes specially for mushrooms that are on their way out, like making banana bread from over-ripe bananas?

It depends what you mean by "on their way out". If they are just starting to develop a slimy sheen, cook them as soon as possible - much more than that and you'll want to throw them away.

In this state they should be OK to slice into sauces like bolognese.

You could cut them into a very fine dice and gently fry in butter. The resulting delicious black mush is a good omelette filling, or you can refrigerate/freeze it to use later as an umami additive for sauces.


Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels substitution What can be substituted for Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels in a recipe, I don't have any in my home.  I have not been able to try anything yet.

The flavored varieties of Jack Daniels (and most other brands, really) are nothing more than the same base whiskey, cut with additives including neutral spirits, sugar, and water.  You can very easily add those last at home.

Make a honey syrup by combining honey and boiling water in equal amounts by volume in a heat-proof container; stir this until combined, allow to cool, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This is both easier to mix with alcohol (just ask a bartender) and will provide some dilution.

Honey has about 17 grams of sugar per tablespoon (which equals 1/2 oz) and we've diluted it by half (so we now have the same sugar content of 17 grams per 1 oz). There's no exact information available for Tennessee Honey, but one estimate pegs the sugar content at about 6 grams in a 1.5 oz serving (which we'll convert to 4 grams per 1 oz). Many of these commercial liqueurs also include other additives which add a sweet taste and mouthfeel, so we'll err on the side of sweetness.  A little napkin math then tells us that 1 oz of honey syrup should be enough to sweeten 3 oz of standard Jack Daniel's (producing 4 total oz with 17 grams of sugar, for 4.25 g/oz). You can also use just about any other bourbon out there; Jack Daniel's tends to be a little sweeter in general, but we've accounted for that to a degree already.

You can ramp this up or down for any amount needed, using the same ratio of 1 part honey syrup to 3 parts Jack Daniel's (or bourbon).  And yes - that is a lot of sugar.


Does water boil faster with the lid on? When bringing water to a boil from cold water, what effect does a lid have on the time to boil? Does it increase or decrease the time? How much? Why?

Yes, water does boiler measurably faster with the lid on.

The reason is simple:  in order to boil, water must be heated to the boiling point (okay, that was obvious).  However, while heat is being introduced at the bottom of the pot, heat is also being lost at the top of the pot, through three means:  evaporative cooling, and air convection of heat away from the surface of the water, and radiation from the surface (this last is probably the least significant).

Its like going outside with your hat off--you need to work harder to stay warm, because you are loosing heat faster.  Similarly, the flame has to introduce energy to make up for the cooling at the top of the pot.

With the lid on the pot, convective cooling will be substantially curtailed, as cool air will not be able to circulate directly onto the surface of the water to cool it; radiative cooling will be slightly reduced, because heat will have to radiate or convect to the lid, to then radiate from there.

Additionally, with the lid on the pot, the evaporated water cannot diffuse or convect into the room.  It will soon reach vapor pressure equilibrium and begin condensing almost as fast as it evaporates, returning much of the latent heat of evaporation as almost as fast as it is lost (it is not a total recovery, because the pot with lid is not air tight).

So the largest of the cooling effects will be curtailed.

The hat is on the pot, as it were :-)

This article at Mind Your Decisions shows actual home experimental measurements.  Boiling 16 ounces of water:

  The covered pot boiled quicker at 4 minutes and 15 seconds. The
  uncovered pot took an extra 30 seconds to boil at 4 minutes and 45
  seconds.

You will have to decide if the time difference matters to you.  It certainly will cut your electric or gas bill a small amount.

It is the reduced cooling--essentially--insulation like a hat, that is the true effect of the lid.


When can't I use a squash in a recipe which calls for pumpkin? I am not even sure what the difference between squash and pumpkin is - the botanists seem to not recognize it at all, and cooking sources on the Internet are contradictory. I tend to not pay attention and use whatever is available for any recipe which calls for pumpkin (I don't think I've ever tried recipes which specify squash). But recently, I had a talk in chat where derobert suggested that squash may not function in all situation.

When can I continue using squash instead of pumpkin, and when should I expect a difference? And what would the difference be, just a change in taste, or the dish failing completely?

I agree that, in general, other squashes can be substituted for pumpkin. I have tried some different types of squashes but obviously there are many more that I haven't tried.

There are definitely differences in flavor- these will obviously change a dish but not ruin it.

The biggest differences I have run into are water content and texture.

When roasting squash the cooking time might need to be adjusted to obtain a product with the needed consistency. Using pie as an example- I have had to adjust my cooking to avoid a runny pie filling. Obviously in some recipes, such as soup, this won't be as important.

Some squash, such as spaghetti, have stringy textures that would be odd where smooth pumpkin is expected.


Is it OK to reheat hash browns the next morning? Hash browns are delicious and delectable, but I do not have time to cook them every morning. I was wondering if it was OK to cook hash browns tonight and them eat them cold or reheat them in the microwave for 10 seconds the next morning? Will I have to keep them in the fridge, or just covered for the night? These are the hash browns that I will be using:

Frozen hash browns like that are already pretty much cooked. When you bake them, you're really just heating them up and crisping the outside.

If you cook some then save them, they're going to lose a lot of that crispiness no matter what you do. If you eat them cold they'll be, well, cold. If you heat them in the microwave, they'll soften even more. If you still like them, go for it.

Safety-wise, it's fine. You do need to keep them in the fridge, as with pretty much any other leftover food.


What specific sugars are found in apple cider, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar? My wife has a chronic, not-very-well-understood GI condition that includes hyper-sensitivity to certain foods.

We're looking to more information about the chemical composition of various foods for both healthcare and home-cooking purposes.

In particular, she has observed that:

She can consume both apples and apple cider (hard or regular) about as well as a typically healthy adult.
Apple juice causes her significant intestinal distress.
Even a tiny whiff of apple cider vinegar sets off her gastric symptoms immediately. (She can, however, safely consume other vinegars, such as white, red wine, balsamic, or rice wine vinegar.)

Are there chemical differences between apple cider, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar – such as transformations of the sugars due to fermentation of heating – that could explain this?

There certainly are chemical differences between apples and commercially purchased apple juice, but it's impossible to tell what they are, they are trade secrets.

Apple juice bought in stores is not "apples squeezed then bottled", such a juice would become unappetizing before it was transported out of the factory. Juices are high tech products - "100% apple" just means that all ingredients were derived from apples, but the producer can have changed them in whatever ways it saw fit, before making a final product with the right consistency and aroma.

If you are talking about freshly squeezed apple juice at home, the only chemical difference between that and whole apples is the oxidation of some antioxidants in the apple, mostly polyphenols. The sugars are not changed chemically.


What electronic tools are recommended for a cooking journal? I am embarking on a project to cook every recipe in the "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread" cookbook. I would like to maintain a cooking journal, something similar to a lab book, to document my observations as I attempt each recipe.  The objective is to prefect my bread making method. I prefer electronic methods of maintaining the journal for efficient referencing.

For simply a time investment, you can use one of the free blogging services (blogger is pretty popular).


Is it better to use oranges that are under-ripe or over-ripe to make marmalade? I have some slightly under-ripe oranges, and will be leaving the house shortly. Would I be wasting time to try to make them into marmalade?

Under ripe oranges are actually desirable for marmalade, as they tend to have more pectin, which helps to give the marmalade its jammy, gelatinous consistency. So have at it!


Difference between tzatziki and Indian mint dip (mint chutney?) What is the difference between a tzatziki dip and an Indian mint dip? Aren't both just yogurt and mint? Or o is the difference that tzatziki also has some cucumber in it? Also, while tzatziki looks predominantly white Indian mint dips are green throughout, so do the latter have some natural color. What's the difference between how these two dips are prepared?

EDIT: I'm talking about the dip on the left in the picture below (which is served in many Indian restaurants with papadums as a starter dish). From the Wikipedia entry for chutney, a chutney may be a yoghurt, cucumber, and mint dip (is this what this is?).

Just for the reference, here is a tzatziki sauce I've made:

So pardon my ignorance, but why is a tzatziki not a chutney? Anyways, I want to know what this papadum appetizer dip is called and how to make it. That should make my question clear enough. Thanks.

And also, what is the difference between a chutney and a relish?

As far as I'm aware, the traditional Greek tzatziki doesn't generally include mint at all.

It's a cucumber dip that is made of yogurt and sometimes includes dill or mint as a flavoring:

  Tzatziki (Anglicized: /tsɑːtˈsiːki/ }; Greek: τζατζίκι [dzaˈdzici] or [dʒaˈdʒici]) is a Greek sauce served with grilled meats or as a dip. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sometimes dill. American versions may include lemon juice, mint, or parsley.

The main ingredients in all of the recipes I've looked at in researching this, are yogurt and cucumber and the flavorings are usually dill but occasionally either dill or mint. The Indian mint dip doesn't ever contain cucumber, as far as I know.

So, no I don't think they're similar products at all, mostly because tzatziki isn't "mint sauce" it's "cucumber sauce" that may happen to include mint.


Benefits of vinaigrette vs. pouring oil and vinegar separately on salad? I was reading Essentials of classic Italian cooking by Marcella Hazan where I noticed she first pours a lot of olive oil to "protect the salad" from the vinegar as it prevents the acid from doing its "cooking". So, that is one unproven benefit I know of.

I am also interested in taste differences. If it tastes about the same I would much rather not spend all that time making a vinaigrette. The consistency of the liquid would obviously be different - does that give a different mouthfeel perhaps?

Any experienced salad makers here with some insights?

A vinaigrette is not a stable emulsion so it will eventually separate- however it will stay together long enough for the salad to be immediately served and eaten.
I find that pouring the oil and acid separately creates a salad with a mouthful of olive oil coating the leaves and pool of vinegar at the bottom of the plate.

It's true that the oil in a vinaigrette will eventually wilt the salad but that is why it should be added at the last minute or even after the salads have been portioned.


Time and Temperature to bake small fruit cakes I want to bake fruit cakes in foil pans holding about 1 1/4 cups of batter. Should I use bain marie ? What temperature oven will be best and for approximately how long

Recipes for fruitcake vary tremendously, without more information there isn't any way to say how long and at what temperature. I looked at several recipes, and none called for a bain marie, but some do recommend a pan of water below the cake to provide moist heat.

You might find this Food Network Recipe helpful, because it gives directions for various cake sizes, but the directions are for this particular recipe, not yours. If I were using that link as a guide, I would use a temp of about 260-265F and start testing the cakes for doneness at about 1.5 hours.

All of the fruitcake recipes I looked at use a skewer or toothpick stuck in the center to test for doneness. The cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean.


What are potential causes of splitting in baked pie dough? I'm trying to identify some potential causes to what might cause the splitting (pictured below).

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

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

Is it really "splitting," or is it just not tough enough to support the contents of those delicious looking little hand-pies there? It looks like it might be great (tender and delicious) for a pie in a pie-pan which doesn't need so much structural strength.

I think this dough is too short & delicate and/or rolled out too thin for this purpose. It would provide more support if you either added a little more flour and water (proportionately -- in other words: less shortening), worked it a little more to develop a little tougher gluten, or maybe simply rolled it into a little bit thicker sheet. I bet it won't be quite as tasty if you do that, but might be mechanically a little more effective.

Also, I'm not 100% clear on the sizes in the photo, but perhaps the dough could work better as-is if the pies were made a little smaller, ... if that is feasible at all. Since I guess pies scale like other things; the bigger they are, the less delicate they can afford to be.


How do I reduce the sugar in this recipe without affecting the taste? How do I make my Italian sweet sauce be lower in sugar without affecting the taste? Last time I made it I was 5, as a result there is a lot of bugs that I need corrected, but I'm starting with the sugar problem first. I don't have much of a sense of taste/smell.(I don't want to eat too much sugar.)

Use an artificial sweetener. There's no single best one, just pick whatever suits your tastes. The packaging will hopefully have conversion factors (or you can look them up online). They probably won't be perfect, but they'll give you a starting point for how much to use to replace the sugar in the recipe.


Should you wash raspberries? I know, the hard and fast rule is to wash all your produce, but I have the hardest trouble washing raspberries. They inevitably get waterlogged and lose so much texture no matter how gentle I am. I see raspberries on cooking shows and online recipes and it's obvious the raspberries have not been washed. I have a very discerning eye. (wink) So should they be washed or not?

Like anything else food-related it's a matter of risk. If I'm picking raspberries straight off of my bush I often eat them without washing, but if I have a lot of them from the store I wash them as I don't know what they have been exposed to in packing and transit. Many people do not do this and get away with it just fine, occasionally someone gets sick. How much of a risk it is depends on the source of the berries, how they are packed, etc. and most of the time this is a complete unknown.
As for how to clean them it's important to be gentle, especially with very ripe raspberries as they can easily break apart. It's similar with blackberries, when I collect wild berries I accept that I will lose 5-10% of them in washing as some of them simply dissolve for lack of a better word. I minimize this by gently filling the container with water, soaking then for a few minutes, agitating them gently with my hand, then draining them. If they are good and solid you don't have to be this careful.
Raspberries don't absorb water, it's the cavity that gets filled up that gives that impression, so to drain them effectively I tilt them in all directions, letting the water run out no matter the orientation of each berry.


When to add the rye flour if it really makes a difference? I wish to use a small amount of rye in my wheat sourdough bread, because supposedly it improves the flavor of the bread.

What I'm wondering is whether it makes a difference if I introduce this rye flour into the levain or if it is better to put it into the final dough mix. What would make more sense from a scientific point of view?

Putting the rye in the levain will make a few positive differences:

The rye will give the yeast a different food source, so the flavors the yeast produces may be subtly different
It gives the flavors from the rye grain longer to permeate the dough
Rye is often used in sourdough starters because of its natural yeasts. Natural yeasts add complex flavors, the earlier these are introduced the longer they have to contribute these flavors to the end result

These differences may be very subtle though, especially since you are adding a small amount of rye. There's no downside to adding it earlier, so no reason not to try.


Are soft root vegetables edible? I bought some parsnips two days ago. Today they are slightly soft. Are they safe to use? (The goal is a mashed root dish, so unless there's a safety issue the softness shouldn't matter.)

Yes. If they're not mouldy, rotting, or unpleasant-smelling, carrots, parsnips etc. are safe even quite floppy. When parsnips go bad you often get very soft brown areas that grow quite fast - avoid.

Mashing or stewing root veg that's past its best texture is a good way to use it up.


How much Omega-6 does sprat have? I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I couldn't find this information, I looked for two days. How much omega-6 do sprats have, does anyone know?

Fish contain very little n-6 (Omega-6 aka linoleic) fatty acids by nature. Most of the n-6 fats are contributed by vegetable sources during processing, such as vegetable oils used in coatings or pre-cooking. The amount of n-6 fats will depend on how the fish is processed and in which oil.

The US National Library of Medicine has a brief article at this page. Info on n-3 and n-9 fatty acids in sprats can be found here


Can you use bread flour that is 2 months past the best use by date? I've got some bread flour that has been in the refrigerator that has a best use date of Sept. 2015, and it's now Nov. 2015, is it okay to still bake with it?

The purpose of "best used by" date, on most products, is an indicator of freshness, as opposed to safety.  Of course, things like temperature, light...storage conditions in general, also impact product quality.  So there are several variables to consider.  As pointed out above, give it a look, give it a smell...if it passes those tests give it a try.


Keeping pizza crust from getting soggy from fresh tomatoes Whenever I make a pizza with fresh tomatoes on it, the juice from the tomatoes turns the crust to mush.

I think I must be doing something wrong - do I need to pre-cook the tomatoes to get rid of excess juice? Or maybe pre-cook the crust instead?

Is there any way to keep pizza from getting soggy when using fresh tomatoes, or is this just a problem with using fresh tomatoes as toppings on pizza, and there is no way to prevent it?

Here are a few things that have worked for me:

Brush oil on the dough before applying toppings.  (Already suggested)
Scoop out the seeds and guts and then dice your tomatoes instead of slicing.  This should get rid of some of the moisture.
Add cheese and then place tomatoes on top.
Stretch your dough evenly and not too thin.

I usually don't precook tomatoes (sauce at least) because it ends up getting gummy since they get cooked twice.