Uses for radish and turnip greens? Got a lovely bunch of radishes and turnips from the farmer's market, giant mass of greens included.

Can I use the greens for anything aside from compost?  Are they edible?  Worthy of salads? Stir-fry?

Turnip greens are a very common food in Southern US cooking. The smaller baby leaves are good for salads since they have a milder flavor and are more tender. Larger leaves are best cooked.

You'll definitely want to rinse them thoroughly in a sink full of cold water. They tend to have a lot of dirt and bugs on them. Just fill the sink and dump your greens in, jostling them around with your hand. This allows the sediment to sink to the bottom.

The typical southern preparation involves boiling them for 30 minutes, dumping the green water (and much of the bitterness), and then boiling another 15 minutes with some bacon or ham hocks. They are then drained, salted to taste, and served with either tabasco, vinegar (malt is good), or butter.


Did tomato paste come in only one size of can in the 1950s? I found an old cookery book while on holiday at the german coast, it was published by Peter Pauper press, Mt. Vernon, New York in 1959.

All recipes that use tomato paste just say "1/2 can tomato paste (italian style)" without giving any weights or other measurements.

So, did tomato paste only come in one size in the 1950s? If so, which size was it? And would "italian style" denote anything special like it containing herbs or anything like it?

(I'd like to try some of the recipes at some point, but currently I've got no idea how much to use and if it should be anything other than plain tomato paste...)

From: http://www.ellenskitchen.com/pantry/cansize.html

  Can sizes change over time, important if you are adapting an older
  recipe. Prior to 1980's), #303 was the popular size for most fruits
  and vegetables.;

  No. 303 = 16-17 oz.(1 lb.-1 lb.-1 oz.) = 2 cups = 4 servings;

  Principal size for fruits and vegetables.  Also some meat products,
  ready-to-serve soups, specialties.

Tomato paste has, as far as I know, always come in size 1/2 (6 ounce) cans, at least since I began using it, starting in the mid 1960s.

Think this is what you are looking for.

There are lots of information bits on line, search; 'can sizes'.

cheers


What can replace milk in crepes? I want to make crepes, but I am out of milk.  Can I still make crepes?  What can replace milk in this application?

I do have yogurt, beer, eggs, cream, butter, flour, salt, and sugar.

Try watered down cream, as you'll still get some of the milkfat, but you don't want quite as much.

Water would probably also work for your crepes, although it would change the taste.


Why boil milk in desserts? In desserts like panna cotta or crème brûlée, why do you always boil the milk/cream? What does boiling do to the milk?

I am not sure that the boiling step is absolutely necessary, but it is definitely an easy way to heat to a known temperature (rather than saying "heat to 180 degrees" and people complain because they don't have a thermometer). Or, it could just be because generations of chefs have done it that way and nobody thought to ask why. Either way, it is typical to heat the dairy, temper the eggs (creme brulee) or dissolve the gelatin (panna cotta) with that, and then finish cooking (gently heat to the desired consistency) for the creme brulee or just chill the panna cotta.

With that said, I have successfully made thin custards for ice cream/ gelato sous vide without first boiling the dairy and they have received wonderful reviews from my wife. Also, this recipe for panna cotta specifically cautions you to not boil the mixture.


Making dumplings without a snug lid I'm making Chicken and Dumplings for dinner tonight but I had forgotten that I loaned out my usual Dutch oven, I won't be able to get it back in time. That leaves me with two choices, I can use my back up Dutch oven, but it's a bit small for the massive batch I'd like to make (I'm in the mood to share). It does have a tight fitting lid though. My other option is a nice big pot, perfect size, but it doesn't have a lid. I have a skillet lid that almost fits, but it leaves a gap of about 1/4 inch by 3 inches. How important is a snug lid to fluffy dumplings?

My dumplings will be flour, baking powder, salt, milk, schmaltz and thyme. They'll be dropped on thickened stew.

As far as a I know, the lid is not really necessary for this style of dumpling at all.  The only affect it will have is to increase the level of steaminess above the waterline, and very slightly prevent the dumplings from drying out.  That is rarely a problem, especially if you flip the dumplings half-way through cooking.

Your not quite big enough lid should be more than adequate if you want to use one, as it will help the steam stay on top of the pot.

If you are concerned, you can improvise a more tightly fitting lid from aluminum foil  Even if your foil is not wide enough you can link two (or more sheets together):

Lay two sheets on top of each other, with their edges aligned.
At one edge, fold it over  about one inch  (2.2 cm) or so, pressing down well at the fold line.
Fold the one-inch fold over itself so it is now four layers of foil 1/2 inch wide, again pressing down well along the fold line.
For a very good bond, fold the half inch seam over itself again, so you have a 1/4 inch overlap, again pressing well down the fold line.
Open at the fold line edge like a book, creating essentially a sheet of foil almost double the width, taking care not to pull apart the extra folds of the seam you created.

If you need a triple width, you then lay another sheet on top aligned with the edge of of the first batch, and repeat the process.

Another improvised pot lid that is often helpful is to take a large dinner plate or charger that is heatproof, and lay it across the top—you just need one larger than the diameter of the pot; just make sure you use a towel or an oven mitt when taking it off the pot.  Depending on your dishes, you may have one that will work well.


What does the "operating range" of a thermometer mean? http://www.thermoworks.com/pdf/thermopop_operating_instructions_web_a.pdf

The manual lists an "Operating Range" of "Between 32f to 122f". I thought this was the safe temperature for the entirety of the thermometer, but then it says " Do not expose the entire thermometer to temperatures over 190°F (88°C). " so the body can endure temperatures above 122f.

Does anyone know the guidelines about proper thermometer body (where all the electronics are) care?

It's the range at which it will display an accurate reading.

Or in some cases, any reading.

Update : I guess the terminology is different for this thermometer, as it says "Guaranteed accuracy ±2°F to 248°F" suggesting that it can handle 248°F ... so I'm guessing that in this case, it's talking about the ambient air temperature.  (and it's possible that the 190°F limit is like the storage temperature on computers -- you can let it get to 180°F, provided you let it get back to the allowed operating range before use).


How do I neutralize a strong garlic flavor? I recently made some pesto from scratch and my end result, while delicious, was overpowered by a strong garlic flavor, and not entirely in a good way. I'm talking about that sharp, spicy flavor that garlic sometimes imparts.

I would have added more basil if I had it on hand, but I used all of my stash in the first go-round.

What else could I add to lessen the flavor?  Is there a general purpose ingredient for this situation?

For the next time you make it, a common way to take out the "bite" of raw garlic is to roast it first. Chop off the top of the unpeeled head, drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle some salt, wrap in tin foil and pop in the oven. More details and pictures covered here and here.

A quick search for roasted garlic pesto came up with a bunch of recipes as well. I've used this trick with numerous recipes when I want lots of garlic, but want to take out the bite (from salsas, to guacamole, to just a straight garlic spread for bread).


Prepare something with unopened milk that sat outside the fridge? Unopened pasteurized milk sitting outside the fridge for 12 hours. It's now in the fridge and not yet open. To be on the safe side, will not be consumed as normal. Can something be made out of it? It's not a matter of cost - just of principle.

The question is not at all a duplicate of How long does it take for milk to spoil unrefrigerated? because it's about a way to make use of milk that won't be used in a normal way due to potential spoiling. Are there not dairy products that make use of fermentation? Is that not "spoiling"?

What is "spoiled milk"?

"spoiled" milk is not a thing, that needs to be avoided, in most cases. As long as it doesn't have any mold growing or something, it most likely just started fermenting in the warm temperatures outside the fridge. However, it is perfectly possible that your milk didn't even start to ferment after 12 hours, depending on the room temperatures where you are. In case it has started fermenting it should smell sour and contain clumps. If it smells normal and had a normal consistency you can use it as normal.

What to do with fermented/soured milk?

Milk that has started to ferment is called soured milk. It is used in many places in Europe, though most commonly in eastern Europe as far as i know, but probably in many places around the world, too.

I'm from Germany and my mom always used sour milk wherever you would use buttermilk. It has a similar tanginess and texture, but of course contains a bit more fat. You could use it in cakes and pancakes, but also in brines or marinades, as well in a base for breadcrumb coatings or similar things. Speaking as a german, there are a variety of mostly forgotten regional dishes where soured milk is the main ingredient, mostly desserts and soups.

Some people even drink it as is. I've heard, before lactose free milk was a thing, many lactose intolerant people prefered soured milk over normal milk, because of its lower lactose content due to fermentation.


Smoking in Kettle Grill I recently smoked a pork shoulder in a weber charcoal kettle grill and I had a lot of trouble maintaining the temperature. Are there any tricks to using a mix of charcoal briquettes and wood chunks for smoking like this?

A couple of suggestions to help maintain constant heat.

Time it such that you are only adding a little fuel at any one time.  Adding half new fuel will cool down considerably as it has to catch, burn, etc.  Adding 10% fresh at one time is much better, for example.
Conversely, if you're lookin' you ain't cookin'.  Open as little as possible.  Remember there will be a lag to any specific change.  If you change the vent, look at the temp after 5min then after 10min to see if the trend is up or down, and if it is accelerating or slowing.  Use that as a guide to your next change.
Thermal mass is your friend.  Get yourself some appropriate stones, bricks, etc.  If you have any room left over from your fire and meat; fill the space with the bricks.  They will help to smooth out the heat from open/closing as they take up space that would otherwise be taken by "cold" air when you open to refuel.  Obviously you need to not block actual ventilation.

Overall the kettle is a nice grill; but leaves a little to be desired for smoking.  The offset firebox style where you can refuel without disturbing the cook-box has a definite leg-up primarily for the refuelling reason; but with some practice you should still have wonderfully edible results with the kettle.

Happy Eating!


What can I use as a substitute for Nori Wrapper on a Chocolate Dessert Sushi? I'd like to make a chocolate dessert sushi but I'm stuck trying to come up with a substitute for nori or rice paper.  I know some people like to use plastic chocolate like in this question.

However I'd like to do something different to compliment the chocolate on the inside of the roll.  Nori and ricepaper don't seem like they would work well for a dessert.

So if anyone has an idea, I'd love to hear it.

As a bonus, has anyone tried using something other than coco rice krispies for crunchy?  They tend to get soggy and lose their crunch if you wait too long to eat them.

Green fruit leather makes a good substitute for nori in dessert "sushi" rolls, if you're going for something that reminds people of sushi without being creepily realistic. (I recently made a variation of these dessert sliders for Independence Day and they were a little too realistic for people).


What does "trimmed" mean in this context? I'm trying to learn to cook, and follow the parts of recipes that used to intimidate me. I can't figure out what's meant by this part of a recipe for pan-seared pork chops, and google hasn't helped.

The ingredient list calls for:

  2 (12-to 14-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, 1½ inches thick, trimmed and brined if desired

It's the "trimmed" part that confuses me. I'd guess that trimming either means cutting off the bones or the fat. But if there weren't supposed to be bone when you cooked them, why would it specify bone-in? And then the first step of the recipe is:

  Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silverskin on each chop.

which seems to imply that all fat should be left on as well.

So my question is: What does "trimmed" mean in this context?

Depending on how your pork chops arrive from the butcher, trimmed simply means to remove excess fat (you are going to want to leave a reasonable amount, as that is where a significant amount of flavor comes from), silver skin (if you can, sometimes not possible on a chop), or other less desirable parts for two reasons.  Firstly, some of those elements make eating a cut of meat unpleasant.  Secondly, one would trim for even and consistent cooking.  You would want your chops to be about the same size and shape, so that they were finished cooking at the same time.  The same is true for a single piece of meat, like a roast.  A consistent shape allows for even cooking.  In the case of a large piece of meat, it is often tied after trimming for this reason.  While just throwing them in the pan will work, considering these details is one of the ways to elevate your cooking.


What changes should I make to accomodate vegan naked fatties? I would like to make naked fatties on the barbeque this weekend, but want to accomodate some vegan friends (and my on/off lacto-ovo wife). I can easily swap regular pork breakfast sausage for Gimme Lean, some other brand, or homemade. Ideally, I would like to have a hearty protein/nutritional medium at the end that is full of smoky flavor and could be used in other dishes too (i.e. chili, soup, casseroles).

I have lingering questions though:

Which brand (if I go with store bought, as I don't really see trying homemade breakfast sausage out for the first time as part of a meal for others) works the best? Not necessarily the 'meatiest'; which holds its texture and flavor through the cooking process without either breaking down? (Particularly with respect to long cooking, i.e. through smoking)
Would this work better with a quinoa chub instead of the vegan breakfast sausage? Or would the chub end up inedible? (Don't answer that if you think quinoa is already inedible.)
The recipe calls for using 1 lb sausage chubs (whole) with "indirect heat at 250 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, which will take about an hour"; how should I adjust cooking temps/times to account for it not being actual meat? (since veggie burgers, links, etc "cook" much faster than their meat counterparts.)
How can I ensure the range of effect in terms of the cooking process (smoking) imparting flavor is best preserved?

So yesterday I tried out the experiment. I made the naked fatty per the normal recipe, and using the gimme lean breakfast sausage. The two primary concerns I had were (a) to ensure the sausage didn't come apart during the smoking process and (b) to ensure a good amount of smokiness was imparted.

With respect to (a), the heat I
worried might denature the exterior
sausage bits, so I rubbed my hands,
cutting board, grill grate, and the
sausage with some canola oil. The
hope was to try to have a protectant
layer on the outside that would be
hydrophobic, and reduce stickiness.
With respect to (b), I assumed the
smoke from the charcoal would
sufficiently suffuse the pork
sausage, but was concerned about the
vegan one. To create more smoke I
roasted peppers and tomatillos for
the latter half of the cooking
process.

Results: Both ended up smoky and nicely textured. Neither was on the verge of crumbly bits, but rather tender on the inside and nicely glazed on the outside. The "meats" were very smoky, very well flavored (the rub was great, but my vegan bbq sauce from scratch not so good). When I incorporated it into chili I quartered the chubs lengthwise and put a quick sear on each edge. They were good short term, not so good long-term and became pretty soft and the flavor dimished. Next time I may try rolling it flat and smoking it that way so it can just be crumbled.

Takeaway: Smoking vegan sausage pulls out some really good stuff. Obviously it's not pork sausage, but it is a tasty meat substitute and smoking it is worth the effort. It doesn't take well yet to stock; further searing/cooking might be required.


Chemical leavening and dough chilling If chemical reaction begins when baking soda/powder are added to cookie dough, how does chilling the dough (often recommended to re-firm the butter) impact the chemical leavening process?

This is pretty much echoing GdD's comment, but chilling dough generally slows the chemical reactions significantly.  Since you are also talking about "dough" and not, say, "batter," the moisture content is likely lower.  This is significant because it will also inhibit leavening reactions, since higher moisture allows chemical components to circulate more easily and thus can aid reactions.

Most modern baking powders are already "double-acting," which comes from the fact that they have multiple acidic components that begin to react most strongly at different temperatures.  Baking soda (and sodium bicarbonate that is already part of most baking powders) will begin to react with acidic components already in the dough when mixed, but the other acidic components of baking powder will only activate strongly upon heating, at which point they will react with the remaining sodium bicarbonate (i.e., baking soda, whether added separately or as a component of the baking powder) to form gas bubbles.

In sum, if you're using a "double-acting" baking powder, the secondary reactions will be slow whether the dough is at room temperature or chilled.  Chilling will inhibit initial reactions as well, but those are most significant in doughs that depend on baking soda and added acid in the recipe.  However, I doubt most cookie recipes that depend on such leavening would include a chilling step, because leavening power will gradually be lost even at low temperatures.

I haven't seen this for cookie recipes, but I have seen biscuit recipes (for example) that use a bit excess baking powder while anticipating that the biscuits will be held in the refrigerator for a few hours (or sometimes even overnight) before baking.  Although some initial bubbles may be lost, the heat-activated components of the baking powder still ensure a final rise in the oven.


Replacements for baking soda in a cake Sometimes I wish to bake a cake, but the country where I am in doesn't have baking soda. I have tried using actual soda, but this has limited success and the cake tends to just rise and then fall.

I've already read this question on substitutions for baking soda, but that's for pancakes and the main problem seems to be that the pancakes would taste funny. For a cake, where there's a lot more ingredients, I'm hoping that other substitutions would be possible which would not otherwise be possible in a pancake (would the cake also taste like metal by tripling the baking powder?).

Thanks for any help!

Every substitution is probably going to require other alterations.  Baking soda's effects extend beyond leavening: it generally reacts with acidic ingredients (making the batter less sour) and also provides sodium ions which can affect flavor.  If the substitute doesn't react with acid as strongly, you may need to decrease acid ingredients or substitute neutral ingredients to obtain the same flavor (e.g., milk instead of buttermilk or yogurt, regular cream instead of sour cream).  If the substitute doesn't have sodium, sometimes adding a bit of salt may be necessary.

As for the leavening action itself, any substitute will introduce its own issues in adapting.  Unless you're experienced with this sort of thing (or like to "experiment" and possibly have cakes that fail in various ways), I would generally recommend finding a cake recipe that has leavening agents you actually have on hand, rather than trying a substitute.

There are really only two common substitutions that often won't affect texture or flavor in major ways:

(1) Potassium bicarbonate - can usually be substituted 1:1 for baking soda, but is generally tougher to find than baking soda.  (Look sometimes for it at drugstores; baking soda itself can often be found as "sodium bicarbonate" or some other name in other countries at drugstores too.)  Without the sodium ions, you may need to add a bit of salt, roughly 1/4 or 1/3 of the amount of baking soda will be sufficient for flavor.

(2) Baking powder - also often harder to find in other countries than baking soda.  Also, other countries may have other formulations than what is found in the U.S.  For standard U.S. baking powder, you'd generally use 2-4 times the amount of baking soda in the recipe.  The reason for this inexact ratio is a trade-off in flavor vs. reactivity.  If you want the same reactivity with acidic ingredients, you'd need 3-4 times more baking powder, but this often results in a "baking powder flavor," sometimes described as "metallic."  But if you decrease the amount to avoid this flavor -- maybe twice as much as baking soda -- you won't react with as much acid, so you probably would want to reduce the amount of acidic ingredients in the batter.  For baking powder outside the U.S., you'd need to look up the exact formulas/mixtures used and perhaps make further alterations.

(I'm not going to go into the less common chemical alternatives -- like baker's ammonia -- which are even less common for baking today.  And I'm not even going to bother with possibilities like homemade potash from wood ashes, which theoretically can provide some leavening.  If you're in a country where you're that desperate for chemical leaveners, I'd doubt you'd have access to basic baking materials.)

Unfortunately, as mentioned, these two options are generally less common to find exact equivalents than baking soda.  So, we move onto less reliable options that will require further recipe modification.

(3) Egg whites as leavening - separate eggs and beat whites separately, generally to soft or medium peaks.  Usually, fold into batter at the last moment (generally in stages, first mixing in a portion of the egg whites more thoroughly to lighten, then gently folding in the remainder) and bake immediately.  This will only work by itself with relatively light cakes that don't have a lot of heavy ingredients.  Adding a small amount of sugar toward the end of beating may have a stablizing effect and prevent early collapse of a cake.  Cream of tartar or a very small amount of other acids like lemon juice or vinegar can also prevent overbeating.

(Note that even if eggs are not separated, beating whole eggs or yolks until light colored will add in small amounts of air.)

(4) Creaming method - ignore recipe instructions and begin by creaming butter and sugar together until fluffy, often requiring at least 10 minutes of steady beating with a mixer for maximum results.  (By hand, this generally would be done for an hour or more traditionally.)  This will trap air bubbles that will ultimately leaven the batter (the traditional method for pound cakes).  This works better than egg whites alone for heavier batters (e.g., with more flour and/or butter), but it still will result in a denser cake than one with baking soda.  Generally, continue after creaming butter and sugar by adding eggs one at a time while mixing vigorously, then fold in other ingredients more gently toward the end.  (If the recipe calls for a liquid sugar, like molasses or honey or whatever, substitute with dry sugar for more creaming action.)

(5) Yeast - there are entire questions here devoted to the problems of converting a chemically leavened cake into a yeast-leavened one.  Yeast is probably the only way to actually get the same volume without baking soda or other chemical leaveners, but it will usually change the cake texture significantly.  Basically, yeast cakes tend to be tougher and more bread-like, while chemically leavened cakes tend to go for a softer crumb.  You can't quite get such a soft crumb with yeast, since the rising time will create more gluten connections, but you can sometimes get something that's like a "quick-bread" cake.  (My experience with baking yeast cakes is that they're really a different genre.  But if you're up for experimentation, it might be able to work passable for converting some types of cakes.)

(6) Carbonated liquids - these are more commonly used along with baking soda which will react with their acidity.  But substituting a carbonated liquid of some sort (carbonated water, soda, beer) that would complement the ingredients of the recipe could assist in a small amount of leavening action.  Again, these should be added quickly at the very end just before baking.  I doubt that these could result in adequate leavening alone in most cases, but they perhaps could assist sometimes (along with creaming, beating egg whites, etc.).  As noted in the question, the bubbles here tend to be short-lived, so carbonation works best for cakes that bake rather quickly.

Lastly, it should be noted at aerating all ingredients can potentially help a bit -- whether that's just fluffing or sifting flour before mixing, whipping butter, beating whatever parts of eggs, etc.  Whether these are at all effective will really depend on the details of the recipe and the order of steps taken, but they generally won't hurt.

The simple fact is that many modern cake recipes depend on chemical leavening to produce adequate lightness.  Be prepared for a denser result even with these options, or find a recipe designed to be baked without leavening.


Even after I heat and oil, why does food stick to my stainless steel pan? I've had this pan for 8 years. It's low priced and average — I see no brands or names on it — not even on the bottom!  I followed What’s the Difference Between Nonstick and Stainless Steel Cookware?

So here’s the crazy thing: stainless steel pans can be nonstick, if you’re doing it right. If you heat up your pan with oil or butter until it’s hot enough  then add your food, things will not stick. Stainless steel pans can withstand really high temperatures, so you can sear and brown things like meat in them, and you can also add water to the pan to deglaze the brown bits from the bottom and create a delicious sauce.

and How to Turn a Stainless Steel Skillet into a Nonstick Pan | Epicurious

You can season a stainless steel pan and make it more or less nonstick. Here's how:
Heat a stainless steel skillet over medium or medium-high for 2 minutes. Add enough vegetable oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan with a ⅛ inch of oil. Heat the oil until wisps of smoking begin to appear, about 6 minutes. When the oil begins to smoke, remove the skillet from the heat and cool the oil completely. Once the pan has cooled, pour out the excess oil and wipe up the remaining oil in the skillet using a paper towel. You want a glossy sheen left in the base of the pan—that's your nonstick surface.

Question 1
Please see pictures below. Please approve my pictures?  Can you confirm  if this is stainless steel?
Question 2
If it is, then why does food stick to it? I tried to — separately — home fry potatoes, stir fry rice, boil pasta with filtered water. The potatoes rice, pasta all stuck to the bottom of the pan!
I thought that all stainless steel pans were non stick? Was I wrong? Do some stainless steel pans stick? If so, how can I deduce which stainless steel pans are non stick? I'm thinking of buying a new brand name, high quality NON STICK stainless steel pan!
https://i.imgur.com/xtiKrxz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GlBFLOa.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hw9f5cO.jpg

Stainless steel pans are not non-stick by default, since they don't have a non-stick surface/coating.
You can recognize a non-stick pan by the non-stick coating on the inside of it. (It's usually Teflon (a black coating), but there's also things like ceramic)
As far as your pan goes, it looks like a plain stainless steel pan to me, no coating to make it non-stick.


New cast iron skillet came out rusty after seasoning After looking them up for a long time, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy a cast iron skillet.
After it arrived, I cleaned it in hot soapy water and scoured it, to remove the wax coating, as per the instructions. I wiped it dry, then popped it in the oven quickly to fully dry it.
After this, I took sunflower oil, and coated the entire skillet. I then let it sit in the oven for an hour, at 200ºC. When I took it out, the coating was uneven (I now know I put too much oil), and was reddish-brown!

I think I managed to get it rusty within the first day of owning it (pictures below)!

How do I resolve this, and ensure it does not happen again?

That looks a lot more like cooked oil than rust on the inside. Either way, probably not rust, and definitely not enough rust to cause concern. Scrub it off.

When I season my cast iron, I just do it on the stove. I heat the pan until it's smoking, and carefully add a little oil and swirl it around. Let it cool, wipe it out. Then, use it. When you do use it, clean it gently. Avoid using soap, just use water and a spatula or something. It's a good idea to heat it on the stove top to dry it well after cleaning. Over time you get a good thing going.

But either way, rust with cast iron is no cause for concern. Even if it was completely covered in rust, you can brush it out and re-season.


How long will fresh scallops keep in the refrigerator? Today I bought one pound of fresh scallops from the seafood counter at the local market, but my dinner plans have changed - I am no longer planning to cook the scallops this evening and I don't necessarily want to freeze them. How long will they remain fresh in my refrigerator?

No more than 72 hours, maximum. You don't know how long they've been out of the water. I would freeze or cook them no later than tomorrow evening.


I have tenderloin for beef Wellington that I'll make in 3 days - how do I store the meat? Usually when I buy beef, I put it in the fridge, uncovered, for a day before I prepare it. This time however, I bought it 3 days in advance because good quality meat tends to run out around Christmas here.
I'll make beef Wellington, so my idea is to put it in the fridge to let it become as dry as possible, to prevent it from soaking the pastry. (Of course, the duxelles en prosciutto will also assist in achieving that.)
Will the tenderloin get too dry after 3 full days in the fridge, uncovered?

I don't know if much moisture leaves the meat through evaporation from more than just the very outside, even with a longer wait. I would be surprised if this made a big difference to the quantity of juices released during cooking, so intuitively I would not share your worry about the steak getting too dry.
However, I would worry about an uncovered steak getting dirty, absorbing unwanted smells or flavours, or having some kind of pathogen or mould growing on it.
If you want to give it a go a good way to do it with less risk would be to put it in an airtight Tupperware container big enough for there to be space around the steak, with some kitchen roll in the box to absorb any moisture released. Changing the paper if it gets damp should be enough to keep the air inside the box dry.


In uk, can I buy fresh fish directly off the boat? In England, can I buy fresh fish directly off the boat?

Brixham is a traditional fishing port in Devon.  Their fish market is a (mainly) wholesale operation but lists local sellers, one of which is the actual boat selling at the quayside (the link on that page is broken).  Unfortunately for you, even if you're within essential travel range of Devon at the moment the boat appears to be undergoing a refit.
This does demonstrate that it's possible/legal, even if you're nowhere near Brixham.
It's rare though.  There's a directory of "direct" sales (their word), some of which might be of interest (e.g. see what's been caught, have it prepared and delivered).


Gumbo file is slimey and too thick. I used a new type of file powder in gumbo that I have made many times. It came out too thick and slimey. I can thin it down with some chicken stock. How can I fix the slimey texture. It is very unappealing.

How can I fix the slimey texture.

Okra produces slime because the Okra plant and its fruit contain nasty stuff called mucilage. When you apply heat to the Gumbo, the slime comes out. But there are a few techniques for reducing all that sliminess, namely pan frying or grilling prior to adding it to the Gumbo.


Using a Power Pressure Cooker XL for high altitude canning above 6000 ft sea level I just purchased a Power Pressure Cooker XL and was planning on using it for canning. However, upon reading the owners manual, it says it is not recommended for canning over 2,000 ft sea level. I live at 6611 ft above sea level. Can I use this machine as long as I increase my cooking time by 5% per extra 1,000 feet above 2,000 ft? Or should I purchase something different to use for both home cooking & canning. Thank you.

BEWARE that no electric pressure cookers have been approved for pressure canning by the USDA.  The National Center for Home Food Preservation actually put out a bulletin after manufacturers, like the Power Pressure Cooker XL, started to advertise that their cooker was USDA approved.

It is not.

Please do not pressure can in this, or any other electric pressure cooker.  See my pressure canning faq (Can I use my electric pressure cooker to can?) if you'd like to learn more about "why" pressure canning is not considered safe in electric pressure cookers - at any altitude.


What is the sign of mozzarella being old? Short of looking at the "best before" date on the package - how can I tell if my mozzarella is ok to eat?
Would it smell bad, or can it be "dangerous" anyway?

Mozzarella comes in different variations...  There are a few things to look and smell for to determine it they are "off".  Aged or drier varieties may have visible mold on the exterior. Pre-grated mozzarella can also exhibit visible mold as well as a sour or yeasty smell.  Brined varieties may have a musty, sour, or smelly-foot odor or an excessively cloudy brine.

If you see visible mold on a drier variety, you can just cut it off and use the remaining cheese as normal as long as it doesn't smell.  If you plan on cooking or melting the cheese, it would likely be safe to eat, but may not taste normal.

Moist cheeses like mozzarella can harbor Listeria, E coli, brucella, and salmonella so if you are in doubt and not interested in a bout of food poisoning, it's best just to throw it out.

To keep brined varieties fresh longer keep it refrigerated and replace the brine daily, the replacement brine should taste salty like the ocean. Even so, it should really be eaten within 2-3 days.


Preparing curries faster I often make tikka masala using this recipe. However, the recipe consists of three "let simmer for 10-25 minutes" periods (after adding tomatoes, cream and chicken, respectively), so the total preparation time is quickly an hour.

I'd like to be able to cut down time by simplifying the recipe or making preparations, so I can get dinner on the table as quick as possible when I get home from work already quite hungry.

Is it really necessary to first cook the tomatoes for a period, then the cream for a period, then the chicken? Why can't they be added simultaneously? (An explanation if so would be nice!)
I thought about pre-cooking gallons of curry sauce and freeze in smaller containers, so if I just plan to take one out in the morning, it will be thawed and ready for dinner.

I discarded the idea of keeping pre-made curry sauce in the fridge, because it would rot after a week, so the upside of pre-preparation would only last for a couple of meals.

Try it all the short way, and if you like it, that is OK. Or buy it pre-made.

When I have cooked curries in the past, the extra time paid off with superb taste, and I haven't found another way to get that colour except by reducing down and reducing down the tomatoes.

When you have time or want the authentic flavour, then you still have the recipe


What variety of shrimp paste should I use for Brazilian Vatapa? I recently saw a recipe for vatapa, a Brazilian shrimp stew that looks kind of like a curry gravy in texture. The recipe calls for a reconstituting handful of dried shrimp and then blending it into a paste. Could I substitute a jar of shrimp paste from my local Vietnamese/Thai grocery store, or would dried shrimp be the most appropriate thing to use?

Asian shrimp paste is fermented and very strong and salty — I don't think it's going to give you the same kind of flavor as dried shrimp at all.


Does frozen broccoli need to be cooked to be eaten safely? I bought a different brand of frozen broccoli and the package says, "For food safety, cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees".  The previous brand didn't have any such warning.  My questions:

How big a risk am I taking by just blending frozen broccoli into my smoothies without cooking at all?  How likely is it that I get sick and what might be the symptoms?

Besides having been reviewed by different lawyers, might there be a good reason why one package has a warning and the other doesn't?

A Google search gave me a theory about why there might be a difference between the two brands.  A recent study indicated that blanching to 187F destroys a particular anti-cancer enzyme in broccoli and recommended that frozen broccoli manufacturers change their ways and blanch to only 169F before freezing.  Since blanching is typically a pretty quick process, maybe 169F for a short period of time is not enough to kill some relevant strain of bacteria, but 165F for a longer period of time is enough.  Maybe the brand without the warning is blanching to 187F and the brand with the warning is only blanching to 169F.  Does that seem possible?

I cannot comment directly on the broccoli, but I want to point out that this part

  How big a risk am I taking by just blending frozen broccoli into my smoothies without cooking at all? How likely is it that I get sick and what might be the symptoms?

is impossible to answer. This is not how food safety works.

Creating a prediction for such a risk is as complicated as creating a weather prediction. Only the people who'd have the resources to do such a prediction for any given piece of food (for example the FDA) don't have enough data to make the prediction. They'd need to know the history of the pack of broccoli to calculate the risk.

Instead of calculating the risk for every type of food under every condition, they calculate a range of conditions which can be considered "safe" and promise you that nothing will happen when you eat the food. All other ranges are called "unsafe", but a better word would be "undefined". The risk for them could be anywhere from 0% to 100%, and nobody can give you a better answer.

There is no general food safety guideline that produce has to be cooked through, and normally, eating raw broccoli would be considered safe. Of course, there are still rare cases where safe food, including produce, does cause problems - we are talking low risk here, not zero risk - and there could be a lawyer who decided to wash their hands of the matter. Or they could indeed know that their food has a higher risk factor than typical broccoli, maybe they use maize-fed cow dung for fertilizer on the broccoli (which is a source of E. coli), and decided to write it there. Whichever it is, nobody can tell you but the producer. If you decide to eat it, you are on your own in that pesky "unsafe" zone where the risk can have any value.

As long as we don't know which microorganism they suspect in their broccoli, we cannot say what amount of longer cooking at somewhat lower temperature is an adequate substitution for reaching the temperature they recommend. So that part is also unanswerable.


How to cover up bad jenever? Last weekend, I bought a bottle of passion fruit jenever.
Normally, this tastes very sweet and has a nice fruity flavour.
But unfortunately, I had to buy a brand with which I'm not familiar with.
The taste of the alcohol is too present and it has an after taste that reminds me of medicine.

I don't want to throw away my bottle, but I won't drink it like that.
Can I add something that would make it better?
I don't want a cocktail (but 2 things together is de facto a cocktail I guess).
I was thinking of adding a bit of grenadine or (flavoured) sugar syrup.

Would this help or does anyone knows something that helps?

As alcohol boils away quite easily, perhaps you could try simmering it a while to remove some of the alchohol taste? Try it with a glassful first to see if it works.

You might try adding some passion fruit pulp (strained through a sieve to remove the pips) to increase the fruitiness.


What difference would using Rock Sugar make in tea? I like my tea sweet, and generally add several cubes of white sugar. Teavana sells rock sugar, which it claims is somehow "better" while being vague on what that means. Is it sweeter? Less sweet? Somehow interacts with the tea leaves differently?

Interesting, you're meant to brew it with the leaves, presumably sweetening the whole pot rather than doing it to taste for individuals, which sounds annoying. Is that just marketing or does that have some benefit?

In Northern Germany, sugar crystals similar to the style depicted on the linked web page are used for "East Frisian Tea". East Frisian Tea is more a style of tea service than a specific variety of tea, but usually some blend of Indian black teas is used, often Assam and Darjeeling, but some variation from that is possible; the main thing is that it's not an aromatized or fruity tea, but a black tea blend, and tends to be infused with the intention of being slightly bitter.

When serving, rock sugar is placed at the bottom of the cup. Tea is poured over the rock sugar. Then, typically, but not always, a bit of cream is poured on top of that. You don't stir what's in your cup, so you start with a creamy flavor, progress toward a fairly bitter/astringent black tea, and have an increasingly sweet finish. You keep on repeating the process of adding sugar, tea and cream and drinking until you've run out of things to talk about with your friends.

The slow melting process is the main desirable attribute of this type of sugar, not the flavor difference. The brown crystals, with a slight molasses hint, were the most common ones I saw in Germany, but clear ones were not unheard of either. The hint of molasses is the only flavor difference from the brown crystals.


What the heck is on this cast iron, and HOW TO REMOVE? Okay, so I just gathered my cast iron dutch oven from my ex, and he apologetically explained that he'd spilled "something" on it. He is an organic farmer who works on cars, so literally: THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT IT COULD BE--from motor oil to transmission oil to yogurt. ONLY--IT WILL NOT COME OFF.

I have tried:
-traditional methods of cleaning, from water vinegar to soap and water
-AND, here's the most important part: When i tried to simply burn it off, the oven and the house began to smell like acrid poisonous "something."
-i've even tried "bar keepers friend"

literally sanding down the top seemed to work okay, but honestly, should I just give up? throw it away? will i die if i eat out of this pan?

The substance is sticky and somewhat shiny, like a polymer or plastic based something, and it may have a slightly green tint, though its almost impossible to tell on the black surface of cast iron. in pictures, it just looks like an oil spot.

Oh, and no, I don't have access to a torch.

I used franko's suggestion: oven cleaner. I first sanded it down, and after letting it set, I completely reseasoned it was the answer.


Barbecue on wood fire Normally we use charcoal in the BBQ

I want to use wood for BBQ and this may generate a lot of smoke. One way to handle it, is to first make charcoal from wood, and then use this charcoal to BBQ.

But is there any design for a BBQ that removes the smoke, so we can BBQ while burning wood?

The best BBQ's are wood fired, you get real wood smoke flavour. Anything else is just a just outside hotplate/grill, and might as well be electric

Using charcoal is easy and safe. A simple hack is to use some small pieces of strong smoke flavour generating wood on top of your charcoal when you are actually cooking

Smoke is all part of the BBQ experience, and after a little practice at fire lighting techniques, shouldn't become a big issue. Join the local Scout group as  leader, and they will teach you how to make good cooking fires :-)


Honey-fermented garlic left open overnight I am a five days or so into the process of honey-fermenting a batch of garlic. Took the can out to let it burp last night but then left it open on the kitchen counter and only realised in the morning. Do I have to throw it all away now? Particularly concerned about botulism...

As far as I can tell, with lots of googling, recipes for honey-fermented garlic have the process happening at room temperature, with fermentation occurring for up to a month. I have found some questions on the internet about safety, though this seems to be a fairly common ferment.   The process of fermentation itself creates an inhospitable environment for the growth of botulism, because of the formation of alcohol and acidity.  Ideally, you are looking for a pH below 4.6.  The best way to determine the safety of your ferment would be to measure the pH.


Does this sound like a reasonable way to slow cook a rib-eye? OK, I will shortly be cooking my very first large piece of meat (i.e. not a single steak, but rather a larger one that I will carve into pieces when serving). I think I have the procedure down, but I want to go over it with you guys to make sure that it sounds good.

The steak is just over one kilogram. I will remove it from the refrigerator one hour before cooking.
I am planning on searing the outside, then placing it in a roasting pan on top of carrots, onions and celery. I will use a 120 degree (celsius) oven, on the convection setting. I will be using a temperature probe, placed into the centre mass of the steak, and shooting for a target temperature of 53 degrees celsius.

I am expecting a post-roasting rise in temperature of 5-7 degrees, which should leave me with a nice medium rare steak. I will rest the steak on the cutting board under aluminium foil for at least fifteen minutes.

I am also planning on deglacing the pan with a mix of 50/50 red wine and tap water, then making a gravy based on the pan juice and a basic roux.

Does that sound good to you guys?

I have a choice between using a roasting pan and a cast-iron pot. Which should I use?

The method sounds fairly traditional.

You may find better results doing the oven phase first, and the searing phase last.  By doing so, you will desiccate the outside of the steak, making it begin to sear more quickly (since there is little or no water left at the surface to evaporate).

The pan you use for the oven phase matters very little; cast iron will be superior for the searing phase.

Since you are going for a fairly classic red wine pan sauce, you may wish to investigate butter mounted sauces, rather than doing a roux based sauce.  This may give more intense flavor, but is certainly not core to the technique for the steak.  This Chicago Tribune article has a good summary of the technique.

The one key to success that you have left out is seasoning the steak.  Perhaps the best method is to season it liberally the night before (or at minimum, 40 minutes before cooking), and allow it to sit overnight in the refrigerator.  At first the salt will bring liquid to the surface of the steak, but later it will be reabsorbed, spreading seasoning into the meat itself.  See Kenji Alt's Food Lab article for more details.


Which ingredient gives Chicken Pate its flavor? I just made my first Chicken Pate using the Old-school chicken liver parfait recipe. It tastes amazing just as I was hoping. My question is, where does the unique Pate flavor come from? I find the Pate flavor quite different from each of the individual ingredients. It is definitely livery, but it tastes different from cooked livers.

The flavor doesn't come from one thing, but from the sum of its parts. In the recipe you posted you have many different ingredients, for instance sage, mace, shallots, and brandy. All these add complexity and depth, and combine to make the flavor.

As for what is it that makes you personally like pate there's no possible way to answer that on this forum, you'd have to experiment. What I'd suggest is to make the recipe over a few times but leave one of the ingredients out each time and see which of the ingredients makes the most difference to you. If you do that please post the results, I'd be curious to know.


Why does my colander feel slimy after I use it to drain pasta? I'd imagine the "slimy" feeling is due to all the starch passing over and through it. But how come it's so hard to clean? Even with repeated scrubbing the slickness can stubbornly remain.

I'm Italian, we use colanders to drain pasta every day. It's the starch. You are supposed to drain pasta in the kitchen sink, right? As soon as you drain the pasta, pour the pasta on the sauce, or serve it and run cold water immediately over the empty but still hot colander. It will remove the starch without effort.


Options for adding sauce to naked ribs? I live in a condo complex where having a smoker or any sort of BBQ is difficult. I'm also on the Keto diet and I don't use most standard, store-bought sauces.
But I love some good St. Louis ribs and I want to order some naked ones from a local store. What is the best way to go about adding my own sauce to naked ribs? I was thinking about maybe saucing them, wrapping in foil and then baking them? Or just add sauce on top and re-heat? What are my options here?

The trick here is to not cook the ribs any more as you run the risk of making the meat tough. And tough meat on ribs is suitable only for the trash can.
Personally, I would put a nice layer of sauce on the ribs and broil them just enough to caramelize the sauce and warm (but not cook) the ribs. Don't want to over cook them after all...
"Nice layer" being an amount that appeals to you but enough to coat the meat and give you a nice caramelized crust while still allowing the meat beneath to warm without cooking.


How can I get my Starbucks coffee to taste like the Starbucks store? I use Starbucks coffee they sell in bags. I have used both whole beans and ground. I've bought bags from the grocery, bags from the actual Starbucks store. I've tried many different brewers. But it never tastes quite the same. Does anyone know how to emulate their brewing technique?

I cannot tell you how they do it at that specific location, how your method differs, or what you're doing wrong. I don't really even know exactly how you're brewing your coffee. However, I can tell you how to brew a consistent cup using the best possible practices.

Here's a list of things to consider

Grind your coffee immediately(not the night before) before brewing

Use a Burr Grinder, not a blade grinder. This will ensure that the grounds are of a consistent size, and provides even extraction. There is no reputable coffee shop that uses a blade grinder, and with good reason. Get a Burr grinder. If you don't want to drop the cash you can get a hand mill for about ~$20-30.

Weight your beans, do not measure them by Volume.

Beans from different regions and varieties vary in density, and size. This can really throw off volume measurements.

Use filtered water.

Most coffee shops will have a filtration system for the entire store to prevent mineral build up in their coffee and espresso machines, as well as providing a better cup of coffee.

Learn how coffee hits your palate, and learn how to adjust your brewing variables(grind size, water/coffee ratio, brew time, temperature).
Ditch the auto-drip. Learn how to do a manual pourover or press pot. You'll have much more control over your brewing variables, and be able to pin point the extraction method that fits your palate best.

I deeply urge you to try coffee that isn't Starbucks. Starbucks might be a notch above grocery store coffee, but isn't at all interesting(to put it lightly). Try Stumptown, Blue Bottle, Intellegensia, Ruby's Colorful Coffees. You'll likely forget about Starbucks soon after trying coffee's from any of the roasters I listed.

Like I said. Starbucks isn't really interesting coffee. Its pretty bland, brewed with a standard auto-drip. If it tastes different it could be for many reasons, such as sitting in a thermos for a long period of time, or the grounds may sit too long after being ground. Typically larger auto-drip machines use a coarser grind because the hopper is larger. This can affect taste. There's too many variables to nail down how to brew exactly like that starbucks store.

In the mean time, I urge you to try more interesting bean varieties. You're really missing out.

For the record, Starbucks main competition... McDonalds. Give it a read Is Starbucks Coffee Actually That Good?


Does water that's been left to sit and then reboiled taste different from fresh water boiled once? This may sound like a silly question, but I've always wondered:
If I boil some water and use some of it and leave the remainder in the kettle, and then a few days later boil that same water again, will it taste the same as if I'd emptied the old water and boiled fresh new water?
I've got a habit of emptying the kettle water and starting with fresh water to boil when I prepare my coffee (using a French press), and I'm wondering if there's no good reason to do that.
For what it's worth, the kettle has a top (so I'm ruling out dust as a concern), and the water I'm boiling is tap water that's been through a Brita filter in a jug.
If the taste is different, what's the chemical or physical justification?

Yes, it is different. Two things happen: the dissolved oxygen boils out, and whatever mineral solids are in there become concentrated as steam evaporates.


Why does my homemade pasta stick to itself whilst cooking? I make a fair amount of homemade pasta (Mostly Tagliatelle or Linguine), and I tend to cook it fresh, rather than drying it and cooking from dry; however, it tends to clump and stick together in the pan when cooking. What can I do to minimise this, and make my homemade pasta behave a little more like store bought fresh pasta?

For reference, I'm using a fairly standard recipe of one egg per 100g of 'OO' flour; and I add salt and a little olive oil to the pan when cooking, as well as following all the normal steps that give successful results with store bought pasta - Could it be that I'm not working the dough enough, working it too much, or just down to not using the "correct" type of flour (semolina flour doesn't appear to be available in my area)?

I have that problem when I am impatient and don't let the pasta dry out long enough before putting it on to boil.

It is important to let the pasta dry even just in loose little heaps once sliced into noodles.  It doesn't have to get totally dry just dry enough that you can't squish the noodles back together into dough.

Also you need to cook fresh pasta for a very short amount of time in a LOT of water, about 1.5x as much water as you would use for dry, so that the noodles have less chance to run into each other.  In fact I frequently don't boil them at all separately but just toss them in the soup I am serving them with for for a two to three minutes before serving.


Does adding alcohol to dough prevent it from soaking oil when deep-frying? Some culinary books and, for example, this Wikipedia article, state that adding alcohol (usually spirit) to dough, it will prevent the dough from soaking oil when you deep-fry it. Does it really work? And if so, why?

Yes, it is probably true to a small degree, but irrelevant.

In any deep fried food, the rapid expansion of water as it vaporizes pushes the oil away from the surface of the food, preventing it from immediately penetrating during the entire frying period.

While alcohol may not have the same 1700 (IIRC) ratio of expansion in volume that water does when it goes from a liquid to a vapor, it will still offer some of the same effect.

The thing is, most oil that penetrates deep fried foods does so after the food is removed from the oil bath, as it cools.  Alcohol in the dough would not prevent this.


Can rosehip tisane be used as a substitute for red wine in cooking? I'm currently watching a cooking series (The Everyday Gourmet) and in one of the lessons the chef talks about what to look for in a wine. For red wine he mentions to look for a wine with a deep red colour as well as a good tannin content, mentioning that subtleties of flavour will likely be lost during cooking.

As he was talking about it, rosehip tea popped up as something that meets those two criterias. I tried searching online but couldn't find anything on the subject. It seems a bit far fetched but it has me curious.

I don't drink alcohol and have no idea what red wine tastes like so I can't test it as I don't have anything to compare it to. What are your thoughts?

EDIT: Instead of straight rosehip, would there be anything I could add that would make it resemble red wine a little more (i.e. a bit of sugar, something acidic, etc)?

I'm in the same boat.  Although I've never tried using rosehip tea as a substitute, and just by the taste, I think it would be better than many suggested wine substitutes (apple juice, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar), there are better substitutes.  See What is a substitute for red or white wine in a recipe?.

My recommendation is a nonalcoholic grape juice made from similar grapes (such as Meier's Sparkling Grape Juice).  There are many different types of red wine, and Meier's doesn't have options for all of them, but the ones they have seem to work well for me, especially the Burgundy.  It is also often available at my local supermarket.  You could also go with a real wine with the alcohol removed such as Fre, but there are many people who say not all the alcohol is removed, and they are also pretty expensive (one bottle is cheaper than Meier's, but by the case it's much more).

Don't try using the purple grape juice available at most grocery stores (Welches or similar).  The taste is very different and the color will usually not be appealing.

NOTE: I have no affiliation with Meier's other than being a happy and frequent customer.


What Can I Make in a Rice Cooker Besides Rice? I received a rice cooker as a gift. I like to know if anything else I can done with it other than, cook rice. you have some ideas?

Almost anything that can be cooked in a slow cooker (on low) can be done in a rice cooker.

Roger Ebert (the film critic) has a cookbook for rice cookers : The Pot and How to Use It

... but there's lots of other ones out there, too.


What is the best way to store cake? It is commonly accepted that bread goes stale faster in the refrigerator, does this also apply to other wheat flour baked items, such as cakes and quick breads?

If a cake is expected to last for 3-5 days is it best to keep it covered on a counter or refrigerate it? Will it get stale in the refrigerator?

Yes, cakes will go stale faster in the refrigerator, as will most baked goods with a high starch content.

Staling (as discussed over at Serious Eats) has to do with starch recrystallizing.  As Harold McGee explains (pp. 541-542 of On Food and Cooking):

  Staling is now understood to be a manifestation of starch retrogradation, the recrystallization, water migration out of the granules, and hardening that take place when cooked starch is then cooled.... The initial firming of the freshly baked bread loaf, which improves its ability to be sliced, is caused by the retrogradation of the simple straight-chain amylose molecules, and is essentially complete within a day of baking.
  The majority of starch molecules, the branched amylopectins within the granule, also retrograde.  But thanks to their irregular structure, they form crystalline regions and expel water much more slowly, over the course of several days.  This is the process responsible for the undesirable firming in texture after the bread has become sliceable.

Basically, when you mix starch and liquid together in a dough or batter and then heat it, its crystalline structure breaks up and it absorbs water, giving bread and cakes their "moisture."  After the starch cools, it gradually goes back to its original form, thereby expelling moisture and hardening, producing the quality commonly called "staleness."

All of this is just as true for the starches in cakes as they are for breads.  McGee goes on to confirm that staling recrystallization proceeds most rapidly at temperatures just above freezing.  He also notes that certain emulsifiers will retard staling (such as egg yolks and true buttermilk).  I would add that in cakes, the higher sugar content and the fact that sugar is hydrophilic can help cakes retain moisture longer.  Hence, some significantly enriched breads and richer baked goods like cakes tend to stale more slowly than lean breads.

Nevertheless, the chemistry of staling in cakes is still basically the same, and it will happen faster at cooler temperatures as long as they are still above freezing.

Thus, if your primary goal is to prevent staling, storing cakes and quick breads at room temperature is best for a few days.  For longer storage, wrap tightly and store in the freezer rather than the fridge.  (Staling happens very slowly below freezing.)  As moisture loss outside the cake will accelerate moisture migration out of the starches (and thus staling), covering unfrosted cakes and cut surfaces is essential.

Of course, staling is not the only concern in shelf-life of cakes.  Some frostings may not do well sitting for days at room temperature or particularly in hot weather.  Some may even become unsafe.  Cakes or quick breads with a high moisture content due to added fruits, vegetables, etc. may also begin to grow bacteria or mold when left at room temperature for several days.  In those cases, you have to balance the benefits of refrigeration in preventing spoilage with the minor detriments of staling.  (Obviously if it's a food safety issue to leave a cake out at room temperature, it's best to refrigerate or freeze it for storage.)

What to do if your cake has begun to stale (either due to refrigeration or merely sitting at room temperature for several days)?  The starch crystallization process is mostly reversible, so heating the cake above around 140F will begin to restore the cake to its previous state (as it will with bread).  Obviously not all types of cakes (especially frosted ones) may allow such reheating, but it can help with quick breads and simple unfrosted cakes.  However, reheated cake should be consumed immediately, as the interior of a stale cake has already been somewhat depleted of moisture, and a cooled stale cake will become progressively worse (hard and dry).


Are there any risks using a non-microwavable plastic plate in the microwave? We have some plates we bought from Target a few years ago that we frequently use in the microwave.  These plates are listed as not being microwave safe.

Does that mean that they could cause health issues if we use them in the microwave, or does that just mean that the microwave could ruin the plates?

Yes, there are risks. Avoiding those risks is the entire point of the microwave-safe labeling.

When plastic is marked as microwave-safe (in the US), it means that the material has been tested and found not to release harmful chemicals when heated, by FDA guidelines. This is a stronger assertion than just that it doesn't melt. Something that's unsafe in the microwave may not show it visibly; it may leach chemicals without melting.

It's entirely possible that something not marked as microwave-safe may actually be safe, and just not be tested. But you have no way to know, and you should assume that anything unmarked could potentially be harmful.


Does "1 lime leaf" mean a pair of leaves, or half a pair? I love lime leaves. In fact, I bought a lime tree so that I can have them all the time without making a grocery run. The leaves look like this:

I have some very nice recipes that call for them but even my French/Cambodian cookbook with the amazing illustrated ingredient encyclopedia does not clear up one thing:
Is that three leaves or six?
I'm in the middle of making a paste right now that calls for five "lime leaves" and so, according to my usual habit, I'm going to go and pluck 5 leaves off the tree... Which means, I'll have 10 leaf segments. Or will I have 10 leaves?
The taste is so nice that I've never had the feeling I was doubling the amount called for. Still, I'm curious—is there some widespread agreement, or even better, an authoritative source regarding what is "1 leaf?"

Note: It has come to my attention that one of the common names for the lime leaves common to Southeast Asian cuisine carries a strongly offensive connotation. For more information, I recommend reading this article on The Plate blog from National Geographic, which provides links to several other worthy articles on the subject. I have removed or replaced this terminology from the question and would recommend that users choose to do the same in their comments and answers.

What does "1 leaf" mean?

Since there does not seem to be a clear consensus, this answer will attempt to weigh both positions.

For the sake of clarity, in this answer:

Digits (1, 2, etc.) refer to the number indicated in the ingredient list;
"Full leaf" means two attached segments, as they grow from the tree;
"Half leaf" means one segment (attached or detached).

Evidence-based arguments

This section presents sources that address the meaning of "1 leaf" either explicitly or implicitly. The most explicit sources so far tend to fall into the "half leaf" camp.

1 leaf means "full"

fourwindsgrowers.com:

  The leaves are double-lobed and the top leaflets are slightly pointed.
  The leaflet attached below is broadened on its upper edge. The size of
  the leaves can vary quite a bit, from less than an inch to several
  inches long. The medium to large size, more mature leaves are darker
  in color and usually preferred for cooking.

This excerpt is attributed on the above website to a book titled It Rains Fishes: Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking by Kasma Loha-unchit (Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995). See also: thaifoodandtravel.com (below, in the "unclear" section).

1 leaf means "half"

foodsubs.com:

  [The leaves] look as if two glossy, dark green leaves were
  joined together end to end, forming a figure-eight pattern.  Most Thai
  recipes count each double leaf as two separate leaves.

mvcitrus.org.au:

  The leaves ... are a dark green color with a
  glossy sheen. They come in two parts: the top leaflet is lightly
  pointed at its tip and is attached to another leaflet beneath that is
  broader on its upper edge. The size of the leaves can vary quite a
  bit, from less than an inch to several inches long. ... In recipes
  that call for them, estimate the number to use according to their
  size, with the average single leaflet (detached from its double) of
  about two inches long and an inch wide equaling one leaf.

Unclear

thaitable.com:

  A leaf has two connecting leaves which I call ‘double leaves’.

Sounds like this one is in both camps at the same time. Each leaf is two leaves—very zen.
importfood.com:

  lime leaves grow in doubles. Sizes vary, but the average
  individual leaf is approx 2" long.

This site indicates that there are ~25-30 individual fresh leaves per dry ounce. May need to contact the seller and/or take independent measurements to determine confidently which camp this falls into.
cooksinfo.com:

  The leaves are a dark, glossy green and look like two leaves stuck
  together tip to tip; they are often described as being "double-lobed"
  or "double-leaves." Each separate leaf is about 2 inches long (5 cm.)

This could go either way; "[they] look like two" implies "but are actually one," yet the phrase "separate leaf" implies the opposite. Length cited agrees with above, but this could just mean they have a common source (or one is taken from the other).
thaifoodandtravel.com:

  The dark green leaves come in double form – a more pointed top leaf
  joined to a more rounded bottom leaf.

The zen approach again. Note: This is written by the author of the book mentioned in the Four Winds Growers entry, above.
theepicentre.com:

  They come in two parts: the top leaflet is lightly
  pointed at its tip and is attached to another leaflet beneath that is
  broader on its upper edge. The size of the leaves can vary quite a
  bit, from less than an inch to several inches long.

specialtyproduce.com:

  The leaves grow in pairs from stem to stem. Sizes can vary from leaf
  to leaf, though they each have a teaspoon shape with pointed ends that
  can also be sharp, certainly a natural defense mechanism.

I was inclined at first to put this in the "half" camp based on "the leaves grow in pairs." However, "they each have a teaspoon shape with pointed ends" gives me pause because the "half" at the stem is typically rounded or cardioid in shape. So the "each" there sounds like it refers to each "full" leaf. The "half" at the stem has no sharp tip, being attached at either end to something else.
boxedupchef.com:

No quote, but interesting to note that this is the first source I've come across that shows an image of the leaves separated into two "halves." Even the sources above that are explicitly in the "half" camp show images of the conjoined "full" leaf.

Practical arguments

This section discusses why (and when) one or the other interpretation might be more appropriate, practically speaking.

1 leaf means "full"

"Half leaves" do not occur by themselves; only "full leaves" grow on the tree, so each one/single leaf must be this "full leaf."
"Full leaves" vary less in size than "half leaves" because they always contain one "half" from the branch side (usually smaller) and one "half" from the tip side (usually larger).
Using "full leaves" when cooking imparts a more intense flavor to the dish, which may be particularly important when using frozen or dried leaves (avoids under-seasoning the dish if you read the recipe incorrectly).
Thinking in terms of "full leaves" when writing a recipe ensures that at worst, the reader will use less of the ingredient than is called for, which may do less harm than using more than is called for.
In some trees, especially very young trees, the "half" on the branch side is so small as to be almost entirely stem; it would not make sense to refer to this "half" as "1 leaf" since it has no practical use.

1 leaf means "half"

Each "half" is distinct, shaped more like a typical leaf than the "full" pair, and easily separated from its neighbor.
The most explicit sources give "half" as the common meaning of "1 leaf," so using this meaning may be the quickest way to be understood most of the time by people who are already familiar with the ingredient.
Using "half leaves" when cooking imparts a less intense flavor to the dish, which may be particularly important when using fresh leaves (avoids potentially overpowering the dish if you read the recipe incorrectly).

A better terminology?

I would encourage anyone who shares or writes a recipe calling for lime leaves to clarify exactly how to measure "1 leaf" or to avoid using the term "leaf" at all. Weight measure would be ideal in many cases but can be impractical, depending on the rest of the ingredients in the recipe (and how much time you care to devote to measurement). Some alternatives include:

This recipe uses "stem" instead of "leaf," which is more precise in that two "half leaves" and one "full leaf" both share a single stem.
This recipe refers to both "leaves" and "pairs" to make the quantity explicit.


Softening ice cream with guar gum I have several ice cream recipes that I'm generally happy with (texture is good and all). However, I'd like to make a less sweet, less rich version of some of them.

How much guar gum would I expect to need if I halve the amount of sugar needed, or replaced half the cream with milk, for this example recipe:

560 ml of heavy cream
50 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
150 g of sugar
85 g semisweet/bittersweet chocolate
310 ml whole milk

What if the recipe has no chocolate but several egg yolks?

I know there probably isn't an exact answer, so is there any way I can efficiently test a given amount? In order to directly test it, I'd have to churn a batch, wait for it to freeze, see if it's soft enough, and if it's not, melt and rechurn it, and so on, and I'd much prefer avoiding that.

I saw that some information is contained in the comments on a previous answer, but I'm looking for more detail.

Completely untried idea about efficient testing: You might be able to evenly divide a batch after churning, and stir a different, carefully measured amount of guar gum into each. (I'm not sure if you'd need to pre-dissolve it in a bit of cream). Then you could freeze them all at once, and test for texture. Hopefully your favorite ratio of guar gum will be less than or equal to the average ratio of the batches, so that you can then let it all soften and mix it back together (possibly with additional guar gum), and refreeze. If you're careful to not let it soften too much, you shouldn't have to rechurn it.


Double key lime pie filling and increase from 9" to 10" shell, new baking time? I want to double the key lime pie recipe and put it in a 10 inch pie crust instead of a 9 inch pie crust. How much do I have to increase the baking time? The pie has a graham crust.

Since you increased the thickness, you likely need to reduce the baking temperature somewhat (perhaps 25 degrees?) and bake longer. My best guess would be 25-50% longer, but you'll want to just start checking for doneness sometime around the original baking time. It should be mostly set but still a bit jiggly. If the crust is cooking too fast you can also cover the edges with foil to keep it from browning too much or burning.


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

I am going to assume you are cooking the rice on a pot rather than in  rice cooker. If you are cooking it in the rice cooker, you wouldn't need to lift the lid to check for done-ness. However if you are cooking in a rice cooker, the lid should not be immediately lifted off after it says it is done cooking. You need to let it sit for about 5-10 minutes so the steam can continue to cook.

If you are cooking in a pot, the main reason why you do not want to lift the lid is because you want a even cooking temperature throughout. Typically when you cook rice(once again I am going to assume just plain white rice), you start the water/rice mixture by boiling it on high until it comes to a boil. I do recommend stirring it at this point. But not after covering. Then you set it to very low and cover and let it simmer for about 15-20 minute or more depending on quantity. By doing this, you can evenly cook the rice throughout so that the rice isn't too overcooked on the bottom. If you continue to lift the lid, the temperature would drop, and the top would be less cooked than the bottom. So you would need to cook it longer for the top to be cooked while the bottom is being overcooked.

In addition, the steam that is escaping is the water that you put into the rice. thus when you lift the lid, the water is escaping and will result in the rice being dryer than optimal. If you want to add more water, this will slow the cooking process on top of it already being slowed by losing temperature when you lift the lid. This will result in slower cooked rice.


References on food safety? I'm looking for good, authoritative references on food safety topics. In particular I'd like to learn more about the different parts of various meats and fish, which parts are safe to eat, and what preparation steps are necessary for each to guarantee safety.

What would be a good place to look for this information?

This is a very broad question. My recommendation is to look up your specific product at
the US FDA Food Safety page.

Some of the topics treated are:

Product-Specific Information

Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods

Bottled Water & Carbonated Soft Drinks

Cheese Safety

Egg Safety

Fruits, Vegetables & Juices

Infant Formula

Medical Foods

Milk Safety

Seafood

Food Allergens

Consumer Information

Food Allergens Labeling

Foodborne Illness

Consumer Information

Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Pathogens & Natural Toxins

Interagency Coordination

Food Contaminants & Adulteration

Chemical Contaminants

Metals

Natural Toxins

Pesticides


What is the difference between a biscuit and a roll? Most restaurants in the US bring either biscuits or rolls to the table with your meal.

What is the difference between the two?

In the U.S. biscuits are made with chemical leavening, they use baking powder to cause them to rise.

Rolls (or dinner rolls) are yeast bread.

There are obviously other differences in the recipe(s) but baking powder vs. yeast is the essential difference.


How can I toast rice without using an oven? Rice can be toasted for adding more taste and flavor. The recipe I have uses an oven to toast rice. I want to find out another method which toasts rice without using an oven.

You could put it in a dry frying pan on medium high heat and stir frequently until perfectly toasted.


Can I add instant yeast to sourdough dough that is not very active? I have a sourdough starter (rye flour based) that is quite active and I use it a lot.

I decided to make bread today and used AP flour instead of bread flour on purpose. I wanted to see what would happen. Turns out, not much is happening and the dough is not very active and not rising much. I wanted to bake it in a few hours. Assuming it doesn't pick up the pace by then, can I add instant yeast to it to at least get some rise out of the bread? I don't really throw out all that flour and it smells sour so I think some flavor will be there.

Or am I better off leaving it overnight to give the starter more time to work on this dough?

Yes, you can add instant yeast to a sourdough.  However, the fact that you used AP vs bread flour should not have much to do with the fermentation activity.  The different flours have different protein contents, which impact gluten development. Certainly, allowing it to ferment overnight is an option, but if you are short on time you can use an instant yeast to speed things up.


Is Nattou safe to eat when it has white dots on it? I bought a couple packs of Nattou (fermented soybeans) and stored it in my refrigerator.

They come sealed in plastic, so I opened the plastic and only ate about half of one container. I wrapped it back up in plastic and stored it in the fridge again, and the next day I checked the Nattou and it was covered in tiny white dots, which look kind of foreboding.

It did not look like mold, though, since the white dots were uniformly the same size and spread out evenly. In my experience fungi usually grows at random, and in different sizes, and usually larger than the tiny white dots that I see on the nattou.

What are those dots and is it still edible?

I threw it away without trying it to be on the safe side, but I did notice this experiment is repeatable (I got white dots on the next package by doing the same thing the next day).

I think it might have something to do with storing it in the fridge, since I have stored Nattou in the freezer before without the white dot results.

Yes, those spots are normal, they form as the nattou ages. They are amino acid crystals, and they are perfectly safe. Here's a picture.

They're a bit crunchy, which you may or may not like. If you don't like the dots, get young nattou and consume it before the crystals form. If you do like them, get more mature nattou. With younger nattou, you should be able to store it opened in the fridge for a few days before the crystals start to form. As you have experienced though, once they start, they grow quickly.


Pickling green peaches: is the fuzz a must? Last year, I had to thin the fruit on our peach tree to keep the branches from breaking once the fruit matured. Rather than throw away all the quarter- to half-dollar-sized green peaches, I pickled them -- whole -- using a bread & butter recipe.  My thought was that they would turn out a bit like pickled olives. The result was not far off, save for the fuzzy skins-- very fuzzy.  Like, felt fuzzy.  I was hoping that the vinegar in the pickling would change the fuzzy texture; no such luck.

Is there any technique or treatment (saving peeling every last one of them) to tone the fuzzy down?

I wash mine vigorously with a 3M scrubby pad.  There's still some fuzz, but not as much. Those scrubby shower gloves would probably be easier, but maybe less effective.


I have a sealed pkg of gorgonzola cheesw dated March 2018. It is June. Does it go bad? Gorgonzola dated March 2018 vacuumed packed and never opened. It is June and blue. Is it good?

The date on your package of cheese is most likely a "best by" date.  This means that the manufacturer assumes that the quality of the product begins to degrade by that time.  It DOES NOT mean that the product suddenly becomes unsafe to consume.  Whether or not it is "good" will be up to your taste buds, but I would assume it is safe to consume. Cheese has enough salt and (particularly blue cheese) "good/safe" bacteria, that nothing harmful would be growing in your sealed, properly refrigerated package of Gorgonzola.


Technical name for a manual food processor I am looking to buy a food processor to do very small batches of fruit and vegetables.
Very basic, very cheap....and i am looking for something manual(not electricity).
Is there a manual version existing?
What is it called?

I believe the term you're looking for is 'chopper'.  Here and here for example.

This, a draw string powered chopper, is an interesting idea as well - I have difficultly believing it can produce enough force though.

And there's the rotating handle, crank kind.

You've got options.

Or even more basic, 'knife' ;)


How can i tell if a pineapple will be sweet? A lot of the times when i bring a pineapple home and eat it, i get a semi-sweet and sour taste. How can you tell when is the right time to eat your pineapple to get very sweet pineapple meat?

Usually you can tell when Pineapples are ripen, which will be sweet, when

Leaves are loose and can easily be picked from the top
The shell has golden colour (but not dark brown, these are getting rotten)
The aroma even from out of the shell is strong

A typical pineapple that is bought green and unripen, takes one to two days to ripe well. Don't put them in the fridge if you want to ripe them. Keep them out on the counter. As a street food vendor, we always keep them in the truck for one night prior to selling, that ensure the pineapples ripe enough and the juice comes out of it.

Hope it helps.


What Side Dish Sauces Should Be Promoted To Their Own Sauce? We all know about the typical main dish sauces: gravies, cream sauces, marinara, vinaigrettes, bbq sauces, etc...

However, I find that many side dishes have their own great sauces that you don't typically find as an entree sauce.  For example:

Baked bean sauce/juices are great on meat.
Glazed carrots' glaze is great with light/mild fishes.

I could absolutely see these sauces being used on their own - that is, without serving the beans/carrots.  What other side dish sauces do you think deserve to be bumped up to entree sauce status?

For me there is one item I frequently purchase just for the "side sauce" it contains: Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. The adobo sauce is an ingredient I practically incorporate into everything I make that I would want to add heat to. (I wish they sold it outright, but cutting up the peppers and adding them is just as satisfying.)

Frequent uses: Barbecued/grilled anything,Chili,Tomato sauces with smoky meats, (anything smoky), Queso dips, Mac & Cheese with poblanos


Kabobs to Fajitas - how to make the meat tender I made a bunch of kabobs. Now I want to turn the leftovers into fajitas. How can I keep the meet tender for the second dish? I'm using beef and chicken.

The kabobs were (slightly over) cooked on a BBQ.

Slice it thinly across the grain.

That's it.

If it's properly sliced, it'll be tender, as there isn't enough internal structure left for it to resist it falling apart.

Even though it's not technically the correct way to to cook fajitas, I'd go with a mix of Bruce's #1 and 2 : simmer it 'til warmed through in an appropriately flavored liquid (a mix of lime juice and any generic italian salad dressing works well), then drain, and give it some some fast heat to sear.

Of course, this assumes that they're already cooked ... if they're not, then just marinate, cook, and slice (again, against the grain).


Explanation of the phrase "Eye of Round Roast" I need to translate the type of meat called "Eye of Round Roast" to Danish.

It would be extremely lucky, if anyone here speaks Danish as well as having a quite good English cooking technical knowledge. It might be a long shot.

So, if there isn't any Danish speaking helpfull mind here, I would really appreciate if I could get a good definition or explanation in English of what the eye of round roast is.

I have tried with no luck the Google translator, www.ordbogen.com (a Danish very indepth dictionary), and other kinds fx www.thefreedictionary.com to try guessing the actual meaning. I need a dictionary with cooking specific technical phrases, and that is not exactly lying around.

I think the Danish use the English style cutting and names not the US style, so direct translation is not really possible. The round is often just English "Roast Beef"

The main part of the round we would call topside, which is Danish is Inderlår og klump (topside and rump)

The top part we call Silverside is the "Culotte" (leg)

There are other untranslatable parts like Tyksteg, Lårtunge, and Couvette; these are referred to as just "Roast Beef"!


Where to get precise recipies? I'm currently trying to learn how to cook and my main problem are the lack of precise recipes. Most of them tell you what to do in very abstract steps but lack a way of verifying if what you do is right.

For example: When cooking polenta you have to mix the corn semolina into water. If you do it all at once the powder chunks but not one recipe I found tells you that.

Do you have a recommendation where too look for very verbose recipes?

For the beginner wanting explicit instructions, I don't think you can do better than a 14 day free trial of the America's Test Kitchen website. They break everything down to where it's almost foolproof (which can actually be a bit of a negative to highly experienced cooks); it's great if you're stepping outside of your comfort zone.

You can learn a LOT from that site in 14 days. Cancel within that window and you won't be charged. If you want one more month or simply to pay one month at a time instead of a 1 year lump payment, talk to customer service, they will accommodate.

Immediately upon free registration you will get access to some 14 or 15 seasons worth of videos, with accompanying recipes, taste tests and science lectures from the shows "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country", along with articles from the magazine, "Cook's Illustrated".

They're very highly regarded, and geared especially to help non-expert cooks not mess up.

This may sound a bit like a paid ad, but I assure you that it is not. My subscription paid up through the calendar year. I may or may not resubscribe, but I've totally gotten my money's worth so far.

EDIT I looked up your example. There are 2 recipes for basic stove-top polenta on the site. One says this:

  ... pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.

and includes a 3 minute video straight from the television show demonstrating this recipe for polenta from beginning to end. In the video they cover the hows and whys of pouring the cornmeal in slowly while rapidly whisking in a circular motion and you see her actually doing that.

In the other recipe they use a wooden spoon.

  very slowly pour the polenta into the boiling liquid while stirring constantly in a circular motion with a wooden spoon (see the illustration below).

They're like that with everything. If there is a way to screw up the recipe, they'll keep you from doing it. They'll also tell you what brands won their taste tests and their recommendations. I don't think for a second that they're willing to sell their influence. For polenta, they recommend:


Skin irritation from Victorinox Fibrox handle All of my favourite knives are stamped Victorinox with black fibrox handles... I find the shape and grip of these knives, coupled with the thin and flexible stamped blades, are ideal for processing any food that doesn’t require a cleaver.

But... I have eczema on my hands, most pronounced in my (dominant) right palm. I apply a very strong corticosteroid to my hands, once weekly, to keep the disease in check.

I don’t know why this took me so long to make the connection, but the worst rash spots are on the two contact points with the knife handle; one spot on the the heel, and another on the pad between my index and middle fingers. So to test, about 3-4 days ago I set aside all my comfortable knives and am using (mostly my wife’s) forged blades with hardwood or resin handles. And... my rash is going away! Today it is time for my weekly medicine, and the hands look pretty much like the morning after treatment.

It only took me 30 years to put 2 and 2 together....

My question is: Is this material known for causing allergic reactions or other kinds of dermatitis problem? A google search comes up with nothing, which surprises me.

I have a known latex intolerance (but the symptoms are generally different)

Black Fibrox is a trademarked brand name for Thermoplastic Elastomers, or TPEs.  This is a common plastic substance used to produce "grippy" plastics that feel rubberized, for a variety of applications.

Thing is, TPEs were largely invented as an allergy-free alternative to latex.  Studies have, to date, not turned up any naturally occuring TPE allergies in test subjects.  So you may be the first patient with a TPE allergy!  Lucky you.

To verify this, do you have any wearable electronics?  Items like the Fitbit and various smartwatches frequently use TPEs as band/covering material.  If you have one of these, and you are allergic to TPEs, you should be reacting to it as well.  Or go to your dermatologist, now that you know the substance you think you are reacting to, he can do targeted tests.

I can think of two short-term solutions for your knives.  One is to sell them any buy the versions with "rosewood" handles, which I believe are non-TPE.  The second would be to coat the TPE handles in something durable, like silicone.


How to preserve this alcohol free herbal bitter? I have an alcohol free herbal liquid bitter.  The ingredients are:
“Vegetable Glycerin, Purified Water, Astragalus Root, Centaury Aerial Parts, Gentian Root, Ginger Root, Rosemary Leaves, Fennel Seed, Cardamon Seed (210mg).”
I know alcohol based bitters can last for a long time.  After opening this what factors can lead this bitter to go bad and how long can I expect it to last?

It is not that it is going to turn bad, the issue is that the interesting components of this bitter are mostly volatile.  Volatiles and the flavor components of bitters are more easily "dissolved" into/preserved by alcohol.  Water is terrible for this.  So, the best you can do is purchase or make small amounts, be sure to keep it tightly sealed, and keep it away from direct light.  It's hard to say how long it will last once opened...days maybe, but I can promise it is much less time than a bitter made with alcohol.


Siphon for testing new recipes: 250ml or 500ml? I already own two 1 litre ISI siphons but they are too big when I'm developing a new mousse or recipe in general.
I don't have a restaurant, I just do this in my free time, and I was considering buying a small siphon for testing new recipes.
Would you recommend the 250ml or the 500ml? I tend to think that the smallest one would be the best suit, but I'm worried that it's very small.

Ideas?

Well, if you want to make 500ml, nothing stops you from using the 250ml one twice, right?

250ml is sufficient to judge a recipe - of course, if you do test runs with your family of 6, 250ml might be a bad choice.


Can/should I use baking soda when cooking beans? My recipe for hummus says to cook the garbanzo beans with a little baking soda to soften them. Does this work with other legumes?

I've often seen the advice against salting the cooking water for beans, as it supposedly toughens them. Will a different sodium compound, bicarbonate, have the opposite effect?

Would love to know the science of this issue.

In his book On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes regarding beans and legumes:

  Plain salt at a concentration around 1% (10 g/L, or 2 teaspoons/qt)
  speeds cooking greatly, apparently because the sodium displaces
  magnesium from the cell-wall pectins and so makes them more easily
  dissolved.  Baking soda at 0.5% (1 teaspoon/qt) can reduce the cooking
  time by nearly 75%; it contains sodium and in addition is alkaline,
  which facilitates the dissolving of the cell-wall hemicelluloses.

Basically, you are right that sodium is important, so both salt and baking soda will have effects that speed cooking.  (The idea that salting toughens beans or makes them harder to cook has been covered in another question; brief summary -- it's a myth.)  Baking soda is even more effective than salt, because it produces an alkaline cooking liquid.  Acids slow the cooking and softening of beans, while alkaline solutions will hasten it.

The main drawback of baking soda is that it also affects the taste and texture (as McGee describes it, "an unpleasant slippery mouth feel and soapy taste").  Also, the effects that lead to a faster breakdown of the beans for softening can also result in destruction of a lot of nutrients, as I discussed in detail in a response to a related question on baking soda, beans, and gas.

To me, the drawbacks of baking soda are too great to justify its use unless I had an emergency situation and had to cook beans very quickly.  But it can in fact decrease cooking time significantly, so it can be very effective for that goal.


How can I tell if my kefir is healthy? I have been given some kefir grains but, no having tasted kefir before, I can't tell if there's something wrong with it.

Is there some way to tell?

For the record, the taste is like a mix between yoghourt, cheese and sour milk.

If the taste is similar to yogurt, cheese, or sour milk as you describe then your kefir is likely good.

On the other hand, if it seems moldy or rancid, it is bad.

This site describes proper storage, shelf life and how to tell if it is bad.

And this site describes kefir gone bad if "f there is noticeable fuzzy mold growing on it, if there are pink or orange spots on it, or if it has turned pink or orange. Your body knows when it is bad, it should literally be revolting to you if you attempt to ingest it."


What is this utensil? dads, chefs, cooks, and other kitchen tool-familiar folks,

We used to have this exact fork like spatula but it recently broke. We are looking to buy a replacement but we don't know what it's called so it is difficult to look up to even know where to buy it.

It's like a cross between a fork and a flat head spatula, slightly arched, and tapered at the tip. Non-stick pan safe.

Thank you

This is a modern day version of a Foley Fork. Authentic ones are very rare and collectible. My Aunt swore she could not make her (Best in the world) yeast rolls without her Foley Fork for the dough.


Dry measurement and conversion to weight If a recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of shredded chicken, is that the same as 20 ounces? I'm always confused when it comes to dry ingredient measurements in recipes. Can I simply just convert each cup to 8 ounces?

In general you can't convert volume measures (like cups) into mass measures (like ounces) without taking into account the specific thing you're measuring, because different substances will have different densities in a cup.

If you search online you can find conversions for different common food items but these vary. The website CookItSimply provides a conversion for cooked chopped chicken as 1 cup to 4.4oz; the website FreeFoodTips gives 5.22oz; TraditionalOven.com gives 4.94oz. Note that these are cooked weights, and chicken changes weight as it's cooked.

However, a recipe that incorporates shredded chicken isn't likely to be very sensitive to the exact quantity so I would take the recipe as just giving an indication of the rough amount of chicken to use: think of the amount that would fit in 2.5 cups and go for roughly that amount.