Homogenizing whole milk, butter, and vodka I have a recipe that calls for mixing half a stick of butter into 1.5 liters of milk and 4 shots of vodka.

Unfortunately, these three things don't mix very well and as soon as I pour it out into a serving glass the solution separates.

I have read that soy lecithin can be used to homogenize milk and butter, but will it work with the vodka as well? If so, how much soy lecithin needs to be used. If the vodka cannot be incorporated, how much lecithin would I need to homogenize just the butter and the milk?

Thanks

Homogenization has a fairly specific meaning in dairy. To keep the relatively large milk fat globules in cow's milk from coalescing, the milk is forced under some pressure through a very small aperture that atomizes the fat and keeps it in solution.

Although it seems like this might work with butter I doubt very much that this is a worthwhile solution (pun intended).

What you want, therefore, is to create an emulsion. Butter has some emulsifiers in it but I don't think it will be up to this task on its own.

The idea with any emulsion is to blend emulsifiers into the liquid and then slowly add the fat. The emulsifier will grab the particles of fat and keep them from coalescing and so keep them in solution. Look at mayonnaise recipes for examples of this technique though, of course, you don't want as much air worked into your dish.

I would mix a small amount of lecithin into the milk and whisk it quickly as you drizzle in the butter.

As for the vodka- I don't use alcohol and can't predict how it will behave. If your milk is cold then you shouldn't have a problem with curdling and should be able to mix the vodka directly in with the milk. I fear that if it went directly into the butter that there would be enough liquid to make the emulsification difficult.


Safety Question about making stainless steel flat-top I work in the office of a metal fabrication shop. I have access to cheap(comparatively) metal and a means of getting pretty much exactly what I want.

I've recently been watching youtube.com videos and making some of the really thin "smash" burgers. The problem is that even with my biggest pan on the stove top, I can only put in about 2, maybe 3, and it's hard to get a spatula in to flip, much less where some of the videos recommend scrapping with force to help keep the crispy crust you just formed. I'm specifically thinking about some of 'Balistic BBQ' channel's videos.

This guy uses a bunch of different cooking surface styles. I think he is a rep for some of these grill companies or gets paid to promote the products, but does it in a cool way by making different food items, mostly burgers, and doing them on these various cook tops. He's got a cool one that is a grill on one half, a griddle on a quarter, and a mini deep fryer on the other quarter.

I just think it's a really good idea to have something like that outside where you don't have to worry about a mess or spilling. You can also get all around it and do whatever you want to the food. I think he even had his own SS cooking surface made and may sell them, but I can make mine cheaper.

My question is about quality and safety. What grade and thickness of material would be best? I can pretty easily get SS-304-.25 material. I thought that would be a good thickness. My plan, as it stands now, is to get a rectangle cut to go on my gas grill. I can easily adjust the burners and I'd sit it on top of the cast iron grates. I'd have a back and sloping sides made and welded on to provide carrying handles as well as something to push against if food slides while flipping.

I also realize before anyone mentions it that I have perfectly good cast iron grates to cook a burger on. However, some of the burgers and techniques need a flat surface with no holes for anything to fall down through. You need it for "smash" burgers, throwing chopped onions on to caramelize, doing the metal bowl dome to steam or melt cheese, etc... It'd also be great for doing mass pancake cooking or anything else you'd use a flat top for. My mother has a small Teflon coated flat top for "pan" frying lots of pork chops, but the grease will splatter and make a mess. This would be perfect, assuming it does a good job of transferring the heat from burner to grates to surface.

So, does anyone know if this would be a good material or if there is any danger in using it. I don't think there is. I did a little research and found that 304 is the most widely used for cooking utensils. I also have access to 430, but that didn't look like it'd hold up as well. Hexavalent chromium isn't supposed to be an issue at cooking temps. I think it has to get up to 2500deg and become liquid before it's toxic. From what I read anyway. So any help would be appreciated. I'm sure it'll be fine to make this, but I wanted a second or tenth opinion. Also, do you guys think this is a good thickness or would I do as well with a thinner guage. Thanks.

In my years of cooking in restaurants i do not remember seeing a stainless steel flattop. so i did some poking on the world wide inter tubes and found this quote from

  wikipedia "The vast majority of commercial grade griddles are made from A36 steel, though some are stainless steel or composites of stainless and aluminum".

It goes on further in the wiki to confirm what you said about 304 stainless.

  "Type 304 stainless steel is medical grade with a low level of porosity that reduces the penetration of cooking products into the surface, which causes sticking and flavor transfer – important performance metrics for commercial applications".

So i do no know if there is a correct answer for the question. I keep a remnant of carbon steel 3/8 thick in my oven as a heat sink and under my pizza stone.

As suggested, try some remnants form work.

For your final choice you definitely want mass, commercial ones are 3/4" to 1" thick.
Go to a restaurant supply house and get a grill scraper and porous carbon scrubbing brick ( not sure if you use that on stainless ).

Oh the memories of standing over the hot flattop at the end of the night with oil and carbon brick scrubbing the day of the grill.


Why does my cheese sauce taste like flour/paste? Possible Duplicate:
  How do I make my roux taste less like flour?

I'm trying to make a basic cheese sauce for putting over broccoli, etc.  A typical recipe I've tried is:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Sea salt, to taste
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
White pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour, mustard powder and salt to taste. Gradually stir in milk, whisking over med-low heat until thickened. Add cheese, stirring until completely melted. Season to taste with white pepper.

The problem is that it always ends up with a flour/paste undertaste.  Am I just not cooking the Roux sufficiently before adding the cheese or what?

It seems like you are not cooking the roux. Even a white roux should be cooked. A roux made with butter froths when it is cooked, after that you can add the milk. You can try adding it gradually, if it works for you, I find that dumping it at once and stirring vigorously is better for me - else the first small amount of milk gels the roux into too-hard lumps which the next portion of milk doesn't dissolve. Also, "until thickened" is a bit of a hit-or-miss. I wait until I see bubbles of cooking - not the rapid small bubbles of boiling water, but big, slowly rising bubbles plopping here and there, only then I stop cooking the sauce.


What are the pips and skin of an orange? When the orange is soft and cold, cut in half and remove any pips. Process the whole orange, including the skin, until medium chunky

From: http://www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/baking/whole-orange-spice-cake

Is skin the outer thick orange coloured cover?
or the fibrous threads that orange pieces have?
or the thin skin that holds the juice and seeds?

What are pips and skin of an orange?

The skin is the outer thick orange-coloured cover; obviously as you're not told to remove it this would include the pith (the white fibrous material) as well. The pips are the seeds inside the fruit:

  pip

  noun

  plural noun: pips

  1.
  a small hard seed in a fruit.

  synonyms:  seed, stone, pit


Gelato disappointingly icy I recently attempted to make this gelato recipe which required procuring some special ingredients (liquid glucose and powdered dextrose). I had high hopes for a very silky-smooth, creamy gelato. I followed the instructions closely, except I did not cool the mixture over an ice bath (I let it come to room temperature then put it in the fridge). But the result after churning and freezing was a very icy mixture that resembled more of a sorbet. The flavor was good but texture obviously off. I assumed this stemmed from the 100ml of brewed espresso which has a rather high water content, but this doesn’t seem to be too different from other coffee-flavored ice cream recipes. Any ideas of where I went wrong?

That recipe has a pretty low butterfat content and no real stabilizers, plus a lot of water. Commercial gelato is usually made with low butterfat also but with a lot of stabilizer, sometimes several different kinds. Although gelatin isn't usually used, you can think of how it affects liquid, and stabilizers sort of do the same to compensate for the lack of butterfat. Gelato is also not usually frozen hard, but rather served at a warmer temperature because it generally doesn't freeze well.
I made gelato once by starting with a commercial mix that had stabilizers included, and it came out great. But most of the home recipes I see for gelato either turn out like yours did, or they're really just ice cream recipes with lots of whipping cream but they're calling it gelato -- which they can do, because unlike ice cream, gelato has no regulation as to what percentage of butterfat is required.
If you really want to make gelato, I'd suggest trying to buy a commercial mix, or experiment with stabilizers such as xanthan gum powder.


What are "cooked" potatoes? I came across a recipe for skillet potatoes that asked for "cooked potatoes cut into 1/4-inch chunks". While the 1/4-inch chunk part was easy to understand, I'm not sure what is meant by "cooked". Boiled? Sauteed? Baked?

Usually that would mean potatoes that have been simmered to fork tender, but you could use potatoes that have been baked too. It's faster to dice the potato before simmering, but for some things it actually tastes better (tiny difference) to simmer first, then dice.

Be careful if you dice first, they will overcook and become waterlogged quickly.

If the recipe doesn't specify, you can use peeled or unpeeled potatoes. I almost always prefer scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes.

Don't forget to salt the water!

EDIT: One more little note. 1/4 inch dice is small for simmering potatoes. If you do it that way, get them out of the water just before they are completely tender, carry-over cooking will get them the rest of the way. You might also want to rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking.


Why are my doughnuts raw in the middle? I recently began making doughnuts. I did a few experiments.

The first time I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. Large, airy, and soft. But on day 2 they were too dry and lost some of their texture.

To address this problem I did 2 half batches as experiments. One I added too much butter and the other I used my sourdough starter instead of yeast.

None of the butter batch cooked properly. All had raw centres. Only 1/4 of the sourdough batch came out right. The rest were also raw in the centre.

I purposely weighed smaller amounts for my test batches. They were 10-15gr lighter than my first batch. They were also less airy. I fried them the same as far as I can tell.

Why are the smaller doughnuts coming out raw?

The answer is simple: your test batches were less airy, and more dense.  The heat from the oil was likely unable to penetrate the dough as effectively and cook the interior.

If the recipe turned out properly the first time around, that's probably not the issue.  If your concern is with storing the doughnuts  (though how you would have any left is a mystery to me!) then you may want to check out more effective methods of storage.  There may be some helpful guidelines in this thread.


How can I repair a pasta maker that was washed with water and has started to rust? My girlfriend has a pasta maker, pictured.

Alas, it was accidentally cleaned with water, which is explictly forbidden (!!!) by the directions, which state:

  After using, clean with dry cloth or brush. Occasionally apply a few drops of oil to cylinder ends, turning cylinders to distribute oil evenly.

  Never use water on this machine.

Alas, it has begun to rust, as shown here:

More photos.

Is there anything I can do to recover the sanctity of my beloved's pasta maker?

I'd start by making up a batch of sacrificial pasta that you can run through the roller and the cutters. This will pick up any remaining moisture, remove any rust particles that the cutters knock off each other, and give you a better idea of how bad the damage is.

If the cutters still cut cleanly and the damage is mostly cosmetic, that's good news. You could try to remove rust by carefully applying something like a non-scratch Scotch-Brite scouring pad, but I'd avoid abrasives like steel wool. You want to be careful to avoid making the problem any worse than it is.

If the cutters no longer cut cleanly, it may be time to look for replacement parts. If you can locate the manufacturer, that's your best bet for getting proper parts. You might even be able to send the machine back to be refurbished. Check the instruction manual, if you have it, for an address, phone number, whatever might help. If that's not an option because the manufacturer is out of business or whatever, look for similar machines that you can use for parts. Maybe you'll find a Domus machine on eBay that has a good set of cutters. Carefully measure the width of the cutters and check other machines -- it may be that the cutting rollers from an Atlas or Imperia machine will fit into your Domus.


Combining dishes that need oven temps of 450, 425, 400, and 350 I have three dishes that need to be baked but all have different temps.
My oven is a standard, 80's range with oven and broiler - nothing special.
I am cooking

a Leg of Lamb of 5 lbs at 450, which gets reduced after 20mins to 400 degrees for an hour.
Hasselback Potatoes at 425 degrees for about 45 mins
a green bean casserole at 350 for 30 mins.

How do I do this, practically for this Easter dinner? I've got other things that I'm serving, but those are all stove-top dishes or cold dishes.

If you're going to cook all three at the same time, something is going to be hotter than it should be or colder than it should be. If you're not making a soufflé, or something very small like cookies, you have a little flexibility and variation in temperatures.

if something is in a hotter oven than called for, it will cook more quickly and perhaps brown more than you wanted as well,
if something is in a cooler oven than called for, it will cook more slowly and perhaps brown less than you wanted as well.

You can adjust for the speed issues by having it in the oven for a longer or shorter time than called for. You can fix the browning by covering it with foil, or giving it some time under the broiler at the end - the latter being more reliable than the former.

I don't know about your potatoes but I'll assume they need to brown. Here is how I would run it, for a 6pm dinner:

4:00 preheat the oven to 450
4:10 put the lamb in
4:30 turn the oven down to 400
5:00 put the potatoes in. They're going to get 15 minutes extra time to make up for the cooler temps
5:30 take the lamb out for a 30 minute rest (sure, your recipe probably says 15, but the extra time won't hurt.) Turn the oven down to 350 and put the beans in.
this final half hour is when you make the gravy and whatever other side dishes are involved, set the table, etc
5:55 check the beans. You can probably take them out and let them sit for 5 minutes. Check the potatoes. If you want them browned, now's a good time to put the broiler on above them.
6 pm serve

By the way, I wrote this timeline from the bottom up and you can do the same next time you're trying to work out timings.


Is it ok to make mozzarella from pasteurised milk? Hi Is it ok to make mozzarella from milk bought at Spar or any other supermarkets? If not, how could I buy 5l non-pasteurised milk? I live in Hermanus, Western Cape. Thanks Ian le Chéf

Yes, you can make mozzarella from pasteurized milk. You will want to avoid the so-called "ultra-pasteurized" milk if at all possible.

The reason the ultra-pasteurized milk should be avoided for cheese-making is because the extreme heat denatures the proteins and they will not solidify into curd.

This is US based, but is informative:

  "The minimum legally required temperature for pasteurization [145°F], basically has no effect on the protein," explains Metzger. "But when you get to the 170, 175°F point, the casein and the whey proteins actually start to interact with each other." Those whey proteins, he elaborates, "are similar to the proteins in eggs—when they get too hot, they start to aggregate, and they take the casein proteins with them. What you're left with are proteins that won't coagulate into the kind of curds needed to stretch mozzarella cheese." (Source)


Using both cook and serve pudding and instant pudding in pie I have a layered Pudding Pie recipe that calls for Chocolate, Vanilla, and Butterscotch pudding. I have not been able to get the Butterscotch pudding in instant pudding (which is what the recipe calls for), only in cook and serve. Would it cause the milk in the other two to curdle when that layer is applied, and if so, how would I avoid that problem? I intend to let the pie set in the fridge overnight.

I doubt it would make the milk curdle, but it may mix with the other layers if you pour it in while still hot. I would cook the layer with cook-and-serve pudding and let it cool in the pot until it's more spreadable than pourable. It should be just about room temperature by then, and then you can layer it on top of whatever layer it's supposed to be on without any worries. If the butterscotch is the first layer, you can pour it hot into the pie shell and wait until it's cooled before adding the other two layers.


Can I substitute duck breast for leg? I managed to pick up a couple of duck breasts that were on offer.  I had a nice meal recently that included duck breast served on duck hash.

The recipe for this meal involves jointing a whole duck, serving the breast on top of the hash in which the shredded duck leg meat is mixed with potato and onion.

As I have 2 breasts and I only need one, so can I simply substitute a breast for the leg meat or will the breast have the wrong texture or other shortcoming?

Like poultry, duck has fatter legs than breasts and also the meat itself is darker, adding a different flavor to the meal.
The fat in the legs will melt and the potatoes and onions will cook in it.

It would be great if you had some duck fat to add to the breasts or at least any kind of fat, for the flavor.
But if you like to eat learn unfatty meals, you can stick with the breast only.


How to determine if meat needs to be aged? Some animals are ready to eat (or freeze) immediately upon slaughter. Some need to be aged first otherwise they may be too tough. E.g. venison needs to be aged 2-5 days (depending on the age of the deer) so that the enzymes from the meat break down collagen (which I understand makes the meat tough).

I also understand that beef needs aging but not necessarily lamb -- I have seen lambs getting roasted immediately after slaughter.

How do you determine whether meat needs aging? Is it better to age an animal in bigger chunks (like whole or halved) vs butchered in smaller pieces? What are some tips for aging a large animal (like a deer) in case a walkin cooler is not available? Is quartering it and putting it in a large cooler (vs hanging) going to produce inferior aging results?

This is not a full answer, and different than aging, but must all meat needs to either be cooked immediately after slaughter or as least be allowed to go through the rigor mortis cycle.  Larger animals may take longer than smaller, but it still occurs.  Many home raised chickens for instance are very disappointing to the grower not because their is anything wrong with the bird or the way it was raised, but because this step is missed.  Immediately after death, normally muscles go to a temporary flaccidity, but this quickly is lost with muscles becoming rigid and causing joints and connective tissue to stiffen.  This is true regardless of if the animal is immediately parted or not, in fact parting while in the rigor cycle can cause muscles to contract in ways that will cause it to stay tough even when the cycle is allowed to complete if you cut across muscle.

With a chicken, an item I have more experience with, this process if relatively quick.  If you cook the bird before it cools, you are usually fine, but once it stiffens it takes maybe 24-36 hours to complete the cycle.  Cooling the bird aids in two ways, it helps get into the cycle faster, and prevents spoilage during the period. Larger muscle mass will take longer to complete the reactions to complete the process.  In a human sized animal, I believe the peak of rigor is about 12 hours after death without cooling to speed it to that point, and the relaxation is completed in the 2-3 day range later, or roughly 3 days to complete the process, but temperature will make this vary.  A bit of a guess, the I would assume that something like a cow would be up in the 5 day range.  My understanding is that in beef electrical current is often applied to the muscles to cause them to contract and relax and speed the process, but I have not personally seen it done.

I say this may not be the answer you are looking for as I would not call this aging.  Though there are chemical and physiological reactions going on, this is different than aging meat such as dry aged steaks.  That is a process in which the meat has already gone through that rigor cycle and then is allowed to age, often removing some of the water and partially drying the meat to produce a more intense flavor, but I think from your question you are keying more on the rigor cycle.


Is safe to eat jerky with white mold? I recently ate a jerky with white mold on it (see below), I donot know if I should be okay with that? The mold grew on jerky because I placed it in a moist environment days before.

There are some kinds of mold which are safe to consume (blue cheese is a common example) but in general they are not. While you might often be fine eating a bit, there's no guarantee, so to be safe you should throw out moldy food like your jerky.

See the FDA's advice, for example.

Note that mold is okay on some kinds of cured meats:

  Hard salami and dry-cured country hams: Use. Scrub mold off surface. It is normal for these shelf-stable products to have surface mold.

But I'm not sure it's normal for jerky. For those examples it's normal and even common to have mold, but for jerky it's not common, so I wouldn't be confident it's normal. (Indeed, it grew there when you left it somewhere moist, so it's not part of the normal production and storage of jerky.) Additionally, jerky is generally more fibrous and less solid than those things, so there's more potential for mold to grow inside it, where you wouldn't be able to scrub it off.

Your example does look like it's mostly on the surface though, so if you want to take a small chance, you could see if you can really scrub it all off.


How to make Black Glutinous Rice sticky? I've been to a Cooking Class in Thailand and learned how to do many yummy Thai dishes. One of them was Mango with Sticky Rice, but with black rice.
My problem is that somehow my rice is not sticky at all although I'm doing what is written in my little recipe paper that I got from the cooking class.
I show you two pictures (first time and second time):
The first time, with little coconut sauce:

The second time, with a bit too much coconut sauce:

So now to the cooking instructions.
I've got this brand for the rice:

And according to my recipe paper, I need to soak 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of water at least 8 hours. (I usually do about only 8-10 hours).
And then I need to steam the rice in a rice steamer for 20-30 minutes. I don't have this so I'm using the ikea steel steamer:

(source: ikea.com)
And I'm using a normal pot with water to steam it with the lid closed so no steam comes out.
The result is that the rice is "dry" and not really sticky at all. The last time I did it we had so much of the rice left, that we thought we could do sushi with it. But it was impossible since it does not stick at all...
What am I doing wrong?

I don't know what is done traditionally but have you seen this recipe? They use part white sticky rice as the black rice alone did not seem sticky enough.
Mango with Black Sticky Rice | Khao Niew Dam Mamuang

If you are interested there is also a way to make it more like a porridge that is uses more water and is cooked longer like congee in a pot and becomes somewhat glutinous. Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding I'm not sure the eggs are necessary, I've never heard of that in the Indonesian version.


How can I know whether a potato is too old? I have many kilograms of potatoes that are turning bad, I don't want to throw them away. The term "turning bad" means that the best-before days on the products vary between 1-4 weeks i.e. they are old from 1 week to 4 weeks. Some of them taste bitter, some of them taste good but some black while some sprouting and other shape-changes. I am not looking for recipe recommendations, rather how to manage this problem. How can I know whether a potato is too old to be edible? If I can understand right, some sort of acid is formulated in some potatoes. Hence, I think I cannot cook the same products with them as with non-acidic potatoes. How should I manage acidic/non-acidic potatoes differently? Can I add some base to neutralize bad potatoes so they would become more edible?

Related Question but not the same

Are green potatoes OK?
Is it safe to eat potatoes which have sprouted?

It likely depends on what 'turning bad' means ...

If you have a couple in the bag starting to sprout, but the rest haven't, you can roast or bake the ones that haven't sprouted, let them cool, then store then in the fridge so you can pull them out to use them in something later in the week.  (eg. home fries, patatas bravas or a hash).

For those that have started to sprout, but are still firm, you can cut away the sprouted bits (this time of year, you might even be able to plant them), peel them, and then boil them and turn 'em into mashed potatoes (which you can then vary for the next couple of days ... you can mash 'em with other stuff to make a sort of potato salad; you can add cooked greens to make colcannon or bubble and squeek; you can use as a topping for a cottage pie (the technically correct term for shepherds pie when you're not using mutton or lamb)

Some of these freeze well ... I've made up cottage pies and frozen 'em in oven-proof containers; you could likely do the same with just mashed potatoes -- I see 'em for sale in the grocery store all the time.

If you're looking for something to cook that just uses a lot of potatoes (in a non-whole state, in case you need to cut away parts) ... potato salad, potato bread, potato curry, latkes, potato soup, tortilla de patatas ... the list goes on.

... and if they're soft and squishy, or oozing liquid ... pitch them.  They're rotting, and not worth getting sick over.


What is this attachment for on this veg peeler? Just found a vegetable peeler with a very strange bladed attachment on the bottom of the handle.

The blades are all parallel but arranged in a V arrangement. There is an arrow pointing in the direction of the sharp edge of the blades and we can’t work out what it’s for.

Our best guess is a garlic slicer but then you’d end up with really big slices of garlic.

Anything you want to make thin strips of. Green beans, carrots, something small enough to fit in there. You drag it through and it is split into thin slices.

This is an "action shot" from a slightly more specialized version available on Amazon.


What are the conditions that raw milk, just milked from a cow, should stand to obainin thick traditional Romanian smântână? Let's say I have fresh, raw, unpasteurized milk, just obtained from a local cow owner who milked the cow within the last hour, the milk is still slightly warm from the cow's body heat. In what conditions it should stand and for how long, to obtain thick, traditional Romanian smântână, viscous to the point that it would not flow out of a cup when its turned over.
I know such smântână is sold by old ladies on the farmers markets in Romania. What to do if my smântână doesn't turn out like that, even having the same milk, from the same cow, bought from them, not skimmed. For the educational purpose of the question let's assume they are not cheating me and selling me milk with some cream already skimmed, that can be a factor, but let's eliminate all other possible factors before accusing the cow lady.
Traditional Romanian smântână differs from traditional French thick high-fat crème fraîche. Creme fraîche is made from pasteurized cream and has a bacterial starter culture added, while smântână had no pasteurization done at any point and no cultures are added, only the milk's natural bacteria are making it. This process is without the use of a centrifuge or separator, as separator-made smântână is much more liquid.
I am not sure if smântână is considered a cultured product or not, as while it is said it should not be sour, but it certainly ferments a little while standing, only not as much as soured milk or yogurt? The Wikipedia page mentions "Smântână taste is tangy and sweet, a soured smântână is considered as spoiled."
I am looking for information on the parameters to obtaining a thick, highly viscous, non-flowing smântână, for example:

The temperature at which to keep the milk
The time to keep it at that temperature from the moment of milking the cow till smântână is ready
Anything else I should know to ensure I obtain a thick, highly viscous cream which doesn't taste sour

The correct answer will be only one which refers specifically to the Romanian traditional way, ideally from someone with knowledge from a Romanian grandmother, or otherwise having knowledge how it was traditionally done, before there were fridges and separators. Any other ways to obtain cream, any procedure not specifically from Romanian tradition, is outside the scope of this question.

I can't give you the Romanian recipe but I doubt it differs much from Polish.
First, Start with cow milk. It must be genuine unprocessed milk - absolutely not cooked, UHT, preserved, skim, lactose-free or other 'inventions' where the natural bacterial flora has been killed and the milk will rot instead of souring.
Make the standard fresh cream. There were traditional tools for that but a centrifugal separator will do just fine, with far less effort; the technology doesn't 'spoil' this part.
Don't go over the top with fat content. The American creams are ludicrously fatty. 14-18% of fat content is normal, up to 30% is okay but really unnecessary and will make it harder to achieve the right results.
Then put the sweet cream in a clean ceramic jar, cover with a clean cloth that allows air through but will stop insects, and leave in a slightly cool place - temperature of order of 18 Celsius degrees (although 'cooler side' of room temperature is fine). Let it sit overnight and if you started with genuine unprocessed cow milk, it will sour and thicken into the traditional sour cream with a layer of transparent whey on the bottom.


Cooking Toad In The Hole - preventing "burn on" I've recently cooked Toad in the Hole following this recipe from TheFoody.com. The first time I used a non-stick metal roasting tray and the second time I used a ceramic dish.

Both times the batter adhered to the base of the cooking container quite firmly. What can I do / should I be doing to prevent this from happening?

Note: I was using plain sausages, not ones with any unusual flavourings that could release sugars and suchlike whilst being cooked.

I grew up in Yorkshire, that doesn't make me an immediate expert but my Mother used lard or beef dripping to coat the container for either Yorkshire Puddings or Toad in the Hole.
You should preheat the lard in the oven, it should be 'very' hot.

I suspect the issue with using the oil from the sausages is that you will get some water as well as the oil. This will not coat the batter and will evaporate quickly. Or the oil is not hot enough when put in the container. I suggest putting the residue from the sausage in a gravy not for the Toad in the Hole.

P.S. I don't know what (from the linked recipe) the sausage chunks means, but keep your sausages whole imo.


What was wrong with my Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie? Last Thanksgiving I tried a pie from the Joy of Cooking that sounded amazing.

Called an Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie it consisted of lemons sliced paper thin and macerated in sugar. This recipe is similar.

The pie was beautiful. The flavor was overpowering. It was almost inedibly sour and bitter. I was the only person who finished my slice.

What did I do wrong or is this pie meant to be excessively sour and bitter?

I have this recipe on my short list to try:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/shaker-lemon-pie/

Few things I've noticed in her recipe and my own experience with pies containing whole lemons.

The meyer lemons as she notes make a huge difference. Mind you their growing season is short and they are not available everywhere. If you have access to them, then all the better. Otherwise find the sweetest variety you can.
If you can, select lemons with as thin rinds as possible.
That all said, the shaker pie is designed to be sweet, sour and bitter. How bitter depends on the above.


What is the use of UV LEDs in my fridge? I have a new fridge in which there is, apparently, some LEDs emitting UVs. I read on the internet that it kills bacteria and helps the food last longer. Does this really work? And what about the claim that it somehow preserves vitamins?

Yes, the UV light will make your fruit and vegetables last longer.  Really it depends on the wavelength of UV. 275nm is used for killing bacteria and will burn your retinas, 385nm is less harsh to the skin or eyes and will still kill bacteria to a degree.

I just read a study in which they used 285nm in a controlled refrigerator setting against a static test with no UV on strawberries and how long they would stay fresh.  The UV irradiated strawberries lasted 9 days without growing mold.  The non uv, started growing mold all over them by 9 days. They tested the nutritional content of each and the UV treated had a higher content of nutrition then the non uv.


Chef's knife for someone who uses it harshly I have a loved one who uses their chef's knife in ways that really taxes the knife: prying stuff open, chopping hard straight up and down, etc. As you might imagine, this person's knives quickly dull and bend in ways that create safety issues, and s/he is often getting small cuts. The person is unlikely to change his/her technique.

Is there some kind of knife that has roughly the size and shape of a chef's knife, but can better tolerate being used in this way? I'm envisioning something with a very wide spine and a shallow blade angle that won't dull or bend as quickly.

A so called Western Deba/Yo Deba could be what that person needs - this is a very heavy version of a chef knife, explicitly designed to deal with things like "half frozen food", "small bones" (commonly found descriptions in catalogs).

Do not confuse with the true japanese style deba (single bevelled and thick as a cookie.), that would be a pessimal knife choice for such a use(r). These look even more brutal/sturdy than the Yo-Deba but they aren't, you will need a whetstone and/or a first aid kit very quickly if you abuse it.

A so called "lobster splitter" would be the all-western equivalent.

Another, more rare designation for such knives (from japanese and japanese style makers) is "Reito-Kiri", these are explicitly designed for handling frozen food; not everything designated as a Reito-Kiri is chef knife shaped (some are serrated or double-handled).

Avoid hidden-tang handles (like those found on aforementioned chinese cleaver or more delicate japanese types) on knives used for really rough work: Your blade could literally fly off the handle and cause an accident.

"prying stuff open" and "chopping hard up and down" are two very different requirements when it comes to knife selection. Hard chopping (not TOO hard chopping) can actually be done well with a thin and quite hard knife - such would be a disastrous choice for prying. This exactly applies to the chinese vegetable cleaver that was suggested.


How to make smooth Chumus? I found many Chumus recipes online. The general gist is to cook the chickpeas for a few hours (or let them sit in water for a day, then cook them), grind them, add water/oil/Tehina/lemon juice, and salt/pepper.

The result comes out more or less chunky (not that there are pieces, but it feels thick). I've seen "professionally made" Chummus (like Sabra) come out rich and smooth.

How do they do it?

I like mine really smooth, so I make the whole thing in a food processor. You can use the "pulse" feature if you still want a little chunkiness, but if you want it really smooth, just process the heck out of it.

If you don't have a food processor, a blender may work too. If you have neither of those, you could try a very fine potato masher but that would be a lot of work.

For extra fanciness, I also like to top my serving bowl with a little pool of chilli oil to allow my guests to add spiciness if they wish.


What actually happens if you pour a glaze over a loaf cake before it has cooled? Taking a regular loaf cake, say a pound cake, and a glaze of about 3/4 cup confectioners sugar to 2 Tablespoons liquid:

What actually happens if you pour a glaze/coating over a still hot or warm cake?

Does it soak it through, set up as it should, or drip a lot? How does it affect the consistency of the cake?

The icing will seem like it's melting and soak though the pound cake. The effect will be similar to soaking the cake with simple syrup. A pound cake is fairly 'solid' so the consistency shouldn't be affected very much, unless you use enormous amounts of icing.


Can I use amaranth flour or another grain flour as a substitute for white flour in tortillas? I am trying to make a healthier tortilla, which I have always made with all-purpose white flour.  Is there another grain flour I can use that will produce a tastier and healthier tortilla, and still give me a tender tortilla?

You might try to add some amaranth flour or any other kind of flour, but it's difficult -impossible I think- you can make a bread or a tortilla out of 100% amaranth flour. Wheat flour (that you call "all purpose white flour") contains gluten, that is functionally used to make dough stick together. If you use amaranth, rice or other kinds of flour you'll find that it's difficult to make the dough.

If you want to make a healthier tortilla use whole wheat flour, and add whatever you want inside: amaranth, sesame seeds, linseed, nuts, peanuts, almonds, etc.


Why not mix meat or poultry with fish? I have just realized that I cannot recall ever seeing an item on any menu or in any cookbook that includes both fish and meat or fish and poultry together. (Meat and poultry I have seen.)

Is there a reason for this? Is such a combination by its very nature distasteful? Is it difficult to prepare for some reason? Or am I wrong in my observation to begin with?

I'm no culinary expert or anything close, but I am curious why this might be the case.

You're wrong in your observation to begin with. There are tons of things with meat and seafood:

Cajun food often combines sausage, chicken and seafood (e.g. gumbo and jambalaya)
"Surf and turf" is a catchall term for red meat plus seafood in American-ish cuisine, and comes in all kinds of forms (each separately, one stuffed with the other, a burger with both, both over pasta, etc)
Asian food often combines shrimp and pork (e.g. dumplings and spring rolls)
Paella often has sausage and seafood

(thanks to Catija for most of the examples)

That said it might be somewhat less common for a few reasons:

Seafood tends to cook very quickly, while meat and poultry take a bit longer, so sometimes it's easier to not mix them.
Related, seafood is often much softer, so it doesn't match textures as well as various meats and poultry. (This is especially true of fish.)
In many areas seafood is more expensive so when people do use it they'll try to make it the star of the show, rather than combine it with other things.

And of course, simpler dishes tend to be more common, so you'll see much more with one kind of meat. Sure, there are more seafood-only dishes than combinations, but there are also more poultry-only and meat-only dishes than combinations


What’s the sulfur in dumplings for? When making Thuringian potato dumplings, an integral part in the process is the so-called “Schwefeln”:
Sulfur that comes on threads is burnt inside the closed pot of potatoes.

Native Thuringians, if asked what the sulfur was for, will reply that sulfur dioxide prevents the dumplings from turning gray during cooking.
Is there anything to back this up?
Are there any possible side effects, especially wrt taste?

EDIT: Add picture showing dumplings (the bright yellow ones on the right) one day after they were prepared.

Wikipedia says its for keeping the raw dough from turning brown. Alternatively you can use something called "Knödelhilfe" (Dumpling-helper), which is the anti-oxidant Potassium metabisulfite E224. (Kartoffelkloß (German), Potassium metabisulfite).

I have done the recipe many many times without the sulfur, just heard about it for the first time, even though I am German. I never noticed the potatoes turning brown. Typically you grate the potatoes directly into a bowl filled with water and keep them covered.

I'd say either way is ok, the little bit of sulfur dioxide is not going to kill you.  Alternatively, try ascorbic acid or lemon juice.

Btw. my favorite type of dumpling is this one, filled with apricots: Apricot Dumplings, Marillenknödel.

They don't have the sulfur issue, because the dough is done with cooked potatoes, and they are covered with breadcrumbs anyway.


Durability of hard andonised metal (aluminum) Products like Hawkins Contura Black Pressure Cooker are hard anodised but haven't specified the metal used in the body, here. Others explicitly mention they are made from anodised aluminium.

I want to know whether hard anodising a metal (aluminum in this case) makes it stronger than steel? Steel doesn't get a dent if it falls from a height, can the same be said regarding this hard Andonised Aluminum?

Anodizing is a surface treatment that thickens the natural oxide layer of a piece of metal.  Aluminum is the most commonly used metal that is anodized, but magnezium, zinc, and some other metals can also be anodized.  Steel can not be effectively anodized.

So any description of pots and pans that uses "anodized" is almost certainly referring to aluminum.

It doesn't change the strength of the metal, only the surface properties - corrosion resistance, colour, etc.

Hard anodizing creates a thicker layer of oxide than "normal" anodizing, but it's still a surface treatment, it doesn't change the strength of the metal.


Storing sourdough starters with wine in a wine fridge? Specifically:

Can the yeast & carbon dioxide from the sourdough starter harm the wine bottles I'm aging in the refrigerator, and
Roughly how often would I have to feed the starter if stored only at 52 degrees F?

Thanks in advance for your input!

My starter is going on 6+ years old now.  I keep it in the fridge in a covered container.  Of course, it would be slightly warmer in a wine fridge, but I would also recommend a covered container in that situation too.  There will be a little activity, but not enough for gas to escape.  In this scenario, I remove a portion of the starter, add new flour and water, and return to the fridge approximately weekly.  I have gone much longer between feedings with no harm...as long as I give it plenty of time to build up before use (at least a day on the counter...sometimes two if I've forgotten about it in the back of the fridge).  In any case, it will not impact your wine.


Way to fix sharp tasting sauce I've made a sauce with some white wine (with cream & tarragon) but it's really sharp (prob the wine was a bit old, or I didn't boil it off well enough - is there any way to fix it?  and what's the most likely cause?

If "sharp" means too much alcohol left, bring it back to a simmer and cook off more of it, then adjust with more cream if needed.

If "sharp" means too acidic, your options are:

(1) add more cream and other ingredients to dilute the acid
(2) try to mask the acid with a bit of sugar
(3) I guess you could try to neutralize the acid with a very small amount of something basic, like baking soda. But that seems like a bad idea, it will probably taste terrible.


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

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

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

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

Impractical? I think the wet grass + sun idea sounds fantastic!
I see two options here-

Wood is shaped with the application of moisture and heat. Run it through some steam in the dishwasher and while it is still piping hot clamp it tightly between rigid boards to dry. This method works with all kind of wood shaping but you should know that there is always the risk that the stress will cause the board to crack while it dries.
For descriptions of this technique google "wood steam bending". Most results will describe using a specialized steaming chamber rather than a dishwasher but the technique is the same.

The other method is mechanical: use a belt sander or planer to remove the convex material. Less risk but more work.


Why does my calzone crust lose its crunchiness within minutes of being removed from the oven? I have tried making meat stuffed Calzones from pizza dough. It came out really crispy, but after 10 minutes or so the bread was kind of rubbery. It was weird because I made pizza the other day using the same recipe and it came out fantastic.

The dough was made from a simple mixture of 500g white flour, 400ml water, 21 gram fresh yeast cube and a tbsp of salt. I kneaded it until it was elastic and let it rise for two hours before taking it out of a warm oven and into the cold room, where it sat for three hours or so before getting into the oven.

Do you think pizza dough itself isn't fit for calzones, or was it the recipe?

The lack of vent holes would have been a problem.

Vent holes allow steam to escape, reducing the amount of internal moisture.  This moisture will both prevent the crust from cooking fully through, and will cause the crust to soften as after it comes out of the oven.

That's not to say that there wasn't also some other problem, just this is one thing that you should correct.


Storage of chocolates/candies in process (i.e. prior to cutting, dipping, etc)? Especially around the holidays, it usually seems more efficient to build up a selection of projects in need of some finishing steps (usually chocolate dipping). What steps should one take to ensure that undipped centers are stored safely for a few days? Would an oven (off, obviously) be a decent place to store things out of the way?

EDIT:
Specific examples:

Ganache (hand-rolled)
Ganache (slabbed)
Candied citrus peels
Unwrapped caramels
etc

The best storage depends on the particular confection:

Refrigerate (in a sealed container to not pick up orders or absorb water):

Ganache
Soft caramel

Cool dry storage, again in an air-tight container to minimize changes in moisture level:

Candied citrus peal
Nuts - Dry storage
Marzipan
Raisins and other dry fruits
Fondant
Hard caramel or toffee

Ovens without pilot lights probably qualify as cool dry storage, and will keep the pets out if you have any, but accidents happen.  I would use a cabinet or pantry if you have room.


Is there a product available that is pre-gelatinized starch and what product name is it sold with? I am trying to make packets of instant pudding that do not need heating, in order to thicken the mix to form a cold dessert. Some sanity has to be found in my kitchen, as most foods are home cooked because of my allergies.

I have attempted to test rice paper and tapioca flour (Australian brand and Chinese or East Asian product), potato starch, and puffed amaranth breakfast cereal, thinking that some value or gel might result from my efforts.  (It has not.)

Inquiries regarding pre-gelatinised products result in blunt dismissal, as those products here in Australia are reserved exclusively for medical reasons to celiacs or patients with problems swallowing, and supply is restricted to local chemists.

Is the supply of these products restricted by requirements for a doctor's prescription? If not, how or where can I obtain them?

Yeah, what you want is UltraTex-3 (or possibly the 8 or UltraSperse variants), from National Starch. Willpowder carries them: http://www.willpowder.net/tapioca.html

You can make something very much like instant pudding from just about any liquid using this stuff, and it can be cold. No heating required. Works best with a stick blender.


How can I make crispy chips? I made potato chips by following this recipe, but they didn't come out crispy.
What is the accurate temperature for frying chips?

Note (from Jefromi): my best guess based on the comments is that the OP didn't use this recipe, but rather fried thin potato slices in a deep-fryer at 180C, in an unknown oil, for an  unknown amount of time. If this is enough to let you answer, just go for it.

Speaking as a Brit - we are a nation of chip lovers :)

Use an oil which can cope with the high temperature such as groundnut. For that proper chip experience (* heart attack alert *) add some beef dripping or lard. I add a small amount to give the chips a nice flavour.
Whilst heating the oil regulary dip a chip in the oil. When it starts to bubble then it's time to cook. If the oil is too cold the chips will absorb it and they'll go soggy. (This is easier to achieve with a traditional chip pan or I prefer a deep saucepan).
For the perfect chip the potato variety is important but this is personal taste. Last seasons reds will make dark delicious chips but I prefer new potatoes which make a crisper lighter coloured chip. (The potato variety also affects the colour when cooked).
Finally, drain on kitchen paper and a sprinkle of salt.


Dishwasher safety - "top shelf" vs. "bottom shelf" The instruction manual for some of my kitchen equipment says "Dishwasher safe (top shelf)".

What difference is there between what an object on the top shelf of a dishwasher experiences, and what happens to an object on the bottom shelf?

What are the risks of putting one of these items on the bottom shelf?

In most dishwashers the heating elements are on the bottom only. Lightweight plastic items might melt (soften and distort, not drip away) on the bottom, but they don't mind being in the steamy environment or being sprayed with hot detergent-laced water. They are therefore only dishwasher safe on the top shelf.

I've melted a plastic bowl or two in my time; there is a definite difference between top and bottom.


How much vinegar should I use when making Salsa? My wife's boss makes some absolutely great salsa, so we got the recipe from her so that we could try our hand at it with our fresh garden veggies. The recipe is below:

Salsa

16 cup tomatoes, peeled and quartered
4 cups onions, chopped
2 cup jalapenos, chopped (with without seeds) -- adjust this  (1 1/4 cup, 1/2 of seeds used)
2 1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 c pickling salt
3 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 T chili powder
2 tsp black pepper
2 T cumin seed
1 tsp alum
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste

Blend together and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, uncovered. Put into hot sterilized jars; seal and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Makes 8 pints
WARNING: When slicing jalapenos use rubber gloves and don't touch your eyes
(original recipe)

Last summer I made 16 pints with this recipe, and it was basically inedible due to the overwhelming vinegar bitterness. We ran this back by her boss who gave us the recipe, and she said she really just wings it on the vinegar.
So my question is, for this recipe how much white vinegar should actually be used? We have our garden veggies ready for salsa making this weekend, and I really don't want to waste all of them again this year! Hope I can get some help on the vinegar part!

The guideline for the safe canning of tomatoes is for 2 tbsp of 5% vinegar per pint of tomatoes. If you made 16 pints then you'd need 32 tbsp of vinegar, and that is almost 2.5 cups. This isn't to prevent spoiling, the processing will do that, it's to prevent the growth of botulism, which boiling does not do.

However, the recipe above calls for 16 cups of tomatoes, 4 cups of onions and 2 cups of jalapenos, for a total of 22 cups of vegetables. That's 11 pints, not 16, so if you added 2.5 cups to that you've gone almost 50% over the amount you need, which could account for the strong acid flavor. For that volume 22 tbsp or 1.65 cups would be sufficient.

It's possible your wife's boss is adding vinegar until it tastes good, then canning the result. This isn't safe because it means there could be far less acidity than would be wise (I'm assuming that the boss is using a water bath method because that's what the recipe says, if she's using a pressure canner then it's a different story). If this is the case then this recipe will never really work as is because to make it taste right you'll have to compromise on food safety.

You have a couple of options here:

Buy a pressure canner: you can probably ebay one for not much money, and it means you can get the flavor you want. Processing time is much shorter as well, giving you superior product (the guidelines for a water bath are 40-50 minutes, in a pressure canner it's just over 10)
Try a different acid: citric acid powder adds acidity without much flavor. The guideline is 1/4 tsp per pint. Canning supply shops will carry it, it's easy to find on the internet. Lemon juice (commercially bottled for consistency) is also a favorite for salsas, 1 tbsp per pint is the guideline.

If you decide to change acids or acid levels then I suggest you do a small test batch to make sure it's good before going full scale.

A good page on canning tomato products is here.


How can I tell if katsuobushi is made from bonito or the real deal? I feel like this is another "real wasabi or not" conundrum.

Essential to Japanese cuisine, especially indispensable in dashi, katsuobushi is not cheap in Japan or in the U.S. But how can I tell if a pack of katsuobushi I see in a store or I have sitting in my pantry is made from real skipjack tuna or its cheap substitute bonito?

I know there isn't a whole lot to choose from when it comes to buying katsuobushi in the U.S. What makes this matter even more confusing is that a lot of the product-of-Japan katsuobushi sold in the U.S. -- at least every kind that I have seen -- lists "かつお" (skipjack tuna) as its ingredient in Japanese, but also has a separate English label that says "ingredients: bonito". Which is it then? Are there methods through which I can tell if a pack is the real deal?

I suspect that what you have here is a translation issue:
There are a range of fish called "Bonito", which are largely fish from the mackerel family. However, one of the fish also known as Bonito is the Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), which goes under a range of names including Arctic Bonito, Bonito, Ocean Bonito (see the huge variety of local names listed according to the FAO here)
To quote the site:

UK : Bonito ,  Striped bellied bonito ,  Striped bellied tunny .
USA : Arctic bonito ,  Bonito ,  Mushmouth ,  Ocean bronito ,  Oeeanie bonito ,  Oeeanie skipjack ,  Skipjack ,  Skipjack tuna ,  Skippy ,  Striped bonito ,  Striped tuna ,  Victor fish ,  Watermelon ,  Hawaii: Aku ,  Aku kinai .

As food labeling requirements are reasonably strict in both the USA and Japan, I suspect that if you see it labeled as Skipjack in Japanese, then it almost certainly is Skipjack (well, so long as you can rely on the fisheries people to be properly identifying their species), and what you are seeing is just the local variant name which someone has decided is the name for this type of fish in the USA.


Why do all meal replacement drinks have sweet flavours? As far as I am aware, all food replacement meal drinks (Soylent, Huel, ...) and protein shake brands come in sweet flavours. Typical flavors can be: chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, ... I was wondering why there are never savory tastes. It would be nice to drink something savory for lunch instead of half liter of "liquid cake" :) Savoury flavours that I can think of could be based from soups: "masala daal", "dill&cucumber", "gazpacho", ...

  What's the reason behind all food replacement drinks having sweet flavours? Is it a functional reason or it's just because of taste?

About 10 years ago, a store I shop at regularly (North American style grocery chain) had some powdered high-protein low-fat meal replacement 'soups'. Their prices had been greatly reduced. They were approaching their best-before date in a few months and the store was clearing them out before they had to be tossed. So I bought them all.

There were two flavours - asparagus and leek, both in a creamy base. They were meant to be eaten the way a soup is but were thin enough that they could've been drank if a person wished.

I asked why they were so cheap and was told that people weren't interested in foods like that. It was the sweet meal replacement drinks already prepared that sold. Since what I bought was a powder and had to be mixed with hot water to properly disperse the powder to make a soup. It seemed the vast majority of people didn't want the 'bother' of mixing the soup. They wanted it ready to drink immediately. And most preferred a sweet drink rather than a savory soup.

Even though I regularly shop at Asian markets (even more than I frequent than large Western type supermarkets), I've never seen anything that's the equivalent of meal replacement drinks. I can't speak for what European stores carry but the concept of meal replacement drinks seems to be foreign to Asian cultures as far as I've seen.

These are two likely reasons (sweet taste and convenience) that savoury meal replacements haven't done well (in North America, at least). One other thing worth mentioning is most Asian cultures (outside of India which has a rich history of sweets) don't eat anywhere near the amount of sugary foods that people in North America do, although it's changing over among young people. Asians consider all the sugar unhealthy.

(I don't have references to back up my last comment but I've had many Asians mention that to me in conversations about food.)


What can I use in my own kitchen to fashion a panini press? First, I realize someone asked whether they can use a waffle iron.  Great question, great idea.  Alas, while I do have a waffle iron, it's not a very good one and won't fit sandwiches of substantial thickness.

I do have two cast iron pans.  But the smaller one would still crush the sandwich.  (I was thinking maybe I could fashion it in the oven somehow)  I also have two Calphalon griddles, one flat and one with raised grilling "speedbumps".  I also have a variety of other pans, but I think something from among these four would hold the solution.

Just wondering if anyone is using a brilliant alternative to waffle makers or uncheap panini presses.

Assuming that you don't mind the bottom of your smaller pan getting dirty, you could put the sandwich in a heated larger pan and place the pre-heated smaller pan on top.  According to your question, you've got this this in own mental experiment.

The next step would just require you to borrow from mechanical engineering and some cheap root vegetables.

Mechanical designers use a widget called a standoff.  It just help create a gap between two surfaces.

Couldn't you use the same concept with carrots?  You could just surround the sandwich with equal length (maybe 1/4-1/2" shorter than the sandwich) cut carrot "columns" for a carrot "tripod" of sorts.  Bread will certainly cook faster than carrots and the used chunks could be edge-trimmed if they got blackened and consumed.


I left a fully cooked honeybaked ham out overnight, and i am planning on making it into soup-is that ok? I plan to make soup out of fully cured ham that was left out overnight-since it will cook another two hours, should it be safe to eat ?

Using the ham and the bone would be great for soup! The ham has already been cooked (cured) and since it has been left out in the "Food Danger Zone" has probably had bacteria grow on it. However cooking the ham (boiling it in soup) above 212 degrees will kill any bacteria that may  have developed. Also you may want to consider putting the ham and bone in a pot with water only, bring it to a boil and then dump it all into a sink and colender. This will get a lot of the fat or scum out of the soup. Then put the ham back into the same pot, add your stock or water and seasoning with carrots, onions etc. You will have a lot less skimming. Just don't eat the soup cold or let it stand out.


Why do marshmallows poof up so huge when put in the microwave? As anyone who's put marshmallows in the microwave knows, they expand a ton! Sometimes they puff up to literally more than twice their original size (YouTube video for those who haven't seen it).

So, why?
At first I assumed it was because they had a lot of air in them, but that doesn't make sense. There's no way that amount of air can puff up that much from the heat!

What makes marshmallows poof up so much when they are microwaved?

Marshmallows expand so much because the water in them becomes steam, and gas takes up a LOT more volume than liquid. Specifically, 1 mL of water becomes ~1.36 LITERS of vapor, before it gets heated further.  That's 1000-fold expansion, before you add additional expansion as the gas is heated.

Marshmallows don't have all that much water content, but when it's trapped in a stretchy gelatin matrix that holds gas readily, it only takes a bit to blow the whole thing up like a balloon.

You are correct that the gas expansion on its own is insufficient; unless I've badly muddled my calculations, gas expansion from 20C to ~150C (caramelization temperature) will increase the gas volume by under 50%.


Smoking whole beef blade steak I want to smoke/slow cook whole blade. These are big pieces of meat, average 7kgs a piece. Dry rub, then how long at what temp and what internal temp should it get to? What sort of time frame, and should it be foil wrapped at some point ?

This cut can be smoked similarly to a chuck roast or pot roast, which might help you search for recipes on your own.

As a baseline, you could try smoking it uncovered until it's around 150-170F, then foil wrap it and bring it up to 200F. This, along with letting it rest after you take it out, will ensure it doesn't dry out. This will take around 4-6 hours minimum.


Bubbles leave when added to syrup I made this tonic syrup recipe. However, as mentioned also in the recipe, the bubbles tend to leave early when I pour sparkling water on it. I don't think using a differend brand would help - the production process is probably similar.
Why do the bubbles leave? It does not happen with elderberry flower syrup. Would using a soda stream help? How do I keep the bubbles in my tonic?

It'll be because the tonic syrup contains nucleation sites, which are in this case tiny particles from the stuff in the syrup that cause the dissolved gas to come out of solution rapidly. The more nucleation sites, the quicker this will happen. Disturbances in the liquid can also act as nucleation sites - which is why your carbonated drinks foam up when poured, and why stirring/shaking the liquid results in extra bubbles for a short time.
Edited to add: to get rid of the nucleation sites you could try filtering the syrup (I note that this is part of the recipe). This can be as simple as several layers of paper-towels arranged into the shape of a cup and sat inside a funnel, or you could use more expensive pre-made filters(e.g. coffee filters) or scientific grade filter papers/cartridges. If I were you I would use several layers at one time of whatever filter you choose, this will help filter out as much as possible of the detritus, but will slow your filtration rate - be patient.
WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME; SIGNIFICANT RISK OF BURNS.
If you have no nucleation sites you can retain gasses in liquid quite well. As evidenced by all those people who have heated water in a microwave and then added sugar or something similar (coffee, cocoa) and had it rapidly (and sometimes explosively) boil over. Also known by all those people who have dumped sugar into their soda/pop/fizzy/carbonated drink and seen the massive efflux of bubbles.


How can I adapt slow-cooker recipes to allow more pre-preparation? I started to ask about adapting slow-cooker recipes for longer cook times, but noticed there were a few questions about that already that look helpful.

My next question is about how to prep a slow cooker so I can just set-it-and-forget-it in the morning before going to work. What special precautions should I take for slow-cooker recipes that use raw or partially cooked meat so I can have everything pre-mixed in one or two containers and stored over night (8-10 hours) in the fridge?

How would I need to modify cook times or temperatures for starting from fridge-temp instead of room-temp? Would kick-starting things by cooking in a stove pot in the morning help? Or is the slow cooker likely to handle it well enough?

I don't know if there's an 'official' way of doing this, but I've heard a few different techniques (eg, putting the crock together the night before, then fridging it).

Personally, if I'm going to prep things in advance, I try to take advantage of the extra time, such as by giving the meat a dry-rub.

In theory you can mix the meat and vegetables (as they'll all be cooked to sufficient temperatures to make the meat safe; the problems are when you cook the vegetables for less time) ... but I find that makes it difficult to specifically layer the crock the way that I want to.  (I typically put a carrots across the bottom to lift the meat a little off the bottom of the crock).

When it comes time to put everything into the crock, I start it on high for a little while so it'll come up to temperature in a reasonable time, and then switch it over to warm before leaving it to work.  (it's possible that the new programmable crockpots do this automatically with 'fuzzy logic' ... I've never tested it specifically).

...

So, to summarize:

prep food the night before
store in containers relative to how you'll want to layer things in the crock.  (if not layering, all together is fine).
don't use the crock as one of the containers in the fridge.
on the morning of, layer things into the crock about 30 min before you need to leave.
add the appropriate amount of liquid.
place the lid on.
turn the crock on high.
once the temperature is up to around 130-140°F (57-60°C), switch it over low.
leave it for the appropriate amount of time.
switch it to warm if you need extra time before it'll be served.

If you overslep or otherwise need to get out the door quickly ... put the liquid in the microwave to heat up (or stovetop) while you assemble the stuff in the crock, and assemble it while the crock is on low.  (you won't burn yourself right away, as it takes a few minutes to warm up).  Once the liquid is warm (you don't want it at a boil ... we're looking for near our target 130-140°F / 57-60°C; a couple of degrees over if you have the time), pour it in slowly, working your way around the outer edge of the crock.  Drop on the lid, and then go to step #9.


Slow-cooker burns mash potatoes instead of keeping them warm Another question regarding mashed potatoes. I have prepared my (vegan-friendly) mashed potatoes, and now I want to keep them warm.  I decided to place them in a slow cooker on the 'LOW' setting, thinking that would keep the mash warm and not over-cook them. However, after 1-2 hours, I saw burnt red-brown marks on the pot and around the mash.

I have never seen potatoes by themselves burn and turn red, so I assume this must be due to either the salt, or the Earth Balance margarine that I was using in the mash. However, I am clueless as to why margarine would burn at such a relatively low temperature, considering that the smoke point of the vegetable oils used in margarine are very high.

These are pictures of the burn in my pot:

This is the model of my pot. A Booney  3SC65R slow cooker model.

That just looks like mildly burned mashed potatoes to me, possibly with a little oil/margarine included.

I think the issue here is just that potatoes are thick, and there was no stirring. Slow cookers are best suited for liquids, so that convection can transfer heat throughout the contents. With potatoes, nothing can move around, so whatever's around the edges can get a lot hotter. I've definitely managed to burn things a bit in my slow cooker too, for example apple butter that was too thick for good convection.

I'm not sure there's really much you can do about this given your slow cooker. If it had an even lower "warm" setting, you could try it. If you were willing to make really wet mashed potatoes, there might be enough water to avoid burning. But otherwise, you might have to look to another solution for keeping warm, like the oven, or or maybe an insulated carrier/box if it doesn't need to hold too long.


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

The question though is how cold? And you've missed the chance to measure that. If it felt cold then the chances of it having spent significant amounts of time above a safe temperature are low (given your description).

In a commercial situation you'd have to discard it (in any set of rules I've come across), but at home you can make a judgement call which may not be the same.


How long can you store the bones of a chicken in the refrigerator? No odours can enter the place where I am keeping the bones in the refrigerator so contamination is minimized.

Rumtscho gives the answer in the comments:

  No more than 4 hours spent between 5°C and 60°C, cumulative since
  purchase (assuming the butcher followed correct procedures). It is
  very restrictive, but most people think it is sensible to follow it
  (and American restaurants are legally obliged to)

And about freezing which I will use:

  if you want to stockpile bones, freeze them. They will keep for months
  that way. This question was about a refrigerator.


Keeping beef jerky dry? I made some beef jerky, and I am wanting to mail some to family and friends.  I don't have any of those silica gel packets to absorb moisture - is there anything else I can put in the baggie that will absorb any moisture as effectively as those silica gel packets?

There are several options:

wrap jerky in paper napkins/towels before putting in the baggie
put jerky in a paper bag and then in a plastic one
put some uncooked rice, as Optionparty has mentioned

The method you choose also depends on how long it takes the mail to be delivered. Rice is the most long-lasting way, but it will also add the most weight to the package. Paper bags and towels are equally effective, but they won't do for longer than a few days.

Whichever you do, make sure the baggie is well closed to prevent any moisture from outside getting in.


Bagels: Alternative to cornmeal on the baking sheet? I'm making bagels for the first time ever and I assumed I had cornmeal... I don't. I have corn muffin mix but no cornmeal.

The instructions say to sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheets. Is there another common kitchen ingredient that would work as well? Or, should I just use a bit of corn muffin mix?

EDIT: Now that I'm no longer in a panic, it occurs to me that I have polenta and grits. One of those would work well, right?

I used polenta... I wish I had used flour instead, though, b/c the polenta bits are pretty big. Corn meal is now on the grocery list, to be purchased before I make bagels again.

I wouldn't use corn muffin mix, as that has baking soda in it, might not be tasty! Use some flour. This works fine for pizza, so it should be good for bagels as well.


Why did my basting sauce flop? The instructions for the basting sauce I tried to make called for heating olive oil, butter, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and pepper and then whisking together until smooth.

I heated the oil, added the butter to melt, and then added the mustard. I skipped the vinegar.

When I added the mustard, it turned into tiny clumps and no amount of whisking would get it incorporated. What did I do wrong?
I don't think it was leaving out the vinegar; could it have been that?

The reason that your basting sauce flopped was the recipe was calling for an emulision (basically, a vinegrette) and by leaving out the vinegar you are changing the one of the basic building blocks of the dish.  The sauce will require that you add the fats to the mustard as it will clump as experienced if you don't.  The mustard in the original recipe is used as an emuslifer and may need to be cut down without the addition of the vinegar.  To build a sauce like this, you should start with the vinegar, add the seasonings and any emulisfers (in this case, the mustard) and slowly drizzle the fats into the resulting mixture until all has been incorperated.  You will still get a smooth sauce as long as you keep the order even if you leave off an ingredient or two.


button mushrooms turned red while frying in butter I fried fresh sliced button mushrooms in butter over low heat with no other ingredients. After a short while dark red areas started to appear on the sides of several slices.

I never noticed anything like it before and would be happy if someone had an explanation. Also I would like to know whether or not it is a sign of some sort of danger.

I tried to find information online but the results are mostly recipes and the only instance where someone describes the same, people's responses are not at all helpful (»maybe you cut your finger without noticing«, »maybe you used fly agaric«).

According to this article, button mushrooms may turn a pink color if bruised while being stored or handled. This sounds very much like what has happened to you, as you've stated that the mushrooms were old and not stored properly. This is not poisonous or bad to eat by any means, but I understand that one would not want to take the risk, especially when it comes to a fungi such as mushrooms.

For more information on storage, see the article provided above. A short excerpt on storage taken from that source:

  Storage - Agaricus bisporus will last longer in your refrigerator than
  many other mushrooms, usually around a week. It's better to store them
  in a paper bag rather than plastic. They'll last even longer if you
  take the time to put them in paper!


Deep frying vs air frying temperature equivalence TL/DR. Is there a general rule that can be applied for converting from deep frying recipes temperatures to air frying? If so, what's the rule?
When converting recipes from deep frying to air frying, I've tried using the same temperatures suggested in the original recipe, but I've found that food won't get brown/golden as expected, or it can even get under cooked after the same cooking time. These experiences have lead me to believe that cooking temperature needs to be higher, but some articles I've read about this (i.e. this article) would seem to point in the other direction.
An example of this was with some cheese sticks, which by their recipe were supposed to be deep fried with oil at 210°F for 10 minutes, but when air fried at that temperature for more than 25 minutes, still came out pale and with the dough being undercooked.
By the way, I'm using GoWISE USA GWAC22003 5.8-Quart Air Fryer, in case this is relevant (although I feel it shouldn't, in general terms).

It's impossible to give you a conversion. Or if not impossible, at least exceedingly impractical, both for the person deriving the formula and for you when you try to apply it in your case.
First, let's take the issue of underdoneness only. To make sure the center is done, you have to ensure sufficient heat transfer. In deep frying, most of the energy arrives at the food via conduction from the oil to the food, and is proportional to mass and the specific heat coefficient. Not only is the specific heat of oil almost twice as high as that of air, but also the mass of oil in a deep fryer is many times the mass of air in an air fryer. This means that in an air fryer, you get much more heat through radiation than through conduction. Since it is not the same process (such that you can plug in only the variables that differ and come up with some kind of simple ratio), it is completely impractical for a home cook to try to derive a conversion formula between the heat transfer in their deep fryer and their air fryer. Generalizing it and giving it to all home cooks would be even more difficult, and it would depend on the geometry of the fryers and on the properties of the food surface anyway, leaving too big a margin of error. Bottom line: forget the formulas, cook until done, whenever that happens for your particular combination of cooking device, temperature setting, and food.
Your second point was the surface. If you want the crispy golden surface of fried food, this happens through an interaction of heat, fat and usually also starch. The starch is usually already present in the food, either because you are frying starchy items like potatoes, or because you have breaded or battered your frying goods. The air fryer provides the heat. What you still need is the oil. You will have to toss your items with a sufficient layer of oil, generously brush it on. Then you will get a fried crust.
A third point is that you may be trying it with prefab foods (at least I have rarely seen people make their own cheese sticks). Prefab foods are precisely engineered to work with exactly the suggested method of preparation. Other methods, while edible, will likely produce a noticeable difference. You may not be able to get the same results with an air fryer.


Understanding 2 unit yield from 1lb ready to cook chicken I have a recipe that calls for 2 unit (yield from 1lb ready to cook chicken) and it says it is 158 grams.

Can someone explain how this measurement works. How does 2 units from 1lb of chicken end up as 158 grams? Please explain it like I'm 5. :)

It's referring to the weight of each piece after cooking. 1 lb of uncooked chicken is 453.59 grams. Some use 450g as a quick rule as 4 grams is really not much in most applications. 450g divided by 2 would make each piece 225g raw. Cooked chicken generally loses 30% of its weight, so cooked is 70%, or .7 of the raw weight. 225g X .7 = 157.5g , which when rounded up is 158g.

Keep in mind this is the approximate cooked weight of each piece, your milage will vary depending on the quality of the chicken, whether white or dark meat, and how much fat is on it.


Chocolate mousse for frosting? Can you use a basic chocolate mousse as frosting for a cake?  Would it be stable enough or is my layered cake going to fall apart?

My favorite chocolate mousse recipe uses gelatin as a stabilizer.  I've used it as a filling between cake layers and it works really well.  I don't see why you couldn't use it on the outside of the cake as well.

You'll want to keep the cake refrigerated.  I don't know exactly how long it will remain stable, but I've kept it in the fridge for several days without a problem.


Thicker tomato sauce on the pizza makes the cheese more slippery After reading the advice about tomato sauce in this answer, I decided to try straining the sauce to remove water and see what it did to the crust.

I let the water drain out of a jar of tomato sauce by leaving it in a cheesecloth-lined colander. The sauce went down to almost half its volume, and I had to trowel it on the crust almost like spackle.

As usual, I used a pizza stone, and an oven that at about 500°F. The pizza takes about 7 or 8 minutes to cook, like this, rotating it twice in that time. I don't pre-heat the crust.

For this pizza, I used supermarket whole-wheat pizza dough (Stop and Shop makes a wonderful dough, incidentally), half-skim mozzarella, Barilla marinara sauce, fresh basil, and sauteed mushrooms and garlic. The pizza was delicious! The crust was thicker than usual, and lighter.

It seemed to me that the cheese was, for want of a better description, a bit looser than it usually was, and had a tendency to slide off the rest of the slice when you took a bite.

If I repeat this (and I will), I'll likely use even more of the same, strained sauce, since I got some requests for "more sauce, please, I could barely taste it." How can I "anchor" the cheese a bit? Mix a little cheese in with the sauce so it'll grab ahold of the cheese? Pre-bake the crust with sauce on it for a minute or two? (I'm not sure what that would do.) A staple gun, perhaps?

If you have to trowel the sauce on the crust it is too thick.  There is a "right" consistency that will prevent the pizza from being too watery but will still have enough moisture to allow the cheese and sauce to fuse somewhat.

On the other hand, you could just ignore that the cheese isn't fusing.  I've eaten thousands of pizzas in Italy and most of them are more watery that what you'd get in the US and the cheese usually does not fuse with the sauce.  Probably because it's only in the 800°F brick oven for about 3 minutes!  Enough time to cook the thin crust, barely melt the cheese, and that's it.

If you really want that cheese to fuse, I would suggest a slightly more watery sauce, and more heat from the top.  Turn on the broiler for the last minute or so until the cheese starts to bubble.  This will also help evaporate some of the extra water in the sauce.


How much fat does "low fat" cheese have? I was wondering how low is a "low" in low-fat cheese. It can't be 0%, because then cheese wouldn't exist, right? :)

In my country, there's something called "fresh cheese", and fat percentages are in range of 5-10%, but in dry matter, fat percentage is higher, like 20%-30%...

Any thoughts?

In Europe at least, the rules on advertising say:

  "for a product to be able to make a claim that it was low in saturated fat under EU Regulation 1924/2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods, it should contain no more than 1.5 g of saturated fat per 100 g of solids"

(from the ASA Adjudication on Youngs Seafood Ltd )


How to avoid smoke during pan searing meat? I've been cooking in my cast iron skillet on medium/medium high heat with olive oil.

No matter what I cook, (chicken, fish, etc.) the oil and fat in the pan starts smoking long before the food is done.  Eventually the meat gets there, but by then the house smells like the food.

I've seen this post, but any other advice I may be missing to avoid all the smoke?  Lower temp?  Different oil?

There is absolutely no way to completely avoid smoke while searing meat in olive oil. The process happens far above the smoke point of the oil (not to mention, of the meat itself). Smoke is going to happen.

With that said, if you use an oil with a higher smoke point (canola or grapeseed come to mind), and use very little of it, the smoke output will be minimized. You really don't need much oil for searing.


Are there any differences between "baby" vegetables and their "regular" counterparts I'm referring to vegetables like baby carrots, baby spinach, baby cucumber, etc.  Supermarkets sell quite a few "baby" varieties of vegetables and they seem to be priced more expensive per ounce than their "regular" counterparts.

Am I naive thinking that (for instance) baby carrots are simply carrots harvested early?  Or are they a different kind of carrot, just small?

I'm looking for nutritional as well as culinary differences.  For instance, if a recipe calls for a "baby" vegetable, can you substitute it for a finely chopped regular vegetable?

Talking about nutritional value on here can be tricky, because this site about cooking

  Are baby carrots are simply carrots harvested early? Or are they a different kind of carrot, just small?

Yes they are harvested earlier, or even grown more closely. However nowadays they have developed miniature strains which are mature when small in stature. This page contains lot of information about baby carrots, an even a video, so you can try growing this in your garden.

Baby carrots are not as nutritious as full whole carrots, because a lot of the goodness in carrots is contained in the skin and just below it. This is removed in the baby carrot making process. A pack of baby carrots look more aesthetic and they are more tender/sweeter, that is a selling point.


How well do frozen oranges peel after frozen? I was wondering if freezing an orange would make it easier to peal and remove most/all the pith.

I want to make an orange smoothie, so having it frozen would be a good thing, but I have no idea if it would make it easier or harder to peel.

Well, it wouldn't cost much to figure it out! I'll try a guess, though, and say that it will make peeling MORE difficult. The peel will be stiffer, and I think the pith might be even more likely to stick to the orange flesh, and maybe less likely to stick to the outer peel. But I'd like to know what your results are if you test it.

I'd say if you're having a lot of trouble peeling your orange, I've heard that giving it a good squeeze before starting can help, and there are also some easy-peel varieties out there now.

And of course the pith won't hurt you and unless you leave almost all of it, you're not likely to notice it after you run it through a blender with the rest of the orange!


Why does freshly slaughtered chicken needs to be cooled down before cooking? Today I bought a chicken that was slaughtered less than an hour before, so it was still warm. The shopkeeper said it needs to stay in the freezer for a couple of hours to cool off before I proceeded with cooking. Why is that?

The consensus from sites I have seen that appear fairly credible is that you need a resting period to avoid toughness in the final product.  I speculate this is to allow rigor mortis to come and go.

According to Girl's Guide to Butter's article Chicken Butchering 101:

  And now the final step in the butchering process – put them in a
  larger tub filled with cold water (ours comes straight from the ground
  and is very cold), and let them sit and relax till the evening (if
  you’ve butchered in the morning) or overnight ...

  Note that it is important to let your chickens rest and relax in this
  fashion before cooking them, because, if you cook them right away (not
  that most of you, unlike me, would want to), they are likely to be
  tough.

Similarly, The Self Sufficient Home Acre's How to Butcher a Chicken article says:

  [P]ut it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. If the meat
  is not allowed to relax, it will be tough. If you plan to freeze the
  chicken, you can leave it in the refrigerator overnight or you can
  freeze it right away. Just be sure to pull the frozen bird out and let
  it thaw completely before cooking it. I have had good luck with this
  method.


What is the brown sauce in authentic Chinese fried rice? There is a lady at work that makes the most awesome and most delicious Chicken Fried Rice on the planet. She uses white rice with some sort of brown sauce that is added when frying the rice in the wok. She won't tell anyone what that brown sauce is other than she is using soy sauce.  Not true!  It is extremely mild, and slightly brown in color.  Does anyone have any idea?

If it really is authentic, then it is soy sauce. Some recipes also use oyster sauce but I would not call that authentic or traditional.

Soy sauce can mean many things; it might just be a different soy sauce from what you're used to. There are light vs. dark soy sauces, and also fermented vs. hydrolyzed kinds. A naturally fermented light soy sauce would probably be (a) mild and (b) slightly brown.

Some other common types of sauce that I've seen used in stir fries are hoisin and satay. But, as with oyster sauce, I wouldn't call those authentic or traditional. That "some sort of brown sauce" is almost certainly soy sauce. It might include XO sauce, although you would notice a seafoody taste in that case.


How to get cheap cookie cutters? With the cookie baking season upon us I broke out the cookie cutters for sugar cookies, however almost all of them are pretty deformed or broken (from moving houses). I haven't bought any cutters in a long time and didn't realize how expensive they've gotten.  Are there any cheap ones out there that are worth buying or should I just wait until after Christmas, when they all go on sale? Or should i just use an empty tuna can and make a bunch of circles?

I think using an empty can is a brilliant, frugal idea...but if you want something a bit more exciting, chain stores like Bed Bath & Beyond sell decent tubs of cookie cutters. If you have one of those mailer coupons, you can get a ridiculous amount (like a pack of 100) for less than $20.


How to clean pulp collector of a fruit juice extractor Not sure if my problem is directly related to home improvement, but this problem at home is making trouble for me.

I have a New Life juice extractor of model FJU-30W-310 which has a pulp collector like this:

The pulp collector is beneath a rotating disk. The problem is I cannot find a way to take out the collector to wash it with water. Does anybody know how to clean this device make and model?

Before migrating the question to cooking.SE, someone commented on the home-improvement.SE like this:

That comment was true. I pull off the rotating center part a bit and it just came out of its plastic lock system. Locking system looks like this:


American Potatoes vs. Spanish Potatoes I just watched a commercial for Idaho potatoes that said they're special because they're especially 'dense'.  When I was in Spain my señora told me that when she came to American she couldn't make proper potato omelette because the potatoes didn't act right.  Does anyone know enough about potatoes to know if potatoes in America are any different than the ones you would find in central Spain?

What are sometimes referred to as Idaho potatoes are generally russet potatoes, a variety of mealy potato commonly grown in Idaho. Mealy potatoes are one of the two broad categories of potatoes: Waxy and Mealy. Mealy potatoes are more dense, higher in starch and lower in sugar and moisture than waxy varieties. Mealy potatoes are used in dishes such as baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and french fries as they maintain a lighter, mealy texture and don't brown too quickly.

Waxy potatoes include most red skinned potatoes and are less dense with less starch and more sugar and moisture. Waxy potatoes maintain their shape better when boiled so are preferred for that preparation method as well as sauteing and roasting.

Some potatoes exist near the middle of these two extremes and are sometimes referred to as all-purpose potatoes as they will work in a wide variety of preparations. Yukon Golds are probably the most widely available example of all-purpose / medium density potatoes in the US.

There are a huge variety of potatoes grown throughout the world. The trick is to figure out if your senora's recipe requires mealy or waxy potatoes and then purchase the a variety from that category. If you don't know whether the variety in question is mealy or waxy you can check by placing the potato in a brine made of 1 part salt to 11 parts water. If the potato floats it is waxy, if it sinks it is mealy.


Substitute for dry milk powder My recipe,for dog biscuits,calls for pumpkin, rice flour, and 2 tablespoons dry milk powder. I have no milk powder, what can I use instead?

You could replace it with any other powdered non-dairy milk trivially, but I imagine you don't have those either. There's also not enough liquid in the recipe to be able to reduce it and use actual milk.

That being said, the purpose of milk in baked goods is flavor, a tender crumb and a well-colored crust. You could add in a tablespoon of peanut butter or another fat (a local bakery makes dog biscuits with rendered bacon fat) to add tenderness to the biscuits, and your dog will probably appreciate the flavor while you can avoid the issues of canine lactose intolerance.


Anti-Coagulant for Oat Milk I am trying to make my own oat milk, primarily for use with coffee (Lattes/Cappucino's etc), so I am trying my best to mimic the results of oatly barista edition, which is not available to buy here in South Africa. The main problem I am having is that although the oat milk is fine when cold, when heating (i.e. steaming), it becomes thick and gloopy. Oatly use Dipotassium phosphate to stop the milk from coagulating when heated, but this doesn't seem to be readily available in shops/online (at least, not in South Africa).

Does anyone know of an alternative that I could use?

The recipe I am using is as follows:

Ingredients

1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
3 Cups Water
80ml Rapeseed Oil

Method

Blend steel cut oats and the water for 3 minutes in a high speed blender.
Extract milk with a nut-milk bag and discard oat pulp
Blend milk with rapeseed oil and a pinch of salt

Heating oatmilk basically works on the same principle as heating any other thing with starch like a roux or thickening soup/gravy with cornstarch.

To get less thickening, add less starch i.e. less oats content per liter of water. To compensate for lack of flavor blend it with any other type of plant based milk, like soymilk (protein-based) or cashew milk(protein+fat based), or anything which is not primarily starch based. It will add nutritional value, compensate for watered down flavors (due to less oats and more water) and will not thicken upon heating.

The only other way is to use chemical additives.


How do you make golden syrup? I want to make some anzac biscuits which calls for golden syrup, but don't really want to buy a jar (what's the fun in that?).

What are some good recipes?  A google search shows a wide variety - from using corn syrup to adding lemon/lime slices.

In Britain golden syrup is used in a lot of things, Lyle's brand is the one people know, though there are a few other minor brands. They tend to vary in thickness and strength of taste, but usually have fairly similar tastes. It is partially inverted sugar syrup, which has a fairly complicated chemical process to manufacture from byproducts of the refining industry. I doubt it's very easy at all to make at home.

Buy a whole tin, it is quite versatile, excellent in cakes and best of all on porridge.

Quick tip: If you need to add a large amount to a recipe which asks you to heat it, which is quite common, it is far easier to place the tin (with the lid off!) in the oven for a few minutes and carefully wearing gloves pour from the tin, as the heat makes it thinner and thus pourable.  Same thing works for black treacle.


Is there a difference in the ease of seasoning cast iron, forged iron, and carbon steel? I have a forged iron pan, and I used linseed oil to season it in the oven. The resulting seasoning peels in places. Also, it is not really non-stick, once food burns even a little, it is stuck to the seasoning irreversibly. I removed and renewed the seasoning 2-3 times, but it didn't get better.

Is forged iron harder to season than cast iron, or is it just bad seasoning technique? Also, is it easier or harder to season carbon steel when compared to cast iron or forged iron?

I can't speak authoritatively, but I do have all three types and have had good luck with my seasonings, so I'll share what I do.

For cast iron, I use solid vegetable fat exclusively (Crisco). I did the original seasoning by coating it in fat and baking in the oven. To clean it, I use salt, Crisco and a paper towel to get any food bits off. I then get the pan hot and wipe it down with a little more Crisco. It's not PTFE nonstick, but pretty good.

For my forged iron DeBuyer fry pan, I followed the manufacturer's recommendation for initial seasoning: put enough oil in the pan (I use canola) to coat the bottom. Heat to smoking. I swirled the hot oil around to coat the sides a bit. Let it cool, pour and wipe out the oil.

The thing I've found is it takes quite a bit of use to develop the seasoning. Here's a picture after about a month's use - note how dark the sides are getting (the bottom is less dark because I learned a green scrubby pad (Scotch-Brite) will remove the seasoning entirely. Oops!).

I did some scrambled eggs for the sake of science, without adding any extra oil to the pan. They behaved as nicely as any PTFE coated pan I've ever used.

Today the entire bottom of the pan is that rich mahogany color, and a fried egg slides around in it like one of those goofy AS SEEN ON TV ads.

EDIT: Used the pan for over easy eggs this morning and snapped a new picture. This is about 3 months after the last photo.

Normally I can just wipe it out with a paper towel. If I've been cooking bacon or something that left residue, I'll run water into the pan while it's still ripping hot, then wipe it out gently with a sponge.

After that I heat the pan up and add just a tiny bit of canola oil. I wipe the oil around with a paper towel and put the pan away.

For carbon steel--like my wok--I treat it exactly the same as the DeBuyer pan. Clean gently, after each use get the pan ripping hot and wipe it down with some oil.