What is the correct procedure for cooling and reheating leftovers? After a night's meal I have the tendency to always make more than enough food. Most of the time there are 2 – 3 portions of leftovers after everyone’s had enough to eat. I always throw them away, being scared of them going bad in 12 hours before eating for lunch the next day.

Being paranoid about getting food poisoning with leftovers, I just had to ask:
What is the correct procedure for cooling and reheating leftovers?

From a food safety perspective, the most important thing is that you get your leftovers cooled as quickly as possible, so that they don't spend too long in the temperature "danger zone". This can be tricky, because you essentially have to move from cooking temperatures to refrigerated temperatures within two hours (generally less because the time is cumulative, and includes time that the ingredients spent in the danger zone before you cooked them).

Here's what I do at home:

Separate into smaller portions. For me, this usually means individual servings, but you can package 2-3 servings together; the point is to avoid having a single large mass of food. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, it makes reheating convenient; rather than heating up more portions than you're going to be eating, or scooping out a single portion for separate reheating (dirtying some extra dishware in the process) you can simply grab as many portions as desired and go. Second, by separating the portions you are increasing their surface area to volume ratio, and therefore how quickly they will cool (another reason I like individual servings is that it maximizes this effect). This is a basic trick from my restaurant days; experienced professional cooks will know that to cool a large batch of soup safely, you need to either get the whole thing into an ice bath, or break it down into smaller portions.(A thrifty tip here: you can use dedicated plastic or Pyrex food storage containers, but commercial containers are cheap and effective as well. There are all kinds of "deli" and "disposable" containers intended for food service that are microwave-safe and which can be safely cleaned in the dishwasher. You'll often have to buy them in bulk, but per piece they're very inexpensive, they tend to stack very well, and if you're lucky you can find a decent local takeaway or delivery place that uses them instead of styrofoam. Save whatever you get, wash them, and reuse. It's possible to ruin these with excessive heat, but they're so cheap that it's not too much of a loss.)
Allow to cool on the counter, uncovered, for 10-20 minutes. The goal here is simply to let steam escape; water carries a lot of thermal energy with it (which is why you can easily burn yourself over a pot of boiling water) and letting it get away will cool your food rapidly. The portions don't need to cool completely at this point; if they're warm but no longer actively steaming, that's fine.
Put the portions in the refrigerator. As @Jefromi notes in comments, there's no real risk from putting hot/warm food into the fridge, and a lower external temperature will help your portions cool quickly and safely. Where possible, it's ideal to leave these uncovered and spread out into a single layer so that they will cool quickly. Quite honestly, this isn't always practical, so if you need to cover and stack the portions due to space constraints, cool them a little longer on the counter before putting them into the fridge.
Freeze the portions if you'll be storing them for more than a couple of days. Cooked dishes will generally keep safely in the fridge for 3-4 days; if you need to keep them beyond that, the freezer is your friend. This doesn't work well for everything, but hearty foods like pastas will often freeze reasonably well.
Reheat thoroughly in the microwave. For all that serious cooks might discount the microwave, it's a very effective and efficient reheating device. (Especially if you follow my advice about using microwave-safe plastic containers; if you use something like Pyrex that's oven-safe, you could certainly use that too.) Make sure you heat everything so that it's evenly hot; this may mean stirring a couple of times.

Overall, it's most definitely possible to safely store leftovers, so long as you cool them quickly and reheat them thoroughly. Not only that, but I heartily endorse the practice. Leftovers can be practical, tasty, and a serious time saver. There's no reason to be paranoid about them if you embrace a few simple rules.


Problems Sprouting Soybeans I've sprouted mung beans (many times) and a few other seeds successfully. I understand the process well. I've now tried sprouting soybeans a number of times but I can't make it past soaking.

After soaking them overnight, I found the beans were soft almost to the point where I could mash them between thumb and finger. Most of the skins had come loose which I expected but quite a few beans had also separated into halves. The first time, I carefully picked through them, trying to remove obvious non-sproutable ones. After the first rinsing, it was hopeless and I tossed them. I bought fresh beans at a different places thinking it might've been a fluke but the same thing happened.

I got thinking and wonder if the soybeans may have been heat treated to prevent sprouting. Monsanto has GMO soybeans but I have no idea if the majority of soybeans sold in stores are theirs. Monsanto zealously guards their products by legal means and it made me wonder if they also guard against consumers growing their seeds by heat treating, in this case at least.

Has anyone an idea if that might be the reason I can't get beyond the soaking stage? If so, I'll buy some non-GMO soybeans from a health food store. If anyone has had success, please let me know. I've bought soybean sprouts from a Chinese market before but the closest one that sells them is at least an hour drive away.

Doing some further searching and reading, it seems soybeans are heat treated to prevent sprouting. How much Monsanto has to do with this, I don't know. They are the main suppliers of non-organic soybeans.

Next time I visit my Vietnamese grocer, I'll check if they have soybeans specifically meant for sprouting.


How can I store wonton wrappers in the freezer? I have found that authentic frozen egg roll wrappers from an Asian food store work well for canneloni and ravioli. Just thaw, fill, and roll. You can cut them to any desired length. Also, frozen wonton wrappers work exceptionally well for ravioli. While I haven't tried it yet the wonton wrappers should be ideal for tortellini/tortelloni.

But I don't always have these on hand and the nearest place I can get them is about 30 miles away. I have tried buying extra and keeping them frozen but they seem to get freezer burned quickly, with the edges being too dry and brittle to use.

I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to keep them better. Or does anyone have any other alternatives that would be as easy to use?

I happen to have watched a TV show the other day about this very problem and they suggested making a big batch of whatever filling or fillings you are thinking of using (presently or in the future) and go ahead and make them all up and freeze them ready to cook.  They were making several kinds of ravioli that day.  They made them all up and placed them on cookie sheets to freeze and then placed them in ZipLock bags and they had a nice supply to pull out of the freezer whenever they were ready to cook them.  They didn't have a problem with brittle wontons once they were filled.  They used beaten egg to seal the edges so the filling wouldn't ooze out.  You can use this same method for any shape or filling....doesn't have to be ravioli, of course.


Fiber Drink that are homogenous solutions I have come to know fiber as either insoluble fiber, which doesn't disolve completely in water, and therefore doesn't make a homogenous solution, or soluble fiber, which does dissolve but also gels up.

I have known for a while a drink that considers itself to be a fiber drink; however, it's completely homogenous and liquid (not a gel). So my question is, can this actually be a fiber drink? from the definitions I mentioned above! I am curious because there is a recipe that asks for this specific type of drink, and I am wondering if I could use a different kind of fiber drink. I am wondering how this type of fiber drink is different than others.

If you are wondering what the drink is, the name is called Miero Fiber (미에로화이바). It is a Korean drink.

Think soluble fiber. The following excerpt from WebMD explains very well the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber and lists foods where each can be found.

Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber
Soluble fiber dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber does not. [...]
Soluble fibers attract water and form a gel. [...]


How to make a New York cheesecake with a super creamy, silky texture? I've been baking New York cheesecake for a few years now and, with the help of various recipes and some experimentation, I've been able to get pretty close to the flavor and texture of the best New York cheesecakes I remember (or, at least think I remember!) from my childhood. However, one aspect of texture I'd like to improve is creaminess.

As much as I like the texture of the cheesecakes that I bake, whenever I compare them with cheesecakes from Studebaker, a local specialty baker in northern California, the Studebaker cheesecake has a more silky, smooth mouth feel.

Can anyone suggest ways to achieve a creamier, silkier, smoother cheesecake texture? If it would help, I'm happy to add details of how I make my cheesecakes. For now, I'll just say that it's pretty close to this recipe, but I do it without the cherry topping: smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/new-york-cheesecake/.

Okay, I undeleted my OP to this question (to be honest, not sure how similar the two are...., never checked that closely).  The most important thing to watch for in terms of the 'silkiness' would be the mixing and ingredient temp. When all ingredients are at room temp, they homogonize much quicker, and require far less mixing, therefore less air is incorporated, making for a denser product. I think this should help.

Short of that, it could be recipe. A perfect cheesecake recipe is hard to find (luckily, I have one). Can I post it here? I don't think it's allowed.....

Answer I typed yesterday (sorry if it is essentially a dupe)..... I' @ work, don't have time to check too closely...

I have made thousands of cheesecakes. My pastry chef taught me how a method that has always worked:

Always use room temperature ingredients. NEVER overmix,
incorporation of air is your enemy Set your oven to 300 F (sorry, in
Canada we are metric, but use Farenheit for baking).
Place your cheesecake in a water bath. Bake for 30 minutes.
Turn off the oven and open its door, allow the cheesecake to rest for 30 minutes, sitting in the oven in this state.
After the thirty minute rest, carefully close the door, and set the oven to 300 F again. Bake another 30 minutes (I have sometimes had to go to 40 minutes depending on oven).

And that's it. Works every time. I am so thankful he taught me this. As an added bonus, you will get a cake that is flat like a board, with no cracks.


Basic process for making lasagna I'm 16 and I'm making lasagna for my family tomorrow. I have got mince, onion, white sauce, red sauce, lasagna sheets, tinned chopped tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and grated cheese. Not looking to add anything else; how do I assemble that into a lasagna? Do I have to cook the lasagna noodles first?

The general process of making lasagna is:

Cook the other ingredients - brown the meat in a pan (maybe with seasonings); if you're using fresh tomatoes, cook them; if you're using canned tomatoes, drain the extra liquid out. The important thing is that everything is cooked, and there's not too much liquid left, since that'd make the lasagna messy at the end. This does mean it's faster with canned tomatoes, since you only have to drain them, not cook them.
Cook the noodles as you would any pasta. Be sure to stir, since big flat noodles stick together more easily than most. (There are also no-boil lasagna noodles, but you've already bought yours, and I doubt that's what you have.)
Layer the ingredients in the pan, starting with sauce on the bottom (otherwise the noodles will stick to the pan), then noodles, then alternate layers of the other ingredients and noodles and sauce until you run out or your lasagna dish is full.
Bake it until it's heated through (the ingredients are all already cooked).
Let it cool for a bit before serving; this helps keep it from falling apart when you cut into it.

When you go looking for recipes, though there are tons and tons of them, they'll pretty much all look generally like this. They'll just have variations in ingredient proportions, seasonings, order of layers, and so on. You shouldn't have trouble finding one that matches up with the ingredients you have, if you want a recipe to follow carefully. As long as it generally matches the steps I listed, it should be fine.


Does shaking carbonated water before use increase the carbonation? I'm trying to make the perfect Egg Cream, which requires maximum carbonation. Should I shake the bottle before opening it?

No. Shaking will create a lot of small bubbles which will act as nucleation points to release the dissolved gas when the container is opened and the pressure released.


Should I refrigerate canola oil cooking spray? I'm not sure if the canola oil cooking spray should be refrigerated or not, any idea?

The answer is no.

Oils are more solid at colder temperatures (how much depends on the oil, 14°F(-10°C) for Canola Oil) While the fridge is not going to reach 'freezing' for the oil it does cause the oil to become more dense and thus harder for it to spray and more likely to clog the nozzle.

Then there is the propellants, which vary by concentration and brand but are all 'considered safe' but, like the oil itself, condense. As the propellants condense the pressure in the can drops and they become less potent at lower temperatures (see pp.44-48).

(note: the propellants link above is to an article that gives some good reasons to not use these sprays at all, but that isn't the question you asked. IMHO, while valid reasons to eschew using these sprays 'too much' they are just too darned convenient to not use 'at all')


Split pea soup won't soften. Any way to soften the peas without burning? I am trying to make split pea soup.  The first time I did it the peas softened just fine but the soup was scorched.  I am trying again but at a lower heat, and the peas are refusing to soften.

Ingredients are 1 bag each of split peas, frozen carrots, and frozen onions, plus a small amount of Spike seasoning.

How can I soften the peas without scorching the soup?  Is a slow cooker the best option?

Starting with more water than you think you need, keeping the lid on for a bit and then stirring a lot while it reduces to the desired consistency should be all you need to do. Don't go far from it once it starts to thicken because it will need too much stirring.

You can cook split peas in a slow cooker, but I haven't found the softening very reliable. A fast boil before you start might help.


DIY Finishing Salt (Maldon, Fleur de Sel) I've found links here and here on making finishing salts, but this isn't the kind I'm talking about.  These are just mixtures of salt and some flavoring.

I'm referring to salts like Maldon Sea Salt and Fleur de Sel.  I know that these have (purportedly) minerals that make the salt taste richer.  Back when I was working in a kitchen, I was taught that part of what makes these nicer is that they're large crystals that dissolve slowly on the tongue (instead of nearly-instantly like your run-of-the-mill Morton's).

So basically, I want to try making my own large salt crystal flakes.  Maybe I'll use kosher salt instead of iodized salt, but the goal is to get large crystals that look like this, or even larger.

Finally, the questions:

Has anyone done this before?
What should I keep in mind?
What should I look out for?
How can I maximize crystal size?
Is there any overlap with growing crystals in general?

I boiled 2 cups of regular sea salt to completely dissolve in 1 cup water then put it in a flat tray in the dehydrator on the jerky setting - the next day I did have a load of big crackly crystals and some dust.


Best way - if any to "thin out" overly salty kimchi - already in jar I made  Kimchi and put it into glass jars, based on this recipe:  https://www.feastingathome.com/how-to-make-kimchi/
I made it in 2 batches:

1 batch I accidentally put double the salt, but gave it an extra rinse after 4 hours. I also forgot to put the daikon in it.
1 batch I had normal salt and rinsed after 8 hours

When mixing with the paste I tasted the first batch and found it a bit salty, however I put both batched into jars nonetheless.
I'm concerned of both batches being to salty and inedible, so I thought of the following plan:

taste each jar after 1 week
if too salty, mix in another daikon to "thin out" and distribute the salt over more material.

To make sure I don't spoil the batches I was going to

use a fresh fork to taste each jar
get mixing bowls and forks straight out of a freshly run dishwasher
mix with freshly dishwashed cutlery only

Is this a good approach or is there a better way to check and fix overly salty Kimchi

Actually, your idea is pretty much exactly the method used in Korea to mellow out salty kimchi. Apparently it works via osmosis. Link in Korean
Just make sure to spread out the daikon, and let it sit for a few days before checking so that it can get the job done. Also, don't salt it beforehand (although this is admittedly quite obvious).


Does accidental vinegar have a culture that I can pass along? Background: A couple of years ago we left a half drunk bottle of Sirah on the counter and it went to vinegar. A really nice vinegar with a pleasant, mild flavor, and we've been using splash here and a bit there ever since. Now I'm down to circa half a cup.

Is this a live culture like a bread starter? Can I buy a bottle of a similar wine, and intentionally propagate the flavor of this stuff? Or is just a crap-shoot?

This video of Alton Brown - Good Eats explains it way better than I ever can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JEi4OW2Q54

If your bottle of wine turned to vinegar you probably have some "mother" at the bottom of that bottle that you can use in your next batch.


Does vegetable soup made with chicken stock last longer if the stock was made fresh vs from a stock cube? My son made some vegetable soup at school this morning and it's been sitting unrefrigerated in a sealed container all day (~10 hours).

The soup used chicken stock as a base. In trying to determine whether it's safe to eat at this point, would the origin of the stock (freshly made from chicken bones, versus from an instant stock cube or stock granules) make any difference?

It's probably OK but there are a lot of variables here so from where I sit, it's difficult to be certain. Cooking will kill most bacteria. If the soup went from the pot, hot, to the container and capped immediately, the risk of airborne bacteria getting in is reduced. It takes more than a couple bacteria to get you sick but when conditions are right, bacteria multiply exponentially in a short period of time. If the container was at 72F, that's better than if it was at 90F...as if it was outside in the sun.

You can give it a sniff to check if it smells OK. Reheating to a boil will kill most bacteria, but depending on the specific bacteria, not all. What's more, certain bacteria leave behind toxins that are not easily destroyed. If you have a pressure cooker, that's the best way to kill whatever bacteria might be in there. You would need to keep it in the cooker for a period of time...30 minutes perhaps. Seems like a lot of trouble to go to.

Dry bouillon cubes should not have any bacteria...assuming a clean manufacturing plant. Same goes if you used dehydrated chicken. It's more likely bacteria got in if fresh uncooked chicken was used. Unwashed hands, contaminated utensils, used hand towels, unclean work area...all that stuff comes into play. You probably already know about cross contamination.

But here's the thing? Why risk it? Salmonella will not likely kill you but your stomach will be churning and you'll be spending some time in the bathroom. There are other bad actors out there and they are worse than Mr. Sal Minella... Staphlococcus, E. Coli, Botulinum.

My answer is, to be safe, toss it.


How long does ginger root last? I bought ginger root months ago, and I didn't use all of it. I've kept it in the fridge and it still seems good. How long will it last?

Eat By Date claims a shelf life of about one month, in the refrigerator, which matches my experience.

Ginger root is a living rhizome, and is the plant's way of storing energy to grow later.  As long as it is firm, not slimy, with no signs of a mold, with a good aroma, you should be able to use it.


Can rasam, a South Indian recipe, be boiled at high temperatures? One of my friends said "rasam" should not be boiled at high temperatures but he hasn't given any reason for that statement.

Is it true? If so, could you give me the reason?

Yea, you should not. The principle behind Rasam is the same as the principle behind the soup. You want the liquid to be infused with the optimum flavour from the masala, tomatoes, pepper etc. Beyond that it begins to lose its characteristic taste. Even rasam that has been heated repeatedly, tastes much worse than one that has been heated just once. If you make Rasam with whole peppers like in my place, the spiciness become unbearable if you boil it too much.


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

It's not clear that oxygen absorbers would help you preserve food at all.
First, the science on the effectiveness of oxygen absorbers is still young, and few national food regulatory agencies have offered any opinion as to whether they work or not (just that they're non-toxic). Most published "studies" are written by people with a direct interest in selling them.  Second, the oxygen absorbers you get from internet retail are unlikely to be the same kind that food manufacturers would use; based on a quick perusal of prepper websites, what many of them are selling aren't actually oxygen absorbers at all.
Most importantly, though, is that just putting an oxysorb in your jar of granola isn't sufficient.  There are multiple kinds of oxygen absorbers, including low temperature ones, high temp ones, ones that absorb moisture, ones that emit moisture, and even ones that emit alcohol.  The most serious independent studies I can find come from military forces, and they make it clear that it's necessary to match the correct oxygen absorber, packaging material, packaging method, and foodstuff.
Making effective use of oxygen absorbers, then, would require you to have an inventory of different kinds, and also invest in industrial-grade packaging equipment.  This does not seem cost-effective compared to buying replacement buckwheat flour every 9 months, or just buying a heavy duty countertop vacuum packing machine.


How to save Omelette from breaking while keeping the oil quantity low? When I make Omelette in normal pan (not non-stick), it breaks and then I have to make Egg bhurji instead. I did made successfully fully intact Omelette but for that I have to increase oil quantity, which is not a good idea.

So how I can save my Omelette from breaking while cooking. I only add egg, green chilies, pinch of salt and onion and use soybean or sunflower oil.

You don't necessarily have to increase oil quantity, you have to reduce friction. There are a few variables to consider:

Tools - What type of spatula are you using? If it is a thin spatula, I have found that this increases the likelihood of breakage. I prefer one of two methods;

use a wide rubber spatula or
Use a fish spatula

Method - There are numerous methods of omelet making out there. Some chefs, myself not included, add the egg mixture to the heated, oiled pan and then whisk the product to speed cooking time. While I understand the allure of this method, I don't prefer it. Personally, I use what I call the "lift and drip" method whereby I use the spatula to slide the omelet away from the side of the pan, lift the pan toward that side, and allow the egg mix to drip into the void created. It makes a slightly thicker omelet, which reduces the likelihood of tearing.

There are other variables that may come into play, as well, but I don't want to divert too far from your question. So, that being said, my personal method is:

Heat pan to just over medium heat, approximately 105 C (220 F)
Add lubricant (Personally, I use vegetable oil because it's cheap, but I keep it in a spray bottle for better coverage and less pooling)
Allow the egg mix to sit unfettered for forty seconds, or so
I use the lift and drip method mentioned above until the omelet is about 70% cooked
I add any other ingredients (chilies and onions since the salt should be mixed into the egg already)
Then I finish the omelet under the broiler/salamander until 95% done
Remove from heat, plate by sliding one side out and using the pan + gravity to fold, and serve

Be advised that this is indeed for an American bi-fold omelet, not a French tri-fold.


What is the typical composition of English Breakfast tea? "English Breakfast" tea usually combines blends from Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya.

Typically what proportions of these three teas are used?

Edit: I have been asked to edit to explain why the answers to the question "Is English Breakfast the same as Assam?" does not answer this question. The reason is that the answers to that other question do not say what proportions of which blends typically constitute English Breakfast.

Well, blending is not easy and to do it in order to have a consistent product it requires quite the accurate nose. There is a reason why blender (for whatever product) is a very specialized job requiring natural disposition and years of training.

And of course, the final product composition from both big and small companies is a very well guarded secret.

Here are some suggestions, you should try it out and see what you like.

Assamica's Indian version of English Breakfast

Steepster forum (Tea lovers) discussing their own blends


How are Oil Types Differant? I recognize that Canola, Vegetable, and Corn oil are all Vegetable-Based oils, but many Recipes call for different kinds of oil. I don't know why. Is there a major taste/other difference between Vegetable, Corn, and Canola Oil? Is there any reason why I couldn't just use Canola for everything?

I know of many popular types of cooking oil including: Soy Bean, Coconut, Olive, Palm, Corn, Vegetable, and Canola. There are so many, and I don't want to have 7 different containers of oil.

Are there a few that I really need to have? How are they different and what should I use them for?

Ratios of saturated/monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fats, and ratios of which kind of polyunsaturated (omega-3/6/7/9) are different for each oil. While the ratio of polyunsaturated fats to each other will mostly be a health matter and out of scope here, the saturated/mono/poly ratio has an influence on consistency at a given temperature (eg the coconut oil mentioned is pasty to solid at room temp), freezing point, and heat/storage stability - poly will break down at high heat more easily, resulting in potential off flavours, and will also reduce room temperature shelf life of the oil.
Taste will also be slightly different, and more different if heat stressed (eg to me canola smells and tastes fishy if it has been fried with even without overheating it).

Also be aware there are unfiltered/unrefined varieties of canola/rapeseed oil on the market, these are rather unsuitable as a frying/sauteing medium.

"Vegetable oil" can be a refined oil of canola,corn,sunflower,soy,safflower,others (but not often since most other oils are just more expensive), mixtures of these...


How to conserve eatables in humid and moist environment? I am living in very moisture and humid environment. The eatbles I bought like rusk(made of wheat and vegetable oil), capture moisture within a day and then become unfit to eat. What should I do so that these eatables can stay longer without affecting by moisture and humidity?

There is nothing you can do about the food and keep it the same. So you will have to change the environment. The easiest way would be to get a fridge capable of supporting temperatures in the 15 to 20 Celsius range and use it as a pantry. It will be cool, dark and dry, so the ideal pantry environment. If you have the space, you can choose to keep it in your normal fridge or freezer instead.

The one category for which making conserves will work is fruit and vegetables. So instead of storing apricots, you can cook apricot jam. This has the downsides of 1) the end product being very different from the original, and 2) not being applicable to typical pantry items like your rusk. So you still need to find suitable storage space for those. There is no way to simply stop them being affected by the environment.


How long can I store homemade caramel or butterscotch sauce? I made a butterscotch sauce for a butterbeer cupcake, but I have about a cup of the sauce left.  How long can I leave it in the fridge since it has heavy cream?  Can I freeze it?  I imagine for most purposes, caramel and butterscotch sauces will have the same storage methods.

This similar (also has heavy cream) recipe from epicurious recommends: "Room temperature, up to 3 days; refrigerated, at least 3 months."

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Caramel-Sauce-105889

...And that conforms to my personal opinion, as well. I would not freeze it.


My Cakes All Sink In The Center My cakes all sink in the center and are crusty all over the outside, top and bottom. I googled possible causes for this and the most common answer was the oven's temperature.

I tried experimenting with tweaking the temperature but still had the same outcome. When my cakes bake for the recommended time it has risen but it's still runny in the center so I let it go an extra 15 minutes. At the end of those 15 minutes the cake has sunk in the center.

I had my temperature tested and 180°C/350°F was fine and still my cake sunk in the center.

I'm willing to pay for having my thermostat replaced but I'm worried it might not be the thermostat that's the problem and I end up lose that money.

Lower your oven temperature to about 320 F. You need the heat to penetrate to the centre of the cake and at 350 F based on your post, the temp is too high and you're forming a caramelized crust, giving the indirect oven heat more difficulty to penetrate.

Trust me, lower your oven temp and add some time.


I would like to prepare Artichokes as a side dish, any preparation tips? I would like to cook artichokes and eat as a Side Dish, since I've never tried to cook them before I wanted to see what recommendations people might have: Boil, Roast..take it apart first, cook them whole?

The easiest way I have found to cook whole artichokes is to steam them in the microwave.

Cut off the top of the bud and then trim off any beaten up tough outer leaves.  Place in a large glass bowl with about 1/2 cup of water in the bottom.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes.  Check and add more time if necessary.

You can then eat the leaves and save the base and heart for another dish or eat the whole thing.


Choosing a chinese cleaver/chukabocho fit for a cooking enthusiast I want to buy a traditional japanese knife (EDITOR COMMENT: it is a chukabocho not a wabocho (traditional japanese knife) ) inspired by this video that demonstrates the knife as a single all-purpose alternative to the typical knife set. This is a shopping recommendation question. If such questions are not allowed on this site then better close it quick!

Now first up, I'm not a pro chef and not even a very good cook, but I'd like to buy this for a friend who is a semi-professional chef. (very skilled, self taught, but does not work as a chef) I have no idea about which blade materials are best and whatever but I'd like a recommendation on which knife seems like the best buy. Here are my leads (all from AliExpress with intl. shipping):

CCK (reputed knife manufacturer)
CCK Link 2
Carbon Composite Knife
Composite Steel Knife
Forged Kitchen Knife
Forged Carbon Steel Knife
Carbon Steel Knife

Actual traditional japanese knives are even less "all purpose" than european style knives.

The knives referred to in the question are not japanese but chinese in style. They are commonly manufactured, though, by both the chinese and japanese makers. The japanese call a japanese-made chinese style knife a chukabocho (chuka means "chinese style cuisine", a bocho is a cooking knife); the japanese made knives have a reputation for extremely high quality but are also very expensive (likely because they are marketed at professionals and enthusiasts in japan and the west, not as a common household tool).

There are knives in the (semi) traditional japanese spectrum that look similar, but have about half the blade height: The nakiri and edogata-usuba styles. These are far more delicate knives meant for vegetable work.

Carbon steel or not is something you should discuss with the chef that will use it - some chefs hate the more difficult sharpening and sometimes lower attainable sharpness of stainless steels, some hate the rust proneness of carbon steel. Repeat: carbon steel (as opposed to "high carbon stainless") is GREAT knife steel but it is NOT stainless.

"Forged" or not is more a description of production method sometimes misused for marketing - some carbon steels get metallurgically better when (hand) forged, stainless steels usually do not.

"Composite" probably refers to a japanese-style cladded (Awase) blade - SOME cladded knives have carbon core and stainless cladding, which gives you an easy to sharpen and extremely sharp knife that will have less rust problems (where the core layer is exposed is also where you regularly abrade material when sharpening - so you will take care of actual rust anyway. Patina is not rust!).

For the most universally usable knife, stainless is advantageous if fruits or other sour ingredients are regularly handled.

There are a few important specifications to be aware of with a chinese cleaver (that is what that style of knife is called):

Blade thickness: Most makers (especially the chinese ones) have a variety of differently thick models - this bears more on the weight and handling feel of the knife than on the cutting ability (for which the next point is crucial).
Thickness/Thinness right behind the cutting edge. This can be adjust when sharpening but is a lot of skilled work to adjust. Too thick won't cut well, too thin will be delicate and will take damage if eg hitting bones or hard seeds. Best try the knives in person, and bring some hard root vegetables (anything that can smoothly slice (not split) through a fresh carrot is seriously thin (maybe too thin for a cleaver), if it completely wedges and refuses to go any further it is too thick for a general purpose knife.
Edge profile. Some have a nearly straight edge, some far more curved - this is a matter of user preference (depends on preferred technique). If you see anything with a completely straight edge, you are looking at a specialty knife (like a noodle making knife or a big usuba) that will be very awkward to use for most cooks as a general purpose knife.
Steel and hardness. The gentler your friend handles a knife, the harder a knife you want. Hard means it will stay sharper longer if used carefully, but break or completely dull quicker if abused. The 58HRC quoted on a few of these is a good medium, would be a bit too hard for rough (bone contacting) butchery tasks (which this knife isn't meant for anyway). The 54-55HRC range is best left to actual butchery tools, the 60-63HRC range really requires careful use but can make it through far more work razor sharp. 64+ HRC is not really the hallmark of something "universal".

If you want to make sure you get a knife of known quality, go for a reputable brand - if I may give examples, for that style of knife CCK (Chan Chi Kee) appear to have excellent reputation for chinese (actually hongkong) made ones, for japanese made ones Sugimoto and Moritaka (warning: sticker shock risk.)


How can I keep the crust of my breads from getting too dark? Some of the breads that I bake the crust gets too dark.  Is there something I can put over it to prevent this from happening? I was thinking that foil might work but I'm not sure. Will this affect the taste? And if it's ok to use, do you put it on tightly or loosely?

Foil will reflect heat, and I have a canonical answer on here someplace about using it to modify baking in ovens that have issues with, say, burning the bottom of a loaf.

But if the whole loaf is affected, the problem is one of temperature or ingredients (or the intersection of the two.) Less sugar in the dough will reduce browning of the crust, and lower temperature will also reduce browning of the crust. Assuming you are happy with the overall taste, I'd start with turning the oven down, not attempting to shield the whole loaf with foil. You may need to increase baking time at lower temperature.


Ramen Broth Varieties I'm trying to gain some variety to my ramen by producing different types of broth. Mostly veggie based, however I'm open to other ideas. I have one type of ramen broth that we like but so far every variation from it has produced a failure.

Right now the broth itself involves:

Paprika
Crushed red pepper
salt
soy sauce
mushrooms

This is boiled on low heat for an hour. Sometime for myself I will add Locoto.  After making the broth, I stir-fry on high heat in olive oil a mixture of :

ginger
garlic
soy sauce.

It works out well and we like it but so far every experimentation outside of this mixture makes a failure (even though this first recipe was itself an experimentation).

Can someone give a gentle nudge to another broth combination? Particularly I'd like to try to make a curry-based broth.

I'm not aware of any vegetarian Chinese soup stock. Typical ramen stock is "Superior stock" I think. See this link for a reference recipe: https://www.homemade-chinese-soups.com/soups-stocks.html

My advice would be, if you want to make something that is vegetarian, AND, DELICIOUS then you should throw away your idea of making something Chinese styled and instead stick with the French classic: Equal parts onions, celery and carrots. Simmer those and you will have an absolutely delicious stock. Add some light soy sauce to season, and then see how that fits to your ramen.


Device to squeeze last yogurt out of carton When you have a viscous liquid like yogurt in a tetra pak carton it is difficult to get the last of it out. What is the name of press which can be used to flatten the carton and squeeze out the full contents?

As the response to my comment didn't say it wasn't the boxy aseptic packaging (used for soy/rice/coconut/almond milk, broth/stocks, shelf-stable milk, milk and juice cartons, etc.), I'm going to assume it was, and move it to an answer:

Square or rectangular packaging should have two little ears on the bottom of the package.  If you pry them up, you'll find that the box is really a tube with one end sealed, like a tube of toothpaste.

I've not tried this for the aseptic packaging (as I've never gotten viscous items packaged that way), but you might be able to use the same trick for toothpaste tube:

With the open container on the top of the counter, press the sealed edge on a sharp corner of the counter (not one of those really rounded over ones, as those don't work as well).
Place your hand on top of the container, and push it both down and off the edge of the counter.
Once you have enough over the edge to grab, grip it and pull it down (or at least at a downward angle).  This will force the contents towards the open end of the tube.
Once the contents come up to the container's opening, squeeze in into a bowl or other vessel.  (it can help to fold the tube a bit, so that squeezing doesn't force it back into the end that you just cleared out).
Repeat until you've gotten all that you can out.

It might seem strange, but once you've gotten the hang of it, if you have a good edge to work it against, it's quite easy.  If you don't have a good edge ... you might try against the rim of a sheet pan.


What should I do if I have added extra water in rice for braising and you can see the rice is turning into sticky rice? While cooking rice with meat, sometimes I faced that extra water has been added to the rice container when kept for braising. What should I do when I see the rice is turning into fluid? Need opinions to be proactive for the future same conditions?

At that point, I'm not sure there's anything you can really do, except maybe take the lid off & attempt to dry it out before it turns entirely to mush.

For next time, the three simplest alternatives would be:

Use less liquid [which may not be possible].
Add the rice later in the process.

or my personal favourite...

Cook the rice separately, in a similar or complementary flavour & combine at the end.


Should I use a metal pan or non-stick pan for cooking salmon on the stove top? I am going to be cooking salmon for dinner tonight on the stove and debating whether to use a non-stick or metal pan.

I was going to use the non-stick at first, but saw an interesting approach where a guy puts olive oil and butter into his metal pan, which seems more flavorful.

Thoughts?

This is a matter of personal preference.

Assuming you are sauteeing or pan frying (as it would make no difference for poaching, for example):

There is no reason that you cannot put butter and olive oil in a non-stick pan.

Use a traditional pan if you want fond (the brown flavorful bits) to form at the bottom of the pan, to use as a the basis of a pan sauce.   If your salmon is skin-on, that will help keep it intact.  You will want to oil your pan well.

Use a non-stick pan if your priority is making sure you keep the fish intact.


Replacement for file powder File powder isn't sold locally. I know it is made from Sassafras leaves, but I don't recall ever seeing those locally either. What are my options for a something that is more common that I might use as a substitute?

File powder is mostly used for thickening gumbo, and there are two schools of thought on that (armed with shotguns and rifles, so trifle with them at your peril):  file gumbo and okra gumbo.

A file gumbo is thickened with file (typically added by the diner at before eating the gumbo), as mentioned.  An okra gumbo is thickened with... well.. okra.

It is possible, but not traditional, to combine the two in the same recipe.

If gumbo is your goal, consider making a an okra version.

Otherwise, if you are using it for its unique flavor, there probably is no substitution.  If you are using it for its thickening properties, depending on the recipe, you might try a roux, cornstarch, or arrowroot.


difference between glucose syrup and sugar syrup? I am not talking about the chemical difference (sugar is chemically a molecule formed by two monosaccarides: glucose and fructose). I am wondering about the difference from the cooking point of view in using pure glucose syrup vs. a syrup made of simple kitchen sugar dissolved in water.

Pure glucose is significantly thicker than a sugar syrup you would make on your own. It's even thicker than honey. At the previous restaurant I was at, we would use glucose in some limited applications when making certain kinds of caramel sauces (sorry, I didn't steal any recipes before I left), as (if I recall correctly) it has a higher tolerance for heat, and provides sweetness without caramelizing at the same temperatures as table sugar.


Why do they put the jelly-like substance in pork pies? I don't like the jelly-like substance found in between the pastry and meat of pork pies, and I don't know anyone that does, so I was wondering why they put it in. Or is it a by-product of the cooking/manufacturing process? Why is it there, and is it possible to create a pork pie without it?

There used to be a good reason to add the jelly to the meat pie: food safety. In the time before refrigerators, it was hard to keep meat without some spoilage. But a slaughtered fully grown pig meant some hundred kilos of meat, and it wasn't eaten on a single day.

Most of the bacteria which spoil meat need oxygen to proliferate. So once you pack the meat into a clinging skin, it keeps for longer. This is one of the reasons why people bothered to bake meat pies instead of roasts in the first place.

But there is a problem with meat pies. As the other answers mentioned, the meat steams while being baked, and this steam must be gathered below the upper crust and vented through a hole. You can't tightly wrap the meat in the crust and then bake; the steam will probably open the seam, resulting in an irregularly shaped pie, and the crust still won't cling. So, a meat pie has some space between the meat and the roof.

I don't know how quickly such a pie will dry out, as ElendilTheTall suggested. Surely, this is a factor. But I bet that, if you keep it outside of a refrigerator, it will spoil long before it dries. Filling this space with jelly (which happens to be available in big amounts too - after all, we just slaughtered our big pig and want to cook lots of it as quickly as possible, so we probably have more stock than we can use up) practically seals the meat airtight against bacteria. And while the cooks from that time didn't know about bacteria, they sure knew how quick a piece of meat spoils visibly (smellably?). This is how the traditional jelly-topped meat pie recipe was born.

We have refrigerators today, but we still follow the recipes as they always were. I don't see any reason not to. Drying out is probably a factor. And as for the taste - I have eaten more French patês than English meat pies, and maybe there is some difference. They never looked like on sarge_smith's picture. But I definitely like the jelly layer. I must confess that I have always eaten it in good restaurants or home made, so maybe the poor quality has ruined it for you.

But anyway, if you want to bake meat pies without it, you don't have to include it. The problem is that, if you leave the space hollow, you'll have a cosmetic problem (your crust will probably shatter when you try to cut it) and the already mentioned drying possibility. The solution is to bake the pie without the upper crust. You'll then have meat pie slices which only have crust on three sides. If you don't want a baked crust to form on the meat, or if you experience heat control problems because of the missing insulator, use a temporary cover (aluminum foil, bacon stripes, or lay some big lettuce leaves on it and throw out later, or you can try a plate, but must somehow leave an opening for the steam). If you want a pie with four crust sides, blind bake a sheet of pastry pre-cut for the open side (allow for shrinkage when cutting), then glue it to the meat pie somehow. Sticky honey glaze, or a layer of cream cheese should work (as would jellied stock :) )

This doesn't guarantee that you won't get some congealed fluid within the pie. sarge_smith correctly pointed out that the meat in a pie is collagen-rich, and all the juices which would become roast drippings in roasted meat are staying between the meat and the crust. Some will get absorbed, but maybe not all. It may be worth to try making the pie with ground tender meat. I am however not sure whether this will provide you with a good jelliless pie, or with a pie with a soggy crust.


Does using flaked salt make a difference when using it in cooking? I have a few recipes that call for flaked salt, I can only seem to buy it in bulk 1kg bags here. I want to know that if you use "salt" in a recipe does it really matter to the final taste what kind of salt you use. I do understand that for example when I use it on top of a foccaacia bread or something similar it does create a nicer texture, enhancing the taste, but this is in the final stages of cooking. When its used through the initial stages of the cooking process, like in a stew, bread dough etc does it make any difference ?

Salt (Sodium chloride) is salt. As a topping, flakes are commonly used purely for presentation purposes only. The taste is the same, but gets more intense as the salt particles get finer, so use less if the salt is in powder form

As an ingredient, use any form you are happy with, and is economical to use. Once salt is dissolved into water it will be identical to any other form of salt

For health reasons, finely powdered salt is preferable as much less is required to impart a salty taste


How do tomatillos differ in taste from under-ripe tomatoes? I can't get access to tomatillos, but I would like to know what they taste like.

This helped me a bit, but it's not entirely clear to me what would be different between tomatillos and under-ripe tomatoes.

Or are tomatillos closer to something else?

Under-ripe tomatoes definitely seem to me like they weren't exactly meant to be eaten like that. There are certainly still things one can do with them, but the flavor isn't always what you'd like (see tastefive's comment); they were selected for their characteristics when ripe. Tomatillos, on the other hand, have always been used like this. They're supposed to be tart and bright green (unless they're a differently-colored variety). I think tastefive was pretty on-target with the mention of lemon juice; they have a nice bright tartness to them but definitely no bitterness. They're quite pleasant to eat fresh, if you're the kind of person who likes tomatoes and fruit. (I just ate one to make sure I wasn't lying to you.)

A much bigger difference, though, isn't taste: tomatillos aren't really juicy. You can slice and dice all you want and your cutting board will still be dry. This is pretty clear from pictures - here's one I found with Google image search:

This makes them very well-suited for the kinds of Mexican sauces they're traditionally used in, more so than a green tomato would be.


My son has scratched my wok. Now it's rusting. Can it be restored or should I throw it away? It says Made in Japan. It's heavy and matte black. Can't post the pic due to size limitations.

Yes, you can restore it.

Clean the whole wok. Wash with soap and dry it. Apply a small coat of oil and put it on high. Let it burn (ventilate the kitchen).

Repeat the process of applying a small coat of oil and putting it on high another two or three times.

Done.

Edit: As noted by @GdD, this method cannot be applied to non-stick woks.


How to avoid holes in Chiffon cake? I have recently baked a couple of chiffon cakes, overall I'm happy with the bake - the structure and flavor are very good. However I have a recurring issue with large holes in the sponge, see the picture below.

I suspect it is some of the meringue not being fully incorporated into the batter and that large blobs of meringue are causing these holes. I could see there were blobs of meringue, but I was concerned if I kept folding to incorporate them I would knock out air from the meringue so I left them. The meringue was pretty hard, and I found it tough going, the blobs just wouldn't break up.

Do I need to keep folding, or is there a way to break up these blobs? Or is my meringue too hard? If it's the meringue, how do I make it softer? Should I speed up pouring in the sugar and whip the whites less?

You may want to run a knife gently through the batter to pop any large air bubbles before baking. While not included in all chiffon/angle food cake recipes, directions to remove large air pockets by running a knife through the batter in the pan before baking is not that unusual.


Should truly fresh steak (i. e. still purple) have a smell? I recently purchased a strip steak from my local grocery.  Got home and noticed that the other side (the side that was face down at the deli) had a section that was noticeably purple.  If I get really close, there is definitely a smell, but it's not a great smell.  I've smelled oxidized (brown) beef before and find it has kind of a "sweet" smell, but this is not that.

My first thought was that I was sold spoiled steak.  Then I cut the steak in half and noticed that the inside of the steak was the same color and had the same smell.  I don't think steak spoils from the inside out, so now I don't know.

For what it's worth, it's the smell that's got me concerned.  There's no other signs of spoilage that I can find--the steak isn't sticky or slimy.

Can anyone provide some expert advice on this?  I'm inclined to think it's fine and is just really, REALLY fresh, but I'm hoping someone else knows what's going on.

I ate the steak and was fine.  I think it was just an non-oxidized portion of steak.  I let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so before it I ate it and it's color changed from purple to red, so I'm inclined to think oxidation.


Would pastes made from vinegar and seeds other than mustard seeds be palatable? I've started making mustard at home recently and wondered if I could make similar preparations from vinegar and other seeds, for example fenugreek.

The result I'm trying to achieve is a palatable paste made from vinegar and a seed or seeds other than mustard seed. The paste might be used for purposes similar to those for which mustard is used, for example as an ingredient in salad dressings, a spread in sandwiches, or a dip for sausages.

Have you tried this, or do you have an opinion on whether the resulting preparation is likely to be palatable? Are there any culinary seeds that are more or less likely to be suited to making this type of preparation?

Palatable is a very vague term. I think that some seed and vinegar preparations would have promise (sesame seeds and rice vinegar, perhaps lightly sweetened?), but others would be horrible (I can't imagine a caraway & vinegar paste being good for most things). Even a condiment that would normally be gross (the caraway one mentioned) could be good in the right applications, for instance in a sandwich tailored specially to use it.

I'd think this would be a good instance to just try out some formulations based on known flavor combinations and see how they work for you.


Irish Cream Manufacturing What do you need to make Irish cream in a more professional way that lasts for a long time without going bad like baileys.

Do you have to use a homogenizer, and is there alternatives so it doesn't curdle?
Should E471 emulsifier and E331 Acidity Regulator be used, or anything similar, and if so how are they used and mixed?
There are so many recipes with minor differences what is the best one. For instance some recipes use condensed milk and other recipes only heavy cream.

To sum up: How can you make it last longer and not curdle or separate.

To make Baileys I have a great recipe.  1 1/2 cups Rye-Bonded Stock, 1 large can carnation milk, 1 can Eagle Brand milk, 2 tbsp. instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water.  Put above in blender and mix for one minute.  Let stand for about one hour.  Bottle and refrigerate and do not drink all at once.
When I made it, it was gone in four days.


How to make my chelsea buns more doughy For enriched dough products, I really enjoy a more doughy, moister, stickier texture. I like hot cross buns which are fluffy and not too springy.
I've been baking my buns from this BBC good food recipe https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chelsea-buns. I've tried increasing the milk content by 5% and then by 10% and whilst its a little closer to what I want, the texture is still a bit dry and crumbly.
I was thinking about reducing the baking time or temperature, but I'm not sure.

Fiddling with the temperature won't help you. Reducing the baking time can help, if you are currently overbaking them, but if you are not overbaking, it will just make them underbaked. So, the question is, are you baking them right, or overbaking currently?
If you are not overbaking now, you should change the ratios, not the baking time. If you want it moist-sticky, you should increase the sugar (and maybe underbake just a tiny bit). If you want it just softer, but without getting much stickier, you should increase the fat. To reduce springiness, you should drop the strong flour and use normal flour (8-9% gluten).


How to extract flavour from fruit without heating it or using alcohol? I am curious to know, how fruit syrups and flavours are made commercially and how we can extract the maximum, true flavour of a juicy fruit (such as oranges or apples) as well as denser and less juicy fruit (such as mangoes and peaches) and also berries at home, so I can use the flavour to make fruit flavouring for tea and other desserts.

The problem I have with simple syrup is, it is far too sweet and ends up with an artificial tasting saccharine flavour. The other problem is, I find cooked fruit makes it more sour and it loses its real fruit flavour, which you then try to compensate for and replace with sugar, making it taste more like fruit flavoured boiled candy. That is why apple pies and applesauce, fruit jams never appeals to me as they taste very fake and sweet.

What I'd really like to avoid is heating it. I can deal with the sugar, as it is usually diluted with other ingredients anyway.

I know you can soak things in alcohol, but the alcohol only disappears if you then cook the final food product. It will remain if I want to use it in non-cooked food, such as add as a syrup to snow cones.

The other way I thought of is to puree the fruit, strain it and am left with the liquid. This would not work for mangoes, peaches and berries which unfortunately, are the fruits I am interested in. I might get a tiny portion of actual liquid from a giant volume of solid fruit. I know that if you suck on a popsicle with only fruit juice, you end up with a block of ice, because you ended up sucking the (concentrated) juice away so all that is left is the water ice. There is a tutorial on Instructables here that reverse engineers and uses this property (of impure water having a lower melting point) to freeze the juice then let it thaw until the juice is liquid but some ice remains, then re-freezing the juice and repeating the process. This is something that can be done at home but I am wondering what other ways there could be that doesn't require constant monitoring and labour intensive.

I say at home, because while factories and shops can get their hands on fruit flavouring and concentrates in bulk, it's hard for a normal person to get it in small quantities. However, surely factories have a way of making the fruit flavouring somehow, because the ice teas, gelato and boiled lollies you buy commercially in general all actually taste like the fruit, and not just of sugar. Wondering how they obtain that flavour and whether we can do that at home, because some of the ice tea that you get in shops actually do taste like real fruit even if you ask for less or no sugar.

Simply, you don't. Your post describes a method which starts with whole fruit, doesn't use heat or alcohol, is achievable in a home kitchen, and has a high yield. Such a method simply doesn't exist.

Your assumption that "if the food industry does it, I should be able to do it too" is wrong. The food industry doesn't do it. It uses engineered flavors, which create the most salient smell molecules of a given fruit without using the fruit. If these are created using pure chemistry (such as isoamyl acetate for banana flavor), they are called artificial flavors, if they are created biologically (e.g. isolated from mold, as for strawberry flavor), they are called natural or naturally identical flavors. Methods for extracting them from the real fruit exist, but they are too expensive and inconvenient.

All methods which start with the whole fruit have roughly two steps, first extraction with a solvent and then concentration. The only two solvents usable in your kitchen are alcohol and water (the industry may use others such as CO2, but the technology is not available at home) and you excluded alcohol. As for water, you could in principle do something like a compote or a fruit tea, but as you are looking for high concentration, you are lucky that all the flavor compounds in fruits are already dissolved in water - so your starting point will always be fruit juice.

By the way, you can probably improve your yield here somewhat with a suitable juicer - a masticating juicer will give you more juice per unit of fruit than a centrifugal juicer. But it will be an incremental improvement, don't expect to get three times as much juice out of the same mango.

The second step would be the concentration. You are right that heating changes the taste, but that's the only method available in a normal kitchen. The other methods would be freeze drying and vacuum distillation. I haven't heard of even the hardiest food geeks getting freeze drying systems in their laboratories (I wouldn't call their cooking spaces "a kitchen"!), and rotovaps for vaccum distillation are used by maybe a handful of cooks around the world. There, you can assume costs of about 10 000 Euro for the whole setup (including pump etc.) and you need a learning curve.

And third, if the unchanged taste is so important to you that you decide to pay the 10 000, your yield will still be tiny. It is not just that you get a small amount of fruit juice out of the large amount of whole fruit, you have to still reduce it further to get an actual concentrated extract. There is no way around that, it's simple physics - there is just a small amount of real "flavoring" in each berry or mango, and you can't get our more than there was in the first place!

If you want to flavor things at home, the most accesible way would be to purchase flavorings used by the food industry. They are rarely available in their pure form, but you can buy flavored concentrates intended for drinkds, such as Tang. Instead of adding water, you can use them to flavor other things like cake glaze or lollies (be mindful of the other ingredients such as sweetener and acid when you do it).

Another, more expensive option is to purchase freeze dried fruit powder. It does pack a punch of flavor and color, and gives a better flavor than the drink powders. And because it is completely dry, you can use it in places like buttercream where a water- or alcohol-based extract would mess up the texture. They are of course expensive, because of the abovementioned low yield, the industry needs to use kilograms of fruit to produce a few grams of the powder. If you do this, decide if you always need the pure stuff - for the most expensive ones, there are also options of powders which use maltose as the base, giving you more bulk.


Having difficulties seasoning my new cast iron pan due to the coarseness of the texture. Please help! I just bought a new cast iron casserole pan that is only enameled on the outside. I tried seasoning it earlier today by pouring a tablespoon of flax seed oil on the inside and spreading it around with a paper towel. Sadly, I realized shortly after that the texture on the inside of the pan is quite coarse and it causes the paper towel to "shred" leaving very little pieces of paper behind everywhere around the pan. These pieces are obviously instantly soaked in oil and become quite hard to remove. It's almost impossible to do a good job at covering the whole pan in the oil because of this. Something similar happens when I use a kitchen towel, except rather than leaving pieces of paper behind, the coarse texture of the pan causes little "hairs" from the fabric of the towel to be left behind on every wipe.

I imagine I don't have to sand down a brand new pan just to get it to a point where I can season it properly, right? It's my first cast iron pan so any help is appreciated.

We have many comments, but I'm going to throw this in as an answer…

Your issue is lint, on a rough surface, so use something that is categorically lint-free.

A sponge. Any type.
A Moppet, the yellow side of a pan-scrub, anything.

It won't absorb quite so well as a cotton or paper towel & squeezing it out to mop the last bit might be a bit of a task, but it won't shed fluff all over the surface.


What (if anything) Does Superfino Indicate on a Package of Italian Arborio Rice? Local stores want my first born child for Arborio. I have found much better deals on Amazon. Most packages say "superfino". Does that actually mean anything?

Italian rice is graded according to length, shape, size and the amount of broken or whole grains.
Commune or originario is the least expensive and most basic.
Semifino is medium length, maintains firmness, not typically used in risotto.
Fino is relatively long, large and has tapered grains...Stays firm when cooked.  Can be used in risotto...a "fine" rice.
Superfino is the top grade...the most fat and largest grains.  They take the longest to cook because they absorb a large amount of moisture, but still remain firm.  Look for rice from Arborio or Carnaroli.  This is what the best risotto is made from.

Citation


Shrinking pizza dough I left a pizza dough (neapolitan pizza) that I prepared by fermenting for almost 24 hours at room temperature (in my house the temperature is between 17-20°C).
The problem is when I'm stretching with my hand, the dough shrinks back quickly. What can I do to resolve this?

250g Caputo white flour
150g of water
7.5g of salt
0.5g of biological yeast

Your dough should be fairly flexible by the time you are ready to stretch it.  I regularly make Neapolitan style pizza, and use a long ferment. It sounds like you are on the right track, and your photo looks like a good start.
Each time you manipulate the dough the gluten structure tightens and the dough becomes more difficult to shape. I would recommend that your next step be portioning.  That looks like enough for one or two pizzas.  So, step two is creating balls of dough.  Then let those rest at least 30 minutes, but up to a couple of hours.
Next, when shaping, work as gently, but as quickly as possible.  Do not use a rolling pin, as this will keep you from having a crust that is puffier than the center, if you are making Neapolitan style.  Begin on a well floured board and use your hands.  There is some technique here, and you probably will want to find some videos to help. By the time I get to this point, with proper resting, my dough springs back a little, but not that much.  It readily holds its shape.  I begin on the board, then lift and use my fists to stretch the dough into shape.  That took some practice.
If you are making pan style, a rolling pin will not be helpful here either.  Instead, begin to stretch the dough a little, then place the dough in a well-oiled pan, well ahead of when you want to top it.  Gently use your fingers to spread the dough.  When it begins to spring back, set it aside.  Allow it to relax, then repeat after 10 to 15 minutes.  Some styles allow for another rise in the pan before topping and baking.
In general, pizza dough always wants to spring back some, but allowing the gluten to relax and learning to work quickly will help.  You should certainly be able to get to a point where it is not an issue.


How can I make lemon and chilli liquid to have with hummus? A few weeks ago I had hummus at the famous Abu-Hassan/Ali-Caravan place in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. When you order hummus there you also get a small bowl of lemony chilli liquid on the side. The liquid is hot and really bitter.

The idea is to mix the chilli liquid in with the hummus to get it as hot as you like. It's really delicious!
Does anyone have any creative ideas about how I could make this kind of liquid at home? I have dried chilli flakes, and as a first pass I can fry them in some olive oil, drain and mix in lemon juice. I wonder though if anyone created this kind of thing before and is in a position to give some advice.
Thank you!

In Israel I have often seen hummus/falafel/thina served with a hot sauce called skhug, I have mostly seen the green variety (skhug yarok), which is a sauce made of fresh herbs, garlic, chili, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and some spices.
Hummus is often just served with thina on the side and with olive oil, but there is a lot of variety ... I have seen sauces based on olive oil and lemon juice, similar to what you describe (although not biter ... but the bitterness could also come from blending the olive oil). But I never saw it being prepared in front of me or it being called a particular name, but it looked a little like a thin vinaigrette.
Using my extremely limited hebrew knowledge and google I found this recipe.

The ingredients translate to:

2 hot chilies
3-4 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt
additional recomendation:
1 tsp cumin
sugar
Preparation: Put all ingredients into the food processor and turn into the sauce. Taste and adjust spices/oil/lemon juice to taste. And add sugar if too sour to balance the flavor.

You can let sit a little for the flavors to combine ... and strain out remaining bits if desired.
I am not sure if this is the sauce that you had ... but it could be very similar. Anyway ... it sounds tasty.


Why are my Baguettes so flat? I'm a professional private cook in Rio de Janeiro. I also teach here. Fresh bread is a major part of my teaching regimen and I have successfully taught my students several different types of breads, everything from focaccia to Italian bread for bread bowl soups.

I recently had an opportunity to do some baguettes for a friend's French cafe and I've been working on the system. I use an 80% hydration recipe that involves many stretch and fold sessions with 45 minutes in between. Though I follow the instructions, I'm having issues with the dough being so wet at the end that it's impossible to shape correctly. It's so loose and visibly wet that it practically runs off the pan.

When I form the baguettes in the couche, they puff up a bit, but when I remove them and attempt to transfer to my baking stone, they just turn into flat bread and don't recover. The taste is great, but you can see from the slashes from the lame, that something isn't right. Plenty of bubbles and when I'm working it, it expands quite a bit during rest periods. But it's just too slack.

I'm using a typical type 1 bread flour. Here in Rio the weather is cool and humidity is very low right now. What is causing this?

Different flours (ie different brands and strains) have different rates of absorption. If I use American bread recipes, I always have to use far more flour than the recipe calls for in order to achieve the described consistency. If your dough is too wet and is not behaving as the recipe describes - add more flour, or use less water.


Substitution for baking soda in pancakes I attempted to make pancakes this morning, only to discover that I was out of baking soda. I tried substituting baking powder, but it didn't work at all. The pancakes didn't bubble on the griddle, and they were far too doughy. If this happens again, do I need to go out to the store for baking soda?

You need to use 2-3 times more baking powder than baking soda.  Be aware that your flavors will be affected. Make sure it's double-acting baking powder and you must replace the acidic liquid in recipe with non-acidic liquid.  You could also use some heartburn medicine that contained potassium bicarbonate :-)


Substituting skim milk for whole milk in a caramel recipe I'm planning to make a batch of soft caramels. Whole milk makes up about half the recipe. Since I only have skim milk on hand, can I substitute skim milk for the whole milk?

You can but the result will be much thicker than that with the whole milk, and they won't taste as good due to the reduction of fat.  You could add some oil or other fat to make up the diffrence, although that will most likely change the taste as well.


How can I best dry homemade extruded pasta? I've been experimenting with extruded pasta. I want to try to dry it so I don't necessarily have to make it the same day as cooking it.

Once extruded, how long should I leave it out to dry? Afterwards, can I simply store the noodles in a container, or do they need to be stored in the refrigerator? I'm just using flour and water for these noodles, no eggs.

Over the years I have extruded pasta hung on poles and let dry for 12 to 24 hours.  Room temperature and humidity is what it's all about I have found that on humid days the pasta dried slower and was very strong.  On low humidity days it would break and not be strong at all.  I haver extruded over 100,000 pounds using semolina eggs and water.  Weigh your eggs and water every batch cause your eggs will weigh different each batch.  If you adjust your water by very small amounts it makes a huge difference.  Extruded pasta dried is the best pasta you will ever eat.


Baking without a thermometer? So, I'm staying in a location that has a gas oven with no discernable thermostat, and there are no thermometers in sight (oven, meat, or otherwise). The situation is such that I can't just run out and buy an oven or meat thermometer, and I'm not sure what to do. The people that I'm staying with have requested that I prepare a "traditional american christmas/thanksgiving dinner" (at least to the extent possible given the ingredients on hand and the circumstances). I have a turkey and several side dishes to prepare, and need advice on how to proceed. Any help is much appreciated.

It sounds like there is only one temperature that you can be absolutely sure of.... that water boils at the local boiling point.   Since you haven't mentioned high altitude cooking, I am going to assume that is close to 212 F / 100 C.  You also haven't said what sides you want to make so I am going to assume the traditional US type ones...

So things like mashed potatoes might be good, since you can boil them.  Similarly, with vegetables.

The turkey is the toughest part, since you have strong constraints:

You don't want it overcooked or it will be dry and unpalatable
You don't want it under cooked for food safety reasons, and under cooked poultry is also nont pleasant
You cannot measure temperature directly in a simple manner

The best approach I can think of is to do a braised turkey recipe.   The braising liquid will mitigate the unreliable heat of the oven if it is too hot; if the braise isn't bubbling slowly, you will know it is too low.

Braised dishes, by their nature are thoroughly cooked and should be quite safe.

You will find multiple recipes by googling "braised turkey recipe".

Root vegetables can be roasted at a wide, wide range of temperatures, and tested for being done based on softening.  The risk is you won't know how long it will take.  So you might precook them, and just reheat them for service, so that you aren't as time critical.

Cranberry sauce as a side is easy, and can be done stovetop without a thermometer.

Good luck.


substituting rosehip solution for lemon juice/citric acid Syrup recipe calls for citric acid, 3Tbsp.

I want to use rosehips to achieve the same degree of tartness.

3Tbsp equals 2 1/4 cups of lemon juice. I can boil/steep dry rosehips to that subjective degree of tartness...

...or is there a more accurate way? Rule of Thumb?

Syrup will be stored in fridge so not crucial as preservative

This is going to be difficult to boil down (excuse the pun) to an objective guideline, even a rule-of-thumb. The problem is the wide variation in the acid content of rosehips.

This academic paper (which looked at varieties grown in Poland, but is fairly representative of what I can find; for similar examples see abstracts available here, here, and here) found a wide range in the two major acidic compounds which contribute to the tartness of rosehips:

Citric acid: mean of 3.16 with a standard deviation of 1.12, minimum of 0.20 and maximum of 5.37
Ascorbic acid/Vitamin C: mean of 1.06 with a standard deviation of 0.58, minimum of 0.08 (!) and maximum of 2.67

(All values given here are in grams per 100 grams of dried rosehip matter)

This is a pretty wide variation, and it means that it's going to be difficult to predict exactly how much of either compound the particular rosehips you have contain. Rosehips at the higher end of acidity could easily contain twice or three times as much acid as rosehips at the lower end, meaning the amounts you extract (even given a precise temperature and time of extraction) could vary widely.

My recommendation is to simply adjust this subjectively; you can either make more rosehip extract than you need and modify the amount to add the desired amount of tartness, or vary your extraction process to concentrate the extract. I would stick with the first as it will be easier to adjust on the fly.

Keep in mind that you will need to repeat this whole practice if you're making more syrup in future, unless you're using the same source batch of rosehips each time.


Does white chocolate HAVE to have milk in it? I've looked through the ingredient labels of cheap candy bars, and quality baking white chocolate chips alike, and have been unable to find any milk-less white chocolate, they all contain either milk fat, skim milk, or dry milk.

Has anyone seen vegan white chocolate before, or is it even possible to make?

White chocolate by regulation is at least 3.5% milk fat and 14% milk solids. As far as I know, the EU uses the same definition as the FDA (US).

So, nothing vegan can legally be sold as "white chocolate".

That said, there are a great many non-dairy white chocolate substitutes, usually made with any combination of soy milk, maltodextrin, vanilla, and saturated/hydrogenated fat (palm oil, shortening, etc.), among other ingredients/additives of course.

They don't taste the same as real white chocolate, but then again, white chocolate isn't real chocolate to begin with, so it can't hurt to experiment with some of the products out there - which can be easily sourced with a Google search, as one of the comments indicates.


How can I use an espresso maker on an induction cooktop? The espresso maker is a stove top, and I am unable to find a way to use it on the induction cooktop. I want to make decaf with milk and that is filtered coffee, not instant coffee.

It sounds like the only thing you can do is use an interface disk - basically a piece of metal that is compatible with the induction cooktop, which will then transfer the heat to the espresso maker.

You can also potentially use an induction-compatible pan as an interface - see this question.

Unfortunately either way, you'll lose the fast-response benefit of the induction cooktop, because you'll now have to wait for the interface to heat.


Washing Vegetables With And Storing Lemon Essential Oil? According to this article it is better to use lemon essential oil when washing vegetables. It is said to add prepared mixture to spray bottle but nothing about if it is possible to store spray bottle and under which temperature.

This is why i ask this question here. Maybe somebody knows?

Also, is it critical to store mixture in a clean new spray bottle or i can use cleaned spray bottle from windows cleaning detergent?

Thanks.

I don't see a point to doing this at all. The lemon oil may act as a mild surfactant in larger quantity. Use water and elbow-grease to clean your veggies -- you're primarily trying to remove dirt. Use of Scotch Brite-style scrubbing pads (so long as they're detergent-free) works nicely for heartier veggies like carrots and potatoes, and a vegetable brush or cloth for more delicate things.

If you're trying to kill germs, you may want to try soaking briefly in a VERY mild bleach solution. If you're trying to prevent browning via oxidation, particularly in cut vegetables, acidulated water should do the trick -- add some lemon juice or crushed vitamin C tablets to water and soak until needed.


How to adapt recipes to hard wheat flour Unlike in the USA, flour in most European countries isn't differentiated by protein content. The distinction criteria in Germany are "type", which concerns the proportion of bran contained, and, (for special uses), "grippiness" or size of the particles. There is no such a thing as bread flour or cake flour.

I decided to experiment with bread and bought hard wheat flour (durum flour) online. It is milled as rather large particles. I decided to mix it 50/50 with my normal flour and use a very simple bread recipe - 1% salt, 3% yeast, 55% water - which is correspons to a middle-range hydration with the typical Type 405 non-grippy flour standardly used here. I kneaded by hand, as I don't have a food processor. But while kneading the liquid in, the dough got quite firm, so I stopped adding flour. (at this point, 12% of my flour was left over). The dough was a bit easier to handle than soft wheat dough, almost non-sticking, but it was very unelastic, and didn't pass the windowpane test well even after long kneading. The baked bread was OK, but it was dense and didn't rise much. All in all, I feel it could have went better.

So I am wondering how to best adapt my usual AP-flour recipes to this flour. Obviously, I should use more hydration, but how much more? And what to do about the firmness, is this normal for durum, or just the result of insufficient hydration? Why didn't it rise, should I add sugar for the yeast to be more active? And how to make it properly elastic?

I can't speak to your specific flour but I have worked with coarsely ground whole wheat flour.

My standard bread recipes required quite a bit more kneading than usual. Additionally I had to work with them while they were still quite sticky to eventually get them to an elastic consistency.

I use a stand mixer to do the kneading for me- I'm afraid that it would be quite a mess doing it by hand. Remember that, when forming gluten, you can always trade work for time. If you can't find finer flour then I would recommend kneading the dough as much as you are able, let it rest for 15 minutes so the proteins relax, and then knead it again and see if you can't get the consistency you want without kneading all day.

Make sure the flour isn't so coarse, or has shards or bran, that would actually cut the gluten and prevent it from forming sheets. If this is the case then I don't know if you could make bread out of it predominantly. Perhaps if it were soaked overnight as in a poolish?

I mill my own flour to the finest possible setting and this seems to produce a much better textured bread.

As for the lack of rising and yeast- it is the same problem. Yeast are perfectly happy eating damaged starch in your flour. Adding sugar wouldn't necessarily help. If your dough was not elastic and failed your window pane test then there is nothing to really hold the structure of the bread. Your yeast may have been going crazy and there was just no balloon for them to blow up.


Mug-cake mix at home I would like to make my own mix for "mug cake" -- that is to say, prepackaged instant cake mix you dump into a mug, add liquid, and microwave.

Is there anything special about mug cake that makes it cook in the microwave better? Will ordinary box cake scaled down work?
I'll want to make my own mix. Is there anything about boxed cake mix that's special beyond just sifting dry ingredients together, maybe throwing in some powdered milk so I don't have to use milk as my liquid? And can I do anything about requiring eggs -- for example, using some kind of powdered egg?
Are there any types of recipes for which this simply will not work? I kind of suspect Angel Food cake won't work in a mug :)

Not really.  If you mix up normal cake batter with the directions, and microwave it, it will cook.  It doesn't taste like a baked cake, but its certainly edible.
Actually, specifically, you add Angel Food cake to other cake mixes.  The reason is that angel food cake mix usually contains powdered egg whites.  The other option is indeed powdered egg, but angel food cake mix is more common in these recipes.
Mainly its about expectations.  Many things 'work' in the sense that they're edible, but they may not resemble the product you think they should.


Can sour cream be whipped? Will whipping sour cream result in something with a texture similar to whipped cream? How about a mix of whipping cream and sweet cream? I want a pie topping with a sour taste.

Sour cream will not whip like whipping cream.  I would use a combination for your application.  Whip your cream.  Fold in sour cream as desired.


Should I polish a cast iron pan for use on a glass cooktop? There was a question asked here about using cast iron on glass top ranges. In the responses, there was a link to an article about cast iron equipment. Here is a quote.

  There is also an almost comically simple alternative for a more
  permanent fix. It's one of those ideas like the safety pin or the
  paper clip: blindingly obvious in hindsight, but not apparent at once.
  Just sandpaper the pan or pot bottom smooth! Readers have reported to
  us that they have done just that, with excellent results. We don't
  have details, but we'd guess that two grades of sandpaper, a coarse
  then a fine for polishing off, would do the job.

I am getting my first brand-new electric glass-top range, and I don't want to ruin it. The quote said they are guessing, but with Stack Exchange, there is no guessing just real experiences. How do you polish the cast iron to make the bottom smoother? Did you see an improvement?

This will be a short answer as there is not much to say:

I have used cast iron pans on my glass stove top for about five years, and the surface does not show any scratches or marks. I have not taken any special care to protect the surface, and certainly have not polished the iron.


What are techniques to make homemade pasta without a pasta machine? I would like to try making homemade pasta, but my significant other won't let me buy a pasta machine. It's understandable, they are expensive. What are good techniques to make homemade pasta without a rolling machine?

Many pasta shapes can be made without a pasta machine--home cooks have done it for generations.   The only pastas that are really difficult to make without a special machine, I think, are the extruded pastas like buccatelli or macaroni.

One common method, which leads to a lot of different shapes, is to roll the pasta dough out into a sheet with a rolling pin.  It can then be cut into a variety of shapes, with a knife, pizza cutter, or even a cookie or biscuit cutter:

To make tagliatelle or linguine, you would first roll out a sheet.  Then, to make it easy to cut into strips, roll the sheet up, as if you were rolling a jelly roll.  Use a very sharp knife to cut it into ribbons.
Cut wider strips for lasagna noodles.
Cut into rectangles for homemade cannelloni.
Use a biscuit cutter to make circles, and you can fill them and fold them into tortellini.

Some more interesting shapes, like orecchiette, can be shaped by hand as well.  You create a small cylinder of dough, and then cut it into coins, then flatten these into the final shape.  The linked article has detailed instructions and pictures.

I have not tried to go into a huge amount of detail, because you are going to want to read specific recipe and technique articles, and watch videos of the techniques, all of which you can easily search for.  Each of the links above is to a recipe that has lots of helpful pictures and detail.


All else held equal, does a pot of tea have more total caffeine than a mug? Let's say you have one tea bag and can either brew it in a mug of boiling water, or a larger tea kettle of boiling water. The temperature, steeping time, type of tea bag, etc. are held constant. Assuming you drink all the tea that gets made, would you consume more flavor/caffeine from one method than from the other?

I'm just wondering because even though the amount of tea leaves in the tea bag would be the same, it intuitively seems to me like the water surrounding the bag in the tea kettle would be more hypotonic because there would be more of it compared to the amount of tea, so more tea would come out of the bag overall.

The pot will have more caffeine.

You are right that the concentration of the final solution is determined not only by steeping time, temperature, etc., but also by the amount of water available to dilute the stuff coming out of the tea, including caffeine. It will reach balance earlier with less water. So more water will get more of the different compounds in tea dissolved.

For an empirical observation by somebody surprised by the result, see also this question.


Slow roasting potatoes Is it possible to slow roast potatoes?

I am slow roasting a pork belly in the oven at 130c for 4 hours, can I add whole (small-medium sized) potatoes as well? Would they need the full 4 hours? How would it effect the end product (texture/taste/etc)?

Cover them with hot oil, or pork or duck fat, then in the oven with the belly... you will have awesome confit potato. Add herbs or spices to the oil if you like...You could cut them or do them whole. Creamy and delicious.


How long can I keep a dough made with powdered skim milk outside the refrigerator at room temp. before it goes bad because of bacteria? I want to keep my dough where one of it's ingredients is powdered skim milk, as long as I could out side fridge before the milk goes off. How many hours are possible?  Also if the dough is put in fridge will that stop it from rising? Thanks

The ingredients (milk) don't matter. You are not storing milk, you are storing dough. So it behaves like dough, not like milk.

Dough is full of yeast (obviously). It fills the ecological niche which would be taken up by pathogenic bacteria in other foods. So, no bacteria can take residence there, regardless of the presence of milk. Treat it like any other dough - you can keep it on the counter as long as you like.

And in general, the shelf life of food is not calculated by the shelf life of its most perishable ingredient.


How to neutralize the flavor of vanilla? Out of curiosity, is there any flavour that neutralizes or balances out with vanilla?

I think it depends on how much is too much vanilla.  If your recipe called for a teaspoon of vanilla and you added a tablespoon, it probably won't be too big a deal.  I often use more vanilla than is called for in recipes.

If you are looking for something to "balance" the flavor a little bit, you could maybe try salt or lemon juice/extract.

If you just prefer that vanilla not be the dominant flavor, there are plenty of things that go nicely with vanilla that would result in a more complex flavor.  Personally, I love combining vanilla with the flavors of fruit or almonds.


What are the benefits of "fuzzy logic" in a rice cooker? I'm considering making the giant leap to a serious rice cooker -- after research, it seems like the Zojirushi is the way to go, even over the venerated Tiger -- but I'm trying to parse out the dozens of models and various benefits.

It seems like the difference in price between a 5.5-cup model that does everything I could ever want, and a 5.5-cup model that does everything I could ever want with "fuzzy logic" is about $20. I'm already thinking about spending literally 10x more than I've ever spent on a rice cooker, so an extra $20 isn't the end of the world, but I'm wondering if it is really streets ahead when it comes to rice cooking, or if this is just a fancy-sounding name that doesn't add much to the process.

This is a bit informed by the fact that I'm kind of leery of fancy electronics in my kitchen gadgets; I loved my old Salton because it had one button, one spring, and one heating element, and I could kind of understand it. I'm a little afraid of the durability of a rice cooker with an onboard computer, and wondering if "fuzzy logic" is just adding another thing that can break onto that pile.

I just purchased a Zojirushi rice cooker a couple of months ago and can’t imagine cooking rice without it now.

Fuzzy logic in comparison to binary logic is a varying degree of a state.  In binary logic an item is either true or false (on or off) but in fuzzy logic it can be in between, partially on or partially off.  Instead of hard “done” state the fuzzy logic states may be “somewhat” or “nearly” done.  This while cooking it could take on the meaning of” too hot”, “about right” or “not much change”. Where this comes into play in a rice cooker is when the sensor monitoring the water content reaches the critical point an ordinary cooker will just turn off the heater however, a fuzzy logic cooker will use an equation (usually derived from experimentation) to vary the temperature and optimize the amount water being absorbed and evaporated.  Typically a fuzzy logic system will have multiple “critical” points and will vary the temperature during ramp up and down as well as during the cooking. Generally, different types of rice will absorb different amounts of water at different rates.  The fuzzy logic circuitry will monitor the changes and adjust itself to accommodate the predetermined profile.

I guess you could say the benefit of a fuzzy logic cooker is that someone took the time to learn the complexities of the cooking process and characteristics of the rice then adapted the preparation process to match the “ideal” conditions for the perfect rice.


Thinning copper-bottomed staninless pot In copper-bottomed cookware, can the stainless begin to thin and allow the copper to leech through? My potato pot has discoloration at the bottom that another post suggested might be just from overheating. If copper did leech through is that dangerous?

If it is like the pans I've used, the copper bottom is attached to the bottom of the stainless "bowl" - almost impossible to wear through unless you clean frequently with a sandblaster.

Leaching from a copper vessel might be dangerous if it were routinely cleaned violently back to bright metal, or used to cook strongly acidic foods. If copper vessels are used routinely for cooking, they form a passive layer on the surface, and do not present a huge problem as long as malachite (green) does not form in the cooking area.


Could I use chili powder in a homemade hot sauce recipe? My boyfriend is allergic to the skins of chilies, peppers and tomatoes, which he's found means he can have chili powder (and variants), but not dried pepper/chili flakes or fresh versions of the aforementioned.

So could I use chili powder/paprika/maybe cayenne pepper in a hot sauce recipe instead of true chilies?

Thanks

Sure, you can do that. It'll be a slightly different style of hot sauce than you'd get with fresh green chilis, less bright and fresh pepper flavor, more of a deep, rich flavor. If it's just a plain pepper and vinegar hot sauce, with the peppers providing a lot of the bulk, the texture isn't going to be the same, though.

If the lack of that brighter pepper flavor is an issue, you might seek out recipes that already have plenty of non-pepper ingredients. Acids like lime and vinegar, fruits, and herbs could all help fill in the gaps.

Also, I don't know how severe your boyfriend's allergy is, but if you end up experimenting a lot, I'd suggest being careful to have him try chili powders before you use them in large quantities. I've never heard of chilis being peeled before made into powder, so I wouldn't be too surprised if not all chili powder is actually okay for him.


Crunchier breadcrumbs I made chicken goujons coated in breadcrumbs last night and had a go at making my own breadcrumbs. I cut two slices of bread (high end sliced loaf, not cheap white) into cubes and blitzed them in a food processor. Then I put them in the oven on 200C for 15 mins to dry them out.

The end result was tasty, but the breadcrumbs lacked the crunchy texture of shop - bought panko breadcrumbs. How can I make my own version crunchier?

You can make very crunchy crumbs using a dehydrator (probably also a very low < 200 degree F oven). I frequently crumble leftover cornbread, then dehydrate, to produce super crunchy cornbread crumbs.  I am sure it would work with any bread.  Using this technique with cake also works nicely to produce a crunchy topping for sweet applications.  BTW 200C (the temp the OP provided) is way too hot. You will brown (then burn) the crumbs rather than dehydrate. Use Less than 200 F or in Celcius, less than 93C