What are the key differences between lemons and meyer lemons? "Meyer lemons" are advertised as a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. The flavor is basically what you'd expect from that cross.

Is it reasonable to use them as direct substitutes? What are the important differences to keep in mind when substituting one for the other? How will those differences affect the recipe?

Lemons are quite sour, while Meyer lemons are much sweeter and less acidic. If you substitute directly, it'll have a dramatic effect.

For example, suppose you start out with a dessert made with lemons that has enough sugar added (or little enough lemon juice) to make it the right sweet/sour balance for you. If you replace the lemon with Meyer lemon, it'll be way more toward the sweet side, and won't have the sourness to counteract it anymore. So unless you want that big change, you'd probably want to reduce the sugar and/or increase the Meyer lemon; exactly how you decide to do that would depend on the dessert.

If you substitute in the other direction, Meyer lemon to lemon, you'd likely have to reduce the lemon and/or add a bunch of sugar to keep it from tasting more sour.

Either direction, I don't think it really seems like a good direct substitution. It's a big change, so whether it's a good idea totally depends on whether the original recipe suited your preferences and whether you're okay with a broad range of sweet/sour or have something more specific in mind.

The only things where a direct substitution seems like a good idea to me are things where you're only using the zest. At that point citrus is pretty much all interchangeable, just a different flavor.


What do you use to make tzatziki? Onions, garlic, or both? I found tzatziki sauce in a supermarket. If I recall correctly, the ingredients listed on the package included onions. I then read on Internet that tzatziki sauce is made with garlic.

What do you use to make tzatziki, onions, garlic, or both?

Typically garlic is used.  If you prefer onions and garlic, go ahead but it's typically cucumber, yogurt, dill, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes sour cream.


How do I know if a given pickle recipe is meant for long-term storage? I've never canned or pickled anything; however, I'm keen to give it a shot. However, I'm the only one in my family who likes cucumber pickles, so it might take me a while to go through a batch. There are a lot of recipes out there for "refrigerator pickles" which only keep for a few weeks; what steps are taken in a real pickle recipe that mark it as one for long-term storage? Can a refrigerator pickle recipe be converted to long-term storage?

Pickle recipes meant for longer-term storage will include instructions for sealing the jars.  While some recipes may have you use hot jars and hot brine that will result in a fairly reliable seal ratio (meaning most of the jars will properly seal), other recipes will have you put the filled and closed jars in a boiling water bath to be processed for a specific amount of time.  I've found this method to yield an even higher ratio of properly sealed jars.

In either scenario, the sign of a sealed jar (assuming you are using canning jars with a lid and ring system) is an indented dome on the lid.  Jars that do not seal properly will still have a protruding dome.

Most recipes will have all the specific information you need to make pickles including the shelf life of sealed jars.  The Ball canning jar company has a  good website: http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes.aspx

Best of luck - I hope your pickles are a tasty success!


How spicy is authentic, traditional Palak paneer? I have heard that the spiciness of Palak paneer is regional, but I don't have any historical or geographical facts to confirm this. So, is there anybody around here that knows if a proper, old-school traditional Palak paneer is hot spicy, medium or mild, and which are the various regional traditions?

Hot, medium and mild are very subjective terms, which is why it is difficult to qualify regional variations in India. I have had palak paneer in north India and south India. Generally, this dish is hotter in south India. I am a south Indian, but have lived in north India for most of my life, and would call the north Indian (traditional) variety medium. Again, what I consider medium may be mild for some people, whereas for others it may be hot.


Is it scientifically verified that bananas will ripen faster when kept in a bowl with other fruit? I've heard you shouldn't keep bananas in a bowl with other fruit. But they all look so happy together.

What I'd like to see is hard science here. Or at least documented and repeatable observation. For example, I read lots of people saying simply "it's the ethylene gas", but what's eluded my searching eye is a chart of which common fruits emit how much of this gas, or the ripening effect of x amount of this gas for y duration at z distance from other fruits in the vicinity. I'd do an experiment myself, but I don't have any particular biology expertise to properly structure a control, etc., and maybe it's already been done?

While I'm not saying this oft-heard claim is false, I am saying I've neither been convinced that it's verifiably so as far as having been proven, nor convinced that any ripening-hastening is of significant concern (shortens the life of a banana by a day or more). If it is, we'll have to issue a cease-and-desist order to my household regarding the convenient stacking of all our colorful fruit friends in one place.

Follow-up inquiry: Even if this banana ripening-rate-quickening is true for apples and oranges, are there certain fruits that are okay to leave in the bowl with bananas?

I think you've got this mostly backwards. The reason not to store bananas with other fruit is that the ripening bananas emit a lot of ethylene gas and will cause the other fruit to spoil more quickly. You can also use this to your advantage: got a pear that you want to ripen quicker? Put it in a paper bag with ripe bananas overnight.

Other fruit emits ethylene as well, but generally in large quantities only when they are already quite ripe.

Here is a pretty good reference: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0531/p15s01-lifo.html


What is red Chinese BBQ sauce called? Does anybody know what the bright red bbq sauce served in Chinese restaurants is called? I'm trying to find a recipe for it but don't know what to look for.

It's usually served with ribs or pork, it's not the dipping sauce served on the tables, def taste of star anise in it and I think it's made from scratch as I've asked in many Chinese supermarkets if it comes in jars or powder form to be told no. The colouring is added to make it red.

Char Siu sauce ( char siu = fork roasted )


How can I make sorbet without a recipe? I would like to be able to make sorbet with whatever ingredients I have on hand without always looking up a recipe. I understand that it's important to get the correct balance of sugar, liquid, and other ingredients for the end product to have the right texture.

There seem to be a couple options for testing your sorbet mixture: syrup density meters and refractometers. Before I spend money on one of these tools, I'm wondering:

Can I reliably make sorbet without one of these tools?
What techniques do you use to make sorbet with each of these tools?
Are there advantages/disadvantages to one way or another?
What do I need to know about the different scales (Brix, Baumé, specific gravity, other) and what readings should I target?
Are there other things to consider regarding ingredients (purée v. juice, effect of additives such as alcohol, etc.)?

Too much to go into here, but let me refer you to Harold McGee's less well known book, The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore, where he has an entire chapter devoted to this topic, complete with tables for a whole bunch of fruits.


Canning lids twisting doing hot bath for sauerkraut.  Cleaning jar rims, adding more salt water to 1 inch of top, putting new lids and rings on jars.  Screwing rings on tight.  Put jars in canning, filling with cold water and bring to rolling boil for 30 minutes.  When we turn off stove and remove lid to canner we are seeing most of the lids have bent in upward position.  WHAT IS MAKING THIS HAPPEN?

You should not put the bands on "tight".

From Fresh Preserving Water Bath Canning

  CLEAN mason jar rim and threads of jar using a clean, damp cloth to remove any food residue. Center lid on jar allowing sealing compound to come in contact with the jar rim.  Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Place filled jars in canner until recipe is used or canner is full. Lower rack with jars into water. Make sure water covers jars by 1 to 2 inches.

Fresh Preserving Problem Solver

Condition: Lid buckles, appearing to warp or bulge upward under the screw band. If spoilage is evident, do not use.

When buckling is apparent immediately after heat processing, cause is overly tight application of screw bands.  Using your fingers, screw bands down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Do not force. Do not use a lid wrench to apply bands.


Can I boil milk unattended (and still keep the pan clean)? Many recipes call for first bringing milk up to boil.

I normally boil 1 quart (1 litre) of milk in a 3-quart stainless steel heavy bottomed pan:

use low heat
keep scraping the bottom of the pan every 1-2 minute
Milk comes to a boil in about 40-45 minutes

In spite of my carefully watching the milk, at the end, when I pour of the milk, I see a "crust" form on the pan. This makes cleaning up a pain.

Further, it is hard to constantly watch and scrape the milk every 1-2 minutes.

Is there a more convenient way to bring milk up to a boil?

Looking for:

Unattended, fool-proof method
Easy clean-up at the end.

Yes, I am aware of this other question:

Quickest, and safest way, to bring milk to boil?

However, my question is a bit different.

Boiling the milk in the microwave is the only way to do this "unattended", and that requires a lot of trial and error to get the time just right. It also won't work with many recipes that involve stirring anything into the milk while cooking.

Out of the microwave, I use a non-stick pan, but even that requires scraping the bottom from time to time a bit to prevent solids from forming. (I use a rubber spatula for this.) I usually boil the milk on its own and and combine it with the rest of the recipe later.


Adjusting pressure setting and processing time when modifying pressure canning recipe When it comes to pressure canning, is there a "golden rule" or standard for modifying recipe pressure settings or processing times when you want to change the quantity of jars used?
For instance, I am interested in cooking and canning this Split Pea and Ham Soup recipe.
Unfortunately, the recipe only makes 2 quart jars. I have a Presto 23-quart canner that can fit more than 2, and so -- if possible -- I would like to scale the recipe up to cook enough soup for 4 or maybe 5 quart jars worth.
But if I stuff 4 or 5 quart jars into the canner, does the pressure setting for this recipe (10 PSI) or the cook time (90 minutes) change? If so, what's the general rule for figuring these types of modifications out?

No modifications are necessary.
The pressure of the canner entirely determines the temperature of the water around the jar, and you don’t start timing until the canner is at that temperature/pressure, so regardless of the scale you’re assured of processing for long enough. In a larger canner and/or a weaker stove the contents of the jars will end up being slightly more cooked because of the longer lag time before you start the timer, but there’s not much you can safely do about that, and for pea soup it will make literally zero difference.


for how long can I store homemade chocolate mousse in the fridge? My chocolate mousse recipe includes just raw eggs (2 weeks until best before date), butter, sugar and black chocolate, ingredients are mixed together with the hot, liquid chocolate.
I know about this canonical question/answer pair: How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?, but its answer is unsatisfying in my case, as the eggs are not completely raw, since the yolks are mixed with the hot chocolate and the whites, beaten to Egg Whites are also mixed together with the hot yolk and chocolate. So neither uncooked proteins nor cooked proteins in the canonical answer apply to my question.
I'm worried about the time of its preservation in a refrigerator (5ºC).
How long can I store my chocolate mousse before it becomes critical for consumption? If I see a liquid at the bottom of the container, is this a sign to throw it away?

In the UK, anything longer than 3 days from production is generally deemed risky and unsaleable for commercial purposes.
For home use, if you're fridge is at the warm end of the scale /5°c 3-5 days sounds about right to me. If it's a cold fridge /2or3°c you can add a day or two onto that range. This is a slightly higher risk approach than in a commercial setting though.


Is white vinegar the same as White Wine vinegar? Is white vinegar, aka the stuff just labelled as "vinegar" in the US and which I use for cleaning my kettle, the same as "White wine vinegar", which I have purchased on accident a time or two? If not, what is white vinegar made of?

No, it's not. White vinegar (also known as distilled vinegar) is made of acetic acid diluted in distilled water. Its flavor is simple—its just sour. Typical concentrations range from 5–7% acetic acid.

White wine vinegar is made by allowing white wine to turn to vinegar. It has a much more complex flavor profile. It is also frequently less sour (acidic) than distilled white vinegar.


Cookies end up with a wavy bottom My baking papers seem to absorb water a lot. Whenever I bake cookies with a bit wet batter such as lady fingers or cat's tongue, my cookies end up with a not flat but wavy bottom. Is that because of the type of baking papers I used or I did something wrong?

Yes, I would say this is completely normal. It is how paper acts when in contact with liquids.
If you don't like the effect, don't use baking paper under the cookies.


How long should tilapia filets of normal thickness be broiled? I have a packet of fresh tilapia filets from the grocer, and I'm planning to broil them with BBQ sauce. How long should they stay under the heat and how far should they be from the heating elements?

My broiler is the "under-the-oven" kind which re-uses the gas flame that pre-heats the main oven.

Edit: Are there any additional preparation steps I should be aware of? I'm a novice when it comes to cooking fish.

Broiling fish is extremely easy, although I would recommend saucing the fish after it is cooked as your BBQ sauce will most likely burn under the heat from the broiler.  Your food should be about 8 to 12 inches away form the heat source, but most under oven broilers have a fixed height away from the flame.  You need to make sure that your fish is fully scaled before cooking and you should season it with salt and pepper as well.  Lay the fish on a pan, making sure that you lay it skin side down and that there is room on each side of each piece.  Turn on your flame and slide the fish under the broiler, remove when the fish is flaky, white and lightly browned on top. If you are unsure if it is done, take a fork and twist it in the flesh of the fish and it should flake away fully white, it's done.

Then add your sauce and serve.

Additionally, BBQ sauce will mostly overpower the flavor of your tilapia, you might find that whipping up a butter sauce or a white wine sauce will suit you better.  Also, alot of fish does well with just a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice.


Why do egg dye recipes include vinegar? I have seen recipes for easter egg dyes that call for 1/4 cup vinegar per cup of water and others that call for 2 teaspoons per cup of water. That's a pretty wide range--what practical effect does the amount of vinegar have?

More generally, what is the role of vinegar in dye recipes? What would happen differently if it were left out?

Long story short: It's the acid, and any acid will do.

Food colourings are a type of dye known as an acid dye. Their effectiveness relies on hydrogen bonding which only works in an acidic environment.

It's not that the vinegar does anything special - not exactly. Rather, adding a few drops of food colouring to a large amount of water would give you something that's not acidic at all, which will diminish or totally eliminate its effectiveness as a dye. Including vinegar in the mix simply allows you to stretch your rations, so to speak - to dilute the colouring in a whole lot of liquid without making it useless as a dye in the process.

Basically, you're creating a dyebath, which is a well-known term in the textile world, as it's used to dye wool and other fabrics. Warm temperatures (140-180° F) also aid in dye absorption, and apparently - although I'm no expert in textiles - a small amount of Urea also helps.

You could definitely use cream of tartar, citric acid or any other acid, but the recipes using vinegar are generally aiming for a specific pH, so you'll want to adjust quantities of any other acidifier to match. Presumably, vinegar is just the cheapest and most widely available acidifier.


I made a flan, added lime zest and grated ginger, and it was a flop. What is happening? I tried cooking it an extra few minutes, but the flan was runny and looked a bit like scrambled eggs.  I have tried this before, and it worked.  this time, I added more lime zest and ginger root for a more flavorful dish.  Was it the lime zest?  Was it the ginger root (freshly grated)?  What might have been going on?  how do I avoid the problem in the future.

Thanks very much!

Sounds like a classic case of too much acid or putting in your acidic ingredients at the wrong times. If you haven't already, try adding your lime zest to your water and sugar at the beginning and the ginger to the warmed milk.


Bowed bottom on Stainless Steel fry pan Is there a way to "fix" my stainless steel fry pan that does not sit flush on my cooktop stove?

Had a warped stainless steel pot I was getting ready to toss, but decided to give it one more use since I forgot it was warped until I needed to use it right away. Was making tamales so it was on a good simmer for about 3-4 hours. Placed a heavy cast iron Dutch oven on top while it cooked to try to get better contact with my ceramic top stove. Left it to cool and forgot about the pot until I went to clean it in the morning. When I did, I noticed the warp was all gone.  Pleasantly surprised and glad I did t throw it away. I will definitely be more careful with it in the future. Hope this is helpful to someone out there.


Why did my tomato soup turn thick and brownish? I tried to improvise a tomato soup following these steps:

Slice tomatoes, briefly stir-fry for aroma, together with some onions, garlic pepper, salt, and a bit of sugar.
While still hot, purée all together into the blender.

The result was quite bad: the soup thickened (a bit like jelly) and turned red-brown, rather than fresh red.

Questions:

Do tomatoes have to be skinned for a reason? Does the skin contain all the starch/jelly-ish stuff?
What went wrong with the color? Do you have any advice to keep it truly fresh red?
The above combination with garlic, onions, spices can't be all wrong, can it?

I think that this must be some freakish ocuurence. The way you describe it, there isn't anything you did wrong, unless maybe if you have been throwing in spices by the handful.

Tomatoes (incl. skins) don't contain anything thickening. In fact, when you want to thicken a tomato puree, you are in for hours of constant stirring over gentle heat until most of the water has evaporated. It's still not jellylike after that.

They shouldn't turn brown either. Carotenes are not terribly heat sensitive. Some of them will degrade, dulling the color somewhat (you can't keep the color of raw tomatoes), but the change won't be too big, it should be still more red than brown. That change won't be affected by oxygenation anyway, so lemon juice won't help. In my experience, enzymatic browning (which is affected by oxygen presence) just doesn't happen in tomatoes, you can leave a cut tomato exposed to air for days, and it won't brown the way apples or avocadoes do.

You could be experiencing some browning due to a Maillard reaction, but tomatoes are low in carbohydrates, so for this to produce any significant browning, you must be terribly overheating it. And by "terribly overheating", I mean it's one step removed from charring.

The practice supports this, here is the color you can expect from tomato puree which has been cooked for a while:

Garlic tends to turn blue-green when cooked in the presence of acid, and the combination of red and green should look brown, but if it affects color significantly, you are using way too much garlic. If you insist on using lots of garlic, you can try adding canned garlic after the tomatoes have been cooked, before the pureeing, or adding garlic powder to the prepared soup.

The only thing on your list which could have thickened is the pepper. Again, you must use powdered dry pepper it in amounts comparable to the chille powder in chilli dishes in order to experience a significant thickening. If you do this, and insist on this amount for taste reasons, but want a thinner soup, you just need to make it more dilute. First, don't remove the seeds of the tomatoes. Second, consider using fresh peppers instead of powder (either pre-roast to charring and remove the skin, or sautee to soften together with the tomatoes without removing the skin). Third, if all else fails, dilute with vegetable stock or some other liquid (commercial vegetable juice, whey, or herbal tea).

If you didn't overuse garlic and/or pepper powder, but the problem persists, there is something wrong with some of the ingredients. Try tomatoes from another source or something. But chances are that it was a one-time problem.


Is there a spice that is hot and colorless? I want to prepare a drink that is hot (spicy) but I don't want to use regular hot sauce because it will affect the color. Is there anything like "clear" hot sauce?

Let a hot pepper (jalapeño or habañero, perhaps) soak in your liquid for however long it takes to achieve the desired hotness.


How do I get rid of plastic smell in rice / pasta? I bought a number of bags of rice and pasta and stored it in a plastic bin in the basement. I recently grabbed one of those bags of rice and it smells gross, like plastic. Everything in the bin smells like that. I haven't cooked it yet but in the past when I've cooked food that's had a bad/odd plastic smell, it still had it after cooking and due to the smell/taste I threw it away. Currently, I've had the rice sitting out in a bowl for the past few days and the smell hasn't gone away.

What do I do for the food I have to get rid of the smell?
And without getting overly pricey, how should I store things like this for the future?

I really don't want to waste all this food but I can't bring myself to make it as it is right now.

If these were not food-safe/toy-safe bins, it is likely softeners/plasticizers from the plastic materials gassing out and migrating into the ingredients.

These can be phtalates or other petrochemical/organic compounds, and if in doubt, they are as unsafe in food as gasoline would be.

I certainly would not want to give anything that has taken on enough of that to smell of it to children, even if it could be prepared in a way that lost the smell.

If you discard it, you might consider doing so in a manner that makes sure nobody mistakes it for excess but safe packaged goods.

A lot of clear plastic bins you can currently buy ARE either explicitly marked as food safe (look for https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_safe_symbol, often engraved into the plastic), or made from the same material as common in these that are explicitly labelled: polypropylene, which, if not labelled, could still have some questionable additives, but plasticizers are generally NOT needed to make household items from that material. I still certainly would not use the non-graded stuff to directly hold unpackaged foods.

HDPE can be safe for similar reasons (questionable mold release agents), any PVC or Polycarbonate container that is not labelled as food safe very likely is not.


What is Turkey Bacon? Is there a standard part of the turkey that they use to process "turkey bacon"?  Is it pressed from different sections of the turkey?

The meat for turkey bacon comes from the thigh of the turkey and can be cured or uncured, smoked, chopped, and reformed into strips that resemble traditional pork bacon.

Source: Wikipedia article


What kind of bakery items do not get horribly affected by electricity going off when the item is still in oven? I have a nice oven but I have stopped making cakes for the reason being that if electricity goes off in between I'll have to throw the cake.

Now, if I prepare brown/multigrain breads which need whole wheat should I still be worried about power going off in between?

If yes, then what bakery items can be prepared in oven which do not get horribly affected by power going off in between?

On a different tack to those above you can stabilize your oven temperature by using heat absorbing materials such as brick and stone, which will absorb heat when the oven is on, then release it when the power goes out. It does mean for longer pre-heating times as it takes lots of energy to get the stone or brick up to temperature, however it could save your cakes. Just make sure to use fireplace brick and not regular, as regular can crack. Better yet, get a piece of scrap granite or marble, that way you can use it as a bread stone as well.


How do I know when my wine is properly reduced? I guess it can be subjective according to tastes, but some reduction is required. If I could know what I am trying to do away with in the reduction process (alcohol, raw bite or volume) then I could adjust according to my subjective taste and dish.

Some general guidelines about how do you know when your wine is reduced or what to look for in a reduced wine would be useful.

The goal is to evaporate alcohol and concentrate flavor.  If adding wine to a mirepoix, or sofrito...some sort of early stage aromatic vegetable... reduce the wine almost until the pan goes dry, but not dry enough to cause sticking or burning.  The flavor will be absorbed into the vegetable and you are good to go.  If there is another instance of wine addition that you are considering, please specify.


Tarragon: French vs Russian vs Mexican In this question about tarragon lookalikes on the gardening stackexchange, I asked about whether I have grown a tarragon lookalike or whether tarragon can be tasteless if grown improperly. I added an update to that question today and I am hoping for a herb gardeners perspective in that community, but I also want to ask a different flavor (pun intended) of that same question but from a culinary perspective.

I have grown tarragon in the past, some 15-ish years ago and it tasted great. Last year I wanted to grow some and bought some seed, and have since learned it was Russian tarragon and not flavorful at all. So this spring I decided to plant some tarragon from those fresh cuttings you can buy at many supermarkets in those plastic clamshells or tubes. Great, no issue there except this: the tarragon I bought that was sold as a culinary herb, it also seems rather flavorless.

In doing more research I discover I may have been growing what's called Mexican tarragon which is in the marigold family, but considered a good substitute in areas that don't grow French tarragon very well. It's also called winter tarragon by some, I guess because it's available from the south during winter months.

So that's the background leading up to my question.

What flavor should I expect from each of these varieties? Is French tarragon really tasteless in comparison to this marigold substitute? Are my expectations for nice anise flavor too high for this supposedly noble herb? From a purist standpoint, I am incredulous and on the edge of outrage over this.

It is all a question of taste, so there is no definitive answer.

As a purist, you should plant "French Tarragon" which is the proper Artemisia dracunculus plant.

It is not an intense flavor; and this is why it is so good (IMO) and will not overpower a dish.

If you want something stronger, grow the "Mexican tarragon" (Tagetes lucida), which is a different plant.

Both have their use; plant both.


Cuisinart 12 cup coffee maker - How many grams of ground coffee to make a full strong drip pot? I just bought a fancy Cuisinart 12 cup machine and some fairly pricey freshly ground coffee.

The machine came with a scoop that is equal to 5 g (1 tsp).  The machine advises not to use more than 15 scoops.  75 g (2 ⅔ oz) is a dangerous amount for some reason, probably overflowing or clogging the filter basket.

Anyway, how many scoops of coffee would you recommend to make a full 12 pot?

Normally retailers estimate between 7g and 8g per cup for normal coffee. Try 8g and work your way up. So 12*8=96g for starters.

You might find this article by Harold McGee interesting.

  When I dropped the strength close to Mr. Hoffmann’s preferred 1.5 percent by using a third less ground coffee (about 12 grams of coffee to 180 grams, or 6 fluid ounces, of water), the fruity aroma was much more evident, and the flavor generally brighter and more lively. Clarity is a good word for the overall impression.

Edit: Note that I'm talking about espresso cups that are 60ml as opposed to McGee's 180ml cups. Multiply the amount of coffee for the amount of water you are actually using.


What would cause the albumen of a hard boiled egg to turn purple? The albumen of my hard boiled eggs turned purple.  What would cause this and is it ok to consume?

Everything you need to know: Google for "Purple Deviled eggs".

But if you didn't pickle it, then beware.

  Pink or iridescent egg white (albumen) indicates spoilage due to Pseudomonas bacteria. Some of these microorganisms—which produce a greenish, fluorescent, water-soluble pigment—are harmful to humans.
  Source: United States Department of Agriculture


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

It depends entirely on what the actual temperature for "warm" is.  If it is above 140F (i.e. outside of the "danger zone") you should be fine.

The limited research I've done on the "warm" temperatures of various crock pots seem to range from 145F to 200F, so it largely depends on the model.  You might want to read the manual or go to the manufacturer's web site and find out what the actual temperature for your specific model is.

However, if you can't actually find out what the warm temperature of your crock pot is, my usual rule with food safety is the proverbial "if in doubt, throw it out".  It's not worth the risk.


How to get spicey flavour from black peppers in stew? The piperine in black pepper has a tangy/spicy flavor and I read that it concentrates in the black part of the peppercorn and not the inner white part.

This being the case I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea to boil the peppercorns to extract the black parts.  However I put one in my mouth and whirled it around however I didnt really get any spicy flavour.  But when I cracked it it become more tangy.

Why is this if the piperine is in the black part and if its the pipirine im after/want to be in the stew liquid, would it make more sense to put a lot of whole ones and boil it, or groud it then add?

For the most pronounced pepper flavor, you would want to grind and add at service.  As you cook black pepper bitter notes come out.  Some people like that black pepper bitterness, but last minute addition is what will get you the flavor and aroma of black pepper.


Can I re-freeze shrimp? There’s a Phillipino grocery in our neighborhood that specializes in seafood. They sometimes have beautiful heads-on shrimp. I’ve no doubt that they’ve been frozen, then thawed, as we’re in the middle of a landlocked desert. It’s hard to resist them, though, as they’re only $6.99 a pound, compared with $9.99 a pound for frozen shrimp at the supermarket. And they’re heads-on!

Can frozen, then thawed shrimp be re-frozen? I’d sure love to scoop a couple of pounds and keep it in the freezer, for when I’m really craving shrimp (which is always).

For safety reasons, it's strongly discouraged to re-freeze thawed products without cooking them first, as you don't know how long they have been waiting to be sold. Repeated freezing won't do anything nice to the texture, either.

But as you want to get a decent amount, can't you discuss with the grocer to buy them still frozen? If you then transport them in an icebox with cold elements, you should be able to get them in your home freezer safely.


Can you freeze cheese and still keep the flavor when you defrost it? I was thinking in particular about Brie because of its soft texture...

We've successfully frozen shredded mozzarella and then baked with it without losing flavor. Apparently the thing to be concerned about is the texture, not the flavor, and harder cheeses tend to retain their texture better (though using them for cooking/baking is still the only recommended way) according to Still Tasty.


How to cook insects? I love touring and I am trying to cut my dependency on my protein sources such as soy powder, beans and other supermarket stuff. Touring is a bit like camping but with longer distances and a bike. So how do you cook insects? How can I know whether insects are edible? Is it possible to eat all types of insects if I cook them in some way? Can I mix insects such as worms, butterflies and bees? I carry a storm heater, which runs on ethanol-stuff, and a small bottle of oil. How would you cook insects with such equipments? If someone has practical experience on this topic, I am also interested how you manage insects' cooking like preservation, harvesting and such things but try to keep focus on cooking.

Related but not the same

Cheap sources of protein?
Food during touring?

What country are you in?

Every country has some edible insects. Most are terrible. some are toxic, or have toxic parts that must be removed first. This knowledge is hard won, and not readily available. Traditional local people are your best source of information (though the Coke and McD's culture has killed that in most parts of the world)

In New Zealand they have the Huhu grub, and in Australia the Witchetty grub. Both of which are edible raw or cooked (roasted on hot coals for a few minutes). They have slightly nutty flavours

These are both soft wood eating larvae around 5 to 10 cm in length, quite plump and juicy. Such insects can be found around the world. But not all are edible


How to cook tubular ground beef using only disposable items? How do I cook ground beef (in those 1 pound tubes) using only
disposable items? Details:

I can cook pizzas in my oven by putting them directly on the rack.
I can cook chicken and toast bread by putting down a sheet of
aluminum foil, and setting the chicken/toast on top of that.
I tried doing the aluminum foil trick w/ beef, but it gave off a
lot of fat, which hit the metal at the bottom of my gas oven,
filling the house with smoke.
I tried making a little "tray" with the aluminum foil, but the
beef didn't seem to cook well internally, plus there was a lot of
fat left in the "tray" (from the outer layer of beef, which cooked
fine). That's bad because the beef was cooking it its own fat, plus
getting rid of the fat wasn't that easy (I drained it into a coffee
can, but that doesn't get all of it).
I've tried using lower-fat beef, but it tastes different, and it
just reduces the problem and doesn't cure it.

I'm willing to buy ground beef in a different (non-tubular) form, but
wasn't sure it would help.

Thoughts?

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who helped. I think sarge_smith's idea of
using aluminum foil (homemade or a pie pan) to raise the beef and let
the fat drip into a broiling pan (which I don't have to clean, since
the fat is disposable) is what I'll try. Some random notes:

I store beef in the freezer, so skewering or crumbling it wouldn't
work unless I thawed it first, which would take time.
I normally cook 45-50 minutes at 450F. This works fine for beef on
flat aluminum foil, but if I make an aluminum tray or pouch, 45-50
minutes doesn't seem to be enough.
Having said that, I haven't tried the tray/pouch trick w/ my new
oven. The old oven was 30+ years old and eventually broke down, so
maybe foil pouch cooking will work w/ the new one.

You can try going with the classic Boy Scout "hobo" stew.  Put your beef, some sliced potatoes, carrots, celery into a foil that you then fold up completely to make a "poche" or pocket.  In this case the potatoes will absorb some of the grease...you'll still have the flavor.  But you are still going to have a lot of fat, such is the nature of 80/20 beef.

And, of course you could just broil burgers.

You might want to modify your question to state why you want to avoid using any containers.  If it is just a cleaning issue, you can line anything with foil and make clean up easy without having to go to so much trouble to come up with something.


Fresh blueberries vs dried blueberries in a cookie recipe Can fresh blueberries be used instead of dried blueberries for baking cookies? This is for a cookie recipe that calls for 1/2 cup dried blueberries.

No, that's not going to work. The fresh blueberries are mostly water, and all that water will definitely be enough to throw off the cookies. Other options:

use a different kind of dried fruit
dry the berries yourself, probably more work than you want (see this question)
turn them into thumbprint cookies, and use blueberry jam (if that works with your recipe)


What happened to my steak? I have trouble cooking a steak 'medium', and to be honest, cooking it at all.

These were my steps:

Bought a steak (hip) that was about 1cm to 1.5cm in height. I let it reach room temperature (1 to 2 hours outside the fridge) and dried it.
heated a metal pan and added some oil when it was already quite hot
put in the meat. It was 'glued' to the pan slightly (not hot enough?) but that was only a minor problem
fried from both sides on high heat for about 1 minute until sides had a light brown (see picture)
reduced heat and kept cooking

However, after about 10 minutes, the outside color had not changed much, and the inside was still raw after cutting it in two pieces to have a look.

The picture shows that, clearly, something is totally wrong here. In addition, the steak doubled in height while cooking (Is that a sign of cheap meat with too much water?).

What mistakes did I make so that it went as it did?

After quite some cooking time:

There are many variables here that may or may not caused OP's problem.

The Pan sounds as it might not have been hot enough.  How hot was quite hot, how long could you hover your hand above the pan?
Did you notice any change to the oil once you added it to the pan, did it streak, did it start to smoke?
[Personally I tend to oil the meat before placing into the pan.]

I think the main flaw is the frying for a minute on each side, at the temperature you had, that cooking time was too low.  Maybe 2-4 minutes on each side.  A medium should have a lot more heat penetrate the edges and allow that heat to transfer and cook the steak off the heat.

That's an acceptable blue/rare steak though.


Why should I roll the meat in flour for a ragout Most recipes for ragout call for rolling the meat in flour before adding, including one recipe whre you don't sear the meat but add it with the vegetables and everything else once the onions are done. What is the function of the flour, especially in the latter case?

Flour is a thickening agent, plain and simple. However adding it without cooking it first can lead to your dish having a raw flour taste, and you can get blobs of flour in it, so I would ignore the recipes which say coat with flour without cooking it first, or use cornstarch (cornflour) instead.

Alternatively you can make a roux with flour in a separate pan and add it in later. This is simply mixing equal weights of flour and butter and cooking it in a frying pan until it has the color you want. A lighter roux will add a paler color and a milder flavor, a darker roux adds a deeper color and richer flavor.


How fine is "Fine Mesh" for removing lumps from custards? Many recipes for custards and similar deserts like lemon curd suggest passing the completed custard through a "fine mesh strainer" to remove lumps. When looking up strainers and sifters I see a wide range of different mesh densities often characterized with a "mesh number" such as "60 Mesh" with higher numbers being smaller holes.

What would be an appropriate mesh number for a "fine mesh" strainer to smooth out custards?

At the moment I only have tea strainers and two different sized bowl shaped strainers with what I would consider "normal" density meshes.

From this website:

  What does mesh size mean?
  Figuring out mesh sizes is simple.  All you do is count the number of openings in a one US inch of screen.  The number of openings is the mesh size.  So a 4-mesh screen means there are four little squares across one linear inch of screen.  A 100-mesh screen has 100 openings, and so on.  As the number describing the mesh size increases, the size of the particles decreases.  Higher numbers equal finer material.  Mesh size is not a precise measurement of particle size.

For custards and other desserts where you're making sure you don't have lumps, the lumps are most often pieces of egg that have scrambled because of the heat.  A 60 mesh strainer has 0.0098 inch sqaures that material can get through, which I believe would be plently to catch any bits of egg.


How do I fix grainy and chewy caramel corn? I made caramel corn and it came out grainy & chewy. How do I fix it?

Splitting your problem down to the two issues.  Though they could be entirely related

1: Grainy
2: Chewy

Let's deal with the first - grainy.  How are you melting your sugar (I am assuming you are using brown), are you adding corn syrup?  Perhaps you have some granules of sugar that are 'un-melted'.  It could be that your corn syrup (if used) is reacting in some way.

Now to the second - chewy.  Try heating your sugar syrup for a little longer.

I hope that this helps.  Below is a great recipe which might help.

Classic Caramel Corn


What would be a good substitute for rice wine? I like to prepare various Asian dishes and one of the important ingredients I use is rice wine; unfortunately, it's become difficult to obtain lately, and sherry, which is sometimes used, never was a beverage available in my country.

So, what else could I substitute for rice wine?

If you can get it, sherry is usually a good bet but since you can't, I've used just regular white wine before as a substitute when you're cooking a dish but you just need to be a little less liberal as you might be with rice wine as I find the flavour tends to be a little stronger.

Another alternative is Sake, but I'm assuming that if you can't get rice wine, you'll struggle to find Sake.


How can I cook dried noodles with just hot water? I'm looking for any tips for making a meal with dried noodles without needing to actively cook them.

My problem is that the kitchen in my office has nothing, not even a microwave. It just has a hot water dispenser (not sure of the exact temperature, standard models generally dispense it at 94ºc so I would assume this one is the same).

I'm fine with salads and sandwiches, but sometimes I want something hot. A particular favorite is noodles, but whenever I have instant noodles I get terrible indigestion, probably because of all the terrible things that are in the flavor sachet (I actively avoid reading the ingredients for my own sanity).

I want to make my own similar thing adding my own spices/ ingredients, and also preferably vegetables, but it seems unreasonably expensive to buy lots of individual packets of instant noodles, and get rid of the flavor sachets to make my own.

I've tried searching on the internet, but all of the things I've found are cooking it inside a kettle (which isn't an option), or using a microwave (also not an option).

So are there any tips/ advice for cooking noodles (like dried egg noodles) simply with hot water?

More specifically, optimum noodle weight:water volume ratio, and amount of time they are left in the water before ready to eat.

If there are any other type of noodles that can be used for this specifically, egg noodles aren't required. I also don't mind if it ends up more like a soup, but I would rather there be as little liquid remaining as possible.

Par-boiling the noodles at home would allow you to finish cooking them with just hot water.

I would boil your chosen noodles 2 minutes under the package recommended time. Then rinse and chill the noodles and toss with a bit of oil and chill it. Take this to work in an insulated bag with an ice pack.

A "saucy" noodle dish would be simpler to prepare at the office. Put both the noodles and veg in a heat proof container with your own seasonings and additions of choice, add hot water, let stand for 2-3 minutes and you'll have a whole meal in one bowl.

Serious Eats has a whole "food lab" series about it, including several suggested "DIY Instant Noodle" recipes:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/diy-instant-noodle-cups-food-lab.html

However if you want "dry" noodles you could also pour on hot water to your par-cooked noodles, let stand for 2-3 minutes, then drain the noodles, and continue with your preparations. I'm thinking a plate over a pyrex bowl could serve as a simple colander.

The draw-back of this technique is that you have less direct heat exchange into your seasonings and veg. If you're just hoping to melt some butter and a sprinkle of parsley, that would be fine on the hot noodles. If you're hoping to heat up a heavy tomato and meat sauce, it probably wouldn't work.

I also really enjoy cold soba noodles, if you're just looking for a change from salads!


Brined chicken - too salty I brined chicken breasts overnight.  When I grilled them they were too salty to eat.  Any suggestions for the ones I brined and froze?

When you go to cook them, defrost them by the cold, moving water method, unwrapped. Give them at least a half hour or so soaking in clear, cold water. That should take care of it.


How much Finger Food to make for a 'crowd' I am helping a friend plan and prepare 'finger foods' for a post-funeral gathering of about 50-75 people. Right now we are thinking in terms of a meat & cheese tray with breads and crackers, a 'typical' veggie tray with ranch, etc., little smokies...

What I would like to ask is "how much" should we make?

Any great suggestions for what to include beyond the basics will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all who contribute.

  ps.. I tried a lot of things for tags, finger-foods, quantity,
  snack-foods, snacks that don't
  currently exist. If anybody has a
  suggestion the right 'tags' for this
  question I will appreciate the input.

This is the rule we use for kids parties in Brazil, where pretty much all that is eaten is finger food (besides the birthday cake), you can use it as a starting point for other regions as well (since portions are typically larger in the US I'd increase it a little):

6-8 snacks (savory) items per adult, 4-6 per child
4-6 sweet items per adult, ~4 per child (who will eat most of the cake)
Lots of drinks (soda, juice, alcohol for adults), which I don't remember the amount

A savory item is roughly the size of a 1" / 2.5cm diameter ball, while the sweet ones are a little smaller (1/2" / 1cm diameter).

With those quantities nobody ends up completely stuffed, and there isn't much leftover either. For kinds of food which I can reuse later I tend to get a little more than the "recommended" amounts, since I'm able to use the leftovers the following day.


What is the optimal temperature for making coffee, specifically in an AeroPress? I use an Aerobie AeroPress to make lattes. The instructions recommend a water temperature of 175° F to be used in making the concentrated coffee. Since I am making a latte I also heat milk and froth it. The instructions do not specify a temperature for the milk so I assumed 175° F as well. 175° F I have found is too hot for the end product. When I put it in my coffee mug for the day, it is too hot to drink for about 1.5hours after creation.

Can I lower the temperature of the water or should I lower the temperature of the milk or neither to still get good taste and end product?

When making espresso with a machine, normally the ideal temp is around 200F. So I would most definitely not use cooler water.

175F is very hot for steaming milk--for me that would be way over-steamed and scalded. Most of the resources I've found say to steam to 150-160F.

I've actually found that even when the thermometer says 150F, it's over-cooked for my tastes. What I do now is go by feel. I steam in a stainless pitcher and keep my fingertips on the sides. When it's too hot for me to hold for more than a second or so, I stop.


What is the purpose of waffle irons that flip? I saw some local shops selling waffle irons that have a complicated gimbal mechanism (such as the Bella Rotating Waffle Maker listed here). What is the purpose of begin able to turn the waffle within this device? Does this have any advantage over a regular waffle iron that just has a top lid that opens?

Some waffle irons flip to evenly spread the batter. This is important in commercial applications where the visual presentation of the product is crucial and can save on batter - you can use less batter to get a thick, complete waffle.

The waffle iron presses rely on the expansion of the batter to create a complete waffle. Sometimes in order to get a full, thick waffle, you have to use a little more batter, which often ends up spilling over to the side. It's a trade-off - if you don't want spills, use less batter with the potential for a slightly incomplete waffle.'

From eBay's Waffle Maker Buying Guide - "This ensures even cooking, and it ensures that batter is evenly distributed. There's less risk of ending up with a waffle that has holes."


Seasoning Cast Iron Pan but without Using Bacon or Lard I just purchaced a new cast iron pan, it is my first. I was wondering if there is a way to seaon it but without using bacon (I do not eat bacon for the same reasons Jules, in Pulp Fiction, does not eat bacon, but that's beyond the point).

All seasoning instructoins I found on the net, are about using bacon, or lard, or a similar product. What can I season it with?

Thanks.

Iron cook ware is a great choice. Although it will take a little more effort to keep them in good condition. No need to use plastic tools like you would on Teflon coated pans.

To season, I would use an oil which is not easily damaged by heating.  Vegetable oils have the highest smoke points and may be your best choice. If the pan appears to have a coating from the factory, try to remove this. Water, soap and elbow grease should do it. Do not use the dish washer as these soaps can be slightly caustic. Then dry completely in a moderately hot oven. Remove when fully dry and with a paper towel rub on a very thin coating of oil on the inside surfaces. Return to the oven and raise the heat somewhat, but not enough to smoke the oil. Naturally, you should wear oven mitts for the hot pan. Once the oil appears to have adhered to the pan and seems "dry", repeat the process a couple times and you should have a good coating as starting point.  The entire first seasoning may take a few hours.

I do not recommend using soap of any kind as this can ruin the seasoning you are trying to achieve.

In time your iron skillets and pots will become "black iron" and not only will is have non-stick character but because they are iron they will heat evenly on either electric or gas stoves.


is it necessary to add sugar while making probiotic(fermenting) apple In many recipe I have seen adding sugar to water with starter and no salt. Then how does the undesirable bacteria are kept in check?

Thank you.

Undesirable microbes are typically kept in check via sanitization of the equipment and the environment; sanitizers are distinct from cleaners (soap, washing soda) in that they kill microorganisms. You can either purchase sanitizers (e.g. Campden tablets, Star San etc), or roll your own antiseptic solution:

  "dilute 2 teaspoons of potassium or sodium metabisulfite and 2 teaspoons of malic, citric, or tartaric acid in 1 quart of water" — Claude Jolicoeur. "The New Cider Maker's Handbook"

(Disclaimer: I don't use any sanitizers in my mead production and only clean the glass jars and other equipment. This may result in a wilder range of flavors, though.)


Black layer in an onion I just sliced an onion and found that there is a large section of one of the layers that's black. What is the black substance? Is it safe to eat? If not, is the rest of the onion safe to eat?

The onion in question:

This is either mold or bacteria-caused rot. Don't eat it - the microorganisms which feed on raw plants are rarely pathogenic for humans, but will frequently create toxic metabolic byproducts. I would throw out the whole onion, molds can be toxic in very low doses, just from contamination between layers.


How to cook perfect meringue in a gas oven? The lowest temperature my gas oven goes to is 130C. I have yet to find a gas oven that goes lower than that, which is weird. Is that the case with everyone? I know meringue does better with lower temperatures like 90C, so I was wondering: can one make perfect meringues at 130C, if yes how? Would a fan be of any use?

I usually go with residual heat.
But I use Pavlova meringue recipe (with teaspoon of potato flour) which call for baking for 30 minutes in 120 degrees (I adjusted time to around 18 minutes to compensate for the 130 temp).
Then I open it a little for around 2 minutes to lower the temp and keep closed for another 2 hours.
When I was making typical meringue I just put a tray in the oven when the temp dropped to around 100 degrees on gauge (old type gas oven with gauge in the middle of the glass) and just let it sit there for 5-6 hours.


Is it better to refrigerate cooked chicken Is precooked chicken bought from the store better refrigerated or put in the freezer? which makes it fresher and tastier or does that only apply to raw meat?

Freezing will damage the texture, making it a bit wooly. It would be better refrigerated. It will taste better, too,  if allowed to come to room temperature before serving.


Is custard powder(powder mix) is same as pudding mix powder? I observe Custard powder and pudding mix is same just combine it with milk, cook to thicken, and you have custard or pudding.Can they use as a replacement of one another?

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Depends on what the manufacturer put inside.

The term "pudding" is somewhat broadly defined. It can include eggs, or starch, or both, or even be applied to kinds of dessert which are not made from thickened milk. "Custard" is somewhat more specific, I would insist that a custard is always egg thickened, and that the most typical custard is yolk thickened - but it can include starch sometimes.

Manufacturers of powders who write "pudding" will almost always use starch (although sometimes they use modified starch, which ends up tasting differently than homemade pudding), and sometimes also powdered egg. Manufacturers of powders with the label "custard" might use pure egg powder, or a combination of a starch and egg, but they could also just decide to label it "custard" even if it doesn't include egg.

So, I would expect that they are in principle different, because a "pudding" sachet is very likely to contain starch and no egg, and a "custard" sachet is very likely to contain an egg, and no starch, or little starch. But due to inconsistent labelling, if you just grab a package of each from a random brand, you can end up with the opposite case, or with two packages containing the same thickener.


Adding mashed potatoes for moister/softer cinnamon rolls Is it true that adding mashed potatoes as an ingredient makes cinnamon sweet rolls moister and/or softer?

If so, can we simply add a healthy dollop to any yeasted cinnamon roll recipe? Is there any other trick to this?

Could yams or sweet potatoes be added instead, for more flavor, with the same benefit of being moister/softer?

Both kinds of potatoes you mention should work as a replacement to a portion of the flour required by the recipe you'd like to follow. I think replacing ~30% of the mass of flour with that mass of your choice of potato is a great start.

The sweet potato might be a better choice because of the added sweetness you'll get. You don't want to go far above 30% if you do that because it will start to dominate the flavor of the roll.

As for softness, it does seem like the end result will be a bit softer although I can't say I've tried it before. You could even consider using some high quality ricotta cheese instead of potato. If using ricotta, I'd limit to ~20% replacement for the flour as this is less starchy than the potatoes. This will help to soften the roll as well.


Are residues from seasoning coating harmful when using carbon steel pan? I seasoned this carbon steel pan a few months ago, but after several times I cooked, the seasoning coating started to flake. I wonder are the residues harmful? Can I remain the way it is or should I scrub off all of them and re-season again? Thank you so much!

Just a note that if you use flax seed oil to season, it is notorious for flaking later. Also you may be seasoning with too much fat/oil when you heat it to create the polymerized surface.

The way to season carbon steel, woks, and cast iron is to wipe oil in the pan then wipe it out so that you can barely see a sheen of remaining oil. THEN heat it to the smoke point and let it fully dry and repeat, repeat, repeat! Again, when you first put in the oil/fat, you MUST wipe it out. That will allow for the polymerization to work as intended and not leave a surplus, sticky, or exessive quantity that doesn't complete polymerization with the pan in full.

Bon appetit!


What is the best way to make Kopi Luwak coffee? I received a bag as a gift and want to take the proper measures to brewing the best cup of coffee possible.

I found someone posted out some suggestions here. http://www.realkopiluwak.com/perfect-cup/

I had it once before as espresso and it's a very smooth coffee. I reckon it isn't too hard to make a good one, but I reckon using siphon may be a good idea. It's best to get its natural flavor out.


Did I just almost start an oil fire? I wanted to make some burned onion rings, so I chopped up some onions and let it cook in oil on the stove. Heating the oil was taking a long time so I decided to leave the oven alone for a bit.

I came back after hearing the oil making crackling sounds and I immediately turned off the heat. When I lifted the lid slightly to assess what had happened, the oil suddenly started crackling again violently.

Did I just almost start a fire? As I understand, there can be no fire without oxygen, and by lifting the metal lid I introduced oxygen. Also my entire house smells like smoke.

When you lift the lid on something that's been fryed in hot oil while the oil's still hot, any water that's cooked out of the oil and condensed on the lid has a chance to fall back into the oil. That can cause violent spattering. Usually being gentle in lifting is enough to prevent the problem.


Can I rescue an old cake mix? I have some ~year out of date dry cake mix in a sealed bag.
According to Does it Go Bad it's still good to use, but it wont' rise the same.

The dry mix usually contains baking powder or some other leavening agents, and these gradually lose potency. So while an ancient one might be perfectly safe to use, the cake will most likely turn out flat.

Emphasis mine.
Would adding extra raising agents help? What can I do to 'rescue' it?

How something has been stored is almost as important as how long it's been stored.  If the packaging is intact, and it was stored in a cool, dark place, odds are that it will still rise just fine.
If you want to take some extra precautions to ensure a rise, there are two simple things that you can do:

Add a little extra baking powder (not baking soda) to the mix.  Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 tsp, as it's not really all that old.
Add extra air.  If it's a cake mix that calls for eggs, separate the eggs, whip the egg whites (in a clean, non-plastic bowl), and then fold that into everything else (that's already been mixed together).

You do risk ending up with a cake that might be a bit too light -- more chiffon / souffle like, rather than the standard texture.
You can also use the cake mix as an ingredient in other dishes.  Besides the various 'dump cake' recipes out there, as it's mostly sugar and flour, you can add oatmeal and butter to it to make a streusel topping.
It's also worth noting that a 'flat cake' generally isn't that bad.  Forgetting to add leavening to a chocolate cake was supposedly the origins of the brownie.  Even the worst cake can be used as layers in a trifle, be dried and crumbled over ice cream or a parfait, or used to make a bread pudding (but avoid sugar in the custard so it's not overly sweet)


Why are cheese curds squeaky? What causes the squeakiness, and why does it disappear so quickly? Why does microwaving bring back a bit of squeak?

This article says it's not air and water: the squeakiness is caused by rubbing against the network of protein strands in the curds, and the squeakiness fades over time because the protein network deteriorates.

With respect to microwaving, it says:

  The reason microwaving helps reinvigorate some of the squeakiness is that the heat starts to alter the amount of moisture trapped inside the curds and creates another bout of hydrolysis, dropping more negatively charged hydrogen ions from casein proteins while they bind to the internal heating water.

I'm inclined to believe this because it explains why cheese curds are different from, say, cheese, and it's a more detailed explanation consistent with the article cited in Laura's answer (saying the protein networks are more elastic when fresh), which also explains the effect of the microwave!


How do I keep brisket moist overnight? I will be smoking a brisket on Christmas Eve for 6 to 8 hours, and then completing the cooking of in the oven on Christmas day. I want to keep it moist, avoiding the risk of congealing from overnight refrigeration (releasing liquid then not reabsorbing it).

A friend of mine who is a gourmet cook recommended that it simply be doubled wrapped in foil and left at room temperature overnight, instead of refrigerating. While it would sure solve the problem of keeping the brisket moist, I have concerns about the safety in doing this.

Would that be safe? If not, how can I keep the brisket how I want it?

Smoking a brisket until it hits around 160F and then finishing it in the oven is a common way to cook brisket. Meat doesn't benefit much from further smoking after it hits 160F or so, and the oven is much less finicky than a grill or meat smoker. For reference, here is a good description of smoking brisket in a charcoal smoker and then finishing in the oven.

When it's time to take the meat out of the smoker, normal practice is to wrap it thoroughly in foil and then move it to the oven right away. Once the meat hits the final temperature (205F or so), you can hold it for hours before serving it, as long as you keep it warm. So, what you want to do is to stretch out the oven portion of the process so that you can go to sleep.

I'd do something like this:

Smoke the brisket to an internal temperature of 160F or so.
Wrap it thoroughly in heavy-duty foil. You want to prevent any liquid from being able to leak out.
Transfer the roast to an oven set to 225F or even 210F-215F if the oven will go that low.
Go to sleep.

With the oven set so low, the meat will take a long time to reach its final temperature. This is a good thing because brisket benefits from being cooked low & slow. And in the worst case, the meat won't be able to get any hotter than the oven temperature.

The next morning, you can check the meat temperature and make any final adjustments. If the meat isn't cooking fast enough, you can turn up the oven. Once the meat reaches temperature, you have a couple of options:

Remove the roast from the oven, and (leaving it in foil) wrap it in towels and put it into a small insulated cooler. It will lose very little heat this way, and it'll have even more time for collagen to melt.
Turn the oven down to its "keep warm setting" (hopefully 170F-180F) and hold the meat that way.

However you keep it warm, pull it out at some point to let the meat get proper resting period. When you finally open that foil, you'll probably find the meat is resting in a pool of wonderful smokey beefy smelling liquid. You can pour that back over the sliced meat, or incorporate it into a finishing sauce of some kind.


Preserving sweetness during baking without sugar noob here (both to this site and to cooking in general!).  For health reasons I can't really do sugar, and the low-carb thing has saved my life (literally).  I am trying to do more low-carb baking at home.  The topic of non-sugar sweeteners have been discussed at length (pros/cons, how to substitute, etc).  I have used stevia at low temperatures to great success (making home-made drinks, chocolates, gummies, etc).

However, when I try baking with stevia, monk fruit, and/or erithyrol, the batter/dough tastes very sweet, but after baking I cannot taste the sweetness at all.

It's important to note that, unlike other questions, I already (a) can taste the sweetness in these alternative sweeteners (no genetic issue, and I'm okay with aftertastes), (b) have used and enjoyed these sweeteners at low-temperatures, and (c) the sweetness seems to disappear during baking regardless of the sweetener used.

I have already tried:

changing the sweetener and mixed sweeteners together (swapping stevia for monk-fruit, mixing them together, etc).  Stevia, for example, claims to be heat-stable, and others have claimed success when baking with stevia.
changed recipies (cookies, cakes, breads, brownies, etc) and quantities (more sweetener, less; more baking soda/powder, less, etc)
changing temperature and cook time

Given (a) that sweeteners like stevia claim to be heat-stable, (b)others seem to have success when baking with them, and (c) I've used these sweeteners with success at low-temps, what could be causing the loss of sweetness during the baking process?  Are there any known interactions with, say, vinegar or baking powder that would change the sweeteners during cook-time?

I hate answering my own question, but after a month I did (finally) find a pseudo-answer      that works for Stevia.  I've not yet tried it for any other sweeteners.

Melt into fat and freeze it

For example, the recipe I use for cookies needs four (4) tablespoons of melted butter.  I started by melting two tablespoons in butter (well, 1TB butter and 1TB cocoa butter but semantics aside...), and mixed half a tablespoon of stevia into the melted butter.

Then I poured the Stevia-butter mix into molds and froze until it was solid.

I proceeded with the rest of the recipe as normal, but after everything was mixed, I took the frozen Stevia-butter, chopped it into very tiny shavings/pieces, and mixed it into the batter.

Poured the cookies on the tray, and baked in the oven.  Result: nice, sweet, almost zero carb (~0.05g) cookies!!!

My working theory

I'm not confident in my theory, but I think the fats - especially saturated fats - will protect the Stevia early during the baking process. Couple that with Newton's law of cooling (ie, although the batter is at room temperature the sweetener is at sub-freezing temps, and will therefore take longer to heat up than the rest of the batter).  While the batter cooks as normal, the fats will melt into the batter, revealing and mixing the sweetener with it.  This minimizes the time the sweetener is exposed to the full-force heat of the oven, which prevents it from degrading under heat.

This may not be the best process for fluffy or flaky goods like breads, but for dense, sweet goods like cookies, muffins, brownies, etc, it works well.

Yet again, that's just a working theory....


Why did my rum cake turn black? A friend baked a rum cake for me.  She baked it in an aluminum pan.  The cake was soaking in rum.  Overnight the cake turned BLACK.  I suspect this is a chemical reaction, but cannot find information to back my theory. Surely, this may not be safe to eat.  Anybody?

My gifted cake....well....it's a bit scarier......

This is an interesting question. Personally I would throw it out, the discoloration and resulting taste are the result of a chemical reaction with the pan.

The brownish discoloration is a sign that the Aluminium (Al, the chemical symbol for the element from here on), is being attacked by a chemical reaction. This is most likely by an acid, though salts can also cause this to happen. In both cases what is happening is that the Al is being converted into the cation Al3+. Al3+ is bio-available and considered to be the main source of Al toxicity in humans. Acute Al toxicity results in non-specific symptoms, like confusion, muscle weakness, and bone pain, however normal exposure is not considered harmful. Not a lot of long-term data has been produced, but there are potential links to things like Alzheimer's disease, and breast cancer.

The European Food Safety Authority has a limit of 1 mg/kg of body weight/week for intake from foods. This paper suggests in passing that some people are often at or beyond the EFSA limit, but this might not result in any problems, also mentioned in that paper is that the WHO has a provisional limit of 2 mg/kg/week.

Now, as to how much of the Al has dissolved into your cake, and how much you are ingesting if you ate the whole cake is impossible to estimate without measuring the Al content of the cake and syrup. Generally you will be able to taste the metallic taste of Al and other metals when they dissolve to this sort of level, though in this case, the already strong taste of rum might well overpower the metallic taste.


What can I use as an alternative sweetener for smoothies? I make fruit smoothies often, and started off adding sugar. I'm looking for a more "natural" sweetener though. I know I can use honey, but it adds a distinct taste that I'd like to avoid. I've tried using dates as well, and it's a workable alternative, but also changes the taste slightly (and makes the smoothie "stickier"). What are other natural sweeteners to try, preferably that don't make a big difference to taste?

You could try agave nectar -- but I'm not sure if it will be that much of an improvement over honey. A tiny pinch of salt might also help make the smoothie taste sweeter.

Usually though, if I want my smoothies to be sweeter I just add more juice or fruit (e.g. ripe berries, peaches etc).


Putting "precooked corn on the cob" on the barbeque? I bought 4 corn on the cob today, plasticwrapped, no husk left, cleaned and everything.

These have a sticker saying "precooked".

Should I assume that I can just place them directly on the barbeque, or should I still put them in water a while before?

Putting corn in water only makes sense if it is still in the husk, as that will keep the husks from burning. Soaking precooked de-husked corn would make no difference to you. You can barbecue it, but as it is precooked I'd keep the cooking time down to a couple of minutes, just long enough to heat it up and get a bit of color on it. Any more and it may be overcooked.


Is Himalayan pink salt the same as the pink salt used for curing? I'm interested in curing meat, and most recipes require pink salt (which contains nitrites to help cure the meat). Is Himalayan pink salt the same thing?

No, these are completely different products.

As you indicate, so called "pink salt" is a mixture of sodium chloride (regular salt) and sodium nitrate (or sodium nitrite) for curing meats, tinted pink to distinguish it from regular table salt.  it allows relatively accurate small batch curing, as in home sausage making.

Himalayan pink salt is a naturally mined rock salt, whose impurities can tint it a variety of colors, including pinkish, from iron oxide.

Hawaiian pink salt is another naturally harvested salt whose red clay impurities tint it a pink color.


Can I add more cream to my thick and ready ganache? The answer to this question might also answer this question.
I made ganache and it's ready, but to thick to work with (I probably messed up the chocolate-cream ratio). Can I add more cream to it if it's already ready? If yes, can the cream be warmed up before mixing it in?

Yes, you can try adding more cream in without hurting anything. However, when cooled it may not mix in very effectively, depending on how thick it already is. If you have trouble you just need to heat it up a bit and it will mix in no problem.
Of course, heating may be a better option than adding cream in making it more workable. If you add cream it will be easier to work with when cold but runnier, if you shape it when warm and it cools it stays where you put it better.


can you saute lentils with butter (masoor dal) After cooking masoor dal in pressure cooker, I used to saute it with ghee but since I don't have ghee and it's midnight, can I saute it with butter? will it taste bad?

You should be able to do it, just be careful not using too high a temperature so not to burn the butter.


How can I stop my cheese seizing? Quite a few recipes require tossing cheese with some hot ingredient until it melts (like pasta), or melting cheese into something (sauce, soup, etc.).  Usually this works fine, but sometimes the cheese "seizes", where it balls up into hard, rubbery curds, and won't melt or break down for anything.  Further cooking only makes the cheese curds firmer.

I've had this happen both with commercial cheeses and with my own homemade cheeses.

Does anyone know what causes this?  Ingredient or process in making the cheese?  Type or degree of heat?  Something else?  I've already ruled out other ingredients in the dish, since I've had this happen with identical recipes, except the brand of cheese was different.

This is a combination of the type of cheese and too much heat. Some cheeses melt more readily (mozzarella for example), but all of them will seize up if they are heated too much too fast - the proteins 'curl up' and separate from the fat and water in the cheese.

To combat this, you should chop or grate the cheese up to speed up melting, and lower the heat a little before adding it. You should also avoid using cheese straight from the fridge.


Elements of a chilli sauce first post here on Seasoned Advice and I'm just after a wee bit of insight in to the elements of a chilli sauce.

I've been looking in to making chilli sauces at home, but am yet to give it a go - I'm a huge fan of chilli sauces and would really love to nail the flavours I like in a sauce of my own.

I've checked out countless recipes in search of the key elements of a chilli sauce and then stumbled upon this article that stated the 4 key ingredients were fresh chillies, acid, aromatics (carrots, onions, etc.), and salt.

My Questions

1) If these are the core ingredients, what role do they play in creating the sauce? (Chillies are obvious, but the acid and salt I'm curious about)

2) Are there any other core ingredients that go towards making a good sauce?

Acid and Salt are preservatives. A bag of fresh chillies will rot within a month even in the fridge, a proper chilli sauce won't.

Also acid and salt are part of the common taste profile of most savoury dishes anyway, and if the sauce is used as an actual sauce e.g. on protein, these are welcome seasonings too.

Some famous types are rather close to the basic recipe: Sambal Oelek, Sriraja Panich etc.


Aiding the Maillard reaction: Baking Powder or Baking Soda? I will attempt to cook a Thai Green Chicken Curry. I'll be using cubed boneless chicken thigh which I would like to brown really well. I remember reading somewhere that Baking Powder or Baking Soda could be used to aid the Maillard reaction by making the surface ph of the chicken more alkaline. However I also remember that one of the two gave the chicken a bad taste, I don't remember where I read this. What would you guys suggest? Baking Powder or Baking Soda? What else could I do to get better browning on the cubed chicken and thus introduce more flavour into the curry?

You want to use baking soda. Baking powder is used as a leavening agent and does this by combining an acid and a base, so it would not make your chicken more alkaline. Baking soda, on the other hand is just sodium bicarbonate and will make your chicken more alkaline.

However, baking soda, especially if used in excessive amounts, will give your chicken a bad taste. Baking soda tastes bitter, and cooking it for too long at high heat exacerbates that.

From reading online, it seems that adding baking soda will indeed make your chicken look much browner (the same way that pretzels are dipped in lye to produce their brown colour), but it would affect the texture/taste of your chicken.

If you want to add more flavour, I would think that properly browning the chicken (using high heat, having patience) would be more effective than adding baking soda, which might give the appearance, but not the taste.


What is Biltong and how to make it? What is biltong, how is it made, and is there a significant risk of contracting food poisoning from it

It is basically salted meat, most often beef. The process is similar to how prosciutto is made, although traditionally biltong does not use nitrates. Steaks from the silverside portion is first salted to remove most of the moisture in the meat. A small vinegar bath is then used to remove the salt and pickle the steaks slightly.

Then the meat is then doused in a very specific type of biltong spice and left overnight in the fridge. The morning after the meat is hanged on hooks for two to six weeks to dry. Typically this is done in winter time when the northen parts of South Africa have dry winters with low humidity (perfect for curing meat). Health wise it is not more or less healthy than any other red meat, it is lean meat for the most part though.


Why do some powders clump in hot water? Why do some powders like flour or matcha green tea causes lumps in hot water while other powders like sugar or cocoa or wheat grass (triticum aestivum) readily dissolve? Wheat grass powder is green and easily dissolves in cold water.

Cocoa: http://imgur.com/ncmN1ki.jpg

Water is a great solvent for polar molecules. Sugar, table salt, and other small polar molecules are water soluble. When you put them into water, you get a sugar resp. salt solution.

Other molecules are not soluble in water. Most organic molecules with a carbohydrate tail are insoluble (unless they have a strongly polar active group, like the shorter alcohols). Starch and cellulose are not water soluble. Most plant matter is made mainly from starch and cellulose. (The exception are fruits, which can have more fructose than starch, but still lots of cellulose).

When you put non-soluble powder into water, you are not making a solution. You are making a colloid known as sol (solids dispersed in a liquid). If you wet salt, the water will dissolve the first layer, and the second layer will be exposed. If you wet a random non-soluble powder, the water will have to wash away the first layer before it reaches the second layer, so it is hard to make the suspension without vigorous stirring.

There are some special molecules which absorb water and swell. Starch, some proteins (gelatin) and some polysaccharides (xanthan gum) are common such molecules in the kitchen. When you wet them, the water gets absorbed by the first layer. This changes the viscosity of the layer, making it thick and clingy. This forms a clump. In the core are the dry layers of powder. They are held together by a bubble of the water-swelled substance. Outside of this bubble is the water. It can't wash away the bubble, because it is so viscous, it doesn't flow into the water. And the bubble protects the core of the clump from contact with water. This happens with starchy powders like flour, or also real cocoa powder. Tea powder is mostly dried cellulose, so it is also hard to dissolve.

You mention cocoa as easily solved in water. In fact, cocoa is very hard to dissolve, so I think you are speaking of a cocoa flavored drink. A cocoa flavored drink is a mixture of dextrose, cocoa powder, and other things (but mostly dextrose). In such a mixed powder, the water dissolves the soluble molecules (the dextrose), and the insoluble particles (the cocoa powder) which were suspended in the dextrose are now suspended in the water. No neighbouring cocoa particles to cling to. So, no clumps, but an instantly homogenous drink.


Rye bread: proof until soft I see this instruction when making rye bread: let it proof until soft. How can I tell when it's soft? I keep baking Jewish rye and letting it proof longer and longer and it certainly starts to feel pillowy and smooth (not sticky) but I don't know how long that should go on for. I ask because my bread is splitting down the sides which suggests to me that it's under-proofed. It tastes good and isn't gummy but the loaf is flat(ish) and splits.

I wonder if it's worth mentioning that I'm proofing this loaf in a parchment paper 'couche' supported by kitchen towels. I pick up the paper and set it on a baking sheet that goes into the oven. The paper is typically at least a little stuck to the sides of the loaf when it goes in.

Having your bread split isn't necessarily a sign that your dough is underproofed. Many breads get considerable oven-spring, that is expansion due to the expansion of air and last gasp of yeast from the heat of the oven. If your crust hardens before the oven spring is complete the loaf may split to release the pressure. There's a couple of ways to prevent this:

Slash your bread more deeply before baking. The goal of slashes is not just cosmetic, it allows the bread to expand
Introduce moisture into the oven to keep the crust from hardening too quickly. A pan of water works well for this, you put enough water to last for the first 20 minutes of baking. After 20 minutes the oven spring should be done and you'll want the crust to harden. You can also bake the bread in a closed pot in the oven for the first 20 minutes to trap moisture, then take the lid off for the rest of the baking


Found some spots on dry aged beef, getting slimy. Need advice I just found that there are some part of the dry aged beef under a rack that became slimy. It has been 20 days at 2°C and humidity around 75%. Is it ok to still consume since I have to trim the outer part anyway or Can I wipe out the slimy part for now to slow down the spoilage process as I aim to age at 28 days. Thanks you all in advance

Your conditions were both too warm and too low of a humidity. Ideal for 'dry aging' is 32.5°F to 33.8°F (0.5°C to 1.0°C) at 80%-85% humidity.

  Firstly, temperature control is critical to slow and almost stop the
  rotting process. Beef is received right after slaughter and it must be
  held at a core temperature of around zero degrees (this is done by our
  cool room running between −0.5 and 1 °C). Secondly, airflow is
  critical. Increasing the airflow around the aging room is needed to
  make sure that the fresh beef dries as quickly as possible on the
  surface to stop bacteria and potential mould growth. To achieve this,
  we have a number of ceiling mounted fans to push air in different
  directions around the room (Fig. 2). Thirdly, the use of UV lights is
  crucial to kill any air borne bacteria (Fig. 3). Lastly, the humidity
  is important and it must be between 80% and 85%.

Toss it and start over. (Bonus points for the effort though...not many have the patience to try to dry age their own beef)


How to put the bacon IN the burger? I want to make unique and hopefully really awesome bacon cheeseburgers tonight.

If I had been thinking I would have purchased cuts of meat to grind myself, possibly with the cooked bacon, but what I have is a pound of grocery store ground chuck. I also have a pound of good, but typical American bacon.

I want to make the bacon a part of the burger patty instead of laying strips on top. I'm considering a couple of ways to do it. Obviously one way is just to cook, drain, cool and crumble the bacon and mix it with the beef when I make patties. If I do that, how much bacon can I get into the patty and still keep the patty intact while frying? I'd appreciate any good tips or caveats.

The way I'd LIKE to do it (if it works as I envision), is to par-cook the bacon and press the cut to size and cooled strips onto both sides of the patties before frying. I've learned to handle and press the beef as little as possible to make good burgers, so what could I do to make the bacon "stick"? What I'd like to achieve is the bacon crisping and forming a kind of crust around the medium to medium rare burger.

I plan to cook the burgers in a cast-iron skillet, melting sharp cheddar on top.

EDIT: Joe's answer below got my mind whirring. I'm looking for the bacon cheeseburgers to be "unique and hopefully really awesome", and bacon lends itself to playfulness, so "off the wall" ideas are totally welcome.

Any advice?

I think the options you describe are very manageable. We have two kinds of bacon burgers where I live (apart from the regular piece of bacon loosely on top of a patty):

the bacon is cooked, then crumbled/chopped finely and mixed in with the raw mince meat. You can choose how large you want your bacon chunks to be.
the bacon is raw, and wrapped around a patty. If you wrap it well (with lots of overlap), the bacon stays in place. Be careful, as bacon can shrink a whole lot.
If you want to be extra safe, you can use a toothpick to hold everything in place.


Is it safe to cook wine or vinegar in cast iron? I want to cook a beef brisket, following a recipe that suggests baking it on a bed of onions and red wine, or red wine vinegar.  I'd like to use a cast iron dutch oven, but am concerned about the interaction between the wine and the iron.  I've read tomatoes and iron is not recommended, but what about wine or vinegar?

I'd like to refer you to my answer to the question about chili in cast iron, from which I'll summarize the relevant parts:

Typical cast iron corrodes at a pH lower than 4.3; pure white vinegar (5%) has a pH of 2.4 and wine is around 3.2 to 3.8.  If you plan to use either of these in cast iron, you'd better make sure they are heavily diluted, otherwise you may actually ruin your pot in addition to getting a pretty hefty iron supplement with your meal.
Cast iron is still somewhat reactive at borderline pH ranges, i.e. tomato juice or sauce.  It'll leach out about 5 mg of iron for every 3 oz / 88 mL of liquid for typical cooking times.  The typical human needs to ingest significantly more than 45 mg over a period of several days to become toxic, so it's generally considered OK and even healthy to cook dilute tomato solutions in cast iron, but wine and vinegar are another story.

Don't fill your cast-iron cookware with wine or vinegar.  A splash for sauce or deglazing is OK, but tossing a significant amount straight into the pan undiluted will ruin your cookware, and your health.

P.S. Note that enameled cast iron (Le Creuset, etc.) is less reactive; the specifics depend on the brand.  If you have this type of cast iron, I suggest doing your homework before taking the risk.


How are puffed rice cakes flavoured? I am working on puffed rice cakes, but I can not find how they are flavoured.

Is the oil sprayed on it and seasoning sprinkled after? Or is an oil-seasoning slurry sprayed, or is it something else alltogether?

But if oil is used, it must be in a very low quantity as it comes under health food category. Kindly help me with this.

Senbei (Japanese Rice Crackers) are made with already seasoned rice paste... However the glaze that makes Senbei attractive is added after the crackers are cooked... This may work for your rice cakes. The "glaze" is simply a combination of low salt soy, and honey which is then dried off in a hot oven after the crackers have been baked.

Could you possibly use a similar process to flavor your crackers?


making iced tea with lowest caffeine content I want to make lemon iced tea with lowest caffeine content possible. I understand I should use white tea leaves instead of green or black. Is this true?

Also, should I steep the leaves in boiling water, then refrigerate or should I steep directly in cold water while in refrigerator?

The only way to significantly reduce caffeine content is to use decaffeinated tea or "herbal teas."  I know it's probably not the ideal solution, given the limitations on variety and flavor.

There are various claims about which types of tea have more or less caffeine, but the reality is that there's a huge amount of variation in individual tea varieties and blends.  Caffeine content has to do with how and where the tea leaves are grown, more than the way the tea is processed afterward (and it's the processing that determines whether a tea is black or green or white or whatever).

For example, this study notes, based on 20 different commercial teas:

  Caffeine concentration in white, green, and black teas ranged from 14
  to 61 mg per serving (6 or 8 oz) with no observable trend in caffeine
  concentration due to the variety of tea.

Each sample was brewed for 1, 3, and 5 minute times, so most of the lower numbers resulted from the 1 minute infusions, while the high numbers came from 5 minutes.

Granted, this is a small sample, but you can find other similar studies that come to the same conclusions.  (This study measured caffeine in 4 different ways and found the white tea sample to have the highest caffeine of all.)

I believe the idea that green and white teas have less caffeine comes from the fact that such teas are often brewed at lower water temperatures (steaming rather than a full boil), which will in fact reduce caffeine content somewhat.  But if you brew all the teas at the same temperatures, you'll find little consistent differences among tea types.

Caffeine concentration does become greater with longer brewing times, but if you brew the tea for a shorter time, you're likely need to use more tea leaves to create sufficient flavor, which can negate any reduced caffeine effect from the shorter brew.

A similar thing can happen with temperature.  Yes, caffeine will dissolve more slowly by brewing at a colder temperature (see here for a detailed experiment showing the rates), but so will many other flavor components.  You'll obviously need to steep cold-brewed tea longer, and that longer steep may counteract the fact that caffeine dissolves more slowly.  Whether you can end up with a cold-brewed tea that tastes like what you want with a lower caffeine content will likely depend on your exact process and your exact tea leaves.

In any case, if you're actually trying to reduce your caffeine consumption significantly, I'd have to recommend decaf or herbal teas.  Some tea companies may publish statistics on how much caffeine their "regular" tea contains, but it's hard to say how reliable these are, how consistent they could be from year-to-year, or how they would be impacted by different brewing methods.  And short of having that sort of information on brands, the only way to know whether switching your tea/method has an impact would be a lab test.


How salty is olive brine? I'm looking to incorporate some Kalamata olive brine into olive bread dough to maximize flavor. How much will I have to reduce the other salt in the recipe?

There is no single answer to this. Olives are packed in widely differing brine concentrations, and breads are made with widely different salt concentrations. If you start reading the labels of olives in the supermarket, you will find anything between 1.5 and 7-8% salt.
Luckily, the labels are also your solution here. Just read the label, assume that the olives have reached equilibrium with the brine (this is not too strong an assumption, if you decide to desalt olives at home, you will find that it works within 1-2 days) and calculate from there.


How to reduce the sourness of homemade frozen yogurt? I like to make homemade yogurt and I am experimenting with timing to get my yogurt to be not so sour but still completely set. Yogurt is, by definition, quite acidic since that is what sets the protein in the first place.

Commercial frozen yogurts seem to be much milder than I can achieve at home. I assume this is because they are using thickeners rather than 100% yogurt. Because they aren't as sour you can find frozen yogurts of almost any flavor.

Since my yogurt is so sour I am more limited in what flavors work well with it. A sour chocolate frozen yogurt does not make my tongue happy. I have in the past made a variety of citrus flavors with and without ginger. These are tasty but I'm getting tired of them.

How can I make my frozen yogurt less sour so that more flavors work well with it?

Overly sour yogurt is a sign of inconsistent inoculation

Check the type of culture you are using, and ensure you are keeping the yogurt above 37C for more than six hours. The yogurt should finish as a solid lump that resists pouring, not a thick liquid, or a lumpy paste

Pouring off the whey and straining the yogurt makes it more creamy and taste sweeter

Thickeners are not required, just complete inoculation

For sweet yogurt dishes I mostly use sour berries (blackberry, raspberry etc) so it is expected to be somewhat sour anyway


What nutritional changes occur to vegetables when you roast them? Quite often I can't 'stomach' veggies because I find them rather dull, but if I roast them (huge variety of types used) in oil and a pinch or three of sea salt, I can quite easily eat a very large portion of them.

But how for instance does potassium (veggies are a good source) get affected by roast heat?

How does roast heat affect their glycemix index?

Do any positive effects occur to vegetables' nutrition if exposed to high heat with oil?

After roasting, if I let them go cold in the fridge, does this increase their resistant starch?  (Would it greatly depend on the type of veggie being roasted?)  Thanks a lot for any thoughts.

1. The main nutrients destroyed by heating are vitamins from B complex and vitamin C (possible loss 50-70%). (NutritionData: Nutritional effects of food processing). The extent of this effect depends on the temperature, so roasting in oil can have more negative effect than cooking in water.

2. Minerals, such as potassium, are not destroyed by heating, but they can leak into the cooking water. So, boiled potatoes can have less potassium than roasted.

Boiled potatoes, in skin (1/2 cup, 78 g): 296 mg (USDA.gov)
Baked potatoes, in skin [should be similar to roasted, I couldn't find]: (80 g): 440 mg (USDA.gov)

A side note: sodium partially counteracts the effects of potassium in your body, so if you worry about potassium intake you may also worry about salt intake. (Advances in Nutrition)

3. Oil slows down stomach emptying thus slowing carbohydrate absorption and therefore lowering the glycemic index of a given roasted vegetable. Anyway, this sounds as overthinking to me. From the other viewpoint, roasted foods are heavier for the stomach, so they can increase the discomfort after meals.

4. Heating disinfects foods and makes them more digestible. I'm not aware that roasting in oil would be better in this regard than boiling in water. Roasted potatoes will retain more potassium than the boiled ones, but this alone is not already a "beneficial health effect." On the other hand you may consume more calories than intended vegetables roasted on oil.

5. Cooking, cooling and reheating can increase the amount of resistant starch in the food; this would, obviously, have a significant effect only in starchy vegetables (potatoes, red kidney beans, chickpeas) rather in greens (Nutrients Review). I have not found any reliable information about significant health benefits of resistant starches, anyway.

My conclusion:

I do not consider roasting healthier than cooking in water (boiling): more vitamins destroyed, heavier stomach after meals, greater unnecessary calorie intake from oil.


Sweet = Sugar, Salty = Salt, Sour =? I have thought of a funny concept on what makes things taste like this, taste like that, and it kinda looks like this:

Sweet = Sugar (C6H12O6)
Sour = ?
Salty = Salt (NaCl)
Bitter = ?

What I'm trying to figure out is what is the simplest substance that makes this taste like that. That's why it clearly defines that sugar is the simplest substance that makes things sweet and salt makes things salty. I wonder what substance makes things sour?
What is the substance makes things sour?
BONUS: Figure out what makes things bitter.

Sour flavours come from acids, like citric acid (in lemon juice, for example) or acetic acid (in vinegar). I don't think there's any one acid that qualifies as 'simplest'.
Bitterness is much more complicated; there are lots of different foods (coffee, uncured olives, citrus peel, alcohol, hops quinine) which are bitter to some extent but there isn't an obvious culinary ingredient/chemical that just gives 'bitter' as a taste. Our perception of bitterness is believed to have evolved to signal toxic foods.
It's worth pointing out that your existing examples are an oversimplification: C₆H₁₂O₆ is glucose, which is only one kind of sugar, and there are others which also taste sweet to us (as well as non-sugar sweeteners, some of which taste far sweeter by mass than sugar. There are also other salts, like KCl (potassium chloride). There is much more information in the Wikipedia article if you are interested.