What's the basic technique for long braising of pork? I boiled 1kg chunk of pork 12 hours:

first boiling 45 min
8 h at low heat
45 min boiling
low heat now some hours

I am not sure if this was a good strategy.

I know there's no single "right" way, but what's the rough basic technique here? And what's the maximum time I can reasonably cook it?

Not sure why boiling is involved...  Are you cooking in oven or slow cooker?  You can just put the seasoned meat into the slow cooker and turn it on.  Or if in oven are you cooking at 225F or 100C how long depends on what cut of meat.  If one with lots of fat, like shoulder or ribs, it will hold up to long cooking.  Eight hours isn't too long.  I cook most organ meats like heart and tongue in slow cooker overnight.  Please ask follow up questions and provide more details...


What is the difference in flavor between a fermented pickle and a vinegar pickle? I'm interested in experimenting with pickling, and I'm wondering what the difference in flavor is between a classically fermented pickle and one made using vinegar.  I've search online, but can't find a clear description.  Many people seem to prefer fermented, but no one ever says why.  I know these thing are hard to put into words, but can anyone give it a go?  I guess I wondering if its worth the extra effort to go the fermented route.

I've been fermenting for quite a while (everything from sauerkraut and kimchi to Indian-spiced grated carrots and kohlrabi spears with dill), and my two cents is that the flavor of fermented pickles is vastly (vastly!) superior to that of vinegar pickles. Fermented pickles are indeed fruitier and more complex. When I have the first taste of something I've just fermented for the first time, I'm almost always surprised and pleased to the point of involuntary smiling and "mmm"-ing. It's just pure joy.

Most importantly for me, fermented vegetables taste more like vegetables than those pickled in vinegar. With vinegar pickles, I now find the vinegar totally overpowering, even just when opening the jar. I feel like I'm eating processed food. Fermented vegetables taste closer to fresh.

Another fun thing is that fermented pickles continue to mature with time. I usually keep my ferments at room temperature for one to two weeks, then move them to the fridge. The cold slows the fermentation way, way down, but it doesn't stop it completely. If you make 5 pounds of sauerkraut and consume it slowly over, say, two months, you can bet that your last serving of it will taste quite different from your first. But it's always good.

It is absolutely worth the extra effort to go the fermented route. It's an adventure in deliciousness. Here's a site with some great recipe ideas: http://www.picklemetoo.com/recipes/.


How long should I bake the pizza in a microwave oven? I am making homemade pizza using a store bought pizza base. I know this is a fairly basic problem, but I am new here.

Anyway, I own a Samsung microwave oven which also has a convection mode. Do I simply microwave it, or use the convection mode?

Convection simply moves air around to heat evenly. I don't suggest cooking pizza in a microwave oven at all. If you don't want to use a conventional oven I would suggest trying to cook the pizza on a cast iron skillet instead. The secret to pizza is to cook as hot and quickly as possible, both top and bottom. This is more difficult to achieve in a pan, but if you're using store-bought pizza I would try cooking at a lower temperature with a lid on the pan to create a mini oven. If you have a blowtorch you can cook at a high temp and torch the top. Remember that cast iron heats really unevenly, so in either case leave the pan on the stove for a while to heat to temp evenly before you start the cook.


Stainless vs Enameled Porcelain Grates? I need to replace the grill grates on my Weber Genesis grill, and I see that I can get either enameled porcelain (like I already have) or upgrade to stainless steel.

A few concerns spring to mind when considering the upgrade:

Are there any differences between the two other than appearance?
Does one hold heat better than the other?
What differences are there to the grates' maintenance/upkeep/cleaning/appearance?

Prefer the larger, heavier grill.  It's about thermal capacity and grill marks.  You want the grill itself to be hot so that when the meat touches it, it immediately sears the meat on contact.  The bigger the thermal mass, the better this works.

Regardless of what you get, you're going to need to replace the grates every few years, so bear that cost factor in mind.


Soy milk compared to other bean milks Is there any reason why soy milk is so popular compared to other bean milks? I mean, there really aren't any other bean milks sold in grocery stores unless you make it yourself. For example, why not use garbanzo bean milk or pinto bean milk? Is it simply a matter of tradition or is there a specific reasoning behind it?

Take almond milk for example. The reason why it's popular is simple: it's typically less expensive compared to other nuts, it tastes good, and it's versatile.

But if you look at the price of soy beans compared to other beans, they are about the same price per pound in the grocery store. And soy beans taste pretty much just like any other bean, so it doesn't get any bonus points there.

If there is a unique property of soy that makes it truly distinct from other beans, please share.

Its all about protein.

Protein content (and to a lesser degree, fat) is what will determine the yield when making curd from milk. Obviously it is also important for its nutrition.

Soy has almost double the protein of most other beans. It is around 17% vs 9% for most other varieties.
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/beans-legumes-highest-protein.php

Because of its high protein and oil content and high yield it has become an agricultural staple. Because of this, as saj14saj said, it is very inexpensive at an industrial scale.

For these same reasons it has also been important in Asian diets for centuries. Soy milk also has a tradition behind it that I assume would make it easier to market than other milks.


Fried rice jumps out of the pan On frying cooked, parboiled rice from yesterday, some grains jumps out of the pan every other second, creating a mess. Is there a way to avoid this?

Why not buy a grease or splatter screen to place over the pan?


A stock question for British catering professionals When I was a child in the 1960s, we had a Co-operative restaurant that served the most incredible home-made broth. A few years ago, I visited a cafe, and their home-made soup tasted almost identical. Seizing my chance, I asked the proprietor what the ingredients were, assuming they had used lamb or beef bones as I have not managed to recreate this myself over many years of cooking.

I was surprised when they said "Just stock cubes". They weren't able (or willing to tell me) what brand they were, so I am assuming here that they are some commercial variety available in the the UK for the past 50 years or so. I know they are definitely not Knorr or any major supermarket own brand, so what could they be? The only way I can describe them is a very savoury, almost smokey taste that has an incredible depth of flavour. I have tried all the classic ways of recreating this flavour with homemade stock, bones etc. but have not come anywhere close. Both soups were a similar colour and consistency to Heinz lentil soup, and the childhood version definitely had bits of beef in it as I remember the very fine, well cooked shreds of meat.

Any ideas what this mystery ingredient (or possibly technique) could be?

I buy tubs of Knorr stock powder from restaurant supply stores here in the uk, it's a different product from their cubes, and has a very different flavor, there's also a paste. It may be worth having a look at those. Knorr is the brand I see in the bulk quantities you'd typically see in a restaurant kitchen that you can get retail, other brands are not sold in the stores, like Brakes.

You'll find many ingredients in stock cubes, powders and pastes to pack flavor into a small space. The commercial stuff I use has several flavor enhancers: E621 (Monosodium Glutimate aka MSG), E627 (Disodium guanylate) and E631 (Disodium Iosinate). Some have yeast extract in them. You could experiment with some MSG and Marmite to see if you can re-create that special flavor.


What is a 'parmigiano pearl'? I've read the following dish description in a wedding buffet menu:

  Truffle essence potato soup with parmigiano pearl

I can't seem to find any relevant results using Google Search.

This is a translation from the Italian of perle di parmigiano.  It is a mixture of egg whites and grated parmigiano formed into balls ("pearls") and deep or shallow fried.  Youtube recipes (in Italian) are shallow fried here and deep fried here.


how to mix wine into cream sauce (or cream into a wine sauce) so it doesn't curdle how to combine wine in a cream sauce so it doesn't curdle?

The curdling effect is produced both by alcohol and acidity.

The alcoholic part is solved pre-heating the wine for a while until most alcohol evaporates.

The acidic reaction is a little more difficult to stop: As wine canonically has 3g/l TA (total acidity), a little Potassium Carbonate (KCO3) will neuter the thing. Experiment from 1 to 3g/l depending on your wine. Filter with care the resulting liquid as it may contain little crystals.

Always remember to pour the wine on the sauce and never the sauce on the wine (not a joke, the milk will curdle instantly).

Some related material and here

You may also try to avoid curdling by adding only small quantities of low alcoholic content and low acidity preheated wine only.


Why did I have to coat my veggies with flour? I made a corn chowder this evening containing corn, potatoes, onions, garlic, and some other good stuff. This particular recipe instructed me to add a little bit of flour once I softened the onions and garlic in butter and oil. The instructions specifically said to coat the veggies in flour before adding vegetable stock.

I understand the flour's role in thickening the chowder, but what's the reason for adding it at that stage? Would it not work as well if I added the flour after bringing the veggie stock to a boil, for example?

You already have mentioned the primary reason for adding the flour:  to thicken the chowder.

The author of this particular recipe has added it to the recipe while you are sauteeing the aromatics, I infer.  This creates, in essence, a quick roux, cooking some of the raw taste out of the flour, and helping ensure that you will not get lumps.

You could certainly thicken the chowder later with a flour slurry, for example, but this method is convenient and effective in this type of recipe.


Does adding baking soda to steam sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker help with caramelization? I recently discovered that adding baking soda to increase Ph in a pressure cooker promotes the Maillard reaction (see article, and this answer), and I want to try this with steamed sweet potatoes.

In both links, the food is submerged in the higher-Ph liquid. Could I achieve a similar result with steaming, by dissolving (possibly more) baking soda in the water, or does the food have to be in contact with the higher Ph environment?

The need for contact is correct, but not really the issue here (else you could have pre-rubbed your potatoes). Both caramelization and Maillard reaction (which are different things) require rather high temperatures. The reason to use steaming as a technique is to not get up to these temperatures. In traditional steaming, you only get your food to 100°C. In a pressure cooker, you can steam the food quicker, but even in an old fashioned pressure cooker at sea level*, you never get above 120 Celsius, which is not enough for any browning - and that's a feature, not a bug.

If you want Maillard reaction, or caramelization, you should choose a cooking method that can achieve that, such as roasting or pan-frying. If you are having trouble with pan-frying (e.g. having the outside burn while the center of the sweet potato chunks is still raw), you can first brown your food in a pan and then cook through with other methods such as braising, simmering or steaming.

You can, in principle, add baking soda during a browning step, but for me, the change in taste is not worth it. Normal browning gives you plenty of tasty crust on its own.

* Both elevation above the sea level and the use of modern electric pressure cookers mean less pressure, so lower temperature


What's an effective method to strain liquids? When I make horchata or aqua frescas, I often have a large volume (quarts) of liquid that could benefit from straining.  Usually only the small fine mesh strainer can get out the fine particles that remain after running the juices through the blender.

I haven't really seen very fine mesh strainers that are bigger than a couple inches across; I'd like to be able to strain a large volume at once.  Are there any tricks of the trade?

Cheese cloth is easy to find and does a great job when we make horchata.

More Details

I use a regular mesh strainer like the one below, and I line it with a few layers of cheese cloth.  Depending on your colander's design, it might work too.

The number of layers depends on what your straining, and how loose the cheesecloth is.  I use it more often to make mascarpone cheese and I typically use 3 or 4 layers.

I set the strainer over a large bowl and load the strainer and cheese cloth with as much unstrained liquid as it will take.  Something like horchata shouldn't take too long, a few minutes maybe.  When I make mascarpone I set the strainer (in its bowl) in the refrigerator overnight.


How do you ensure a tortilla keeps all its contents when making a burrito? What's the best technique to tuck or close the tortilla when preparing a burrito so that it doesn't come undone when it's time to eat?

Folding a burrito is serious business. Get it wrong and you'll end up dumping most of the contents all over the place and look like a burrito noob. Get it right and your hands and plate will be perfectly clean, and you'll no longer be hungry. Beware: publicly flaunting these skills might lead to people wanting you to fold their burritos for them.

General Tips

First off: make sure your tortilla is ready to be folded. A cold or dried out tortilla is likely to crack or split. Use a warm and moist tortilla.

Second: don't overfill the tortilla. If you have small tortillas don't try to make a giant burrito and expect that to work.

How to fold

Now that we have the basics out of the way let's get to folding. See the flash animation at Chow.com (which I've converted into an image here):

Place the contents in the approximately center of your partially folded tortilla. Leave plenty of room on the ends otherwise you'll most surely have food spilling out once it's folded up. Hold the filled tortilla so the weight of the filling pulls it tight. If your burrito busts through now, it will certainly burst later. If not, proceed to step 2.
Fold one end towards the center.
Fold the other end over.
Roll the bottom (the end nearest you) up towards the top. This isn't the intuitive way, but it's the right way. Make sure not to let the food squeeze out. I hold it with my fingers at the crease where the bottom edge that's been folded up meets the food.
Keep rolling it up.
Om nom nom.


Doesn't wagyu beef need to rest? One of the core advices when cooking beef is to allow it to rest at least five minutes before cutting it. But I have seen several videos where Japanese chefs cuts the wagyu beef into small pieces while it is still cooking. Here is one example: https://youtu.be/-kzYJqKkAZ0?t=249

What am I misunderstanding here?

"Let it rest" is advice for cooking large cuts of meat in one piece, especially if it's desirable for the end result to be on the rare side. So steaks, roasts, pork tenderloin, that sort of thing, you want to let the meat rest (== cool down) so that when you slice into it, you don't get a huge puddle of hot juices all over your cutting board, and no tasty hot juices in the meat where you want it.

Note that this doesn't depend on the type of meat, only on the desired end result. For an analogy, consider bread dough. Sure, you can cut it into little pieces and fry or bake them up individually, but that doesn't make bread, it makes fried dough or dinner rolls. (Mmmm... now I crave lángos.) If you want bread, you need to bake the dough in one piece, and then let it cool down before you slice it so you don't end up with a gummy mess.

The Teppanyaki chef is making the meat equivalent of lángos (= fried dough). Apart from using the same ingredients as a steak, it's a completely different dish.


How should I manage my fridge? I try to be careful, I really do, but I found a week old cod smelling 'fishy' in my fridge. Normally, I put the date on the package, so at least I know how long things 'last' in there (lost and forgotten).

So, I made a roster. On the first column is the name of the product/preparation, the first row is the day of the month. I'm putting the number of rations in the cells, and draw a line till the best before date.

I'm thinking about marking prepared foods like:

In a container (two days)
In a vacuum (seven days)
Cooked sous-vide (twenty-one days).
For the freezer, I'm thinking about ninety days.

Do you think this is a workable system? How do restaurants keep track of their inventory? Is it too complicated? Am I too harsh with the # of days (for instance, should these be depending on the food item?)

You may very well be able to make that system work for you, but in the two fine-dining restaurants I've worked, the system is less paperwork-intensive and more common-sense. It is based on organized storage, adding new product where it will be used after the old, and labeling.  This lets you see at a glance what you have and how old it is, rather than having to constantly maintain an up-to-date inventory list.  It also makes it easy to find what you want.

The system works like so:

Organize your storage so food goes in the same spot every day.  This way you can see at a glance what you have and what you need.  It also makes it easier to find things.
New food of the same type goes behind the old stuff, and isn't opened until the old product is used up.  This prevents you from discovering the dreaded Green Milk lurking at the back of the fridge.
ALWAYS label prepared food with the date, using masking tape and a permanent marker. Make sure the label (or container's expiration date) is toward the front.  You don't want to have to sniff-test old food. Trust me.
Store in clear containers, so you see how much is left.
Inventory perishable foods before purchasing more.
Toss spoiled or questionable food promptly.  This prevents "unpleasant surprises," and avoids contaminating nearby stuff.
Cool food as fast as possible, to prevent bacterial growth.  Hot water holds a lot of heat, so it gets pre-chilled in an ice water bath; otherwise it can stay warm and breed bacteria for HOURS.  Containers can be left open for an hour or two in the fridge to cool contents faster.

At home, I use a very similar system, with a few modifications:

Pre-packaged containers get labelled with an opened-on date, because usually this determines when they spoil more than the expiration date.
Expiration dates are just rough estimates.  StillTasty provides more detailed information, but I don't refrigerate any kind of leftover more than a week.  High-protein foods, or things with egg in them get less time.
If it smells even a little off, it's probably unsafe, with the exception of milk and produce.  They will only make you WISH they could kill you.
Only buy produce you can use before the next grocery run... unless it's really cheap and can be used up easily.  Yes, fresh tomatoes are amazing to cook with.  They're slightly less awesome when half of your 5 pounds spoil, unused.
Don't buy fresh meat or fish without a specific meal plan, or at least a schedule for use. This prevents these expensive, perishable foods  from sitting in the fridge and spoiling.  This doesn't have to be a detailed day-by-day meal plan, but the minute you take to think before buying prevents impulse buys and helps make sure you'll have the time and ingredients to cook the food before it goes bad.

I know the last point can be difficult, but remember that a meal plan might be no more than "make myself a nice steak over the weekend."  The idea is to avoid buying meat on Sunday that you won't have time to cook until next Friday.  If you have to, buy meat right before cooking a nice meal; at least then it will be fresh.  Freezing is also a good backup plan, but only if done fairly early.


What do eggs with two yolks indicate? For the first time I have seen hen eggs with two yolks.

Do they indicate a special kind of hen?
OR A special kind of grain fed to the hen?
OR Some scientific procedure which makes hens produce such eggs?

Are these kind of eggs safe to eat?

Double-yolked eggs are the result of an anomaly in the egg generation process in the hen.

They can happen in any breed of hen, on any feed.  It is a result of two ova being generated at the same time, and then encapsulated in a single shell.  According to My Pet Chicken, it happens more often with younger hens.

I am not aware of any process to intentionally foster double yolked eggs, but that doesn't mean such a thing doesn't exist.

They are safe to eat, although they may be visually startling.


Is sticky pepperoni a sign of spoilage? My child ate some pepperoni that was sticky, but didn't smell or taste bad, and was before the expiration date. Is that a sign that it might've spoiled early, or was it likely still safe?

Pepperoni has quite a bit of fat in it, and it's going to break down over time as it ages in the fridge (just like the meat that went into it). That can result in a sort of tacky feeling to it. You get this in things like beef summer sausage, too. It's always rather dry by the time it spoils, which takes quite a while.

Sticking an uncovered sausage in the back of the ref for a day or so is something many folks do to bring out the spices it contains a bit more prior to cooking. It also tends to come out a little tacky, depending on fat and preservative content. I do this with store-bought Italian sausage to get the fennel and anise a bit more pronounced.

If it doesn't smell acrid or rancid, and feels like pepperoni despite being a little tacky, it's probably fine. When preserved meats go bad a few parts of it start to have an acrid sort of odor, quickly followed by the rest. It's harder to spot initially in chorizo and similar, but bad pepperoni really gives itself away pretty quickly.

Also, taste a small piece. If it's rather sour, you probably don't want to use it.

Source: Me always being given the job of cleaning out and rotating stuff in the walk-in in at a place I used to work that made a lot of pizza.


What's the right way to hard boil eggs? I find I always have trouble scaling the amount of time the eggs should be boiled, cooled, etc. for different-sized batches of hard-boiled eggs.

I've heard a variety of "folk lore"-type rules for how it should be done, but what's really the right way?

I've never adjusted the length of time based on number of eggs. As long as the water is boiling I don't think it would take any longer to cook a dozen than to cook one (it might take the water longer to come up to boiling, I guess).

For hard boiled I normally bring them up to the boil and then turn the heat off, and leave them for 15 minutes. If you like them less well-cooked, you could reduce this to 12 minutes. Then empty the pan and re-fill it cold water a couple of times to cool them down quickly. Leave rest of them sitting in the cold water while you prepare each one.


Should I pre-boil then rinse chicken bones before making stock? I'm told this releases the impurities, i.e scum, so you don't have to skim while simmering.

This sounds counterproductive. Making stock means that you let the boiling water leach nutrients, flavors, and other stuff from the bones. Then you remove the solid parts (bones, scum) and are left with the gelatine and flavors dissolved in the water.

Now, if you preboil the bones and throw away the water, you throw away all the flavor which has been leached in this boil. Sure, some flavor will remain in the bones for prolonged boiling, but it will be less, and it won't be the same flavor (some tastes will cook out sooner than others). In short, the process which creates scum is the same which creates stock; you can't have one without the other.

In your home kitchen, you can mostly live with cloudy stock if you don't feel like skimming. Clear stock is more desirable, but you can keep that for special occasions. And exactly these occasions are the one when you want the most flavor, so don't compromise by preboiling.


Why are Built-in/Wall Microwaves Above Ovens when Stacked? I've noticed that stacks of built-in/wall ovens and microwaves are almost always installed with the microwave on top and the oven at the bottom, regardless of whether they are single or separate appliances.
This seems counter-intuitive to me for at least these reasons:

A lower hotter oven is more dangerous to roaming children than a lower colder microwave.
When both appliances are operating, the colder microwave might be passively heated by the hotter oven, possibly shortening the microwave's life.
When baking with oven's door partly open (for whatever reason), trying to operate a microwave right above it seems inconvenient with the hot air rising from the oven.

So what am I missing? Why are the appliances always stacked with the microwave on top?

Three reasons:

The microwave oven itself is lighter than the conventional oven, and putting the lighter item at the top makes good construction sense, especially for freestanding oven/range/microwave units.  Such freestanding combo units were a lot more common in the early days of home microwaves, so folks got used to that configuration.
The space over the range/above the wall oven was also generally not used for anything important, and that's still the case.  So homeowners re-making a kitchen will put the microwave over the oven given that the space is "available".
Items you put into the microwave tend to be lighter than those you put in the stove, so it makes sense for the oven to be lower down.  For example, you might put a whole turkey in a heavy basting pan into the oven, but are unlikely to put anything half that large into the microwave.

Of course, if you're designing your own kitchen, it's possible that none of those reasons apply to you.  Certainly I did not put my microwave over my oven.


Why can I resuse green tea leaves several times, but not black? Simple question really - why is it I can reuse green tea leaves 2-3 times with minor degradation in the quality of tea, but I can't do the same thing with black tea?

Is it because the black tea has oxidized?

I've noticed that you can also reuse Chinese red tea leaves as well (fermented green tea) without a problem.

I've never had an issue reusing anything that's real tea (black, oolong, green). Perhaps there is another factor here? If you're black tea is coming out of a tea bag, or a lower "grade" then the green tea leaves you're using that might be a reason that it isn't coming out desirably.

Generally speaking it's an issue of grade rather than the type of tea. The finer the tea, the more likely you are to extract everything in the first run. Take apart a cheap tea bag, and you'll notice that the leaves are powder or almost powder. A full leaf (you can buy any black tea from a reputable shop in a higher grade) will extract more slowly and give you a better flavour and probably yield to better second or third runs.


Does canned tuna contain preservatives? I want to know how the tuna can be kept for so long in a can. Do they use preservatives? Or is it just tuna and water (or oil or brine)?

The preserving effect of canning is based on

removing all bacteria and fungi (normally present at least to some extent even in perfectly safe food) by a combination of heat and pressure over a certain time
preventing new bacteria or fungi from reaching the food by sealing the containers
avoiding oxidation by sealing the cans
sometimes supporting this by ingredients that are very inhospital for bacteria and fungi like acids (pickles, anyone?) or sugar (less available water).

For your tuna, this means the heat/pressure of the canning process is sufficient to prevent spoilage for a long time.

Special preservatives are typically not necessary. Checking the label should confirm this. If one brand should have choosen to add them nonetheless, you can pick another manufacturer.


Chicken broth without gelatin (storebought and homemade) When I make chicken stock at home by cooking meat and bones, the resulting fluid contains a considerable amount of gelatin, as observed in Why did my Turkey Stock turn into gelatin?; it solidifies when chilled.

When I buy commercial chicken broth/stock in a can or box, it doesn't seem to contain a significant amount of gelatin.  Why not?  How do they avoid / remove the gelatin?

If I wanted to make homemade chicken stock with much less gelatin, so that it wouldn't gel when cooled, how could I do it?

The gelatin has come out of the bones; I find a good chicken stock is often a bit gelatinous when cooled.

As a general rule, when you cook stock for a really long time/on a higher heat, then it's likely to have a higher gelatin content (as it will reduce more and there is also more time for the gelatin to transfer from the bones to the stock liquid).

Generally, when I make chicken stock I put a whole chicken, a couple of carrots, a couple of sticks of celery, and a few brown onions chopped in half in a big pot and fill it with water. I'd simmer it for 1.5-2 hours and then chuck the veggies, and strip the meat from the chicken. The stock I get from that needs to be skimmed of fat, but is usually fairly light and not overly gelatinous when it cools (although it always is a little bit).

I hope that helps!


How to make a "French Vanilla cappuccino" with a espresso machine My wife like the French Vanilla Cappuccino they sell in restaurants like Tim Horton's.

I have an espresso machine and I wonder how I could make one with it.

If I just add some Vanilla Extract to a cappuccino, will it work? If yes, how many?

Would it be better if I buy some Vanilla syrup?

And what about those "Vanilla flavored ground coffee" they sold at the grocery store?

If your espresso machine has a milk steamer then you have several options; you can make a vanilla simple syrup with vanilla pod scrapes added and add that directly to your espresso, you can make a vanilla sugar which will be much milder, you can scrape some vanilla in with your milk as you steam it which produces a wonderful smell, you can add organic vanilla extract to your milk or simple sugar although I like the pods better. You could just buy the French Vanilla flavor they sell but it always seems sweeter than what you get in the coffee house by the cup.

Adding vanilla extract to the cup will not bring out the aromatics you need to add it to the steamed milk.

Why buy vanilla syrup when you can make your own? Especially when you can control the instensity of the vanilla.

Vanilla ground coffee beans are great as long as you don't sweeten your coffee. IMHO flavored coffee beans are only worth it if you take your coffee unadulterated.

If you don't have a milk steamer go buy one because you cannot make decent cappuccino without it, but most espresso machines have one so I am going to assume you already have it.


What are some good tips or techniques for using a carbon steel wok on electric coil range? I was just given a carbon steel wok for christmas. I used it to cook my first stir-fry vegetable dish and I noticed on that the directions indicated to cook on a high flame. I was not sure if this translates to an electric range as turning on the electric burner on high. I am interested in any general knowledge or hints on the most effective use of a carbon steel wok on an electric coil range.

My father-in-law, an authentic Chinese person from China, has a round-bottom wok, which sits on a little stand so that the bottom is just above the element of the stove. He turns the heat up to max. Seems to work for him but it's probably not super efficient.


Beef rib roast - how much do the bones weigh? I'm trying to compare prices for bone-in vs boneless beef rib roasts (aka standing rib roast aka prime rib aka ribeye roast). What is the weight of the bones as a percent of the total pre-cooked weight? Without this number it's impossible to compare prices. (Please no debate about which is better - save that for another thread.)

The key factor is going to be the breed of cattle. Angus, a very high quality beef, also has heavy bone structure and a less favorable bone-to-meat ratio, where as limousine has a lighter bone structure with more meat-to-bone. Other breeds will vary as well, with hereford being (IMHO) the 'happy medium'. But, of course, each individual steer is going fall with a range of possible values rather than a constant factor.

Such value propositions really come down to individual taste and priorities. I suggest to that the comparison is really not just a xLb of bone-in vs. yLb of bone-out. The quality of getting bone-in (again, IMHO)is far superior. The attached rack provides for a degree of insulation and allows for a slower roast protecting the whole rack from over-cooking (a sin to be sure).

If you are stuck on just 'doing the math' if you are looking at a whole (7 bone) prime rib, the rack, the bones, along with the meat & fat attached to the bone that would remain if the rack were to be removed, will account for about 15% of the overall weight (give-or-take all of the variables mentioned - and more). For something 'more or less' than the whole prime (ribs 6-12) as you can see the bones will vary in size depending on whether you are at the short end or the large end of the rack.

This article, from Weber, offers a good deal of analysis of the rib roast in general and may provide some good additional information for you.

  Bone-In vs. Boneless

  Beef rib roasts are sold two ways—bone-in or boneless. There are
  several advantages to cooking a bone-in beef rib roast:

  Fat and connective tissue that surround the bones add moisture and
  flavor to the meat as it breaks down during cooking.
  Rich flavor from bone marrow may migrate into the meat during cooking.
  Bones slow the cooking of meat and limit the evaporation of moisture.
  Bones are easily removed after cooking and make a tasty treat for the chef!

  Buy a bone-in beef rib roast whenever you can.


Thawed Turkey Worried About Bacteria So this is my first time doing the turkey, and I am kind of freaking out. It's a 11 pound bird that I purchased and froze last Friday.

Monday evening, I took it out of the freezer and moved it to the fridge. I have a feeling I should have done this much earlier, but I goofed up.

Being concerned about my turkey not being defrosted when it comes time to cook it, I opened it up and found the inside had large ice blocks inside still. I opted to run cold water over the turkey for about a hour and already the ice has seemed to thaw. So I wrapped the turkey up in shrink wrap on a pan and put it back in the fridge.

But now I am reading that it should be cooked immediately after being defrosted in the above method. Now I am freaking out even more. Have I ruined my turkey? The last thing I want to do is get my family sick, and I feel like a dummy.

I know no one can really say for sure if this is a tainted turkey, but would anyone still have any words of advice for me?

As long as the turkey stayed reasonably cold throughout its hour outside the fridge, you should be fine. Safety regs usually state that meat should not be at room temperature for more than 2 hours throughout its 'lifetime'. As you defrosted in the fridge and then under cold running water for an hour, and assuming you placed it straight back in the fridge, you should be pretty safe.

Be wary of any sliminess or bad smells prior to cooking, and use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat has reached 170F/75C in the thickest part before eating.


Quality of frozen salmon (fish in general) I've bought two different sets of frozen salmon with the same result. On thawing the salmon is bland and off color (more gray than pink).

After cooking, the taste is OK, but the presentation and texture is totally off.

I've tried to defrost this fish in the fridge and submerged in milk with the same result. My guess is these two brands are no good.

So, my question is: does quality salmon exist frozen, with the 'same' texture and color as fresh salmon?

Some species of salmon are better or worse at freezing.  Pacific Sockeye freezes very well and is your best bet if you're buying frozen.  It's also the most expensive.  Pink salmon doesn't freeze well at all (but is delicious if you can get it fresh!).  Others like Chum are somewhere in the middle.

Most "cheap" salmon that you get in North American supermarkets is farmed Atlantic salmon.  It holds up well to freezing, but is generally pretty gray and bland to begin with.  Avoid it.


Can oven cleaning sprays poison the quality of the food baked in an oven if not cleared away? I want to ask Is it good to use oven cleaning sprays to clean oven. Does the quality of the food baked in an oven will not goes down or become unhealthy?

It is safe

If you use it properly and follow the instructions.

When I clean my oven with those products, I make certain it is well wiped cleaned with clean water after and I will let the oven run empty for a little to make certain that if there's some left over product, it will be evaporated.


What does "de-bearding" mussels mean? Have come across this in quite a few recipes, that mussels need to be cleaned and de-bearded. First time cooking shellfish so just want to be sure I know what they're talking about. Thanks.

The beard is also known as byssus threads. They are the filaments that the mussel uses to secure itself to hard surfaces. They are usually brownish and may appear somewhat like seaweed. Most mussels commercially available have been farm-raised so often the beards have already been removed during processing. If you have beards, grasp them firmly and pull towards the shell hinge until it comes out. You may need to use a dry paper towel to increase your grip as they can be slippery.


Bell Pepper Mousse - won't charge or discharge I made an ISI Whip recipe for Bell Pepper Mousse, chilled the mixture in the container for 2 hours, then charged the mixture twice, heard gas release, shook it vigorously 20 times and it would not discharge. On opening the canister, the mousse was not aerated at all. What happened?

You would not have been able to open a fully charged ISI without some effort and a big mess, so I am going to assume that the gas never entered...or entered and released as you were shaking.  Disassemble and fully clean your ISI...use the small brush that came with it to clean the nozzle. Check to see that all gaskets are present, particularly the large one that sits inside the top.  Reassemble.  Fill 3/4 with water (so as not to waste any useful ingredients), charge with one canister.  Hold an cup over the nozzle (so you don't spay water everywhere) and pull the release handle to see if gas/liquid is discharged.

My hunch is that you are either missing gasket...or something is caught in the mechanism that didn't allow the valve to seal properly.  You don't need much for the latter...black pepper or even raspberry "seeds" will hold the mechanism open enough for gas to escape.  Since you say it was your first use, I would guess the former.


Sausage exploded and looks foamy I cooked turkey breakfast sausages in a 350 F convection oven and one exploded. The stuff that came out looked a little foamy and the juices before it was cooked looked a tiny bit foamy. This may be completely normal but just want to be sure if it sounds safe to eat. The sausages were packaged five days ago and expire in two days. They didn't smell bad or anything. Thanks!

That foam is perfectly natural.

The foam is the result of meats natural protein composition. If you've ever poached eggs, or boiled lobster, or cooked a stock, you'll know that the water can become a little scummy. If you leave the pot on, that scum makes a white-ish or grey-ish foam that forms lovely looking rafts. That foam is made of water soluble protein.

In your case, you have wet sausage meat in a case. A small amount of that meat's proteins, mostly sarcoplasm and myoglobin, are going to escape from their cells and into the meat juice.

When the sausage case breaks, that juice, a mix of water and protein, is escaping into a hot oven, and the proteins are going to spontaneously denature, forming a foam much like scrambled eggs.

If anything, you should be happy- water soluble albumin foam is a sign that the sausage is full of proteins, and is definitely made of meat, and not, say, recycled chipboard.

Enjoy the sausages!


Make bacon less salty I just finished a burger that I got at a local butcher/deli.  The burger was half ground chuck and half apple wood smoked bacon.  It was delicious.  The only problem I have with it is that it was very salty.  I do not know if the butcher added any additional salt, but assuming he did not, how would go about making my own version of a half ground chuck/half ground bacon burger less salty?  This is assuming all of the salt is coming from the bacon.

There was also a slice of American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo on it.

Not all bacon is equally salty. Look at nutrition labels on the bacon when you go shopping, find the least salty bacon you can, and try that. You'll be best off if you cook a small amount of your meat mixture to taste, so that if you manage to end up with too little salt, you can add some back in. If it's still too salty, then all you can really do is add other, less salty meat. I imagine a burger made from 1/4 bacon would still have tons of bacon flavor.


Recipes to calm down my kimchi Last year,  I made some kimchi that tournes out a tad bit too spicy and sour. My partner refuses to eat it and I cry when I try. But there is nothing wrong with it otherwise. Om reluctant to throw it out since I have another full glass jar of it, but I'm not sure what recipes I can make with it which would calm the taste. The only thing I've made with it that really succeeded was kimchi pancakes. The flour seemed to mellow out the taste. Any other suggestions?

You can use sweetness to cut down on the sourness and spiciness. Use ingredients such as carrots, onions, tomatoes etc. along with kimchi to mellow it down. Or else you can blend a little portion of kimchi while making biryani(rice).


How to reduce bitterness in silken tofu 'cream' soup? I made a 'cream' soup using silken tofu,  vegetarian soup stock, (pre-packaged) fried onions, and a bit of white balsamic vinegar.  It was pretty good but had a bitterness at the back of the palate.  What can I do to remedy that?

The bitterness was likely due to one of two things: the vegetarian soup stock or the packaged fried onions.  The stock would be a like candidate if you used a concentrate or boullion, rather than stock-in-a-box, which tends to be too sweet, if anything.  Otherwise, look to the fried onions; if the ones you used are burnt or rancid, they would add an unpleasant bitterness to anything you added them to.  Try tasting the ingredients individually until you locate the bitter flavor, and then swap in a better quality ingredient.


Canning tomato sauce for the refrigerator I buy 3000 gram jars of San Marzano plum tomatoes, and when I open one, I have a lot left over.  This time, I made a basic marinara from the pureed de-seeded/de-stemmed tomatoes with oil, garlic, spices, wine, etc., and I cooked it for about :40m.

When I was satisfied with the taste/consistency, I poured the boiling sauce into mason jars with very little space left at the top, and I used fresh canning lids to cover.  I let them cool for about 30m then put them in the fridge.

I know this is not a canning procedure that would allow me to keep the sauce at room temp, but I would think that this method could give me more than the standard week or so that I'd expect a sauce to last in Tupperware.

Does anyone have recommendations based on actual knowledge or experience that could help me know how long this sauce would keep under constant refrigeration?

As you state, you have not followed any canning procedures, so you don't get any more storage time than the standard recommendation.  Glass vs plastic doesn't  matter.  So, I would just recommend freezing.  Tomatoes, and tomato based sauces for that matter, freeze nicely. If you use freezer, zip-style bags, you can freeze them flat.  They will then thaw rather quickly.


Can alcohol and salt lengthen the shelf life of vegetables in room temperature? My refrigerator is small, so often I have to keep some vegetables outside the refrigerator, in room temperature. I was wondering, whether spraying alcohol and/or salt around the vegetables can help in keeping bacteria away for them and thus lengthen their shelf life. Do you have any experience with this?

No, it won't help you at all. Your vegetables aren't being eaten by bacteria or similar (and this is a good thing, foods which are rendered unsafe by bacteria shouldn't be kept more than 4 hours at room temperature). They are simply wilting.

There is no way to stop the wilting process. It is the plant cells dying off and stopping being able to "take care of themselves". You have to buy vegetables more frequently if you want them to be pleasantly fresh. The only thing you can do is to cool them, which slows down their metabolism and so prolongs the time they have left until they die. For a few types of vegetable, providing water helps, e.g. carrots or any bunch of leafy herbs, but this is an exception.


Gluten-free and egg-free yeast bread I am working on a recipe that uses gluten-free flour and cauliflower flour. I am having trouble getting the bread to be like a bread and not an edible brick. Any suggestions on proofing and baking temperature? I can not use any baking soda/powder or xanthan gum. The combined flour weight is 3 lbs, and water is 2 lbs.

If you could provide your ingredient list, it would be easier to give suggestions based on your formulation.
If you are making a straight dough gluten free bread, I would recommend temperature 80-100F and humidity 60-80%. The proofing time totally depends on proofing temperature and your formulation (ex. sugar/yeast).
Baking temperature also depends on what type of flour you are using. Starches/flour gel at different temp, so it is hard to say what is the optimum temp as per your recipe. Where you located also matters, if you live in high altitudes place, baking needs slightly higher temperature.
I would suggest you to start with 350F baking, if the bread seems under-baked after an hour, you can increase the temperature sequentially by 25F.
I also agree with Joe, using psyllium husk is much better choice than xanthan for bread recipe.


What is sour cream called in Hindi? I need to know it so that I can purchase it from the market. What is sour cream called in Hindi?


How can I get frozen egg whites out of the ice tray? I read in Can raw eggs be frozen? that you can freeze eeg whites and use them later.

I saw this suggestion about using an ice tray to make frozen egg white cubes (which makes it easier later on when you want to use a few eeg whites out of a frozen batch).

My problem is, the frozen cubes won't come out of the ice tray! They seem to expand or for some reason stick to the tray very hard. I needed to melt them by running the back of the tray under hot water to get them out.

Obviously I can't use any oil or anything like that in the tray to prevent sticking.
Any suggestions?

So to sum up, so far, we have:

use a silicon tray, there should be no problems there.
put the tray in warm water for a short while and they would let go.


How long can a virus (e.g. SARS-COV2) survive in food? I was wondering how long a coronavirus (or viruses in general, because there's probably not that info available on coronavirus in food yet) inside food?
When Googling this question I find a lot of answers stating "There's no evidence that a coronavirus can survive on food containers an packaging" or "The ordinary precautions suffice: simply wash your vegetables and you're safe".
However... I'm interested about having the virus INSIDE food.
Let's say I have covid-19 (but am asymptomatic). I'm making something that requires contact with my hands (so possible contamination), and does NOT require baking. For example: marzipan.
The virus particles might end up inside the marzipan.
How long will it last in there? I'm assuming the high sugar content will kill the virus cells rather quickly, but I'd rather be safe than sorry...

Kenji Lopez-Alt did a very in-depth article for Serious Eats about the coronavirus and food that is worth reading. There is no evidence of the coronavirus (or covid) being passed through food, because in general the virus would break down too quickly to be passed on. Viruses survive better on non-porous surfaces. The full article is here:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html


Advantages/disadvantages for limescale cleaning methods? Are there any advantages/disadvantages for different methods for cleaning limescale (from a kettle/thermos)?

The methods I know about:

Citric acid (lemon/lime salt?)
Vinegar

I usually prefer the former, since it's easier to wash it without getting a taste or a need to re-wash it.

The advantages/disadvantages I'm looking for are regards those or other methods, in the terms of safety, easy to use, not hurting the kettle etc.

Thanks!

Methods I know about:

Vinegar
potatoes peels
citric acid
Coca-Cola
baking soda

Each of them is actually better for different types of kettles.

for glass where lime is quickly visible or where there is large amount of lime. Con is the smell that require multiple washing.
for kettles where heating element is not part of the chamber. Cheap and easy but con is that require multiple brewing changing peels with each one.
Best for steel ones (but work for others of course) cons is that it need time to work (usually overnight) and shouldn't be boiled.
very soft method, best for ceramic kettles. cons - it's coke and people may taste the extra sugary and additives for many brews.
good for electric kettles or with exposed heater. cons is again, the after taste that require multiple boiling's and pouring out the water.  With very hard water you can end up at the same place when started.

Apart form the coke all advantages is the price. They are all relative cheap and with peels you can just use some that normally would be thrown away.

Citric acid with a little of water is best for prevention as you can just quickly wash it once every week.


Can I ferment pickles in the tropics? I live in the tropics where the temperature mostly ranges from 28 to 33 degrees Celsius (82 to 91 Fahrenheit) or higher.

I want to try my hand at fermented pickles but most sources seem to claim that 77 deg Fahrenheit is the maximum.  Does that mean that there is no point in trying?

You need to ferment in a cool place, so you can only ferment pickles in the monsoon season when temperatures are down, or inside a house with A.C.

Vegetables turn soft if it's too hot. Taste and feel is important here. Soft vegetables are the biggest problem if it's too hot. On the 3rd day it is good to place in the fridge to slow the fermenting, if you can.

Crocks may be wrapped in burlap, palm  dry, & kept wet in a cool shade place with breeze. Cloudy days are a big help. Place a plate on top of crock to keep insects dirt out. So it can be done with care. I'm in the South Phillipines, and it seems to work on the shady side of the house under the second floor A.C., where dripwater hits a wrapped crock, along with the breeze in the monsoon season.


What gives the sponginess of a Chiffon Cake? I tried baking this receipt and followed the instructions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYQ5uc6plCs

The cake turns out ok but it's not a sponge like shown, its a bit more compressed and droopy. Any ideas what on which step was the problem? It's funny in the video, she actually did a lot of experiments and showed that the whipping of the cream is not that relevant to the shape of the cake. Not sure what else it might be?

Chiffon cake gets its rise from:

The chemical reaction of the baking powder
Expansion of water into vapor
The expansion of air trapped in the batter

Chiffon cake gets a great deal of lift from #3, mostly from egg whites that are whipped and then folded into the batter. If you are not getting a fluffy cake then these are the most common mistakes.

Not whipping the egg whites enough: The whipping of the egg whites is very relevant, you need enough fluffiness in them to have trapped air bubbles. You don't have to whip them into hard peaks like most recipes say, but you do need to get them at least to soft peaks. I've experimented with this myself and I find halfway between soft and hard is best as if they are too hard they don't always mix well
Losing air when folding: you have to be gentle folding the egg white in, if you are rough with it or overmix it you pop all the air bubbles and then you get a dense cake
Opening the oven too soon: if you open the oven before the cake has a chance to rise and form a solid structure the cake will cool rapidly and you lose a lot of expansion that you won't regain. Do not open the oven until at least 10 minutes after the cake has stopped rising
Under-baking: This is a mistake I made a couple of times, if you under-bake the cake it doesn't form a solid crystalline structure to trap the air, and it collapses. Once I think the cake should be close I use a touch test and listening test to see if it is done. If I hear a lot of crackling from the cake then it's far from done, if I hear several crackles a second but it's not a constant drone of crackling it's getting there, 1 pop per second or less means the cake is done. A tap test also is good, the cake should spring back very well in the absolute center
Not turning the cake upside down: chiffon cakes needs to hang upside down while it cools, this is because it has expanded so much and is so light. Have what you need to do this ready before you take the cake out and turn it over right away, even 30 seconds makes a difference!

If the cake never rose much then it's 1 or 2, possibly 3 depending on when you opened the oven. If the cake got good rise but then lost it all then it could be 3 (again depending on when you opened the door), 4 or 5.

Keep trying, chiffon cake is a little tricky but once you get it worked out it's worth it!


Is it normal to wash an apple, or other fruits, with dish washing liquid? I've never seen anyone do that until yesterday. So I wanted to know is this appropriate for when preparing apples for any meal, how about other fruits? Unlike plates, fruits can absorb chemicals.

No, you would not use a detergent or soap when washing fruit.

Normally, you would just wash them with water, using a brush on thick skinned produce.

See, for example, Best Ways to Wash Fruits and Vegetables from the University of Maine extension.


what does "draft-free" mean? Almost every bread recipe I came across says to let the dough proof in a draft-free place. I was wondering what does "draft-free" actually mean? Looking at the dictionary, the closest thing related is something about air current and I'm not so sure about that.
Thank you

It is related to air current. A draft is a localised current of air, usually indoors, the kind that might leak through a door left ajar.

Bread recipes advise using a draft free place for rising A) to prevent poorly covered dough from drying out and B) to make sure the temperature remains warm enough for the quick rise most simple recipes call for.


Sprouting Potatoes in Fridge? Safe to eat? Have a bag of potatoes about maybe 3 weeks old. Still firmish, not green but with little small sprouts (maybe barely 1 cm) VERY small.

Are these ok to eat? I trimmed off the sprouts and the inside looked fine, and they are not green. Slightly softer but still firm.

They are okay to eat. The sprouts on the other hand can be very acidic and SHOULD NOT be eaten. As long as you make sure you wash the potato thoroughly you shouldn't have to worry.


What are substitutions for coconut in curry? I'm allergic to coconut - this is a new allergy, so I really miss Thai and Indian curry! I also have issues with dairy.

Would it work to use roasted cauliflower puree as a curry base instead of coconut? Maybe with a little raw cashews pureed to add creaminess.

Are there other options to satiate my dreams of curry without coconut or dairy milk?

Thai curry recipes often use a lot, and the flavour is distinctive. You'll need to experiment. Your idea of cashews is a good place to start. What I've often used in Indian curries is ground almonds (almond flour would be better but I can't get it easily). They have some thickening power and quite a suitable taste. You could also try cooking with nut milk - I've only done this a couple of times because it's not something I normally have, but recently used some almond milk in a sauce with lentils etc. It ended up with a fairly creamy texture. This was a brand marketed for cooking and a little thicker than I've come across before

As an aside, I hope you've had medical confirmation of the allergy - it's not exactly unknown for these things to be deceptive.


What is the acceptable vanilla:vodka range for homemade vanilla extract? I am extremely bad at getting the seeds out of my vanilla beans. So I started putting the "used" beans (which still have at least 1/3 of their seeds) in a small jar with some vodka, and using the liquid as "neverending vanilla extract".

There are recipes for vanilla extract out there, but they assume that one would put an exact amount of vanilla beans and vodka together once, then wait, so they give a single ratio. I can't meet this ratio always, but I want to know what the acceptable range is. So:

what is the lower bound of vanilla per ml of vodka so that below that bound, the extract will give a baking good more of a vodka taste than a vanilla taste?
what is the upper bound of vanilla per ml of vodka so that above that bound, the aroma isn't getting extracted due to oversaturation?

I want to know these bounds so I can adjust the vodka a bit whenever I add more vanilla beans.

According to this recipe, the federally mandated minimum is 0.8 oz per cup - the recipe recommends at least 1 oz per cup for anyone who isn't extracting it with industrial equipment, or about 30g of vanilla bean per 250mL of vodka.

There isn't an upper bound given, but while I have seen "double-strength" extracts containing twice the vanilla, I haven't seen anything stronger, so I would say 60g per 250mL alcohol would be a reasonable upper limit.


Pre-mixing liquor -- any downsides? I love Long Islands.  In fact, all I make are Long Islands.  Yet every time I make one, I have to independently mix the four liquors I use:  Vodka, Tequila, Gin, and Rum.  (plus I add lemon juice and splenda)

It seems to me it would be easier for me if I could pour all four bottles into one container and just pour my drinks out of that.  (and store this container in the fridge indefinitely until ready for use)  That way I don't have to worry about proportion (since I always mix them equally anyway).   Is there any downside to doing this (aside from the obvious downside that I can no longer pour any other mixture)?

There should not be any problems with mixing alcohol as long as you don't introduce organics.  I would suggest mixing the alcohols and leaving the lemon juice and splenda out until you pour a drink.  Keeping alcohol cool and in a dark place.  As for indefinitely, no.  The amount of time it stays good is dependent on the amount of air in the bottle. Glass is always preferred if possible.


Gluten Free Thin Crust Pizza - Tips and Explanation? we have a gluten-free pizza crust recipe that works out pretty well. Since I'm relatively new to GF (we recently found out that my wife has Celiac), I'm curious as to how the recipe works and what difference some of the changes we've made have on the outcome. I'm also looking for any pointers to help make the crust a little less "scratch the roof of your mouth like Captain Crunch." Overall, it comes out nice and crispy, but perhaps just a little too much.

The recipe:

Ingredients
-----------

> Yeast mixture
1 1/3 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
    - we've taken to using 1 tablespoon of pizza dough yeast instead

> Dry Mix
1 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons xantham gum
1 1/3 cups brown rice flour

Directions
----------
First, I mix the yeast mixture. Pizza dough yeast seems to work better and give a
slightly better crust than plain rapid rise.

? I've always had trouble getting the yeast to really dissolve completely, there's
usually chunks left in the milk unless I whisk for a good 15 minutes. Can I use a
kitchen mixer to achieve a better dissolve?

In a separate bowl, I combine the dry ingredients. Then, I mix the yeasty milk into
the dry ingredients and finally mix in 2 teaspoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons apple cider
vinegar.

? We accidentally mixed in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and apple cider vinegar once,
but didn't really notice a difference. What exactly are they helping with in the recipe
and why didn't such a gross overmeasurement make a difference?

Next, I butter and flour a baking sheet and then plop the dough down. I flour my
hands and the dough and spread it until it's nice and thin across the sheet. I rub olive
oil into the patted down dough and then cook untopped for 10 minutes in a 450 degree
oven. Remove and add toppings and return to the oven for 20 minutes.

Any tips and maybe some general explanation of what's going on here would be appreciated - so far this has been the quickest and best thin crust GF recipe we've done.

Edit: We also mix everything by hand - would using our mixer and/or dough hooks make any noticeable difference?

Traditional yeast based pizza crust is essentially a yeast raised flat bread.  Its structure and chewiness is the result of gluten development from the wheat proteins—the very aspect you are trying to avoid.

The recipe that you have has three basic components:

Yeast, to develop some of the yeasty flavors
Starch which will form the matrix of the crust (tapioca, brown rice flour)
Gums or thickeners to give it enough structure and strength to hold together cohesively (gelatin, xantham gum)

There is nothing in the formula you have provided which should be scraping the roof of your mouth like the infamous breakfast cereal.  The closest thing to a suspect is the rice flour, which if it is brown, is milled from the whole rice grain, including the outer hull or husk.  That might be what you are finding texturally unpleasant.  You might try another brand of rice flour, or using white rice flour in its stead.

It may also be from over baking--if you are only getting the abrasive texture from the edges where it is most cooked, you know that you should simply cook it less.


To put aromatics at beginning or end of cooking? I've read some answers say that you should put things like cloves, black pepper, bay leaves, etc. at the end of cooking a curry, as spices will loose their properties.  I notice that Bangladeshi cuisine always uses these items at the very beginning of cooking.  Why so?  I'm imagining its been done like this for a long time.  What do they know that we don't? Perhaps there is some other goal?

Just like many other ingredients, when spices are added to a dish is a function of what effect you want them to have on the final dish.  If you want deep, well-integrated flavors, or even undertones, you add them early so the flavors meld into the product.  If you want a more pronounced flavor or an aroma, they are added at or near the end of cooking.  In addition, you can certainly do both, as the flavor and aroma can be enhanced by this double addition (at the beginning and at the end).  When these aromatic spices (and often alliums) are used, like in curries, they are heated in oil or ghee.  The oil is flavored, and this helps to carry the flavor of the aromatics throughout the product.  Spices and herbs also contain many volatile compounds, which will be lost with heat and time.  In this case, a last minute addition, just before serving, is the best approach.

"What do they know that we don't?"  Well, "they" know the final result that they are trying to achieve, and how ingredients behave at various points in the cooking process.  The end goal is a well-integrated dish.


Why do we like some combinations of ingredients, and not others? Are there any general rules? I would like to know how something will taste, before cooking and trying it.
Is it possible? Sometimes ingredients are too expensive for experimenting.

You have two fairly different questions here: flavor pairing (what combinations taste good), and prediction of flavors.

Prediction

Eat as diversely as possible. Try things with different ingredients and combinations of ingredients. It's best if it's something you've cooked, so you know exactly what goes into it, but even eating in restaurants helps, especially if you look carefully at menus and at what you're eating. Eventually you'll learn your personal preferences better, and develop intuition for what everything tastes like.

There's really no substitute for this in the end, because everyone has different preferences, so ingredients and combinations that taste good to you might not quite line up with what others like. And besides, it's not really possible to describe flavors meaningfully, so even if someone tells you "you'll love strawberry and vanilla together", you ultimately have to just learn the flavors to be able to predict how it'll taste to you.

Pairing

Specifically on combinations, see this previous canonical question. The summary is that again, this can be pretty personal, but insofar as there are common preferences, it's difficult to generalize. Most useful resources end up being long lists of pairings you might like, just slightly more general than looking for recipes that contain one of the ingredients and seeing what else is in them.


Americans and Shrimp Heads I personally hate the texture, so I avoid shrimp heads. Given that I've only been to a handful of American restaurants that serve shrimp with the heads or shells attached, I'd bet I'm not alone.

But I'm curious if anyone knows of other nations, through their personal or professional travels, that show a similar preference? I imagined it was a Western preference but after time in Paris and London, I've decided this isn't so (unless they too are catering to a small proportion of tourists).

Anyone have any insight?

There is a tradition in southern cooking for boiling Crayfish (crawdads).  Boil them in seasoned  water, then tear them in half, suck out the head, and eat the tail.  So this is possible for shrimp as well.  I have done it and seen it done at some seafood restaurants.  I don't know that the heads are ever eaten, but they do contribute to the flavor.

I have also seen people from SE Asia (Vietnam, Laos, etc.) that would eat whole shrimp, shells and all.  So it is culture dependent.  This is true of many foods.  While we balk at shrimp heads in America, we love our cinnamon and cumin (sweets and tacos).  A lot of asian people I've met, specifically Japanese, find these flavors too strong or 'dirty' tasting.  Culture has a lot to do with what foods you find enjoyable, mostly through comfort and familiarity.

Here is an article on taste preferences.  It points out the familiarity angle, which is pretty interesting.  The more foods you're exposed to before two, the more foods you'll like.  After that, you tend to dislike anything new until you 'train' yourself to like it.  Except Lima Beans because they are always icky.

The Psychology of hating food and how we learn to love it

While there is a lot of flavor in the head and shell of shrimp, the texture is probably an aquired taste.  I also get a bit grossed out when the vein (digestive tract) is still in the shrimp.  Depending on how it's processed, this may or may not be an issue.  Whether it bothers you or not, you can always process whole shrimp yourself and save the heads and shells.  Boil it in a stock pot with some arromatics, and you have a quick, flavorful seafood stock in about 20-30 minutes.  Add some seared scallops, clams, chunks of fish, etc.


How should I clean my propane grill? My propane grill needs to be cleaned, how should I go about doing so?

The method I use is to leave on high for a few minutes to burn off the worst of the food residue.

Then I scrub it with a wire grill brush and , while still warm, I then re-oil with cooking oil.

There are proprietary products you can use and I've seen people using oven cleaner but I steer well away from those!


Can I use both racks at the same time to bake chicken wings? Can I use my oven's top and bottom racks at the same time to bake chicken wings? I have a large party to cook for.

Yes, you can! Make sure to check the wings occasionally to see if the pans need to be switched to ensure even cooking. One of the racks may get hotter than the other.
You can also make sure that both of the pans are placed as close to the center of the oven as possible by adjusting the rack positions.


I forgot to rinse lentils before adding them to soup. Is the meal still safe to eat? I get a bit too freaked out about health and safety when it comes to cooking.

I am cooking a lentil soup today and have just added a whole bunch of lentils I forgot to rinse. Is the food safe to eat? Is the rinsing for hygienic reasons or for flavour/consistency reasons?

I can only speak for UK supermarkets and you haven't said where you're from, but our lentils are clean as bought.  A typical packet doesn't say to rinse them. With red lentils the only reaosn I can see for rinsing is to (slightly) reduce foaming; with Puy lentils and some others even that's not an issue and you may lose flavour.

Some Indian recipes (actually from India rather than westernised) say that when you rinse you need to pick over for stones, but I've never had that with dried lentils or beans.


When cooking Chicken Tandoori or Chicken Kababs, how do you make that crisp spicy layer thicker? Here's a screenshot of what I'm talking about:

Look at this image. It's got a thick layer of spices on top of the chicken. Restaurants typically make such dishes with a thick, crispy, spicy layer that has a strong taste.

I'm trying to make this at home, but mine comes out with a very thin layer on the top. I tried making Chicken Tandoori using the standard recipe (marinate in yogurt for 4 hours and then roast). This is how it came out:

As you can see, the spicy, crispy layer at top is pretty thin with even bald patches. Does anyone know how can I make this layer thicker and more consistent?

Here is the recipe that I followed:

http://www.everestspices.com/tandoori-chicken-masala

Edit: I think that the problem is that I used an air fryer for making Tandoori Chicken. You cannot use an Air Fryer for Tandoori Chicken. You need to use a grill or fire. Perhaps someone else can confirm this.

Restaurants usually make it on charcoal grill. I don't know the science but that does make a difference in achieving that look as well as taste. Use thicker yogurt with higher fat level, and keep the marinade thicker. I have been able to achieve that crusty layer by keeping my marinade thicker and using yogurt with at least 5% fat. Low fat yogurt usually results in thinner marinade.

For red color, you can use either red/deep orange food color or paprika. In south asian cuisine, we would often use something called 'Kashmiri red chilli powder' which is a mild chilli pepper but brings a gorgeous red color.

Edit: To add more from comments

The list of ingredients in the recipe you've linked is exactly what we usually use. There is no additional ingredient to that. Only the quality of ingredients and cooking technique will make difference in the results. I usually cook on a Gas mark 6. If you're washing the chicken and then using it straightaway, I find that it leaves the chicken too wet and it doesn't hold the marinade very well.

Also, if the chicken is a bit watery inside before marinating (like it becomes if left soaking in water for a while), it releases a lot of water during cooking which makes the marinade layer come off. I drain my chicken in a metal strainer for roughly 10-15 minutes before mixing in with the spices, regardless of frozen or not.

Similar happens with low-fat yogurt which is more liquidy and runny than high-fat yogurt. If you do have to use low fat yogurt, try straining it like the recipes asks for thick strained curd. By straining you're removing the liquid which will help the marinade to stick together well. Greek yogurt will also work.


Getting poppy seeds to stick to bagel I've been trying to top my homemade bagels with poppy seeds but haven't had much luck getting them to stick.

The instructions I've found says to boil the bagels first, then sprinkle seeds on top after boiling (before baking). The problem is that almost all of the seeds just fall right off, and the ones that do manage to stay on in the oven are not well attached and come off later (e.g. while cutting the bagel).

I've tried putting some poppy seeds on a plate and rolling the boiled bagel around, but it doesn't really seem to be much better. Plus, handling the bagel too much before baking causes it to deflate.

I've used a few recipes to make the bagels, some call for adding baking soda to the water and some call for malt extract powder.

Anyone have any advice? Some bagel shops manage to get poppy seeds absolutely covering the bagel, so there must be some trick...

After boiling, drain the bagels and then press the top of the bagel firmly into a dish containing the seed of your choice. Too much water still on the surface of the bagel and they won't adhere properly. This is how they did it at a bagel shop I worked at, and here's a corroborating video:

http://videos.sorensonmedia.com/San+Francisco+Baking+Institute/7.2+Boiling+and+Seeding+Bagels/b8ec0e85a84f3948ccca841Xb2fe940df302


Would using seafood stock instead of chicken broth/stock work in a butternut squash soup? I'm trying to make a butternut squash bisque, specifically, which by its least-strict definition involves a seafood stock/broth.

All the recipes I've found are for butternut squash soup, which is not as fun to make or talk about.

My concern is that the fishiness of the seafood broth/stock will overpower the butternuttiness, or make it taste flat-out disgusting.

I'm using Chef John's recipe for this.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

TL; DR

As long as you get the balance right anything that's tasty separately can be mixed together and still be tasty.

What I would do is to make the butternut squash soup first without any stock, set aside one bowl of said soup and then little by little add the shrimp/lobster stock into the kettle until just right to your taste-buds.  Then add the separate bowl back into the kettle.

Why? Your taste-buds will have gotten gradually used to the shrimp/lobster stock and the final product will be slightly over the top, so adding the bowl back in will make it just right for your guests.


Does Julia Child's Crème Brûlée work? In "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", Julia et al. explain that Crème Brûlée is simply Crème Anglaise (Light Custard Sauce) made with whipping cream instead of milk, half the amount of sugar and then chilled.

I made a couple of attempts but it didn't set. Here's a shortened version of the recipe:

1/4 cup sugar
4 yolks
1 tsp cornstarch or potato starch (optional, but I went with the potato starch)
1 3/4 cup boiling whipping cream

Beat sugar into the yolks until they reach the "ribbon" stage. Beat in the optional starch. Pour the boiling milk in a stream of droplets into the yolks whilst beating. Set the mixture over a moderate heat, stirring slowly and continuously until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon with a light creamy layer. During this time the mixture should not go above 165 degrees F (without starch) or 170 degrees (with). I also added an optional tablespoon of orange liqueur for flavour.

I beat the mixture at just under 170 degrees for around 30 minutes without it thickening up much. On the second attempt I used more starch (about a tablespoon) and it thickened up, but still didn't set after chilling overnight. Any ideas?

Most creme brulees require baking, however after a little research I did find a recipe in "On Cooking" (Sarah Labensky/Michael Hause) that came from Chef Vincent Guerithault of Vincent on Camelback in Phoenix, AZ and his was similar in that it was not baked.

First, just making creme anglaise with heavy cream isn't going to do anything to let it set up into a firm custard.  More egg yolks or starch would be needed.

Supposing that this really does work and it was something you perhaps did, my guess would be that it was either mixed too much (breaking down the proteins trying to link together) or too vigorously (incorporating air which weakened the protein links).  In your description you say you "beat it".  Did you beat it or stir it?  It should be stirred back and forth zig-zagging across the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or heat-safe rubber spatula to keep from whipping air into it.

Time, temperature, and eggs/dairy ratio are going to be the main issues in getting custards to set.

Egg proteins begin to set at 160 degrees but curdle at 180 so there's very little "wiggle" room temperature wise.

According to Shirley Corriher's "Cookwise":  2 egg yolks will just barely thicken 1 cup of milk or cream.  Her Creme Anglaise recipe uses 5 egg yolks to 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream which is more yolks and less liquid than Julia's and this isn't intended to set up.  1 teaspoon of starch isn't going to provide the thickening power that is needed, it's there to keep the yolks from curdling as easily.

The recipe I use and many others I've referenced (including Chef Vincent's), use a ratio of about 6-7 yolks per cup of cream.

Also, if using a starch, you need to nearly bring the custard mixture to a boil (as is common in puddings and cream pie fillings) otherwise an enzyme in egg yolks known as alpha-amylase will eat away at the starch bonds and break them down into a watery mess.
Chef Vincent's does not use any starch.

If you want to use that recipe, I would increase it to 10 egg yolks.  After the hot cream is tempered into the egg yolks then return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until very thick but do not let it boil.  Remove it from the heat and strain into a clean metal bowl and chill over an ice bath to cool quickly.  Once cool, spoon into your desired serving dish or a cookie cup and caramelize the top with sugar.


Sauteing onions to the point of transparency - what is ideal? Observing other people cooking, I hear comments about sauteing onions until they turn transparent (or translucent), or just before they start to turn.  Usually in books and shows about cooking, this isn't discussed much.  When is the ideal time to stop sauteing onions?  are just-before and well-after transparency good for different culinary purposes?

BTW, as a physicist with a love for molecules, transformations, and looking at cells through microscopes - what is going on when onion turn from dense white to semi-translucent?

Assuming that you want to end up with light onions and not caramelized onions:

You always want the onions to be cooked through enough to have lost the sharp flavor and hard texture, just as Michael mentioned.

In some recipes, you will prepare them to the desired stage, then finish the recipe with the other ingredients. This is frequently done in stir-frys.

But sometimes, you know that the onions are just the start of a complex recipe, and will continue to be cooked for a long time. This is especially a problem with stews and soups, where letting the onions simmer can render them too soft, somewhat jellyfish-like. Then it is better to fry enough to change the aroma through the dry heat and fat reactions (I don't know which ones they are, but they don't occur when you are boiling an onion in liquid), but stop a bit before it has lost its firmness. Then you continue cooking the soup, and your onions end up firmer than if you had cooked them through at the beginning.

And a pedantic notice: you are probably not sauteeing the onions, and if you are, you should stop doing it. Sauteeing means to use very high heat and keep the food in constant movement by shaking the pan. The proper way to turn onions translucent is to put an even layer of them above melted butter, and wait for them to get ready, on medium heat. If the layer is thick, wait until the bottom ones are quite close to being done before mixing thoroughly once and then waiting again for the bottom ones. Repeat until all onions in the pan are translucent. They benefit from slow and even heating, while sauteeing is a treatment intended for highly heated surfaces but keeping the core colder.


How to make homemade bread machine mixes for long-term store? I bought a bread machine that makes delicious bread, but in the weekday, I rarely have time to put all of the ingredients together. I would like to prepare many batches for a whole month, all at once.

Many years ago, I could buy box mixes, for use in the machine, but the cost has gone up considerably. Would it be possible for me to measure out the ingredients for the bread, store them in zip-lock bags, to later be throwing into the machine?

Typical recipes include such ingredients as these:

- water
- butter
- honey
- salt
- bread flour
- nonfat dry milk
- yeast
- granola
- Italian seasoning
- mozzarella cheese
- sun-dried tomatoes

I suspect cheese, butter, water, and milk cannot be added, but can all other ingredients be added together, then stored in zip-lock backs, to later be poured in the machine? Will this result in less quality taste? How long can it be stored?

You can certainly mix together all of the dry ingredients out of the above, and store them.  They should store for a few weeks in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer.

However, by dry, I'm referring to the following out of the above:

Bread flour
Nonfat dry milk
Salt
Yeast
Granola
Sun dried tomatoes, if completely dried (not packed in oil or brine)

The other ingredients all contain some moisture and would be problematic to store in advance of making the bread, for several reasons:

The wet ingredients might ferment on their own or together with the dry ingredients;
The wet ingredients might cause clumping in ways the bread maker cannot break up;
Some of them don't freeze well;
Premixing them might cause the bread machine to not be able to mix properly.

Some explanation on the last: many bread machines instruct you in a specific order of adding wet and dry ingredients.  This is because their mixing and kneading action is designed to work with that layering.  So if you premix and store ingredients, you can't me sure that your bread machine will mix them properly.  You can test this, of course, if you can afford a few failed batches.

This means that you need to create your mixes of only the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients the day you make bread.

More ideas and information along this line can be found in the following articles:

https://www.breadmakermachines.com/mastering-the-delayed-cycle-on-your-bread-machine/
https://www.thriftyandthriving.com/prep-a-months-worth-of-bread-machine-mixes-for-easy-bread-making-becoming-self-reliant-series/
https://www.joyfullythriving.com/homemade-bread-machine-mixes/


How to travel with a cake overseas? I am planning to make a white or dark chocolate mudcake and take it from Australia to India in a month's time. I also need to ganache and fondant the cake either before or after the flight. So, I need all the tips and help to help me take the cake safely to India.

So, based on the following, I would be grateful for any tips to help me travel with the cake:

I will be baking a white or dark chocolate cake in Australia where it is currently winter and I'm taking the cake to India where it will be hot and humid. I cannot bake in India as they have no oven there and it is a single tier cake.
I want to ganache the cake and I am really really keen on doing that here in Australia as all my tools are here and its just easy to do it in my kitchen. I think it will be ok as far as the food-safety of ganache goes until I reach India as the temperatures should be cold to cool. Once I reach India, it will be in a warm temperature once I get out of the airport and probably till I reach home, about 1-2 hours.
I will be taking a couple of packets of fondant with me with the basic tools I require to cover the cake.

My ideas are:

Take the ganached cake with me in a hand luggage, like a cake carrier, but I have no idea if that's a good idea.
If I can't ganache the cake here, take the cake in the baking tin and ganache in India.
Design the cake so that if I take a ganached cake and the gaanche loses its smooth finish, the cake still looks good - pebble stone look on the fondant.

I hope this helps answering the question.

If you are allowed to take the cake you can do the following:

1) Ganache the cake after you reach India, preferably indoors as it will melt as you take it along the road.

2) To take the cake along with you during the time of your flight just put it in a ziploc bag and seal it well and it should remain intact and not go bad after you arrive, However, make sure the cake has no form of frosting or anything that has a possibility of melting even remotely.


Culturing Yeast in Dough Can I culture yeast in dough without the dough going sour?

I mean instead of adding new yeast everytime can I take a bit of raised flour and keep it for the next time?

In this situation will the flour go sour? Will new organisms grow in the flour?

You can certainly maintain a culture this way, though not all cultures will necessarily thrive. Commercial yeast, for instance, doesn't tend to do well with feedings. It basically rises and it's done. Wild yeasts will do much better by being fed.

The degree of sourness in the cultured flour will depend on the specific strains of yeast and bacteria growing in it. You can control this to a degree by adjusting the hydration level and temperature to encourage specific strains of microorganisms to grow.

Here is a link describing how to control some of the cultures in your starter.


Why not make sourdough bread from young starter? I made my own starter 3-4 days ago, and it has been growing well; I have fed it twice so far. As far as I know, it is recommended that you feed starter for about 7-0 days before you use it to make bread. My question is, why? If my starter is already growing, it means that the yeast in there is alive and well. How would the bread be different if I made it from the starter I have today, vs the one I will have in a week?
Thanks.

The advice to let the culture mature before you use it is targeted to getting reliable results. A mature sourdough culture has a relatively small number of strains of microorganism, which have outcompeted the others and formed a relatively stable ecology (assuming a regular feeding schedule). At that point the culture is reliable because newly introduced strains can't compete with the established ones. A new sourdough culture may work fine (particularly if you're seeing vigorous activity), or it may be not great, or it may be the best sourdough you've ever tasted. But the bread you make with it today may be significantly different from next week's.
As an example, if you got a bit of commercial bread yeast in there, the bread yeast is going to go crazy. But that yeast strain doesn't do well with low pH, so once the lactobacillus gains a toehold it'll slow down and be replaced by a hardier strain of saccharomyces. Fine bread this week; fine bread next week; but two different breads.
Bottom line: if you like the look of it, no reason not to use it today. Just don't generalize from the results.


Deep Frying Funnel Cakes I bought my daughter a "commercial" small deep fryer with a basket and she has been trying to perfect her making of these; however, no matter what type of recipe she uses, the funnel cake batter falls to the bottom of the fryer and sticks to the basket, any suggestions?

You need to change out the milk for buttermilk OR the baking powder for baking soda. Either of which will improve will improve the ability of the batter to form air pockets, thus becoming more buoyant, once in contact with the oil, thereby causing the cake to rise to the surface.

You would probably also get better results by removing the baskets altogether and using a spider to scoop the finished funnel cakes out of the oil. This should stop the problem of the batter clinging to the submerged baskets.


I'm Making Chicken stock. How can I keep the chicken meat/bones from rising above the water line? I'm using chicken wings to make a stock, but they want to float up to the top above the water line.  Any kitchen hacks to keep them submerged??

I never worry about this. As your stock simmers, the joints, muscle and connective tissue break down and eventually they'll sink in. Sometimes adding a bit of vinegar to your stock first helps with this. Until then, just stir the stock and move the bones around occasionally.


Why do sungold kiwis never sting the tongue, while green kiwis can? I've been buying ripe sungold kiwis (from New Zealand) and green kiwis (from Italy) for at least 5 years, and have noticed that sungolds never sting, while the green ones sometimes do.

Why? Are they different cultivars or varieties? Which is the correct term, BTW?

The "sungold" kiwifruits are certainly a specific cultivar of kiwi. I don't know enough to tell you if all the green kiwis you are buying are from the same cultivar or not.

Also, notice that cultivars of the same plant are rarely "pure" enough to always have the exact same chemical characteristics, and sometimes even a pure cultivar will express different levels of a given chemical in different growing conditions. For an example of the first, I have observed peppers from the same seed stock, sown in the same bed, to have different heat, sometimes it can even happen that two different fruits of the same plant have different heat. For the second, a watermelon's sugar content will be very dependent on the amount of sun received during growth.

Kiwifruit contains an enzyme which attacks protein, and that's what produces the stinging - your mouth's proteins are being injured. The levels in kiwi are much lower than in fruits like pineapple though, so frequently the effect is not present at noticeable levels. I don't know of a very special reason why they are never noticeable in the sungold variety, it's possible that it was bred for this purpose (along with the higher sugar content) or just that it is an evolutionary spandrel.


What can I use in place of sherry in a recipe with king prawns, garlic and paprika? I'm going to try out a recipe containing prawns for the first time. The recipe includes sherry, but I don't want to purchase a bottle of sherry as I don't drink and don't use it for cooking so I fear it will go to waste. What could I use in its place?

The recipe also calls for paprika, chilli flakes, garlic, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, red onion and parsley.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions :-)

Do you have any other alcohol (cooking or otherwise) in the house? A dry white wine could work. I usually have rice wine (Japanese, Chinese) or Sake around as I do a lot of Asian cooking, that would easily work too.


How do you make Welch's fruit snacks? The ideal goal is to replicate something similar to Welch's Fruit Snacks. We want something that is firm, flavorful, and not sticky. Has anyone come up with a delicious fruit snack recipe?

Here is what has been attempted:

Mix ingredients on medium heat in saucepan until fully dissolved. Pour into mold (ice cube tray is what we we're using), let sit for 20 minutes (we put it in the fridge for 20+). We used the same process for the following:

Experiment 1

2 packets (0.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1/3 can Fruit Punch 100% fruit juice concentrate

Experiment 2

2 packets (0.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1/3 can Fruit Punch 100% fruit juice concentrate
1/2 ounce sugar in the raw
1/2 ounce corn starch

Experiment 3

1/3 cup water
2 packets (0.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1 packet (3 oz) Strawberry-Banana Jell-o

So all of the experiments ended up sticky, difficult to pry from the ice cube tray. Experiment 2 was delicious, but didn't feel like a fruit snack.

What can be done to improve consistency (make it more solid) and decrease stickiness?

Update

Experiment 4

2 packets (0.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1/3 can Fruit Punch 100% fruit juice concentrate
1/2 ounce sugar in the raw
1/2 ounce corn starch
1 tsp coconut oil

Experiment 4 was definitely less sticky, and didn't take much work to get it out of the ice cube tray! I also took the advice from an answer below and poured some of the contents into a corn starch mold, unfortunately the exterior of the fruit snack became hard from the corn starch, and was not a pleasure to consume. Going into this I had no knowledge of how much coconut oil to put in, and the fruit snacks had little bits of coconut oil in them, so I think I'll try to decrease the amount for the next experiment.

Update 2

Experiment 5

2 packets (0.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1/3 can Fruit Punch 100% fruit juice concentrate
1/2 ounce sugar in the raw
1/4 ounce corn starch
1 tsp pectin

Experiment 6

2 packets (0.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1/3 can Fruit Punch 100% fruit juice concentrate
1 ounce sugar in the raw
1/2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp pectin

Experiment 5 & 6 are still not quite there yet. They still are somewhat sticky in the trays. I've also recently learned that it's best to add each ingredient and mix it in individually, instead of adding them all and trying to mix all together. I've had issues trying to get the corn starch/pectin to dissolve.

I encourage everyone to try to make some of these using the experiments so you can see what we're producing, and that may also help come up with further ideas to generate an excellent fruit snack!

This, I confess, is just a guess—I'd suggest adding some pectin.

Pectin is a thickener that occurs naturally in fruit, but its likely absent entirely in the fruit juice you've been using. However, it's probably present in the fruit purée used in the commercial products.

Pectin is, for example, the primary (if not only) jelling agent in jam, jelly, and preserves. In the store, Sure-Jell and Certo are common brands.

I'd try to get HM pectin (the one that isn't sold as "low sugar") to set first. It'll probably provide a firmer fruit snack. LM pectin may work, too, if you don't have enough sugar (I doubt insufficient acidity will be an issue).

I suggest, as an alternative to ice cube trays, use cornstarch molding. Basically, you press an indentation into cornstarch, and then pour the stuff in. Let it cool & dry in the cornstarch. Then remove the cornstarch. You can re-use the dry part of the cornstarch. This will deal with the stickyness, but the finish will be more matte.


Can Lasagna be frozen before cooking, if using uncooked lasagna noodles, not the no boil type I have never pre-cooked my lasagna noodles and I use regular noodles, not the no boil type.  Can I freeze this lasagna before cooking or should it be cooked and then frozen.  Also how long can it be frozen and can it be frozen in aluminum pans?

If you only use non-no-boil noodles, I expect that your recipe calls for boiling the lasagna noodles before baking. If this is the case, and if you insist on non-no-boil noodles, I would recommend cooking the noodles al dente before preparing and freezing the lasagna, or actually undercooking them and simply adding more sauce. You could also try not cooking them at all and increase the amount of sauce even more.

I would recommend more though to just use no-boil noodles. All the recipes for freezer lasagna I've seen have called for them and in my experience it doesn't work very well to freeze boiled noodles. You can substitute them 1-1 in your recipe, simply skip the boiling step and ensure the top layer is covered in sauce.

You can use disposable or non-disposable pans to freeze them. Lasagna can be kept frozen indefinitely, but many sources recommend anywhere between 1-6 months before there is a significant degradation in taste. In any case, the food is still edible but the quality will degrade over time. When I freeze my lasagna I cover it with a layer of plastic wrap, and cover that with a layer of aluminum foil to help prevent freezer burn. A good layer of shredded cheese on top will also help in that regard.


Why does bacon curl? When frying bacon in the pan, it tends to curl. What causes this? Is there a way to slow down that process itself?

As the bacon cooks the meat reduces in size faster than the fat does.

Since they are cut into strips this causes the fat to bunch up or even coil if the bacon isn't flipped enough.

The fat will eventually reduce as well when it renders but not enough to straighten out the poor bacon.


Pizza crust doesn't brown I've tried several pizza recipes but the rim/crust always comes out white, no browning at all. I used all-purpose flour, salt, instant yeast, water and olive oil.

I tried to set the temperature to maximum (230 degree celsius 230°C with my oven) and bake longer but then the crust turned out hard while cheese was starting burning. I also tried to brush the rim with milk, it was better, not white anymore, but still wasn't golden brown as I had expected. Hope someone can help. Thanks very much.

I recommend finding a recipe that incorporates a small amount of sugar into the dough, and has you bake the pizza at a high heat. Both of these are very helpful in developing the kind of crust you seek.