Does preparation of food change the nutritional content with respect to fat type? I apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge in how a fat comes to be saturated, and perhaps therein lies the answer to this question. However, due to my wife's gall stones I need to remove hard to digest fats from my cooking routine. In addition to buying fewer raw ingredients that have high saturated, hydrogenated, or trans- fats, I want to be sure that food preparation methods do not change the chemical structure of fats that I do happen to be working with.

I may just be over-thinking this, but in cases of suspending one fat in another, emulsification, etc I wanted to know if there are any methods I should avoid due to the chemical changes they entail. For instance, deep-frying foods (which typically use the fats I hope to avoid) is said to make them difficult to digest.

Please list any others that do; or let me know if I'm just being a worry wart.

The simple answer is no, you cannot convert monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fats into saturated fats through cooking alone.

Before I can even begin to answer in detail, I have to start by pointing out that "saturated" and "unsaturated" fat is already an oversimplification.  These are very rough classifications of fats and the chemical reality is far more nuanced.  I'd encourage you read the Wikipedia entry on Fatty acid for a relatively basic explanation.

Fatty acids are actually classified, chemically, in three different ways:

The existence of double bonds (CH=CH) somewhere in the molecular structure.  Fatty acids with double bounds are unsaturated.  Fatty acids with single bonds only are saturated.
The chain length (number of Carbon-Hydrogen groups).  Another distinguishing characteristic of saturated fatty acids is that they are generally (maybe always) long-chain. The reverse is not necessarily true, however; not all long-chain fatty acids are saturated.
The configuration, either cis or trans.  Trans fatty acids are not actually a different type of fat in the same sense as saturated vs. unsaturated; they are actually unsaturated fatty acids, just in a different configuration.

Although certain studies suggest that it is possible to create TFAs from edible oils with prolonged heat, it is also extremely difficult, to the extent that it's nearly impossible to do in meaningful quantities by accident.  I will refer you to this study of heat-induced cis/trans isomerization which says that after 8 hours of heating at 180° C, the researchers found up to 6.5 mg of trans isomers per 1.0 g of oil, which comes out to a grand total of 0.65% by mass.  This is practically nil as far as a home cook is concerned - these quantities only matter if you're doing commercial processing of vegetable oils, or maybe if you're using the oil for deep-frying and you reuse it dozens of times (far beyond what any experienced fry cook would recommend).

The study also says that edible oils (i.e. the ones you cook with) experienced less isomerization than other kinds.  So really, the amount of isomerization you're going to get (conversion of the "good" cis isomers to "bad" trans isomers) is minuscule and simply insignificant as far as mainstream baking or frying applications are concerned.  So forget about trans fats.

Can you create saturated fats?  That would effectively mean breaking down the double bonds into single bonds.  In order to do that, you need to add hydrogen (that's why saturated fatty acids are "saturated" - more hydrogen).

There's a name for this process, which you actually stumbled upon in your question.  It's called Hydrogenation.  It's adding hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated (double-bonded) fatty acid.

Hydrogenation requires a substrate (involving benzene or some other hydrocarbon), a hydrogen source (that's pure, dangerous, H2 gas), and a catalyst (heavy metal).  My guess is that your kitchen has none of those things, unless you're cooking in a chemistry lab.  So there is simply no chance for you to accidentally hydrogenate your oils.

What you really need to be more worried about with oils (unsaturated fats) is lipid peroxidation.  That's the oxidative breakdown and, eventually, rancidity of fats, and polyunsaturated fats are particularly prone to this.  Heat is a catalyst for peroxidation, so if you "burn" your oil (or other fats), you may end up creating the same sorts of free radicals normally associated with rancidity due to improper storage.  The long-term effect of these free radicals is not firmly established but the consensus seems to be that they aren't good for you in the long term (cancer risk and so on).

So don't worry about converting your oils when you cook with them.  It's practically impossible.  You should be more concerned with overheating them or letting them go rancid in storage.


Why do so many cheeses have artificial ingredients? Here in Europe (and perhaps only in Spain) I've noticed that most of the cheeses (hard and soft, but more often hard) contain an interesting list of artificial additives in the ingredients: conservatives, acid correctors, colors etc. Finding cheeses without these is a real chore. Going organic helps, but the offerings are small.

My questions are:

Is it like that everywhere else?
How bad is it for the consumers?
Why do they do it? is there a law of some kind regarding this?

I feel this question might be considered on the border of suitability for the site, feel free to suggest a different site if you think it is inappropriate here.

Here in the states it depends on where in the grocery store you look. Usually behind the deli counter and in the dairy isle, yes most the large commercial cheeses are loaded up with additives and preservatives. In a store like Whole Foods (increasingly in traditional grocers too), there is usually a devoted cheese section. If you look at those cheeses, you'll often find the only ingredients to be milk, enzymes, salt. There are also local farmers markets that often have a variety of handmade cheeses that are less likely to have additives/preservatives as well.

Question 2 Is subjective and depends on what the consumer is after. The mass-produced stuff is more homogeneous in color/taste, can have a longer shelf life, and is generally cheaper than the other offerings. As far as health concerns, many customers feel that you are better off avoiding unnecessary additives though I don't believe there is much subjective evidence supporting one side over the other.

Roux has it right on for point number three. Safest assumption for why a company does something a certain way is cost.


How to get good design on marble cake? Any pointer on how to get different marble cake patterns or zebra cake patterns?

The basic concept is to pour your vanilla batter onto the pan and then drops of chocolate or stripes of chocolate, and then use a butter knife to swirl it. You can probably find some good demonstration videos on YouTube. Good luck!


Cooling a Roast cooked in a Crockpot What is the correct way to cool off a Roast/Pot/Carrots cooked in a Crockpot? Can I put it straight in the refrigerator after turning off or should I cool it off first.

Definitely cool off your roast first. Putting hot or warm food into your refrigerator a) shortens the life of your fridge because it has to work harder, and b) introduces heat into the fridge that can affect other items in the refrigerator. Shortening the usage date on milk is the most common. A third consideration has nothing to do with food but may impact your ability to purchase roasts in the future: your electricity usage. You're going to have to pay for every kilowatt-hour of electricity you waste on fridge-chilling food that is too hot.


What is the best way to clean mussels? I've tried scrapping with a knife (scissors), but it's hard work and slow. Any other idea?

If you mean cleaning in terms of getting rid of the 'beard', use clean pliers and a lot of elbow grease. It's hard to pull that out.

If you mean just cleaning the shells, use a stiff bristled brush and scrub.

If you mean cleaning the sand from the inside of the mussels, put the live mussels in a large container full of water and cornmeal and leave overnight in the refrigerator. The mussels should flush the sand out and replace it with cornmeal (never tried this method, but I've heard it works well.)


What causes dough made from coconut flour to not stick together? I made a pizza dough with half wheat and half coconut flour and I noticed the dough wasn't as elastic and broke apart easier. Then I tried a dough with 100% coconut flour and it was essentially a crumbly mess until I added egg and even then it didn't have the typical texture of good pizza dough.
Why is this the case?

Gluten is what makes a dough stick together and have structure. Coconut flour has no gluten, so the resulting dough will be a crumbly mess. Intentionally gluten free recipes usually contain any number of special additives to compensate for the lack of gluten.


Frozen Kefir Grains Seem Dead...Any Suggestions? My kefir grains were frozen by accident when the temp in my fridge was turned way down.  I turned the temp back up, and after a couple of days took my grains out to culture a fresh batch of milk.  After two days, however, I still have milk with kefir grains at the bottom.  They don't seem to be doing their job anymore.  Should I throw them out or wash them off and try again with new milk?

I don't have any more grains, so I'd hate to lose this batch!  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

During the freezing process, ice crystals can cause cell damage to microorganisms. This means that a lot of the bacteria in your kefir may have died in the freezing process, leaving your culture significantly weakened. It may take a few batches to get it back up to full strength.


What should be the tooth of banana pudding pie? Last night I made a vegan banana pudding pie for Pi Day, and despite the quality of the pie as a pie, I was left wondering if I had gotten the pudding texture right. I had anticipated something a bit looser, though gelled. This was next to Jell-O, and when you put your fork through it to take a bit it pushed out the banana underneath, or wiggled off the crust.

I was expecting something more like bannoffee pie, or a more giving texture. The cookbook refers to this as "a take on the Southern Classic;" so perhaps we Yanks are accustomed to wimpier pudding pies? I don't know if it was the recipe or the technique;

The composition was a half cup of corn starch in a slurry with a half cup of soy milk. The recipe calls to bring 1 1/2 cup soy milk, 3/4 soy creamer, and 1 cup granulated sugar to a simmer; stir the slurry and add to pot, whisking for five minutes. Then you add the pot to a bowl with 1 tablespoon earth balance, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, whisking until cool (put bowl over cold water).

As I do not have a nylon whisk, I had to use a small, heat-proof flat spatula to whisk in the pot. Per prior experience with corn starch slurry, I gradually poured it in while stirring instead of "adding" it. The pudding was not cold, but the recipe indicated this would take about ten minutes, as opposed to the three or four it actually took.

First, how would one describe the proper texture of a banana pudding pie's pudding; what similar recipes have a similar stiffness, texture, tooth?
Second, were my expectations wrong, or my recipe and technique?
Last, could I tweak the amount of corn starch, or perhaps substitute in part or whole a different thickener to get a more appropriate, giving tooth?

Is it perhaps that the problem wasn't that the pudding was too gelled, but that the crust didn't give enough traction (crumb'ed oreos and 4 tablespoons earth balance melted and pressed into the shell and par-baked 10 minutes), or perhaps the bananas were too few (three small on a 9" shell) or should have been cooked somewhat?

It is difficult to give an authoritative answer because who knows what a "typical" pie might be like. It might be different for every person you talk to. I will therefore answer just for myself.

All of the made-from-scratch pudding pies that I have made have been very similar- a lot of sugar and fat and some starch to make the gel. Usually recipes also call for egg yolks which also help with binding but make the pudding a little more custardy instead of just a gel.

The texture should be sliceable so that the sliced edges sag but don't flow. I have had pies that have to be scooped out which, while perfectly delicious, isn't as nice a presentation. On the other side of the spectrum is what you have- rubber- which is a great presentation when cutting but not much fun to eat.

Gradually adding your corn starch slurry is always a good idea. Often the starch is mixed with the sugar to make sure it is evenly dispersed and then added to the liquid. As long as you didn't have clumps your technique here was fine.

I don't think your expectations of a banana pudding pie or your technique are wrong. What I think is slightly wrong is your expectations for this recipe. It's "wrong" to call something a "take on a southern classic" that uses soy milk and organic margarine. The milk fat and egg yolks in typical recipes do a lot to make a smooth, custardy pudding. Doing this with different fats and soy milk could be good but I would expect it to be different.

The bananas don't have to be precooked- that would be horrible, I haven't used earth balance but if it behaves like normal margarine then your crust sounds like it is pretty normal. The number of bananas also sounds reasonable. You want a good layer but not so much that the pudding can't work in to bind it together.

Reducing the amount of corn starch a little should make the filling softer and more to your liking. You could try adding a little more fat which will also soften the pie. In the end though, I wouldn't expect a typical texture of a pie that is made completely of non-typical ingredients.


Is a Pyrex bowl suitable for a double boiler? Can I use a Pyrex bowl as a double boiler? Or can I use the microwave when a recipe calls for melting ingredients in a double boiler?

The funny thing about pyrex is that it isn't the same everywhere.  European pyrex would undoubtedly be fine (you can put a cold dish in a hot oven), while American pyrex is less heat-proof.

Having said that, a proper double boiler, in which only steam heats the upper container, would be absolutely fine with any pyrex.  The thing to be worried about is rapid, uneven heating or cooling.

In fact (and this isn't a suggestion though I've done it myself) even a normal glass bowl should be fine, as the heating should be even enough to avoid thermal stress -- unless the boiling water underneath splashes too much.

As for the microwave, you can often melt things in it, but it's often harder than a double boiler. It depends what the ingredients are, to the extent that it's easier to melt dark chocolate reliably in microwave than white chocolate.


Wok: Carbon steel or cast iron? I LOVE stirfrying (I probably do it 4 times a week) and I want to take it to the next level (or 2). I am going to get this burner to cook my stirfry's out on the patio.

I am wondering if I should also get a cast iron wok, or should I just stick with the carbon steel that I have been using?

I have friends from Hong Kong who always use steel woks in their take-away.

A cast-iron wok would require a different technique for stir frying. It would be slower to heat up and retain heat when you didn't want the food to continue cooking.

Stick with the one you have ...


How to fry carnitas? I am looking for a good way to prepare carnitas. So far I have tried putting the pork in a slow cooker all day, shredding the meat and then pan frying it in one side in .5 inch of oil for about 2 minutes. This was ok, but the meat seemed a little chewy.

Can anyone recommend a good frying technique that will leave the meat crispy on the outside and tender everywhere else?

Note: I fried in vegetable oil on high heat in a cast iron skillet

Kenji Alt has devoted one of his Food Lab columns to carnitas.

The key to his method is he cooks the pork in a manner akin to confit, under fat in the oven.  This low and slow method makes it tender and flavorful.

Then, he broils it before service to crisp up.


How should I store salmon en croute? I've half a pound of salmon en croute (made from this recipe) left over from dinner this evening. I've never dealt with pastry encrusted salmon, so I'm not sure of storage best practices. I'd like to store it for approximately 12 hours, preferably in a way that preserves the puff pastry's stable, yet light, texture. Any ideas?

You will obviously need to refrigerate.  If it is only 12-hours, I would cool, then leave it uncovered in your refrigerator, or maybe a loose draping of plastic.  For longer storage, I would wrap well and freeze.  Reheat in a 425-450F (218 - 232C) oven until just warm in the center (test with a cake tester by inserting into thickest part, wait 5- 10 sec., and touch to your lip). The pastry should come back, but probably not to its original glory.


Is there such thing as "almond tofu," and if so, is it a misnomer? I just read a restaurant review in the New York Times that mentions "almond tofu."

  Made from almonds, it has the luxurious texture of a custard rather than the rubbery bounce of bean-curd tofu.

Wikipedia refers "Almond tofu" to the "Almond jelly" listing and notes that it can also be called "Almond pudding."

Still, however, I have coworkers who maintain "there is no such thing as almond tofu. Tofu has to be made out of soy!"

Are they correct?

Update:

Pete Wells, restaurant critic for the New York Times, responds via Twitter:

  It's analogous to traditional Japanese goma tofu, made from sesame.

It's semantic nitpicking.

Tofu is defined as soy milk, curdled and pressed. Some people who don't care about oriental culinary tradition think of tofu as any non-dairy milk that is curdled and pressed into a curd.

Technically your almond tofu would be almond milk curd or some such.

In reality your coworker is being pedantic and I would accept the term "almond tofu" as a perfectly understandable, non oriental, colloquialism.


Do breads always have to be baked in some vessels in an oven? If yes, then what shaped vessels would those be? Is it even necessary to use a vessel for baking breads (assuming I don't care about the shape of the bread)?

In this link for (example) French bread I saw that the dough is not in liquid form, so it won't spread away if I put it straightaway in the oven wrapped in a tin foil?
http://steamykitchen.com/75-baking-the-perfect-loaf-of-french-bread.html

Can breads be baked without any vessel?
If not, then what shaped vessel should be preferred for baking breads?
If yes, then what is the appropriate method for baking it directly in oven?

The general answer is that you use a loaf pan if you want the common rectangular loaf shape (it's good for slicing for toast and sandwiches), and otherwise you don't need one.

For example, the link you gave for french bread completely describes how to shape and bake the loaf. There's no wrapping in foil or anything; you coax it into that shape, and it's flexible and stretchy but won't spread out or anything. I'm not sure why it refers to a "baking vessel", implying that it's something that contains the loaf. All you need is a flat baking sheet.

Once you've made bread dough this should be pretty obvious - it's not a big wet mess, it's something with structure that you can work with and shape. It's pretty much the same with all other shapes of loaves - you get them into the general shape, toss them on a baking sheet, and bake them. You can make small circular rolls, small oblong rolls, big circular loaves, big oblong loaves, whatever suits you. There are certainly traditional shapes for some breads, and you should probably follow recipes, since baking times are of course affected by size, but the general principle remains the same - you shape it how you want it.


Method for caramelizing Goat Cheese Balls without Breading? I was recently at a restaurant where I was served fried balls of goat cheese. They were white, oily, very slightly browned, and appeared to be without any breading. The outside of the balls were sweet. The texture was very soft and fairly consistent; it reminded me of fresh goat cheese, only slightly denser.

They were served slightly warmer than lukewarm in an otherwise cold salad.

The menu described them as "Caramelized Goat Cheese". I am completely out of my wits how they were made.

My best guess is that the cheese balls were formed in molds were glazed honey and then frozen. The frozen cheese balls were either deep fried or torched. I wonder if a specific type of cheese or a mixture containing non-cheese ingredients is needed to make this.

I am hoping to replicate these and I am looking for a recipe. How were they made?

You can use a mini scooper to cut the goat cheese in spherical shape. After cutting the spheres, put a toothpick to it, coat it with castor sugar or dermerra sugar. Blow torch it evenly on all sides. Enjoy!!


Pudding Control Sample measurements If anyone has noticed - recently I have been fascinated with pudding. And I mean the creamy dessert (sample picture). Since I encountered a myriad of recipes - some calling for egg, others for no egg, some for butter, other for cream, etc. I decided to make my own experimentation (I am a scientist - sue me) and derive the best recipe for me (and hopefully for lots of other people, as well).

In order not to be left with huge batches of failed pudding, I decided to have a "control" recipe of tiny proportions. What I did was scour the Google for the first five or six chocolate pudding recipes, derive predominant ratios and comprise them into my very own franken-puddy recipe. From here I will make that control, taste it and then proceed to make a new one, each time removing or adding an extra ingredient. For example in the second round I will remove the egg, in the third round keep the egg but remove butter, etc.

The aim is to see how each ingredient affects the end result.

Cooks of the world, I would like to hear your thoughts on my recipe proportions! But beware - it is in metric (lousy imperial translation has been attempted but can be inaccurate).

Egg yolks  -  1        1
Cocoa      - 30ml     2tbsp.
Sugar      - 60ml     4tbsp.
Butter     - 10ml     2tsp.
Milk       - 164ml    5.55oz
Cornstarch - 14ml     2.8tsp.

The aim is for the end pudding to be no more than one serving, I only need it for a small taste test, after all. As for the cream, I would substitute the same amount as for butter.

EDIT:

Sampling I intend to do:

Control (the cited above recipe)
Control with no egg
Control with egg yolk and white
Control with egg white, no yolk
Control with no butter
Control with cream, instead of butter
Control with 5ml cream and 5ml butter
Control with a pinch of salt
Control with more salt
Control with 90ml Nesquik, instead of cocoa and sugar

The problem here is that taste is subjective and even if I know what effect a certain change will have, it has to be tasted to be deemed good or bad.
Once I establish a baseline of what swings the pudding in the tasty direction and what in the "EGADS!" direction I can begin substitution for similar but fancier products, like milk for almond milk or coconut milk, etc. as proposed by Rand(char) below. :)

Journeys into Pudding, Part I:

Just attempted to make my first control batch... it didn't thicken... am I using too little cornstarch?

The ratio of egg/cornstarch to milk essentially controls the thickness of your end product more egg and it ends up like a custard, more cornstarch and you end up with a pastry cream.

You could swap out egg/cornstarch for gelatin?

With just yolk you add a richness to the pudding same with the butter.

With the milk you could swap it out for almond milk, coconut milk, kahlua ...

I'd also suggest a little salt to enhance flavor and maybe a splash of vanilla...

I'd also look into mousse, custard, Bavarian Cream all essentially have the same ingredients but with slightly different outcome.

That should keep yeh busy for awhile :P


How does cutting a pork shoulder affect cooking time? I have an approx. 10 pound pork shoulder that I would like to smoke on a charcoal grill. Recipes commonly list that you should smoke a shoulder for about 60 to 90 minutes per pound (depending on cooking temperature and other factors).
How would cutting this 10lb shoulder in half into two 5lb shoulders affect cook time?
Would it simply divide the time needed by half or is there a sort of "curve" that decreases cook time based on size? Any tips for how to properly divide the shoulder?
edit I do have a nice, digital meat thermometer that I'll be using to determine when the cut is actually finished. Cooking time is still important though, so I can get a rough estimate about when it'll be finished and ready to serve (give or take a half hour or so, hopefully).

Cooking by minutes per pound is far less accurate than using a thermometer.  The challenge with a pork shoulder is that it is made of of different muscles.  So, timing could certainly depend on which you are cooking...and, when using the charcoal grill, obviously the cooker temperature is going to be a factor.  So, get a good thermometer and rely on that.  Use the shorter end of the time estimate for an indication of when to check the temperature.


Warming refrigerated butter at a table in a restaurant I love to cook.  One of my favorite ways to cook is to go to a restaurant, look at the menu, get ideas, and order creatively.  It helps to tip well.

For example, I've been successful creating diet ginger ale by ordering it cut with club soda and adding sugar substitute to taste.  Also found breakfast burritos are very tasty if you substitute the tortilla with a crape.  These work because the directions and goal are simple and understandable.

My current obsession is room temperature butter for the hot rolls.  I want the butter to spread.  I don't want the butter cooling the rolls.  Can order the butter ahead of the rolls, if I must, but time is still at a premium.

If you're lucky you can order room temperature butter and get room temperature butter.  More often I'm told they have to refrigerate the butter.  I don't want to argue with them about the wisdom of their health codes.  Some have tried to microwave it only to present me with abstract art sitting in a pool of drawn butter.  This site could teach them how to microwave butter properly but I'm trying to communicate through a busy waiter.

Typically what I'm given is either small foil wrapped pats of butter or a 1 inch by 1 inch by 1/8 inch slice placed on a saucer.

What are your ideas for warming the butter before the rolls cool down?  I'm willing to do some work myself at the table.

Ask for a heated glass!
Glasses freshly out of cleaning should be warm anyway, so chances are they have one. Putting the heated glass over your (opened) piece of butter unter the turned-over glass should have the desired effect.


What is the stringy slimy stuff in Peace Tea? I bought a Sno-berry Peace Tea today that had a slimy stringy substance in it. I pulled it out of my mouth after unknowingly drinking it, and I put it into a napkin. Once the moisture was out of it, it was a strong, fibrous string...Any idea what this is??

The ingredients list:

  TEA (WATER, TEA POWDER), CANE SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, PECTIN, SUCRALOSE

None of those should be slimy or stringy, and also wouldn't form a fibrous string even if it was sitting for a long time. It's almost impossible to know what did contaminate your drink. However, you can get in touch with the manufacturer about it!


Are there any substitutes for Shortening? I was specifically thinking about the Crisco shortening that is used in baking.

Lard.  ... and to build on what @bmargulies said:

Other coconut oil, lard is one of the few fats that are solid at room temperature, and the only reason for using shortening in baking that I'm aware of is to get the little lumps of shortening mixed with the flour that don't melt until it's baked, which will result in a tender texture.

You can achieve the same thing with butter, but butter also has water in it, so you'll end up with some extra lift in the pastry, which isn't always desired for recipes that call for shortening.  It also melts at a lower temp, so you have to start with it cold and work quickly.

... now, the other use of shortening in baking is for greasing pans -- again, it's because it's solid, so it'll stick to the sides of the pan.  For that, you can often use canned cooking sprays, as they have surficants which will keep them from dripping.


Accidently put dried red kidney beans in chili without soaking, What to do? I'm new to cooking with beans, and I accidentally cooked dried kidney beans with my chili without soaking them first. Do I just let them cook for a long period  of time, or am I in danger of getting poisoned since they were not soaked beforehand?

The issue isn’t so much the soak but the cooking.
You need to boil the beans for 10 minutes to inactivate the toxin in them.  Cooking at a lower temperature, such as with a slow cooker will not do this.

The problem here is that I don’t know how well the beans will cook if they’re not yet hydrated. You may need to cook them for a bit then bring it to a hard boil for 10 minutes


Why should we add alcohol to make extract Why is alcohol used to prepare extracts, such as mint extract?

Simple. The compounds that give mint its minty flavor are alcohol soluble, so with alcohol present you can "extract" them.

There are other things use can use, propylene glycol is one. Basically you need a solvent that can also serve as a carrier for the flavor you want. Water doesn't work, most flavors are not water soluble. Many are oil soluble, but using oil gives you a different product entirely, as does using vinegar for the acid, which is also a solvent.

If your final product is high in alcohol, propylene glycol or acid, it will also be well protected against quick spoilage.


Reheat cooked meat in microwave Why does reheata cooked meat (can it be chicken, cow or pig) results in a realy bad taste and smell?

Is there tips to reheat it?

You are going to find a considerable variation of quality when re-heating meats or meat dishes, by any method, including the microwave.

Much of this depends on what the particular cut of meat involved was, and how it was prepared or what part of the dish it is in.

Some meats simply reheat better than others, and some cooking methods promote a more reheatable dish.

Reheat Well

Slow cooked cuts, like shoulder or chuck, that are traditionally cooked for several hours or more in a number of methods such as a braise, a barbecue or a tagine tend to reheat very well by any number of methods, including the microwave.

There should neither be an off texture nor an off smell.

For poultry, the dark meat tends to reheat better in these types of meat.

Reheat Poorly

Simple, fast cooking methods like steaks or chicken cutlets tend to reheat poorly, by any method, including the microwave.

This is because it is difficult to rewarm them evenly without actually overcooking them the second time.  Once they become well done, even if during the reheating, they will be tough and rubbery and unpalatable.

The microwave is especially difficult, because it may not heat the piece evenly, and so it might overcook and turn rubbery at the tips, while it is still cold in the center.

Your best bet is to lower the power setting at the cost of taking considerably longer to reheat.  Make sure to turn the food over several times, during its reheating period, and if your microwave does not have an automatically rotating carousel, rotate the food as well to promote even reheating.

Even so, you will never get it hot without significant risk of overcooking.  Aim for just getting the chill off, or moderately warm at the top end.

Beef steaks are especially challenging as they are lean, and people are so sensitive to how much they have been cooked.  You might be better off slicing them thinly, and eating them colder.

Aroma

The main challenge in reheating meats is maintaining the texture.

There is nothing that happens in a microwave that should lead to a bad smell.   Sometimes the microwave itself may need a little bit of cleaning.


Adding Pure Oleogustus Flavor Recent scientific research indicates that there's a sixth taste, oleogustus. Responsible for the flavorful taste of fat in small quantities, and rancidity in large quantities. The research also indicates that the oleogustus is primarily attributed to the long chain fatty acids in dietary fats.

I'm looking for a way to add concentrated oleogustus flavor to dishes. Much the same way that MSG adds umami or sugar adds sweetness. One of the primary reasons being that low-fat foods could be made more palatable by the addition. For example lean cuts of beef cooked with oleogustus would take more like their well-marbled counterparts.

I've looked extensively to find any writing on this topic, but haven't come across anything substantial. My hunch is that high omega-3 fish or flax oils might do the trick. DHA, EPA and ALA are all 20-carbon fatty acid chains, which should give them a strong oleogustus flavor. But getting the ratios right is another problem, too much oleogustus is always bad tasting. And fish oil isn't exactly known for being tasty, so maybe it's introducing too many other undesirable flavors.

Any thoughts on how to distill an essence of oleogustus taste? Or whether it's even worth trying to add this flavor?

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26142421
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2015/Q3/research-confirms-fat-is-sixth-taste-names-it-oleogustus.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537895/

The journal article lists the chemicals they used, the concentrations tested, and the suppliers they purchased them from (https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/chemse/bjv036). Contact the manufacturer and ask for pricing. Their website will likely give quantities and item numbers. Make sure it is food grade. I’ve been able to buy small quantities of pure food grade chemicals for $40 from Sigma (as a business). It’s possible they do not sell to individuals though. As a second source, try amazon.


Would refrigeration lengthen shelf life for this water sweetener? Ingredients: vegetable glycerin, purified water, citric acid, malic acid, natural flavor, stevia leaf extract, sodium citrate.

Container is about 2-3 ounces.

It says on the container: "Does not need refrigeration. For best quality use within 30 days from opening. Store in a cool dry place."

Would such a recipe spoil after thirty days?

The most likely answer here is that the flavor compounds either degrade (oxidize) or evaporate over time in an opened container. Refrigeration is unlikely to change this a lot as the rate of evaporation is dependent on the diffusion gradient A large gradient = faster diffusion, which would be determined by the head-space in the opened bottle.

Oxidation processes are dependent on the amount of substance to be oxidized and the amount of available oxygen, though there also things like free-radicals which can oxidize one molecule and then move on to the next. Temperature might slow this a little, but probably not so much that you would notice greatly.


Why is ciabatta poolish usually made with instant yeast? So far all the "classic" ciabatta recipes I have found propose using small amounts of instant yeast.

But I'm pretty sure that ciabatta predates invention of instant yeast so why not use sourdough instead?

It work pretty well for me except the poolish doesn't get bubbly overnight in the fridge (6 degree Celsius) but if I keep it for like 3 days it looks like gluten gets over-fermented. On the other hand, if I add more sourdough to the poolish it probably will get too contaminated with over fermented whole wheat and rye (I use it to feed my sourdough). So is it the reason?

Commercially produced yeast has been around since the mid-late 1800s, and the commercial strains we use today have been around since the 40s while Ciabatta was invented in 1982. So while ciabatta seems like it's a very old traditional thing it is relatively new, and commercial yeast was widely available.


What are the benefits of using a dedicated rice cooker, rather than just cooking rice in a pot? For which reasons should I use a dedicated rice cooker, instead of cooking rice in a pot?

Yes there are benefits! This is one of my most used pieces of kitchen equipments. Here is a list of benefits for a quality rice cooker:

Never burns rice
No guess measurements for all kinds of rice
Scheduled cooking
Keep warm settings
Uniform cooking

When I cook rice on my stove, even at the lowest of heats, I get a thin layer of rice that has overcooked stuck to the bottom of the pot.

For the record I have the Zojirushi 5-1/2 cup induction rice cooker. Best thing ever.


Why do my homemade tortillas turn hard at first but then become soft? I suppose this is more curiosity than a problem, but why do my homemade (corn) tortillas start hard as soon as they are off the pan and then quickly turn soft? They seem quite dry immediately after being cooked, but stacking them with a plate on top and bottom will the leave plate quite steamy (presumably more moisture being released from the tortillas). Again, after leaving them alone for a while they are softer and moister.

It's because the moisture is distributing throughout the tortilla. Same thing happens to bread when it's baked. The crust is hard but there is still a lot of moisture inside which will moisten and soften the crust. Your tortillas will also pick up moisture from the air when left out.


Poolish deflated after refrigeration After I allowed the polish to rise for approx. 10 hours ( it had risen quite a bit) and I placed in the fridge overnight - I find that the level has dropped from the high it had prior to refrigerating ? Why ?

Yeast fermentation slows down under refrigeration but does not stop altogether. After 10 hours, the poolish probably exhausted all of its food for the yeast. Putting it in the fridge did not accomplish much of anything afterwards. It needed to be fed again.


Deep Saute Pan vs Stockpot I'm considering some new cookware and some sites have recommended I get a deep saute pan and a stock pot.

But from looking at All Clad's choices for the stockpot and the deep saute pan, these seem very similar, except the pan has a long handle and the pot does not.

Is there a functional difference?

There is no functional difference, just a matter of preference. Pots are pots, in this case. Same material and essentially the same size.


Are fungal toxins a significant problem in coffee, and if so, can they be avoided? I stumbled across this blogpost which claims that coffee is awesome for our bodies but only if it doesn't have mycotoxins (toxins generated by fungi).

To quote them:

  One study showed that 91.7% of green coffee beans were contaminated with mold.  This is before they were processed, which allows even more mold to grow.  Another study showed 52% of green coffee beans and almost 50 percent of brewed coffees are moldy.  Coffee is easily one of the largest sources of mycotoxins in the food supply.

They conveniently sell coffee beans that underwent a different process and don't have mycotoxins, so I have to wonder if this is a real problem and if there are ways to avoid it besides buying from them.

Perhaps buying green beans and processing them somehow so the fungi are washed away?

Time to apply a bit of healthy skepticism here:

The blog post:

Is (so far) the first and only one I've ever seen stating mold to be a practical problem in coffee - in the sense of being present in a high enough quantity to matter (mold grows everywhere).
Uses all kinds of weasel words to describe symptoms ("edgy", "cranky", "useless mentally").
Describes symptoms that are well in line with plain old caffeine withdrawal.
Frequently links to other blog posts on the same site, most of which are "top 10 ways" and "top 5 reasons" fluff pieces.
Manages to cite and thoroughly misuse two studies: one from 1995, and another from 2003. Both are about Ochratoxin A (OA), which isn't even the biggest risk; Aflatoxin is. (More on these later).
Advertises a fairly expensive product, sold by the same author.

The author:

Is, according to his LinkedIn profile (which I refuse to link here), the VP of Cloud Security at Trend Micro - a Silicon Valley tech company. I could not find any evidence that he or his his employer has any experience in human biology or nutrition.
Makes all sorts of unusual claims about himself: "He upgraded his brain by >20 IQ points, lowered his biological age, and lost 100 lbs without using calories or exercise."
Has an entire page of testimonials, which he frequently cites as "evidence".
Has an entire site dedicated to product-peddling, including the ubiquitous six-second abs (yes, that's hyperbole) and a $60 "earthing mat".
Has the following disclaimers on the product site (all in tiny print at the bottom):

  The statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration).  Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

  The information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your physician, and should not be construed as individual medical advice.  The testimonials on this website are individual cases and do not guarantee that you will get the same results.
  In short, he employs tactics which are commonplace among con artists selling magnetic bracelets. In my opinion, all his claims are technobabble, and I think they are not trustworthy.

  The facts and studies:

The largest sample tested was just 60 samples of beans, and was tested from only one source (Brazil). This is fine for individual studies, but in the real world there are hundreds (thousands?) of sources from many different countries. It's safe to say that the current studies don't even come close to testing all of the coffee from around the world.
Both OA studies found an incidence rate of approximately 50% for the OA-producing mold, at wildly different concentrations (minimum 0.2 ppb in one study, maximum 7.8 ppb in another). If this tells me anything at all, it's that you should probably vary your source if you want to minimize your risk.
Neither the FDA nor the EFSA actually have a legal limit for OA, but the EFSA "suggests" a limit of 8 µg/kg, which means that even the worst samples are below the very conservative legal limit.
One study actually tested the incidence of OA in brewed coffee, not just the beans, and found a maximum of 7.8 ppb in the brew (that's 7.8 µg per 1 kg of ground coffee).

For reference, there's an EFSA directive recommending an intake of no more than 120 ng/kg (body weight) per week, which comes out to 8.4 µg/week for a 150 lb/70 kg individual, or 1.2 µg/day.
Based on the worst contamination of brewed coffee (7.8 µg/kg), doing the math, you'd have to consume the brew from 150 g of ground coffee per day. That's about half a standard-sized tin of coffee. Per day. If you drink that much coffee, shame on you.

The 3rd study (the one rumtscho linked to, not cited by the blogger/con artist) looked at Aflatoxin, not Ochratoxin, which actually is regulated by the FDA at a maximum of 20 ppb. This study also showed approximately a 50% incidence rate after roasting, with the highest concentration of AT being 16 µg/kg for decaf (less with caffeine). So that means with any random cup of coffee you have up to a 50% chance of consuming an amount of AT that's still well below the FDA limit - that's very nearly zero risk.
None of the studies test the rate of mold growth on beans while in storage under various conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.), so we can't comment on what happens in storage. So I guess if you want to really be on the safe side, only buy as much coffee as you think you can use in a week or two.

Conclusion:

Don't believe everything that people tell you - especially people with something to sell. Unless you're drinking gallons of coffee a day, brewed coffee is perfectly safe.


Are the Keurig K-Cups safe? I have a Keurig machine at my home and in my office at work.  I use them roughly 1-2 times a day, but today I started to think about the Keurig and those K-cup packages they dispense water through. I have done some research about if it is safe to consume what comes out of their product and the only answer I seem to find is that some parts of the machine can contain BPA/has been in contact with BPA and other parts do not.  (Hot, pressured water meeting the plastic k-cups)

Granted it has been approved by the FDA, I would assume it is safe to use it...

Seeing as the answers I have found are rather vague, can someone provide more insight on if the Keurig & K-cups are safe to use?

According to the Keurig website:

  K-Cup® and Vue™ packs do not contain BPA and are constructed using FDA-approved food safe materials. We also use FDA-approved food safe materials in our K-Cup® and Vue™ brewing systems, and neither system contains BPA within its water paths (as of January 1, 2010 for our K-Cup® system).

I therefore would definitely say you need not be concerned, and if you are worried about BPA consumption, make sure you have a newer machine!


Is it safe to eat cooked chicken that has been out for 4 hours? When I go to school and bring my lunch I like to have chicken but I go at 7:30 and eat at 11:20. Is it still safe to eat or I should not eat it?

This would be a scenario like several reputable food safety standards (eg australian) describe as "safe for immediate consumption", others would consider it unsafe. Let all these statements stand, and decide.

To minimize freshness loss and risk: If not leaving home with the pan hot, refrigerate instantly after cooking, probably using cold water around the container, and refrigerate to as cold a temperature as you can manage. In summer weather, ice packs or other cold things kept with the packaging are prudent to use.

Referring to http://foodsafety.asn.au/topic/temperature-danger-zone/ , considering Australia a country having sound scientific basis for their recommendations.


How do you shell groundnuts (peanuts) without breaking their kernels? I usually break groundnuts by putting them between my teeth. This often results in shattering the groundnut kernel.

The problem with smashed kernels is removing the papery cover as well as the outer cover which gets smashed and mixed with the kernel pieces. It is difficult to separate them then.

For making peanut butter, how should the groundnuts be shelled?

You can most generally shell peanuts with your hands. There are different methods you can do depending on how sturdy the shells are.

1- If the shells are sturdy, hold each side of the neck (if you know what I mean) with each hand, and then break it apart. Now you have two shells with peanuts in them but there is a hole in each shell. Take one of them and apply pressure to the side opposite from the hole by putting the shell between your thumb and index finger and pressing your thumb. The hole will get bigger and you get your peanut.

2- If the shells are not so sturdy (which most often is the case), do the last step in the previous method. Just apply pressure by putting the shell between your thumb and index finger and pressing your thumb a little hole will form, get bigger, and then you get your peanut.

3- If the shells are really thin, and your fingernails are long, you can just crack into them by pressing with your nails.


How can I save tomatoes for at least 20 days? I want to save juicy tomatoes, but not in freezer. How might this be possible?

Tomatoes can last that long in a root celar at 15 degrees Celsius. You have to choose tomatoes bred for lasting - so supermarket ones, not homegrown heirloom varieties, and preferably not perfectly ripe and juicy. Your biggest problem would be mold, so carefully check each tomato for places where the skin is torn or the tomato has been squished. Then carefully order them such that there is enough air/ventilation around them, ideally in a single layer. If the humidity around a tomato gets too high, it will grow mold at the place where it grew out of the wine. And never let the temperature drop below 13 Celsius (so don't do it in the fridge!) because they change their taste then.

If you cannot do that - for example, if you just harvested a large amount of overripe tomatoes and wonder how to not lose them - your only option may be making something out of them that can be canned.


How can I get thinner pancakes? I've been messing around with the pancake recipe that calls for the following ingredients in the past few days.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

They come out really thick, slightly more than half an inch thick. I can get it thinner if I spread the batter out using the ladle, but that's a bit of a messy solution.

Is there anything I can do to tweak the recipe to make the pancake batter come out a bit thinner from the start?

To make you pancakes spread more, and thus be thinner, increase the amount of liquid in the recipe.  This will make the batter less viscous, so that it will spread more before beginning to set, thus giving you thinner pancakes.

I would start slowly, perhaps a couple of tablespoons extra milk (or just plain water) until you find the consistency that you like.

You will also have to experiment to determine the appropriate cooking time, as the additional
liquid will somewhat need to be cooked off to get the best texture.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with using the bottom of your ladle to help the batter spread out a bit more.  This is normal, and will somewhat even out as the pancakes cook.


Do I have to use butter in a "butter yellow cake?" My boyfriend wasn't looking at the store and picked up a "Butter yellow" cake mix instead of "Golden Yellow." Do we have to make it with butter or can we just leave it out and just use oil instead? Or do we have to go buy the right cake mix. We don't want to be left with a box of cake we won't use

For a boxed cake either type of cooking fat should render a similar result. The final flavor will be a little different, but it shouldn't make a huge difference and probably won't be much different than a mix that calls for oil in the first place.

If you wanted to keep the flavor similar while avoiding dairy you could try using butter flavored shortening instead of oil.


Can you cover an angel food cake with fondant? can anyone tell me if I can cover an angel food cake with fondant or is it too heavy for this sort of cake?
What is the best for this kind of cake...

Angel food cake has a very light and springy texture. It has no fat and so can sometimes feel more dry than other types of cake.

It is eaten precisely because it has a lighter, less rich, flavor. Toppings should accentuate this not detract. It's rare to see a rich buttercream frosting on an angel food cake, for example. Common toppings are whipped cream and fruit, a simple glaze, or just a dusting of powdered sugar.

Once cooled, an angel food cake would be able to support the weight of thinly rolled fondant but it is my opinion that it would not at all work with the simplicity of that cake. If you are going to eat the cake then you should use a lighter topping. If you aren't going to eat it then put your fondant on a cake that is less work to make.

Much of this information was written years ago in comments by Jolenealaska, Catija, and dlb.


What is it about boring, normal ketchup that makes it "fancy"? Ketchup, at least in the USA, is about as boring as a condiment can possibly get. It's hard to imagine anything "fancy" coming out of a tube like this:

Why, then, is it frequently called "fancy"?  Is there some other type of tomato ketchup that is less fancy, and has fallen out of popular usage, such that the "fancy" designation actually carries some meaning lost to history?

Found in this wiki  article , is the following information:

  "Fancy" ketchup

  Some ketchup in the U.S. is labeled "Fancy". This is a USDA grade, relating to specific gravity. Fancy ketchup has a higher tomato solid concentration than other USDA grades.

  USDA Ketchup Grades

Grade           Specific Gravity  Total Solids
Fancy           1.15              33%
Extra Standard  1.13              29%
Standard        1.11              25%

Hope this helps!  :)


How to make crispy chocolate? I tried to make crispy chocolate using dark compound outer casing. An inner filling made of dark compound, fresh cream, honey mixture along with some rice crisps.

But the crisps end up loosing crispiness and starts becoming chewy in a bad way.

How can i maintain the crispiness of rice crisps in my chocolate. Also please advice other ways to make crunchy and crispy chocolate at home.

It sounds like you need to temper your chocolate first. Tempering causes the cocoa butter molecules to settle in the correct configuration to produce snappy firm chocolate at room temperature. Try this approach.


Is it safe to use vegetables (e.g. Romaine lettuce) that may be contaminated with E. coli if they are fully cooked? I strongly suspect the answer is no, but I feel like there should be a question here about this for people to find more detailed information about as these outbreaks become more common.

From what I have read, some strains of E. Coli are heat-resistant, so it's not a good idea to think that cooking it will kill the bacteria if present. Also, you might contaminate your cooking utensils or other surfaces that do not encounter the heat. It's safest to just get rid of it.


I poured simple syrup over cooked apples. Why did it turn watery? I boiled apples in water until tender. I took apples out, then added lemon and sugar to water in pot and boiled it. When I poured it over the apples it made a nice thickened gel. By morning it's all watery. Why?

Some of the water content of the apples has migrated from the apples to the surrounding syrup.
This is due to an effect called osmosis. The apple, like all living things is made out of cells that have (among other things) water inside them. The cell walls are semipermeable, meaning small molecules like water can pass through them, but larger molecules like sugars cannot.
All dissolved substances (sugars, salt, etc.) attract water to themselves, so if you expose the apples to a highly sugary solution (like syrup), the water will be pulled from the apples into the syrup.


Party scale sous-vide I have used the chilly bin (cooler) sous-vide hack at home for a while and get excellent results for up to eight servings

I use extra insulation on the lid and a digital submersible flexible probe thermometer. The whole setup only loses around one degree C per hour with four servings

I want to go to party scale, say 30 to 40 servings, what are my chances of success?

Should I just get three or four chilly bins or just one large bin?

Has anyone had success at large scale sous-vide at home?

I am using it for chicken breasts and sliced fatty beef cuts. These are home-kill cuts so I know of the quality and cleanliness

Edit

In my 25L chilly bin for four serves of Chicken breasts, I half fill the chilly bin with tap hot water and add one jug (2L) of boiling water = 63°C. When I add the four pouches of chicken it drops to 62°C. A hour later I take out the chicken at 61°C, and add a small jug of tap cold water and I have 56°C, four beef cuts go in for an hour too. Temperature at end is 55°C

Has anyone had success at large scale sous-vide at home?

My scale was not quite as big as yours, but I cooked my Thanksgiving turkey for the extended family this year sous vide. Not only was the outcome a huge hit among the guests, but it was a huge relief for (your truly) the chef.

  I want to go to party scale, say 30 to 40 servings, what are my chances of success?

In my experience, scaling up is one of the biggest advantages of cooking sous vide. Cooking 30-40 servings on a home stove would be a daunting prospect, to say the least. With sous vide, 15–20 servings is only marginally more work than 4–6. Again, I've not done 30–40, but it should scale accordingly.

  Should I just get three or four chilly bins or just one large bin?

If your food will fit in one cooler, it will work, but I think you'll find it much easier to use more. The more water you have, the slower it will lose heat, and thus, the less you will have to pay attention to it. I also typically cook chicken and beef at separate temperatures, so I would probably have two coolers for chicken and two for beef.


Huge bubbles in pizza dough I made some pizza dough and let the individual dough balls rise in the fridge for a day. The following day I took them out of the fridge so they could come up to room temperature so the dough would be easier to handle when I make the pizzas.

Problem is when it was at room temperature some massive bubbles (could probably fit a tennis ball in them) emerged from the doughballs.

Is this normal or have I done something wrong?
How should I deal with these bubbles, do I pop them or just let them be?

A longer rise can certainly yield large bubbles, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Popping them before stretching works just fine, and a little more force working near where the bubble was will keep the spot together when it cooks.

To much kneading will make the dough tough, but if it has been in the refrigerator all day, then a little more/extra won't hurt anything.


My grandmothers "brown" bread I grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada and my grandmother used to make what she called "brown" bread she used to make it every time she would make homemade baked beans.  She is no longer with us and I'm trying to track down this little bit of my childhood.  Any suggestions on a "brown" bread, I believe it was made with molasses and it was quite moist and filling.

Googling brown bread Nova Scotia provides a plethora of recipes.  Here are some common traits:

Contains molasses, just as you said
Contains some other grain than simply flour - oatmeal, shredded wheat, and whole grain wheat were among the contenders
Uses shortening to enrich the dough (in some cases butter as well, but shortening was in all recipes)

I'd recommend googling for recipes and picking one which reminds you of your grandmother's.


How can I serve banana flambée for the next day? How can I serve banana flambée the following day without it going bad. This is for a French Project about MArtinique.

Short answer:  you cannot reasonably make bananas flambee ahead.

While it would be conceivably possible to prepare your caramel and cook the bananas through the day before, you would then need to refrigerate them over night.

Reheating them would be tricky, and might even take more time than preparing them in the first place--and you would not want to serve them without reheating, as the dish would be gloppy and dissonant between the hot parts from the flambee, and the still cold parts.

This is a dish best served a la minute, that is, prepared at the moment of service.   There is little prep work that can be done the day before that will save you significant time.


replace ground almonds with flour? I have this recipe https://www.whittakers.co.nz/en_NZ/recipes/soft-centred-chocolate-pudding/ which uses 50g ground almonds for the chocolate pudding.
Would it be safe if I could replace that with 50g of flour instead if I don't have ground almonds? Would it affect the consistency of the pudding in any way?

The recipe looks a like a gluten free chocolate lava cake. If that is the intended consistency you're looking for then yes by all means that substitution WILL work! Maybe play around with the amount of flour as well.

The main worry is the texture; if you want a gooey pudding you'd get in a pudding cup or mousse (unlike their photo) you may end up with more of a cake-like outcome if you do it with flour. Finely ground almonds/almond flour doesn't bond the same and is less gummy because of it. I would try to do something like coconut flour or something if possible.

The flavour will also obviously be affected from lack of the nutty slightly maraschino cherry-esque taste the almond would have added. If you wanted to work around that I personally would add a smallest dash of amaretto or have had used another nut flour or something like hazelnut to go in another direction.


What are the chunks of connective tissue on soup bones? (And can I use them?) I just finished making a beef broth stew with a big ol' soup bone. I left the random scraps of muscle and stuff attached to the bone while it cooked, and now I've fished out the non-muscle bits. They were white (or pale) and stretchy, and now that they're stewed they're more grey and gloppy.

So, what are they? I assume they're not fat (they would have melted) so they must be... tendons? Ligaments?

Are they edible? Palatable? Useful in some other cooking project?

Edit: Adding an "after" photo.

What ever it is, sounds like sinew or other hard tissue, it's done it's purpose now the flavour, sugars, geletine etc is now in your broth and you should probably discard them. I don't imagine they will taste of anything now and the texture is likely to be vile.

By all means taste a bit to see what I mean. It won't make you ill though you may possibly gag...


How can you reduce the heat of a chili pepper? There are many chilis that have amazing flavors but are so hot that it is hard for most of us to appreciate them. Beyond the standard suggestion to discard the seeds and cut away the ribs, are there any other methods that can lower the capsaicin level while retaining the other flavors?

This was asked on Dave Arnold's Cooking Issues podcast, and I'm not sure they landed on a solid answer.

EDIT: I'm looking for something that might cut the perceived heat by like 90% or even 100%, not just make it slightly milder. Something that completely neutralizes the capsaicin, not simply buffers it on your palate. (Starting a bounty).

In Indian cooking we usually add Ghee (Clarified butter) to reduce the heat of a chili pepper. Most Indian dishes, we would add a good heaping spoon of ghee before feeding little ones. This helps temper the heat but keeps the flavors alive so that the children get used to them and can gradually learn to eat hotter foods.


Is raw quinoa milk safe? I've read about saponins in quinoa, some say you need to thoroughly rinse it while others say you don't need to since they have already been washed at processing plants.

Say I rinse it to make sure saponin's gone, would it be ok to just soak it overnight and blend it into milk without cooking?

Edit: Since posting the question I've also been researching on it. I can't find any resource saying if uncooked quinoa is poisonous or not. I'm not only referring to saponins but also starches and other compounds found in quinoa, saponin probably is the least of concerns. But I found this page that says you can just soak and blend quinoa into milk while many others recommend cooking it first.

Yum Universe Non Dairy Milks

The issue with quinoa being soaked and rinsed is not a safety concern.  It is more a matter of flavor.

It is not dangerous.  Some people just find un-rinsed qinoa to be bitter.

In fact, for the most part, that bitter flavor is the majority of the interaction these saponins have with the body.

This article goes into some more detail:
Questionable Quinoa: Perfect Plant Protein or Poison?


Does acidity negate double-acting baking powder? As described here, most common baking powders contain two acids, one that reacts to moisture, and one that mostly reacts when heated. Does that mean that if my dough is already acidic (and has no baking soda to neutralize said acid), all the baking soda in the baking powder will get used up when mixed with the wet ingredients, leaving none for the second reaction during heating?

If so, what rules can I follow to make sure that my dough/batter has a neutral pH and will therefore get that second rise? How much baking soda would be needed to neutralize certain amounts of acidic ingredients like buttermilk, sour cream, cocoa, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, molasses, etc?

EDIT: I'm using Magic Baking Powder by Kraft Canada, which consists of cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate, and sodium bicarbonate.

The short answer to your question is YES.  The extra acid in the ingredients will hamper the second act of the double acting baking powder.  The acids are timed/staged for reaction not the baking soda.

The Magic Baking Powder (happens to be in our kitchen, too) is mostly a single acting formula since monocalcium-phosphate is a low temperature acid (with apparently some double acting properties due to generation intermediate step of dicalcium phosphate; per your link).  High temperature acid for second acts typically include sodium aluminium sulfate, sodium aluminum phosphate and sodium acid pyrophosphate.

You can try to counteract that by adding a bit of baking soda, but you run the risk of altering the taste and not having it all neuralized.

If you really want to get pedantic, use a pH meter to measure the acidity of your dough.  I suspect tasting the dough might give an indication as well. (bitter alkaline, sour acidic)

Another test might be to mix your acidic ingredients in a bowl with some water and start adding measured baking soda until you see no more reaction (bubbles) and use that as a your basic of neutralizing your dough.

All said and done, I agree with SAJ14SAJ that you'll be just fine going with the existing recipe.  There should be enough baking soda left to get something out of your double act.  I also heard it from a world-class baker that most recipes can be done with only baking soda, let alone baking powder or double acting ones.


Why did my halva crumble? I followed this recipe (Hebrew; my loose translation below) for homemade halva, which is a candy based on tahini (ground sesame seeds). As you can see in the picture in the original recipe, the end product is supposed to have a rather firm consistency. I also understand from the recipe that after the mixing stage, when the mixture is poured into the pan, the warm mixture is supposed to be rather liquid.

  Place 500g raw tahini in a mixer bowl.
  Heat 500g white sugar with 1 cup water up to 121°C.
  Set mixer to medium speed, and slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the bowl.
  Add 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and mix for 30 seconds until combined.
  Add 1 cup peeled, roasted pistachios and mix until evenly dispersed.
  Pour the mixture into a square pan, lined with a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a second baking sheet sprayed
  with oil and let cool to room temperature.
  Cut to small cubes and serve.

In my attempt to make this, the mixture became quite firm while still in the mixer, even before I finished drizzling all of the sugar syrup into it. I insisted on drizzling all of it, and by the time I was done (and combined the last ingredients) the mixture pretty much turned into halva crumbles.  I tried pressing it into shape in a pan, but the crumbly mixture remained just as crumbly after it cooled down.

Can you figure out what I [could] have done wrong? Perhaps I have cooked the sugar syrup too long? I used a thermometer, and I took care not to touch the bottom of the pot. Or have I drizzled the syrup too slowly?

I'll appreciate any input.

Brands of tahini can vary; you might try adding a bit of additional oil (sesame oil would be a natural choice).

The ambient humidity where you made this may also have contributed.  If you're working in a dry area or kitchen, you may need to add another ounce or so of water to compensate.

Lastly, you might also (gently) try heating the tahini and proofing your work bowl with a bit of hot water to keep everything as warm and pliable as possible while it mixes.


Watermelon - picking and managing them during heat There are a lot of posts and videos on the internet about picking up the correct watermelon. Sure. I get that. My question varies a little different.

I currently live in the UAE and climates here reach around 49c and more. So despite the fact that we pick watermelon we want to know the best way to preserve it. Supermarkets here and the farmers market leave them out.

I take them home and immediately put in the fridge. About a day later I take the melon, cut it up and will leave half in the fridge and other half chopped in a bowl and also can leave that in the fridge and we will consume it with meals taking it in and out over the next few days. Few problems:

The watermelon gets very watery - dark red blotches so it becomes overripe
The sweetness goes quickly

How can we keep it sweet and keep it maintained - what are some tips you guys use for family and preserving it.

Thanks

There may be different varieties of watermelon that behave differently, so I can't guarantee that this will work for you.

The way I've always done it is to only cut up what I'm going to eat.

We cut across the watermelon in the shorter direction, starting at one end, producing circles about 1-1.5 inch (2-3 cm) thick.

Here's an image of what removing the first slice looks like:

You can cut these circles into wedges or remove the rind and cut into pieces.

This leaves the remainder of the watermelon intact with only a single side open to the air, and that end is covered in plastic wrap (cling film) and stored in the refrigerator.


Refreezing apple pie My mom will be traveling via plane this holiday season. She has a frozen apple pie.

By the time she arrives at her destination (my sister's house), the pie will have thawed. Could she then cook it and refreeze it before bringing it to my house?

There are too many days in-between for her to cook it at my sister's house and then leave it in the refrigerator.

Please advise.

Thanks!

According to the New York Department of Agriculture, fruit pies can be refrozen after thawing, but their quality will degrade. It's only apples and pastry when you think about it, so not much to spoil. It will probably dry out though.


Reheat a turkey without drying it out? For reasons not related to this question, I had to cook my turkeys yesterday.  My meat themometer died near the end of cooking. So I ran to the store to get one "real fast".

Three stores later I came home to two over done birds (185 degrees).

While not totally dry, I don't want them to dry out any more while reheating them today.

Should I slice them then heat them?  Is there a better way to reheat than another?  (ie oven vs microwave vs warming drawer vs (some other heating tool).)

You want to use a gentle heating method. For this sort of thing, I prefer steaming. It will gently bring up the heat of your food without wringing the moisture out of it. This is especially helpful if it's already cut into relatively small portions, such as slices of breast meat. Spread everything out on a single layer on the steamer basket before hand.

Warming drawer would be my second choice. Slice, add a few teaspoons of water, and cover and add to your warming drawer, set to your target temperature.


Does a bread box requires holes for ventilation? I am trying to figure out whether a breadbox should have ventilation holes or not. There are many for sale with and without. When I look at most breadbox pictures, going from vintage to modern, I don't see holes, but some contemporary ones have holes. I understand bread produces moisture and it's important to let it out?

There is no one true answer to it - otherwise you would see only one style of bread box. The better the ventilation, the faster the bread becomes hard and the less likely it is for the bread to develop mold - and vice versa, the less ventilation, the longer the bread does stay soft, the more likely it is to develop mold.


What determines the 'saltiness' of salt? I've bought two brands of salt that are completely different in terms of 'salt' concentration(not sure if this is the correct terminology). I realized this because I needed three or four times more teaspoons of one brand in order to match the saltiness of the other when making the same recipe. Chemically speaking, what is accounted for the difference? Which one is better for cooking? If I recall correctly from the chemistry classes, salts have crystal structures embedded with water molecules; could the concentration of water molecules be the determinant factor?

Summary for the Quick Reader

Only the shape and size of the grains really makes a difference.  Otherwise, salt is salt.

What makes a difference between salts?

There are only two real differentiators between different types of salt (assuming the product is essentially just salt, and not a seasoning blend):

The mineral or other impurities resulting from the method the salt is collected, or additives (such as iodine) during processing.  For example sea salts will have some small proportion of other minerals, and a tiny amount of biological detritus like dead plankton in them.
The size, shape, and density of the crystals or flakes.

Note that almost any salt you buy will be quite dry—there will be negligible water content.

Reasonable blind tests show that despite chic chef use of fancy salts, almost no one can tell the difference between salts with different impurities based just on their flavor.  When in other foods, any difference from this practically vanishes.

The second aspect, the nature of the salt crystals or flakes, is very salient.

Large crystals dissolve more slowly, and provide crunch between the teeth, and texture you can feel with your lips and tongue.

Certain types of salt, such as fleur de sel and some brands of kosher salt have large, less dense crystals or flakes with a lot of air in them.  These two factors together mean that per unit of volume, there is simply less weight of salt than there would be for the same unit of volume of a salt like US style table salt with very small, uniform crystals.  That is, a teaspoon or mL of fleur de sel will simply weight less than a teaspoon or mL of table salt.

This means that when added to a dish by volume, it is simply less salty, because you have added less actual salt—the rest of the volume in the measuring spoon was air.

Common types of culinary salt

The overall size of the crystals lends different salts to different uses.   I will use US terms since they are the only ones I know.  From smallest to largest grain size (more or less), some common salt products are:

Popcorn salt Very finely ground, so it easily sticks to popcorn and other snacks.  Not a lot of feel, but even coverage.  Dissolves very rapidly in the mouth, so rapid kick of saltiness.
Pickling salt Quite similar to popcorn salt.  Useful because it dissolves rapidly in the pickle juice.
Table salt  The familiar standard we are all used to.  A good compromise for most purposes.   Dissolves quiet well.
Kosher salt  Relatively large, slow dissolving crystals or flakes, engineered to stick to the outside of meat.   Often used in cooking, where it performs quite similarly to rock salt.  Note that different brands have significantly different densities, but it is usually on the order of about half as dense as table salt.
Sea salt, rock salt, fleur de sel.   Various natural salts which usually have larger, less dense crystals or flakes.   Allows more perceptible texture, and a longer slower saltiness as they dissolve in the mouth.  Take longer to dissolve in foods, due to the larger crystal size.
Pretzel salt  Really big (comparatively), sometimes opaque chunks (they are opaque due to air inclusions).  Lots of texture to chew.  Crunchy bursts of saltiness.  Not generally used to season foods other than as a surface topping, since it doesn't dissolve quickly at all.
Rock salt For salt grinders.  Just for table aesthetics.  Salt is salt, and it is the size of the grains after grinding that matters.

What salt performs best?

I cannot say that any particular salt is better to cook with.  Many cooks use a small variety of salts depending on what they are doing.  If you were to pick only one salt to have in the kitchen, I would recommend table salt which is not perfect for every use, but pretty good at most.

For a reasonably stocked but not extravagant pantry, I would choose:

Table salt for baking.
Kosher salt for topping breads and stuff where a little texture is desired, and because it is easier to pick up with one's fingers--also so many recipes specify it these days that having it on hand so as to not have to figure a conversion is nice.

Either of the above will serve well for general savory cooking, although you would use less table salt (by volume) than kosher salt, as indicated above.

Note that by putting kosher or table salt in a spice grinder, you can grind it down to popcorn or pickling salt size, so buying this is rarely necessary unless you want a lot, as for a day of pickling.

The exotic salts

There are some exotic salts out there, which might have extraordinarily high mineral levels or other properties (such as pink salts from Hawaii), but the above covers most usual types of salts that are available.

Just NaCl

Chemically, all normal culinary salt is the same thing, discounting trace impurities:  sodium chloride.  There are curing salts and salt substitutes which consist of or contain other chemicals, like sodium nitrate or potassium chloride.  I don't discuss these in this answer.  Note that so-called "pink salt" (in at least some of its meanings) is a curing salt blended from sodium chloride and sodium nitrate.

Some minimally processed salts (such as sea salt) will have a tiny percentage of other chemical salts in them.

See Also

Update March 2013:  Serious Eat's has published an interesting article talking about the differences between regular and kosher salt:  Ask the Food Lab:  Do I need to use Kosher Salt


What can I do with soft biscuits due to air exposure I had bought a biscuit packet and after eating some I left the packet in a poly bag with a knot.
However may be due to loosening of the knot, and hence, the air exposure, the biscuits have lost their crunchiness and have become soft.
It's now difficult to eat them!
If anyone can suggest any recipe so that they don't get wasted or if I can make them hard again!
My biscuits are normal sweet cookies with sugar crystals on their surface.
I have around 10-12 pieces left.

You can normally refresh them in the oven.  anywhere between about 150°C (for 6-8 minutes) and 190°C (3-4 minutes) should work, ideally taking them out just before they start to brown any more though of course that's a matter of guesswork
Leave to cool on a wire rack, and put in an airtight container as soon as they're cool.
In future, either put the twisted packet in a closed container, or clip it closed, though it may just be that you tried to store them for too long in high humidity.


Can you replace whole eggs with only egg whites when baking pumpkin pie? I am going to be baking a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving but me as well as several family members are currently losing weight together... I'm already replacing the sugar with stevia to dramatically drop the calorie count. BUT, the recipe calls for 4 eggs and I was wondering if I could further reduce the calories by using only egg whites instead... would this ruin the flavor of the pie? I've replaced whole eggs before when baking brownies and they came out fine, but I just want to make sure it won't severely mess up the Thanksgiving classic :)

Pumpkin pie is basically a custard, removing the yolks could change the texture of the pie.  Yolks contribute both proteins and fats to the pie which are important for the structure of the filling as well as its creaminess/smoothness.  In general, two whites can be used to replace one whole egg.  Avoid whipping or over-mixing the filling to prevent making the custard rubbery.Be sure not to overcook the pie, without the yolks there to emulsify the filling and lubricate the protein bundles, you could end up with a dry, curdled mess.


Why does the pineapple always ripen/soften from the base? As per the consensus under this post, lacking ethylene the pineapple softens but not ripens after picking. But it seems even before or right after picking the pineapple is ripe only at the bottom. Does it ripen from the bottom while on the plant because the base is connected to the stem? But why does that lead to the bottom ripening first?
Also my pineapples always ripen/soften from the bottom. It has become a pet peeve of mine that when the bottom is nice and soft and sweet, the upper 80% is still green and hard, but when the upper pineapple reaches the middle part of the softening process the bottom usually seems over-ripe, starting to rot. Why is that? I have seen posts here where people say they store their pineapples upside down. Is that necessary?

I believe the cause of the pineapple being ripened from the base is because of gravity pulling the juice downwards which it then ferments and turns into alcohol.


substitues for confectioners sugar when making icing I am making homemade cupcakes. For the icing my recipe says that I need confectioners sugar. I already know that I can make my own, but i don't want to right now. Can I substitute the confectioners sugar with powdered sugar?

Confectioner's sugar and powdered sugar are two names for the same thing, at least in US usage.  In the UK, this product would be called icing sugar.

So it is not even a substitution, it is the requested ingredient, and of course you can use it by either name.


Onion soup: How to chop the onion and what kind of cheese to put in it? What is your preferred type of cut for the onion in onion soup?

And how do you put the cheese? A deep chunk submerged in each plate, on top? What kind of cheese do you like?

When I make French Onion soup I slice my onions very thin. It also helps to use a small onion so the pieces aren't so wide.

For the cheese I use gruyere cheese. It should be grated.

In order for the cheese to cook properly you need to have some stale french bread. It should be toasted lightly on both sides and then sliced fairly thin. Then you place the bread on top of the soup and then the grated cheese on top of that. Next put the soup in the broiler so that it melts the cheese.


Frying chicken wings all the way through I have tried deep frying chicken wings few times.
The first time I tried it, the oil was heated a lot and I continued Frying it until it was crisp outside,but when ate it, it was not cooked all the way through, it was pink and the joints of the wings still had blood.
Second time, because I thought it was because I cooked the wings on high heat, it was burned on the outside but still not cooked inside, I tried Frying the wings in low heat, but the result was the same, undercooked bloody joints in the wings and burned skin.
So how do I deep fry the chicken wings so that it is cooked all the way through?
Do I boil it in water before i deep fry?

It sounds like your temperature is way too hot. You need a thermometer as there's no reliable way to tell the temperature of your oil without one. A simple method is 190C for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the wings, that's from refrigerator temperature.

Serious eats has a page on wings here if you want to get more complex.


How to conserve natural fruit juices without alcohol? Sorry if this is not the proper place to ask this. I would like to produce some natural fruit juices to sell, and it must last at least a week once bottled.

It will be made with natural fruit, water, and sugar. I would prefer it to be AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE.

What can be added to help preserve it longer (as natural as possible)?

This is basically making must but not adding yeast to it and making wine.

I would do one of three things to your juice:

Boil the juice(must), or heat to 85 deg C for 15 min, then bottle into sterilised bottles.
Treat with a Campden Tablet, then again bottle into sterilised bottles.
Pasteurise after bottling as EZ suggests.


Ingredients vs. Temperature Control in Chocolate Fudge In reading through a LOT of different approaches to making fudge, I am wondering about how the non-sugar ingredients affect the issue of temperature control (both heating AND cooling) and, therefore, the results in the recipes.

First of all, a question about heating the sugar solution - am I correct that in bringing a sugar solution to the soft-ball stage temperature, what you are doing technically is boiling-off water to the point where the sugar concentration is appropriate for the re-crystallization properties desirable in fudge?  So, the temperature gives you an indication of the concentration of sugar in solution and different concentrations behave differently when cooled, is that right? Basically, the temperature is documenting sugar concentration achieved by way of evaporation.

If that is true, then I can buy that in heating the sugar and milk or cream or condensed milk to make fudge, the temperature would still be dictated by sugar concentration in the water part of the milk-product.  So if we think of a a milk-product as water + solids + fats, the sugar concentration is still reliably documented by the temperature since the sugar will dissolve in the water of the milk and is (basically) unaffected by the solids and fat content.  Is that, more-or-less correct?

Continuing along this same line of reasoning, would it also be correct to assume that as long as you add to the pot only ingredients that contain NO water, that you would preserve the integrity of the relationship between the temperature of the ingredients and the concentration of sugar in solution?  So heating the chocolate or marshmallow (or whatever) with the milk/sugar solution won't fundamentally alter the relationship between sugar concentration and temperature?

Then what about adding ingredients during cooling?  Most recipes where you heat all of the ingredients together (except butter and vanilla) instruct you to let the mixture sit undisturbed until it cools to (like) 110° F - I thought that the goal there is to have the sugar in a supersaturated state so that crystallization will occur rapidly when you stir.

But some recipes instruct you to add other ingredients after bringing the sugar/milk to the soft-ball stage - I would think that adding ingredients during cooling could induce a temperature change that could screw-up the supersaturated state and give you grainy fudge.  Most of these types of recipes contain marshmallow.  So, since marshmallow is mostly corn syrup, is the corn syrup controlling the re-crystallization properties of the sugar?  If that's true, do you need to be careful with a marshmallow fudge during cooling at all?

I think you may well be over thinking this just a little.

Water boils at 100c at sea level, sugar raises this temperature to around 110c depending on sugar content.

  Specifically, adding 1 gram molecular weight of nonionizing solute (like sugar) to 1 liter of water increases the boiling point by 0.52 degree Celsius (C). 1 gram molecular weight nonionizing solute per liter =0.52 degree C increase in boiling point.

So when you boil your sugar syrup to soft ball 116c you've essentially, boiled all the water away and your left with sugar. Heating it to this temperature changes the shape and direction of the crystals. Adding fat to this generally allows it to set (plus flavour). Just as butter would.

The reason you don't add chocolate as it's warming is water plus chocolate ends badly. You also don't add it at 116c as you will burn your chocolate. Again not a good thing.

  Make sure the temperature of the chocolate rises to between 104° F. and 113° F. when melting. Do not heat above 115° F. (milk and white chocolate) and 120° F. for dark chocolate, otherwise it will burn.

The reason you add water to sugar is to allow more control over the heating. If you have no water you'll find the bottom part will burn while the top part is still solid crystals. Which considering you only need 116c, is again... Bad.

Try boiling 1000ml water with 100g sugar and see how quickly it takes for the mixture to reach 110c (5min?) and then see how long it'll stay at that temperature before hitting 116 (30-40mins I guess). Then leave it and watch how within moments of hitting 116c it's suddenly hit 176c and then your pan turn black and your kitchen full of thick yellow smoke :-).


Multi cooker - with pressure cooker versus without I crock a lot.  My small pot is getting old and it feels like the controller switch is getting weak.  My large crock has a crack but it does not leak (yet).

With the new programmable can start in the AM and set it to go to warm at 2 PM.  Can sear, do rice, stay on warm for 24 hours, ....  Also a lot more money.

Can get a multi cooker with pressure for instant meals.  I don't pressure cook and have don't find myself in need of fast meals. If I had a multi cooker with pressure I might come to find fast as the best thing since sliced bread. Not yet convinced a 7 minute stew will equal a 7 hour stew.

Finally to the question.  Are there any slow cooker regrets to a cooker that will do slow and fast (pressure)?

I know it will be brand dependent. I am considering the Instant Pot (pressure) versus the Kitchen Aid (no pressure).

It is minor, but for me the opaque bulky lid is a regret.  If that is the only regret I will get the pressure multi cooker.

Wow, multi-cooker is not a tag.

I switched from an old-style crock pot to a multicooker with pressure (Instant Pot, if you're curious), and I have no regrets. The pressure cooker is very convenient for things like stocks and braises, and since the inner pot is steel instead of stone it's more convenient to clean (it can go in the dishwasher). I was worried about the opaque lid, but I find I don't miss it. And there are now many more recipes to try, so there's that benefit as well.

I recommend the pressure cooker.


Grams to cup measurements Keeping question quite simple, I don't know much about measurings, so how many cups make 218 grams, and also when u say for example a cup what should be the size of that cup?

Grams of what?

Grams is a measure of weight (actually mass, but we'll assume you are cooking on earth).

Cup is a measure of volume.

Different substances have different density, and powdered items like flour can be more or less packed or settled.

To confuse things a bit, in the USA we have ounces (weight) and fluid ounces (volume). When we talk about volume in fluid ounces, a shorthand is to just say ounces.

One cup = 8 (fluid) ounces.

But that 8 fluid ounces can be:

approximately 4.5 ounces of flour, really 120-130 grams, depends on the grind and the sift

approximately 8 ounces of water (that is where fluid ounces came from)

a bit more than 8 ounces butter

etc.


Why does cinnamon in the grounds make older coffee taste better? If I go to make coffee and find that the coffee is a little old, I'll sprinkle a little ground cinnamon in the grounds in the basket before brewing. I won't use enough cinnamon that you can actually taste it in the coffee, but it seems to cut the acidity and bitterness.

Does anyone know why this works? Is there anything other than cinnamon I can do this with?

I would say that the cinnamon restores some of those floral top-notes that have likely evaporated from older ground coffee, and hides some of the mustier, oxidized flavors.


Why is there a noise and big flame when starting my gas cooker? I installed a new gas bottle a few days ago for my stove and trying to find out why the following is happening.

When the gas hasn't been used for a few hours, the moment you turn the gas button on the stove there is what looks like a higher pressure wave that comes with a large flame and a 'wooof' sound when the gas ignites.

The the stove works normally. It takes 3-4 hours of not using it for this to occur again.

It looks like there is a pressure buildup in the gas line when it's not in use.

What could be the reason?

Here is a video: https://imgur.com/a/WTiI4id

If you want sound for a full experience: https://we.tl/p9CR4Dihok :)

This sounds like delayed ignition where a greater than normal amount of gas is present when the burner gets spark.  If you manually initiate the spark independent of turning on the gas you might try starting the spark first and then turning on the gas.  Also the spark ignitor may be slightly out of place, moved during cleaning, etc.  There are all sorts of stoves.  A photo of the controls, burner and ignitor would help.  You could also check the manual.

After viewing/hearing the video it seems to me the ignition is rather forceful.  This might point to the regulator and too high gas pressure.  A technician could test the gas pressure after the regulator.


Chinese XO sauce substitute? Can someone suggest a reasonable facsimile for Chinese XO sauce? I have Korean gojujang (red chili paste), red chili flakes, miso, dashi, fish sauce, anchovy paste and cooking wines along with a well-stocked pantry of fresh and dried aromatics, herbs and spices.

You can roll your own XO sauce by stir frying (of couse, everything chopped) shallots, chili peppers, garlic, Jinhua ham, dried shrimps, dried scallops (conpoy), and cooking Shaoxing wine, approximately in this order.

A good alternative to Jinhua ham would be Spanish jamón serrano (or ibérico), or essentially any dry cured ham. If you don't have dried shrimps and scallops, anchovy paste plus fish sauce will work fine. The standard substitute for Shaoxing wine is dry white sherry, but Japanese cooking wine will work too.

XO sauce is fascinating and one of its charms is that the recipe is extremely flexible, so enjoy experimenting!


Vietnamese crunchy rice I ate the best fried rice of my life in Vietnam. The thing that made it so good was these crunchy little bits.  They were about the size of a regular grain or rice but they were very crunchy (more crunchy than puffed rice).  I'm wondering if this could have been uncooked rice fried in oil.  I've tried searching google and can't find anything accurate.

Crust formed on the bottom of the pot deliberately?  You put the rice in a very hot stone pot after cooking and let it sit a bit so that the crust develops (Korean version).  Or you add some butter up front and cook the rice longer than necessary so a crust develops in the cooking pot itself (Iranian version).  Many ways to do this, but I agree it's divine :-)


Is beef ever brined? I quite often will brine poultry and sometimes pork but I have never (or ever heard of anyone) brining beef?  Does anyone know why it doesn't seem to be as popular with beef or has anyone tried it?  If so, how are the results?

People often marinate beef cuts like flank steak or skirt steak.

Dry brining (pre-salting) beef is pretty common, such as for prepping many steaks.

Wet brining is also pretty common -- corned beef is brined. Beef tongue is often pickled and brined as well.


Air bubbles in sausage Are air bubbles/pockets/loose casing in raw sausages okay food safety-wise? I don't know if it's just because they didn't fill them as full or if they formed from gases/bacteria. They are five days before the best before date Merguez sausages. Thanks!

It is most likely just a void.  It is hard to pack a casing 100%.  There will be voids.

Could it be (toxic) bacterial gas? Maybe but not likely.


Mackerel, how to get the good stuff? I have a real problem getting good mackerel. What I consider to be "real" mackerel is that served typically in sushi bars, which I assume is Atlantic mackerel on the east coast of the USA. This fish is characterized by its strong, distinctive oily taste and large amount of brown fat (glycogen). Normally when I buy "mackerel" from "Spain", which I assume to be Scomber scombrus (Atlantic mackerel), it looks and tastes identical to sushi mackerel.

I have read that in Japan there are over 30 kinds of mackerel, but only 3 of these types are considered Saba (good mackerel).

The problem arises that a different kind of "mackerel" is frequently sold which has no distinctive taste, no brown fat, and tastes more or less exactly like tuna. I notice, for example, that one maker when it says on their package "product of Spain" it is the good mackerel, but every year around the same time it changes to say "product of Thailand", and this indicates the bad mackerel tasting like tuna.

What are the good species and how can I figure which is which before buying it (assuming I can't see it inside can)?

(Just to illustrate how tough this problem check out this fish website, it shows a picture of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) but identifies it as Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)! Not even the fisherman seem to know what they are catching.)

Simple: go to your local Japanese or Korean grocer.  They will have your "good", oily, brown-fatted mackerel in the frozen section: look for or, better yet, ask for しおさば (shio-saba) in Japanese or godeung-eo in Korean.  This is invariably filleted, salted, and quite cheap.

This is most commonly served grilled, which is ridiculously easy: pop in the oven/grill for 15-20 minutes skin-side down on foil and serve.  My wife cooks this all the time, most recently earlier today for dinner!  Sample recipe in English here, but you can skip right over steps 1-6 if you're using pre-salted fish.

And for avoidance of doubt, frozen salted fish is not suitable to be eaten raw.  However, the friendly grocer can most likely tell you where he buys his fish, and in better Japanese shops may even have sushi-grade mackerel on hand.


On preserving dried ginger Based on my reading, preserving dried ginger is the same as preserving fresh ginger I.e airtight and in the fridge.
Is there anything more that can be done to preserve the dried version.  After dehydrating it, will not grounding it immediately and instead grounding it at the point of use make a significant difference?

Dried ginger can be kept at room temperature, in any cool dark place (like your pantry), for months to years:

Dried, ground, or crystallized ginger should be stored in a cool dark pantry in a sealed container. Spices with the moisture removed do not really go bad (unless they get wet), but they lose their potency over time and will no longer add flavor to food. If the aroma is gone, the flavor is most likely also gone from the dried ginger.

That's the whole point of drying it; so that it lasts longer without refrigeration.