what is the point of making jam if it consumes pectin which requires fruit to make

The "paradox" here is a result of an oversimplified explanation of reality. The crux is in

the traditional purpose of making jam is to preserve fruit

For the addition of pectin to make no sense, you have to make two assumptions: 1) that the  only reason is to have access to fruit in winter (which is what I think you mean as "to preserve fruit"), and 2) that no matter what you do in your life, you have to always be efficient, as in not wasting resources and trying to get the highest amount of output you can.
I would argue that both are untrue. The efficiency argument is highly prevalent in our current society, but it is not an absolute imperative. And the idea that people do things for a single purpose, and it is the same purpose for all people doing it, is simply untrue for most situations in life.
There is not "the purpose" of making jam, there are many different purposes. Here is an incomplete list in no particular order:

Having access to some form of fruit in winter
Having a sweet bread spread
Having all the ingredients for that pie recipe you absolutely love
Being proud of something you made yourself
Having a nice gift with a personal touch for people who can afford to buy what they need anyway
Feeling connected to the traditions of your culture
Learning something new
Having more personal connection to your food
Having an activity in which you can involve your whole family
Doing something about these 17 kg of ripe cherries on your tree that are all ripe in the same week

People make jam for some combination of these reasons, with different people giving different weight to each of them.
Sure, if you are thinking of a medieval peasant in Western Europe who is dependent on subsistence farming, both your assumptions are likely to be true, and it would make little sense to add pectin to jam. But that farmer wouldn't have had access to powdered pectin anyway, nor to many of the kinds of fruit which need pectin for canning anyway. I'm pretty sure they must have made their jams mostly without added pectin. But modern food has developed under completely different conditions, and there is no barrier to pectin becoming part of jams.


I think the cost effective-ness and worth it portion of the question is quite subjective since there isn't a way to directly compare salt with cookware grade salt block. These salt blocks are considered unusable when it becomes cracked and fall apart, not when all the salt has been used up. Thus the price is for the novelty of using these blocks to cook food rather than the actual salt content. And whether the flavor is worth it is complete up to you to decide.

Due the obscurity of Himalayan salt blocks, I will provide a little background information for those who aren't familiar. Due to the Himalayan salt blocks' unique lattice formation, it has very low moisture and porosity. Due to this property it can be heated up to extremely high temperatures (up to 900 degree Fahrenheit). Also because of the lack of porosity the saltiness that comes off of it when cooking on top of it is minimal and will impart only a moderate amount of sodium. On top of that, it has many trace amount of other minerals including but not limited to sulfur, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. These additional trace minerals are what given the Himalayan pink salt its unique flavor.

Now if you want to cook using the block merely to try out its taste, i would recommend you use this instead. It is a bag of Himalayan pink salt that is meant to go into your food as seasoning.

How long a salt block last purely depends on how well you take care of it and luck. This article explains proper heating and washing techniques. Because these blocks are naturally carved out of the earth, fault lines(sometimes not visible from the outside or even with the human eyes) can exist on it. These fault lines will naturally grow bigger as the block is continuously heated to high temperatures. Because of this unpredictability, there isn't a "real" answer. However some can crack after just several uses(on one testimonial, one woman claimed it broke after two uses. But she was able to get it replaces for free) while other can last much much longer(others have report using it for over a year). Usually you can get a replacement if the block cracks in a short period of time. Find out about this warranty period from the supplier before buying.


Why should pine seeds/nuts be pan-toasted without oil?

When coated in oil you don't toast them. You fry them.
And toasting pine nuts usually means in oven, often tossing (also apply to doing it on stovetop but then tossing should be constant).
Adding oil is pointless for few reasons: Pine nuts (or nuts in general) are already fatty on their own. Adding different oil don't make the taste better. It's just a safety net for a cost of changing the taste.
If you want just use oil from roasted nuts in your dish.


Keeping the grill grate clean and sanitary every time

I have a few issues with your goals and current expectations.

  Keeping the grill grate clean

Is this really desirable? In my experience, you get a lot of flavour from the burning off of the last meal. It's a delicious ancestor effect. Maybe that doesn't bother you.

But washing a cast-iron grill (my assumption, might not be) is also a bit hard on the material. Cast iron is happiest when it's covered in grease. Deep cleaning it between every use might (citation needed) shorten its lifespan.

  Keeping the grill grate sanitary

If you're using it like a grill, it's getting really hot. You've nothing to worry about unless you have commercial food safety standards to uphold. Even those don't require a daily deep clean (I'm sure that varies around the world).


How to avoid soft bottom of home-made bread?

The bottom of your bread looks a little underbaked, by maybe 5-10 minutes. You can see that the crumb is tighter A few tips:

There is no need to keep the dish with water in the oven past the point where the crust of the bread is set. It is possible that water vapour from the dish interferes with the bottom of the bread cooking. Try taking out the water when you drop the temperature of the oven.
Times in bread recipes are a guideline, not a rule. If your bread comes out (a little) underbaked, put it back in the oven and/or adjust your cooking time next try. When you put the bread back in, you can also put it in upside down to encourage the bottom of the bread cooking properly.
To encourage the bottom of the bread cooking, you can use a pizza stone/steel, or even a baking tray. Leave it in the oven while preheating, then put the tray with the bread on top.


Look for the kosher symbol on different types of butter.  You will need to find a substitute with the word "Parve" on it.  Parve means no dairy products.  From there just check the labels to make sure it is gluten free.  Other things that I have used to replace butter have been olive oil or applesauce (works great in brownies).

Here is a chart if you would like to substitute olive oil for the butter.  http://www.amazingoliveoil.com/substitute-olive-oil-for-butter.html


How to tenderizing chicken with soy sauce instead wet brining?

To use soy sauce as a substitute for salt in a brine, you need to calculate the concentration of salt to water. Since we can accurately calculate grams of salt per volume of soy sauce by using the nutritional information on the label, and 1/4 cup of salt per quart of water is a down and dirty way to make a 5% salt brine, let's simplify things by just using grams of salt/metric volume of liquid.

According to the label, Kikkoman Soy Sauce has 920mg of sodium in 15ml of sauce, so 500mls of soy sauce has 30.7 grams of sodium. NaCl (salt) is 40% sodium by weight, so 500mls of soy sauce has the equivalent of 76.75 grams of salt.

By definition, a 5% salt brine would have 25 grams of salt per 500mls of water.

So, Kikkoman Soy Sauce is almost three times as salty as a 5% salt brine. To roughly approximate a 5% salt brine with soy sauce, mix 1 part soy sauce with 2 parts water.

You can also use a stronger solution for less time, but it will take some tweaking. I recommend that you try it the first time as I recommend for replicating a 5% brine, and then tweak from there. Or use a recipe that calls for a 10% salt brine and use half soy sauce, half water which will cause the chicken (especially the skin) to darken nicely.


In The Art of Fermentation, Sandor Katz notes that he has fermented shiitake and some other mushrooms, but does not specify fresh or dried.

Christopher and Kristen Shockey, authors, owners of Mellonia Farm and the website Ferment Works, include a recipe for Pickled Shiitake in their book Fermented Vegetables that calls for dried shiitake. In the recipe notes they also suggest adding dried mushroom slices to sauerkraut.

Fish is often added to vegetables for kimchi, depending on the style of kimchi being made. Maangchi, cookbook author and blogger, has several recipes for kimchi, like Easy Kimchi with fish sauce and fresh squid and Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi with fish sauce and salted, fermented shrimp.

I have not seen recipes for oil-packed fish, but fresh, salt-packed, or dried anchovies would all be worth experimenting with.

I have heard of oil being used in certain applications in lacto-fermented vegetables, but I am not sure how an oil-packed ingredient would interact with the rest of the ferment. For example, I have read blog posts of people use a layer of oil on the top of their fermentation vessel as a type of airlock--the CO2 passes through the olive oil but oxygen cannot penetrate it. I have not used this method, though.

There are also traditional Indian pickles made in mustard oil in sunlight (whereas most lacto-ferments are kept out of direct light or even in darkness).

There have been cases of botulism forming in olive oils flavored with fresh garlic and herbs; botulism bacteria are introduced to the oil from the fresh produce and then thrive in the anaerobic environment of the oil. Acidification is required to treat the produce to prevent botulism. Lacto-ferments create an acidic environment unfriendly to botulism, so the situations are not identical, but caution should be used when introducing oil to lacto-ferments.


Help with getting the correct consistency in dairy-free ice cream

You can't do kitchen chemistry without measuring. Most "US measures" include a 1/4 teaspoon measure, and some include a 1/8 teaspoon.

At the roughest quick look from your list, I'd say that 1/2 gallon of almond milk plus 17-25 fl ounces of eggs (depends on the size of the eggs) would call for more like 3 cups of sugar for a reliable frozen dessert texture.

I prefer text to video; the video is easy to find if you prefer that. Alton Brown's "Churn, Baby, Churn" episodes of Good Eats are a frozen dessert experimentation primer.

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/season1/churn/churntranscript.htm

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/season9/ice_cream/churn_baby_churn_ii.htm


What meats can I serve medium rare and why?

Beef (and Lamb): The surface of beef is often contaminated with pathogens such as e-coli. However, the meat is very dense and the bacteria cannot migrate from the surface into the flesh. Therefore, beef is safe to consume once the external temperature exceeds, 160 degrees F. The internal uncontaminated meat is safe to eat raw.

Pork: Like beef the surface of pork needs to be fully cooked.  Unlike beef, pigs harbor a parasitic roundworm called Trichinella spiralis. Infection with the worm is called trichinosis and can be fatal. This worm is killed when the flesh reaches 150 degrees F and is held there for several minutes. Therefore pork is safe to consume when cooked to medium. (Commercial pork in North America almost never has the roundworm present. Almost  every case (all?) of trichinosis in the last 15-20 years have come from undercooked wild boar or bear meat). Trichinella spiralis can also be killed by freezing (time and temperature dependent).

Chicken: Almost all chickens have Salmonella or Campylobacter present on the surface (at
least). However, chickens have a less dense flesh than pigs, sheep or cows. Therefore, the bacteria can migrate deep into the flesh. Also, the processing of chickens is much more invasive than the previously mentioned animals which also means the interior meat can get contaminated. This means the meat must be cooked to well done throughout.

Duck: With duck it seems to come down to a matter of processing verses chicken. Also, they are raised in a much less confined manor, which helps prevent the spread of pathogens. There is still a chance of getting a salmonella infection from undercooked duck but cooking the breast well done basically ruins it, so people take the (small) risk.

Ground meat: Grinding meat, by its nature, implies the surface and the interior is mixed. Therefore, one must assume the meat is fully contaminated and must be entirely cooked to well done.


Presumably the reason you're cooking directly on the oven rack is to let the fat drip down.  If so, do yourself a favour and get yourself a roasting rack.  It's an inexpensive piece of equipment that you place in a baking pan or on a cookie sheet; the food cooks on the rack and the pan/sheet catches all the drippings.  Way better than trying to replace an entire oven rack.

And if you really hate cleanup, you can line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and just throw the rack in the dishwasher when you're done.


Why are chicken thighs sold as bone-in skin-on or boneless skinless but never boneless skin-on?

Actually while they are not easily found everywhere, some stores do sell the boneless skin-on chicken thighs and breasts. In fact, I just bought some of the thighs this past week. (I'm in the US, mid-atlantic region.)

The reason most stores don't sell them that way is because it's a less popular option and therefore in less demand than bone-in,skin-on or boneless/skinless. That said, if you shop in stores that have butchers on premise, you can ask them to bone the thighs and leave the skin on.

Back many years ago before boneless/skinless pieces became popular, it was quite easy to find the boneless thighs and breasts with the skin on.


1:

  How long will it take for yeast culture to adapt to new flour

Starter will adapt to the new flour ratio with 3-5 feeds (if you feed it daily, it should change to the new flour within 7 days).

2:

  Is my starter slowly dying? Or just getting used to the new flour? If so how long will this take?

Add some rye or wholewheat flour for a couple of feeds.
If you wish to add white flour - that should increase the gas pockets in your starter.

I'd give it three to four feeds before you see some hyper activity.

The thing is - depending on your temperature - the starter should be active the closer its is to ~30C.

I'd say, unless there's pink spots or or mould, then you should give up.

Re: Giving up: can be checked in this other starter question.
https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/107641/83535


How can I get my bread to be more fluffy and less dense?

A big factor besides the dough is the temperature at which you bake the bread.

If you are not baking it at some recipe specified temperature you are probably playing on the safe side and your breads won't raise much.

You have to heat the CO2 pockets quickly so that they expand before the dough hardens. The more temperature you can give it the better.

Another possible factor may be the yeast. Are you waiting enough? Are you using enough? Like temperature, more yeast and longer fermentation times can't go wrong.


I haven't done injera yet but I make dosa which is similarly traditionally fermented and one of the most important factors to do this safely and effectively is temperature. My experience with dosa batter indicates that much lower than ~70F (~21C) really slows the fermentation down. I tried to find a more precise temperature recommendation and found a blog (Culinaria Eugenius) which recommends 30C (~86F) (and includes a really thorough walk-through, too).

I have a really good Ethiopian cookbook at home I can check later, but I don't know if it will have a precise temperature recommendation.

If your kitchen is on the cool side (and I hope it isn't a steady 30C for your sake :-) ), it may be helpful to ferment it in the oven. If you have a pilot light on a gas oven, that is enough heat to keep it warm enough, or if not, if you have an internal oven light you can turn on, that can be enough heat.

You would need to keep it out, covered, for some time first, though, as the oven is less hospitable to the wild yeasts you want to catch in the first place.

Your batter could have been ready after 2 days, although it will achieve a stronger flavor if you let it ferment longer.

Another recipe from Mesob Restaurant in NJ says that it can be anywhere from 2-6 days for it to complete fermentation, but for safety's sake, you really do want the fermentation to start quickly so that the good wild yeast can build up and get finished before anything bad gets a chance to take hold, especially in a humid environment that is friendly to such mold spores.

(Note, Mesob is a good restaurant and their injera is good, even if they do cut costs by mixing in other grains, so I trust their advice even though I haven't made it myself from this recipe.)

Regarding your current batch, another blog instruction for making starter says that you can simply remove the mold by skimming off the top. If there is enough alcohol in the mixture that may be safe, but I personally would be likely to throw it out and start over, which is what is generally recommended in answers to this question about sourdough starter.

Edit:
None of my books say anything more useful than "room temperature" for fermenting. Most indicate that it should be ready in 2-3 days.


200C is pretty low for baking pizza; you'll tend to get bread (as you say).  Commercial pizza ovens range from 300C to 450C
If you don't have a baking stone, then at least put the pizza on an inverted preheated baking sheet.  Something to get heat on the bottom of it, to crisp the crust.  Otherwise ... bready.
From the 48-96 hour period you're using, it sounds like you're aiming for a sourdough crust.  Why not create your own sourdough starter, and use that to start your pizza dough?


With all dried beans, they should be cooked first. Lentils do remarkably well cooked as rice, which is why they're often paired with rice. A rice cooker set with just lentils, or your favorite pan-rice recipe should work. Lentils don't need to be cooked as long as other beans, so you shouldn't need to pressure cook them, or soak them, like you would other beans.

You can then sauté them in oil, if that's what you want to do. Frying (deep-frying) is not what I would expect with lentils; they sauté well, however.


Can you store oil in a container that is not airtight?

Yes, oxygen (and sunlight) can affect the quality of oil. The oil turns rancid after some time. And storing the oil in a really airtight container (like a can from which air has been evacuated before sealing) should prevent or at least slow the process.

However, the problem is that you can't practically store your oil in an airless container and still use it. Yes, you can seal a bottle of oil. But there will still be air between the oil surface and the stopper, and the oxygen from this air will react with the oil molecules on the surface. And if you use a non-sealed bottle, the exactly same thing will happen. Unlike other cases (soda in a sealed vs. open bottle), the reaction of oil and oxygen isn't quick and aggressive enough to quickly exhaust the small amount of oxygen in a sealed bottle and stop. It will go on regardless of whether there is free air flow from the atmosphere or not.

So what can you do? You can still minimize the rate of rancidification. But it isn't the openness of the bottle that matters, it is the contact area size, because this is where the reaction takes place. Which means, store your oil in a (preferably tall and slim) bottle, as opposed to something like a jug. Protect it from light, because light is definitely damaging for oil. Also, buy it in small sizes, so you can go through it in a reasonably short time. And after all, don't worry too much about it. The reactions are slow, and the oils you use several times per week will not last long enough in your kitchen to deteriorate too much. It can become a problem if you collect special oils which are used seldom and contribute a significant part of the taste in a dish.


What about pureeing it and using it as a base for BBQ sauce or a basting sauce for roasts.


Substitute for lemon grass in curry dish

Well I would suggest if you really can not get it, then leave it out altogether.  It provides accents of flavour rather than a primary usually in most curry recipes, so it can be omitted.

If you want to substitute it, then you can use lemon or lime zest, possibly with some mint leaves to freshen it a little.  But the end result will not be the same, just enhanced in a similar fashion to that which lemongrass achieves.


The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle outline using a fan and says that is speeds up the process and gives the cookies a nice sheen:

http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/04/my-1-fan-wfmw/

Hope that helps!


Will this effect how the oven heats up/cooks food?

The greater thermal mass means the oven will take longer to heat up, which is undesirable if you want to cook quickly, but it will also lessen temperature fluctuations from opening the oven door or the heating element cycling, which can be desirable. The block of metal is performing one of the roles of a pizza stone in this regard.
Depending on where the heating elements in the oven are situated, the size of the oven and the size and positioning of your cast iron, it may impact how heat distributes, for example by 'shielding' food from a lower heating element, and blocking the flow of air. Each situation is likely to be different so it is hard to say whether this will be a serious impact in your case.

Will it harm the pans?

Very unlikely; your cast iron is designed to be happy at oven temperatures. If there is food residue on the pan you may find that repeatedly heating/burning it and letting it cool can make it very hard to clean off without a tough abrasive, so make sure you clean your pans thoroughly before storing them.
Similarly, the whole point of seasoning on a pan is that it is formed in high oven temperatures, so it should not be damaged by exposure to similarly high temperatures. As discussed in the answer here, seasoning can be damaged by high temperatures, with the temperature necessary varying depending on the seasoning itself. If your pans' seasoning has survived so far, I would not expect this to change with further time stored in the oven, but if you season a new pan and store it in the oven you should not be surprised if the seasoning is at times damaged as described in that question. (This is the point I am least confident about, so would be open to correction in the comments if it is from a reliable source.)


Why is my pastry blistering in the microwave?

This is because you are using a microwave. In theory, if you could turn off the microwaves in the microwave oven, you could use the convection function to bake things. In practice, we have had several questions which indicate that this is not how convection microwaves work. They keep nuking your dough, making it inedible. In your case, they are cooking all the moisture locally, resulting in mini-steam-explosions which create blisters, and a dried out, hard and crispy dough.

I am sorry, but there is no way you can bake with a microwave, not short pastry, and not other things. One exception might be quickly eaten "microwave cupcakes" which don't have much flour to start with and are baked for a very short time. I have seen people claim that they work, but never actually tried them.

For baking, you need a non-microwaving oven. The cheapest solution is a toaster oven with a 30x30 cm inner size, they are somewhat trickier to use than a big oven, but good enough for a small budget.


If you truly want complex, I’d suggest the Alinea cookbook by Grant Achatz. This book highlights molecular gastronomy techniques  and recipes featured at his award winning restaurant in Chicago.

Another route to go would be to look for traditional recipes from different cooking heritages.  The James Beard Foundation will annually award the best cookbooks from around the world. These will be high-quality, no shortcuts, or traditional cooking.


How necessary is it to marinade meat before making jerkies?

Marinating your meat makes it safer primarily by introducing it to salt, which kills bacteria. It is possible to make jerky safely without it, though you need to be careful.

You should use lean meat; fat is the most likely component in the meat to go bad.

It's also important to regulate the temperature closely and make sure hold the meat at temperature for long enough.

You can get some really really nasty bacteria if you don't cure meat correctly, so it's worth taking some time on it. Check out this guide on safely making jerky in a home dehydrator for more info.


if you are making couliflower then you can use garlic instead of ginger,and in some other dishes as you say about meal you can use ground nutmeg,cinnamon etc.


Can I substitute Ener-G Egg Replacer with Orgran No Egg?

Based on their ingredients they should be pretty similar (Orgran: Potato starch, Tapioca flour, Calcium carbonate, Citric acid, vegetable gum (stabiliser): Methylcellulose vs. Ener-G: Potato Starch, tapioca starch flour, leavening (calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, citric acid), sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose).

Do you have any bulk food co-ops / health stores in your area? Sometimes they sell Ener-G or similar products in bulk, that way you can just buy the few tablespoons that you need and try it out before investing in the whole box.


How Does a Grocery Store "Self-Rising Crust" Work

I believe they use a combination of hydrogenated oils, yeast and standard leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda.

My experience is that without hydro, the super rising crusts are just tougher to make. I have settled for a medium riser but an awesome taste. I like to use yeast in my pizza crusts. Generally, chemical reactions go faster at higher temps, so yes temperature does matter...

However, since the reaction starts immediately, I would say it is more dependent on the amount and how long you let it work. The trick is the optimize the timing so that you bake the shape you want (i.e., fluffy and big) into the crust just as it gets to that point from the leavening (the most risen and fluffy). If you wait too long it will depress...

I read a bit about this here as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder


Why is there a noise and big flame when starting my gas cooker?

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.


You could go ahead and add each of the other ingredients (other than the milk) again, doubling the recipe.

If you really want to get fussy, you probably should follow the recipe instructions regarding "creaming butter and sugars"...etc. with that second round of ingredients, but honeslty cookies aren't that particular about technique, so I would just dump them in and mix-em up. Your result should be quite reasonable.


Why should or shouldn't I peel button mushrooms?

The only motivation I'm aware of for peeling button mushrooms other than wanting a very clean, white appearance is to remove dirt, dust, grit, compost, etc. from the surface without the trouble of brushing or washing. It's arguably quicker to peel mushrooms than to brush them (though not in my experience) and many people don't like washing them because they absorb a little bit of the water, which is counter-productive when e.g. sauteing. However, peeling them means you are wasting some of your ingredients, and even a very dirty button mushroom is trivial to clean by washing or brushing.

I rarely find it necessary to clean supermarket mushrooms at all as they tend to be very clean on the shelf. If they're dusty, a gentle pat with a clean, damp sponge does the trick. I would advise against peeling unless you're going for a specific visual presentation that requires it.

See also: How to clean mushrooms?


What factors should I consider when buying kitchen tongs?

Get good metal

A decent pair of 23 to 30 cm (9 to 12") stainless steel tongs should weigh around 125 to 150 g (4.5 to 5.5 oz); if it weighs less than this it is not going to be strong enough to be truly useful, and will probably bend and break in short order

Longer tongs, say around 35 to 40 cm (13.5 to 15.5") are great if you operate a very hot grill frequently

If it has a locking mechanism (recommended) it should only lock when the tongs are pointed up and squeezed close. It should unlock when pointed down and squeezed. This is normally achieved with a pin just below the hinge pin that is engaged when tipped up. Locks that require fiddling or two hands to operate are a pain, and often fail over time

Go for plain metal, the plastic bits never last very long or stay hygienic, and you will be adding to the rubbish pile before long

I have various tongs like this that have lasted 20 years and are still great

Cheap Chinese tongs are often just chrome plated crap steel. They are bad in so many ways: hygiene, longevity, easy of use, etc

Examples

Good tongs 23 cm with internal locking pin. Cannot bend steel with hands.

Bad tongs with silicone ends that wear out quickly. The two handed locking mechanism that jams or breaks easily


Are rinsed out plastic milk jugs safe for storing water?

Cleaned jugs are, but ones that are only rinsed aren't. After the milk is gone, wash the inside of the jug with hot water and anti-bacterial soap. Rinse with super-purified or distilled water to avoid the risk of re-introducing contaminants to the inside of the jug. I store the filled bottles in my cold room for six months, then use the water and replace my stores.


It's ruined - what goes in is what comes out


Yes, it is animal fat. The word is spelled "suet" and it comes from beef.

I haven't been able to find a recording of the word with British accent, but this is what fits the context too. It also seems to exist in this flaky form that is shown in the video.


What is the difference between a wilted salad and a massaged salad?

I've only heard of massaging kale.  If you rub the greens together they get softer, darker and more tender and useable in a salad.  Never done it with anything else. Wilted is steamed or blanched greens. Wilting definitely changes the texture and can make the greens more palatable and less bitter.  I won't eat raw collards. I also always salt and squeeze my cooked spinach before using as it knocks out the bitterness.


How long does shrimp paste last in the fridge?

As your shrimp paste is mostly salty, it will last quite a while even without refrigeration. IMHO, it is better to keep it in the fridge as you do. The important thing to remember is to seal it well to cut down on odor leakage. In this way it can sit finely in the fridge over a year.


Why does my bread burn at the bottom before it is done?

It is highly likely that the temperature of your oven is too high.  While I would recommend simply buying an oven thermometer, which are not very expensive, if you are in a part of the world where that is not feasible, according to this post at Tip King:

  You can check your oven's temperature with this simple test. After
  preheating it, lay a sheet of plain white paper on the centre rack and
  leave it for five minutes. The paper's colour will tell you the oven's
  temperature:

  pale biscuit, 150°C/300°F or less
  light brown, 180°- 200°C/350°-400°F
  golden brown, 200°- 230°C/400°-450°F
  dark brown, 230°- 260°C/450°-500°F
  black, over 260°C/500°F

Hopefully, this method will let you estimate the temperature of your oven accurately enough to adjust it within the range that your bread is successful.

Note that I have not verified this method personally.

If this is not the cause of your problems, you will need to describe how you are baking your bread (the recipe, whether you are using a stone, a pan, how you are shaping the loaves, what their size is, and so forth) in much more detail to get a better answer.


What effects will xylitol have as a sugar substitute?

It's difficult to find reliable information amidst all the marketing hype with xylitol, but here's what I've been able to figure out:

Xylitol does have fewer calories, per unit of weight, than table sugar.  However, xylitol is also less sweet than sugar.  Factually, it has about 2/3 the calories of sugar.  Anecdotally, it is about half as sweet, so if you judged your amounts entirely by taste (as opposed to doing a 1:1 substitution), you would end up with more calories.
Xylitol has been associated with gastrointestinal upset in doses higher than 35 g, so if you plan to use a lot of in your candies, you might want to use very small servings.  It seems to be not as bad as most other sugar alcohols, but still much harder on the gut than ordinary sugar.
One of the more interesting properties of some sugar alcohols (including xylitol, again) is that they are humectants - meaning that they draw in moisture from the air.  This is a useful property if your candies are prone to drying out; on the other hand, if they are prone to breaking down then this could make it worse.  It depends on the specific candy and especially the gelatin concentration.
Although it is mildly alkaline - enough to spawn anecdotes of it having a "cooling effect" on the mouth - it's not really enough to make a difference in gelatin, which does fine up to a pH of about 10.  Citric acid does seem like a common accompaniment in sugar-free gums but it seems to be just for flavour purposes, as humans aren't wired to enjoy alkaline tastes.  Keep in mind that this will at least partly negate the supposed oral benefits.
Finally, polyols act as stabilizers for gelatin in the same way that sugar does.  Although xylitol wasn't included in the linked experiment, it's very similar to sorbitol in that respect.  What you'll end up with is an increased melting point and a generally firmer gel, and while that's normally seen as a good thing, don't overdo it or else you'll lose the melt-in-your-mouth property that's unique to gelatin.
I wouldn't use other thickeners; the gelatin is already taking care of that, and if you need more gel strength then just use more gelatin.  If you're trying to make stiffer candies then just use a stiffer gelling agent.


There is no one answer, as each manufacturer has different processes

Most flavours are simple esters, acids, and salts that mimic the main flavour notes of the food being replicated. Some high quality chips will use actual freeze dried powders made from the actual food

e.g.

Ham powder = the good stuff is freeze dried and then powdered real ham, the other stuff is just fat, smoke, and maybe some chemical esters

Fruit powder = either just the essential chemical ester that denote the fruit, or actual freeze dried fruits. A little freeze dried fruit goes a long way

Cheese powder = spray dried melted cheese, a similar process to how milk powder is made. It's basically cheese with no water

Vinegar powder = acetic acid powder. Vinegar is mostly a ~5% solution of acetic acid, and acetic acid is a common and cheap chemical used in the plastics and glue industries

Chilli or Paprika = capsaicin oil, either naturally extracted, or chemically made, one drop goes a very long way

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester

Chip flavours are just "invented" like every thing else. The chips invention is more interesting, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Crum


I don't know what you mean by "vanilla powder", true vanilla does not come as a powder, but there is a variety of processed products which are used for vanilla flavoring and come in powdered form.

If your vanilla powder is made from pure artificial vanillin, or contains beta carotene, it can have an unpleasant aftertaste. I would suggest dissolving some of the powder into milk and drinking it that way, to see if the aftertaste is present. Don't use too high a concentration, this will be too strong, but you can make it more than you typically use in the yogurt.

If it is not the powder, everything else you mentioned could have been a factor. Try using a new batch of storebought yogurt as a culture. Change the container to something non-reactive, preferably glass. Make these changes separately, while keeping the other factors constant, to find out which one is the culprit.


What are some interesting herbs/spices to sprinkle over fish?

One of the best seasonings that works as a base for fish is "zesty lemon and pepper seasoning salt" by McCormik which is currently available in Costco stores. You can make that from scratch, however it is difficult to find the dehydrated lemon.

To take your seasoning to the next gourmet level, mix in powdered saffron and dried parsley. Also, if you can find "Aleppo peppers" the spice  in your area, use that too.

I mix the following ingredients to make my fish seasoning:

1 tbsp lemon and pepper seasoning salt (recommended, McCormik)

1 tbsp Aleppo peppers

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp powdered saffron

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp freshly ground black peppers

1 tsp or so kosher salt

Place all the ingredients in a stone mortar or spice grinder and coarsely powder them ,not very fine though, just enough to soften the parsley and blend every thing together.


Cutting cold butter into flour - which mixer attachment should I use?

Since you ask about other tools, I recommend avoiding the mixer altogether and instead grate frozen butter into the flour. If you have a food processor you can use the coarsest grating blade--chilling the bowl and grater first will help keep the butter cold will help--but it goes quickly by hand with a coarse grater.

The key is to get the butter distributed quickly and keep the butter and dough cool while working the dough as little as possible. If you do use the mixer, chilling the bowl and paddle helps.

And, regardless of method using ice water and very cold liquids helps.


I think a good Belgian Wit beer would go well with Thai food.   The coriander and citrus in the beer would complement the dish, but a good one will not overpower the food.   The light mouthfeel from a Wit would help cleanse your palate and refresh without filling you up.


Why do recipes have the instruction to fry in olive oil?

I would suggest three reasons:

The smoke point of olive oil, while lower than many oils, is higher than most items you would deep fry (375 - 490 F or 190 - 255C, depending on the olive oil).
Tradition - if it is the oil that is most plentiful, it is the oil that is used.
Flavor - olive oil imparts a distinct flavor (as other oils do).


Wrapping in aluminun foil and place it in a skillet pan

Yes, it can ruin the pan. Non-stick pans are very sensitive to overheating. When their bottom is well covered with fat or fluid and pieces of food, the heat coming from the stove gets conducted from the pan to the food, and it usually doesn't overheat. But if you place a bundle on the pan, there will be large spots not in direct contact with cooling fluid (food) and so the teflon will get destroyed by the heat.

Wrapped cooking techniques are not usually meant for pans. They are much more typical in ovens (or in fire/embers, in more traditional settings). Sometimes wrapping is also done in steaming. But doing it in a pan is highly unusual. So consider looking up typical recipes and following them.

If you really need to do wrapping on a stovetop, use a pan material which can take the extreme heat, this would be cast iron (seasoned, not enameled) or uncoated stainless steel.


In general, to create crispier cookies:

baking soda (if you use this to replace the baking powder, keep in mind it's thought to be 3x as strong, so reduce accordingly. The decrease in acid leads to a longer set temp, which will help your cookie bake to be crispier. If you'd like to even out the decrease in acid, you can always use a little bit of each, or even add in a little lemon juice)
replace the egg (with whole milk to encourage spreading)
make sure the butter you're creaming is at the right temperature (read this post for more info: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/04/27/creaming-butter-sugar/)
bake it for longer at a lower temp with smaller flatter cookies

All of these tips are meant to increase the surface area of the cookie exposed to the heat, in order to dry it out/crisp it up. However, your cookie recipe also has the addition of all the water and stickiness of the fruits, so it is unlikely that you can get it to be completely dry and crispy, like a sugar cookie, for instance.

Tips gathered from many sources and experience, but the best one for cookies found was this one: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/04/27/creaming-butter-sugar/

Good luck on our quest for crispier fig cookies!


Can I substitute potato starch (katakuriko) for cornstarch in a cookie recipe?

We keep both in the house, and i always seen to find myself in the middle of prep and not being able to find the one I'm looking for. As a consequence, I have subbed katakuriko for corn starch and vice-versa in equal amounts on several occasions, and never had trouble with the results having the wrong texture or tasting strange.

That being said, I have never used a substantial amount (more than a teaspoon or two) in any recipe, either.


How to keep seasonings from separating in soup

You could use a bouquet garni.

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bouquet-Garni

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouquet_garni

  The bouquet garni... is a bundle of herbs usually tied together with
  string and mainly used to prepare soup, stock, casseroles and various
  stews.The bouquet is cooked with the other ingredients, but is removed
  prior to consumption...

  There is no generic recipe for bouquet garni, but most French recipes
  include thyme, bay leaf and parsley.[2] Depending on the recipe, the
  bouquet garni may also include basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary,
  peppercorns,[5] savory and tarragon.. Sometimes, the bouquet is not
  bound with string, and its ingredients are filled into a small sachet,
  a piece of celery stalk,[3] a net, or even a tea strainer, instead.

I have usually done this with cheesecloth.  If your herbs are dried as in this picture that would be how you do it too.  Make a bag of cheesecloth, fill it with herbs and tie it with string.  Remove from the finished soup and throw it away, so you do not eat it by accident.


Is it possible to cook a whole fish in a dishwasher?

Surely the authors of the previous (sublime!) answers will throw the "Sure it works in practice, but does it work in theory!?" at me, but this great SE question and its answers still lured me into creating an answer backed up by empirical evidence.

The Answer

YES! It's certainly possible. At least one successful attempt has been logged (see below).

The Experiment

The following equipment and ingredients were used in this experiment:

Two whole trouts (each 230 grams, 28 cm long, thickness 3 cm).
One salmon steak, cut in two equal pieces (90 grams each, thickest point 3 cm).
Herbs: rosemary and parsley.
Lemon slices (only on the trout, not on the salmon).
Sea salt.
Zip-lock bags.
Microwave foil (only on the salmon).
Dishwasher type: Bosch SGS55 (only sold in EU, it seems)

STEP 1 - Preparation

Salmon

Wrap tightly in microwave foil with salt, rosemary, parsley.
Put in zip-lock bag.
Push air out of bag, close it.

Trout

Salt, rosemary, parsley and lemon slices inside the fish.
Alas: the zip-lock bags were too small, I had to cut off the head and tail.
Put in zip-lock bag.
Push air out of bag, close it.

STEP 2 - Enter the Dishwasher

Rolled up the zip-lock bags a bit.
Put one salmon and one trout bag in the top rack, the other two in the bottom rack (to test the difference).

STEP 3 - Program

Here's the tricky bit. I read up on sous-vide before trying, noting fish (particularly salmon) would need around 50° Celsius at a constant temperature. However, my main concern was that the temperature would not be constant enough to cook the fish: I was more afraid of under cooking than of overcooking. So I decided to run my experiment at this program:

The highest program marked 70° Celsius
Run for the full 137 minutes
No detergent
No other equipment (plates, cutlery, etc)

THE WAIT

With the dishwasher empty, the first bit of the program made an awful lot of noise, with cold water hitting the inside of the empty dishwasher. After that it kind-of returned to normal.

STEP 4 - Results

After 136 minutes I was standing in front of the dishwasher eager like a little kid waiting to open his Christmas presents. The dishwasher felt really warm, even on the outside. When I opened the dishwasher I saw one of the bottom salmon bags had fallen to the bottom. This is what the bags looked like when I got 'em out:

Then, with hands shaking, I opened the bags. This is the result:

Victory! upon closer inspection it turned out the fish were all perfectly cooked! We put some extra salt on and enjoyed them very much.

Conclusion

The answer is then a wholehearted "Yes: this is possible!". Try this at home!


Yes you can, but I'm guessing you want an esthetic effect somewhere in your recipe... maybe using the juice somehow as an after glazing effect or something like that? Post your true final purpose :)


How to cook beef shank so that it is fall-off-the-bone tender?

If your beef shank is chewy, it's undercooked. Period. Whatever the amount of time is, even if it seems like a lot to you, it's not enough. Overcooking will cause meat cuts with a lot of connective tissue (like shank) to dry, and even fall apart because it is too tender. But it will not still be chewy.


How long should I sear meat after thawing from frozen state?

The Sous Vide Supreme website recommends reheating in the water bath for 45 minutes per inch of thickness (adding 30 minutes if reheating from frozen).  I would do this at a temperature equal to, or a degree or two lower than, your initial cook so as not to over cook.  Then sear or grill as normal...a minute or so per side.


Caffeine content of cold-brewed coffee: higher or lower than hot-brewed?

There's an article from MSNBC which quotes the Toddy company.  The Toddy company makes a device for easy brewing cold brewed coffee.  Apparently, in a side by side test of Toddy cold brewed with Star Buck's hot brewed, the caffeine content was ~30% less in cold brewed than in hot...  I'll go with that.  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/5728227


why add a shot of vodka to a cream sauce?

First, the alcohol doesn't burn off. We had a table about the percentage of alcohol left after a period of cooking, and especially in something cooked as short as a pasta sauce, there is a substantial amount left. For the longer discussion, see Cooking away alcohol.

Second, alcohol is a great solvent. It can leach aromatics from spices and herbs which wouldn't come out with water only. There is a good reason why extracts and essences are made with alcohol. While a really good extract needs a long time, even the short cooking time will be enough for alcohol to make a difference.

Third, it can stabilize your sauce. Cream is an emulsion of fat in water, and not terribly stable, especially if some acid is present. Alcohol dissolves both fat and water, so it will stop the cream from eventual separating.

Fourth, maybe you happened to find a not so great recipe. Vodka will help with the first three points, but it is seldom a good choice for cooking, because there is almost always another alcohol which will accomplish the same and introduce a good flavor which harmonizes with the remaining ingredients. For pasta sauces this tends to be a good brandy, but it depends on what else you have in the sauce. And because even vodka will leave a taste of alcohol in the end, it is hard to argue that it can be used where the taste should be kept unchanged.


Is it safe to use a disposable microwave-safe lunch box to cook raw rice with hot water directly in a microwave for 15 minutes?

It very much depends on the type of plastic,the thickness, and the manufacturing process. I highly recommend that if it's not . It's best to just learn about the company and see if they are FDA/ISO/ASTM approved or just some cheap Chinese company (nothing against Chinese things, however, there are good things made there too).

Here's a simple test that can be done: Put the box in the microwave, put a mug with water in the box, and microwave it for 30 seconds. If the box is warm, it probably isn't microwave safe (ESPECIALLY if the water is not). If the box is cool and the water is hot, you should be good. I can't provide a proof that this will work 100% of the time, however.

But may I also urge you to switch to glass? It'll save you money, it'll spread less plastic on our planet, and it feels better too.


Does cottage cheese melt like other cheeses?

No. Cottage cheese is a type of acid coagulated cheese, much like ricotta, feta and farmers cheese. It will continue to have lumps when heated, which will never be smooth.

The other type of cheese to avoid for melting is long aged hard cheeses like Parmesan or sharp cheddars. These tend to "break" and separate into an oily mess.
Adding butter or cream usually helps, but can dilute the flavor.
Using starch such as a bechamel sauce as a binder has a similar effect, but using a blend of short aged cheeses like gruyere or jack and stronger flavored cheeses like cheddar is a good option.


Bag-cooked omelettes turning gray when stored in the fridge

Cooking, not storage, to blame
Storing cooked eggs under refrigeration for a week is not turning your eggs gray. Instead the discoloration is from the iron in the yolk reacting with the sulfur in the albumen at temperatures of 170F or higher creating ferrous sulfide.
Overcooking the omelettes initially, or perhaps hot spots from the reheating method, create the gray-green discoloration. While unappetizing, the discoloration is not harmful.


How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?

General comments on the shelf-, fridge-, and freezer-life of foods
The shelf-life is the amount of time a food can be stored before it is considered unsuitable for use. It may be unsuitable due to quality degradation (no longer tasty) or food safety (risk of food poisoning). [1]
As far as food safety goes, food stored frozen at 0°F (-18°C) or below is remains safe forever; only quality degrades over time. [2]. Thus the freezer-storage times below are entirely about quality. This temperature should be maintained fairly closely (within 3°C[6] or 5°F) and a defrost / no-frost freezer should not heat air surrounding the products by enough to heat the products more than that.
If your freezer is set at a temperature higher than -18°C (three-star setting), these times may not apply. Especially the safe storage time in one-star freezers (-6°C) is much reduced.
The times all assume proper storage. Freezers 0°F or below, refrigerators 40°F (4°C) or below. [3] Cans should be stored in a cool, dry place, below 85°F (30°C) [4]. The freezer itself should also be placed correctly: if the environmental temperature drops below 10°C (50°F), oil might be too viscous and work less well or damage the compressor[7], so please refer to the operating manual before deciding on an unheated garage.
The tables given here assume proper storage. Food which requires refrigeration is considered unsafe if left for over two hours at temperatures between 41–135°F (5–57°C) [5].
The Tables
Regardless of the table below, if a food shows signs of spoilage (including mold, with some exceptions described below), its past its shelf-life. Note that the lack of spoilage does not imply safety.
Uncooked Proteins

Item
Fridge
Freezer
Sources

Ground (meat, poultry)
1–2 days
3–4  months
[KC]

Non-ground meat
3–5 days
steaks: 6–12 monthschops: 4–6  monthsroasts: 4–12 months
[KC]

Poultry
1–2 days
whole: 12 monthspieces: 9 months
[KC]

Eggs
in shell: 3–5 weeksseparated: 2–4 days
in shell: not recommendedwhites: 12 monthsyolks: not recommended
[KC]

Bacon
1 week
1 month
[CFG]

tofu
1 week
5 months
[CFG]

fish
1–2 days
lean: 4–8 monthsfatty: 2–3 months
[CFG]

Cooked proteins

Item
Fridge
Freezer
Sources

luncheon meat
opened: 1 weekunopened: 2 weeks
1–2 months
[KC]

cooked meat and poultry
3–4 days
2–6 months
[KC]

cooked fish
3–4 days
1–2 months
[CFG]

hard boiled eggs
1 week
not recommended
[KC]

hard sausage
2–3 weeks
1–2 months
[CFG]

Dairy

Item
Fridge
Freezer
Sources

butter
1–3 months
6–9 months
[CFG]

hard cheeses
opened: 3–4 weeksunopened: 6 months
6 months
[CFG]

soft cheeses
1 week
6 months
[CFG]

cream cheese
2 weeks
not recommended
[CFG]

Sauces

Item
Fridge
Freezer
Sources

mayo
commercial: 2 monthshome-made: see below
not recommended
[CFG]

gravy, broth
3–4 days
2–3 months
[CFG]

For home-made mayo, there don't seem to be official shelf-life estimates.
Seasoned Advice has a question on this,
Making "long(er)-life" homemade mayonnaise.
Vegetables
Freezer times are given for cooked or blanched, then frozen. Generally, this is
required, otherwise enzymatic degradation will occur. See "Where can I go for
details on a specific food?" for where to find specific steps for each vegetable.
Refrigerator and shelf times are for storage raw.
If a column is -, it means that storage type is not recommended. "Ripe" means
"until ripe".

Item
Shelf
Fridge
Freezer
Sources

Asparagus
-
3–4 days
8 months
[FK]

Green beans
-
3–4 days
8 months
[FK]

Beets
1 day
7–10 days
6–8 months
[FK]

Cabbage
-
1–2 weeks
10–12 months
[FK]

Carrots
-
3 weeks
10–12 months
[FK]

Celery
-
1–2 weeks
10–12 months
[FK]

Garlic
1 month
1–2 weeks
1 month
[FK]

Herbs (fresh)
-
7–10 days
1–2 months
[FK]

Lettuce (iceberg)
-
1–2 weeks
-
[FK]

Lettuce (leaf)
-
3–7 days
-
[FK]

Mushrooms
-
2–3 days
10–12 months
[FK]

Onions, non-sweet
2–3 months
2–3 months
10–12 months
[ST]

Onions, sweet
1–2 months
1–2 months
10–12 months
[ST]

Peppers
-
4–5 days
6–8 months
[FK]

Potatoes
1–2 months
1–2 weeks
mashed: 10–12 months
[FK]

Squash, summer
-
4–5 days
10–12 months
[FK]

Squash, winter
1 week
2 weeks
10–12 months
[FK]

Tomatoes
ripe
2–3 days
2 months
[FK]

Fruits
Many fruits must be at least partially cooked (blanched) before freezing in
order to deactivate enzymes that would otherwise degrade quality while in
storage. Some are best frozen packed in acid (lemon juice or citric acid)
and/or syrup. See "Where can I go for details on a specific food?" for where to
find specific steps for each fruit.
If a column is -, it means that storage type is not recommended. "Ripe" means
"until ripe".

Item
Shelf
Fridge
Freezer
Sources

apples
1–2 days
1–3 weeks
cooked: 8 months
[FSG], [FK]

apricots
ripe
2–3 days
-
[FK]

bananas
ripe
1–2 days*
peeled: 1 month
[FK]

berries
-
1–2 days
4 months
[FSG], [FK]

citrus fruit
10 days
3 weeks
-
[FSG]

grapes
1 day
1 week
1 month
[FK]

juice
-
6 days
8 months
[FSG]

melons
1–2 days
1 week
balls: 1 month
[FSG], [FK]

generally:

3-5 days

*: bananas stored in the fridge will blacken. This is not a sign of spoilage, and they can be eaten safely.
Cooked dishes
2 hours on the counter, for all of them, unless you prepared a known shelf-stable item which generally does not go in the fridge (like cookies, or a canned jam, or others). It does not matter how long the individual components would have lasted on their own.
Refrigerated: generally 3–4 days in the fridge. This includes pizza, soups, stews,
casseroles, pies, and quiche [KC]. Some salads get a fifth day [CFG].
Freezer time is generally under three months.
Infused oils
Putting any plant matter in oil (such as garlic, chillies or herbs) creates the danger for botulism, a rare but fatal disease. Thus infused oils are not shelf-stable. They can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, discard them earlier if you see cloudiness or gas bubbles. Or buy commercially produced infused oils, they have been treated with industrial methods to kill the botulinum spores.
Shelf-stable until opened

Item
Unopened
Opened, in fridge
Source

Commercially canned, low-acid (meat, poultry, fish, soups, stews, vegetables)
2–5 years
3–4 days
[CFG]

Commercially canned, high-acid
12–18 months
5–7 days
[CFG]

Olives
12–18 months
2 weeks
[FK]

jam, jelly, preserves
1 year
6 months
[FK]

shortening (Crisco)
8 months
3 months
[FK]

Pantry (not refrigerated even after opening)

Item
Shelf life
opened (if different)
Source

Baking powder
18 months

[FSG]

Baking soda
2 years

[FSG]

beans (dry)
1 year

[FK]

Bouillon
1 year

[FSG]

cornstarch
18 months

[FK]

extracts
3 years

[FK]

flour
white: 6–12 monthswheat: 1 month

[FK]

herbs (dry)
1–2 years
1 year
[FK]

honey
1 year

[FK]

pasta (dry)
2 years

[FSG]

egg noodles (dry)
6 months

[FSG]

rice (dry)
white: 2 yearsbrown: 6–12 monthsflavored: 6 months

[FSG]

vegetable oil
6 months
1–3 months
[FSG]

vinegar
2 years
12 months
[FSG]

General tips for storing foods
How do I freeze fruits and vegetables?
Fruit. Ripe (but not overripe) fruit should be used. Wash them, and sort according to size. Working in small batches, remove pits, seeds, and blemishes. For fruits that turn brown, apply ascorbic acid or sugar and citric acid. Most fruits benefit from packing in dry sugar or a sugar syrup. Small, whole fruits (e.g., berries) can be spread on a tray and individually frozen, then packed in a freezer bag or other airtight container.
Vegetables. Most vegetables need blanching. To blanch, immerse in boiling water over high heat or steam over rapidly boiling water (steam). After blanching, transfer to ice bath for the same amount of time as blanched. Drain and dry. Freeze either by packing in a freezer bag with as much air as possible removed, or by allowing to freeze on a tray, then putting in a bag or other container.
General guideline is 8–12 months for best quality.
The above is a very quick summary of Iowa State University's Preserve the
Taste of Summer: Freezing: Fruits and
Vegetables. The
five-page document includes full details on over forty fruits and vegetables.
Feel free to ask here on Seasoned Advice if that guide doesn't answer your
question.
What about mold?
Some foods are expected to have mold in them (e.g., P. roqueforti in
Roquefort cheese). Unexpected mold, however, is something to be concerned
about. Mold can grow even on refrigerated foods, and even those high enough in
salt or sugar to deter bacteria. Some molds produce mycotoxins. Mold growth can
be minimized by cleaning the refrigerator every few months (use a mixture of 1
tablespoon of baking soda per quart of water, then rinse with plain water, then
dry), by keeping dishcloths, sponges, mops, etc. clean and fresh-smelling; and
keeping indoor humidity levels under 40%.
In general, the visible surface mold on a food is only a small part of the
actual mold growth. For most foods, any visible unexpected mold growth means
you should discard the entire item. There are several exceptions:

Food
How to handle mold

Hard salami, dry-cured country hams
Scrub mold off surface.

Hard cheese
Cut at least 1 inch around and below mold spot, do not cut through mold.

Cabbage, bell peppers, carrots
Cut at least 1 inch around and below mold spot, do not cut through mold.

Everything else, including soft or shredded cheese, soft fruits and vegetables,
bread, peanut butter, jams and jellies, sour cream, yogurt, luncheon meats,
casseroles, and cooked pasta should be discarded.
All this information comes from the USDA FS&IS's Molds on Food: Are They
Dangerous? fact
sheet.
Where can I go for details on a specific food?
The web site StillTasty maintains a comprehensive list
of food storage times, notes, and procedures for a wide variety of food items.
They draw information from a variety of reputable
sources and should probably
be the first place you check.
Another good source of information is the Food Marketing Institute's Food
Keeper. This is also a searchable database of foods.
Finally, if neither of those two references answer your question, you're at the
right web site. Please ask here on Seasoned
Advice.
Bibliography

[CFG]: USDA FS&IS Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety
[KC]: USDA FS&IS Kitchen Companion: Your Safe Food Handbook. February 2008.
[FK]: Food Marketing Institute, Food Keeper
[FSG]: Julie Garden-Robinson, North Dakota State University, FN-579 Food Storage Guide
[ST]: StillTasty.com, Keep It or Toss It?

Note
This is a work-in-progress. I still need to finish adding information to it. Also, this answer is a community wiki, please feel free to improve it.


According to this extensive bean cooking guide from University of Alaska Fairbanks, the secret is to simmer the beans gently.  Unfortunately, they have little more to say on the matter.

Kenji Lopez-Alt, in his column on Food Myths at Serious Eats says (emphasis added):

  Most of us have been told at some point in our culinary careers that
  salting beans will cause them to toughen. It's incredible that this
  little bit of culinary mis-wisdom still lingers, for it couldn't be
  further from the truth. A simple side-by-side test can prove to you
  conclusively that salting beans (both the water used to soak them in
  and the water used to cook them) actually tenderizes the skins.

  It's got to do with magnesium and calcium, two ions found in the bean
  skins that help keep the structure of the beans' skin intact. When you
  soak the beans in salt water, sodium ions end up replacing some of the
  magnesium and calcium, effectively softening the skins. Your beans
  come out creamier, better seasoned, and have a much smaller likelihood
  of exploding while cooking.

He provides this image of the contrast:

I believe the take away from this is:

Pre-soak your beans overnight, as your grandmother did using salted water
Cook them at bare simmer, stirring them minimally, to prevent physical damage to the skins.

The second can easily be achieved by placing the bean pot in a moderate (350 F, 180 C) oven rather than doing it stove top.


How can I reduce the pungent odor of split pea soup?

Bake bread to go with the soup as you make it.

The smell of bread baking (sourdough in particular!) is usually enough to cut the smell of lentil / split pea / chic pea / fish soups and stews while adding the right elements of savory aroma to make the combined smell almost, if not actually desirable and palatable.

Any good yeasty bread recipe should do the trick. Another thing you can do is bloom some saffron, which mixes delightfully with the smell of split pea soup.

In short, taste your soup as you smell other things. When you hit on winning combinations, they're aromatically complimentary and create a sensory affinity. Many bistros (and bakeries themselves) rely on this technique to lure passers-by.


For applications such as these where I really want a fine strain, much more than any of my strainers can handle, I line a larger-hole strainer with cheesecloth (if I have trouble with the cheesecloth staying I use a rubber band to hold it in place).

Although I have not tried it with rendered lard, I have used it in a lot of other places (stock immediately comes to mind) where I have a lot of little particles that make it through my finest of strainers.  A quick search for a lard/cheesecloth/strainer keyword combination shows that a lot of recipes for home-rendered lard seem to suggest this so I think it would work.

You can find a picture of a cheesecloth-lined strainer here or just Google image search it if the link dies.

Oh, and as an aside, I find that purchasing the cheesecloth in bulk at a fabric store (such as Jo-Ann Fabrics in the USA) is much, much cheaper than buying small packages in a kitchen store (such as Williams-Sonoma).


My best guess would be one pound, since it's still often sold in stores in 1lb boxes, regardless of brand:

You can see plenty more like that if you do a Google image search for [powdered sugar box].

As others have pointed out, measuring by volume is inaccurate (one pound could be 3.5 to 4.5 cups), so you'd be best off using a scale, or perhaps measuring your two pound bag into two equal volumes.

That said, if your recipe can tolerate being off by a couple ounces (around half a cup), you could use four cups for a one-pound box.


Should I salt the water when boiling store-bought dry potato gnocchi?

If there is no salt in the gnocchi, then salt the water.  Pasta (and probably dried gnocchi) should always be cooked in salted water.  It just tastes flat otherwise.


If all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail...  ;-)

You have an infra-red oven and that is great to broil eggplant and tomato, but will not give you anything close to a grilled effect so:

If you want to broil:

slice up the veggies
add a sprinkle of oil and some nice fresh herbs on top
put them in the infra-red oven

If you want to grill them:

buy a grill

Please don't kill the messenger?  Pretty please???


Why blend soup in blender if you can use a stick blender?

You've answered your own question in your comment, really.  One advantage of a stick blender is that you don't have to deal with hot soup in a stand-up blender. The advantage of a high-powered, stand-up blender is that it can puree very well.  However, hot liquids are problematic in these blenders. They expand and can create a mess, and potentially burn you if you are not careful and do not know how to control for this.  I use my stick blender for soups, but also for many small batch needs as well...when I don't want to drag out the blender, or the batch is too small for the jar.  So, in general, they are interchangeable, but in most cases the stand up version will puree more smoothly, and is (obviously) hands-free.


How to prevent olive oil container from getting oily outside?

I've worked in a couple kitchens, one of the better methods I saw involved snagging a used pour bottle from the bar, cleaning it out and using that for oil. Something like imaged, with the right-sized bottle.

Because it has separate tubes for liquid and gas, you usually pour out only what you need. The trick here is that is sounds like you use as little oil as possible, and this method tends to be best for more generous usage.


The nori that you buy as sheets is usually a different species than that of the form prepared as aonori. The form that you buy in sheets is, additionally, typically roasted, which changes the flavor.

Aonori is usually of the genus Monostroma or Enteromorpha. Toasted nori for sushi is usually of the genus Porphyra.

Because of those two details, I don't believe you can get the same results from grinding up nori. However, that's not to say that it can't be done if the taste satisfies you. I sometimes grind nori furikake (which contains small strips of nori) not to simulate aonori, but just to get the nori and sesame to adhere to other ingredients (like popcorn).


How to get rid of the bitterness in home-made mustard

I made an experiment, with tottaly different method and same ingredients.
The biggest change in bitterness is when seeds ground or whole, are soked in water. And there is no acid present.
1.) In bitter scenario I poured mixture of vinegar/water brine also all spices, sugar and salt over and made it ready mixture. It stayed bitter for long time.
2.) Not bitter ready to age scenario was that I added to the mix of seeds water from the recipe first and let it sit 24h. Than I added the rest of ingredients.
It would be great if someone can elaborate on this chemicaly.


There are two different issues, which have separate drivers.  There are no specific rules, just consequences of the thaw and freezing cycles on each food--but it is always better to minimize the number of cycles to maintain quality.
Safety
From a safety point of view, the rule is any perishable food (one that is not fairly stable at room temperature such as cold cereal or pretzels) should have its time in the so-called danger zone (40-140 F, 4-60 C) limited to no more than two total hours over its lifetime.  This prevents pathogens, which grow exponentially, from having sufficient time in hospitable conditions to grow and create enough toxins to be harmful.
So if you have something at room temperature for one hour and then freeze it, it would have one hour left on the clock when you thaw it out.
(Note that as people will no doubt otherwise insist on pointing out:  these recommendations are extremely conservative, and are meant to protect the general public health.  You must determine your own willingness to accept risk.)
Quality
In terms of quality, there are two main issues that occur in freezing:  ice crystal formation, and freezer burn.  Additionally, condensation can be a minor issue upon thawing.
Ice Damage
As you freeze food, the water in it freezes (this is obvious).  What may not be obvious is that this frozen water is in crystals, which are hard and sharp, and can penetrate cell walls of meat and vegetables.   This will cause meats to loose moisture on being thawed, and vegetables to weep and become more limp and flaccid.  The more slowly the food is frozen (due to a warmer freezer compartment), the worse the damage is.
Some foods, like fresh vegetables are very sensitive to this type of damage (this is why most freezing directions for vegetables include blanching).  Meats are also somewhat sensitive, but it is not as severe, especially if you take steps to freeze them quickly (freeze in a single layer, set your freezer to its coldest temperature).
Many home freezers are also auto-defrost, which means they periodically warm up to get rid of accumulated frost, and then cool down again.  This can cause ice crystal growth over time.  Chest freezers without auto-defrost do not suffer this problem, but at the cost of requiring manual defrosting periodically.
Food frozen commercially is often done in blast chillers which have forced air circulation and colder temperatures than are achievable with home freezers and so freeze food much more rapidly than is possible at home, resulting in a higher quality product as long as the frozen state is maintained well.
Other foods such as purees or soups suffer little from ice crystal damage, and so are not as much of an issue.
Freezer Burn
Freezer burn happens when water sublimates (evaporates directly from the frozen state to vapor).  This dries out the food, giving it a leathery, burned appearance.  It is the same mechanism used intentionally in creating freeze dried foods (although that is usually done more rapidly and under a partial vacuum, to improve quality).
You can mitigate or prevent freezer burn by wrapping food quite tightly, so there is not room for air circulation at its surface.   This may involve multiple layers such as film wrap, followed by aluminum foil.
Condensation
Some foods, like cheesecakes, will react poorly to getting wet.  If thawed unwrapped, water may condense directly on the food, beading on its surface and reducing the quality.
If you do freeze a food like this, you want to wrap it very well (which also helps with freezer burn), and fully thaw it before unwrapping to keep the condensation off the surface of the food.
Specific Examples
Of the specific examples you have enumerated:

Ginger garlic paste, green chili paste -- as a paste, it is already soft and somewhat liquid, so ice damage is not really an issue.
Dough -- Most doughs freeze well, and don't have a cell structure to disrupt.  If the dough is an active yeast dough, multiple cycles are going to slowly reduce the effectiveness of the yeast by killing off some each cycle.
Curries -- Cooked food in sauces, especially braises which many curries are, usually freeze extremely well.  They are not subject to much ice damage, as they are already softened during the cooking process.
Frozen green peas -- If commercially frozen, they will have minimal damage, and are already blanched.  If you have blanched them, the cell walls will already be weakened.  Still, many people are very sensitive to the quality of their peas, so this is one of the foods that is more likely to give you poor outcomes.

Better Practice
A far better practice than thawing and refreezing is to freeze in smaller containers (such as four 1 quart zipper type bags of stock, instead of one large gallon container).
This will allow you to take out only what you need, minimizing handling (for safety) and thaw/freeze cycles for food quality.
It is also far more convenient than having to thaw the food, since you have less to thaw (which is faster).  Some foods can even me used directly from the frozen state if you don't have to thaw them in order to get the amount you require.


I made Kolaczki dough with cream cheese butter and flour how long can i keep it in the refrigerator?

Butter and cream cheese contains some amount of water. And water from cheese and butter + sugars from flour makes it more friendly to mold and bacteria than any of ingredients separately. Also, your kitchen is not sterile. I wouldn't dare to store dough refrigerated for more than a week or two, wrapped well. Of course, your mileage may vary.

If you expect to store it longer than a week, cut it to smaller portion and freeze, in a way that you will allow you to unfreeze only the amount you want. Or, better yet, bake it all and give it to your friends. And when you need more, make more.


How long are egg-free dressings like Just Mayo okay to eat after sell by date?

I couldn't find a previous answer specific to sell by dates and condiments.  Most condiments, mayo with egg included, are made safe by creating an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth.  The addition of acids (i.e, vinegar, lemon) or other "preservatives" accomplishes this.  Sell by dates are usually an indicator of quality, not safety.  Items such as this are safe for a very long time after the expatriation, especially if unopened, though the quality (taste and consistency) degrades. Once opened, you have the opportunity to introduce bacteria and spores to the contents.  Again, bacterial growth will be inhibited by the product itself.  The most likely problem would be mold growth.  If this occurs, discard.


From this discussion it appears to be a way of differentiating it from Russian-style sour cream
or smetana.  Maybe it came about during the Cold War and it couldn't be sold as "American-Style" so they called it Canadian-Style... or maybe it's just a marketing ploy.


I was watching a Lorraine Pascale (British baker / chef) episode on TV before. She had a saying which was "when it comes to dough, the wetter the better". Don't get tempted to add more flour if your dough feels wet. She also used a mixer with a dough hook AND allowed the machine to knead it for 5 minutes.

After kneading, gently shape the dough into a rough ball shape and with a floured finger press into the dough. If it's ready, the depression in the dough should spring back so you can't see where you pressed in.


Yes. There would be a difference in texture. Some jaggery tend to be a bit sticky when heated. Groundnut chikkis is a good example. Also, sugar tastes different than jaggery when cooked. Jaggery has an earthy tang to it. In my honest opinion, if you can get good quality jaggery, prefer it over sugar. Simply because its more natural product than sugar.


What's the difference between peas in the UK and in the US?

I've lived on both sides of the Atlantic and I've never noticed much difference in peas, but then I'm not a connoisseur. The UK generally has 2 kids of peas on sale on the store, regular peas (aka garden peas) and petit pois, which are smaller, younger peas. The petit pois are much sweeter than garden peas, which are bigger and less flavorful. I've never seen petit pois in the states as far as I can remember, but there are generally peas and "sweet peas", and sweet peas tend to be sweeter than regular peas. The UK also has a product called mushy peas where the peas are mashed up and served as more of a liquid - not as bad as it sounds, it can be tasty if done right. This would often be out of a can if served at home.

As for how to get your peas how you like them I'd ask whomever makes dinner in your family what type of peas are used and how long they are cooked. People in the UK used to boil vegetables until they practically disintegrated but cuisine has improved dramatically in the past decade and nowadays it's much rarer to get that.


I cannot understand how to properly fry seafood

Given your picture, I think the correct term here is saute; that is, to quickly fry in a little bit of hot fat. Pan frying uses more fat, and a lower temperature, to create a deeper crust. Probably an overkill for mussels.
For a saute, you want relatively dry (pat dry with towel if necessary - frozen seafood can release a lot of water) ingredients, relatively high heat, and a solid pan that is not over-crowded.  Heat the pan, add the fat, then the ingredients.  Then generally keep the ingredients moving during the cooking. Here is some further direction that details the process.
See also this for a discussion of the origin and use of term/technique.


Clear cauliflower and blue cheese soup - how to get it clear

If it is clear, it must be broth-based, with the cauliflower being reserved for another purpose, I would assume that a light sprinkling of perhaps less cooked cauliflower is used (rather than the cauliflower used for the broth) so that it retains its shape while sprinkled in the soup.


Pozole is traditionally made with nixtamalized corn, also known as nixtamal or hominy. So yes, of course you can use hominy - that's what you're supposed to use! Canned hominy/nixtamal is common. I believe that in some areas you can find dried whole nixtamal and possibly even fresh nixtamal - but I'm not sure I ever saw that in Texas, so I'm not sure how much luck you'll have.

As with everything, people say that fresher is better; I can't personally support that, though, not having managed to find it where I live. I have, however, made some pozole that I found to be quite good using canned hominy. Since you're planning on pozole rojo, you'll have a lot of other flavor, which I expect would make the difference between canned and fresh less noticeable.

I suppose if you want to try to nixtamalize your own corn for the sake of having the optimal pozole, you could, and you would have time. I've never tried it myself. From what I've read, cooking/soaking times vary depending on what you're going to do with the nixtamal. For pozole, you don't have to cook and soak the corn as long since it's going to be further cooked in the stew. I've seen varying instructions online. For example, this site says to cook for 15 minutes, soak for another 5-10, while this one says to cook for 40-50 minutes. After that you rinse it thoroughly to remove the lime and hulls (softened by the lime), before cooking it in your pozole. I imagine either of those cooking times would produce something satisfactory; with it of course being more tender with the longer time. Note also that the corn won't get that nice puffed shape if you don't remove the tip cap (one of those pages calls it a pedicel - not sure that's the right term).

So with a lot of effort and adventurousness, you could indeed make your own nixtamal (hominy), and it might well be better, but you can also make something extremely good with already-made hominy and not take a risk on something I suspect you're feeding to others.


How do I roast beets to easily remove the skins?

The trick that works for me consistently is to put the beets in a sealed container while still hot and let them cool down that way, they continue to cook a bit and the steam from them keeps the skins loose. Also, peel them while they are still warm, if they cool too much the skins may adhere again.


Is it best to freeze meat pies before or after baking?

After checking with two Bloggers I trust, you can freeze first or freeze after cooking. It depends on your needs, if you want it to be ready super fast when you want it, cook first and then freeze, reheating will be quicker than cooking from frozen. If it doesn't matter, then go with whatever seems like a better option to you.

Here were my sources:

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-makeclassic-tourtiere-qubec-pork-pie/
http://hilahcooking.com/tourtiere/


The sugar flavor is in there whether you like it or not, you can either use the pork as an ingredient in something else where sweetness is an asset (salads, casseroles, etc), or balance the sweetness with other flavors.

To me the way forward is to try and balance the sweetness with acidity and bitterness, and a really good way is to make a barbecue sauce with these qualities. Add no sugar to it so it will counter the sweetness in your meat. I'm thinking a southern style mustard and vinegar sauce will work well as that has bitter and sour qualities. A little bit of unsweetened chocolate or instant coffee adds both richness and bitterness. Or instead of a sauce you could pair the meat up with foods that will balance the sweetness like kale, leafy greens, and spinach.


Best way to stabilize wedding cake tiers

I have done a couple of 3 tiered wedding cakes. I would recommend using something stronger than plastic straws, mainly for your peace of mind. You will be putting a lot of effort into the cakes and like @Joe said, the straws can be useless if crushed or deflected. If you want to use the straws so that the wooden skewer doesn't touch the cake, you can always use the straws and then insert them with the woden skewers for additional support. Straws and skewers are both easy to cut as well, so there's not much of a difference there either. There are heaps of videos and articles online and you can always ask your local cake shop for more tips and tricks.

Another thing to keep in mind is to use dense cakes like mud cakes to use for stacked cakes, otherwise your tiers will collapse. And please give ganaching a good thought as well. Even though there is extra cozt, effort and time involved, ganaching will make the cakes a bit tougher as the chocolate should harden once set and give very beautiful sharp edges when you fondant.


Is leaving a Teflon rice cooker on overnight dangerous?

There is no risk to the Teflon itself, or from it; PTFE breaks down at about 500 F, which rice cookers will not achieve, especially on warming setting.  Other than that, PTFE is one of the most inert substances known to man, as the atoms are already bound in energetically very favorable bonds:  little is as able to displace them without significant input energy (thus the high breakdown temperature).

On the other hand, you should not hold rice for a long time without either refrigerating it, or having it above 140 F (60 C) as there is some risk of Bacillus cereus growing and causing food borne illness.


After the clarifying comments, I think the question now boils down to reading the nutrition table and to the Italian classification of flour, in particular, durum since it's the most used for the pasta production. I can refer to the table on the Italian Wikipedia, where it's compared with the US classification. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farina#Sfarinati_di_grano_duro

However, also concerning food, Italy is the land of exceptions. For instance, fresh pasta usually has a part of soft wheat and some regional types may use flours from other cereals at all. Not to mention the pasta for the gluten-free market.

Exceptions do not mean that something can be called pasta in a region and not in another. The regulations are the same for the whole country and are here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta#Italy


Although you can hope that the right bacteria will get from the air into a bottle of wine you left open, you will get quicker and more reliable results using unpasteurized cider vinegar. Unpasteurized means there should still be plenty of the needed acetobacter.

Pour your vinegar half and half with red wine in a container that you leave open (but with cheesecloth to prevent bugs and all to get inside) and let it sit in a dark spot 2-4 weeks.

Different sources recommend using solution with a 5-7% alcohol content, so any wine (typically ≤15%) diluted by half with vinegar should be fine.


Do I need clarified butter to make mac-n-cheese?

Clarified butter is rather simple to make. It's simply butter that has had the milk solids and water removed. It does last longer than regular butter, and can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator. It also has a higher smoke point than regular butter, so you can use it when higher temperatures are called for without it smoking or burning.

Slowly melt your butter and let it sit for a bit to separate
Skim off the foam from the top
Gently pour the butter off of the milk solids which have settled

You'll be left with about 75% of what you started with. I'm not sure what you mean by huge batch, but I usually make about a sticks worth at a time, as needed.


I left porkchops out to thaw over night can i cook them still

The USDA suggests not leaving any meat out in the open for more than two hours. Any meat left too long in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit may rapidly develop bacteria.


What fish have deliciously edible skins?

The skin of all the small fish I have tried is delicious. I have never tried, e.g. tuna skin, and I imagine that it is too tough and I also wouldn't eat shark skin.  Back when I used to eat fish, I always ate the skin, and found it to be the best part. Beware, though, as while the skin concentrates the deliciousness, it also concentrates the mercury and other contaminants, so you may consider limiting your intake.


Sugar helps with moisture content and its mobility in baked goods.  Every industrial sliced bread has sugar as a major ingredient. It is there to slow down staling. It's not clear how it does it, but sugar seems to impede the modification of starch and the flow of moisture to gluten. Sugar also helps breads retain more moisture. This very obvious among breads, but it applies to cakes, which are breads with added fat and sugar.


Reason(s) for not making stock with oily fish (salmon)?

Salmon or Tuna will make a very strong flavoured stock and will have lots of oil that coat your tongue.  Not what you're looking for if you want a light brightly flavoured fish sauce.

In a traditional French kitchen you want generic stocks (fish/brown/chicken/veal) that are able to be used for a wide range of sauces/dishes so having a salmon stock around doesn't meet that criteria.

That said, I worked at a restaurant that made fish stock from salmon bones all the time as it was mainly used in a house specialty, a very robust West Coast spin on Bouillabaisse.  Any true Frechman would have turned his back on us in disgust for doing what we did but damn it, it tasted great and the customers loved it!  For any other fish sauces we used the traditional white fish bones.

FYI...Japanese dishes use Bonito flakes (tuna) liberally to make dashi(sp?) which is a fish flavoured broth for miso soup as well as other items.

So basically what I'm saying is if a fatty fish stock gets the job done for you and you're happy with it then go for it.  Just remember that if you're trying to make a classic recipe then using a non-traditional ingredient will mess it up.


Should I always run the exhaust / hood fan when cooking?

As you call it an "exhaust" I assume it's an extracting type rather than a filtered recirculating type.

It's a good idea to run it:

Whenever you're frying (it handles grease droplets in the air as well as smoke)
When you have the potential to produce smoke (so not generally when cooking in the oven, but sometimes, if things might drip or spatter).
When you're cooking something that might make the house smell for longer than you'd like.

Generally speaking you should use it in anticipation of smoke/grease/odours, though using it reactively for toaster smoke is also a good idea.

Boiling is  another matter.  If the house gets damp, running the fan when boiling will reduce that (as of course will boiling with a lid on).  Some houses end up rather dry (e.g. with forced air heating), in which case it's probably not worth turning the fan on.  In summer I'd rather open the window.

It's worth thinking of where the air comes in to replace that sucked out by the fan.  I have a rather open plan living area, and open a little ventilation at the far end from the kitchen, so the fresh air comes through the sitting and dining areas to the kitchen.  But here in the UK we have "trickle vents" over many windows that are designed to deliver fresh air without you feeling a draught unless you're very close.


The only thing I know is that sour water from the brown mature coconuts is horrible tasting but I didn't get sick from it. I would not keep the meat if the coconut water is in question. The meat is not safe from bacteria if bacteria has touched it.

Check out what organyx has to say here about the pink and purple color: http://www.chow.com/food-news/84067/is-coconut-water-bad-for-you/

I've found this site very informative in the past: http://foodbabe.com/2014/07/15/how-to-buy-the-healthiest-coconut-water-and-avoid-the-worst/


The one time I made mozzarella, I used this recipe. As I understand it, the key is (a) citric acid, and (b) kneading (that's what gives it the stringy texture). It turned out pretty well, but it didn't keep long at all.


Teflon-coated pans: are they ever dishwasher-safe?

Never bothered sticking them in a dishwasher as they are easy to clean in the sink.
2 rules I abide by in regards to them.
Never use metal utensils with them. Silicone or wood only.
Never overheat them. Stovetop only. Medium heat at most.


Do I need hard or soft brown sugar for brownies?

The in the US, light brown sugar always means the one in the bottom left.  The bottom right is dark brown sugar and has a higher molasses content.
In the US, I typically see the 'brown sugar' in the upper right referred to as 'raw sugar' or the brand 'sugar in the raw'.  If you're using a US recipe, it needs the bottom left.

If you don't have any and its an ingredient like in brownies, try adding the molasses and sugar as separate ingredients.  1 Cup of sugar + 1 tablespoon of molasses is about the right ratio for light brown sugar.

If you can't get molasses...try dark corn syrup, honey, or depending on the flavor your want, maple syrup.  (A comment from @JasonTrue above mentions that beet syrup is an option as well, althought I haven't tried it.)


Why does canned food expire soon once the can is opened?

No.

When you can something, the temperature and pressure kill bacteria and micro-organisms.

Once its exposed to air, you're exposing it to bacteria and micro-organisms. Despite you thinking the spoon is clean, it still has some bacteria and micro-organisms on it which will get into the food. And your "airtight" container is likely not nearly as airtight as a can.


Can I slow cook a 3.25 beef roast for 4 hours on high, refridgerate in the crock pot overnight and then cook on low again in the morning for 4 hours?

That would almost certainly violate a specific food safety rule. In normal use, a slow cooker barely stays within the safety parameters of the "time in the danger zone" rule, that says that food should not stay between 40F (4.5C) and 140F (60C) any longer than two hours cumulative. That means that preparation time, heating time, and cooling time all add up. That refers to the actual temperature of the food, not the surroundings.  In some cases you can go to four hours, but only if the food is eaten immediately, so that really doesn't apply here.

Whether that is overly conservative for you, only you can decide. Certainly many cooks would do exactly what you propose, without worrying about it all. It would violate safety rules for commercial kitchens in the US.

See the information here: How long can cooked food be safely stored at room/warm temperature?.


Can I turn off stove while making stock?

Sure, turn off stove, chill your stock quickly, then refrigerate.
To chill quickly, you can fill a sealable container with ice, float it in your stock, and stir.  If you can also simultaneously put the pot in an ice bucket, chilling will be even more rapid.


What is the history of souvlaki and is there any benefit in cooking meat on a skewer?

Historically, the practice of skewering meat had several advantages over building a rotisserie and cooking a single large piece of meat. Think about the advantages of cooking over a primitive camp fire, rather than a modern grill:

Cooks quicker, saving time but more importantly fuel for the fire (think desert or other difficult terrain)
Did not require plates or forks and knives to carry around if you were nomadic
Still cooks over a spit so can avoid falling into the coals

These days there are some other more modern advantages like:

Can use cheaper, tougher cuts effectively
Marinates/brines faster
Makes it easier to turn or flip on a grill
Skewers are fun

Puncturing the meat prior to cooking does not cause a large loss of meat juice during the grilling process. Maybe if you removed the meat from the skewer immediately after taking it off the grill you would lose more juice than had you never skewered the meat at all, but it's not like the original puncture will expose the center of the meat and allow everything to spill out. Leaving meat on the skewer to rest will be as effective as grilling a single unpunctured piece of meat.


How to avoid avocado in sushi rolls from darkening?

You can try dipping it into acidulated water (water with acid added, either lemon juice or vinegar, or even a powdered vitamin c tablet).  This should delay the browning, but I am not sure it will last long enough to hold the rolls overnight.

You will have the additional problem that the nori will begin to soften overnight.

See also:  What's the best way to keep sushi fresh for the following day?


What's the purpose of adding water to an egg wash?

The proteins in a fresh egg are too viscous, even when thoroughly beaten, to wash a baked good.

The water thins the proteins so you get a nice glaze instead of a layer of scrambled egg.

Older eggs have sometimes degraded enough that they don't need the water but it is easier to always add water than to make a subjective judgement on the state of your egg proteins.


There's quite a few recipes online.

This one seems pretty simple.

It looks like in general, you:

Liquify your peppers
Cook the result with vinegar
Strain it
Cook the result with salt and sugar
Add some pectin
Add some whole jalepenos (probably optional)
Transfer to jars


Is it possible to brew good tea on a mountain?

Tea brewed under different conditions will taste slightly differently. So no, on a high mountain, you cannot get absolutely the same taste as when brewing at sea level.

So no, it is not the boiling state of the water which determines the exact taste of the tea, it is the combination of all parameters, including temperature. And by the way, this is not simply a matter of altitude - if you use a different teapot or make a different amount of tea at the same altitude, you´ll also get temperature differences.

Of course, not that many people will notice the difference in taste when changing the brewing temperature slightly. And among the ones who notice, there is no telling whether they will like the 100 Celsius brewed tea more or less than the tea brewed at lower temperatures.

So, it is entirely possible to make good tea on a mountain, unless your personal definition is "there is exactly one type of good tea in the world, and it is the one brewed by my favorite process, and that process requires 100 degrees".


It sounds like your yeast never really got started, and you may have killed most of it off. Sugar actually retards yeast, and salt kills it, so mixing sugar and salt into the water was not a good thing, in fact it didn't kill off the yeast completely it probably did most of it. So you started off with very little live yeast, which has knock on effects. Cold conditions make proofing much slower, and what yeast you had wasn't enough to make things rise.

Yeast can come back in some cases, providing there's at least some in there, you just have to give it time to reproduce. I've had bread take 3 hours to really get going when I've had old yeast or mistreated it, and the results were fine in the end. If I suspect I've killed my yeast I've had some success kneading more in with a bit of water, again giving it more time.

The message here is not to go for a time, but a result. If you expect a dough to double in size or more then don't move on to the next stage until it does. Home bread baking is not an exact science, so be prepared for things to move faster or slower.

A couple of things about bagels:

Bagels won't rise or expand much in the oven as boiling them cooks them, fixing their structure. If they aren't risen enough before boiling leave them be until they are, there's no oven spring!
Bagel dough is supposed to be dense, but you can overdo it. Don't add any more flour than the recipe calls for
You can over-knead any bread, but 15 minutes doesn't sound like too much to me

I've found that using a sponge is very good for getting consistent results, in fact I won't bake yeast breads without one anymore. A sponge is a 50-50 mix of some of the flour and water from your recipe plus all your yeast which is then set aside covered. This gives your yeast an ideal environment to get started, once it's really happy (generally 30-45 minutes) you then add the rest of the ingredients (salt last) and proceed as normal. If your yeast is dead you will know it within 15-20 minutes or so and you can start again, otherwise you wait until it's super bubbly. A sponge also adds flavor I find.


Separating chocolate-coated cookies stuck together

Short of re-melting/reheating them you can't do this without some mechanical separation such as cutting between each cookie. You may find that you can do this most easily with a heated knife - dip it in hot/boiling water for a few seconds to heat the blade.