Bob1's answer has some of the basics -- "lumps" are mostly caused by bits of starch that don't dissolve completely in the liquid to blend with the rest of the batter.

But the potential "downsides" depend on the size of the lumps.  It is true that if they are excessively large, you can end up with loose dry flour in your pancakes, which is unpleasant.  But I usually have only found that to happen when I haven't sufficiently mixed in flour on the bottom of a mixing bowl or something.  Unless you have an exceptionally thick batter or haven't mixed up large "streaks" of flour in the batter, it's more rare to find a large free lump of dry flour floating in the middle of the batter that is big enough not to be "dissolved" during cooking.

Small lumps will usually be broken up in the cooking process as air from the leavening rises and causes circulation in the batter.  The warmer temperatures during cooking will also allow liquid to penetrate dry flour bits more readily.  (Note that most small lumps in batter that sits for any length of time won't even have dry flour at all: they'll just be "goopy" bits of dough where some moisture has penetrated, kind of like "lumps" in gravy, which won't be very noticeable in the final cooked pancakes.)

Just a note about why many sources recommend "lumpy" batter: it has to do with gluten.  If you beat your batter for a long time, more gluten chains will form.  This is great if you're trying to build up strength in a batter to make bread or something, but undesirable if you want a tender cake or pancake.  Hence, many sources will tell you to mix pancake batter only until dry flour and other dry ingredients are incorporated (i.e., no longer with dry streaks), but small lumps are still acceptable.  If you beat the batter long enough to get rid of ALL lumps, you may be toughening the batter too much, so your pancakes will be rubbery, flat, and less tender, rather than high-rising, light, and fluffy.  You will also likely be causing some of the bubbles produced by the initial burst of gas from the leavening to burst and leave the batter, which will leave the pancakes more flat and dense.

So, yes, you want to mix enough that you don't actually have huge lumps containing dry flour, but any other negative impact of small lumps is unnoticeable in the final product.  On the other hand, overmixing will generally result in dense, rubbery pancakes, probably not a desirable result.

If you're truly worried about the lumps, I can recommend a couple suggestions to mitigate them:

Mix with a whisk or similar utensil rather than a spoon.  You want a utensil that will break up bits of flour most effectively, so something with multiple strands that cuts through the dry ingredients will facilitate that.
Use lower-gluten flour, like cake flour or pastry flour.  Often cake flour is milled more finely, making it easier to dissolve small lumps in liquid.  Less gluten makes it less likely for lumps to stick together.  In addition, your final pancakes will be guaranteed to be more tender.
Let pancake batter rest.  Many recipes recommend a rest of around 15-20 minutes at room temperature, or up to an hour (or more) in the refrigerator.  This will allow time for the flour to dissolve more completely and allow most of the lumps to dissipate or at least soften before you cook the batter.  (The fridge is recommended for longer rests, as eventually gases from the leavening will start to bubble out, and the fridge will slow this process.)  A rest usually also results in more tender pancakes with a smoother texture, though be careful to add enough liquid as rested batter will generally thicken a bit.


A cuvée usually means that the wine if made from the same batch of grapes, harvested at the same time (year), from a particular plot of land.

A cuvée can either be a single grape varietal , which is called a mono-varietal cuvée or different varietals, which is usually called a blend.

For example, a Bordeaux wine can be made with different grapes varietals (merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon...); the Bordeaux AOC allows such blends.

On the other side, the Burgundy wines, are mono-varietals, they only allow for Pinot Noir for the red wines and Chardonnay for the whites (*)

(*) There are other types of grapes, like gamay and aligoté, but still, they will not be blended (AFAIK).

Sometimes, cuvée is used in association with the vintage (year) of the wine.

People will say "the cuvée 2015 of such and such wine is more rounded than the cuvée 2017, because the weather was dryer"


You get better / more consistent results if you keep a constant temperature. 'The Art of Fermentation' says

  to make nice thick yogurt you must incubate it, maintaining it in a temperature range between 110° and 115°F/43° and 46°C.

By leaving your yogurt outside you're exposing it to temperature variations, which can get too low (perhaps not hot enough for proper fermentation, or you'll need more time and won't be thick enough, and possibly just enough for harmful bacteria to "win" the battle agains the yogurt starter) or too hot (which could curdle).

You'll have no control of how much time you need for your yogurt to be ready.


Welcome to the site Tomas. Sashimi is actually a Japanese delicacy. It's quite simple because it's just raw seafood, that has been sliced into bite-sized pieces. It is typically served with soy sauce and wasabi paste. Pickled ginger is also served as a palate cleanser between bites.

There really isn't a "recipe" to speak of, you simply buy really fresh "sashimi grade" fish.

If you are buying fish with the intention of eating it raw, there are a few things you should know:

Don't buy from a supermarket
Buy it from a fishmonger, preferably one you know and trust
Make sure you let your fishmonger know that you intend to eat your purchase raw.
Bring a little cooler with some ice to the store with you, take your fish home in this.

If you have concerns about the safety of eating raw fish, you can find more info in the answers to this question: Is it safe to eat raw fish?

Cutting sashimi is rightfully considered an art. Sushi chefs in Japan go to school and apprentice under masters to learn all the intricacies involved. You can approximate in your home, and it will still taste great, but won't be as pretty.

Here are some common, and popular cuts you should try:

Salmon (Sake)
Squid  (Ika)
Shrimp (Ebi)
Bluefin Tuna (Maguro)
Fatty Tuna (Toro)
Yellowtail (Hamachi)
Scallop (Hotate-gai) my favorite!


IF...

the jar was tightly sealed and stored in a cool, dry area
the bouillon cubes don't smell spoiled in any way
the cubes aren't off-color
are most likely under 2 years old

then they should be safe. Bouillon can keep for up to 2 years according to stilltasty.com. So, if you think they've been hiding out in the cupboard for over 2 years, I'd toss them.


What is the difference between coffee grinds/beans labeled as "espresso coffee" and ordinary coffee?

It IS the roast that is the difference.  The only real difference in the beans is that some beans taste better at a higher roast than others, so they are more appropriate for espresso.  Your Italian grocery coffee company may be using the espresso label for marketing purposes, but in general, espresso coffee beans can be the same beans that are used for "regular" coffee, but roasted to a French or Italian roast level, which is darker than City or Full City.

Since the advent of Starbucks, many roasts are much darker than they used to be.  Dunkin' Donuts coffee, which is a Full City roast, used to be the norm, but now a French seems to be what you can buy.

I roast my own coffee and take it to just into the second crack which is, generally, a Full City roast...a point where the character of the coffee predominates rather than the flavor of the roast.  There is more information about roasts at Sweet Marias where I buy my green beans, and reading through the site will give you way more of a coffee education than you probably ever wanted.

So, yes, you can use the coffee you have to make brewed coffee.  It will probably be roastier than you would normally have, unless it is just a marketing ploy, in which case it will taste normal.  Consider how long you have had this coffee; if it has been shelved for a while "normal" probably won't be all that great, since freshly roasted coffee is, generally, way better than old coffee.  But as long as the oils aren't rancid, it is more likely just going to be bland.


Adding lime juice to green curry paste and heating

Lime juice is one of the components of green curry.  The acid from the lime juice macerates some of the other ingredients and wakens up some other flavors. If you don't add it as part of the paste preparation, then you aren't cooking with Green Curry.

If you add the lime juice in the end, you will have a very different result, mostly that of a dish that tastes like it was sprinkled with lime juice before served.


The texture of cookies is a complex interaction of many factors, including the size of the cookie, the temperature of the oven, the amount of leavening, the way the fat is treated, and so on.

The flat, thin cookie with the cracks on top that you describe and desire is achieved by slightly under-baking the cookies, allowing them to rise, and then taking them out of the oven.  They then cool and deflate, causing the "cracks" and thinness.

The most likely culprit is that you are over-baking your cookies, and they are setting in the oven while fully domed up.  They would be fine cookies, but more of a crispy style.

A secondary, and related, contributing factor would be having the oven temperature too high.  If you don't already have one, an oven thermometer is an inexpensive and helpful investment to make sure you are baking at the desired temperature, as many ovens are off by a fair margin.

Note also that these are quite large cookies, baked with a "large" scoop, only six per tray.  That helps achieve the fallen state.  Don't make your cookies too small, if you are looking for this texture.

To answer your sub-questions:

Creaming cannot apply to a melted butter cookie, as it requires a solid but plastic fat to incorporate air into the cookie
The egg contributes structure (from protein), tenderness, and usually a fairly considerable proportion of the overall water in the cookie dough
In this recipe, the baking soda is primarily present to promote browning, as there is very little acid for it to react with other than from the molasses in the brown sugar (it will leaven a little).   Since these are "fallen" cookies, it is harder to get good browning and therefore flavor development.  The soda is to promote that.


What are the minimum spices I can use to remove meaty smell?

Ok, I think I understand what you're asking for.

First, Oil is a method of transportation for flavour. If you infuse oil with herbs it will taste like those herbs and everything that is coated by this oil will smell like them. That's why we use flavour infused oils for cooking. Or why recipes call for frying garlic or onions in oil before you throw in your meat.

So it's not about what you use but in what order. If you cook garlic and ginger first they will release the smell and the oil will be infused with it. Then when you cook the meat will be instantly coated and won't release it's own smell (or it will be masked). Bonus to this is that you will sear the meat immediately (because the oil is hot) so the outside of meat will trap everything inside the chunk.

Any spice or herb will help you to mask meat smell. There are some herbs that go better with different meat. For me for example for chicken it's curry, ginger, coriander. For lamb it's cumin, nutmeg, paprika (sweet and hot). Beef goes well with black pepper and salt.

Now a piece of advice. If you want to minimize the chances of meat smell - marinade meats. Make or buy some flavour infused oils and use them in marinades with some extra spices and herbs (I have basic oils that I mix with fresh herbs for marinade) and then transfer that meat to a preheated pan with a spoonful of oil.


My sourdough splits at final proofing (pic included), advice?

There are three likely causes: over-proofing, insufficient gluten development, and too loose shaping. Some combination is probably most likely. To detect over-proofing try the `poke-test': if the dough springs back immediately, the dough is under-proofed; if the indent stays as it is, the dough is over-proofed.

I've found Dan Lepard's advice in The Handmade Loaf for shaping high-hydration sourdough loafs very useful. After final stretches-and-folds, spread the dough into a circle, and make eight folds into the centre, pressing down on the join. Use the scraper to invert the dough and rotate it gently on the work-top for a minute or so. This tightens it up. Then invert it again as it goes into the banneton.


Can sufficiently finely-ground matzo meal substitute for flour in leavened bread?

First, I'd ask - why would anyone want to make bread from matzo meal even if it was the consistency of flour? Bread has leavening (yeast) so even using matzo meal, it wouldn't be fit for Passover where no leavening is allowed.

But if you're simply curious to know if it's possible using, the answer is no. Matzo is cooked so the heat-treated gluten in it wouldn't be able to stretch and maintain the structure needed in bread. If you tried, you'd have bubbly dough that tries to rise due to carbon dioxide given off by yeast but unable to maintain structure. You wouldn't even be able to shape it without it falling apart unless very wet. Baking would likely make the entire thing collapse.

  The baking performance of gluten declined progressively on heating and most of its functionality was destroyed by 75°C.

  ...data indicate that there are heat-induced alterations in gluten proteins at temperatures above 55°C, which appear to be involved in the loss of functionality (baking performance) on heating.

The effect of heat on wheat gluten and the involvement of sulphydryl-disulphide interchange reactions from the Journal of Cereal Science.

On the other hand, it might be possible to make a quick bread if you used baking powder instead. Quick breads don't rely on gluten for structure.


Why does oil burn when put into a hot pan?

Yes, your pan was too hot.

Because your pan was empty when you heated it, it had minimal heat capacity, and could only lose heat by convection and radiation.  Thus, it heated up quickly, and likely reached a much higher temperature than it normally could with food in it.

When you heat a pan with food in it, some of the heat is transferred to the food, and much of that heat is, in turn, lost when water in the food evaporates.  This slows down the heating rate, and significantly reduces the peak temperature reached.

(Evaporating water is an extremely efficient method of heat transfer, especially at high temperatures, and even solid foods like meat and vegetables still contain quite a bit of water.  Any time you put something on a hot pan and it steams or sizzles, that's the sign of water evaporating.)

Also, because you didn't have any oil or water or food on the pan, you had no easy way to gauge its temperature by eye.  Normally, if you heat a pan with oil already in it, you can tell when it's hot enough just by looking at how the oil behaves.  If you miss all the subtler signs, like the oil turning more runny and starting to form convection patterns, the point where it starts to change color and smoke is an unmistakable sign that you've definitely heated it too far.

With a dry pan, it's quite hard to tell just how hot it is.  One trick I sometimes use is to sprinkle a few drops of water onto the pan and seeing how quickly it evaporates.  (Don't do this if the pan already has oil in it!)  When the drops evaporate all but instantly (but still briefly wet the surface, rather than exploding on contact or hovering over it), it's time to add the oil / butter.

Of course, the modern high-tech alternative would be to get an IR thermometer.  I actually do have one, but I rarely use it — it's just quicker and easier to dip my fingers in some water and sprinkle it on the pan than to get the thermometer out of the cupboard.


Why is there sugar in a seven-layer salad?

The recipes that I have seen didn't have much sugar and it is universally in the dressing. The dressings are mayonnaise based and a small amount of sugar gives them another facet to their flavor. This dressing reminds me of a simple coleslaw dressing which will include the mayo and sugar as well as buttermilk and lemon.

Because the sugar is in the dressing it will apply to all the layers equally so there is no particular layer that should be sweetened more than the others.

Keep in mind that this salad is southern cuisine which tends to value flavor over nutrition. Sometimes to a fault, of course.

The sugar serves no mechanical purpose. It will eventually pull some the liquid out of the vegetables but, as there is so little and the dressing is not mixed in, the effect would be negligible.

If you prefer the salad to be less sweet and are not worried about authenticity feel free to leave the sugar out. Alternatively if you would like to throw authenticity to the wind altogether you could leave in the sugar and add buttermilk and lemon juice to the dressing and give the salad more of a coleslaw-like zing.


Alternative to low calorie spray for frying sausages?

This is going to sound strange, but the 'low calorie oil' that you're looking for is water.

What you do is you start the sausages cooking in a little bit of water (about 1 cm; 3/8").  The water will prevent the sauages from getting too hot too quickly, and the fat in them will start to render and leak out into the water.  Once the water evaporates, you're then cooking the sausages in their own fat, avoiding the need to add any additional.

The water acts as a conduit for the heat, while also moderating it, so you cook sufficiently up the side of the sausages, rather than it just being really hot where it touches the pan and  burns in those spots.


Does burnt mark on cast iron crepe machine mean it’s ruined?

This is not a burnt patch, cast iron doesn't burn. It is almost certainly a rust patch.
Since the surface comes into direct contact with food, you cannot use the rust removers sold in home improvement stores. You need to remove it with lye - you can try a mechanical stripping too, but that is unlikely to get all tiny specks of rust, unless you get serious about it and use a dremel attachment until you bite into the blank metal. See also my answer here about removing rust from cast iron.
Once you have stripped that part (or all of the seasoning, if you use lye) you will need to reseason. Since this is a crepe maker, you don't have to do much with multiple layers etc., just enough to seal the surface against rust until the next batch of crepes you make. Making more batches will give you an even better surface.
Above, I said "almost sure" that this is rust. Since this is only a photo, there is a tiny possibility that this is stuck-on dirt which looks like rust. If you think that this might be the case, you could try removing it with an abrasive cleaner, or with a metal sponge. But since this will be a lot of work and the chance is small that this is not rust, you can just treat it like rust from the beginning.


Bacon/pork fat to replace shortening in rolls?

Absolutely, it make give it a  smokey but pleasant after taste but I in some ways prefer it to commercial lard. All bacon fat is, is a type of lard anyways done with typical dry heat such as a skillet or pan. It is arguably the best replacement you can use when making such dishes.


What are the culinary differences between Chinese Mitten Crabs and Blue Crabs?

As a Chinese, who have had many mitten crabs in my life, I think I can provide 2 insights:

In Chinese culinary culture, it's not only meat that's the most appreciated, but rather the  taste, texture and the freshness especially with seafood.
Mitten crabs during the autumn season contains a lot of eggs under the shell. The flavour of the eggs are what's appreciated as well.

Mitten crabs (not sure in the US) are safe to be consumed from food safety perspective as long as it's being cooked properly like any other seafood.


How long does it take to pasteurize something at 60C?

According to J.D. Schuman, info that I found in Douglas Baldwin's guide for sous-vide:

  Place egg in a 135°F (57°C) water bath for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes (Schuman et al., 1997).

J. D. Schuman, B. W. Sheldon, J. M. Vandepopuliere, and H. R. Ball, Jr. Immersion heat treatments for inactivation of Salmonella enteritidis with intact eggs. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 83:438–444, 1997.

This is for whole eggs in the shell, so for your custard the time should vary according to the volume (as it will take longer for the temperature to reach the  center).

Here is a time table for Salmonella reduction from The Modernist Cuisine (by Nathan Myrvold):


How long can milk be stored in the refrigerator after boiled and put in a Ball jar?

Unless you are using a canning method that is actually designed for long term storage and shelf stability, you cannot assume the food is sterilized or pasteurized by home processing methods.

You should therefore not expect a refrigerated shelf life of more than 2-3 days, the same as if you had not processed it.

Finally, you are creating a low acid food with absolutely no protection (other than refrigeration) against botulism, so you definitely do not want to store it more than this guideline.

In addition to botulism which is not detectable by odor or taste, if you do see unusual appearance, especially bubbling, or detect an off odor or flavor, you should definitely discard.


Ornamental cabbage is often actually a kale.

See this link with pictures very similar to yours:
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/ornamental_kale.htm

Kale is edible and nutritious but it is tough and very strongly flavored compared to cabbage.

Kale recipes usually involve long braises in flavorful liquid to break down the toughness. Cabbage recipes, which require less cooking lest you release the dreaded sulfur demons, would almost certainly not be sufficient.


I have made steak with a stainless steel pan and I haven't any issues achieving browning. Yes, a cast iron pan would be better, but a good stainless steel pan can work too.

Here is my technique (I am also using gas):

Heat pan without anything in it.
When it's hot enough, I add the oil to coat the bottom.
Then add the meat to sear both sides. I usually finish the whole thing in the oven. (Make sure to check your pan is oven safe).
Depending on the size of the steak, sometimes I just finish it there, sometimes I finish it in the oven.

Other notes:

Make sure the pan is hot enough
If your stainless pan is really thin, you may still have an issue. If this is the case you may want to invest in another pan. Cast iron pans last for ever and can be had for cheap.
Make sure your steaks are at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Remove any moisture from the surface prior to cooking. You don't want to have to heat the water first (steaming the meat), and then browning. You want it to brown right away.

Edit: to add the info suggested by jalbee and Henrik


What is the external operating temperature range for a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker?

On the high side, it would be impossible for the pot to cool the contents below external temperatures, but most components (obvious weak point being the power cord insulation) will stand temperatures far above what humans will tolerate. The "classic" crock pot has no temperature-sensistive "smarts" to it, some of the more "modern" options might be more easily defeated than an old fashioned crockery/heating element/switch (possibly with thermostat, possibly not, in neither case "smart") / insulation/shell construction.

On the low side, there will eventually be a point where the power input on low won't keep the temperature above 140°F due to the level of insulation and wattage of the elements. Anecdotally, many long-boiled things were boiled (probably on high, not low) in our unheated shed to keep them out of the heated kitchen at temperatures ranging down to 0°F (no wind, being inside) and they boiled. Less anecdotally, you could run experiments with a crock-pot and water and a thermometer to see what that specific unit could do at a specific outside temperature, but it would only be valid for that specific unit.


What can I replace pineapple with in a cherry dump cake?

Any canned Apple Pie Filling (such as the Duncan Hines) would provide a similar flavor and texture to the pineapple you want to replace. You might want to mix in some apple juice (or cider) to the apple pie filling to thin out the liquid in order to get the right consistency and volume.

Of course you will want to make sure you aren't simply replacing one allergen with another.


How to quickly make refried beans (or thereabouts) using Kidney beans?

This isn't the "quick" nor the healthy answer, but I personally do a twice-cooked system. I leave the juice from the can in the mix, and boil it down, which takes 15 minutes or so. Retaining the flavor of the canned fluid is essential, in my opinion.

Then I "fry" the dry-ish mixture which is beginning to separate in maybe 1 tbsp preheated lard per can of beans, stirring a lot at first. Lastly, very slightly simmer this on low heat for 1 hour or so, stirring occasionally. Flavor is awesome. Any kinds of beans can be prepared in this way, and it is similar (varying on oil and legume variety) to other paste concoctions created elsewhere.. such as in the middle east.

Note that this method negates the need for lots of "mashing". So, if you're more looking for less effort, than necessarily for "quick".. this could be your answer :)


what to make with a very high hydration dough?

Bake it in a dutch oven:
http://www.grouprecipes.com/27935/no-knead-dutch-oven-bread.html


How can I grind teff? (without a grain mill)

I accidentally bought teff instead of teff flour and used my Nutribullet to grind it up.  Worked great! Quick, as well.


Where can I find the apron/towel worn by the America's Test Kitchen staff?

The traditional butcher's apron tie is to wrap the strings of the apron around behind one's back, then back to the front to tie.  This provides a convenient place to put a tea towel or rag.

From the photos, this appears to be what the folks in the picture have done (Becky and Chris, IIRC).  When I worked in a deli on Long Island, this is how we tied our aprons.


Why are my cinnamon rolls turning into toffee?

Without seeing the recipe, I would have to guess that your fat to sugar ratio is off on the cinnamon sugar.

Sounds like your sugar is caramalizing... Try uping the amount of fat you are using in your sugar mix.


Cooking a nice pan seared steak for picky eaters

The method you describe should work, timing wise you have it about right, except it will need longer if you are aiming for well done. Salting and oiling before cooking works well, as does letting the meat come up to room temperature (if you are aiming for rare medium-rare a cold steak isn't a bad thing as it lets you char the outside more while having the inside less done).  Maybe you're better off leaving garlic out unless you know that's their taste. If they don't like fat adding butter may backfire on you, plus, butter and garlic can cover up the flavor of the steak that you want them to enjoy. You know your family and what they might like best, it's a judgement call.

The thing you are missing is that a steak doesn't have to be a monolithic thing, and by treating it that way you miss the opportunity to have something the way you like. If you have 4 steaks then cook 3 medium well to well and cook 1 to your taste, if you have 1 steak cut a quarter off and do the same thing. They don't have to eat your steak and you don't have to eat theirs.

A couple of things:

Don't trim fat before cooking as you will end up with a dry steak. As you plan to serve it carved trim the fat after cooking as part of the carving process
If fussy eaters don't like the look of food raw they won't eat it cooked, so keep them out of the kitchen if you can


You can have raw chicken in restaurants in Japan - it's delicious.  Depending on where you live there may be better or worse food safety standards, but there is nothing poisonous about raw chicken itself.

By the way, sushi is a dish with vinegary rice.  The raw-meat dish is Sashimi. A picture of chicken sashimi:

You will note that in this photo the chicken is actually not raw but quite rare. The exterior of the chicken flesh is actually seared and cooked through several millimeters.


Every scale should indicate its accuracy in its manual.

A good guess if you have no manual is that the accuracy is approximately half of the size of the smallest unit it reports (for example, my digital scale reports down to grams, so its accuracy is probably within about 1/2 gram).  If the scale is analog, you can get an idea by the smallest interval on the dial or indicator.

Still, only the manual will tell you for sure.

Scales that go up to 5 kg are unlikely to be good for measuring 0.5 gram quantities like coffee.  You will want a scale specialized for that level of quantity.

The exception is laboratory quality scales, which have higher accuracies and greater accurate ranges, but they are not pretty and are expensive.


Should one - moreover can one - defrost a frozen lasagna before cooking?

Frozen foods are made for convenience. For most people, convenience does not include remembering to defrost the food several hours before cooking. So the recipe and cooking method are indeed for cooking straight from frozen, unless they clearly state otherwise. You will get the best result if you take it directly from the freezer to the oven.
For most frozen foods, defrosting will make little or no difference. You would need to cook it for less time than in the instructions to avoid overcooking, but the end result should be about the same. Occasionally, defrosting before putting it in the oven will decrease the quality considerably. This is in particular with frozen pizza and other foods involving a crust where the base will absorb a lot of liquid during a long defrost (as opposed to a quick one in the oven on a rack) leading to a soggy crust. However, as long as you follow a safe method for defrosting (in the fridge), it is not a food safety issue. The quality may be slightly worse, but it's perfectly safe to eat.


Does shape affect pasteurization time when cooking sous vide?

It depends on what is to be pasteurized. If one aims for pasteurizing the surface only, then the shape is more or less unimportant. If however one wants to pasteurize the core, then the shape will affect the times.

To be on the safe size, measure the thickness where the meat is thickest.

Myhrwold writes in http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/116617-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-2004-2010/page_st_120_p_982720#entry982720 about cooking times (not pasteurization times):

  This is true for any kind of cooking actually. Most of what we are
  taught about cooking is actually wrong. For example, anytime somebody
  tells you it is “10 minutes per pound” they are saying something that
  cannot possibly be accurate, because this would imply that cooking
  time is proportional to the weight. If you take something like a whole
  bird and scale it up you will find that cooking time is actually
  proportional to something like (weight)^(2/3) – weight to the 2/3
  power. This is because increasing the weight scales up the thickness
  by the cube root. Since most people are not accustomed to taking
  things to fractional powers, people substitute a linear relationship.
  That might work out OK in practice over a small range, but it can’t be
  accurate over a large range. For example, if you double the weight,
  the linear relationship would tell you that you double the cooking
  time. The 2/3 power would tell you to increase it by 59% - that is a
  pretty big difference.

  As a general rule of thumb heat diffusion times go as the square of
  the thickness increase. So, doubling the thickness results in FOUR
  TIMES the cooking time. That is a rough general rule of thumb, which
  is not perfect but it illustrates the nonlinearity of the system. I
  don’t know why this isn’t taught to chefs more often because it is a
  fairly easy thing to grasp and use.

A side note:

If you have an iPad or iPhone then I can recommend SousVideDash. One must enter meat type, shape and size, initial and final temparature. Then graphs are drawn that shows pasteurization times for both surface and core (or more precisely graphs of the reduction of salmonella and listeria).

See the website:

http://www.sousvidedash.com/


Does canning stock raise its temperature too high?

The purpose of using a low simmer during stock-making is to avoid agitating the liquid.  You want the fat to settle on top, but a rapid boil will simply disperse the fat and other impurities all throughout the stock, resulting in - as you've hinted at - a cloudy texture and possibly an inferior taste.

The other reason to avoid boiling is simply to prevent the stock from reducing too much.  If you're simmering for 6 hours, you could lose all the water.  If you leave the stock unattended during that time, and the water level drops too low, then you're not getting anything out of it; the water needs to be covering the bones in order to break down the collagen.

All that said, once you are finished with stock, you should have skimmed it and strained it through a fine sieve and probably a few layers of cheesecloth as well.  If you've made your stock correctly, it will be clear and have (almost) no fat.  Boiling it briefly at that point isn't really going to harm it; there's not enough fat left to cloud the stock and you're not boiling it for long enough to really reduce it.

So I would say go ahead and don't worry about the temperature.  As far as I know, nothing magical happens at 180° F, that's just a rough temperature guideline for "low simmer".


In terms of bulk price wood is about 3x cheaper than plastic. (I buy both plastic and wood materials for commercial and residential uses in my profession.) Also, wood is biodegradable which makes it safer for the environment if children toss away the stick after they eat the ice cream.


Check the temperature: it should be around 37°F (3°C). If the temperature checks, look around the door for an air leak. Sometimes the door seal gets loose or dries out, letting the outside humidity in, which then condense on the food making it easier for bacteria to grow and spoil the food.

If you still find it too humid you could try a box of Polar King


Substituting table salt for kosher salt when brining chicken

If you can find canning or pickling salt, it's not iodized (and has no other additives, unlike some kosher salts), so won't contribute any off flavors that roux mentioned.

However, the different grain sizes will be a problem as they pack denser, so based on a chart from Marton's salt that ManiaxZX linked to in discussing differences in salts, they'd recommend cutting the salt by 20% when changing from kosher salt to table salt to canning/pickling salt.


Substitution of applesauce for eggs in a boxed brownie mix was a failure. Did I do something wrong?

Egg yokes contain molecules called lecithins that act as an emulsifier (something that helps oils to mix with water). I'm guessing the brownie mix calls for canola oil to be added, which is what is causing it to come out oily. You can address this in a couple ways.

Substitute the oil with butter. Butter is already an emulsion itself, and so will tend to separate less from the liquid ingredients. This will make the brownies thicker when cooled, so the mouthfeel will be less moist.
Substitute 1 Tbsp soy lecithin (available from Amazon) per egg yolk. This is the most direct way to compensate.

Egg whites also have useful material properties for baking. They act as a leavening agent and also help provide a set texture when the protein denatures at high temperatures. These are harder to compensate for but also less critical than emulsification. Try these next ideas if you are still unsatisfied with the texture.

Add baking powder if you want the brownies fluffier.
I've never tried this personally, but apparently substituting 1/4 cup pureed silken tofu per egg will help your batter set as though it had egg whites. It makes sense since both are basically networks of hydrophilic proteins.


As with all raw-meat or sushi dishes, this will never be 100% safe to eat; at best we are talking about a calculated food safety risk, with steps taken to mitigate that risk when possible.  For this reason, it is CRUCIAL that the chicken be kept at fridge temperature as much as possible.  When cutting, use a pre-chilled cutting board if possible, and serve immediately.  For extra safety, blanch the chicken to kill surface pathogens, and slice off the cooked exterior.

Given the slimy, gelatinous texture of raw chicken, I believe the best results would come from finely dicing the chicken (small cubes) or very thinly slicing it.  These approaches seem to work well for sushi and tuna tartare, which have similar textures. As with sushi, you need a shaving-sharp knife to get clean cuts.

For flavorings, your goals are twofold: add flavor and kill pathogens.  An acidic sauce or marinade is obligatory, to reduce the pH below 4 and render it hostile to pathogens.  The acidity should also reduce the slight sulfurous notes in raw chicken, by reacting with the sulfur in the molecules and making them less volatile.  Taken to an extreme, this could produce a result much like ceviche, where the acid denatures the proteins and produces a texture akin to cooking.  Fresh cut, finely-minced garlic is delicious and also hostile to pathogens.  Many aromatic herbs also have antimicrobial properties, with fenugreek being a notable standout in this area.

There are a couple ways you could develop this into a full dish from there:

Do it up like a ceviche:  fresh lemon/lime juice, garlic, chili flakes, onions, salt, and maybe a little cilantro or coriander.
Go European: white wine vinegar, thyme, rosemary, parsley flakes, garlic, black pepper, salt, and maybe a little olive oil
Go sushi!  Marinate it in rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and spices, and serve it in sushi rolls, accompanied with a LOT of wasabi and pickled ginger.  Those condiments help mitigate the food safety risk with their antimicrobial/antiparasite properties.
Go sushi part 2: marinate it as above, but serve alone with a horseradish-based sauce containing lemon. EDIT: Apparently there is a real recipe along these lines.  Toriwasa, or chicken sashimi.  I found several recipes using wasabi (horseradish), soy sauce, parsley, and sake.  The chicken's exterior is cooked, but the interior remains raw.

I should add a couple caveats to this: I have serious doubts about raw chicken as an ingredient, even with the best cooking possible.  At best I think it will be edible but not delicious.  The problem is that raw chicken is incredibly bland, and where it isn't bland, it has an unpleasant, slightly sulfurous flavor.  The texture is somewhat off-putting too.  I might be wrong, of course, but I think this is better handled as a theoretical exercise and not an actual dish.  If you try any of these ideas and get food poisoning, it's your own dang fault for eating raw chicken... you boob.


In August you will have not one, but two "enemies" to keep in check:
Heat and humidity.

Heat gives you trouble with every kind of food that gets runny when not cooled, so for some frostings refrigeration or at least a cool space to store is crucial.

But as soon as you take your cool cake out (to be displayed or transported) without cooling...

Humidity can cause condensation on the surface, which can range from "dull" surfaces to "beads" of condensation to bleeding of colours or even affect the consistency of the icing itself if it reacts with lots of liquid on the surface.

So if I read your post correctly, there certainly will be at least one, possibly many stretches of time where the cake can't be cooled And that inevitably will lead to condensation and it's side effects if it is cooled inbetween.

-> There is one alternative, though: Don't refrigerate at all.

Cakes are not "spoils-super-fast-and-needs-constant-refrigeration" foods if certain restrictions are kept in mind:

The cake itself isn't critical. But unless you plan on doing a night-shift (bad idea...) you will want to bake the layers some time in advance. Either freeze or choose something that doesn't get stale quickly. Thaw completely before use.
The filling must be stable and safe without refrigeration, so whipped cream, light ganache or those "dairy-with-gelatine" types are out. A heavy ganache will work (think "truffles") and so will cooked fruit fillings like jam. Shortening-based "buttercreams" could be ok, but I have no personal experience with these; I suppose it depends a bit on the temperature on the day of the event. "Fruit-and-gelatine" should be ok if made quite freshly, i.e. early enough to set properly but late enough to be still fresh. Whatever you choose, don't use too much.
For the outer layer, fondant, marzipan and royal icing are the obvious choices. All of them can remain unrefrigerated. All of them have their pros and cons.

Your bride doesn't want fondant. Ok, never mess with the bride... (and admittedly I detest the stuff myself).
Marzipan is a love-hate-food, not everyone likes it. And - main disadvantage - it isn't pure white. And even tinted marzipan typically has a somewhat muted colour. Not necessarily bad, though, just with some restrictions.
Royal icing can be a bit tricky to work with to get a smooth surface (pouring, drying for a day, light sanding, next layer, dry again...) and absolutely needs a cake-plus-filling base that can "survive" for a few days. In very high humidity, RI can be hygroscopic, that is, it "soaks up" moisture from the air and starts to get soft. Especially small details and decorations are at risk. So it needs to be stored in a dry place until display. But that is often easier to manage than cooling - unless you expect heavy rain or thunderstorms. But the cake in this case would be the least of your worries, IMHO.

So if I were in your position I'd suggest a very traditional (British?) fruitcake or a carrot cake (choose a recipe on the drier side, not too wet), filled with layers of jam or lemon curd or similar. Then brushed with a thin layer of jam (as glue) and a covering layer of marzipan to seal the inner cake for freshness and finally a double or triple covering of royal icing. Have fun!


What happens when you mix whiskey and water?

Whisk(e)y has some crazy chemistry going on inside of it, due to the complex interactions between water, alcohols, oils, esters and other compounds of various complexity. The profile of these chemicals will vary between different whiskey/whisky styles, but the overall chemistry is similar.

Simple effects of dilution

Adding water, or serving on the rocks, has a number of simple effects, such as diluting the ethanol a bit (ethanol anesthetizes your taste buds a bit), and cooling it (making your taste buds slightly less sensitive to certain flavors), but the fascinating part is what happens to the oily flavor compounds during dilution.

Dilution masks some flavor compounds

Oily hydrocarbons are somewhat soluble in high-proof whiskey. There are long-chain esters and short-chain esters of many varieties. As you add water, the whiskey becomes more polar, and the long-chain esters become supersaturated and start to precipitate in the form of micelles, microscopic "droplets" of esters that have clumped together. In some liquors like absinthe or ouzo, these droplets can get so large that they become visible, and visibly cloud the drink (an intended feature of absinthe preparation). In whiskey, these droplets are usually microscopic and don't visibly cloud the drink, because most of the oils have been removed during chill-filtration.

However, these droplets do something important, in that short-chain esters, being more soluble in the droplet than they are in the diluted whiskey, enter the droplet and become trapped inside. These compounds are now less available for tasting or smelling. Fortunately, these compounds are the oily, grassy compounds that many people do not like in their whiskey, and masking them is considered an improvement.

Dilution releases other flavor compounds

There is another type of micelle "droplet" that forms in whiskey. Ethanol, in high concentrations in water, forms it's own clusters, as ethanol molecules gather up with one another. Interestingly, warmer solutions cause more clustering of ethanol molecules, as do higher concentrations. Like before, these micelles trap compounds that are more soluble in ethanol than they are in water, volatile flavor compounds. However, unlike the oil droplets, these flavor compounds are desirable. Cooling the solution and diluting the solution both serve to "pop" these ethanol micelles, allowing them to release their trapped compounds for aroma and flavor.

So cooling and adding water can have the effect of both masking certain flavors by forcing them out of solution, and enhancing others by promoting their release back into solution. In the end, the result of the changed flavors is a matter of taste, which is why some people prefer neat, with water, or on the rocks, but one cannot deny that real chemical changes are in play.

References

Scientific Paper: Release of distillate flavour compounds in Scotch malt whisky
Blog posts: New perspectives on whisky and water
Article: Tasting Whisky
Wikipedia: Scotch Whisky


Those two versions of a can opener operate on exactly the same principle. The difference is that the simpler one has a cutting "blade" that's basically just a part of the main body that's been bent at right angles and maybe sharpened a little bit, while the nicer one has an actual separate circular blade.1 Both will serve the purpose of opening cans, but the simpler one will probably need more physical effort expended.

1I think - it's actually hard to tell, given that the picture is from the least useful angle imaginable.


It is hard to say without seeing the whole loaf, but the crust and crumb of that bread look like a pullman loaf.

Pullman bread (usually called pan de mie in Europe) involves baking the bread in a pan with a tight fitting lid. As the bread proofs, it comes in contact with the lid. This restriction causes the bread to retain a very fine crumb since it can't expand too much. This fine crumb, and the soft crust caused by being completely surrounded by a pan, make pullman loaves ideal for sandwiches.

Sometimes mass-produced proof-and-bake breads for grocery chains will have a similar texture, but it is usually a combination of making the bread with shortening and a bit of sugar for tenderness, and a lot of dough relaxers and oxidizers to control the texture.


Buy a cedar plank. Soak it in salted water for a couple of hours

Rub the salmon with olive oil and season it with a little bit of salt, I use kosher salt or smoked sea salt but regular table salt will work just fine. Then put the salmon on top of the plank, skin side down. Then put the plank on the BBQ. You can see the fish cook, it will get pinkish-white starting from the skin and traveling up. If your grill has a top, close it and cook for about 20-30 minutes. Check it to make sure it's not drying out. Internal temp should be around 130 or so.


Does splitting spaghetti in half change the taste?

No, it's not true. It will not change the way they cook. Noodle cooking times vary by what they're made out of and by thickness, not by the length of the noodles.

The kids and I seem to prefer eating shorter noodles and dodging the hassle of spinning the noodles, but when there's company over we tend to do it the classic "right" way. No difference in taste.


You can make yeast free pizza base using baking powder, it will be a bit crumbly, but it works fine. You could use baking soda, but then as you state you need acid to react with it. Using lemon juice is an option but I would recommend against it as you don't know the exact amount of acidity you'll get and your crust will taste lemony which you don't want. Go get some baking powder instead and use about 3/4 tsp of powder per cup of flour.

You'll want to knead your dough to develop the gluten, otherwise the base will just fall apart.


Can i use vegetable oil instead of butter in cookies?

You can, but there will be several differences as a result:

Taste is the most obvious. Depending on the oil you choose, you will either just lack the buttery aspects of the flavor or replace them with other flavors (nutty for peanut oil, coconut for coconut oil, etc.)
Texture and structure is the next most obvious. Butter, which is semisolid at typical room temperature, will provide more textural support for your cookies than an oil which is liquid at typical room temperature. You won't be able to "cream" most oils the way you do with butter to provide a lighter texture. Using a vegetable shortening like Crisco, or another oil like coconut oil that remains solid at higher temperatures than most oils, could partially address this aspect.
Moisture content is related to texture but worth being called out on its own. Vegetable oils are 100% fat; butter is about 80% fat, with most of the remainder being water (and a small amount of milk solids, about 1-2%). To best approximate the butter, you should use 80% of the suggested amount as oil, and 20% as water.

So if you have a favorite cookie recipe that you must make with oil rather than butter (such as if you're cooking for vegans, or people with allergies), the best approach would probably be to use 80% coconut oil (which for most recipes "75% and round up" would be close enough) and 20% water. This would provide a nice flavor (although one very different from butter), a melting point more similar to butter than most oils, and gets the moisture content right.


Can I use garam masala instead of curry powder?

No, you won't get the same flavor or color. Curry powder is a blend of turmeric, cumin, coriander, and sometimes fenugreek, black pepper, mustard or cardamom. Curry powder is generally added towards the beginning of a recipe and cooked with the food.

Garam masala is a finishing spice blend shares some of the ingredients of curry powder (cumin and coriander) but is significantly different in that generally has cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel seed and cloves. Garam masala has many aromatic spices in it, and it is generally added towards the end of a recipe to give it an aromatic punch.


How to prevent the chicken breasts from drying out

The reason why your meat is dry has less to do with whether you cook in liquid and more to do with the temperature you cook the meat to. The proteins in meat will squeeze out the water in them as you increase the temperature you cook them at. If you are cooking your breasts in boiling water then that can result in meat that is cooked far above well done. Here is a link that relates moisture loss in meat vs cooking temp:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/how-to-sous-vide-steak.html

This link is for beef but the basic principle applies to chicken as well.

Water is able to transfer heat much more efficiently then air given a similar temperature. This means that your chicken is ironically getting overcooked because of the water you added. A standard technique people use to cook small cuts of meat is to brown both sides at a high temperature and then lower the temp to cook the inside without over cooking the outside. Next time just try to cook without water and just lower the temp instead. Flip the meat often to ensure even cooking.

If you want truly "melt in your mouth" chicken you will need something with a bit more fat. Chicken breast is very lean protein and at best can be "juicy" but that is it. Chicken legs and thighs however are higher in fat content and have collagen which can result in very tender chicken. The legs and thighs can also be cooked to a much higher temperature without drying out as much as chicken breast. Consider cooking dark meat for tender chicken.


Why are jelly donuts usually raspberry flavored

I think this might actually be a regional thing. In my area, we're more likely to get blueberry or apple jelly doughnuts. It's probably got to do with whatever fruit is cheapest to use in large quantities for the location where the doughnuts are being made.


Is designating knives to avoid cross-contamination necessary?

Using separate cutting boards is advisable, but separate knives are unnecessary. 90% of my cutting is done with my chef's knife. I don't own two of these, nor would I use a subpar knife for the job.

I almost always find it most convenient to start my preparation by cutting the veggies, fruit, etc. first and then finally cutting the meat last. Then you can wash your knife once and be done with it.


Will this recipe for vegetable fritters freeze well?

You can freeze fritters like this after frying, but I'd recommend freezing the vegetables by themselves or freezing the cooked fritters, or simply shrinking the recipe.
Whether you refrigerate or freeze the cooked fritters, you'll want to re-fry the floppy fritters to get the crispy texture back, unless you're okay with floppy fritters (they're kind of good honestly, like cold pizza). This is convenient like any other freezer meal.
But your recipe is very simple. If you only want 1 fritter, just measure out 25g of each ingredient instead of 200g. If you want 2 fritters, measure out 100g.
Realistically, you will almost certainly have extra veg that you won't need for this recipe, so regardless of how many fritters you make, if this is a recipe you like, I'd recommend freezing the excess carrots and beets for use in the next batch.
I will point out that doing do will cause a lot of moisture to be released when the veg is thawed. So for that reason I specifically DO NOT recommend freezing the batter before frying it. The consistency will be very different once thawed and all that water's released.
One way to circumvent this (and probably reduce your cooking time) would be to salt all your shredded veg. The salt would draw moisture out as well, even is you just use a pinch. Let it sit in the salt for a bit, then wring it out in a kitchen towel and continue with your recipe. You could even save the salted juice to use as your binding liquid instead of water.


What is the best USDA rated beef best for stew in a pressure cooker?

So, understand that MANY recipes were developed to make poor choices of food products chew and taste much better.

Stew is one of these that allows a tougher cut of meat and some older veg stored in the root cellar to be made tender and tasty.

However, all other things being equal, no matter why a recipe was developed, using the highest quality of meats and veg will always produce a superior product.

So the best beef meat to get for a stew would be prime grade beef, and fresh veg is the best to use for the best flavors and textures.

One more however though. There are diminishing returns on goodness versus price. You don't need prime beef for stew. It will be amazing, but is it worth spending $40 for the beef rather than $20? That's up to you and whether you want to 5 star your stew that was really designed to make halfway inedible stuff decent to eat.


Slow cookers have a heating element generally on the bottom of the unit which heats the ceramic insert, which in turn heats whatever is inside it. They are designed to heat liquids, and the foods cook because the heat is convected around by the liquid.

Slow cookers are not designed to cook without liquid, and I personally would not try cooking dry things in them for the following reasons:

Uneven heating: the heat in a slow cooker typically is from the bottom, if you put a casserole in you'll get a very cooked bottom and a very underdone top. Not good in a pie, where the top needs heat to form a crust
Damage of the heating element/safety concerns: liquid has a high capacity for heat and cushions the heating of the element in the slow cooker, without liquid in it the element may overheat and cause damage, or maybe even (in some older units) start a fire
Damage to the ceramic insert: the ceramic insert in slow cookers is designed to carry liquid, if you try to cook dry foods it is liable to crack

If you want to cook a casserole or a pie use an oven as it will deliver even heat all around. Use a slow cooker as it is intended.

That doesn't mean you cannot use a slow cooker to make bag-friendly meals. Simply make dishes where you can discard the juice without losing the majority of the flavor, reduce the liquid on the stove afterwards until it is more of a gravy so it won't leak out, or add a thickener to the sauce to stabilize it at lower temperatures.

Some ideas for you:

beef brisket with vegetables - doesn't need the liquid, the flavor is in the food. Bring some nice crusty bread with it
stew: you can remove the solids and then gently cook down some of the liquid until it is a gravy, or add a thickening agent like corn starch (corn flour to some). Add enough so it will gel up when cold, but turn back to a liquid (albeit thick) when heated
lamb or chicken tagine: remove the liquid and use it to make some couscous. The couscous will absorb the flavors of the sauce and make a fabulous side. Reduce the rest to make it thicker and use it to add flavor to the solid ingredients and keep them moist


How can I fix the slimey texture.

Okra produces slime because the Okra plant and its fruit contain nasty stuff called mucilage. When you apply heat to the Gumbo, the slime comes out. But there are a few techniques for reducing all that sliminess, namely pan frying or grilling prior to adding it to the Gumbo.


Is granulated sugar (American) the same as caster sugar (UK)?

I'm not familiar with the naming conventions for sugar in the UK so I apologize if I become patronizing.

Granulated sugar is the every-day table sugar here.  It's what I grab a spoonful for my cereal and such, and it is the kind used in almost all of the baking I've done.  Is caster sugar what you usually have around?

Caster sugar is called "super-fine" sugar in the States.  It is finer that granulated sugar but not as fine as powdered sugar (icing sugar for the UK right?).

Honestly, I can't say that I've ever bought any as I usually only see granulated and powdered, but Wikipedia tells me that "Castor sugar can be prepared at home by grinding granulated sugar for a couple of minutes in a food processor."

That being said, if you're just beating it into butter than I would think the caster sugar should be perfectly reasonable for the job.  Though I agree with bikeboy that you should go by weight if you use a substitue.

Running around This Site, I found that there are aprrox 7oz(200g) per cup granulated sugar, and 6.5oz(190g) per cup caster sugar.  So you would actually need more sugar if using caster sugar, as it is less dense.  Obviously not a lot though (200/190=1.053).


Unless your hot water tank is very close to your hot water tap, this is a very energy inefficient. As Cascabel notes it would be faster to boil water in a electric kettle first, and then pour it into the pan. Put the pan on the heat at the same time if you are really in a hurry
Hot water systems are normally hot enough (above 55°C, 130°F) to keep water borne nasties at bay, plus if you are on town supply water it will be chlorinated etc
Normally on the first few meters of hot water pipe are copper, then it switched to normal crimped plastic plumbing. This will vary depending on your local building codes
The rate at which pipes lose their heat would ensure it never sits in the danger area for long, not that I think this is a big issue for clean plain water
In general, modern copper pipes are not soldered, they are crimped using special hand tools
Old or non-renovated houses may still be 100% copper pipes that have been soldered. This poses no extra safety risks with just clean water in the pipes


Fingernail can scratch cooking board = too soft?

Since it's not all that clear what your question really is, I'm going to go with the question in the title:

If you can mark your dry cutting board with a fingernail, the wood is softer than you want for a good cutting board.  In fact, your cutting board would need to be a very soft pine, fir, or similar wood to be that soft, none of which are ideal for cutting boards.  This explains why you have "deep grooves".

I own a teak cutting board (it was a gift), and I don't know that I'd recommend it.  Teak is hard enough to dull my knives faster than a softer hardwood like beech or maple would (bamboo has the same issue).  Beyond that, there is quite a bit of debate about which wood is best for cutting boards and instead of trying to reproduce it here I'm going to give you some reading:

Tasty Kitchn's Best Wood for Cutting Boards
Serious Eats Recommendations on Cutting Boards
Brooklyn Butcher Block's opinion on various woods


Umm.. I'm not sure what you're saying. I've seen and filleted whole Dover sole, and everything on the standard 'fresh fish' list applies.

Agreed, though, that smell is often a good indicator.


Based on your original question and the comments, it sounds like you simply did not make an accurate assessment of the temperature of your product and your cooker.  Low and slow is an excellent technique to make pork shoulder tender.  Your goal should be an internal temperature of about 195 F ((90C).  Estimates are that you should allow 1 to 1.5 hours per pound, but this can vary depending on the heat source and the fat and bone content of your pork.  It is best to measure the internal temperature.  As pointed out above, two things potentially "went wrong".  Either your cooker did not maintain the temperature you thought it did, and/or you pulled the pork out before it reached the desired temperature.  For best results in the future, use accurate thermometers and measure both.


Sodium citrate is a salt that is often used in making cheese sauces. When you dissolve it in water before melting the cheese into the same it will prevent the cheese fats and proteins from separating and thus prevents the sauce from becoming grainy. It can also be used to melt, thin, and remold cheese into new slices which have better melting characteristics than the original cheese.

If I may cite my source (Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxime Bilet, Volume 4, Page 222) and offer a recipe as example: To make 635 grams of cheese slices:

Mix 5g salt, 14g sodium citrate, 6g iota carrageenan, 2g kappa carrageenan and disperse them into 230g of water.
Bring to a simmer
Gradually add 200g swiss cheese and 180g white cheddar to the water mixture, blending with an immersion stick or whisking constantly.
One the cheeses are incorporated continue to blend until smooth.
Pour into a mold and refrigerate for two hours until the cheese sets.

Essentially we just melt the cheese(s) into excess water with some thickening and stabilizing agents. Once it sets slices may be cut off in the case you have a mold. If you don't have the capacity to make nice slices you could pour the mixture directly into a sheet pan so it may set at the desired slice thickness.


Can I use chopped white onion instead of pearl onion?

I have seen recipes that call for chopped white onions instead of pearl onions, which leads me to believe it is feasible.

The texture might be different; when cooked, pearl onions tend to have a different sort of bite to them, much like a grape, revealing a burst of flavor after a slight resistance, whereas chopped fullsize onions tend to be more one-note and soft. I don't know for sure what pickling does to the texture, but if it is beneficial to use whole onions for a similar effect, you'll lose that. I suspect the flavor penetration would be greater, however, due to the cutting.


What is the difference between tomato puree, paste and sauce?

In the US at least, common canned tomato products include:

Paste, cooked down tomatoes, to the point where they are scoopable with a spoon but will not flow.   Very thick, like peanut butter.  Often sold in six or twelve ounce cans.
Pureee - cooked tomatoes that have been--well--pureeed, but are mostly at their natural density; also called crushed tomatoes.
Sauce - cooked down, strained tomatoes, a little thicker than tomato soup. May include herbs, spices, or some flavoring in addition to pure tomato product.
Diced - solid chopped tomatoes, usually in tomato juice.
Whole - whole cooked (usually peeled) tomatoes, usually packed in tomato juice.  These will still have the seeds.


Can you cook a 25 lb turkey in an oven that is 9 inches from the bottom rack to the heating elements?

9 Inches in height does indeed sound like it might not be enough to fit the turkey in at all. You also need to take into consideration that you need some space around the bird to allow the heat to spread evenly through the inside of the oven. I would generally not try to cook something in an oven that it barely fits in to.

I did a bit of Googling for you and found this semi relevant link where you find a little table with advised sizes for roasting pans compared to turkey weight.


Are all the processing steps of tofu harmless?

Making tofu for mass production and consumption and making tofu at home generally follow the same procedures.  Soybeans are soaked, ground, and cooked.  The resulting "milk" is separated from the soilds. Then a coagulant is added (either salts, acids, or enzymes depending on producer and type of tofu). Finally, the tofu is pressed.  The one difference between tofu you purchase in a package and tofu made at home is that the mass-produced variety likely goes through a pasteurization step.  In general, this is a process that has been used for centuries (other than the pasteurization, of course, which is more recent technology). Given the history of tofu production, and the number of people who consume it, any health concerns would have been identified by now.


A soft boiled eggs yolk is nothing more than raw egg yolk warmed up. You stop the cooking process right before it begins to congeal. The yolk itself is not considered "cooked".
At 145° the yolk will still be completely liquid, jump it to 150° and the yolk starts to congeal.

  At 150° those egg yolks have gone from completely liquid to a soft, malleable texture that easily holds its shape.Soft cooked eggs, Serious Eats

I'm really not sure of exactly what you're after, but those are the facts as far as temperature goes regarding egg yolks.


Is it possible to freeze Eggplant Parmesan? If so, better to freeze before or after baking?

I have frozen eggplant Parmesan before with good results. I breaded the eggplant, fried it, then put Parmesan on top while it was still hot enough to melt. I let them cool and then froze the fried eggplant slices separated by pieces of parchment paper. When I needed to use them, I put them on a sheet pan, still frozen, and threw them in the oven until the cheese was melted and slightly browned, then proceeded as I normally would.


Substituting with Bacon and Bacon Fat in a Recipe

Bacon fat is a liquid and salty, adjust both in your recipes (unless you want moist or salty)
Baking is pickier about fat ratios (so swap other fats out), and cooking is less picky (more fat is usually just tastier)
Bacon fat does solidify at room temperature, but in small quantities can be used to replace any oil (I often use it to sweat onions)
You can use the creamier texture of bacon fat in soups and sauces for a super mouth feel


My jello is not getting firm in the refrigerator

It's not working because you're trying to set jello to lukewarm water - from mixing the hot and cold and then adding the jello.

The hot water needs to be added first, then the jello, then the cold water, then refrigerate, in that order.


How much should I season meat before sous vide cooking?

Ahh, a long-debated question in low-temp cooking circles.  Dave Arnold, an early low-temp (sous vide) cooking instructor, ran a test when he was an instructor at (what was then know as) the French Culinary Institute in NYC.  The three variables were (a) salted - cook - chill, (b) unsalted - cook - chill, and (c) salted - direct serve.  His testers preferred the unsalted, and could distinguish all three samples.  So, they do present differently.  Now, your process may differ from his, and he also admits that, at that time, more testing was required.  I think, these days, there is agreement that if your cooking time is going to be a couple of hours or less, and you are going to serve right away, salting before the cook step is fine.  However, on long cooks (12, 24, 48 hrs or more) you probably want to salt after.

Having said that, you and your diners, might prefer it one way or the other.  There really isn't a right or wrong answer.  I would suggest your own "triangle" test.  Just do two steaks or chops in different bags.  Salt one.  Cook them the same.  Serve three pieces (two the same and one different), blindly to someone (or have someone serve them to you), and see if you can pick out the piece that is different.  Then, decide which you prefer.


To salt or not salt broth for use in recipes?

It depends upon how much you expect the broth to be reduced while making the dish, and how salty the other ingredients in the dish are. Risotto is a good example of a dish that should be made with a broth less salty than would be ideal for just drinking. The broth will be reduced significantly while making the risotto (so the salt will become more concentrated). Plus, most risotto recipes call for parmesan, which is salty. You want some salt in the broth because the rice will be better if it absorbs some salt, adding salt at the end with the parmesan can't make up for the rice being made without any salt.

In most cases, it's best to salt broth minimally for cooking. In other words, use enough salt so that the broth isn't terribly bland when tasted alone, but less salt than you would want in chicken noodle soup.

Canned "reduced sodium" broth hits that pretty well, although it can still be somewhat too salty for some applications. The most well known brand in the USA of reduced sodium chicken broth is Swanson. It contains 570mg of sodium per 1 cup of broth. So, every cup of that broth contains 1.4 grams of salt (salt is 40% sodium by weight). So, if you make broth that you might use in a number of different ways, I would recommend about 1 gram of salt per cup of broth. That's enough salt to permeate starchy ingredients without fear of broth reduction making the final dish too salty.

After that, just salt to taste at the end.


Grainy means your sugar formed crystals during the heating process. Lemon and other acids retard the formation of crystals, which is why one came out better than the other.

I'd suggest adding some cream of tartar to the other one (which should do the same as the lemon, but without changing the flavor).

In general, to lower crystallization, you should make sure the pots are absolutely clean, and then take great care not to stir or jostle the mix during the heating process. You can also add a little corn syrup, if you roll that way (adding acid actually inverts some of the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which is why it helps to add acid, but you can also just add glucose, in the form of corn syrup. I wouldn't use honey, because of it's water content.)

Hope that helps.


If cookies are made with enough sugar, will they just be chewy caramel?

There are no similarities between the process of making caramel and making cookies.

Pure caramel has one ingredient, sugar. This sugar is cooked on the stove and brought to a high temperature until it changes color.

  The process of caramelization consists of heating sugar slowly to around 340 °F (170 °C). As the sugar heats, the molecules break down and re-form into compounds with a characteristic color and flavor.

There are two products you may be talking about instead that are called caramel - caramel sauce and caramels, or milk caramels, a wrapped candy product.

Both of these are made in a similar fashion - heat sugar and other ingredients on the stove to a specific temperature point. These added ingredients include corn syrup, cream/half & half/milk, and butter.

While these ingredients share similarities to some degree with cookies, cookies rarely ever include liquids like milk as you need to keep the dough thick so that it doesn't spread, and will always include some sort of flour and (usually) eggs, which are not a standard ingredients in caramel recipes (and probably never ingredients).

The process for cooking is similar to pure caramel, they are cooked in a saucepan on the stove until they reach a specific temperature, something around 250F. At this temperature, the chocolate chips would be completely melted.

You can certainly make chocolate caramels, if that is what you wish, but you could not convert a recipe for chocolate chip cookies to a caramel recipe.

Adding more sugar to the cookies would make them spread quite a bit more (remember that sugar is considered a liquid in baking cookies) and eventually you'd get something like a lace cookie, which is probably the closest you'd ever get to caramel in a cookie recipe. Lace cookies contain flour but significantly less flour than sugar.

As an example, this recipe for Oatmeal Lace Cookies has only 3 tbsp of flour (and 2-1/4 c oats) but has a whopping 2-1/4 cup of sugar along with two sticks of butter. The method is also similar to caramel, in that it's a boiled batter that is heated in a pot on the stove and then baked.

This is probably the closest crossover you're going to get between the two. And, as a bonus, if you want chocolate, lace cookies are often dipped in or drizzled with chocolate.

Honey-Almond Lace Cookies from Food Network:


Best way - if any to "thin out" overly salty kimchi - already in jar

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


It is not just the food that the rat has eaten that is of concern, any cross-contamination on food due to rat urine or faeces is also a major health risk factor.

Leptospirosis and Listeriosis, while not generally fatal, do carry a wide range of risks from flu-like symptoms to meningitis and organ failure.

If you were a restaurant or cafe, most health inspectors in the UK or Europe would seriously consider closing down your operation until the rodent problem was properly dealt with. As an individual though, obviously you have more latitude and choice in the matter. Provided the outer layers are not damaged or stained I would inspect the remaining corn with an ultra-violet torch (to check for any  protein staining from the rat urine) and then dispose of those cobs. I would also spray the remaining "clean" cobs (once the outer leaves are removed) in a undiluted vinegar solution followed by a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution, let sit for 10 minutes, then gently scrub under running water to remove the solution.

To be honest though, unless you have a large quantity of corn, I'd err on the side of caution and skip on the corn this once. I personally would not feel comfortable serving it to family or friends unless I was sure there was absolutely no risk of infection.

References:

http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/04/possible-effects-of-eating-rat-and-mouse-tainted-food.html

https://clearandwell.com/diy-fruit-vegetable-wash-remove-dirt-bacteria-pesticides/


Sounds like you're describing tacacho, but those are usually balls. It could be patacones, but those are more typical of Colombia


Knead it in the machine until it is ready. No further kneading by hand necessary. If you don't know how to recognize dough which is ready, make one small batch with high hydration (75-85%) by hand, kneading without stick prevention (flour, oil or water). Just take the goo in one hand, stretch and fold onto the other in the air, and continue. Try doing it until it actually goes over the best point and starts getting worse (may take you well over an hour). Pay attention to the changes in the dough all the time. Now you will know what good dough looks and feels like. The next time, you can let the mixer mix a small batch until it gets reasonably close.

Put it in a bowl to rise until it has doubled in volume. Don't measure by the clock.
Knock down by hand, back into the bowl, second rising. Again, wait to double.
Form it into the desired shape. You can place it in pans at that time if you're going to bake in pans. For this final rising, wait until it looks ready, time is again not a good criterion. Doubling can happen, or not.

This assumes commercial yeast bread. Sourdough needs a different process.


What kinds of coffee beans are more successful at producing crema on espresso?

The question you linked to has some answers about which type of beans to use (Brazil, arabica, robusta) but equally important is bean quality including/especially: freshness.

For crema, you want fresh beans, a good machine, a good grinder, and good technique. This page has great advice on crema: http://www.coffeekid.com/espresso/cremarule


What's the use of onions in teriyaki sauce?

Soy sauce, sake or mirin and sugar are the usual ingredients in a teriyaki sauce. The rice wines in particular are vital for an authentic teriyaki flavour.

So the question is somewhat moot: onions aren't usually found in teriyaki sauce anyway. The onions naturally add flavour to your marinade: if you like it, leave them in, if you don't, take them out. The onions won't have any major chemical effect on the marination process.

Personally I would ditch the olive oil, replace it with toasted sesame oil and add garlic and ginger for a more rounded and authentically flavoured East Asian marinade.


safety of using chamotte stone from hardware supplies store for baking

General consensus is that you should not use something that is not food safe for cooking.
And in particular something made for construction/building, it probably contains lot of non-food safe chemicals, and they are probably not obligated to list the ingredients; so you do not know what is inside.


Homemade sauerkraut liquid level below cabbage. Should I add brine?

As you know, the salt in the brine keeps bad things from growing. The cabbage above the brine is at risk of mold or undesirable bacteria growing.

When your cabbage is actively fermenting it generates a good amount of CO2. Your lid is designed to bleed off the extra pressure without letting any O2 leak back in. Additionally, the CO2 is heavier than air and will displace residual oxygen in the jar.

You can open your lid and top off your brine. If it is fermenting as it is supposed to, the little oxygen in the jar will be consumed or displaced in short order and you will have your lovely anaerobic environment back. Just don't open it often.

In the future, I would recommend using a larger jar (or less cabbage) and give yourself a good inch or two of brine above the cabbage. Use a weight to keep the cabbage submerged. (I can't tell from your picture if your cabbage is weighted or not)


Is slightly sugary mango fine for hot sauce?

If you don't have any other options, I'd go ahead and try it with a few minor adjustments. Keep in mind that recipes like this are really loose and based a lot on personal preference. If you don't think the mangoes are really sweet now, the spices may mask some of that, or the sweetness may dull some of the spice.

The ingredients you use will also greatly affect things, as peppers change spiciness by water content, for example, so at different times of year, this same recipe may turn out barely-noticeable spice or barely-bearable spice! Adjusting to the level of spice or sweetness is one of the complications and will require some testing to get it where you like it.

Try soaking the mango, alone, for two minutes in one cup of water - in your (two cup - assuming you have a standard sized one) measuring cup. Some of the surface sugar may soak off in that time, reducing the total impact. Put the mango in the pot you're going to use for the simmering phase. Now, see how much water is left in the measuring cup.

How much water the mango absorbs (which probably won't be a lot, but may be... I'm not sure) will affect how much water you use for soaking the rest of the ingredients.

If there's less than a cup of water remaining in the measuring cup, add that same amount of fresh water to the rest of your ingredients and let them soak for two minutes and finish the recipe.
If it's only absorbed a tiny amount, add the full cup of fresh water to the rest of the ingredients and let them also soak for two minutes and continue the recipe.

You may also consider omitting the brown sugar. There are many other flavors in the recipe, so the loss of it may not hurt.

When it's done, if you do think that it's too sweet, use an acid to tame the sweetness a bit. In this recipe, something like lime juice (try half a lime) may help without being too different. Mango and lime are pretty nicely complimentary flavors and both common to the region. There are even similar recipes out there that include lime. I haven't tried either of these, just showing that they exist.


In making a cookie dough I forgot to add the salt. Is there a way to still add the salt?

At this point, I recommend skipping it. In the long run, it's not likely to "ruin" your cookies. It's usually just there for a bit of flavor enhancement, not likely for any chemical reason. There may be some slight difference in the importance of the salt depending on the type of cookie you're making, though. Something like a sugar cookie or chocolate chip isn't likely to need it much. A peanut butter cookie, though, the salt does a lot for the flavoring but if you use salted peanuts/peanut butter, there's probably already a good amount of salt in the ingredients, so you'll still probably be OK.

Mixing the salt with the flour is an important step in making sure it's distributed evenly. Once the dough is complete, getting the salt mixed in well would likely overwork the dough and give you tough cookies and even then, you may end up with salty pockets and some parts that are unsalted.


Is there a name for the taste coming from alkaline food?

There is no single word to describe that taste, and no single taste receptor for alkaline substances either (whereas there are taste receptors for acids).

The most recognizable taste to encounter would be "soapy". You can see it as a bit of a special case though, since it is not the taste of a pure alkaline substance, but the taste you get when the alkaline substance reacts with fats. Since most food contains fats, this is what you frequently get if you try to make alkaline food.

You are also likely to get descriptions like "chemically tasting", since it is not a flavor we frequently encounter in food, but it can remind us of the aroma of some inorganic substances in our daily lives. Try overdoing double-acting baking powder in a muffin, or making it with ammonium or potassium based leaveners instead of the widespread sodium ones, and you'll see what I mean.

Beyond that, we don't really have good descriptors. And I am not even sure pretzels count - the goal there is to have the lye react away with the gluten, so they might not be very alkaline in the end. Also, the salt on the surface and the unusual texture distracts us a lot from the subtler flavors there.


What are the differences between various types of paprika, and which have the most flavor?

I don't know about brands, but there are six different types. Hot, Hungarian, Plain, Smoked, Spanish, Sweet.

Paprika releases its flavor with heat, but burns easily. So mix it in with liquid, and make sure it gets hot.

Sprinkled onto a cold dish (like deviled eggs), it remains quite bland. Add it to browned hamburger meat, and you're halfway to taco heaven.


Making sourdough bread in a warm and humid climate

If your starter is tripling in 3 hours, it's unlikely that you need to add additional yeast.

If the humidity is causing your dough to spread as it rises, you could try slightly lowering your hydration to account for moisture in the air. You could also add a fold in your bulk ferment time to give more gluten strength.

You don't mention how long you are proofing your loaves, which could be very important. Generally sourdough will need several hours at a moderate temperature to rise properly. Be sure you aren't rushing to the oven. (When you poke a loaf, it will gently and slowly spring back when it's ready.) This may mean that you will need to proof in the refrigerator, basement, etc to keep your loaves cool as they proof.

Finally, if spreading continues to be a problem, adding some vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) can help get more volume in your loaves. This works by making the gluten tighter, so use it sparingly. It is especially beneficial in whole grain sourdoughs.


What else can I do with Caputo Blue Pizzeria Flour?

00 flour is the closest to 'plain white flour' in English speaking countries. For instance, if you were in Italy and would like to do a pastry you would use 00 flour. However, it is quite difficult to compare to 'plain white flour' because this term is not well defined, and you find wide variations in different brands of plain white.

Technically speaking, the classification 00, 0, tipo 1 and tipo 2 refers to the ash level in the flour, as regulated by italian law. For example, 00 refers to a maximum ash level of 55%, and as you can see from your technical sheet the Caputo exactly fits in that since it is around 50%. If you are familiar, it is completely equivalent to the T45 (45% ash level), T55 (55% ash level), T65 (65% ash level), etc. classification of the French.

While ash level is a good indicator, I personally find that it not always describe well what the flour would be good for. I usually like to use it together with protein content. As you can see, although this Caputo is quite refined (ash level 50%), it has a high protein content (13%) - common for grains grown in sunny places like meridional italy - compared to the most common supermarket 00 I find. It likely absorbs more water and has a better flexibility - which is good for 'caky' and 'bready' things, and even good for elastic pastry like pate brisee but worst for flaky preparations like biscuits.


If cooking doesn't kill all the nutrients in tomatoes, why are none in sauce labels, even the nice ones made direct by an organic farm?

I would swear that there was already an answer about this on SA, but I can't find it.
Pressure canning destroys a lot of the vitamin C value of tomatoes:

The heating process during canning destroys from one-third to one-half of vitamins A and C, thiamin, and riboflavin. Once canned, additional losses of these sensitive vitamins are from 5 to 20 percent each year.

(there are other papers with more scientific information, but they're all behind paywalls)
This means that the finished jarred tomatoes in a year-old jar might have only 30% of the original vitamin C content -- and that will vary according to a lot of circumstances that are hard to predict.  So, unless you test ascorbic acid content of the finished product over a lot of batches, you really don't know how much C you have, on average.
While the US FDA does want you to list C content on the label, you are unlikely to be punished for under-reporting the amount of C ... whereas overreporting is a lot more likely to get you an unwelcome phone call.  So many canners simply leave it out.
For that matter, many commercial canneries report zero vitamin C as well.  I have several cans of Muir Glen tomatoes in my pantry, and none of them report C content.


Possible to thicken gravy without flour or cornstarch?

Another  thickener that is readily available is gelatin. This has the added advantage that its free of carbohydrate (if you are avoiding that).


Is it possible to preserve color in steamed vegetables?

Typically, vegetables will lose their colour if they are over-cooked, so it's probably worthwhile cooking them for a shorter period of time.

Usually steaming is a great way to preserve the nutrients and colour of vegetables, as is stir-frying rapidly.

Different kinds of vegetables contain various pigments in their skins. Green vegetables contain chlorophyll; red and white vegetables contain flavonoids; orange vegetables contain keratin. Each of these pigments requires a different approach when cooking to preserve colour.

When cooking green vegetables, never add an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, as this will cause the vegetables to discolour quickly. Always cook green vegetables rapidly and preferably without a lid.

With red and white vegetables, which contain flavonoids, the converse to green vegetables is true. Adding an acid during the cooking process will retain and even restore the colour. For red vegetables use a red or white wind vinegar. For white vegetables use a slice of lemon.

Orange vegetables, which contain keratin and are generally fairly robust, for the most part can be cooked with or without the addition of an acid, and they will usually retain their colour.

Another way to preserve the colour is to blanch the vegetable in boiling water for a minute or so, then plunge them into ice water. Doing this stops the cooking process instantly. Using the method is useful if you intend to freeze vegetables.


How does the shape of an espresso cup affect the flavor?

As I see it, the typical espresso cup shape and material (Thanks JAIL!) does three things for espresso:

the thick ceramic insulates the coffee, helping it retain heat as
well as protecting your fingers from being burnt;
the shape is compact rather than wide or tall, minimizing the ratio of surface area to volume, to further retain heat;
the tapered cup and round bottom allow you to easily mix sugar and/or chocolate into your espresso, getting an even distribution in the liquid.

The round bottom of the typical espresso cup also makes it easy to clean.  I have some very decorative square-bottomed espresso cups, and the inner corners are pretty much permanently stained.


Ideal Coffee Grind for dough-like recipes

If you're putting the actual ground-up beans in the dough rather than brewing/extracting, I suggest one of two extremes, depending on the effect you're aiming for:

A very fine grind so it's evenly incorporated and not easily detected by feel (think of nut flour for the texture you'd be aiming for). As you're replacing some flour with coffee in your recipe this might be your best option.
Very coarse, more like cracked beans than actually ground.  Then you get the pleasant* crunch of the beans, and the burst of flavour. If you were just adding coffee to a normal chocolate chip cookie recipe this would be better (IMO).  This is what I'd do, but I rarely bake for coffee-lovers.

Anything in between could easily lead to an unpleasant graininess, while there's no advantage in terms of flavour over a fine grind.

* Pleasant to those of us that enjoy eating chocolate-coated coffee beans and similar things.


Live Tomato Zucchini Lasagna - what does live mean?

I'm pretty sure the word "live" means that it's raw and uncooked. I found a recipe for Raw Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna that's very similar to the menu item you describe. It uses zucchini "noodles", cashew "ricotta", along with marinated mushrooms, and tomato sauce to make a raw and meatless "lasagna". The only apparent difference is that the recipe calls for spinach pesto instead of pine nut pesto.


My gravy turned to jello overnight. How can I make it last for leftovers?

I think you probably used too much flour for the amount of liquid in your gravy — instead of gravy, you made pudding. You might be able to thin it down by whisking in some additional liquid such as milk or water before reheating it.

However, next time use half (or even less) percentage of flour to liquid, and you'll have better results.


Will hard boiled eggs absorb salt through the shell?

Salt or acid is often added to the water when boiling eggs to denature egg whites faster should there be a crack and a leak.

I have not read anything that experiments whether this is effective. It also sounds like "don't wash mushrooms" or "pasta must be cooked in a ton of water" kind of old wives tales.


Recipe says to bake chicken at 250 degrees for 5 hrs. how long does it need to be baked at 350 degrees?

Yes, you can.

In fact, one of the biggest, ever so often repeated mantras here is:

  Don't determine doneness with a watch, use a thermometer!

Measure at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone. If you have reached at least 165°F or  75°C, your chicken is done.

Of course, the hotter your oven, the crispier the skin will be and the higher the risk of burning some parts, so check your chicken periodically and tent with aluminum foil if necessary. That said, 350°F / 175°C is a perfectly reasonable temperature to roast a chicken.

I won't and can't give you a time to bake the chicken, partly because I don't know how large your bird is and what temperature it was at the start, because I don't know how reliable your oven thermostat is and above all: because only a thermometer can guarantee that the meat reached a safe temperature.


Panettone is better consume in the first 2 to 3 days. Even if it comes from the supermarket.

After the second day I recommend you to heat the piece you are going to eat in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Raisins will become creamy again–and your kitchen will smell delicious–. I've lived in Italy and my Italian flatmate used this trick.

Giallo Zafferano says you can freeze the dough after the last raising time

Translation:

  Preservation

  Homemade panettone keeps its freshness less time than manufactured
  panettone.

  You can preserve it for up to 2-3 days inside a plastic bag.

  It can be frozen after the last rising time. Defrost it inside the fridge and leave it there for at least 2 hours before kneading the dough again. Add the butter inside the cross and bake it.


My local lamb (grass paddock raised) just doesn't have enough fat on it to survive a "rack in the oven" experience. Hogget & mutton is fine. This may be your problem too?

So for lamb I would cleave the rack into individual ribs and BBQ on medium-high till the surface has crisped (typically twice as long as a similar beef cut). All the fat should have run. Most people I know don't like eating visible lamb fat

I lightly coat the cut meat surface with oil just before placing on BBQ to ensure an instant sear. You want the lamb to crisp without drying out

If using a wood fired BBQ drop a bunch of fresh lavender (leaf and flowers) under the grill to slightly smoke the lamb


How to fix grass finished beef that tastes like fish?

Grass-fed (and finished) beef fat tastes fishy because it effectively is similar to fish oils.  In particular, grass-fed beef fat is dramatically higher in omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acids) as opposed to omega-6 (linoleic) fatty acids; this NIH funded study for example found:

  ... overall average of 1.53 and 7.65 [omega-6 to omega-3 ratio] for grass-fed and grain-fed, respectively, for all studies reported in this review.

Meaning that grass-fed beef might have a 3:2 ratio of o6:o3 fatty acids, while grain-fed beef has a 13:2 ratio - a ratio over 4 times higher.

Fish tends to have even more omega 3 fatty acids, tending to a ratio of less than 1 (so, more omega 3 than omega 6); so I wouldn't imagine your beef tastes entirely like fish.  But you're definitely going to taste some 'fishiness' in there in grass-fed and grass-finished beef as compared to grain-finished or grain-fed.

As far as how to prepare it, the challenge with beef is the strong beef flavor that you don't want to entirely cover up (or you wouldn't be buying a nice grass-fed side of beef, you'd be buying something from the local megamart).

My suggestion is to take your cue from fish itself: specifically, from strong tasting fish, and fish that is commonly eaten in steak-like preparations.

Steak Tartare or Beef Carpaccio is one suggestion.  By not melting the fat, you're not going to release as much of the 'fishy' flavor, and in fact this is a common preparation for fishier fish as well (Tuna and Salmon in particular).
Add an acidic sauce, such as hollandaise.  Acidic flavors cut the fishy flavor well, just as spritzing some lemon juice onto your salmon does.
Braised preparations such as how short ribs are commonly prepared work well because not only can you introduce an acidic flavor but you also allow some of the oil to be extracted from the fat and blended into the meat where it's not quite as concentrated as simply eating the steak.  While braised beef can be very heavy on the sauce, a simple braise in red wine might be effective at counteracting the oil flavor while still keeping the beefiness.
Removing the fat before cooking (trimming) will work well for cuts that have solid fat. Even something like a ribeye (which has a lot of both marbling and solid fat), simply doing this might be sufficient if the taste doesn't bother you too much.
Frying in butter, or in a fat that is not high in omega-3 fatty acids, may help as well.  Olive oil should be fine (very little omega-3); avoid flaxseed oil or blended oils that list omega 3 fatty acids as a health benefit. This probably won't help with the solid fat, though, only with the marbling.
Finally, you will get used to this taste just as you did with gaminess.  So, simply eating it and not trying to alter it may be the right path if you are going to continue buying grass-fed and grass-finished beef in this manner.  Many tastes are possible to get used to after five or six meals of them.


In a sing sing base,][ Australian stile, shred, fry with onions. Serve with rice. Freeze-cold chill till firm. Slice very thin. Or use meat cutter. 1/8 inch thick. Braze brown both sides on a hot flat plate,grill. Stack with peppers black or hot. Or other things between each. Refrigerate over night. Or a soysauce mix? vinegar mix? what ever. Slap between a roll the next day. For sandwich.