Not safe enough for me to try it.

Potatoes actually contain a very dangerous toxin called solanine .

This toxin is concentrated enough in the green parts in the plant to cause solanine poisoning.

This includes the sprouts/eyes, and the potato itself if it's green.

This article from the New York Times health guide indicates that it is something to be taken seriously.

Per this article, if the sprouts have been removed, and the potato is not green then it is safe to eat as far as solanine poisoning is concerned.

However, a potato as far gone as you have described sounds disgusting .

A soft potato is on its way to going bad.

Where I am from, potatoes are cheap enough that it's just not worth the gross factor for me to eat a potato that has 10 cm sprouts and is squishy.

I do eat potatoes that have little nub sprouts on them and that are slightly less than firm, after removing the sprouts of course.

It is safe to eat a sprouted potato if it is still firm (source: University of Illinois ); however, don't expect it to act the way an unsprouted potato would.

Part of the starch will have converted to sugar.

Be sure to store potatoes somewhere cool and dry with good air circulation.

Also, keep them away from onions.

Other online discussions suggest it's reasonably safe and the majority of us have been peeling and eating soft sprouty spuds for years.

Is this correct?

Um...

Well, I grew up eating them.

Towards the end of winter, all the potatoes looked like that.

We snapped off the sprouts, ate the firmer ones, and saved the rest for planting.

We didn't die .

I don't think.

Unless this is all a dream, the last twenty years merely the illusion of my dying, spasming, potato-poisoned brain.

That said, if you have a choice, I would stick with potatoes that haven't sprouted...

I know not to eat a green potato, but sprouted ones are no big deal.

Just trim off the sprouts.

Knives comment was really funny...lol!

My Dad grew up on a potato farm and he warned us about green potatoes but we were allowed to eat firm ones that had sprouted as long as we trimmed off the eyes.

I don't think storing your potatoes with herbs or essential oils would be a good idea unless you wanted your potato dishes to taste of that stuff.

I'm fascinated by the comment about not storing potatoes with onions because I always have.

Potatoes are simple, but 10cm is obscene, throw them out.

Potato safety 101 Don't eat the sprouts, just cut them off (they taste bad anyway).

Unless they're more than a few cm.

Don't eat potatoes that have any green tint to their skin [1].

Don't eat potatoes that are soft [2].

Tips Keep your potatoes dry

Keep your potatoes in a dark place If you store potatoes well over winter, they won't sprout and will sweeten as the starches turn to sugar and the flavor will become more complex and earthy.

Stored potatoes are delish.

Notes

This is difficult to see on purple/blue potatoes, so just eat them fresh.

You don't want your potatoes to be hard , you want them to be firm to the touch.

Don't be afraid to give them a bit of a squeeze.

As an exception, "new potatoes", which are just very young and small potatoes with thin skins, are usually a bit softer.

Source :

My friend worked on a potato farm.

Disclaimer : I am not a healthcare or food safety professional.

The solanine is found in the green skin and also highly concentrated in the eyes, which form sprouts.

Solanine is highly toxic, but is usually found in really small quantities.

You would have to eat a lot of it to kill you.

But it's still probably not a good idea to eat in general.

Toss any crazy sprouting potatos out, learn the proper way to store them.

You wont have that problem....

From this Smithsonian article : Not to worry though, fatal cases of solanine poisoning are very rare these days.

Most commercial varieties of potatoes are screened for solanine, but any potato will build up the toxin to dangerous levels if exposed to light or stored improperly.

Often, the highest concentrations of solanine are in the peel, just below the surface and in the sprouted “eyes”—things that are typically removed in cooking preparation

If you keep your potatoes in a well-ventilated, low-light place, they'll last longer before turning green and sprouting.

That said, I peel green potatoes, discard the sprouts and make mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes out of them--because after all that, they seem kind of ugly to me.

They've never made me sick, nor anyone I've fed them to.

Maybe it IS because modern cultivars have been selected for low solanine content.

That seems logical to me.

Nevertheless, my mother did the same as I do, and I was born 20 years before the 1980's began.

Maybe the poisoning danger is at least mostly negated by peeling and cutting away any green flesh.

My family doctor has always advised that pregnant women should avoit eating potatoes.

As sprouting potatoes contain toxin which may cause defects in the developing baby.

Some stores break the sprouts away, but there might be still toxin left behind.

It may not hurt normal people, but for pregnant women, it is too risky.

Try notto buy potatoes that have sprouts, buy enough for what you need to avoid them sprouting while keeping them too long

Question: I'm talking about potatoes that have gone somewhat soft and put out shoots about 10cm long.   Other online discussions suggest it's reasonably safe and the majority of us have been peeling and eating soft sprouty spuds for years. Is this correct?

Is it safe to eat potatoes that have sprouted?

Potatoes can safely be eaten if you remove the sprouts, although the taste may not be as good. Soft potatoes are turning bad and are not as safe. On the other hand, green potatoes are not safe to eat.

In general, as long as the potato is still sufficiently hard, you can  still eat it as long as you have removed the sprouts and any green bits.

This is not a good idea and the potatoes are probably bad anyway.

As long as you don't eat the sprouts and the potatoes are not green, then this is fine.


You can use a solution of vinegar and water to descale your kettle (unless, as hobodave mentioned, the manufacturer advises against using vinegar).

Fill your kettle with water until it's half full; add about 1/2 cup of vinegar to the water, and then allow it to boil for about 10 minutes.

Allow the water to cool and unplug your kettle.

Gently scrub away the scale with a non-metallic pad (don't scrub the heating element if it's exposed;

wipe that with a sponge).

Rinse your kettle several times after removing the scale, and then boil one or two fillings of water in it to ensure that you remove all traces of the vinegar.

I've found that citric acid works best.

You put it in a kettle of boiling water, and just let it do its magic.

It cleans up any plaque buildup, and brings it back to a shiny pristine state.

Works much better for me than vinegar, for some reason.

I have generally found the vinegar method to be suitable and haven't heard of anything specific as to why it would be harmful.

Vinegar is usually only about 5% acid solution so rather weak as far as acids go.

A lot of manufacturers will recommend a specific cleaning solution because it's yet another thing that you have to buy from them.

You should be able to find descaling solutions in cleaning aisle of the grocery store or visit your local restaurant supply store for descaling solution.

Follow the manufacturer's directions.

I have heard the vinegar thing for coffee makers too, but it's not a universal thing.

Specifically, my coffee maker has very explicit warnings about not using vinegar, or any other acidic solution to clean it.

Instead it suggests soap and water for the externals, and a vinegar-free descaling solution for the internals.

I don't own an electric kettle, but I wouldn't be surprised if some models had prohibitions or warnings of their own.

I know for sure they will have specific instructions in their manuals though.

For anything electric/electronic that you care about, follow the instructions.

Vinegar and baking soda work fine to clean kettle.

You can find the formula here

If you don’t want to use white vinegar, you can use apple vinegar.

I have tried it in my kettle with pure apple cider vinegar.

It worked very well too.

Question: I have an electric kettle that I clean by scrubbing the insides with plain water. I was wondering if there was a better way to clean it. I remember hearing somewhere that you can clean a coffemaker by running a solution containing vinegar through it and was wondering if there might be a similar solution to clean the kettle?

How to clean an electric kettle?

Unless otherwise advised by the manufacturer, a vinegar and water solution, citric acid or vinegar and soda can be used. Apple vinegar can be used instead of white if preferred.

You can use a solution of vinegar and water, citrid acid or baking soda to descale a kettle.


Sort of.

If you have sesame seeds on hand, grind some up.

You could also use toasted sesame oil, and even combine it with the ground seeds.

You can also use all-natural peanut butter.

Don't use mass market crap with sugar and other additives.

The ingredients should list only: peanuts, salt.

Obviously, this will taste like peanuts.

It will still taste good in a hummus, but it will be a distinctly different hummus than with tahini.

You can make something vaguely approximating hummus just by leaving out the tahini, but it won't have the characteristic tanginess of an authentic hummus and will end up tasting more like a chickpea salad.

Making tahini is quite a simple process, it's simply a combination of sesame seeds and olive oil.

To make toast a quantity of sesame in the oven, on a moderate heat, for 5 to 10 minutes, but don't let them burn.

Allow the to cool then, combine them in a food processor with olive oil.

Add enough oil to reach the consistency you desire.

You could try peanut butter (or any other nut butter, especially one with a light flavor and no salt or sugar added).

Another option is sesame oil, but only add a little bit at a time, checking the flavor and consistency of your hummus as you go.

I loved hummus but then found out that I am allergic to sesame seeds.

To substitute, I have used sunflower seed butter, almond butter or cashew butter.

I have also tried combining a few of the nut butters for a more complex taste with good results.

I have heard peanut butter works, but I am also allergic to peanuts

so I cannot say much about it.

Whatever you use as a substitute, make sure it does not contain a lot of ingredients, like sugar.

My best substitute is to take raw, unsalted cashews and either soak them overnight or simmer them in water for about 20 minutes.

The cashews will get really soft.

Drain, then add 1:1 cashews and fresh water.

Blend.

The consistency will be very creamy like tahini.

I know that what I make is not authentic hummus, but I still enjoy it.

I'm allergic to sesame (it sucks), so I use sunflower seed butter.

I really like it, but I don't really know what I'm missing.

I'm sensitive to sesame seeds and usually use hemp hearts instead.

They're several times the price, though.

Neat thoughts on just using a nut butter, y'all.

I can't have peanuts, but I can have other nuts…

I was about to make some cashew butter anyway, so that works!

I've used lentils with good results.

My kid is allergic to sesame, so I've tried different things and the best results where with some plain lentils.

It doesn't have the same tanginess but it definitely changes the flavor from chickpeas to hummus.

Most of people don't seem to notice the difference, but I haven't tried with people that had been raised on hummus.

I cooked them with a bit of salt and them add 3 tablespoons, but I hold a bit on the water of the original recipe to correct for it and add a bit more olive oil.

Tahini is sesame seed butter, so you could reasonably substitute any nut butter.

It won't taste the same, but it'll be edible!

Some people don't like tahini in their hummus and use olive oil and ground cumin in its place.

I mix one part flax seeds and one part Olive Oil.

It's pretty good, and you get more fiber.

What about using pine nuts, as used in Pesto?

Not all hummus needs tahini.

For example at a tunsian restaurant down the street they are tahini free.

To help reduce the fat content, I have used the concentrated flavor of roasted sesame oil.

It tastes pretty good.

Use about one tbs.

of oil to a can of processed chick peas.

I also have flavored with garlic, harrisa, diced tomato (meat only, no juice) or concentrated tomato paste, parsley.

Ground white poppy seed - khus - with a tiny amount of toasted sesame oil should work; hummus bi khus khus?

Not identical, but the texture is similar and taste is closer than nut butters.

Question: If I don't have tahini is there anything similar to use to make hummus?

Is there a substitute for tahini in hummus?

Tahini is made with sesame seeds and olive oil, so you can make it yourself or use butters made with sunflower seed, peanut, almond or other nuts and seeds. Lentils or toasted sesame oil can also be used.

You can either make your own tahini with sesame seeds and oil or replace the sesame with a nut butter or sunflower seeds.

You can make your own tahini by grinding up sesame seeds and olive oil.

You can use any nut butter or sunflower seeds, hemp hearts or lentils.


Most reliable sources will warn you strongly against reusing marinades because they can continue to harbor bacteria.

Even though the second batch of meat will be cooked, there'll be lots of time for the bacteria to multiply in the meantime.

(And given the symptoms caused by foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria like salmonella, the risk isn't worth the few cents you'll save on marinade.)

No! Do yourself a favor and avoid the advice of whomever or whatever suggested otherwise.

Yes, it is dangerous.

You have a jar of teriyaki flavored bacteria in your refrigerator.

Yes, there's a fair chance that cooking the hell out of your chicken will kill anything deadly, but why on Earth would you take the chance?

No, you can't, not without risking illness.

Once you've marinated meat, you should dump any leftover marinade; don't even use it to baste roasting meat!

(Reserve some marinade that has not touched the raw meat for basting purposes.)

No. you cannot use it (two week old used marinade) as a baste/glaze, even if you boil it first.

The problem is not always active bacterial contamination, it is the byproducts that bacteria leave behind.

Edited to add: Darin qualified that he meant fresh marinade could be used as a glaze.

I've edited my response accordingly.

Marinades for meat/poultry/fish should not be re-used .

Particularly if it was used a couple weeks ago.

The sweetness and saltiness of teriyaki sauce would likely make it more difficult for bacterial growth

but it's still a health concern and definitely not worth taking a chance on.

What you can do is use a fresh marinade as a basting glaze AFTER you have brought it to a boil for a few minutes.

Then use it to glaze your meat during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

When you've marinated meat in mixtures that contain a lot of sweet elements you want to first wipe off the marinade, pat the meat dry

and then lightly coat with a little oil before grilling/broiling, etc.

Bring the marinade to a boil and then brush on as a glaze during the last few minutes of cooking.

If you cook the meat with a coating of the marinade from the beginning, the sugars will caramelize and burn and you'll have the meat sticking to the grill/pan.

The result will be that it tears and leaves the skin/outer layer of meat stuck to the grill when you remove it.

If the marinade has been in contact with raw chicken, dispose of it.

83% of raw chicken in the US harbors campylobacter or salmonella .

The question you need to ask yourself is would you have used the chicken you marinated today?

The bacteria on the chicken is now combined with the marinade and I assume from the post that the marinade was just sat in the fridge.

I don't think that anyone would feel comfortable using raw chicken that has been sat there for 'a couple of weeks'.

I think anything that has come into contact with raw meat should be treated as if it is that meat, if you wouldn't cook and eat the chicken now, don't cook and eat the marinade.

Yes, providing you boil the marinade immediately after you remove the chicken from it and then store

it either frozen for ~3 months or in the fridge for ~1 week.

Any bacteria in the marinade will be killed off from the boiling and, if there were any bacterial byproducts in the marinade, well, they're also on the meat you just took out of it

so you have more problems than your marinade.

Question: I marinated chicken a couple weeks ago, and stored the marinade afterwards in a jar. Can it be reused, or is that dangerous? I've been told conflicting stories here. The marinade is mostly teriyaki if that makes a difference.   Intended use of used marinade: Marinate chicken which will then be cooked in the oven. It will not be used with anything that won't be cooked (like a sauce).

Can you reuse marinade used with raw chicken?

Most reliable sources will warn against reusing marinades, even after boiling them or for basting roasting meat. A two week old marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken will harbour dangerous bacteria.

A marinade should not be reused after contact with chicken unless it has been thoroughly boiled first.

You should dispose of any marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken.

You should have boiled the marinade after using it to kill bacteria.


For white wine, try: chicken broth/stock vegetable stock white grape juice ginger ale canned mushroom liquid diluted white wine or cider vinegar For red wine, try: beef or chicken broth/stock diluted red wine vinegar red grape juice tomato juice canned mushroom liquid

A great list of substitutions for cooking with various alcoholic ingredients may be found here .

You can replace the moisture provided by wine with just about any flavorful liquid, but you won't replicate the flavor.

Vinegars will be the closest, but they are much more acidic.

Stocks and broths can help boost flavor, but they will bring with them a lot of sodium.

The list goes on, as shown by the other contributors here.

The main thing to be mindful of is what these substitutions bring with them (acidity, salt, sweetness, etc) and compensate for it by adding or subtracting other ingredients.

Add a bit of sugar to offset the acidity of vinegar or backoff on the salt when adding stock.

Substitutions are an advanced skill, sometimes even a black art, and this is why.

After a long and frustrating search for wine substitutes, I finally got the guts to create "wine bouillon" and it's producing good results in the kitchen.

Essentially, I've flash-dried wine into a powder that contains zero alcohol, no salt or preservatives...and all the flavor of wine.

I'm calling it The Dry Gourmet.

We've produced a red and a white.

(Bourbon and rum are in the works.)

Currently, we're only selling on our website ( www.drygourmet.com ).

Initial results have been super, with many home cooks creating their favorite dishes with all the flavor of wine.

Please drop me a line if I can answer any questions about this wine substitute.

Depending on the recipe, verjuice (or verjus), which is widely available in Mediterranean shops, can work very nicely.

In some applications, it may be necessary to dilute, as it's basically very tart grape juice.

I'm in the same position (no alcohol at home), but I'm kind of a foodie.

I've never found any luck with any of the ingredients listed above

(I still need to try the Balsamic Vinegar trick).

Not only is the flavor just not the same, most of the time it's just wrong.

After searching for many years, I stumbled across Meier's Sparkling Grape Juice.

They seem to work well for me for many recipes.

They have a Chablis, Spumante, and a Burgundy.

I'm sure there are still differences, but these are far superior to things like vegetable stock, ginger ale, vinegar, and plain old red/white grape juice.

Some supermarkets stock it, or you can order it online.

I'm still looking for a dry red wine substitute, as well as Marsala, but these have really helped and I buy them by the case now.

Beef/Chicken/Veggie stock would do well.

If making dressing (wine vinegar) then some citrus based juice.

Apple juice can replace small quantities of white wine quite well.

Although it will definitely taste cider-y if you use lots.

I work in a group home and alcohol is not allowed on the property at all.

A beef stroganoff recipe that I wanted to try called for some red wine.

I substituted some cherry juice from canned cherries with some apple cider vinegar.

It turned out amazing!!!!!

One option that hasn't been mentioned is non-alcoholic or alcohol free wine.

Some say the alcohol has been removed ( http://www.frewines.com ) and others may say dealcoholized ( http://www.arielvineyards.com ).

Remember that some are going to be better than others, and that they may not taste exactly like a wine that contains alcohol.

The two brands I linked have the two top items in Town&Country magazine's article about the top 6 non-alcoholic wines.

These wines are widely available online and probably also found in some retail locations.

However, I can't speak to local retailers as they vary widely from place to place.

A Google search will yield many results.

Since we don't drink alcohol at home, I don't ever have real wine at home.

I do keep a bottle of vermouth (Martini Rosso specifically) to use a substitute for red wine sometimes.

Use about 1/3 of the amount of wine you'd use.

I also use Balsamic vinegar works well if you're making a thick sauce or casserole.

As for white wines, I don't cook things that require it often.

When I do I'll usually use a combination of Mirin (japanese rice thingy) and some sugar.

I use Regina Red Wine Vinegar or the Regina White Wine Vinegar and Maruchan Seasoned Rice Vinegar.

Even though I use red wine vinegar, I don't think it qualifies as "wine".

There are also other brands of red and white wine vinegars, you can use in the vinegar section.

For white wine, white vermouth works quite well, particularly in things like risotto.

Keeps well in the fridge for weeks or months after opening.

Dry vermouth is a better substitute than sweet IMO.

Sweet will work but it changes the flavour somewhat.

(Since I just posted this on a similar question)

The similar question was asked for a substitute because the OP was not savvy about wine, not because they objected to alcohol.

Instead of buying wine in a tall, dark glass wine bottle, you can also buy a small bottle of cooking wine that will keep for a very long time.

I use this brand , and have one red and one white in my cupboard.

I usually have a good wine bottle of each in the fridge for this purpose too.

Question: If someone cannot or will not use wine for cooking, what would be a good substitute?   Question applies to both red and white wine.

What is a substitute for red or white wine in a recipe?

Other flavourful liquids can replace the moisture, but will not taste the same as wine, stock is a good option, although it can add a lot of salt to a dish. Chicken or vegetable stock, white grape juice, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid or diluted white wine or cider vinegar can be substituted for white wine, and beef or chicken stock, diluted red wine vinegar, red grape juice, tomato juice or canned mushroom liquid for red wine.

You can theoretically use any flavorful liquid, whether that be a stock or the liquid from a can. You can also replace wine with rice vinegar or grape juice.

Try meat stock or a canning liquid or tomato sauce.


I suggest reading this Cook's Illustrated - The Basics of Brining (PDF) article.

I use their basic brine all the time.

This article taught me two cool things I didn't know about brining.

Adjust the amount of sugar & salt downward for high heat applications.

Decreasing the amount of sugar ensures that the exterior of the meat doesn't burn.

Prior to learning this I had a few "issues" with this mishap Air drying chicken and turkey in the fridge after brining allows the skin to dry out, enabling it to crisp nicely when cooked.

If you aren't familiar with Cook's Illustrated, they bill themselves as America's Test Kitchen.

They will take a recipe and beat on it with dozens or more variations tweaking and analyzing it as they go, until they come up with the "ideal" something or other.

In this case, it's brining.

With this as a base you have a lot of opportunity for experimentation.

I usually add very hearty aromatic spices to mine.

Some possible additions and substitutions: Whole peppercorns Ancho chiles Whole Allspice Cinnamon Cloves Candied Ginger Brown sugar in place of sugar Substituting some vegetable stock for water

**Use the lowest sodium stock possible, and adjust salt accordingly.

I don't have a hard-and-fast rule here, but I tend to go with about 20% less salt than the "basic", more or less.

Another thing addressed by this article is what meats should and shouldn't be brined.

The short version is lean mild meats are suitable for brining, fatty meats or those often cooked rare/med-rare do not benefit.

Suitable Cornish Hen Chicken Turkey Pork

Some seafood Whole side of salmon (grill roasted or smoked) Shrimp

Unsuitable Beef Lamb Goose Duck

Modern meat not being as fatty as the meat of yore, will appear dry when cooked.

Brining helps the meat remain juicier.

To brine chicken, immerse it in a 10% salt solution (by weight) and keep it in the refrigerator from 3 to 24 hours.

To make a 10% solution, use 1 cup of kosher salt for every 1.4 quarts of water (5.6 cups).

Cooks Illustrated , a cooking magazine that develops and tests recipes, has a good brining guide.

One may think that making the brine stronger would make the chicken juicier.

That is not the case.

Above concentrations of 13%, the brine dries the meat .

I have tried adding spices to the brine, but I have never been able to detect their flavors in the meat.

Sometimes I replace some of the salt for sugar, as suggested by @Adam

Shiemke.

See the Cooks Illustrated guide for measurements with sugar and other types of salt.

I'm going to differ with papin on a few points; I would suggest a 5% by weight solution, rather than 10%.

Partly this is economy -- 10% by weight with a gallon of water is .8

lbs, or nearly a whole box of kosher salt!

But also, I learned to do a 5% brine from Ruhlman in his Charcuterie book, and this is also what Thomas Keller suggests in his cookbooks.

So 5% is good enough for me.

Regarding flavoring the brine, the primary impact the brine will have is saltiness, however, if you aggressively flavor the brine, you can get other flavors into the chicken and it can be absolutely delicious.

From memory, the brine for fried Chicken in Keller's Ad-Hoc cookbook involves a gallon or so of water, (maybe 1.5?), 5% salt solution, 24 <- bay leaves, four or five lemons, a bunch of garlic and quite a lot of thyme, like 6 oz or so.

I don't recall if there was sugar in this brine.

This is all boiled to get the ingredients mixed, then chilled.

The chicken then went in for 12 hours.

This brine was a pain to make.

It was also nicer than some soups I've made -- it looked gorgeous, smelled amazing, and I froze what I didn't need for the chicken.

I would probably be happy to have a picture of it on my kitchen wall.

The flavors definitely made it into the meat, including the herbs, but hopefully this helps illustrate how assertive the seasoning needs to be to get any flavor in there.

Kosher meat is essentially pre-brined.

Part of the preparation of meat for kosher kitchens is to pack it in salt (where kosher salt got its name) to draw out the blood.

Many recipes that call for brining the meat first will say to skip that step if you're using kosher meat.

Of course, if you want to add flavorings other than salt, kosher meat isn't your best bet.

The reason brining helps to make meat and poultry taste different is because it adds moisture to the flesh through a process of osmosis.

The basic ingredients are simply salt and water, however, you can also add your own particular flavours to the brine, such a spice mix.

whatever flavours you add, will be taken-up by the meat or poultry.

The amount of salt and water used will depend, but a good starting place is one cup of salt to a gallon of water.

the amount of time required for brining will depend on what you have to brine.

A whole chicken, for example, may take 24 to 36 hours, followed by several hours in the fridge for the flavours to 'set'

Question: What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken?  I ate at a restaurant in Santa Fe that specialized in brining and the chicken was amazing.  Id like to know what the process is and how much variation there is.

What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken?

Brining uses osmosis to add moisture to the flesh and make it juicier. Cook's Illustrated has a useful article on this topic called The Basics of Brining.

Brining is a process of soaking meat to add moisture and stop it from drying out during cooking.

Try reading Cook's Illustrated on the basics of brining.

Brining adds moisture to the meat which makes it juicier.


Don't over cook it.

Aim for it to be a little under done.

It will still be hot and will finish cooking after you've taken it off.

The longer the pieces of chicken are in dry heat, the more liquid escapes.

To keep the chicken juicier without undercooking it.

Brine

it (increasing the salt content inside the chicken helps it retain it's moisture more).

Decrease the temperature difference between when you put it on the grill and the final cooked temperature.

At the very minimum, make sure the chicken is thawed all the way through, but consider starting the chicken in a crockpot or wrapped in foil in the oven.

Increase the humidity of the air around the chicken.

Beer butt" chicken works by steaming a whole chicken from the inside while it roasts from the outside.

Brining is great to begin with.

Use a bone-in, skin on chicken breast.

Once it's done you can remove the skin and carve off the bone if you like.

Also, set up 2 heat zones in your grill (either by banking your coals or by turning off a gas burner).

Brown it for a few minutes over the hot zone, then transfer to the cooler zone to finish cooking, until temp comes to 165-170 degrees.

Then remove from heat and wait at least 5 minutes to slice.

I have had excellent results with beer can chicken.

Start with a 4 to 5 pound fryer chicken, A large roaster (over 5 pounds) will burn before it gets done.

Wash and dry with paper towels.

I usually just coat all over with any rub I happen to have around.

Season salt works good too.

I have the grill preheating for 5 min and then on goes the chicken, the can and the two legs form a kind of tripod for it to sit nicely on the grill.

The heat goes to low on all three burners and 60 to 70 minutes later it is ready to eat.

No fuss, no hot kitchen, year round.

I have played around with putting various things in the can, beer, water with "additives" but at least to my taste buds, an empty can works good.

I just fish one out of the recycling bin: )

Trust me, if you haven't tried brining, you owe it to yourself.

It is so quick and simple, and makes such a huge difference.

Brine

your chicken about 45 minutes to 1 hour in a cold solution of 1/4 cup table salt, 1/3 cup table sugar and water enough to fill a larger mixing bowl.

Do this as your first step in preparing your meal, before you light the grill, cut the veggies, etc.

As far as preparing the brine: boil enough water to just dissolve the salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wisk until dissolved.

A cup or so of boiling water is usually enough.

Next add a generous number of ice cubes to make the brine cold.

Add the chicken and enough cold water to fill the bowl, and place it in the fridge, or add another generous helping of ice to let this brine on the countertop while you get the grill ready.

The important thing as that the brine is kept cold. ==

TIPS== Don't brine chicken longer than 90 minutes , otherwise you are wet curing it, and it will start to taste like chicken ham - blech.

Longer brining times also make it so the chicken will stay pinker, even when fully cooked, which might gross out you or your dinner guests.

You can add ingredients to change the flavor a bit, and for chicken, I like to add a few sprigs of fresh thyme , and sometimes substitute brown sugar for the table sugar.

I avoid dried and ground spices because of how they stick to the meat - dried thyme leaves are heinous to pick off a raw chicken breast!

Use Kosher salt only if you have to - the flavor difference is imperceptible, and table salt is not only cheaper, but generally has iodide, which you need in your diet.

Be creative and try adding other things to the brine:

slightly crushed garlic cloves, a tablespoon of peppercorns, lime skins, chunks of hot peppers, etc.

You can marinate, or brine it, but you don't need to.

I tend to grill pieces (breast, legs, etc) over direct heat to start and get grill marks, then move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish and cook through.

I've also heard of people doing it the other way ...

I assume to render out more of the fat.

If you're cooking chicken breast -- bone in, skin on will help -- taking the skin off robs you of a protective layer of fat.

For whole chickens, you could use a "beer can" chicken technique (and you can use other liquids besides chicken)

Re-coat in marinade a few times during cooking.

And don't pierce the skin and let all the juices run out.

Oh, and make sure you start out with good chicken in the first place too.

BBQ Expert Steven Raichlen recommends cooking it under a brick.

A simple brine of kosher salt and water has never let me down.

Joe has the best answer.

Keep a cool side and a hot side to your grill.

Brine

your chicken for a few hours/up to 12 beforehand.

Bring it to room temperature before putting it on the grill.

Mark

the chicken on the hot side of the grill, transfer to the cool side, let it cook in the ambient heat.

I personally don't like beer can chicken, as I have no idea what the burning paint fumes/offgasses from the paint on the can would be doing to me.

Question: Most of the time it ends up dry. Are there any special marination tricks?

How do you keep chicken breast juicy when grilling?

Brine or marinade the meat before cooking and don't overcook. Recoat in marinade a few times while cooking, and move to a cooler part of the grill after searing in order to let it cook through.

The chicken should not be cooked too much to avoid drying out. Try brining or marinading first. Then grill on a hot grill and move to a cooler part to finish.

To keep the chicken juicier without undercooking it.

Brine or marinade the chicken before cooking.

Grill the chicken on a hot grill first then move it to a cooler part to finish cooking.


When they're still young, I grill them --

trim ends cut into planks about 1/4" to 3/8" thick (~1cm) toss in olive oil sprinkle with salt grill over direct heat

flip when you develop good char marks.

pull from the grill once the other side is slightly charred.

As they get older, the seed cavity starts developing -- you can cut the sides off, leaving the middle, but it's just not as sweet.

To prepare the vegetable before cooking it, it's advisable to "leach" out some of the bitterness.

Even if the eggplant is not particularly bitter, if you are using it in a dish in which you want minimal additional moisture, you'll want to prepare it this way.

Slice your eggplant into discs (of desired thickness), and sprinkle salt over all the slices.

Leave them to sit for a while (20-30 minutes?)

and then use paper towels to absorb the moisture that comes out.

I will typically stack up the eggplant slices with paper towels in between and place something heavy on top.

You can do nice things with shredded zucchini.

Cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon, then shred on a grater or using a vegetable shredder.

From there, you can saute with some shredded onion and a little olive oil (adding a tiny bit of curry powder can really jazz this up).

Or you can make a sort of fritter/pancake.

I can't tell you the exact technique, but the idea is to mix some shredded zucchini and finely chopped or shredded onion with a little flour and egg binder, then you can fry them up crispy and golden in a pan.

For this one, if the zucchini is really juicy you might want to get some of the juice out first (wrap in a tea towel and wring it, or salt it and put it in a colander to drain).

Depending on their size you can roast and stuff them.

We've made a variety of fillings using cooked mushrooms, breadcrumbs, soft cheeses, and herbs (no fixed recipe here, we just try what seems like a good idea).

We usually slice them in half (lengthwise), and carve out the middle.

Roast the zuccini on a baking sheet in the over at 400 until it starts to soften up (just a little), and prepare the filling.

Add the filling and return to the oven until everything is heated through.

I fry them in olive oil.

They respond really well to high heat, browning up nicely.

Usually just eat them with garlic and black pepper, but you can use this as a basis for a pasta topping: fry zuchini with onions in olive

oil(brown well), add garlic, add tomatoes, mushrooms, reduce and stew briefly, add herbs (marjoram, basil, ...), and finish with artichoke hearts.

Toss it on pasta, add some feta or parmesan.

We like to use them in ratatouille; they combine well with things like yellow squash, eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc and the traditional ratatouille spices.

My mother-in-law's method

(if you want to eat them as a salad-type side dish): Boil the whole courgettes for 11 minutes max in lightly salted water.

Once they've cooled, chop them into thick slices.

Put the sliced courgettes in a colander and leave them to drain for 30 min.

or so - quite a lot of water comes off and this means that they stay firm.

Just before serving, put them in a dish, season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with white wine vinegar and olive oil.

Serve cold.

Question: I'm interested in an techniques for preparing courgettes? I cook mine either in a stew or I lightly fry them until brown. Are there any techniques to prepare the vegetable before cooking in either in these styles.

How to prepare courgettes/zucchini?

Young zucchini can be grilled, or larger ones can be roasted and stuffed. Shredded zucchini can be used in some recipes and you can make a kind of fritter or pancake with them. Zucchini also goes well with the ingredients and spices of ratatouille.

When courgettes are small then they can be grilled. When they are slightly bigger they can be shredded or cooked in ratatouille. Large ones can be stuffed and roasted.

Ratatouille is a good recipe for courgette.


The best way I have found is to soak the ears in husk for several hours before grilling.

This lets the husk soak lots of water.

Then place the corn, still in husk, on a hot grill for about 10 minutes, ~1/4 turn, 10 minutes, turn... until the husk gets brown, even burnt.

You should be able to tell when the corn is cooked by the smell.

The sugars in the corn will start to caramelize and brown in the husk and it will give off a delicious caramel smell.

You can check them by peeling down the husk to make sure that they are cooking well.

Times will depend on your grill and how much patience you have.

In general, it is difficult to overcook.

You want to watch out for drying, but that usually takes a while if you soak the ears beforehand.

Foil is a poor substitute for the natural wrapper.

The husk both protects the cob from too much direct heat as well as holding water close to the cob to gently steam the kernels.

And its just prettier with the browned and burnt husk, au natural.

I've done it a few different ways -- husked, desilked, over indirect or low heat : my current favorite method; brings out the sweetness of the corn without the grassy qualities; have enough time to turn it without charring, but if you're late turning, won't instantly turn into charcoal.

Takes maybe 15-20 min.

Still works for corn that's been sitting for a couple of days, without much prep.

husked, desilked, straight over direct heat :

had to work quick, or they'd get overly charred, but very easy to prep, and cooks really quickly.

husked, desilked, wrapped in foil : not bad, less likely to char, but I'm lazy and it's extra work (and

quite a bit of foil if you're doing a dozen ears).

husk on, but trimmed the husk and silk that went past the ear : (unsoaked; the ears were fresh from a road-side stand) : No bad, still had to de-silk after cooking, but gave it a grassy note which wasn't my favorite.

(if you're a fan of green peppers, you might like it).

husk on, opened, de-silked, then wrapped back up in the husk : much more effort than other methods; gives the corn a grassy quality to it Now, if you're cooking over campfire ...

then yes, I'd soak the husks, or go with aluminum foil ...

but a grill where I have more control: husked, straight on the grill.

I would suggest leaving the husk on, and just throwing it on the grill.

Turn is every couple of minutes, and pull it off when it feels a bit soft to squeeze.

In the past, I've soaked it as per an earlier suggestion, but not for several hours since my grilling is usually relatively impromptu.

I soak it for as long as I can get away with (usually at least half an hour), leave the husk on, and drip a little bit of melted butter on top of a foil sheet, then add some simple seasoning (garlic powder, salt, pepper, whatever) on top of the butter, then wrap it up and grill it for about half an hour, turning every 10 minutes or so.

I'm not sure if the butter and seasoning helps, but it doesn't hurt, and you're not losing much.

It's certainly not the BEST method, but it works for me.

Soak whole ears in the husk in a bowl of water.

Gently peel back husk (do not detach)

, remove silk, rub on some garlic butter if you like, then replace the husk.

Tie with kitchen twine if necessary. Grill for 20 mins, turning every 5.

when you are done grilling your corn...try taking 1/2 Lime dipped in Sea Salt and rub on to your corn...delicious!!!

I husk, add a little butter and salt, wrap in foil and put them on the edge of the grill, turning 1/4 to 1/3 turn every 7-10 minutes or so.

I love to put lemon pepper and Parmesan cheese on my freshly grilled corn.

(I leave the husks on for a little while and throw it on the grill with all the husk on--I get all the flavor from the butter, lemon pepper, and Parmesan!)

Question: Do you remove peel and wrap it in tin foil ?  Do you put it directly on gril (with peel) ?  How much time ?

How do you cook corn on the cob on BBQ?

Soak the ears in their husks for up to seveal hours before cooking, then add a little butter and salt, wrap in foil or leave in the husk and grill, giving the ears a 1/4 turn every 7-10 minutes,

You should try soaking the corn before cooking. Then grill it either in its husk or in aluminium foil for about 10 minutes.

Soak the ears in their husks in water before cooking.

Either grill the corn still in its husk or in aluminium foil for about 10 minutes.


Perfect.

Sounds

like your pizza stone is nicely seasoned.

Scrub it with your stiffest brush, rinse with water, no soap, done.

If you're paranoid about germs, cook it before cooking on it .

Throw it in the oven at a few hundred degrees, for 15 minutes or so.

Ideally, you're supposed to heat the stone (thus sterilizing it) before slapping the pizza upon it anyway (although that requires a pizza peel ).

I concur with all of the people above that the black burned on parts aren't at all a problem.

However if you want that buff color back, I got it back on one of mine accidentally.

I had a pizza stone that basically lived in my electric oven.

During some holiday or another I stuffed it under the lower burner of the oven, and forgot it.

Later I ran the electric oven self cleaning cycle.

When I opened the oven I was shocked to see a big buff colored disk in the bottom of the oven!

It had been black for so long

I hadn't seen it when I pulled out the thermometer before cleaning the cycle and had forgotten it was down there.

I don't know that it won't break your Big Green Egg Plate Setter.

I use the aforementioned pizza stone on top of mine to keep the BGE part cleaner.

I have used this technique a few times to clean up pizza stones others thought were "ruined' or "finally seasoned."

But with an Egg part I suppose I would worry that it might break, and I would have to replace it.

Pizza stones are much cheaper than Big Green Egg parts.

As long as the black stuff won't rub off on the pizza, blackness shouldn't matter.

You should probably heat it for a while to burn off any rancid fat that has been sitting on it since you last used your grill.

After its cool, a putty knife and a Brillo pad should clean it up enough.

I scrape any crusted-on stuff (like pizza cheese)

then rinse with water to get any soot off.

Never use soap on a pizza stone - they're porous, so it'll pick up a soapy taste that'll take forever to get out.

Nothing wrong with it turning black - it's just becoming seasoned.

I've had many disasters on my stone.

I used to freak out and would spend a lot of time trying to clean it.

All you need to do is scrape off the crusted on dough/cheese once the stone has heated off.

The rest will burn away next time you heat it up.

Generally, I prefer putting it in an oven and using the self-cleaning function when there is a fewer amount of oil or baked staple foods stuck on the surface of a pizza stone.

You can also use a pizza scrubber brush .

Wash with baking soda.

Question: I have a charcoal grill (Big Green Egg) that has a ceramic insert that can be used as a heat shield or as a pizza stone.  My stone is black from drippings and smoke.  I'd like to cook some pizza on it, but I'm not sure what I should do to clean it.

How do you clean a pizza stone?

The black colouration should not be a problem as long as it does not rub off on the pizza, so brush with a stiff brush or pizza brush, then rinse with plain water. You can also use baking soda, or the self-cleaning function in an electric oven to remove food stuck on the surface.

The blackness is not a problem for cooking pizzas. However, you can use water and a scrubbing brush for any burnt on bits or try the self-cleaning cycle on your oven.

You can simply wash it with water and baking soda and a scrubbing brush.

The blackness is not a problem for cooking pizza.

Try using the self-cleaning cycle on your oven.


I cannot +1 Peter V because of my poor reputation, but he is right: in Italian cooking you don't go for mix, what you look for is a balance between a few ingredients, normally one from different kind of foods: one cereal, one vegetable, one spice for example.

The main spice (or fresh herb) is parsley: it is so common that it is used in figurative language as well

, think about a celebrity you see everywhere, just like parsley.

Fresh basil is a must for spaghetti sauce and freshness, as Peter V said, is the only option.

I never heard about red pepper in Italian cooking; I bought mine during a travel in Asia and use it for Asian food.

Black pepper is for sauces and meat, white pepper for fish, normally.

Oregano, thyme, marjoram, are common, and they normally don't mix.

Oregano is widely used on the top of some pizzas, especially when they have got anchovies, capers and/or olives on top.

Pizza margherita requires fresh basil.

Rosemary, bay leaf and sage are used commonly with meat or beans/lentils: in this case you often prepare a bouquet tying together some small branches from these three herbs with a cooking lace and let the bouquet rest in your preparation for some time.

You should probably add fennel seeds to the most-common-Italian-spices list.

Having taken a look around some recipe sites and taken the intersection of what most of them consider the "core" spices (and leaving out the ones that showed up on too many 'variations' lists), it looks like the canonical ones are: basil marjoram oregano rosemary thyme

I applaud your spice growing!

But, I would recommend you not mix your spices into a homemade Italian seasoning mix, for a few reasons.

First, some of the core mix are better dry, like Oregano --

Oregano needs to dry out to attain full flavor.

Others, like Basil absolutely suck dried out, and taste way, way better fresh.

Most spices taste better fresh.

Second, most legit Italian food doesn't use a big mix-o-spices.

Classic Italian spaghetti sauce is actually just: milled tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper, salt.

And it's unbelievably good, and indisputably 'Italian' tasting.

If you're going crazy, you can throw some torn up basil leaves into the pasta.

Maybe you get where I'm going with this -- usually Italians cook with fresh spices, trying to bring out the individual flavors.

Having your own herb garden will get you there fast, so don't worry about making the mix.

(But do grow all those spices listed here, you'll use them!)

I think generally it is basil, marjoram, oregano & sage usually in the ratio 2:2:2:1 although it can differ and sometimes contains rosemary too.

I would throw in Bay Leaf as well, along with dried red chilies.

I think the standards are Basil, Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram...

Rosemary is not always considered Italian.

There is rosemary, thyme and oregano in the Italian seasoning.

basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary,thyme, marjoram,sage, sea salt, black pepper.

We use marjoram, oregano, basil, thyme and bay leaf in Italian.

If you can't have fresh then perhaps roast the dry seasonings together in a hot cast iron skillet, dry.

The main three Seasoning are oregano, parsley, and basil.

Other can be used rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, sea salt, black pepper, truffle salt.

Question: I'm beginning to grow my own herbs and would like to put together something similar to the "Italian Seasoning" found in the grocery store spice section.  (It's an easy way to add more flavor to pasta sauce.)  Is there a commonly accepted list of ingredients and proportions, or does it vary between the spice companies?

What herbs and spices are in "Italian Seasoning"?

The main seasonings are oregano, parsley and basil, followed by thyme, rosemary, marjoram, bay leaf and sage. Different Italian dishes will require different ingredients and fresh basil is a must for spaghetti sauce.

A good mix would be parsley, basil, marjoram, oregano, sage and thyme.


The trick is steam and high heat.

Heat your oven up to 450 F (230 C).

Bring a pot of water to boil on your stove.

Once boiling, pour the water into a deep roasting pan on the bottom shelf of your oven.

If you can place it directly on the bottom of your oven (it doesn't obstruct vents)

then that is ok too.

1" (2.5 cm) of water is enough.

Let the steam build up for 5 minutes Spray your baguettes with water, they should be rather nicely wet.

Don't forget to slash them as well Put your baguettes in the oven on the top shelf.

BE CAREFUL opening your oven.

Don't let the steam blast you in your face or other exposed body parts.

Let it dissipate a bit.

5 minutes into baking, spray the baguettes again (be careful) 10 minutes into baking, spray the baguettes again 15 minutes into baking, carefully remove the tin of water from the oven

Let bake for a final 20 minutes

Depending on how even your oven is browning the crust you may need to turn the pan at the spray intervals.

A light brush with an egg wash will give you a nice color to your bread every time.

Crack one egg into a bowl and add about ½ teaspoon of water.

Wisk the egg well.

After your dough is formed and ready for the oven, brush a light coating of the egg wash onto the dough and put it in the oven.

After that, cook as you normally would.

Another thing you can try is to use a recipe with a little sugar in it.

That will also help brown the crust as the sugar on the exterior of the dough will caramelize and give a nice color.

I also agree with the other recommendations of cooking with some steam in the oven.

I do that every timeI

Another possible method is to bake the bread in an oven-proof pot with the lid on, which will help to keep the steam in.

This is essentially the method I use in baking no-knead bread, which uses a dutch oven.

I bake the dough for 30 mins with the lid on and 15 mins more with the lid off.

The result is crusty brown bread.

I use an easy technique ...

i mix together an egg wash with melted butter, shove it in a spritzer (a spraying machine) and spray the bread about 5 minutes before it's done.

I then switch the heat to broiler for 5 minutes, ..... voila!

The technique I use is a slight modification of the one Peter Reinhart describes in

The Bread Baker's Apprentice (a must-have for any serious home baker, in my opinion).

I put a heavy-duty commercial half-sheet pan on the bottom of my gas oven and a baking stone on a middle rack, preheat it to 500°F and boil some water.

Then, when the bread goes on the stone, I pour a cup or so of boiling water into the pan and close the door.

This is a great way to get steam burns, so be careful.

Reinhart says to open the oven and spray the walls with water a few times at 30-second intervals, but I've never found that makes a huge difference.

Use a dedicated sheet pan for this, as after a few loaves it'll look like it was run over by a truck.

I've also heard of using a cast iron skillet in the same role.

I find that since I've started baking my bread straight on a baking stone, the crust is much crunchier and thicker.

I preheat to the maximum allowed by the oven (250 C), drop some ice cubes on the oven floor, slide the loaf of bread in and reduce the heat to 200 C, then bake for ~40 minutes.

Here's what I did today to get a browned crust:

I added a cube of ice to the beaten egg (instead of 1/2 teaspoon water suggested by Al Crowley) and sprinkled a pinch of saffron on the ice cube (it shouldn't go inside the whisked eggs), then after a few minutes the ice cube melted and made a really nice orangish red color.

There you go: Another point is, you must bake your breads in a very high temperature, that's the point of getting golden brown crust.

In addition to the other techniques mentioned, diastatic malt will produce more free sugars to undergo browning reaction.

The result is a slightly sweeter, more flavorful bread and a more browned crust.

Suggested amount:

1 tsp (5 mL) diastatic malt per pound/450g flour.

I also mix egg wash with milk in order to get a golden brown.

Question: How do I make sure the crust of a baguette, etc. turns out a nice golden-brown when baking?

Techniques to get a nice golden-brown crust on bread

Steam and high heat are important, so you can bake the bread in a covered pan to retain the steam. An egg wash with milk and butter, possibly sprayed on five minutes before the bread is done, will also give a nice colour to your crust. A baking stone can also provide a thicker and crunchier crust.

You can try cooking in a pot to retain the steam on a high heat or brush the crust with an egg wash in the last few minutes of cooking.

Try baking in a pot to keep the steam in.


Depends on the apple.

Apples with softer skins will bake to a more even consistency, but apples with tough skin (the 'shiny' kinds like McIntosh or Red Delicious) tend to get caught in your teeth and throat, and are generally a pain to eat.

If you do make a pie with the skins on, use smaller pieces of apple or slice around the apples to create shorter pieces of peel.

These are easier to eat and don't get caught in your mouth as much.

When making fruit pies your goal is essentially to make a loose jam inside the crust, something that will remain firm and cohesive without resisting fork or tooth.

Apple skins are detrimental to this process as they aren't hygroscopic and will prevent the apple pieces from melding with the other pieces on the skinned side.

I'm not saying it's impossible to make a nice, firm apple pie with skins on, but it's far more likely for that slice of deliciousness to collapse on your plate than if you peel them beforehand.

You should peel your apples.

If you don't it gets hard and rough and isn't pleasant.

The nutritional value is pretty much lost because it gets cooked.

Just eat the peel you've got left :)

Try it with the peel pureed.

I've made a few pies this way

and it works well - also adds a bit of color!

Really thoroughly wash the apples Cut-out any bad-spots Peel 'em!

Throw some of the apple-slices in with the peel and blend.

Use a stick-blender for best results Toss the puree in with the rest of the apple-mix and bake!

In my experience cookbooks always tell you to peel the apples, and professional apple pies will always have the peels removed.

Cooking at home, though, I often leave them on, especially if I know the apples are organic.

I think the peels add flavor and texture, and as you mention, nutrition.

I leave the skins on, slice the apples, and soak them in cinnamon, sugar, and a little salt for a day or two.

Then I drain and layer the pie with apples, cinnamon, and sugar several times and bake.

I've never had complaints.

The skins basically turn to mush but the pie is great, not a sloppy mess.

Very nice on a plate, holds well while cutting and serving, and saves a lot of time not peeling apples.

That's my .02.

I always leave on the peel I love how it tastes I also don't remove the skin when I eat a fresh apple.

I really don't like any apple pies from the market

so I tend to just bake them myself as they are so easy to make and taste totally different from manufactured pies.

Been haking apple pies from our trees for the last 3 years.

Everyone loves my pies and no one notices that they aren't peeled.

They are surprised when I tell them they had skins on.

Better Homes and Gardens offers an Unpeeled Apple Pie recipe that looks exactly like a regular apple pie recipe, except that you don't peel the apples.

Guess

their test kitchen found it edible!

I'm about to try unpeeled apple turnovers myself, using my regular recipe.

Here's the BH&G link: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pies/no-peel-apple-pie/

Question: Is it okay to leave the skin on the apples when making an apple pie? I'd like to leave them on, but I wonder if there will be chewy strings of peel or if they will cook tender.

Apple pie: peel or not?

Professionals usually say to peel the apples first, but some recipes do use the peel and may be preferred. Apples with softer skins will work better, but you could puree the peel or soak the apple slices in cinnamon, sugar, and a little salt for a day or two to soften them.

It is a question of taste and the variety of apple as to whether you need to peel the skins or not.

It depends on the variety of apple and thickness of the skin.

There are recipes that don't require you to peel the apples.

Most cookbooks tell you to peel the apples.

Try soaking the apples in sugar and cinnamon first, with the skins on.


The yellow color comes (primarily) from vitamin A in the eggs.

The eggs are high in vitamin A when the chickens are fed a natural diet of seeds, vegitation and insects.

Most of the eggs that you buy in the states are factory farmed and pale because the chickens are fed a special protein mix that has a lot of corn.

This makes them lay faster and more economicly, but the mix is somewhat nutrient poor, so the eggs are less colorful.

This also used to happen in cows: the milk was yellow in the summer when they ate grass, but white in the winter when they ate hay and grains.

If you find good yellow eggs, that is a good sign that the chickens led a good life on a natural diet.

Of course, the feed could just be doped with vitamin A to make the eggs look more yellow.

Alternatively, the chickens may have been fed maize (corn); they market a specific maize-fed brand over here and the yokes of those eggs are a very deep yellow as well.

Farmers can control the colour of the yolk by controlling the chickens' diet.

Some farms add colour to the chicken feed to produce different coloured yolks.

See the yolk section of the Wikipedia article on eggs .

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1138/Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Don't know about Italian chickens in particular, but I know that when my mom's neighbors in Hungary feed their chickens the leftovers from making paprika, the resulting eggs have very dark yolks indeed.

One of the most unique uses for oleoresin paprika is that it is added to poultry feed in order to give the yolks in chicken eggs a darker yellow appearance than is natural for them.

Due to the fact that is is derived from natural food sources as a food colorant, in the United States, it is exempt from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification.

It receives equally lenient treatment under European law, where it is grouped with similar colorants of capsanthin and capsorubin.

Quoting from the KCRW Good-food podcast, episode Italy comes to LA, cauliflower, and Kachka of 6 Jan 2018: the hens are feed marigold petals.

This was also true in Spain.

I do know that our own backyard hens have this deep orangish color yoke because they have access to the outdoors, greens, and bugs, I think only factory farmed eggs are pale yellow

and I wonder if the EU has regulations about factory farming chickens.

Question: I've noticed when I've bought Italian eggs from delis here in Europe that the yolks are very yellow - almost orange. Why is this? Assume it's the hen's diet. What are they feeding chickens there?

Why are Italian eggs so yellow?

This can be a good sign that the chickens were fed a more natural diet and were not factory raised, but a deeper yellow or orange colour can be achieved with the addition of marigold petals, maize (corn), colourings or the leftovers of paprika production.

The orange color of a yolk comes from the chicken's diet. Either they have been fed corn, or they have a varied diet with lots of food sources.

Chickens on a natural, outdoor diet will natually have orange yolks.

If the chicken has been fed corn or food-coloring, then the yolks will also be very dark.


Crack the egg into a cup or bowl, whisk it, and measure out half of the contents.

If you use eggs frequently, you could probably save the other half for a day or two – otherwise, it's like 8 cents out of your pocket.

Freeze the egg and carefully saw in half, end to end.

Thaw and you're good to go :)

Measure half by weight.

Simply crack an egg into a bowl on a zeroed scale, note the weight.

Beat the egg with a whisk or fork until combined.

Rezero your scale with a new empty dish and pour half the egg by weight into it.

Depending on the recipe and number of eggs total, you can separate the white from the yolk.

This doesn't work well if you're dealing with just one egg total (throws the fat content too far off), but I've done this when going from 3 -> 1 1/2 with good success in baking recipes.

I've also used it to fine-tune the amount of fat in the recipe if I didn't like the original consistency.

Depending on what you're making, there may be a good egg substitute other than that powdered stuff.

e.g. if you are making some kind of baked good, I've had good results from using bananas or apple sauce.

(bananas sometimes add a banana-y flavour though...

which is often a welcome addition :-))

There are a wide variety of egg substitutes out there, and each lend themselves to different kinds of recipes...

Perhaps one of these could solve your problem.

Question: How do you halve a recipe that calls for 1 egg?  Clarification: I do not want to have to make the full recipe just to use half and I don't have powdered egg substitute.

How do you halve a recipe that calls for 1 egg?

Whisk the egg and measure out half, or see whether the recipe allows you to separate the egg or use a substitute.

You can either whisk the egg up and pour out half, separate the yolk and just use that, or use an egg substitute.

Whisk the egg and pour out half? You could also freeze it and cut in half.

Try separating the white from the yolk and just using one.

It might be easier just to use an egg substitute.


From the great Harold McGee, they may last longer in the fridge, but they will taste like cardboard:

Tomatoes came originally from a warm climate, and should be stored at room temperature.

Their fresh flavor readily suffers from refrigeration.

Tomatoes at the mature-green stage are especially sensitive to chilling at temperatures below about 55°F/13°C, and suffer damage to their membranes that results in minimal flavor development, blotchy coloration, and a soft, mealy texture when they're brought back to room temperature.

Excerpted from "On Food And Cooking", by Harold McGee

Tomatoes will last longer if kept in the fridge, but I actually recommend against keeping them there.

Tomatoes lose much of their flavor when their temperature is brought below 50 degrees

F. Keep them in the pantry.

They will still last a few days at least, and they'll taste a lot better.

This depends on the shelf life of the cultivar of tomato you purchased.

Some varieties of cherry tomato, for instance, can stay fresh for over two weeks in room temperature, others less than a few days.

My advice: experiment.

Try separating a batch of tomatoes into two groups, store one in the fridge and the other outside and keep track of their state after a few days.

As for the flavor thing - I find that it is the texture that's most affected from refrigeration.

Tomatoes do well when stored in a place with good air flow and out of direct sunlight (I keep mine in a mini-colander).

Tomatoes that are refrigerated lose their flavor because their flavoring compounds shut down (and won't turn on again even when the tomatoes are allowed to return to room temperature).

Where do you live though?

if you live in a hot / humid climate with no air condition, then put them in the fridge.

It also depends what are you using the tomatoes for.

if you're cooking salads with them, then fresh and not in fridge is great; however if you're making sauces out of them, or cooking them, then I don't think it really makes that much of a difference.

Some might argue that it does, but how noticeable is the difference, especially if the above mentioned tomatoes are store bought and not home grown

According to CargoHandBook ripe tomatoes should be stored at 8-10°C at 90-95% humidity, for optimum shelf life.

Reduced oxygen/increased CO₂ also helps.

It also adds that tomatoes stored at 10°C were rated lower in flavour and aroma than those held at 13°C.

The quote from McGee refers to the mature-green stage, not fully ripe.

The quote continues: Fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive, but lose flavour due to the loss of flavour-producing enzyme activity.

Some of this activity can come back, so refrigerated tomatoes should be allowed to recover at room temperature for a day or two before eating.

Putting them in a wine fridge (~16°C) is probably not a bad idea.

You get stable temperature and high-ish humidity.

But take them out a day or so before eating.

No.

However obviously they will take a bit longer to ripen

(probably what is affecting the taste) if you put them in the fridge, but they do not need to be stored in the fridge.

Try to buy only as many as you will use so you don't need to keep them for too long.

Putting tomatoes in the fridge destroys everything that makes them good to begin with.

They will lose flavor, and their texture will become gritty and mealy.

Yes, they will last longer before they go rotten.

But if you've got an abundance of tomatoes, cook them down and do something with them, don't try to stretch out their existence at the expense of their splendor.

Put em in the wine cooler at 57 degrees.

Foodland Ontario, the consumer facing arm of the Ministry of Agriculture has this to say: Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, to prevent uneven ripening.

Only in extreme heat, or if overripe, should tomatoes be stored in the refrigerator butter compartment.

But to ensure full flavour, allow them to reach room temperature before serving. http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/vegetables/fieldtomatoes/buy-store-prepare.html

According to me, it's better to store ripe tomatoes outside the fridge, stem-end down to keep them from rotting too quickly.

And I found great tip on storing unripe tomatoes and making them ripen faster: http://www.listonic.com/protips/get/ozhdfpuszg <--I can only add, that you should put tomatoes and banana in paper bag.

Question: Storing tomatoes in the fridge tends to make them last a bit longer, but I've heard that the flavor is negatively affected. What is the best way to store them?

Should tomatoes be stored in the fridge?

Refrigerating tomatoes shuts down their flavouring compounds, which are not reacitvated even when returned to room temperature. Store at room temperature or slightly cooler in a place with good air-flow and away from direct sunlight.

Tomatoes kept in the fridge will lose their flavor. Keep them at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

Keeping tomatoes in the fridge will cause them to lose all their flavor.

You can keep tomatoes at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Alternatively, try keeping them in a pantry or a wine cooler.


Agree with ceejayoz that melting isn't the issue.

Melting is just the upper bound for problems.

The common concern is about leaching , the diffusion of chemical toxins from the plastic into the food.

It's known to be accelerated through fats and at heat, hence the concern.

There seems to be consensus that "some" leaching occurs; the issue is that it's unclear how much, from which plastics, whether the body absorbs or excretes it, and if it matters.

Alarmists will tell you that the chemical run-off is toxic and causes everything from cancer to birth-defects.

Governments have looked into the issue but not come out with a hard no.

Industry groups are fighting the issue, but losing public opinion on things like waterbottles (see nalgene, which removed Bisphenol A (BP-

A)from their formula).

Chefs generally care more about results than fringe chances of non-lethal toxicity and they have been using plastic wrap for as long as it's been around.

What should you do?

It depends.

Weigh fear with convenience.

Use good quality products if you do use it.

Don't do it too often.

Or just enjoy it.

Official:

No definitive answer, there are different governing bodies and plastic wraps (cling films) in the US/Europe.

There are also different plastic wraps for different purposes, microwave safe, safe for use with fatty foods, so on.

Whether its safe or not will depend on the product used and most likely the time boiled for.

The UKs Food Standard Agency said no (in 2012!)

broken link - "Do not use cling films where they may melt into the food, such as in conventional ovens or with pots and pans on cooker hobs".

The cling film industry are understandably much more positive.

Practical:

I've poached eggs using cling film for ages and I'm still here.

Read the plastic wrap boxes for warnings and choose the plastic wrap that's most suited.

Poach an egg as described here

(as of 2016, link requires registration to read) and check if the wrap comes away cleanly, If so you're good.

I'd revisit this advice

if your recipe called for cooking like this for longer than 5-10 minutes, there are likely more suitable products/recipes for extensive boil-in-the-bag manoeuvres.

EDIT

Many meals have passed, I'm less gung-ho on heating cling film/plastics.

It's amusingly still as contentious as ever and I certainly wouldn't brush the film with butter/oil/fat.

My totally unscientific advice now would be learn how to poach an egg properly, It's fun, tasty, and significantly less boring than reading this answer.

I like Ocaasi's answer, FWIW.

This article (1) says that plastic can release cancerous toxins, while this one (2) says this is a hoax.

I would be careful and do some more research before using the plastic in this situation.

www.foodproductiondaily.com/Packaging/Research-suggests-cancer-link-to-plastic-packaging (2):

Water boils at 100c(212f).

Good quality plastic wrap has a melting point between 120 and 140c(250 to 290f)

So the answer is, it's ok

, Just make sure you read the carton when buying the wrap, it should tell you the safe temperatures.

You can view my comments here

How should I poach an egg?

regarding the poaching of eggs in plastic wrap.

It's something I do quite often.

The UK Food Standards Agency says "Do not use cling films where they may melt into the food, such as in conventional ovens or with pots and pans on cooker hobs."

Here is the link , this is the first bullet point under the second Q&A list of answers.

This was from 2002, 13 years ago.

Any non food grade plastic (and even those) when heated to certain temperatures (unless through incineration, around 1000c) will leach toxins, specifically dibenzofurans/dioxins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioxins_and_dioxin-like_compounds

So no, using cling wrap under any circumstance other than cold, is not recommended, period.

Question: While I've come across one or two recipes that call for using plastic wrap in pots of boiling water (for example, to  cook eggs ), I've always been a bit wary of putting the wrap in boiling water. Can someone confirm or deny whether it is safe (or a good idea) to put plastic wrap in boiling water?

Is it safe to use plastic wrap in boiling water?

Especially with non-food grade plastics, high temperatures may cause toxins to leach into the water. Since products and government standards vary, choose a good quality cling film and check the carton for safe temperatures.

Be aware that some plastics may leach chemicals into the water. Only use good quality products and read the packet before use.

Non-food grade plastics may leach chemicals into the water.

Make sure you read the packet for safe temperatures.


Well even for knives with no wood, a dishwasher is a very hostile environment.

The reason is primarily for the blades.

If you have quality knives that you care for, and plan to keep for many years, then it's just not worth it.

It's just too easy for a knife to be jostled around and bang into other knives or silverware and get nicked.

You mention that you have a greater chance of getting cut when washing by hand.

Well, there's a trick to that.

The easiest and safest way to wash a knife by hand is to press it flat against the side of the sink, then use your sponge/scrubber on the exposed side of the knife.

Repeat for the other side.

This keeps your blade safe, because the edge never touches anything.

It also keeps your sponges and hands from being slashed to pieces by the blade.

Dry it immediately with a dish towel, using a pinching swipe from bolster to tip from the back of the knife .

Expensive knives can survive a trip through the dishwasher, but like others have mentioned, they can bump into things, end up with coatings of detergents and such, suffer damage to wood, etc.

Why would you do that to an investment?

Cheaper knives will just straight out

rust/corrode, even if you remove them and dry them right after the cycle.

Yeah, you can scrub it off, but you're also losing metal from the blade, possibly starting rust in areas you can't dry, and generally degrading the knives.

The biggest reason I've heard is that the wood handles can't survive in there and still look good.

It can still work, but you have to be vigilant to remove the knives immediately on completion of the wash cycle.

And yes, it's true.

My wood-handled knives are noticeably grayer than their newer brethren.

Our non-wood handled knives (those Wüsthof blades) go in the dishwasher with nary a worry.

I've heard that certain components of dishwasher detergents may actually be so agressive you run the risk of making your knives dull.

I'm not an expert on metal <> cleaning agent interaction, though, so kindly don't take that as an absolute truth.

What I have observed is that just putting the knives in the dishwasher loosely (as you oftentimes have to do due to the length of the knives) tends to have them rolling about a bit during the cleaning process, which makes them bump into other (metallic) objects such as pots and pans.

That will make them dull, and that is why I always wash my proper knives by hand.

The easiest way to damage any metal edge is to expose it to water and chemicals for longer than necessary.

When the water just sits on the blade, the corrosion causes the metal to flake off (at a microscopic level).

Immediately wash and dry your knife after use, and it will last you the rest of your life with minimal damage.

I have also heard of some folks brushing rubbing alcohol along the blade to help dissipate the water.

This goes for shaving razors as well.

Adding this answer to provide some (admittedly anecdotal) evidence: I currently own a knife that was given to me by someone else.

The previous owner regularly put this knife in the dishwasher.

It is not a cheap knife, but from a well-regarded consumer brand (Zwilling-Henckels) I would guess it is of medium to good quality.

Two things have happened to this knife: On the handle, water got in between the tang and the resin scales.

In time, there was a buildup of corrosion, which split the resin scales.

The blade itself has developed some pitting (difficult to see in the picture, it is mainly on the spine, more clear near the tip.)

There was also some damage on the knife edge, but as the previous owner also used a cheap draw-through sharpener, it is more likely that that caused the edge damage (it required complete reprofiling)

Based on this, I feel sure that always cleaning my knives by hand is the best way to treat them well.

(That, and not using cheap sharpeners)

The stainless steel used for edges is not the same kind of stainless steel that is used for pots and bowls; it can be hardened far better but is by far not as corrosion resistant.

Look up 300 vs 400 series of stainless steels.

No one would usually make a sharp knife out of 300 series unless they are making a dive knife.

Also, especially expensive knives are not always made out of stainless steel at all, there are plenty of examples made out of non-stainless carbon steels or so called semi-stainless alloys (for example D2 aka SKD11).

Some of the cheapest blades are the most corrosion proof.

Dishwasher chemistry is harmful to all of these.

Also, thermal cycling, especially if uneven, can cause things to warp; with some blade designs warping is very bad news since they will be difficult to straighten and difficult to sharpen cleanly while bent.

Of course, handles made with wood, lacquer, bone, horn... are not dishwasher proof anyway.

the heat and water absolutely destroy wood handles.

i can't think of a faster way of ruining a good knife with a wood handle.

dishwashing agents also corrode metal - including stainless steel.

i've had good knives get pitted from bits of dishwashing powder stuck to it.

the problem is especially bad for carbon steel knives.

don't do it - wash by hand.

My knives have wooden handles which are not dishwasher friendly (the varnish has a habit of melting).

I'm also suspicious of the effect of the rinse aid which seems to add a thin coating onto everything, which might not be good for the blades.

I don't see any mention of the fact that the heat/cooling causes small amounts of expansion and contraction.

Over time, this weakens the seals between the handle scales (plastic, wood, pakkawood, all of it) and will result in handle scales separating from the knife.

Not the only reason, but worth including.

Question: What is it about the dishwasher that harms knives?  The only reasons I've found are:   You could get cut... I personally have a greater change of getting cut by trying to wash them by hand.  The blades can damage the plastic-coated metal shelves... so I put them in the silverware-holder instead of on the rack (it's 100% plastic, no metal).  The blade could get nicked by being knocked into other silverware... so put the blade by itself in a section of the silverware-holder in the DW.

Why not put knives in the dishwasher?

Knives can be jostled around and cause damage to themselves or other dishes. The handle can be damaged by prolonged exposure to water and cleaning products, and the steel blade can be coated with detergent or become dull or corroded

A good knife should not be washed in a dishwasher as it will damage the blade over time. A wooden handle will also suffer badly from the heat and water.

Washing in a dishwasher runs the risk of knives being damaged by other items.

The wooden handles are not designed to go in a dishwasher.

The chemical detergents in dishwashers will damage the knife blade.


Korean chilli is a little different as it has a slight smoky flavour, in addition to being slightly sweet and also quite hot.

The actual name of the chilli use in kimchi and for that matter, most Korean dishes is gochugaru (고추가루).

It comes in a variety of preparations, typically, finely ground, flakes and a paste.

You should be able to find this in most good supermarkets or an Asian store.

If you can't get this, you can still use a good quality chilli powder or possibly, a paste.

Chili powders are different.

For one thing, the heat they produce can notably effect different areas of the mouth.

Still, they are all chili peppers and many are hot and all are red, when ripe and dry.

Also, there are sweet peppers, like paprika, that are not hot at all, or only very mildly, and these pack quite a flavor punch without heat, so it is not only about heat.

There are many subtle and not so subtle differences.

I made my first Kimchi with mexi-style "California" chili, as they are labeled in this state.

"California" chili is supposed to be mild.

I also add some homegrown dried Fresno chilis and some other ground up hot chilis, which may have been what they label as "Japanese" chilis.

I used a blend.

At first I was disappointed with the flavor, but after the flavors had mingled after 24 and then 48 hours, I found the flavor of my Kimchi very much improved, quite hot, and more than satisfactory.

While personally I would really like to try some authentic Korean chili, if you are interested in making kimchi and can't get a hold of Korean chili or find it difficult, don't let it be and obstacle to making kimchi right now!

Just use whatever you can get your hands on that suits your heat preference.

Season to taste.

I found myself using much less chili than my favorite recipe advised and my kimchi was still well seasoned and quite richly red hot.

Kimchi, cabbage and salt is such a magical enzymatic, probiotic, herbal, medicinal product, that I advise you not to procrastinate but make some right now!

I also emptied a two super probiotic capsules into my kimchi to give it a headstart into lactic acid land and help avoid yeasty pitfalls, as well as make my kimchi more medicinally viable.

But they magic with the cabbage and salt starts really early on in the culturing process.

After just 45 minutes of soaking my washed cabbage in salt it tasted magically enzymatic.

Every stage of kimchi has it's own virtues.

By all means make kimchi with whatever ground chili you can get your hands on!

The difference may be the conditions the chili grew in.

It's the same pepper, except it grew in a different place.

In each recipe with hot chili, you can exchange it for any other kind of hot pepper, since most hot peppers are almost solely used for hotness and don't have much taste.

You just need to adjust the quantities a bit so it would be as hot as you like it to be.

For a quick fix in case you can't get gochugaru

I recommend cayenne pepper mixed with sweet paprika powder.

The smoked component is not so strong as to require Spanish smoked paprika, but you may want to try.

Despite what people say: If you are used to Indian, Thai or Caribbean cuisine gochugaru will be rather mild.

It's content in capsaicin is 3000-8000 Scoville Units, thus in the same range than (dried) chipotle chiles.

There is BTW also a type of kimchi that has no gochugaru and is not spicy at all and which is also delicious

, it's called Baek Kimchi ( 백김치 ) Baek Kimchi recipe at Maangchi.com

Gochugaru is available in Korean/Asian grocery stores, in 1lb or 3 lb bags.

If you live in New York City, it's easy to find.

You can also buy it online, at http://www.hmart.com/ .

Make sure you buy the pure kind, with no added salt or anything else.

There are quite a difference in chili and korean red pepper have a full rich almost smokey taste besides the heat.

In asian shops you kan find hot or mild gouchugaru and also red pepper powder.

The powder you can use for making paste like gouchuchang or in marinade and sause, not to good in kimchi as you want the chiliflakes to be more coarse when they are sitting for a longer time, kimchi would rest for at least a week

and I let it rest for 2 weeks.

If you use the mild you can have more chili and it adds it color and more of the sweet smokey taste.

The only spice close to korean red pepper would be cayenne pepper.

I tried other chili but they either to hot or not rich enough taste.

You can easily buy korean red pepper flakes from Amazon, they got all three types.

If you don't use much store it cool.

Question: I've been looking at a number of kim chi recipes and they all call for 'Korean chili powder'.  My visit to the local Asian grocer only yielded 'Asian' chili powder and other nondescript chili powders.  Is there a particular chili powder that is Korean?  Can I simply use cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes?

How does Korean chili powder differ from "US" chili powder?

Most Korean dishes use Gochugaru, which is available in Korean/Asian grocery stores, in 1lb or 3 lb bags. It has a slight smoky and sweet flavour in addition to being quite hot. When substituting, you can use cayenne pepper mixed with sweet paprika powder or any ground chili that is available, and adjust the quantities to taste.

Korean chilli used in kimchi is called gochugaru. You can use any other chilli or a mix of cayenne and sweet paprika.

The Korean chilli used in kimchi is gochugaru. You can often find it in Asian stores. It has a slightly smoky flavor.

You can also use any chilli powder you find near you or a mix of cayenne papper and sweet paprika powder.


The California Avocado Commission recommends this (safe but wimpy - see below for a better way) three-step process: Start with a ripe avocado and cut it lengthwise around the seed.

Rotate the halves to separate.

Remove the seed by sliding the tip of a spoon gently underneath and lifting out.

The other common seed-extraction method - striking the seed with a knife and twisting - requires some skill and is not recommended.

Peel the fruit by placing the cut side down and removing the skin with a knife or your fingers, starting at the small end.

Or simply scoop out the avocado meat with a spoon.

Be sure to sprinkle all cut surfaces with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar to prevent discoloration.

Source:

California Avocado Commission Notes: Another (and my favorite) way to remove the pit is by holding the half with the pit in one hand and striking the sharp edge of the knife used in step one into the pit, then twisting to remove.

This is the "pro" way to do it, but takes a little practice.

The video Nate referenced in the comments shows how to do it , it's not that hard.

If you're going to be chopping the avocado up, you slice it up using the tip of the knife still in the shell, then scoop the sliced avocado meat out with a spoon.

After 4 years... the classical spoon based method for avocado processing is obsolete.

The Triptych Peel Method

This combines a well known method to remove the seed, with a scheme for conservatively reducing the skin tension by a series of shallow cuts along the surface.

This process allows for direct removal of both seed and skin, with minimal effort and minimal wasted fruit.

Get a ripe avocado and make sure your workspace is clear for cutting on.

If there is a produce sticker, remove it.

Gently cut through the skin until you find the seed.

Rotate the

avocado itself

360 degrees, firmly maintaining the knife against the seed.

Take the avocado with both hands, and twist each half in opposite directions, to unlock one half from the seed.

(Sorry for the blurry image, the camera rig got bumped during exposure)

Gently press the knife into the seed, until you have gripped it well.

Use the leverage of the knife to turn the seed until it unlocks.

(Sometimes moving back and forth helps here.)

This concludes the standard seed removal, now for the triptych skin removal.

Cut a small notch upwards, out of the avocado at the 1/3rd point.

Cut another small notch upwards, out of the avocado at the 2/3rds point.

Hold the avocado on your cutting surface

so your notches are at the top, be sure your grip does not put your fingers in harms way!

Now make two shallow scratches down the surface of the avocado, starting from each notch, just deep enough to split the skin.

Take the skin by a corner and peel it off.

Make sure to start on the side with no hole, to avoid the skin cracking.

Enjoy!

I have exaggerated the lines here as a visual aid, but the avocado half is still in one solid piece.

Can be sliced into "rings" which are wonderfully convenient for sandwiches.

A related tip to prevent browning:

Put lemon juice

On the avocado that you are serving and

On the half that you are putting into the fridge with plastic wrap.

The vitamin C (ascorbic acid) prevents the oxidation that turns the flesh brown.

UPDATE:

The top answer on this question: Browning Avocados -

What Helps?

strongly suggests that my answer here is incorrect and just the propagation of a food urban legend.

Cut the avocado in half (around the pit) Jab the pit with the pointy end of a knife Twist the knife to dislodge the pit, hit it on the side of your sink until the pit flies off and hits you in the head Use a big spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin of the two halves.

You need to have a ripe fruit.

It is ripe when the neck (narrow part) just gives under a light squeeze.

You can tell a ripe fruit because the peel will come off in large pieces, not sticking to the fruit and tearing or coming off easily and crumbling.

Take a knife with a sharp tip and cut through just the skin as if cutting the fruit in quarters lengthwise.

Then, following the previous cutting of the skin only, cut the fruit in half to the seed.

Then twist the two halves apart

, the seed will stay in one half.

Hack the knife into the seed embedded in the half avacado and twist the seed out.

Then peel the two pieces of skin off of each half, if you have a ripe avacado, each 1/4 skin will come off as one piece.

Enjoy.

Question: Making solid pieces out of a ripe avocado is a difficult business (for me, anyway). What is the best way to remove the peel and pit without ending up with a pile of green mush? I can sometimes remove the peel without  too  much difficulty, but that pit always gives me grief.

How can I remove the peel and pit of an avocado without the whole thing turning into mush?

Cut the avocado in half, then hold the half with the pit in one hand and strike the sharp end of a knife into the pit before twisting to dislodge the pit.

Cut the avocado in half an insert the pointy end of a knife under stone and force it out.


The smell of garlic is due to sulfur compounds.

When you rub your hands against stainless steel, the iron of the stainless steel will react with some small volume of those compounds, but much more will remain in your hands.

Rubbing your hands against an iron object does not work .

The sulfur smell compounds are water soluble to slightly water soluble, so rinsing your hands in cold water and then soap and water should work as well as the recipes suggesting Noxzema, lemon juice, salt, baking soda, raw potatoes, tomato paste solutions, or mouthwash.

A quick rinse with some lemon juice.

Then wash your hands normally with soap and you're done.

Stainless steel does work, but you have to rub it over your hands under running water.

As noted above, this causes a chemical reaction that breaks down the garlic oils so they can be rinsed away.

Using hand or dish soap in addition to the steel helps speed this process.

Washing your hands by rubbing your fingers on a stainless steel knive under running water works really well.

I always use a stainless steel 'hand soap', such as this one with a little bit of regular hand soap.

Wash for about 30 seconds and the garlic smell's gone.

I always have some coffee around to remove smells like that from my hands.

It's not so sci-fi like rubbing steel over your hands, but works for me.

I find that cold water and lemon juice works best.

There's also a theory that cutting a potato in half and rubbing it on your hands will work

but so far I've never tried it!

I was recently reading up on this subject because, not matter how many times I washed my hands after chopping garlic, the smell would still be there even a couple days later.

I tried the "stainless steel" approach, but didn't see any results.

The "coffee grounds" approach did help some, it works well to cover up the smell at least.

At the same time I was trying these methods, I accidentally discovered a better solution.

I was building an evaporative fan, using copper tubing and in handling it, the garlic smell instantly went away and my fingers and slightly smelled like copper but no garlic!!

I imagine this has something to do with the chemical reaction with stainless steel mentioned in this string, but copper seemed to work a lot better.

Further testing may be needed, but wanted to share what I had found.

Question: I've heard touching stainless steel after chopping and handling garlic helps but I haven't found it to work all that well.

How do you remove garlic smells from your fingers?

Rubbing your hands on a stainless steel 'hand soap' or knife under running water may help, or you could try regular hand soap, lemon juice, salt, baking soda, raw potatoes, tomato paste solutions, coffee grounds or mouthwash.

Rubbing your hands against stainless steel under running is the most popular option, even if it doesn't work for everyone. However, you can also try lemon juice and just simple soap and water.

Rubbing your hands with stainless steel under running water does help to remove the smell. You can also buy special hand soaps with steel in them.

Rinsing your hands with lemon juice also works well.

Rinsing your hands in water and soap works just as well as any home remedy.

The stainless steel and coffee methods do not work that well.


Buy a slow cooker.

They're cheap, and it will cook your food slowly in around 6 hours.

Don't overcomplicate things: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_cooker

Cooking in a water bath in vacuum sealed bags is called sous vide .

The advantages include: all of the meat is cooked to the desired temperature, and no higher, so you get 'perfect' doneness.

The fibres of he meat don't contract due to the high temperatures and squeeze out the moisture, so the meat stays very tender if you have the right setup, you can put it on an leave

it you can include flavourings in the vacuum bag

so your meat steeps in the flavouring whilst it cooks.

Disadvantages include: it can be expensive to set up (though not always , as work arounds exist)

it can be difficult to keep at a constant temperature if you don't have an expensive set up

the meat does not have any outer crust (although this is easily remedied after the cooking) takes a lot longer to cook.

I think it will be difficult to do in an oven as it is not often that ovens go as low as this type of cooking requires.

If you want low temp, you should go with braising.

The low temp and moisture work wonders on meat with lots of connective tissue.

Plus, no expensive tools are required.

The downside is it takes TIME...

possibly measured in hours.

You cannot cheat a braise from what I've seen or you'll still end up with tough meat full of connective tissue and not deliciously broken down tissue.

Cheap tools of the trade are aluminum foil and a cast iron dutch oven.

Sear the meat first to get some good browning.

Toss in the foil and make a pouch and put in some marinade.

Seal up tight.

Toss in the dutch oven and then into the real oven.

Sous vide looks great on TV, but most people have what they need to braise sitting in their kitchen at this very moment.

Especially if you have a little something called a Crock-Pot.

An aside: Crock-Pots are a great alternative to an unreliable oven that probably wastes lots of energy.

Here's the best link on sous vide at home

I know: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/cook-your-meat-in-a-beer-cooler-the-worlds-best-sous-vide-hack.html

For meat, you can do small cuts for short periods (hours) at low temperatures (under 150) in a beer cooler.

I've done this and it works pretty well.

For a few of your questions, a query of your favorite search engine will suffice; however, a skimmed version follows: timings and weights advantages of low heat

yes:

it all depends really on the cut of meat, and your ultimate goal.

Some might not agree with me, but you need to sear the meat.

either before or after the cooking.

some sear it on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side and then put the meat in the oven; others cook the meat and sear it at the end.

it's your choice!

season it with salt and pepper.

be generous with the salt.

buy an oven thermometer, they're like $4 and adjust your oven accordingly

Question: I want to try out low temperature cooking of some meat, e.g. beef  I don't have a reliable oven and am looking for advice before starting. Or alternatives to ovens.  I heard some people use meat in vacuum sealed plastic bags that they cook in a pot of water, (easier to measure temperature?)  What are the timings for weight/temperature combinations?  What dis/advantages does low temperature cooking have compared to grilled?  Anything else I should now before trying out?

Advice for low temperature cooking

An oven will usually not go low enough to cook this kind of way, but you could use a slow cooker or aluminium foil with a cast iron dutch oven.

A slow cooker or a dutch oven would be useful and inexpensive ways of trying out slow cooking.

Try a slow cooker. It is difficult to do this in a normal oven as the temperature often doesn't go low enough.

Try using a dutch oven for slow cooking in an oven.