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Human: Liquid custard with corn starch - help I have a vat of cold custard made with eggs and corn starch that didn’t set. It’s a thickish liquid. We tried to substitute corn starch for the usual flour for someone who is gluten free but failed. I’m hoping to serve it today as part of a banana pudding. I have some agar and n-Zorbit m and other gums if it’s helpful. I experimented and was able to turn it into a solid with the agar but I didn’t love the texture even once I put it through mesh. Any ideas on the best way to turn this into a pudding/custard texture? Assistant: Slowly bring the pudding back up to warm and then add another cornstarch slurry and bring it to a boil.
Human: Liquid custard with corn starch - help I have a vat of cold custard made with eggs and corn starch that didn’t set. It’s a thickish liquid. We tried to substitute corn starch for the usual flour for someone who is gluten free but failed. I’m hoping to serve it today as part of a banana pudding. I have some agar and n-Zorbit m and other gums if it’s helpful. I experimented and was able to turn it into a solid with the agar but I didn’t love the texture even once I put it through mesh. Any ideas on the best way to turn this into a pudding/custard texture? Assistant: Chickpea or other flour that is gluten free?
Human: Receiving 250yr old sourdough starter need tips Like the title says I am getting 250 yr old Norwegian sourdough starter from my anthropology professor. I have baked bread before but have never worked with starter let alone 250yr old starter. I have a couple questions regarding the starter. How should it be stored and how long can I let it sit inbetween baking intervals? Is there any other way of maintaining it and keeping it alive other than baking it? Also when it comes to baking the sourdough is there any pro tips any of you have to kick it up a notch? Assistant: Is it a Boyle family mother dough?
Human: Receiving 250yr old sourdough starter need tips Like the title says I am getting 250 yr old Norwegian sourdough starter from my anthropology professor. I have baked bread before but have never worked with starter let alone 250yr old starter. I have a couple questions regarding the starter. How should it be stored and how long can I let it sit inbetween baking intervals? Is there any other way of maintaining it and keeping it alive other than baking it? Also when it comes to baking the sourdough is there any pro tips any of you have to kick it up a notch? Assistant: DONT BAKE THE WHOLE STARTER. That is how it is 250 YO
Human: Best practice when disposing of wet brine? I've recently gotten into the habit of brining chicken breasts before I roast them, and it has improved both tenderness and taste immensely. Due to the potential for cross contamination and the spread of bacteria, I've never washed poultry and try to keep my work surfaces clean and far apart from any uncooked chicken. However, doing a wet brine poses an issue, namely how to safely dispose of the liquid. The sink isn't an option, for obvious reasons, so where/how to best dispose of brine after use? Currently, I dispose of the brine in a separate plastic bag, that I try to keep apart from anything else to the best of my abilities, though I wanted to ask whether anyone knows better options. I already searched around online for a bit, though only stumbled across articles that dispelled the myth that a brine or salt could kill Salmonella. Assistant: Pour it down the sink....then clean the sink
Human: Best practice when disposing of wet brine? I've recently gotten into the habit of brining chicken breasts before I roast them, and it has improved both tenderness and taste immensely. Due to the potential for cross contamination and the spread of bacteria, I've never washed poultry and try to keep my work surfaces clean and far apart from any uncooked chicken. However, doing a wet brine poses an issue, namely how to safely dispose of the liquid. The sink isn't an option, for obvious reasons, so where/how to best dispose of brine after use? Currently, I dispose of the brine in a separate plastic bag, that I try to keep apart from anything else to the best of my abilities, though I wanted to ask whether anyone knows better options. I already searched around online for a bit, though only stumbled across articles that dispelled the myth that a brine or salt could kill Salmonella. Assistant: Isn't a wet brine pretty ineffective compared to a dry brine or pre-salt? I quit using wet brines for the most part years ago. I do dry brine most meats the day prior with kosher salt. Then use any sauce or marinade as a baste while cooking. This eliminates the large amount of wet brine to get rid of and enhances the flavor of the food. But...I'm no expert, just lots of trials and some research to find what I like best.
Human: warming corn tortillas My chef put Street tacos on the menu well I built most of them but what's the best way to do corn tortillas in a restaurant setting Assistant: Microwave
Human: warming corn tortillas My chef put Street tacos on the menu well I built most of them but what's the best way to do corn tortillas in a restaurant setting Assistant: The real key is allowing them to steam after heating.
Human: Prepping and reheating 400 flour tortillas Our family business (butcher shop/catering) is doing everything to survive during COVID, so we started doing streetfood pick ups and they’ve been great. Next up I want to do a Taco Night with flour tortillas. My plan is to bake all the 400 tortillas in the morning, let them cool a little and put them in an airtight container, like a bucket with a lid, in stacks of 40. Then reheat them in batches before and during the event. We have professional Rational Ovens, a big griddle, bain maries, warming lamps and those plug in pan things with a lid. And lots of chafing dishes. How would you do it? What’s the best way to make sure the tacos are soft and heated properly? Thank you! Assistant: Try r/kitchenconfidential. It's a subreddit for people in the food service industry, I'm sure someone on there has experience in this situation.
Human: Prepping and reheating 400 flour tortillas Our family business (butcher shop/catering) is doing everything to survive during COVID, so we started doing streetfood pick ups and they’ve been great. Next up I want to do a Taco Night with flour tortillas. My plan is to bake all the 400 tortillas in the morning, let them cool a little and put them in an airtight container, like a bucket with a lid, in stacks of 40. Then reheat them in batches before and during the event. We have professional Rational Ovens, a big griddle, bain maries, warming lamps and those plug in pan things with a lid. And lots of chafing dishes. How would you do it? What’s the best way to make sure the tacos are soft and heated properly? Thank you! Assistant: Where are you and when is this planed for?
Human: How can I prepare a roast beef to be both medium-rare and well done for different guests? I’ve always had trouble cooking roasts when my parents are eating. They like their meat well done, and that is not going to change. My question is, how can I prepare a roast to varying degrees of doneness? Can I cook to rare, rest, cut and put the “well done” pieces back in the oven? I’d love nothing more than to try this Kenji Lopez Beef Wellington, but I want to cook it in a way that everyone will be happy. Can I return certain portions to the oven after cutting? Do I make individuals? How do restaurants deliver prime rib at varying donenesses? Assistant: I like to cut a chunk of it off when it's done and put it back into the oven to continue cooking while the rest rests. In a pinch, slices overcook really fast if you toss them in the gravy pan.
Human: How can I prepare a roast beef to be both medium-rare and well done for different guests? I’ve always had trouble cooking roasts when my parents are eating. They like their meat well done, and that is not going to change. My question is, how can I prepare a roast to varying degrees of doneness? Can I cook to rare, rest, cut and put the “well done” pieces back in the oven? I’d love nothing more than to try this Kenji Lopez Beef Wellington, but I want to cook it in a way that everyone will be happy. Can I return certain portions to the oven after cutting? Do I make individuals? How do restaurants deliver prime rib at varying donenesses? Assistant: Serve chicken. But seriously, you'll have to cut the loin in two.
Human: How in the goddamn hell do I cook rice on the stovetop? I've cooked long grain white rice almost every week for the past year and it's always either undercooked and crunchy or slimy and gummy. I've tried every rice to water ratio imaginable. 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2. I've tried rinsing and not rinsing. I've tried different levels of heat. And it's always worse when I make a smaller amount, like 1/2 cup if rice. Everyone says to get a rice cooker, but there's no way people just ate shit rice until the invention of rice cookers. It has to be possible to make stove top rice but for some reason I can't fucking do it. What am I doing wrong? Assistant: Asian mama here, been cooking rice maybe 30+ years, mostly on stovetop since rice cookers get funky after a while, and I don't like to clean them. I took pictures to show you the old Asian mama way to cook rice on the stovetop. Hope this helps.
Human: How in the goddamn hell do I cook rice on the stovetop? I've cooked long grain white rice almost every week for the past year and it's always either undercooked and crunchy or slimy and gummy. I've tried every rice to water ratio imaginable. 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2. I've tried rinsing and not rinsing. I've tried different levels of heat. And it's always worse when I make a smaller amount, like 1/2 cup if rice. Everyone says to get a rice cooker, but there's no way people just ate shit rice until the invention of rice cookers. It has to be possible to make stove top rice but for some reason I can't fucking do it. What am I doing wrong? Assistant: Pour rice into pan. Swish with water and pour off. Put your index finger into pan like you're pointing st the rice, just touching it, and fill with water up to just below the first joint. Put on lid and cook on medium heat until it boils, then low until all water absorbed.
Human: Can a pro answer this question about roasted garlic? I asked r/cooking about this and had conflicting answers. So I am asking the professionals. Can I store roasted garlic in my home refrigerator and if so for how long? Assistant: A few grains of pink salt go a long way to preventing botulism.
Human: Can a pro answer this question about roasted garlic? I asked r/cooking about this and had conflicting answers. So I am asking the professionals. Can I store roasted garlic in my home refrigerator and if so for how long? Assistant: There are really two ways to roast garlic. You can roast the bulb whole by cutting off the top, drizzling with oil and wrap in foil. Then roast in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350. That should be used right away. You can also roast garlic by slow cooking garlic cloves in a small pot of oil (as stated previously). Then let the garlic cool in the oil and store in an airtight container (tupperware). That should keep much longer, a week or two.
Human: Looking to replicate a chipotle seasoning. So, I'm in love with Boar's head Chipotle chicken breast, and would like to replicate the seasoning for some of the dishes I prepare. I tried purchasing some chipotle blends, but they weren't even close. I eat a lot of lean meats and would also love to hear some good seasonings. I like bold and spicy, because I don't use sugar. Thanks! Assistant: Pick up some canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce is very similar in flavor and consistency to the seasoning on the outside of Boar's Head Chipotle Chicken and works great in cooking. Chipotle Tabasco is also pretty good.
Human: Looking to replicate a chipotle seasoning. So, I'm in love with Boar's head Chipotle chicken breast, and would like to replicate the seasoning for some of the dishes I prepare. I tried purchasing some chipotle blends, but they weren't even close. I eat a lot of lean meats and would also love to hear some good seasonings. I like bold and spicy, because I don't use sugar. Thanks! Assistant: try smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne. You can generally replicate most seasonings by reading the ingredients on the side of the package if there is one on the chicken. The ingredients are always listed in order from most prevalent to least. So obviously ignore, chicken and water.
Human: How can I make cupcakes less dense? I made cupcakes from a recipe I found on r/gifrecipes , and the cupcakes turned out really dense. How can I fix this? Recipe: https://www.reddit.com/r/GifRecipes/comments/558pnb/apple_crumble_cupcakes/ Assistant: If you used AP flour, you have to be careful not to over-mix the batter or you'll cause the gluten to react and the cake will be too dense.
Human: How can I make cupcakes less dense? I made cupcakes from a recipe I found on r/gifrecipes , and the cupcakes turned out really dense. How can I fix this? Recipe: https://www.reddit.com/r/GifRecipes/comments/558pnb/apple_crumble_cupcakes/ Assistant: Whip the egg whites
Human: Basil oil leaving a bitter aftertaste? So I made a kind of basil oil to go with pasta since I don't have access to Parmigiano/grana/pecorino right now in order to make a real pesto alla genovese. I used the pestle and mortar to make a paste with garlic, roasted pine nuts and salt. Then I quickly blanched some basil in very hot but notboiling water, then immersed it in ice water, squeezed out as much water as possible, put everything in the processor with a ton of olive oil and whizzed it. Tasted some with a spoon and it has a weird bitter aftertaste alongside the pesto notes and a kind of grainy effect. The pine nuts weren't chinese and tasted all right raw. The basil was also fresh and tender. What happened? Something about the water and the oil emulsifying? The salt? Assistant: Probably the olive oil. It gets bitter when blended.
Human: Basil oil leaving a bitter aftertaste? So I made a kind of basil oil to go with pasta since I don't have access to Parmigiano/grana/pecorino right now in order to make a real pesto alla genovese. I used the pestle and mortar to make a paste with garlic, roasted pine nuts and salt. Then I quickly blanched some basil in very hot but notboiling water, then immersed it in ice water, squeezed out as much water as possible, put everything in the processor with a ton of olive oil and whizzed it. Tasted some with a spoon and it has a weird bitter aftertaste alongside the pesto notes and a kind of grainy effect. The pine nuts weren't chinese and tasted all right raw. The basil was also fresh and tender. What happened? Something about the water and the oil emulsifying? The salt? Assistant: Did you notice if your garlic had that little green stem in the middle? I made pesto one time and forgot to take that stem out and the whole thing was bitter.
Human: Questions on dry aging meat in fridge I recently saw some stuff about dry aging ribeye. I’ve done something similar on a Cote de Boeuf, where I salted them left in fridge for 3 days uncovered. It was delicious. A few questions: -What’s the general rule on time for dry aging? Is food borne illness a concern? -Do you salt the meat, rest it on salt, or does salt even matter? -I heard not to do this to individual steaks. Why is that? -Should you do this to any other meats besides beef? Specific cuts? What cuts is this best for? -is there any circumstances where you wouldn’t want to dry age a meat that it works well for? Assistant: It's not actually dry aging, but yes you can salt meats, including individual steaks, and put them uncovered in the fridge for 1-3 days. Preferably on a wire rack or banking sheet. The air circulation around the meat combined with the salt pulls out a lot of the moisture so you get a great sear. I do this with 100% of my steaks, and skin on chicken. 🐔
Human: Questions on dry aging meat in fridge I recently saw some stuff about dry aging ribeye. I’ve done something similar on a Cote de Boeuf, where I salted them left in fridge for 3 days uncovered. It was delicious. A few questions: -What’s the general rule on time for dry aging? Is food borne illness a concern? -Do you salt the meat, rest it on salt, or does salt even matter? -I heard not to do this to individual steaks. Why is that? -Should you do this to any other meats besides beef? Specific cuts? What cuts is this best for? -is there any circumstances where you wouldn’t want to dry age a meat that it works well for? Assistant: If you watch Guga Foods on YT you will see he dry ages a bunch of meat. He tests his dry aging process on whole cuts and single steaks. He uses an Umai bag to age. The bags are designed to create the controlled environment the others are talking about. Check him out, it’s really interesting.
Human: How can I improve my rice and beans I usually just saute some onions and red peppers, then cook some chicken, then add in black beans and diced tomatoes, and simmer for a bit. I've tried a few basic spices but not sure really what's best. I want it to be saucy and flavorful. I like it spicy so I've played around with chili p, paprika, pepper flakes, which are good but idk if they affect the flavor. Any tips would be appreciated. Assistant: Fat is your friend with beans IMO. If you're not opposed to using it, save the drippings the next time you make bacon and add a spoonful or two of that depending on the size of the batch. The beans will get a much better velvety texture and taste great!
Human: How can I improve my rice and beans I usually just saute some onions and red peppers, then cook some chicken, then add in black beans and diced tomatoes, and simmer for a bit. I've tried a few basic spices but not sure really what's best. I want it to be saucy and flavorful. I like it spicy so I've played around with chili p, paprika, pepper flakes, which are good but idk if they affect the flavor. Any tips would be appreciated. Assistant: My spouse likes when I add Penzey's Salsa y Pico seasoning to his black bean-cauliflower rice mix. (when he's going with a no meat day)
Human: Can anybody help me put together a HACCP Plan Flow Chart for my Food Truck? Hey, Some of you may remember I posted here a few weeks ago about my Food Trailer. Well, I am currently in the process of attempting to pass Health Inspection and one of the requirements is I come with a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) Plan for my fairly simple breakfast menu. Seems relatively simple, but something I haven't done before so I was looking for some help. Since I am more of a business oriented person and not a cook, I was hoping I could hire somebody here to help me create the chart including all the proper temperatures that foods need to be stored and cooked in. I will share the menu with you and from there we will create the chart. I have examples from the health department that I could send as well for a guideline if necessary. Not sure what fair compensation for this is so I am open to suggestions. There will only be about 3-4 menu items for the purposes of inspection. Hopefully this post is allowed (if not please delete it). If you are interested in helping me, please reply here or PM me. If you have experience in creating these charts that would be ideal! Thank you for your time. Assistant: Also, see here: (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/undergroundmeats/underground-meats-open-source-food-safety-model) An open source HACCP model to make it easier for small restaurant start-ups to get a HACCP plan in place.
Human: Can anybody help me put together a HACCP Plan Flow Chart for my Food Truck? Hey, Some of you may remember I posted here a few weeks ago about my Food Trailer. Well, I am currently in the process of attempting to pass Health Inspection and one of the requirements is I come with a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) Plan for my fairly simple breakfast menu. Seems relatively simple, but something I haven't done before so I was looking for some help. Since I am more of a business oriented person and not a cook, I was hoping I could hire somebody here to help me create the chart including all the proper temperatures that foods need to be stored and cooked in. I will share the menu with you and from there we will create the chart. I have examples from the health department that I could send as well for a guideline if necessary. Not sure what fair compensation for this is so I am open to suggestions. There will only be about 3-4 menu items for the purposes of inspection. Hopefully this post is allowed (if not please delete it). If you are interested in helping me, please reply here or PM me. If you have experience in creating these charts that would be ideal! Thank you for your time. Assistant: I am HACCP certified. Send me a pm and we can talk about some details
Human: Kimchi advice Hi reddit, I am a chemistry major with an archeology minor and s huge interest in food. For an archaeology project I am making a few different types of kimchi: a modern baek kimchi, a modern red kimchi, and an ancient autumn cabbage white kimchi (maybe white or szechuan pepper as well) I have a few questions as I get started: What kind of containers do you use? I am looking to use a Mason or canning jar with metal lid, Im finding conflicting information on what is best or even safe. What is a favorite modern kimchi recipe of yours? Any general tips to give? What are some ways to measure fermentation process? I'm thinking visual, taste/smell and litmus. Assistant: paging our resident kimchi expert, /u/lovelylayout
Human: Kimchi advice Hi reddit, I am a chemistry major with an archeology minor and s huge interest in food. For an archaeology project I am making a few different types of kimchi: a modern baek kimchi, a modern red kimchi, and an ancient autumn cabbage white kimchi (maybe white or szechuan pepper as well) I have a few questions as I get started: What kind of containers do you use? I am looking to use a Mason or canning jar with metal lid, Im finding conflicting information on what is best or even safe. What is a favorite modern kimchi recipe of yours? Any general tips to give? What are some ways to measure fermentation process? I'm thinking visual, taste/smell and litmus. Assistant: >What kind of containers do you use? I am looking to use a Mason or canning jar with metal lid, Im finding conflicting information on what is best or even safe. I've used glass mason jars with the supplied metal lids and it turned out great! I didn't notice any wear on the jars or lids during or after the ferment. I've still got a jar at about 6 months age in the fridge right now. (Edit: it was a red kimchi if that makes a difference)
Human: What's the most difficult dish you know how to make? (Reposted at the mods request) If it takes multiple days and cooking methods and is easy to mess up, I want to hear about it here. Assistant: I think I speak for a lot of chefs when I say: rice.
Human: What's the most difficult dish you know how to make? (Reposted at the mods request) If it takes multiple days and cooking methods and is easy to mess up, I want to hear about it here. Assistant: Do croissants count? I've made them several times, and they always turn out, but it takes over 18 hours from start to finish. And it's physically hard to roll out the dough, not once, not twice, but three times with 3 sticks of butter. But damn...are they delicious...
Human: Differrence Between Vegetable Stock and Broth Okay so I know that a Stock is made by boiling the bones in a liquid while broths are made by cooking meat in a liquid (also, broths are fully seasoned). Since vegetables don't have meat or bones does that mean "Vegetable Stock" and "Vegetable Broth" that you see separately in the grocery store are actually the same thing? Or is the broth fully seasoned? Edit: Difference* :( Assistant: If you're talking about buying prepackaged stuff then I'd expect 'broth' to have salt and 'stock' to not have salt... but that's just my impression from the marketing on mass produced crap. Other people have already gone into the actual culinary/historical distinctions.
Human: Differrence Between Vegetable Stock and Broth Okay so I know that a Stock is made by boiling the bones in a liquid while broths are made by cooking meat in a liquid (also, broths are fully seasoned). Since vegetables don't have meat or bones does that mean "Vegetable Stock" and "Vegetable Broth" that you see separately in the grocery store are actually the same thing? Or is the broth fully seasoned? Edit: Difference* :( Assistant: I like to think of it as ingredient and dish almost. I use stock to make a broth for a noodle soup for example. Kind of like pig becomes pork. But maybe that's just me.
Human: Help! Crockpot sauce WAY too thin So I tried to make my grandmother's spaghetti sauce in a crockpot last night (8 hours, low) and it came out terribly thin. Here is the normal base recipe: 1 - 29 oz can tomato puree 1- 29 oz can crushed tomatoes 1 - small can tomato paste 1 - 28 oz water (I halved this to 14oz for the crockpot) 1lb fatty pork ribs Meatballs Spices Normally this is cooked on the stove in double the amount for about 6-7 hours on low, stirring every 10-15 min or so, resulting in a nice thick sauce that clings to bread. I decided to be lazy and it did not pay off. Do you have any ideas to a) rescue my current sauce (I'm thinking adding another can of paste and boiling it down on the stove?) and b) modify the recipe to make it actually WORK in a crockpot? Assistant: > 28 oz water I think I see your problem
Human: Help! Crockpot sauce WAY too thin So I tried to make my grandmother's spaghetti sauce in a crockpot last night (8 hours, low) and it came out terribly thin. Here is the normal base recipe: 1 - 29 oz can tomato puree 1- 29 oz can crushed tomatoes 1 - small can tomato paste 1 - 28 oz water (I halved this to 14oz for the crockpot) 1lb fatty pork ribs Meatballs Spices Normally this is cooked on the stove in double the amount for about 6-7 hours on low, stirring every 10-15 min or so, resulting in a nice thick sauce that clings to bread. I decided to be lazy and it did not pay off. Do you have any ideas to a) rescue my current sauce (I'm thinking adding another can of paste and boiling it down on the stove?) and b) modify the recipe to make it actually WORK in a crockpot? Assistant: Does the normal recipe call for the sauce pan to be covered between stirrings? Did you cover the crockpot? My best guess is that it's covered vs uncovered cooking which drastically impacts the evaporation. You should be fine to throw this batch in a pot and boil uncovered.
Human: Are these (oxidized?) aluminum baking pans safe to use? I bought a few cheap aluminum baking pans from a restaurant supply store and put one of them in the dishwasher. You can guess which one that is in the pic: https://imgur.com/y1ry77m Is it safe to use, and can I just keep putting it into the dishwasher? I'm guessing the outer dark layer is the aluminum oxide? What is on the outer layer of the pan on the left, just pure aluminum or anodized aluminum? There's a bunch of pseudo-science about aluminum ingestion and Alzheimers out there, so all the searching just makes this more confusing. Assistant: I cannot and will not speculate about your specific pans, but aluminum doesn't rust or tarnish. >Aluminum alloys contain almost no iron and without iron, the metal can't actually rust, but it does oxidize. When the alloy is exposed to water, a film of aluminum oxide forms quickly on the surface. The hard oxide layer is quite resistant to further corrosion and protects the underlying metal.
Human: Are these (oxidized?) aluminum baking pans safe to use? I bought a few cheap aluminum baking pans from a restaurant supply store and put one of them in the dishwasher. You can guess which one that is in the pic: https://imgur.com/y1ry77m Is it safe to use, and can I just keep putting it into the dishwasher? I'm guessing the outer dark layer is the aluminum oxide? What is on the outer layer of the pan on the left, just pure aluminum or anodized aluminum? There's a bunch of pseudo-science about aluminum ingestion and Alzheimers out there, so all the searching just makes this more confusing. Assistant: In my opinion they are safe to use and you can keep putting it in the dishwasher. On the left is just polished aluminum.
Human: What are some high-calorie foods that aren't ridiculously heavy. I work in a kitchen, so I really only get to eat one meal a day + snacks here and there before and after work. I want to pack as much calories in as possible, but can't eat too much heavy shit. So no absurd amounts of shit like peanut butter, or fried food. High calorie foods mean shit when I can only take a few bites before wanting to gag. Assistant: How about spaghetti alla carbonara? It's on the heavy side, but it doesn't go over the top with butter and cream. You've got protein from the eggs and pancetta (or bacon), fat from the cheese and meat, plus a carb kicker to keep you going for the long run.
Human: What are some high-calorie foods that aren't ridiculously heavy. I work in a kitchen, so I really only get to eat one meal a day + snacks here and there before and after work. I want to pack as much calories in as possible, but can't eat too much heavy shit. So no absurd amounts of shit like peanut butter, or fried food. High calorie foods mean shit when I can only take a few bites before wanting to gag. Assistant: Pot pie, shepherd's pie, casserole, meatloaf. Finish it off with a deep fried butter on a stick.
Human: Should I be concerned about this mark on my pot? Was boiling vegetables on my stainless steel scanpan (on induction) when I saw this mark on my pot the next day. Is it anything I should worry about? https://imgur.com/a/BycBe7z Assistant: Side note - Rinsing with white vinegar will remove the discoloration.
Human: Should I be concerned about this mark on my pot? Was boiling vegetables on my stainless steel scanpan (on induction) when I saw this mark on my pot the next day. Is it anything I should worry about? https://imgur.com/a/BycBe7z Assistant: Mine have had marks like this for years. It doesn't seem to be an issue. You could contact the company and ask, just to be sure.
Human: can you make bread pudding with banana bread? i don’t have a lot of bread, but i have some banana bread. can i use that to make bread pudding? Assistant: Yes, and it’s awesome. I toast the banana bread after I cube it. Use 1/2 the amount of liquid and sugar you would for normal bread pudding, and watch the times when baking. Temp it so you know it’s done, texture and push back won’t work.
Human: can you make bread pudding with banana bread? i don’t have a lot of bread, but i have some banana bread. can i use that to make bread pudding? Assistant: I have made banana bread pudding with chocolate custard and it is, quite simply, amazing
Human: Popcorn cooked on stovetop is small and chewy I follow the ubiquitous instructions to put oil in the pot on med-high heat, pop three kernals and add the rest. I use a mesh lid and shake the pot occasionally to avoid burning. I never get large, fluffy, crispy popped corn, only small, stunted, chewing ones. Sometimes very chewy to the point that it's not at all fun to eat. Can anyone tell me what's going on physically that's causing this, or tell me what I need to do differently? Assistant: Your popcorn is stale
Human: Popcorn cooked on stovetop is small and chewy I follow the ubiquitous instructions to put oil in the pot on med-high heat, pop three kernals and add the rest. I use a mesh lid and shake the pot occasionally to avoid burning. I never get large, fluffy, crispy popped corn, only small, stunted, chewing ones. Sometimes very chewy to the point that it's not at all fun to eat. Can anyone tell me what's going on physically that's causing this, or tell me what I need to do differently? Assistant: Have you tried buying a different brand/type of popcorn kernel?
Human: What are the most versatile ingredients that I should have? I'm looking to get into cooking, but I've feel like I waste often (also largely because I don't know how to improvise yet) because I buy something for a recipe or whatever and then the rest of it goes bad or I never finish it. Do you guys have any ideas for ingredients to help me keep costs down but to still be making good food? I'm sure this knowledge also comes with time, but I would also love some information from people who know what they're doing. Assistant: There's no correct answer to this, because it depends entirely on what you cook and eat. Just because I find tons of use for shallots and fish sauce doesn't mean that you will. The real answer here is to plan meals to use up ingredients that you have. Beside my shopping list I keep another list with pantry staples that I need to use up for this very purpose.
Human: What are the most versatile ingredients that I should have? I'm looking to get into cooking, but I've feel like I waste often (also largely because I don't know how to improvise yet) because I buy something for a recipe or whatever and then the rest of it goes bad or I never finish it. Do you guys have any ideas for ingredients to help me keep costs down but to still be making good food? I'm sure this knowledge also comes with time, but I would also love some information from people who know what they're doing. Assistant: This depends greatly on what types of cuisine you like to cook. Are we talking about typical all-American kitchen, or are you more into certain types of foods? I have dedicated pantry areas for multiple types of cuisines from Middle Eastern, to a general “Asian “shelf, to Mexican.
Human: Is there a tool to continuously stir a large pot for long periods of time? I have a 50qt pot and the recipe calls for continuous stirring for as long as 24 hours to ensure that fats are combined but unlike ramen broth I can't raise the temperature to a fast boil. I've used an auto-stirrer for a small pot but never been able to find one for a big one. Assistant: * Corded drill * Paint stirrer * Zip tie * Sketchy mounting apparatus made up of broom handles and duct tape
Human: Is there a tool to continuously stir a large pot for long periods of time? I have a 50qt pot and the recipe calls for continuous stirring for as long as 24 hours to ensure that fats are combined but unlike ramen broth I can't raise the temperature to a fast boil. I've used an auto-stirrer for a small pot but never been able to find one for a big one. Assistant: do you have an induction burner? My old sous would always tell me about putting a Bane filled with water inside a pot so it was almost touching the bottom and the magnets cause it to spin so it keeps the sauce moving. Could see if that actually works. Or bite the bullet and do smaller batches
Human: Ribeye roast fat starting to turn dark/black? I'm following Alton Brown's latest standing rib roast recipe and before cooking, he recommended covering the roast with cheese cloth, and allowing it to sit in your fridge for a week. My roast is on day 6 and some of the fat on the outside of the roast is becoming very dark; almost black. I've been changing the cheese cloth daily. The roast smells fine, and it's not slimy or anything, but I'm concerned about the color of some of that fat. Will it be alright? Or maybe I should trim that fat off before cooking? Assistant: You're dry-aging it, and the roast is forming a pellicle. All the dark spots will usually be removed before cooking, this is normal for dry-aged meat and as long as there is no off colour/smell/goo, it's safe to eat.
Human: Ribeye roast fat starting to turn dark/black? I'm following Alton Brown's latest standing rib roast recipe and before cooking, he recommended covering the roast with cheese cloth, and allowing it to sit in your fridge for a week. My roast is on day 6 and some of the fat on the outside of the roast is becoming very dark; almost black. I've been changing the cheese cloth daily. The roast smells fine, and it's not slimy or anything, but I'm concerned about the color of some of that fat. Will it be alright? Or maybe I should trim that fat off before cooking? Assistant: Sounds like it's starting to oxidize. I would just remove that part before you cook it - it will have an of flavor
Human: Could you make banana "nice cream" in a soft serve machine? I understand there would be an additional step of whipping it into the creamy state before it went in the machine BUT could you conceivably make a large batch and load it into a soft serve machine in order to make it a possible dessert menu item for a restaurant or other high volume venue? Or is there another piece of equipment I don't know about to keep large quantities of frozen stuff agitated? ​ Assistant: I would think it is going to oxidize and get very ugly. When you freeze it at least you keep the air off it. But if the temperature is higher and it is continually being agitated, you might be looking at some unappetizing brown/black paste pretty quickly.
Human: Could you make banana "nice cream" in a soft serve machine? I understand there would be an additional step of whipping it into the creamy state before it went in the machine BUT could you conceivably make a large batch and load it into a soft serve machine in order to make it a possible dessert menu item for a restaurant or other high volume venue? Or is there another piece of equipment I don't know about to keep large quantities of frozen stuff agitated? ​ Assistant: Nathan Myhrvold and his MC team apparently do it with pistachio gelato. https://modernistcuisine.com/2011/03/we-dont-scream-over-ice-cream/
Human: Recomendations for the best way to learn the science of baking. I am just a home cook/baker and want to learn the science behind baking so that I can create my own recipes and troubleshoot any issues. Other than going to Culinary school whats the best way to go about this? Also, I read the rules several times and hope this isnt a question thats not allowed. If so I apologize. Assistant: In addition to the excellent reading suggestions already mentioned here: Make a simple recipe (like a quickbread) many times, using different flours, leavening techniques (yeast, chemical, meringue etc). You’ll get a direct feel for how things work.
Human: Recomendations for the best way to learn the science of baking. I am just a home cook/baker and want to learn the science behind baking so that I can create my own recipes and troubleshoot any issues. Other than going to Culinary school whats the best way to go about this? Also, I read the rules several times and hope this isnt a question thats not allowed. If so I apologize. Assistant: Here are some tips for new bread baker. https://justcookwithmichael.com/cooking-concepts/bread/ https://justcookwithmichael.com/cooking-concepts/eggs/
Human: Best options for using bay leaves in baking? I like to use bay leaf sometimes in baking- it pairs really well with blueberry, and I'm trying to think of how I could incorporate it more where as I don't need to pull the leaf out. I'm guessing some sort of concentrate/extract would be ideal- I wasn't sure if it would grind well, and even if so, if it would empart enough flavor. Does anyone have any opinions or suggestions on this? Nothing came up in my cursory google search. I did see something about infusing oil with bay leaf, but I'd love to be able to infuse it into alcohol maybe more preferably so I can use it like an extract. Would anyone happen to know if bay would infuse into a clear grain alcohol easily enough? Assistant: I would use bay leaf infused butter, if you’re interested I have a recipe
Human: Best options for using bay leaves in baking? I like to use bay leaf sometimes in baking- it pairs really well with blueberry, and I'm trying to think of how I could incorporate it more where as I don't need to pull the leaf out. I'm guessing some sort of concentrate/extract would be ideal- I wasn't sure if it would grind well, and even if so, if it would empart enough flavor. Does anyone have any opinions or suggestions on this? Nothing came up in my cursory google search. I did see something about infusing oil with bay leaf, but I'd love to be able to infuse it into alcohol maybe more preferably so I can use it like an extract. Would anyone happen to know if bay would infuse into a clear grain alcohol easily enough? Assistant: You absolutely can infuse vodka with bay leaves. Just google it, and you'll find several recipes. Here's one: http://www.sassy-kitchen.com/home/2014/9/29/how-to-infuse-alcohol Now, as to how suitable this would be for baking, I'm not sure. But for making cocktails, it definitely works.
Human: How might I thicken up a "beer sauce"? I boil bratwursts in beer (with peppers and onions in the beer), and then after browning the bratwursts, I'd like to try to thicken up the beer and use it as a sauce that isn't too thin and runny. I have tried melting butter in it after pouring it in the pan, and just reducing it as one might do with a red wine sauce, but that doesn't tend to work and it remains runny. Any ideas? Assistant: Try bread.
Human: How might I thicken up a "beer sauce"? I boil bratwursts in beer (with peppers and onions in the beer), and then after browning the bratwursts, I'd like to try to thicken up the beer and use it as a sauce that isn't too thin and runny. I have tried melting butter in it after pouring it in the pan, and just reducing it as one might do with a red wine sauce, but that doesn't tend to work and it remains runny. Any ideas? Assistant: Everybody's mentioned roux, which is what you want to thicken it. I also wonder if it might be worthwhile to toss it in a food processor with some mustard. The onion particles will make a thicker sauce, and all the parts would work well on brats. That said, I think there's likely way too much stuff there for the amount of brats you're using.
Human: Do commercial kitchens all use stainless steel cookware. If so, why? I have noticed that in some cooking/kitchen documentaries. The cookware used in their kitchens are usually made of stainless steel and we do not see stuff like non stick pans. Just wondering is it because I happened not see them in the documentaries or is there some other reasons for this. Assistant: Durability is the answer you're looking for but haven't gotten yet.
Human: Do commercial kitchens all use stainless steel cookware. If so, why? I have noticed that in some cooking/kitchen documentaries. The cookware used in their kitchens are usually made of stainless steel and we do not see stuff like non stick pans. Just wondering is it because I happened not see them in the documentaries or is there some other reasons for this. Assistant: Aluminum. Despite what most people think, even those who work in restaurants, most is aluminum. There is some stainless (mostly the equipment) but aluminum is lighter and cheaper. Sheet trays, pots, pans, sauté pans, even the metal storage pans. Aluminum. You’ll occasionally find some cast iron, blue steel, and other specialty stuff, and it’ll cost ya!
Human: Weekly discussion: Cuisine spotlight on Cajun and Creole I've been doing these weekly discussions for a year and a half and I can't believe it took me this long to think of focusing on a cuisine to talk about. Or in this particular case, two closely related, but distinct cuisines. So what exactly is the difference? I've seen it explained more than a few times and I think I get the different cultural origins, but what makes them distinct in terms of ingredients and methods? What are dishes folks ought to try beyond the signature dishes we all knows? What's going on today to push those cuisines forward? Everyone who's seen that pig roast episode of No Reservations heard Bourdain say that Creole turns a lot of French technique on its head. How does that work? Why does that work? Assistant: I bought some okra earlier this week for frying (and possibly throwing into some kind of seafood stew), but it turned out to be really tough, like it had stayed on the vine too long before being picked. It didn't really work for frying, and I've tried experiments to see if I can soften it up in stew, but I've got nothing. So I figure this Cajun/Creole thread is as good as any to ask — you guys have any ideas on what to do with it?
Human: Weekly discussion: Cuisine spotlight on Cajun and Creole I've been doing these weekly discussions for a year and a half and I can't believe it took me this long to think of focusing on a cuisine to talk about. Or in this particular case, two closely related, but distinct cuisines. So what exactly is the difference? I've seen it explained more than a few times and I think I get the different cultural origins, but what makes them distinct in terms of ingredients and methods? What are dishes folks ought to try beyond the signature dishes we all knows? What's going on today to push those cuisines forward? Everyone who's seen that pig roast episode of No Reservations heard Bourdain say that Creole turns a lot of French technique on its head. How does that work? Why does that work? Assistant: Ethnically and etymologically speaking Cajun is largely European in influence, stemming from French-Canadian settlers in the Louisiana Purchase that had emigrated from Acadia(Acadians, 'Cadians -> Cajuns, pronounced like indians:"injuns"), while Creole takes most of its seasonings and preparations from Afro-Caribbean roots. Both cuisines tend to intersect and blur because of their shared geography, indigenous crops and trade with Amerindians in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Human: How can I avoid cream splitting/curdling? I was trying out this rather simple french chicken casserole recipe and it requires adding cooking cream mixed with mustard to the chicken and vegetables at some point. Although in the end it all tasted great, the cream became very curdled and it just looked awful. Any tips on how to keep the cream sauce smooth? Would adding a bit of all-purpose flour help? Assistant: what fat content was your "cooking Cream'? Anything less than 36% will curdle easily.
Human: How can I avoid cream splitting/curdling? I was trying out this rather simple french chicken casserole recipe and it requires adding cooking cream mixed with mustard to the chicken and vegetables at some point. Although in the end it all tasted great, the cream became very curdled and it just looked awful. Any tips on how to keep the cream sauce smooth? Would adding a bit of all-purpose flour help? Assistant: Make sure your cooking cream is at room temperature.
Human: Raspberry sauce turned too sour. How to fix with without sugar? I used 300g of frozen raspberries with half a tbsp of lemon juice and some water. It all melted down into a sauce, but it turned out WAYY more sour than the raspberries themselves. Is there a way to balance that without sugar? Assistant: You took a sour fruit, added acid, concentrated it, and you're surprised it's very sour? You need to add some sort of sweetner. try over at /r/ketorecipes for jams/jellies that are sweet but do not use carbs to sweeten them.
Human: Raspberry sauce turned too sour. How to fix with without sugar? I used 300g of frozen raspberries with half a tbsp of lemon juice and some water. It all melted down into a sauce, but it turned out WAYY more sour than the raspberries themselves. Is there a way to balance that without sugar? Assistant: Add more raspberries?
Human: I have the option of a free electric griddle. I honestly don't know the benefits of using one over a pan on my stove, what are they? I can get this for free. But being a novice/inexperienced cook, I'm honestly lost as to what this would offer me that a pan on my stove doesn't. There must be something or it wouldn't exist and I feel like an idiot for not seeing what is probably very obvious. Assistant: PANCAKES!!!!!!!
Human: I have the option of a free electric griddle. I honestly don't know the benefits of using one over a pan on my stove, what are they? I can get this for free. But being a novice/inexperienced cook, I'm honestly lost as to what this would offer me that a pan on my stove doesn't. There must be something or it wouldn't exist and I feel like an idiot for not seeing what is probably very obvious. Assistant: Prepare your self for the best grilled cheese and pancakes ever. I don't cook either with anything else ever discovering how well the griddle does them.
Human: What are these circular freezing tops used to make Thai ice cream called? Here's a video of someone making these Thai roll ice cream, they use this device that I've heard someone call it an "anti griddle" or a "frost top," however when I've google searched those terms they don't hit home. I'm trying to find the exact device in the video, it's circular and the surface gets cold when you activate some switch or something then it immediately stops freezing up when you turn it off. Thank you! Assistant: you can make a homemade version for a few dollars.
Human: What are these circular freezing tops used to make Thai ice cream called? Here's a video of someone making these Thai roll ice cream, they use this device that I've heard someone call it an "anti griddle" or a "frost top," however when I've google searched those terms they don't hit home. I'm trying to find the exact device in the video, it's circular and the surface gets cold when you activate some switch or something then it immediately stops freezing up when you turn it off. Thank you! Assistant: http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20160518050815&SearchText=Thailand+Fry+Ice+Cream+Machine
Human: Looking for the right pairing for tonka bean ice cream with flourless chocolate cake I made a batch of tonka bean ice cream last night, and it's amazing. I'm pairing a small scoop with a piece of flourless chocolate cake, maybe some bits of ground almond on top, or some kind of chocolate crunch, but I need something to brighten it up. My current thought is some kind of fruit jellies - orange or apricot are my initial thoughts. I want it to be intense, tart, flavor bombs and have that texture that doesn't stick to your teeth, but just squishes perfectly when you bite it. Soft and cut into small cubes so you can get a bite of fruit, chocolate, and tonka bean ice cream all at once. I've googled around, but to be honest I'm not 100% sure I'm looking for the right thing. I've never made anything like a jelly candy before unless you count packages of jello, which is SO not what I'm looking for. Assistant: Cherries! A couple "real" marsachino cherries with a little of the syrup would be delicious with the tonka and chocolate. A like your idea of a little crunchy meringue bits for texture as well.
Human: Looking for the right pairing for tonka bean ice cream with flourless chocolate cake I made a batch of tonka bean ice cream last night, and it's amazing. I'm pairing a small scoop with a piece of flourless chocolate cake, maybe some bits of ground almond on top, or some kind of chocolate crunch, but I need something to brighten it up. My current thought is some kind of fruit jellies - orange or apricot are my initial thoughts. I want it to be intense, tart, flavor bombs and have that texture that doesn't stick to your teeth, but just squishes perfectly when you bite it. Soft and cut into small cubes so you can get a bite of fruit, chocolate, and tonka bean ice cream all at once. I've googled around, but to be honest I'm not 100% sure I'm looking for the right thing. I've never made anything like a jelly candy before unless you count packages of jello, which is SO not what I'm looking for. Assistant: What was your source? I got some Tonkas off eBay but was not impressed w/quality.
Human: Science and Cooking week one - Molecules, Moles, Flavor, and pH This post is for discussion of the first week of HarvardX: SPU27x Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science Assistant: Since I'm in the middle of leaving one job and getting up to speed on a new one, I'm not going to be able to participate on a week-to-week basis. However, my background is in chemistry, and I've got a better-than-average knowledge of how that applies to cooking. If there's technical stuff - especially with regard to things like moles, pH, or molecular shapes - that people want more detail about, I'm happy to provide more info.
Human: Science and Cooking week one - Molecules, Moles, Flavor, and pH This post is for discussion of the first week of HarvardX: SPU27x Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science Assistant: Just started working through it - hyper informative. I really like the EDX set-up, where each "tab" goes through was I guess, in class, might have been a projector setup. I am listening to the videos while I work at a very non-sciencey foodie career so that, someday, I might escape these shackles. Thanks again for telling us about it a month or so ago!
Human: How do I make this Swiss meringue buttercream more stable? I made a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream using this recipe. Unfortunately, I live in a very hot and humid area. The coolest I could get my house is 74 F with sun coming in through the windows. I was able to frost the cake decently but piping was a lot more difficult. I am remaking the cake for a friends bday and it needs to be stable at room temp for over an hour. I am thinking about swapping out about 1/4 c of butter for shortening. Would this work? The recipe: 6 large egg whites 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature 6 oz white chocolate chopped, melted, cooled Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined. Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer. Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)). Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add melted, cooled white chocolate and whip until smooth. Assistant: Italian buttercream recipe would be more stable. You would add the white chocolate the same way at the end after the butter. I have never used this site but here is a recipe for Italian buttercream.white chocolate italian meringue buttercream
Human: How do I make this Swiss meringue buttercream more stable? I made a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream using this recipe. Unfortunately, I live in a very hot and humid area. The coolest I could get my house is 74 F with sun coming in through the windows. I was able to frost the cake decently but piping was a lot more difficult. I am remaking the cake for a friends bday and it needs to be stable at room temp for over an hour. I am thinking about swapping out about 1/4 c of butter for shortening. Would this work? The recipe: 6 large egg whites 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature 6 oz white chocolate chopped, melted, cooled Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined. Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer. Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)). Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add melted, cooled white chocolate and whip until smooth. Assistant: Close your blinds. It will really help your AC keep the temperature down.
Human: ice cream problem Forgive me if I'm in the wrong sub. r/icecream did not seem to be the right place to ask this. I've been making custard based ice cream--3 egg yolks, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, flavoring like fruit purees or extracts. Freezing them in a Whynter machine. When I eat the finished product, I end up with a nasty coating of butterfat on the roof of my mouth. Somehow the butterfat is separating out, freezing into particles, and sticking to the roof of my mouth. This is entirely unpleasant. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Thanks. Assistant: The real answer is you’re over churning your icecream. You have a high fat mix. You can either reduce fat or don’t churn for so long. You’re basically making butter from the cream and that’s what you feel coating your mouth.
Human: ice cream problem Forgive me if I'm in the wrong sub. r/icecream did not seem to be the right place to ask this. I've been making custard based ice cream--3 egg yolks, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, flavoring like fruit purees or extracts. Freezing them in a Whynter machine. When I eat the finished product, I end up with a nasty coating of butterfat on the roof of my mouth. Somehow the butterfat is separating out, freezing into particles, and sticking to the roof of my mouth. This is entirely unpleasant. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Thanks. Assistant: Strange, because most of the David Lebovitz recipes that I love use five egg yolks to two cups of heavy cream and one cup of milk. It doesn't have that effect at all, in my opinion. I would think adding a fruit puree to that mixture would water it down somewhat.
Human: How do I calibrate an oven thermometer without an oven? Apartment company put the wrong temperature dial on my oven and it was anywhere from 50°-100° off. I had been using an oven thermometer until they could replace it. I came home today to a new oven and a note saying the thermometer was off by 35°. They didn't say which way, but I was able to cook perfectly fine with it in the old oven. So how would I go about testing it without using the new oven? Assistant: I would suggest that if you've had no problems with using the thermometer as a guide, it is more likely that the new oven is out by +/- 35°. To me using a separate thermometer is designed to compensate for the fact that the built-in ones are unreliable - new or not.
Human: How do I calibrate an oven thermometer without an oven? Apartment company put the wrong temperature dial on my oven and it was anywhere from 50°-100° off. I had been using an oven thermometer until they could replace it. I came home today to a new oven and a note saying the thermometer was off by 35°. They didn't say which way, but I was able to cook perfectly fine with it in the old oven. So how would I go about testing it without using the new oven? Assistant: Boiling water - edit - realise now this is not necessarily possible with all thermometers
Human: Why do my green beans keep turning out "waxy"? Method of Preparation: I sauté the green beans with sliced mushrooms and garlic in olive oil and a tiny bit of butter, salt and pepper. Assistant: Try blanching them in salted boiling water followed by an ice water bath. Finish in a skillet with clarified butter. Give them a squirt of fresh lime juice when you take them off the heat.
Human: Why do my green beans keep turning out "waxy"? Method of Preparation: I sauté the green beans with sliced mushrooms and garlic in olive oil and a tiny bit of butter, salt and pepper. Assistant: if you bought your green beans pre-packaged in a bag (like from Costco), I bet it's the chemical additive they apply to keep the veggies fresh. I've noticed that veggies packed this way actually tastes off & the texture is more waxy than the produce you buy at farmer's markets. Also a farmer was telling me that there a dozen varieties of Blue Lake beans that are popular today, some which are more creamy/buttery, others snappier, and still others with thicker or thinner husks/skins.
Human: Preparing lasagne a day in advance Hi I wanna prepare a day in advance to bring it to my girlfriend who lives 2h away. So the lasagne will be 2h on its way in the trunk, then I will put it in the fridge but still not cook right away. What is the best way to do it? Cook normally (or not as long maybe?), put it in the fridge then reheat? Cook normally (or not as long maybe?), freeze it, then reheat? Just assembly, put it in the fridge and bake it there? Just assembly, freeze it, then bake it there? Assistant: Not a professional chef... just married to an Italian.. I honestly think lasagna comes out better if you cook it, stick it in the fridge and reheat it (definitely use a thermometer to let you know it is heated through!) I find the cooling and reheating helps the layers kind of stick together better.
Human: Preparing lasagne a day in advance Hi I wanna prepare a day in advance to bring it to my girlfriend who lives 2h away. So the lasagne will be 2h on its way in the trunk, then I will put it in the fridge but still not cook right away. What is the best way to do it? Cook normally (or not as long maybe?), put it in the fridge then reheat? Cook normally (or not as long maybe?), freeze it, then reheat? Just assembly, put it in the fridge and bake it there? Just assembly, freeze it, then bake it there? Assistant: Assemble the night before for the flavors to marry and bake it at your GF house.
Human: Apple pie filling too dry? I just made an apple pie for the first time and the fillings was quite dry and crunchy after cooking. What's the best way to create a good moist apple pie filling? Assistant: Just made my own and did a good bit of recipe research for it. A good bit of those recipes and videos look so very dry. I like an ooey gooey pie, not just baked apples on a crust. So I ended up making a filling to pour ontop of the apples. Butter, flour, water, half the pie's sugar. Someone has an apple juice one here on the comments that sounds good. I was thinking of using applesauce next time.
Human: Apple pie filling too dry? I just made an apple pie for the first time and the fillings was quite dry and crunchy after cooking. What's the best way to create a good moist apple pie filling? Assistant: Whenever I forget to put pats of butter over the apples, I end up with a dry filling .
Human: Tomato Paste Question So i started making my own pasta sauce from scratch. Absolutely nailed it my first few times. This time around I bought cheaper tomato’s from a can I forgot to buy tomato paste at the store this time and did not add it to my sauce last night. The sauce was really watery and liquidy. Is this because I did not add tomato paste? Does tomato paste kind of act like a thickening agent? Or could the liquidy sauce result from cheaper tomatoes? Open to all advice ty :) Assistant: Yes, tomato paste thickens the sauce.
Human: Tomato Paste Question So i started making my own pasta sauce from scratch. Absolutely nailed it my first few times. This time around I bought cheaper tomato’s from a can I forgot to buy tomato paste at the store this time and did not add it to my sauce last night. The sauce was really watery and liquidy. Is this because I did not add tomato paste? Does tomato paste kind of act like a thickening agent? Or could the liquidy sauce result from cheaper tomatoes? Open to all advice ty :) Assistant: Cheaper canned tomatoes usually come in a watery tomato sauce, while nicer ones come in a thicker tomato paste. That's almost certainly the issue
Human: For a baked pasta like lasagna can I just soak the noodles? I read a few articles about if this is a good idea or not but non of them gave me a clear answer tomorrow I’m making lasagna and looking for the easiest way to have it done Assistant: I don’t even bother soaking, raw noodles work just fine
Human: For a baked pasta like lasagna can I just soak the noodles? I read a few articles about if this is a good idea or not but non of them gave me a clear answer tomorrow I’m making lasagna and looking for the easiest way to have it done Assistant: When you soak dried pasta, you just get... regular pasta. If you soak too long it can become gummy or fall apart. Cooking time will be shorter. Source: Harold McGee. https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2011/01/15/you-can-cook-pasta-in-a-small-amount-of-cold-water
Human: What happens when food goes 'bad'? My 9 day old brown rice is fine. I make brown rice and lentils in bulk, mix with olive oil and put in containers for lunch. 9 days later in the fridge, the quality is fine and I never get sick. Am I playing with fire? Is it just that quality goes down? Obviously these aren't meat products, but I'm wondering why guidelines suggest tossing after 7 days. Assistant: Anybody who has suffered from a dose of B. Cereus knows why it's very important to chill cooked rice asap. Comes in hard and fast, maybe as quick as 30 minutes.
Human: What happens when food goes 'bad'? My 9 day old brown rice is fine. I make brown rice and lentils in bulk, mix with olive oil and put in containers for lunch. 9 days later in the fridge, the quality is fine and I never get sick. Am I playing with fire? Is it just that quality goes down? Obviously these aren't meat products, but I'm wondering why guidelines suggest tossing after 7 days. Assistant: Keeping rice is very much living in the dangerzone
Human: Roasting meat and vegetables for a stock. I've seen in multiple videos people roasting their meat and vegetables in the oven and transfering them to the stock pot. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to sear the said meat and vegetables in the same pot you're going to cook the stock, making use of all that fond left in the bottom of the pot for a richer flavor? Assistant: It's much easier to do it in the oven, bones generally do not have flat sides and you would need to do many batches to avoid over crowding pan, deglazing after each to avoid burning fond. Same reason we cook bacon in the oven. Kiss method ftw. KEEP IT SImple SILLY
Human: Roasting meat and vegetables for a stock. I've seen in multiple videos people roasting their meat and vegetables in the oven and transfering them to the stock pot. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to sear the said meat and vegetables in the same pot you're going to cook the stock, making use of all that fond left in the bottom of the pot for a richer flavor? Assistant: why not both?
Human: Weekly Discussion - Kitchen Horror Stories Share your stories of dishes gone bad, poor kitchen hygiene, and shoddy equipment! Caution: You may not want to read this while eating! Assistant: My boyfriends mother is an okay cook. What she can cook she excels at, everything else falls into the category of 'just why?'. So his mom insists on grilling chicken on indirect heat without any seasoning. She seasons nothing, no s&p, no Italian seasoning, or sauces. Her lasagna is depressing- pasta, unseasoned ground beef, and Ragu pasta sauce. She also blends salsa in a blender at home.
Human: Weekly Discussion - Kitchen Horror Stories Share your stories of dishes gone bad, poor kitchen hygiene, and shoddy equipment! Caution: You may not want to read this while eating! Assistant: Steamship round. Been cooking since the wee hours of the morning for a wedding reception of 300. Four cooks place it on a steel rolling table for transport to the room. Rounding the corner by the dish pit to the hall, one of the front wheels catches a crack in the tile, and snaps off. The whole thing topples, and slides through the muck on the floor of the pit. We dont have 14 hours or a replacement round and the show must go on. Chef has us wash it off while a new cart is sourced. It still haunts me.
Human: Trying to figured out how much food to get for a charcuterie board for 15 Wondering if there's an easy way to calculate how much food to buy. I'd rather not run out, whereas I don't mind having some leftovers. Any suggestions? Thanks! Assistant: The serving context also helps. Will it be a continual grazing party, or will it be served as an appetizer before a meal? Will you be sitting near the food or will y’all have to intentionally walk to a serving area to get food, then walk around and mingle? What will you be drinking, and how much?
Human: Trying to figured out how much food to get for a charcuterie board for 15 Wondering if there's an easy way to calculate how much food to buy. I'd rather not run out, whereas I don't mind having some leftovers. Any suggestions? Thanks! Assistant: Get too much.
Human: What's a good substitute for Kaffir lime leaves? I can't find Kaffir lime leaves or regular lime leaves anywhere where I live. I'd love to try authentic Thai cooking. Kaffir lime leaves seem to be an important ingredient. Dilema! Dilema! Assistant: Order online and freeze. Lime zest is not a good substitute. It'll still be tasty if you substitute lime zest, but it won't taste like the real thing. Kaffir/makrut lime is quite distinctive.
Human: What's a good substitute for Kaffir lime leaves? I can't find Kaffir lime leaves or regular lime leaves anywhere where I live. I'd love to try authentic Thai cooking. Kaffir lime leaves seem to be an important ingredient. Dilema! Dilema! Assistant: lemongrass works... make sure you mash the stalk before adding.
Human: What spices taste perfumey? Is it lemongrass? My partner always said he doesn't like thai curry, I never had one so didn't understand. Recently we've tried some thai vegan fish cakes we really disliked and today we had some coated cauliflower. The mentioned spices on packaging are: garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, lemongrass, lime leaf, red chilli flakes,tamarind, white pepper, onion powder, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime peel, cumin, cardom, coriander root We're usually fine with ginger, garlic, coriander as we love all sorts of indian curries. Unsure what the perfumy taste is? Assistant: If you're outside of the US coriander is cilantro. To me cilantro tastes like lemon furniture polish. So it could be that.
Human: What spices taste perfumey? Is it lemongrass? My partner always said he doesn't like thai curry, I never had one so didn't understand. Recently we've tried some thai vegan fish cakes we really disliked and today we had some coated cauliflower. The mentioned spices on packaging are: garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, lemongrass, lime leaf, red chilli flakes,tamarind, white pepper, onion powder, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime peel, cumin, cardom, coriander root We're usually fine with ginger, garlic, coriander as we love all sorts of indian curries. Unsure what the perfumy taste is? Assistant: lemongrass reminds me more of fruity pebbles than perfumey. juniper, pink and timut pepper, coriander, sage
Human: Does proofing Instant yeast make it lose its properties? Hey, so I proofed a lot of yeast just now only to then realize it was instant yeast and not Active. I really would rather not drive back to the market so I wanted to know if it was still ok for me to use this in my dough recipe. Assistant: instant yeast is just dried faster and milled finer then active dry, makeing it faster at dissolving so you don't have to proof it. You still can, so do nothing differently or skip a step.
Human: Does proofing Instant yeast make it lose its properties? Hey, so I proofed a lot of yeast just now only to then realize it was instant yeast and not Active. I really would rather not drive back to the market so I wanted to know if it was still ok for me to use this in my dough recipe. Assistant: I do this all the time, it should be fine.
Human: How to adhere flavor powder to (pre-cooked) tortilla chips? We're looking to trial adding powdered spices to tortilla chips, and I was wondering if there was a specific technique that would allow us to use pre-cooked chips (e.g. large bags of retail product) in lieu of fresh cooking where the heat/oil would help the powder adhere to the chip. Any suggestions for how this could work with a pre-cooked chip? Thanks! Assistant: If your chips are fried, re-heating them will bring out some oil and your spice/powder should adhere pretty well. If you need it to adhere better, maltodextrin added to your spice powder should help it stick to the chips. If your chips aren’t fried, you may want to spritz them with water, sprinkle your maltodextrin spice powder on and bake them to cook off the water.
Human: How to adhere flavor powder to (pre-cooked) tortilla chips? We're looking to trial adding powdered spices to tortilla chips, and I was wondering if there was a specific technique that would allow us to use pre-cooked chips (e.g. large bags of retail product) in lieu of fresh cooking where the heat/oil would help the powder adhere to the chip. Any suggestions for how this could work with a pre-cooked chip? Thanks! Assistant: I've done this to add various flavorings to chips before. I spread the chips out on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with PAM or other oil spray. You want something as light and well-dispersed as possible (very little oil). Then sprinkle the seasoning on and bake in 350\* oven for just a few minutes. After they are warmed, I will put into a big ziploc bag, and add more seasoning while the chips are hot. Now, I like my chips WELL seasoned, so you maybe could skip the last step.
Human: Mint oreo ice cream--too minty :( So, apparently peppermint oil is WAAAAAAY stronger than peppermint extract? I made mint oreo ice cream and it's just way too strong. Is there anything I can do now that it's been made? I mean, other than make milkshakes by cutting it with vanilla? Can I re-churn it in two batches and add more cream? Assistant: I made a garlic ice cream once with probably 25 times too much garlic. My dad LOVES garlic and was so excited... he got the inaugural spoonful (I hadn't taste tested) and the look on his face was... amazing.
Human: Mint oreo ice cream--too minty :( So, apparently peppermint oil is WAAAAAAY stronger than peppermint extract? I made mint oreo ice cream and it's just way too strong. Is there anything I can do now that it's been made? I mean, other than make milkshakes by cutting it with vanilla? Can I re-churn it in two batches and add more cream? Assistant: You can melt it and make a second batch without the mint and combine the two, and then refresh the ice cream.
Human: Why do people add lemon juice to raspberry coulis if raspberries are already sour? What does the lemon juice add that the natural tartness and acidity of the raspberries doesnt already have? Assistant: When you make a coulis you're also usually adding sugar.. this can make the berries taste sort of one dimensional and sweet depending on how tart they were to begin with. Not every raspberry is sour. Good ripe ones are, but overripe or starting to get older, not so much. Personally I don't add a set amount of lemon juice, but I do adjust the acidity sometimes if I have to make a coulis out of berry season.
Human: Why do people add lemon juice to raspberry coulis if raspberries are already sour? What does the lemon juice add that the natural tartness and acidity of the raspberries doesnt already have? Assistant: The acid of the lemon helps to break down the berry.
Human: Is there any tricks to making a pan sauce with a cast iron skillet? Is there any special considerations to making a pan sauce with a cast iron skillet? I figure there would be because normally scraping up the sucts would also take off the seasoning of the skillet. Assistant: A good pan sauce needs a lot of brown bits from your protein stuck on your pan. Cast iron (and nonstick pans as well) are seasoned (or coated in teflon) to try to prevent this from happening! So the best pan sauce is actually made from a bare metal surface (e.g. stainless steel), because it doesn't try to minimize the formation of fond on your pan.
Human: Is there any tricks to making a pan sauce with a cast iron skillet? Is there any special considerations to making a pan sauce with a cast iron skillet? I figure there would be because normally scraping up the sucts would also take off the seasoning of the skillet. Assistant: The seasoning is stronger than people make it out to be. As long as you aren't scraping it for hours, it should be fine.
Human: How do I learn more, rather than just cooking dinner I cook dinner often, and I watch alot of cooking videos, but I want to improve faster. I'm not psycho enough to practice cooking a meal then binning it just so I can practice, but I was wondering what techniques are there aside from just cooking 1-3 meals a day? I believe this is the correct flair? Sorry if it isn't. It's a vague question Assistant: Look at menus from local restaurants that you really like. Read their entire menus. Search of EVERY term you don’t know. For each term learn about other uses for it
Human: How do I learn more, rather than just cooking dinner I cook dinner often, and I watch alot of cooking videos, but I want to improve faster. I'm not psycho enough to practice cooking a meal then binning it just so I can practice, but I was wondering what techniques are there aside from just cooking 1-3 meals a day? I believe this is the correct flair? Sorry if it isn't. It's a vague question Assistant: Watch a lot of basics/tutorials vids. Its not the same as actual practice but better than zero. Get a job at a restaurant / volunteer at a homeless shelter / church / soup kitchen. The last few are usually willing to take any warm body whos willing to help.
Human: How do I know when a burger is cooked medium rare? Ok so Im kinda new in the cooking world. I wanna try out to make burgers. I see everyone talking about medium rare how it's the best thing ever. My question is how do I know it's medium rare? Assistant: Side note but important- If you buy ground beef from the grocery store you should really not serve that at medium rare- at least medium is recommendable. Bacteria gathers on the outside of pieces of meat- so if you grind it up that bacteria goes all throughout the meat. That's why a rare steak is safe (because the outside is sterilized by cooking) but a rare burger is an invitation to food poisoning (I've done that to myself before and learned my lesson).
Human: How do I know when a burger is cooked medium rare? Ok so Im kinda new in the cooking world. I wanna try out to make burgers. I see everyone talking about medium rare how it's the best thing ever. My question is how do I know it's medium rare? Assistant: Temps
Human: As usual, I ran across an item in an ethnic grocery and bought some. This time I'm at a loss what to do with it. Carne Cecina. So I hit up the local dominican grocery and noticed something I'd not seen there before nor ever ran across elsewhere. I like to experiment, so I grabbed one and got home and googled. I didn't find much in english beyond how to make it, but it's already made/cured. Carne Cecina. It seems it's just a thin cut of salt cured beef. I see recipes for making it, and some for drying or smoking it once made, but not much that I can read/comprehend about what to actually **do with it**. So /r/AskCulinary who have experience with this, what do you actually make with this? Here are pics of the front and back of the package. http://imgur.com/a/YBHWM I can't imagine air or sun drying due to flies and bugs here. I thought about simply putting it in the dehydrator but that sounds super boring, I could have cured and dried something much more interesting. Any thoughts? Assistant: It is basically a marinated piece of beef. Think fajitas. You can cook it on the grill or on a pan on the stove. Its great for tacos or as the main course with some rice, beans and salad. EDIT: added "think fajitas"
Human: As usual, I ran across an item in an ethnic grocery and bought some. This time I'm at a loss what to do with it. Carne Cecina. So I hit up the local dominican grocery and noticed something I'd not seen there before nor ever ran across elsewhere. I like to experiment, so I grabbed one and got home and googled. I didn't find much in english beyond how to make it, but it's already made/cured. Carne Cecina. It seems it's just a thin cut of salt cured beef. I see recipes for making it, and some for drying or smoking it once made, but not much that I can read/comprehend about what to actually **do with it**. So /r/AskCulinary who have experience with this, what do you actually make with this? Here are pics of the front and back of the package. http://imgur.com/a/YBHWM I can't imagine air or sun drying due to flies and bugs here. I thought about simply putting it in the dehydrator but that sounds super boring, I could have cured and dried something much more interesting. Any thoughts? Assistant: That reminds me of machaca, which is a really yummy dried beef that some Mexican restaurants put in breakfast burritos. My suggestion would be to reconstitute/braise it in some yummy liquid, maybe put it in tacos or burritos?
Human: About to make Kenji's blue label burger blend. I need to substitue the oxtail. http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/10/the-burger-lab-best-burger-blend-profiles-of-eight-cuts-of-beef.html As the title says, I need to substitute oxtail in this recipe since my butcher shop doesn't carry any. The second choice would be to use short ribs, but they are temporary out of stock. What other cut would have a similar richness as these two cuts? Assistant: Chuuuuuck. Chuckie chuck chuck chuck. Do not overthink this. You have brisket and sirloin. They're great. You need something with decent fat and decent flavor. Chuck. If you had one meat to make a burger, use chuck. If you need another meat to add to the two you already have, use chuck. Is it cheap? Yes. Is it available? goddamned probably! Is it delicious? Absolutely. Do not, for the love of God, use ribeye, or any other fancy (read: expensive) cut for a burger.
Human: About to make Kenji's blue label burger blend. I need to substitue the oxtail. http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/10/the-burger-lab-best-burger-blend-profiles-of-eight-cuts-of-beef.html As the title says, I need to substitute oxtail in this recipe since my butcher shop doesn't carry any. The second choice would be to use short ribs, but they are temporary out of stock. What other cut would have a similar richness as these two cuts? Assistant: Try a mexican or asian market. My normal white suburban grocery store does not carry cuts like oxtail or tongue.
Human: How do some Cafe's have a uniqely thick but not difficult to gulp milk for their shakes or coffees ? I did inquire from a friend who was close to one of the owner's and I was told the milk they use is a varierty of the 12% Fat kind whereas the milks used at homes is 2%-6% range which makes it creamy. Could there be any other suggestions ? I dont believe there is any use of the Gums or Constarch as the Milk is ready to go when the coffee is made and does require any boiling or mixing or blending. Assistant: Put it in the blender for 5-6 minutes. Don't know why, but it really gets it thick. There's also the reason that they might be using milk powder, which might explain it.
Human: How do some Cafe's have a uniqely thick but not difficult to gulp milk for their shakes or coffees ? I did inquire from a friend who was close to one of the owner's and I was told the milk they use is a varierty of the 12% Fat kind whereas the milks used at homes is 2%-6% range which makes it creamy. Could there be any other suggestions ? I dont believe there is any use of the Gums or Constarch as the Milk is ready to go when the coffee is made and does require any boiling or mixing or blending. Assistant: Hm... apparently Cooks Country (owned by America's Test Kitchen) uses a food processor instead of a blender
Human: How can I add salt to pate once it's set? I made beef liver pate yesterday, and undersalted it. Is there any way to add the salt now that it's set? Assistant: Serve it with salty crackers to help make up for it.
Human: How can I add salt to pate once it's set? I made beef liver pate yesterday, and undersalted it. Is there any way to add the salt now that it's set? Assistant: You're going to require some ballistics. https://www.bugasalt.com/
Human: Roommate scratched non-stick wok. Should I throw it out? Hello, first time poster here. I have been using my wok for three years now, cooking only with a rubber spatula, a wooden spoon, and wooden chopsticks. I come home from work to notice that my wok has scratches! If I recall correctly, the wok is "marble coated, or marble" wok. I suspect that my roommate has suspicious behaviors when using the house tools, such as eating right out of the shared house pots and pans with a metal fork. Terrifying, I know, but I assume he must have cooked with my wok (not house shared) with a metal spatula or used a metal utensil while cooking. Now, perhaps I'm just crazy, but I find this unacceptable. I've a mind to throw out the wok and buy a new one. Reddit, what do you think I should do? I have not yet spoken with him and am worried my words will fall on deaf ears. Here are the photos of the scratched wok: https://imgur.com/a/RpLWoVS Assistant: Buy a new one and give that one to him so he won't use your new one. Tell him why you've had to replace it and how much it cost you.
Human: Roommate scratched non-stick wok. Should I throw it out? Hello, first time poster here. I have been using my wok for three years now, cooking only with a rubber spatula, a wooden spoon, and wooden chopsticks. I come home from work to notice that my wok has scratches! If I recall correctly, the wok is "marble coated, or marble" wok. I suspect that my roommate has suspicious behaviors when using the house tools, such as eating right out of the shared house pots and pans with a metal fork. Terrifying, I know, but I assume he must have cooked with my wok (not house shared) with a metal spatula or used a metal utensil while cooking. Now, perhaps I'm just crazy, but I find this unacceptable. I've a mind to throw out the wok and buy a new one. Reddit, what do you think I should do? I have not yet spoken with him and am worried my words will fall on deaf ears. Here are the photos of the scratched wok: https://imgur.com/a/RpLWoVS Assistant: Throw it out and get a proper wok that isn't non stick. The non stick ones either can't get hot enough or you can risk burning off the non stick with a proper temp. Either way not good for you!
Human: What are the little pockets of meat on the back of a chicken called? When you get a rotisserie chicken or cook a whole bird yourself and then you flip it over so the breast are down there are two little pockets of meat right the upper center of the back on either side of the backbone. What are those, why are they so tasty, and where do they go when they process a full chicken down into its parts? Do they just get thrown away? Assistant: That’s always been my favorite part of every Thanksgiving...cleaning the carcass after dinner and scooping out the oysters for myself...no one else in my family even knows about them!
Human: What are the little pockets of meat on the back of a chicken called? When you get a rotisserie chicken or cook a whole bird yourself and then you flip it over so the breast are down there are two little pockets of meat right the upper center of the back on either side of the backbone. What are those, why are they so tasty, and where do they go when they process a full chicken down into its parts? Do they just get thrown away? Assistant: sot-l'y-laisse in French
Human: Why do tomatoes taste better with mayo? Assistant: Because Mayo is food lube.
Human: Why do tomatoes taste better with mayo? Assistant: Great, now I desire a BLT. Room service will nail me for $20 plus tip.
Human: Why isn't it better, or more common, to roast a whole chicken breast side down? Would that keep the white meat moister? Obvious reason of the skin being submerged in the jus, but wouldn't that be a quick fix with a 4-5 minute broil? Assistant: Breast side down was how I was taught in culinary school, and I've always had great results from it. That said, my girlfriend uses Jamie Oliver's method, which calls for starting it breast side down and flipping about halfway through, and her birds come out great, too (at least since I impressed upon her the importance of the meat thermometer).
Human: Why isn't it better, or more common, to roast a whole chicken breast side down? Would that keep the white meat moister? Obvious reason of the skin being submerged in the jus, but wouldn't that be a quick fix with a 4-5 minute broil? Assistant: Presentation side up always my friend
Human: When substituting white wine vinegar for white wine do I need to add anything else to cut the vinegar taste? When substituting white wine vinegar for white wine do I need to add anything else to cut the vinegar taste? Assistant: You don't "need" to do anything. Are you following a recipe, or just winging it?
Human: When substituting white wine vinegar for white wine do I need to add anything else to cut the vinegar taste? When substituting white wine vinegar for white wine do I need to add anything else to cut the vinegar taste? Assistant: Hmm for acidity maybe try lemon juice instead of vinegar if you don’t have wine. Vinegar is a little harsh and can get out control easily; plus some people can smell it no matter what you do.
Human: Pinwheel cinnamon rolls - keeping some of the sugary cinnamon within the rolls. When I bake bread rolls with a sugar, butter cinnamon filled scroll, after baking there is a caramel mess on the bottom, some has bubbled to the top, but there is barely anything left inside. Is it possible to somehow keep more of the filling within the rolls? Recipes I have tried have just butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar as the filling. I have tried adding a lilttle flour to it but I am concerned that adding much more will make it too paste-y and unpleasant. Is this just the way cinnamon scrolls are? Assistant: I think it was a Brian Langerstorm video I followed, but he suggested whipping the butter and cinnamon/sugar mixture in a stand mixer for a while to help prevent all of it leaking out.
Human: Pinwheel cinnamon rolls - keeping some of the sugary cinnamon within the rolls. When I bake bread rolls with a sugar, butter cinnamon filled scroll, after baking there is a caramel mess on the bottom, some has bubbled to the top, but there is barely anything left inside. Is it possible to somehow keep more of the filling within the rolls? Recipes I have tried have just butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar as the filling. I have tried adding a lilttle flour to it but I am concerned that adding much more will make it too paste-y and unpleasant. Is this just the way cinnamon scrolls are? Assistant: Do you use a recipe? When I wing it my rolls end up the way you describe. When I use a recipe I remember that it takes MUCH MORE butter and sugar than feels comfortable. Those are the best though.
Human: Which scraps could & should I be saving for vegetable stock? I have been starting to save vegetable scraps in a zip lock bag in my freezer for making stock. Apart from being an easy way of saving some cash while at the same time improving flavor, I find it really satisfying decreasing the amount of waste. So far I have been saving scraps from onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, carrots, fennel, celery and the occasional potato peel. What else could I save that would suit well in a vegetable stock? What about left overs from fruits, such as apple cores? Also, is there anything that I should avoid saving for stock? The more alternatives, the better! Thanks! (*I am also saving lemon piths separately in order to try and get some pectin from them to test and see if it can be used to give the stock more body.*) Assistant: Can't remember where I read to do this but... ... if after you've grated your parmesan cheese you have some rind left over, it can be thrown into a long-simmering soup stock to up the flavour.
Human: Which scraps could & should I be saving for vegetable stock? I have been starting to save vegetable scraps in a zip lock bag in my freezer for making stock. Apart from being an easy way of saving some cash while at the same time improving flavor, I find it really satisfying decreasing the amount of waste. So far I have been saving scraps from onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, carrots, fennel, celery and the occasional potato peel. What else could I save that would suit well in a vegetable stock? What about left overs from fruits, such as apple cores? Also, is there anything that I should avoid saving for stock? The more alternatives, the better! Thanks! (*I am also saving lemon piths separately in order to try and get some pectin from them to test and see if it can be used to give the stock more body.*) Assistant: The stems from herbs you use. Just be careful with rosemary, unless you really like the flavor.;
Human: How can I go about mailing an enameled cast iron dutch oven safely? Hi /askculinary! I hope that this is the correct place to ask this - you all seem like a very knowledgeable and helpful group on matters of the kitchen and I need help! I was given a beautiful enameled cast iron le creuset dutch oven for Christmas. I love it and have already used it a few times. However, I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to get it back to my home now that I'm preparing to end my vacation. The 5qt size makes the dutch oven very heavy, and I'm traveling four hours away by train. Carrying it in my luggage doesn't seem like a possibility due to its size and weight. How easily do enameled dutch ovens crack/break? I'd like to ship it home using USPS express/3-day shipping but I'm very paranoid. Would using layers of clothing, etc to pad the base and the box be sufficient to protect it? It's a beautiful piece of kitchen equipment and I need it to make it home all in one piece! Assistant: Load it into a cannon and fire it in the direction of home. Those things are indestructible!
Human: How can I go about mailing an enameled cast iron dutch oven safely? Hi /askculinary! I hope that this is the correct place to ask this - you all seem like a very knowledgeable and helpful group on matters of the kitchen and I need help! I was given a beautiful enameled cast iron le creuset dutch oven for Christmas. I love it and have already used it a few times. However, I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to get it back to my home now that I'm preparing to end my vacation. The 5qt size makes the dutch oven very heavy, and I'm traveling four hours away by train. Carrying it in my luggage doesn't seem like a possibility due to its size and weight. How easily do enameled dutch ovens crack/break? I'd like to ship it home using USPS express/3-day shipping but I'm very paranoid. Would using layers of clothing, etc to pad the base and the box be sufficient to protect it? It's a beautiful piece of kitchen equipment and I need it to make it home all in one piece! Assistant: Box within box, with non-shifting packing in-between boxes.
Human: What kitchenaid mixer attachments are actually worthwhile? Assistant: I scheduled KitchenAid in this Thursday for a training at my work, with a focus on attachments. Let me know if you have any specific things you'd like me to ask or look for and I'd be happy to report back. I've not used the attachments myself, so I am looking forward to this training.
Human: What kitchenaid mixer attachments are actually worthwhile? Assistant: +1 for the pasta roller. It's the only attatchment worth your time.
Human: How do you cut sweet potatoes? I know this sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it's not! I honestly want to know. Every time I buy sweet potatoes in the store, I just about lose a finger trying to cut them - they're like rocks! I can't even seem to cut them into big chunks, let alone *fries*, and I have good knives. Any suggestions? Should I maybe just poke some holes and pop them in the microwave for a minute or so? Assistant: Partially cooking them will soften them and make cutting much easier. I do this with hard squashes too. I have nerve damage in my hands and arms, and just can't cut hard vegetables any other way. I usually pop them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes and then let them cool down for a few minutes. I'm not sure about microwave cooking times, but maybe do 2 minutes and see if they are soft enough. If not, do another 1-2 minutes.
Human: How do you cut sweet potatoes? I know this sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it's not! I honestly want to know. Every time I buy sweet potatoes in the store, I just about lose a finger trying to cut them - they're like rocks! I can't even seem to cut them into big chunks, let alone *fries*, and I have good knives. Any suggestions? Should I maybe just poke some holes and pop them in the microwave for a minute or so? Assistant: They are indeed hard to cut! I use my widest knife and carefully cut using a fair amount of force.
Human: Can I use an immersion blender to make pesto? How about hummus? Quarantine cooking with limited tools. Assistant: Yes but use a narrow tall container, like a plastic cup or something, and just mash the blender in and out of it. tl;dr fuck a plastic cup with a blender.
Human: Can I use an immersion blender to make pesto? How about hummus? Quarantine cooking with limited tools. Assistant: Absolutely, yes!
Human: Why did my tiramisu cream go runny? Yesterday I went to make a tiramisu cream, using the exact recipe I used last week, using exactly the same ingredients. The recipe calls for: 3 eggs 75g sugar 500g mascarpone pinch of salt a splash of vanilla extract I separate the eggs, beat the whites with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of sugar. I beat the yolks with the rest of the sugar and vanilla until all the sugar disolves (the yolks get much paler and thick). I mix in the mascarpone and then fold in the whites. Last week it worked like a charm. It needed to set, but it was spreadable. Yesterday, however, it was completely runny. It had plenty bubbles, but was still poruable and not spreadable. All ingredients were taken straight from the fridge, I used a full fat, very thick mascarpone, so I can’t really fathom what happened. Assistant: Over mixing the yolks and mascarpone can result in tiramisoup
Human: Why did my tiramisu cream go runny? Yesterday I went to make a tiramisu cream, using the exact recipe I used last week, using exactly the same ingredients. The recipe calls for: 3 eggs 75g sugar 500g mascarpone pinch of salt a splash of vanilla extract I separate the eggs, beat the whites with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of sugar. I beat the yolks with the rest of the sugar and vanilla until all the sugar disolves (the yolks get much paler and thick). I mix in the mascarpone and then fold in the whites. Last week it worked like a charm. It needed to set, but it was spreadable. Yesterday, however, it was completely runny. It had plenty bubbles, but was still poruable and not spreadable. All ingredients were taken straight from the fridge, I used a full fat, very thick mascarpone, so I can’t really fathom what happened. Assistant: My first guess is the “fail” happened on a hot and humid day?
Human: What is the best honey to cook with 🍯 I’ve got recipes (such as honey soy chicken) recently that require honey as an ingredient in the sauce, to be cooked in a frying pan. The honey I have just blackens and chars and tastes burnt, even at low temperatures. Which would be the best type of honey to use when making a sauce like this? Assistant: Don't use anything particularly fancy, like a single flower (tupelo from Savannah Bee Company is DELICIOUS) because the heat is going to destroy most of the flavor compounds. Use a general purpose honey, cut with some water. If you want to use a fancy honey or vinegar or oil, use it on the plate and not in the pan, as a finisher. This way, you keep all those lovely volatile compounds intact
Human: What is the best honey to cook with 🍯 I’ve got recipes (such as honey soy chicken) recently that require honey as an ingredient in the sauce, to be cooked in a frying pan. The honey I have just blackens and chars and tastes burnt, even at low temperatures. Which would be the best type of honey to use when making a sauce like this? Assistant: Be aware that there is a significant amount of "honey" imported from China that is highly adulterated and contains very little actual honey. Unscrupulous distributors will buy it and mix it with normal honey to save money. This might be a reason that your recipe is having problems. I only buy from small local producers.
Human: Croissants leaking lots and lots of butter when baking Hey everyone, a few weeks ago I made Tartine's croissants for the first time and later made their morning buns which use the same dough. Both times, when I baked them there was an insane amount of melted butter leaking out of the pastries. When I made the croissants, I was ill-prepared and it dripped onto the oven floor and started a small fire haha. Somehow they still came out looking and tasting great. I can't imagine this butter loss is typical. Does anyone have any idea as to why the pastries wouldn't retain the melting butter during baking? Note: Both times I used 'American-style' unsalted butter, I couldn't get my hands on enough European style. I know this has more water content. I'm baking at an altitude of \~5,000ft, my oven can be a little crazy sometimes and fluctuate temperatures. Also my first 2 times making a laminated dough, not sure if my technique could be a factor. Recipe: https://tasteofartisan.com/tartine-croissants/ Assistant: From what I've learnt in my pastry class, butter melting from a croissant is a result of a oven temperature that's too low. When a croissant is baked, it should be at a high temp so the butter melts and the moisture inmediately evaporates to steam - which is what causes it to push the dough up and create a puff. If the temperature isn't high enough to cause that, the butter melts and leaks out of the croissant
Human: Croissants leaking lots and lots of butter when baking Hey everyone, a few weeks ago I made Tartine's croissants for the first time and later made their morning buns which use the same dough. Both times, when I baked them there was an insane amount of melted butter leaking out of the pastries. When I made the croissants, I was ill-prepared and it dripped onto the oven floor and started a small fire haha. Somehow they still came out looking and tasting great. I can't imagine this butter loss is typical. Does anyone have any idea as to why the pastries wouldn't retain the melting butter during baking? Note: Both times I used 'American-style' unsalted butter, I couldn't get my hands on enough European style. I know this has more water content. I'm baking at an altitude of \~5,000ft, my oven can be a little crazy sometimes and fluctuate temperatures. Also my first 2 times making a laminated dough, not sure if my technique could be a factor. Recipe: https://tasteofartisan.com/tartine-croissants/ Assistant: Sounds like they got too warm when proofing.
Human: Does butter chicken freeze well? Or any curry for that matter? I’ve made a bit more than I’d like for the week and I don’t want it to go to waste Assistant: Bit late now I guess, but the sauce freezes better than the chicken even if it while be fine anyway (breasts will likely become a bit boring if that's what you used). I've considered making a huge batch of sauce and freezing portions to then marinate and cook chicken when I want a fix.
Human: Does butter chicken freeze well? Or any curry for that matter? I’ve made a bit more than I’d like for the week and I don’t want it to go to waste Assistant: Just had thawed butter chicken for dinner tonight. Turned out great.
Human: Sweet Potato Casserole: Unripe Potatoes? Hey culinary! I am trying to make this sweet potato recipe. I made it last year and it was great. This year, the stores have run out of the canned sweet potato cubes (we live in a small area). I had to buy actual sweet potatoes but they're very hard. I've already chopped them but feel like I should ask if it's okay to cook. Happy Thanksgiving! Assistant: Hard potato: good, ready to be cooked and eaten, not "unripe". Soft potato: bad, too old.
Human: Sweet Potato Casserole: Unripe Potatoes? Hey culinary! I am trying to make this sweet potato recipe. I made it last year and it was great. This year, the stores have run out of the canned sweet potato cubes (we live in a small area). I had to buy actual sweet potatoes but they're very hard. I've already chopped them but feel like I should ask if it's okay to cook. Happy Thanksgiving! Assistant: Roast the cubed potatoes before you put together the casserole. It will be essentially the same as getting a can of sweet potato.
Human: Vodka Sauce... cook the cream first and then add tomato sauce or add cream to the tomato sauce? I've always added cream *to* my prepared tomato sauce and then cooked it together. However, I just saw Chef John's (Food Wishes.. link) recipe, and what he does is cook bacon in olive oil for a bit, adds vodka and cooks the bacon more, and *then* adds the cream. He boils and reduces it a bit and then finally adds the tomato sauce. Does this yield a different taste or texture to the sauce? Does it make any difference at all? Assistant: So the Chef John voice started after 2009!
Human: Vodka Sauce... cook the cream first and then add tomato sauce or add cream to the tomato sauce? I've always added cream *to* my prepared tomato sauce and then cooked it together. However, I just saw Chef John's (Food Wishes.. link) recipe, and what he does is cook bacon in olive oil for a bit, adds vodka and cooks the bacon more, and *then* adds the cream. He boils and reduces it a bit and then finally adds the tomato sauce. Does this yield a different taste or texture to the sauce? Does it make any difference at all? Assistant: Brown the vegetables. Vodka in, alcohol acts a solvent to extract soluble flavors. Tomatoes. Cook it a bit so you don't have that raw tomato taste. Cream. Simmer and reduce, but do not boil. The cream can easily curdle so the tomatoes act as a way to temper it.
Human: Any advice on making a spicy peanut sauce? Today I tried to make a spicy peanut sauce using this recipe but it looks more like a paste than a sauce. I can add more water to make it more saucey but then it becomes bland, and it's not that spicy to begin with. Does anyone have any experience making their own or know of a better recipe? I'd also like to try one with peanuts in it, so does that mean I could just use crunchy peanut butter instead? Any advice is appreciated. I love this sub Assistant: moar lemon juice, some sugar, some salt, more chillis.
Human: Any advice on making a spicy peanut sauce? Today I tried to make a spicy peanut sauce using this recipe but it looks more like a paste than a sauce. I can add more water to make it more saucey but then it becomes bland, and it's not that spicy to begin with. Does anyone have any experience making their own or know of a better recipe? I'd also like to try one with peanuts in it, so does that mean I could just use crunchy peanut butter instead? Any advice is appreciated. I love this sub Assistant: Spice that shit up, son. Use some Thai chilis or even plain ol sriracha in addition to oyster sauce. Peanut butter can take and support a barrage of spices so you shouldn't worry about over-spicing. Maybe a little vinegar too...
Human: Is there a trick for making tomato soup with fresh tomatoes? I live in India and we have fresh tomatoes in season right now. Most recipes online, however, use canned ones. What is the trick for using fresh tomatoes? Should I blanch them and remove the skin, then core them and remove the seeds? Or should I let the skin be? I'll be making a base with onion, carrot, celery, garlic and oregano. Assistant: Roast, then run through a food mill. It won't blend the seeds of you use a right mesh.
Human: Is there a trick for making tomato soup with fresh tomatoes? I live in India and we have fresh tomatoes in season right now. Most recipes online, however, use canned ones. What is the trick for using fresh tomatoes? Should I blanch them and remove the skin, then core them and remove the seeds? Or should I let the skin be? I'll be making a base with onion, carrot, celery, garlic and oregano. Assistant: Roast the tomatoes. Then sieve the soup after its cooked
Human: 🥓 Let's talk bacon 🥓 I like to cook bacon on a backing sheet In the oven. I have noticed that sometimes the center of the bacon sticks to the pan. Usually, I rub the fatty part of the bacon on the foil linning the pan beforehand and have my oven on at 250F. What is causing this sticking? I have this issue periodically with no real pattern. Is this the cut of bacon, if so how can I tell with what I'm getting from the supermarket? Assistant: Parchment paper works like a dream. Lacking that, if you're cooking bacon to a crisp, should be able to fairly easily get it unstuck from the pan. Most people are going to use much higher temperatures though, which will make sticking less likely. But if parchment paper is an option, that makes everything super easy.
Human: 🥓 Let's talk bacon 🥓 I like to cook bacon on a backing sheet In the oven. I have noticed that sometimes the center of the bacon sticks to the pan. Usually, I rub the fatty part of the bacon on the foil linning the pan beforehand and have my oven on at 250F. What is causing this sticking? I have this issue periodically with no real pattern. Is this the cut of bacon, if so how can I tell with what I'm getting from the supermarket? Assistant: I put mine on a rack on a cookie sheet and put it into the cold oven, then turn the oven to 400F. Done in twenty minutes or so and easy to reserve the grease because of the elevated rack.
Human: Slicing a ton of limes via food processor. Freeze first? I’ve never used my food processor slicer on something as soft as a lime. I’m going to at least refrigerate them to make them more firm, should I freeze them for an hour or so or would that make it too difficult to use the slicer? Assistant: I recommend using a mandoline, not a food processor
Human: Slicing a ton of limes via food processor. Freeze first? I’ve never used my food processor slicer on something as soft as a lime. I’m going to at least refrigerate them to make them more firm, should I freeze them for an hour or so or would that make it too difficult to use the slicer? Assistant: This seems like a disaster waiting to happen op. Even if ot were to allow the limes to survive the food processor, i think they'd thaw out into soggy messes.
Human: Oven temperature drops and adjusting time when meat is undercooked How do you adjust coming time when you remove something from the oven and the meat is still undercooked? Doesn't the oven need to be preheated again after the door has been opened and closed and the item had been removed from the oven? For example, if I'm making braised chicken thighs that are supposed to be in a 300 degree oven until it reaches an internal temp of 195, what do I do if it's only 180 degrees or 190 degrees? Assistant: You need to get the whole notion of cooking time out of your head. You cook to temp and not time. If a recipe calls for a set time to cook set your time 10-15 less than that, check the temp of the meat and then keep setting 10 min timers until it's where you want it.
Human: Oven temperature drops and adjusting time when meat is undercooked How do you adjust coming time when you remove something from the oven and the meat is still undercooked? Doesn't the oven need to be preheated again after the door has been opened and closed and the item had been removed from the oven? For example, if I'm making braised chicken thighs that are supposed to be in a 300 degree oven until it reaches an internal temp of 195, what do I do if it's only 180 degrees or 190 degrees? Assistant: You'll lose some temperature but not tons. Toss it back in for 8-10 and check again.
Human: What do I do with leftover dumpling filling? So I have about a cup of dumpling filling leftover it only has vegetables, Cabbage, carrot, spinach, soysauce, ginger etc in it. I would freeze it but I feel like I won't use it, I need to use it in the next two days as I'll be away for nearly 3 weeks after then. Thanks in advance! (edit: the filling is par cooked already) Assistant: Mix it through egg make an omelette
Human: What do I do with leftover dumpling filling? So I have about a cup of dumpling filling leftover it only has vegetables, Cabbage, carrot, spinach, soysauce, ginger etc in it. I would freeze it but I feel like I won't use it, I need to use it in the next two days as I'll be away for nearly 3 weeks after then. Thanks in advance! (edit: the filling is par cooked already) Assistant: Make more dumpling wrappers
Human: bland chicken marinade Hey all, I made a chicken marinade recently with garlic, herbs (rosemary, thyme) and substituted chili powder for paprika, as my base I used a neutral oil and blended the marinade. I let my chicken breasts (butterfly cut) in the marinade for 40 minutes then oven cooked them, when I took them out and tried a piece I didn't taste any spice at all, why is this? Assistant: I always leave marinades overnight. 40 minutes seems very short.
Human: bland chicken marinade Hey all, I made a chicken marinade recently with garlic, herbs (rosemary, thyme) and substituted chili powder for paprika, as my base I used a neutral oil and blended the marinade. I let my chicken breasts (butterfly cut) in the marinade for 40 minutes then oven cooked them, when I took them out and tried a piece I didn't taste any spice at all, why is this? Assistant: Marinades don't do much more than season the outside. The molecules that make up the flavor in spices/seasonings are too large to penetrate very far into the muscle fibers of meat and thus only go a couple of millimeters deep. Depending on a marinade as the only flavor in a dish will, as you found out, not produce a very flavorful dish.
Human: Cook food and let them in freezer for later? Is a good idea to cook the food for 1 week and let them in the freezer? I have to work at home (26M), i live with my wife (23F) and our son (4M) and we work togueter (wife and i), somedays we have not enought time to do the things like cook, clean house, get time to our kid, study, and other things, cooking take a lot of time because we do breakfast, lunch and dinner (we can not afford any person to help by now, and cant eat in restaurant due to budget) so, is it ok to cook beans, guiso (tomatoes and onion, we are from colombia, this is very important), lentiles, chickpeas, things like that and let them in the freezer for no more than a week? will be ok to get it, to warm and prepare more faster? thank you if answers Assistant: I just ate some year and a half old chili from the freezer.
Human: Cook food and let them in freezer for later? Is a good idea to cook the food for 1 week and let them in the freezer? I have to work at home (26M), i live with my wife (23F) and our son (4M) and we work togueter (wife and i), somedays we have not enought time to do the things like cook, clean house, get time to our kid, study, and other things, cooking take a lot of time because we do breakfast, lunch and dinner (we can not afford any person to help by now, and cant eat in restaurant due to budget) so, is it ok to cook beans, guiso (tomatoes and onion, we are from colombia, this is very important), lentiles, chickpeas, things like that and let them in the freezer for no more than a week? will be ok to get it, to warm and prepare more faster? thank you if answers Assistant: My friend, have you never heard of meal prepping ? I do suggest you google it. What a time saving world awaits you! Also it'll keep in the fridge for a week. Freezer for months :)
Human: Idea: keeping a propylene glycol bath in the freezer for ultra fast freezing of foods. Good idea or not? Cross-posted from r/foodscience I've been recently diving into the world of vacuum sealers and sous vide. I learned that you can minimize the ill effects of freezing foods by chilling them quickly in order to prevent the formation of large ice crystals. What if I kept a liquid solution containing propylene glycol in my freezer? It would maintain its liquid state through freezing point depression. Whenever I need to freeze a piece of meat or something, I would be able to just seal the object and place it in the glycol bath in order to suck the heat out and achieve a very rapid chill. Any flaws in my plan? Propylene glycol is generally recognized as safe and wouldn't even be in contact with food. Would chilling something that quickly have any ill effects? Are there diminishing returns on rapid chilling? Did I just invent a new thing? I couldn't find anything on Google. Assistant: Have you played with PG before? It's sticky and slippery and not all that nice to clean up...
Human: Idea: keeping a propylene glycol bath in the freezer for ultra fast freezing of foods. Good idea or not? Cross-posted from r/foodscience I've been recently diving into the world of vacuum sealers and sous vide. I learned that you can minimize the ill effects of freezing foods by chilling them quickly in order to prevent the formation of large ice crystals. What if I kept a liquid solution containing propylene glycol in my freezer? It would maintain its liquid state through freezing point depression. Whenever I need to freeze a piece of meat or something, I would be able to just seal the object and place it in the glycol bath in order to suck the heat out and achieve a very rapid chill. Any flaws in my plan? Propylene glycol is generally recognized as safe and wouldn't even be in contact with food. Would chilling something that quickly have any ill effects? Are there diminishing returns on rapid chilling? Did I just invent a new thing? I couldn't find anything on Google. Assistant: Related tip: Use a mixture of propylene glycol, isopropanol, and salt water as an ice pack. It'll get real cold, but also stay malleable.
Human: Brand new La Creuset cracked on my stovetop while I was heating oil. I threw it on medium, poured some oil in as I was getting ready to brown some meat, and I heard a “ping” and knew immediately what happened. I got a hairline crack, and it nearly broke in half. I thought these were stovetop safe, did I do something wrong here? Assistant: oops it's stoneware from the site *Crafted from strong stoneware, it can handle your oven, grill, or even your freezer*
Human: Brand new La Creuset cracked on my stovetop while I was heating oil. I threw it on medium, poured some oil in as I was getting ready to brown some meat, and I heard a “ping” and knew immediately what happened. I got a hairline crack, and it nearly broke in half. I thought these were stovetop safe, did I do something wrong here? Assistant: Sorry for your loss. But that's now a leaky flower pot :(
Human: Home Cook making a menu for small bar kitchen. Basically, my hours reduced at my regular job and I got a job at a bar kitchen. Every thing they do is extremely half-assed, more like quarter assed. The food used to be good when they had a caterer running the kitchen. Now, it's frozen burgers and really not much else. The guy who is contracted to run the kitchen is on his way out, and I talked to the owner about presenting a menu, and to let me run the kitchen. I want to do a pretty limited menu and just do five or six things really well. Wings have kind of been a staple there so I would be continuing that with maybe 3-4 sauces and am certainly open to suggestions on that front. They have a chicken quesadilla now that is basically precooked chicken and shredded cheese, and I was thinking about changing that to a chicken tinga quesadilla. Next I was thinking a Cuban Sandwich. Then, burgers with a couple that were kind of jazzed up, like a green chili cheese burger, etc. If you know of any of a couple fairly simple burger topping combinations to make it more exciting, I'm all ears. I'm not really sure about where to go from there, but was thinking maybe a couple of poboys, as I'm in Louisiana. I welcome any advice and am particularly interested in anything where most of the work can be done ahead of time. Thanks for taking the time to help me out. Assistant: Fritters. Corn fritters... sweet potato fritters... hell even pulled pork fritters. A batter would take all of 20 minutes to prepare. Appropriate sized ice cream scoop into the fryer to order and you're out the window in 3 minutes or less and it would drive the patrons wild. PM me...I'd love to help you develop a recipe. Maybe id share a recipe for a dipping sauce too.
Human: Home Cook making a menu for small bar kitchen. Basically, my hours reduced at my regular job and I got a job at a bar kitchen. Every thing they do is extremely half-assed, more like quarter assed. The food used to be good when they had a caterer running the kitchen. Now, it's frozen burgers and really not much else. The guy who is contracted to run the kitchen is on his way out, and I talked to the owner about presenting a menu, and to let me run the kitchen. I want to do a pretty limited menu and just do five or six things really well. Wings have kind of been a staple there so I would be continuing that with maybe 3-4 sauces and am certainly open to suggestions on that front. They have a chicken quesadilla now that is basically precooked chicken and shredded cheese, and I was thinking about changing that to a chicken tinga quesadilla. Next I was thinking a Cuban Sandwich. Then, burgers with a couple that were kind of jazzed up, like a green chili cheese burger, etc. If you know of any of a couple fairly simple burger topping combinations to make it more exciting, I'm all ears. I'm not really sure about where to go from there, but was thinking maybe a couple of poboys, as I'm in Louisiana. I welcome any advice and am particularly interested in anything where most of the work can be done ahead of time. Thanks for taking the time to help me out. Assistant: We'll keep this here, but I'd recommend also reposting this over to /r/chefit, which is populated mostly by professional chefs. They might also be able to provide some good input. Good luck!
Human: What should I use in place of Blue Cheese in Mac and Cheese Recipe? Hello!! So I found a Mac and Cheese recipe that calls for Gruyere, extra sharp cheddar and blue cheese. The problem is I cannot stand blue cheese. What would ya'll suggest that I could use in its place that has the same meltability that won't get overpowered by the extra-sharp cheddar? Thank you for your help!! Assistant: Just find a recipe that doesn't have ingredients you don't like. Why did you choose that recipe?
Human: What should I use in place of Blue Cheese in Mac and Cheese Recipe? Hello!! So I found a Mac and Cheese recipe that calls for Gruyere, extra sharp cheddar and blue cheese. The problem is I cannot stand blue cheese. What would ya'll suggest that I could use in its place that has the same meltability that won't get overpowered by the extra-sharp cheddar? Thank you for your help!! Assistant: A smoked gouda would probably work pretty great. That will get you melty and creamy, but still add a slightly different flavor than cheddar and gruyere
Human: Why do people always refer to skirt steak as "economical" I keep hearing this. Skirt steak is cheap. But everywhere I look it's like the suppliers have figured it out. Skirt steak is $8.99/lb at the lowest price I can find it, and sometimes up to over $10/lb. So was it just previously a cheap cut and butchers/stores have finally caught on? Assistant: So, what are the “new” cheap cuts?
Human: Why do people always refer to skirt steak as "economical" I keep hearing this. Skirt steak is cheap. But everywhere I look it's like the suppliers have figured it out. Skirt steak is $8.99/lb at the lowest price I can find it, and sometimes up to over $10/lb. So was it just previously a cheap cut and butchers/stores have finally caught on? Assistant: I recently tried to get some skirt steak and it was 12 fucking dollars a pound. I was so annoyed that I bought boneless ribeye and re planned my whole meal because, fuck that. I refuse to pay $12 for skirt steak. I'll pay $15 a pound any day for a good ribeye though.
Human: Quick question about recipe calling for "dry mustard" I want to use this recipe for cooking my Thanksgiving turkey this year. It calls for dry mustard - does that mean whole dry mustard seeds, ground mustard powder, or something else? Assistant: Dry mustard powder, such as Coleman's. You can also grind your own. if you do, brown mustard seeds are a bit more potent than yellow, by around 20%.
Human: Quick question about recipe calling for "dry mustard" I want to use this recipe for cooking my Thanksgiving turkey this year. It calls for dry mustard - does that mean whole dry mustard seeds, ground mustard powder, or something else? Assistant: Powder.
Human: Way Oversalted Empanadas :( Is there any way to salvage oversalted food? I was following BA's empanada recipe at https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/argentinian-beef-empanadas when I read,"4 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. black pepper." as TABLESPOONS... This is what I get for trying to cook in my house. Regardless, I am halving that ingredient list because I only have 1.18 lbs of ground beef instead of 2, so I accidentally put in 2 tablespoons of salt although they weren't nearly full or rounded because I couldnt get the salt to pour out into the spoon... Anyway, I did a taste test and they were way over salty. While the beef was cooking I added some additional water to simmer off and the juice of a lemon.. It's LESS noticable now, but still definitely clearly oversalted. Any other ways now that the mix is chilling that I can save this so my fiance doesn't have a terrible meal to come home to? Will the dough help some of the saltiness as well when I go to cook the actual empanada? For now I'm just chilling that salted mix I made.. Assistant: My argentine dad makes shepherds pie a lot with a very similar to empanada filling plus hard boiled eggs and mashed potato or yam, the potato and egg should cut it. I dunno if your recipe has currents or raisins but def add some if it doesn’t.
Human: Way Oversalted Empanadas :( Is there any way to salvage oversalted food? I was following BA's empanada recipe at https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/argentinian-beef-empanadas when I read,"4 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. black pepper." as TABLESPOONS... This is what I get for trying to cook in my house. Regardless, I am halving that ingredient list because I only have 1.18 lbs of ground beef instead of 2, so I accidentally put in 2 tablespoons of salt although they weren't nearly full or rounded because I couldnt get the salt to pour out into the spoon... Anyway, I did a taste test and they were way over salty. While the beef was cooking I added some additional water to simmer off and the juice of a lemon.. It's LESS noticable now, but still definitely clearly oversalted. Any other ways now that the mix is chilling that I can save this so my fiance doesn't have a terrible meal to come home to? Will the dough help some of the saltiness as well when I go to cook the actual empanada? For now I'm just chilling that salted mix I made.. Assistant: Holy shit I made these this past weekend and I ALSO (almost) added 4 tablespoons of salt. Ours came out great, I’m sure your next ones will too!
Human: Can someone please tell me what spice this is? I can’t seem to post an image so here is an image on Imgur Assistant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1EpaboCERg
Human: Can someone please tell me what spice this is? I can’t seem to post an image so here is an image on Imgur Assistant: I'll just add to this conversation that we're looking at rosemary.
Human: Flavor Focus - Pungent (a.k.a. Hot) I'm saving "spicy" to talk about spices more generally. For our first move outside of the basic tastes, lets focus on pure heat. "Pungent" is actually a bit more broad in definition, and includes black pepper along with chili pepper. If you've got thoughts on black pepper, this is the week for those too. Maybe garlic too? Or should that be a separate discussion? What role does heat play in your cooking? How do you balance it with other flavors? What dishes are best with eye-watering, sweat-inducing levels of heat? Why? What dishes require enormous amounts of garlic? Some compare and contrast here may be enlightening. What do you look for in a hot sauce? Is there more to them than just heat? Assistant: I have a local source of both berbere and mitmita. Both are spicy, but mitmita's noticeably hotter and I can only use a little bit of it. I should probably get a scale accurate to a tenth of a gram to properly track my spice use and figure this sort of thing out for myself, but should I expect different dishes to lend themselves to different berbere:mitmita ratios?
Human: Flavor Focus - Pungent (a.k.a. Hot) I'm saving "spicy" to talk about spices more generally. For our first move outside of the basic tastes, lets focus on pure heat. "Pungent" is actually a bit more broad in definition, and includes black pepper along with chili pepper. If you've got thoughts on black pepper, this is the week for those too. Maybe garlic too? Or should that be a separate discussion? What role does heat play in your cooking? How do you balance it with other flavors? What dishes are best with eye-watering, sweat-inducing levels of heat? Why? What dishes require enormous amounts of garlic? Some compare and contrast here may be enlightening. What do you look for in a hot sauce? Is there more to them than just heat? Assistant: > What do you look for in a hot sauce? Is there more to them than just heat? I prefer hot sauces with a balance of flavours, either: - salty/sour/hot, or - sweet/salty/hot And I prefer it to be balanced with a secondary flavour like garlic, ginger, and/or onion. Some peppers are naturally flavourful (scotch bonnet comes to mind), so those require a bit less help IMO.
Human: Why is ragú bolognese iconically paired with long pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle? Pairing spaghetti with the ragú is generally seen as a rookie mistake because the pasta doesn’t have the surface for catching the sauce. However, the recommended wider long pastas like tagliatelle really does not fare much better. Even in Italia Squisita’s Bolognese tutorial on YouTube, the sauce never manages to coat the pasta. I added starch to thicken up the sauce. And while the results were better, there were still a significant puddle of leftover ragú after finishing the pasta. I feel like the ragú should really be eaten with short pastas such as maltagliati or orriechette with a spoon so more of the sauce can be caught with each bite of pasta. Still, I wonder if I am wrong about something or if this Italian tradition is wack. Assistant: I like using rigatoni with bolognese. The perfect pasta for it.
Human: Why is ragú bolognese iconically paired with long pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle? Pairing spaghetti with the ragú is generally seen as a rookie mistake because the pasta doesn’t have the surface for catching the sauce. However, the recommended wider long pastas like tagliatelle really does not fare much better. Even in Italia Squisita’s Bolognese tutorial on YouTube, the sauce never manages to coat the pasta. I added starch to thicken up the sauce. And while the results were better, there were still a significant puddle of leftover ragú after finishing the pasta. I feel like the ragú should really be eaten with short pastas such as maltagliati or orriechette with a spoon so more of the sauce can be caught with each bite of pasta. Still, I wonder if I am wrong about something or if this Italian tradition is wack. Assistant: I always thought the leftover meat sauce was supposed to happen? I twist some noodles around the fork, stab up some of the meat, and eat it. I keep this going until the end, when there's a pile of meat with small pieces of pasta left, and I finish that off. I use linguine or thick spaghetti with meat sauce, because that's the texture I like.
Human: Am I making aglio e olio correctly? Just wondering cause I made it a few times and I like the taste, I am wondering is this all that's to it or can I draw out more flavor? I fry garlic and a fresh chili pepper in about 5 spoons of olive oil, when the garlic is almost brown (yellowish) I add the spaghetti and some pasta water and cook it until it's creamy and I add the parsley (sometimes I cook the parsley stems with the garlic and chili, I saw it in a video on YouTube. The spaghetti are completely coated and taste like olive oil and toasted garlic. Is that what's it's supposed to be like? Assistant: I made some aglio e olio today where I added garlic confit I had made recently. This is on top of the garlic you would normally fry into the sauce. Hard to describe but I think it really emphasized and enhanced the sharper flavor of fried garlic with the more mellow flavor of the confit. If garlic is your thing, give it a shot!
Human: Am I making aglio e olio correctly? Just wondering cause I made it a few times and I like the taste, I am wondering is this all that's to it or can I draw out more flavor? I fry garlic and a fresh chili pepper in about 5 spoons of olive oil, when the garlic is almost brown (yellowish) I add the spaghetti and some pasta water and cook it until it's creamy and I add the parsley (sometimes I cook the parsley stems with the garlic and chili, I saw it in a video on YouTube. The spaghetti are completely coated and taste like olive oil and toasted garlic. Is that what's it's supposed to be like? Assistant: Finish with some parm. You also don't have to use fresh chilis. A jar of Calabria chilis works just as well
Human: What is the orange-colored oil in spicy Asian food? I've been craving a version of pad thai for years that had a lot of this bright orange oil in it, you see it in spicy Asian dishes. What is that? It may be a mix of some kind of pepper and oil - if so, what is that mix? I see it pretty often and it seems like it must be simple, though I just don't know. Thanks for any leads. It's in this picture of a recipe, though the recipe doesn't seem to help much since it uses a storebought paste. I'm trying to re-create a recipe of a greasy, incredible pad thai that had a LOT of orange oil floating around it. Thanks! Assistant: It's the red curry paste. The colour binds to the rest of the oil in the dish and floats to the top it comes from the red chilis and sometimes red bell pepper.
Human: What is the orange-colored oil in spicy Asian food? I've been craving a version of pad thai for years that had a lot of this bright orange oil in it, you see it in spicy Asian dishes. What is that? It may be a mix of some kind of pepper and oil - if so, what is that mix? I see it pretty often and it seems like it must be simple, though I just don't know. Thanks for any leads. It's in this picture of a recipe, though the recipe doesn't seem to help much since it uses a storebought paste. I'm trying to re-create a recipe of a greasy, incredible pad thai that had a LOT of orange oil floating around it. Thanks! Assistant: Chilli oiI