Cooking time adjustment for large quantities of stew First off a little backgound: I am a member of a cooking club in my local village center. We have a reasonably well fitted kitchen, but the logistics of cooking in it for 20 people are always a bit tricky. We start at 17:30 and our menus always consist of an amuse, 2 starters, a main and a dessert. The aim is to serve the main between 21:00 and 21:30.

For this question, please assume that the oven is always taken for a different dish, so the stew has to be prepared from start to finish in a large pan.

We have often found that we fail to get stews cooked in time for serving. I am aware of the following factors that will increase the total time from start of prep to serving:

It takes a long time to prepare and brown 20 portions of meat before adding it to the stewing liquid
It takes longer for the stewing liquid to get to simmering temperature because of the higher volume

Even when taking these factors into account, there seems to be a sizeable difference between the cooking times we are used to when cooking 4 to 6 portions and the time it takes for the big pan for 20 portions.

We have a theory that this might be due to a temperature gradient between the bottom and top of the pan, but I don't know if this makes any sense.

Can anyone come up with something resembling a formula to adjust our cooking times in this situation? It might help us decide which dishes are (not) feasible to cook in the available time.

Normally, cooking a stew (not counting prep) in less than a three hours seems like rushing it to me.  I can't imagine that you'd ever get the fall-apart tender meat that people expect from a stew, but...

There are a number of techniques that I've seen professional cooks use when they're in a time crunch that may help you overcome time constraint problems such as this one:

Cut the ingredients into smaller pieces
Use larger bottomed or multiple pans (even electric ones as mentioned in the comments)
Use a deep fryer (not recommended for a stew ;-), though it would certainly help get the meat up to temperature)
Use a microwave (works well for some ingredients, not so much for others)
Use a pressure cooker (if available, this is what I would recommend for a stew)

From a scientific perspective, it's going to take 5 times as much energy to bring 20 portions worth of ingredients to temperature as it would 4 portions.  Coming up with an exact formula would require some detailed information such as the BTUs put out by the stove, the spread of the burner, and surface area, shape, and material of the pan being used, etc.  However, we do know that a lower portion of the energy will be lost when cooking 20 portions due to more surface area of the pan being in contact with the ingredients (even if only on the sides).  I would guess that the wasted energy probably ranges from 50% if you're cooking small portions to 20% if you're cooking large portions (again, depending on the efficiency of your cooking arrangement, which will vary widely).

So, if F is the energy required to bring 4 portions of the food to temperature, and S is the energy per time unit put out by the stove, and t1 is the time required to bring 4 portions up to cooking temperature, and we guess that we have 50% efficiency when cooking 4 portions, we have F=.5*S*t1.  When we increase to 20 portions, assuming the efficiency increases to 80%, we'd have 5F=.8*S*t2.  Solving for t2 relative to t1, we get t2=5*.5*S*t1/(.8*S), or t2=3.125*t1, so (given the assumptions of course), bringing 20 portions up to cooking temperature would take 3.125 times as long as bringing 4 portions up to temperature.  To speed things up, you would have to alter the input energy (more burners, electric assistance, etc.), or increase the efficiency (more pan surface area, smaller cut ingredients).  A more general equation would be t=M*Eb*tb/(Mb*E) with tb, Mb, and Eb being the time to cook a baseline amount, its mass, and the efficiency for that volume, and t, M, and E being the time for the new amount, its mass, and its efficiency.

Of course this is just the time to bring the ingredients up to cooking temperature.  Once there, the volume of ingredients doesn't matter much unless there is a lack of convection due to the thickness during the cooking phase, so with more portions you may need to stir more (this would be the solution to the gradient problem). After coming to cooking temperature, adding energy faster or more efficiently won't help much (if at all), but changing the pressure will change how quickly the food cooks, which is why this is what I would recommend.  The cooking phase is the majority of the time, so a 10% savings there will save you more than a 10% savings during the 'coming up to temperature' phase.  Depending on the stew, you may or may not need some time at the end for reduction and thickening as well.

In addition to all this, if you're doing prep work during the time you've listed, I'd skip the mise en place and get whatever you can heating up immediately so you can get as much heat as possible into as much of the stew as possible as quickly as possible.

When I prepare stew, it's usually a 3 hr process. Half hour for prep (including browning the meat), and 2 1/2 hours cooking time. I make 5 quarts at a time in my cast iron dutch oven which serves 6 hungry people, or maybe 8 with smaller serving.

I just brown the meat in the bottom of the dutch oven saute style, push them to the sides and saute my onions next, then start dumping in the fluids (I use red wine) and root veg (potatoes, parsnips, turnips) and herbs (oregano, thyme and bay), tossing in carrots an hour before completeion, and celery in 30 minutes before done.

If you increase the volume it takes longer to get to temp, but once it's to temp cooking time is the same regardless of volume. Perhaps you could split this into 3x 5 quart preperations or 2x 7 quart preperations. 7 quarts I would SWAG take an additional 5 minutes to bring to boil. Once there you bring it back down to a light simmer and would take the normal 2 1/2 hours (time obviously depending heavily on your recipe and intended outcome)

I know I just gave you mostly a recipe, but that wasn't my intention, just letting you know how I make my stew so you can perhaps adjust your order of operations. Minimize the number of pans (even though you would still need 2 or 3 pots or dutch ovens), and get it cooked quickly yet completely and so deliciously.


How can I be more frugal with salt when cooking (dried) pasta? When cooking pasta (from dried), I currently need to add a significant amount of salt to the water to add flavour.

As the pasta itself is extremely cheap, and the water is completely free - it can at times feel like throwing money down the drain as the majority of the salty water is discarded.

Are there any effective ways to reduce the amount of salt wasted during cooking, without simply undersalting the pasta? (e.g. adding salt after the pasta has been mostly drained)

Additional notes:

I'm open to making fresh pasta by hand, if salt can be added at this stage rather than in the water
The cost of salt should be considered a constant, that is - suggesting a cheaper salt is not valid.
Taste/texture quality should be maintained as best as possible.
Reusing the salted water is not acceptable, due to space constraints.

It's perfectly possible to cook pasta with no salt at all, so you may be able to wean yourself onto a lower salt level, reducing it gradually.

I don't know what, if anything, you're eating with your pasta, so getting that to have more flavour might be an option.

If you're actually eating plain pasta and want it salty but as cheap as possible, the first thing you should do is cook it in as little water as possible, and with a lid. This will also reduce your fuel bills (you can reduce them still further by turning off the heat for a few minutes in the middle of cooking). If you use half as much water as before, you could start by adding half as much salt, so the concentration in the water remains the same. To a first approximation, it's the concentration that matters here.

Even if you're eating absolutely at cheaply as possible already, I'd be very surprised if you could save significant amounts of money by using less salt, and if you can, you need to consider the health implications (I won't go into more detail). Think about how much in total you spend on it, because you can't possibly save more than that.

The salt increases the osmotic pressure of the water as well as flavoring the pasta. If you reduce the salt the pasta will not cook properly. Since the pasta water is typically used in finishing the sauce use the amount of salt called for in the recipe, typically 1 to 4 tablespoons for the gallon of water used for a pound of pasta.
As noted in the comments above salt is literally dirt cheap.
And do not add oil to the water. Just don't.

edit: ocean water has an osmotic pressure of about 27 atmospheres--
this effects the texture of the pasta

the pasta water that has a combination of starch and salt, when added to the sauce this helps the sauce to stick to the pasta (the salt controls the gelatinization of the starch)

and... you need a lot of water so that the temperature does not drop too much when you add the pasta


Why would boiling milk in an electric kettle break the kettle? Or: is it safe for the electric kettle's integrity and overall functionality to be used to boil non-water liquids such as milk?

*note: I know milk may burn onto the element and be difficult to clean out after, or it may foam up and out of the spout and make a mess. For the purpose of this question, please ignore any mess that may be left behind by these kettle-adventures.

I read this question on the Workplace SE which states:

  I needed hot milk, so I boiled it in the nearest kettle to me, but I
  think I broke it, as water won't boil any more. I know this, because I
  tried it myself.

This has me wondering WHY boiling milk in a kettle would break it. Logically I think it should simply make a mess, not cause the kettle to cease functioning.

The electric kettle is (clearly) not designed for this. The main issue is that milk doesn't evaporate, whereas water (obviously) does. The secondary reason is that milk will burn.

Milk is a complex mixture of water, fats, and proteins. The fats and proteins will separate out from the water when heated, and form a layer on top. Unfortunately, this layer prevents the water from evaporating - it traps it. This is what causes milk to boil over. Incidentally, the reason potato or pasta water boils over is due to the starch.

The way kettles turn off is by steam reaching the top of the kettle, rushing down a tube and causing a bi-metallic plate to expand unevenly, tripping the switch.

No steam means the kettle will never turn off. Because the kettle doesn't turn off, the element continues to heat the milk next to it. With water, the hot water will rise, rather than stick to the element. This means leaving the lid open won't cause a fire - at least not until all your water has boiled away. Unfortunately, milk will burn, and this layer of burnt milk will prevent effective heat dissipation - the milk in contact with the element is not moving throughout the remainder of the liquid. This causes the element to get hotter than it is meant to.

However, kettle manufacturers have thought this through - they don't want their products to catch on fire (well, most don't) - even when they are misused like this. They will have built in a small (one time) temperature switch, like this one. This acts a little like a fuse, but for heat, not current. They are often called "thermal fuses" for this reason. When the element reaches a temperature which has been deemed "too hot" (probably around 190ºC, perhaps a little hotter) this switch is tripped, and current can no longer reach the element. I attempted to get a measure of the temperature of the heating element of a kettle, but I could not get good enough contact between the element and my probe.

It's hard to tell what happened in the question you linked – if it was an electric kettle, it might have boiled over and shorted the thing.


Is it ok to use milk that incubated for 12 hours but did not set for yogurt in baked goods? I had a fail when making yogurt in an instant pot. Milk did not "take" as yogurt after a 12 hour incubation.  It smelled fine.  I was hoping because I refrigerated right away I could use to make bread or some other baked good that cook/bake at a high temp 350 or higher in an oven for a long period of time.

From a conservative food safety perspective, the answer is no. The USDA suggests you discard any milk in your fridge after a 4 hour power outage -- surely your 12 hour incubation has more potential for bacterial growth. Baking is not a sufficient substitute for sterilization. Although the internal temperature of your baked good will probably reach boiling, it will not stay there long enough to guarantee all harmful bacteria are destroyed.
In yogurt making, you rely on cultured bacteria to acidify your milk. This acidity not only "sets" the yogurt, but protects it from the growth of further harmful bacteria. If your yogurt did not set, it is likely that the cultured bacteria is dead; perhaps you got a bad starter, or maybe you overheated it. In any case, there is not sufficient acid in your old milk to protect from harmful bacteria.
Some cooks regularly use slightly spoiled or soured milk, like Dan Barber in this interview. Pasturized milk goes bad in a fairly consistent way: according to this National Geographic article, first it goes through a souring processes with the growth of Streptococci and Lactobacilli. Only then do yeasts, molds, and Bacillus bacteria begin to grow, usually resulting in a strong smell of ammonia. The Streptococci and Lactobacilli are safe to consume (in fact, they are the same bacteria you tried to introduce to your yogurt), but the Bacillus can cause foodborne illness. This supports the idea that "slightly" spoiled milk could be relatively safe.
However, I would highly recommend you simply discard spoiled or possibly spoiled milk. It is a shame to waste milk, but hopefully once you perfect your yogurt making process this will be a rare occurrence. Ultimately, milk is pretty cheap and foodborne illness is pretty unpleasant. If you want to use a fermented milk product in your baking, just buy some: store-bought cultured buttermilk is safe, cheap, consistent, and delicious.

In my opinion, this is not safe, it is possible that the milk has deteriorated, you can try to make a new yogurt to use again.


Why does commercial brown (whole wheat) bread taste bitter? I use this flour for making parathas: Pillsbury Chakki Fresh Atta (whole wheat flour)
This is whole wheat flour. The parathas never tasted bitter.

Is the commercial whole wheat bread made of this kind of flour?
I have found the commercial whole wheat bread to be bitter. What's the reason?

If I make the brown bread with this flour only, will that be bitter too?

Much of the bitterness in breads made from whole wheat is caused by the phenolic acid and tannins in the bran layer of the wheat. Different varieties of wheat have different levels of those compounds and produce breads with different levels of bitterness. "Traditional" varieties of wheat, such as red wheat, contain high levels of tannins, while hard white spring wheat contains relatively low levels of tannins.

Here is what bakingbusiness.com has to say about this subject:

  With whole wheat, taste differences boil down to the tannin content of
  the bran. These red pigments in hard red wheat carry a bitter flavor.
  “... Whiter whole-grain varieties typically contain fewer tannins, which
  results in a less bitter taste,” said Brook Carson, technical product
  manager, ADM Milling, Shawnee Mission, Kansas. "Differences in taste can
  also be overcome with added sweetness or with a masking agent."

Based on your question, it sounds likely the Pillsbury Chakki Fresh Atta whole wheat flour you use for making parathas is milled from either hard white spring wheat or a blend of the white wheat with a more traditional variety of wheat resulting in a non-bitter end product.

There is another possible source of bitterness in bread made from whole wheat flour, although it shouldn’t really affect commercially made bread. When whole wheat flour is milled, it includes the oil containing wheat germ, which is different than refined white flour where the wheat germ is removed prior to milling.  This oil in the whole wheat flour results in it having a much shorter shelf life than white flour and makes it susceptible to rancidity if not stored properly. Commercial bakeries go through (literally) tons of flour, so their whole wheat flour shouldn't be sitting around long enough to go bad.

I can tell you from first-hand experience, one of the signs whole wheat flour has started to go rancid is an increase in bitterness.

American bread is more bitter than Japanese bread. I think this is caused by the use of baking power or baking soda.


How to turn a brownie mix into a cake? So, I asked my friend to get me a chocolate cake mix, but she accidentlt got me a brownie mix instead (Betty Crocker Brownie mix). I wanted to make a chocolate cake for tomorrow's Super Bowl. However, if there's no hope then I'll just make the brownies.

I can't turn them into cupcakes because I have no cupcake molds. I just have a rectangular pan. I also don't have baking powder.

So the insturctions on the box say to add 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 vegetable oil, and 1 egg.

I've seen some sites that says to add one more egg. Would that really help? Has anyone converted a brownie mix into a cake?

Adding one more egg will give you more "cake like" brownies.

If you have baking soda you could use that as leavening. If it were me I would add 1/4 tsp. baking soda to the dry mix and stir to combine. I would add additional liquid in the form of 1/4 cup of buttermilk or soured milk to activate the soda and use an extra egg. This should give you something that is more cake like, than brownie like.

Pillsbury Brownie mix,  Dark Fudge make cupcakes with crispy brownie top.
Mix It:
Here is how to convert the brownie box mix to cake:  Use extra large eggs,  33% more Canola oil,  pretty warm Arabian coffee instead of water.  Mix all liquid together first then add to brownie powder.
Pan It:
Spray cupcake liners with Bakers Joy.  Put Oreo cookie in each cupcake well,  1/4 cup batter.  I add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to a box,  BUT,  add nuts by hand to each cupcake well,  for even distribution.
Bake It:
Bake 325  F degrees for 40 minutes,  toothpick comes out clean,  because it's cake not brownies.
Don't Worry:
The cookies and nuts will float on top but it looks really kewl when done. :)
Eat It:
Dani"EL" Friend of God
If I was making brownies then the toothpick comes out dirty with crumbs when done,  BUT,  cake toothpick comes out clean.
I thought I messed up 3 boxes of brownies but I invented a new thing.  My puppy "Summer Mousse" ,  like a dessert made me lose count of the oil.  That's Some Moose .... :). I got about 4 1/2 dozen

Cinnamon PaZazzz Option:
I also added 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to each box of brownie mix;  I comment last because it matches the brownie frosting that goes with that option.
Brownie Frosting:
6 tbsp butter softened,
2 1/2 cup confection sugar,
1 tsp cinnamon,
1 tbsp honey,
2 tsp vanilla extract,
and make your own
Dutch Chocolate ingredient:
Heat up 1/3 cup of either:  (heavy cream,  half and half,  evaporated milk or whole 2% milk) and add 3 1/2 ounce Unsweetened baking cocoa powder, a  plus heaping 1/4 tsp baking soda) set aside.

Directions:
Use stand mixer,  whisk and cream room temperature butter;  THEN,  on low speed add in your Dutch Chocolate,  cinnamon,  honey,  vanilla and confection sugar one cup at a time ( Might need to switch to beaters.). Continue to beat for 30 seconds.

When frosting just drop a tablespoon of frosting on top of each brownie;  it will spread out by itself,  do not spread it.  (My brownies were cooling or about room temperature 80 degrees)

Add colorful sprinkles;  placing in refrigerator will set the frosting.


What causes tea to be bitter, and how can I avoid that bitterness? How does tea become bitter between the moment it is packaged and the moment I drink it? Are there any chemical processes that take place when tea is stored or brewed that I can control to prevent making a cup of bitter tea?

If the causes of bitterness vary between different types of tea, I'd like to know that as well.

Storing Tea

You tea should never become bitter due to your storage methods. The only thing that should happen to tea as a result of how you store it is general loss of flavor or loss of the complexity of flavor (in a green tea, you might lose any honey or fruit notes of a tea that has been improperly stored, but it'll still taste like green tea).

There are a couple of factors at play when storing tea. The first is light. Exposure to light will degrade the quality of tea, stripping it of both color and flavor. Light also sets off a chain of reactions that destroys the antioxidants found in tea. So, you should store your tea in a light-blocking container (like a typical metal tea tin).

The next factor is air. Tea needs to be stored in a place that does not have any strong-smelling other foods or chemicals because it absorbs other odors very easily. In addition, tea absorbs moisture from the air, so it needs to be stored in a dry place. Moisture can cause several different problems with your tea: it could start binding to the tannins and make your tea taste bitter when you eventually brew it, and excess moisture could provide breeding grounds for bacteria or fungus, which would make your tea unfit for brewing at all. So, store your tea in an airtight container that blocks moisture and any other nearby odors. Vacuum sealing is not necessary, unless you want to keep a batch of tea for a long time without using it at all.

I haven't found any evidence supports claims of oxidation affecting taste more than moisture or light. Different types of tea are created by oxidizing tea leaves (white teas are the least oxidized, black teas the most, and greens and oolongs are somewhere in between), so oxidation is not inherently bad for tea.

To sum it up: Protect your tea from the harmful effects of light, moisture, ambient odors, and air by storing it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. If stored properly, most kinds of tea leaves should retain most of their flavor for about two years, though fresher is always better. (Some teas, like Japanese green teas, are traditionally only stored for about 3 months.)

Brewing Tea

In order to achieve the best taste, brew tea according to the processor's instructions (at least to start with - once you become more familiar with tea and what you like, you can adjust according to taste). The tea manufacturer's want their tea to taste good, and they are experts, so you can rely on them to provide decent instructions. I've never bought tea that didn't have instructions for brewing right on the package, but in case you find some that don't have instructions, here are some general guidelines. I've taken this from Upton Tea's Brief Guide to Tea, and it corresponds to my own experience with making tea and chatting with tea importers / shop owners, too.

Whole Leaf Teas

black teas: boiling (212°F / 100°C) water, steep for 3-4 minutes; if serving with milk or lemon, steep 4-5 minutes
green teas: slightly less than boiling (180°F / 82°C), steep 2-3 minutes
oolong teas: lighter oolongs use warm (180°F / 82°C) water, steep for 2-3 minutes
white teas: less than boiling (180°F / 82°C) water, steep for 2-3 minutes
herbal tisanes: boiling (212°F / 100°C) water, steep for 5-8 minutes

Fanning, Crushed Leaves, or Powder

This is what most pre-bagged teas are, and since they have been processed to be finer, they require a shorter brewing time. (Finer leaves means more surface area, so you get more tannins per second when brewing, compared to tea leaves in larger pieces.)
Use guidelines above, but brew for 1-1.5 minutes less than whole leaf teas

The bitter taste comes from tannins. There are two ways for tea to become unpleasantly bitter: steeping at too high a temperature, or steeping for too long. (It's also possible that if your water is heavily chlorinated or otherwise impure that it could be making your tea taste bad, but that's far less likely than improper brewing.) If you're making tea from loose tea leaves, using too many leaves could also make your tea bitter; a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 oz of water, though this can vary depending on the type of tea you're making.

Generally speaking, the longer you brew tea, the more tannins will be released and the bitterer the tea will be. If you use the times above as a starting point, you shouldn't get any overly bitter tea, but remember: each batch of tea is unique, and each tea drinker's taste is different. Experiment until you find what you consider to be the perfect cup of tea.

Lastly, start with good quality tea. Some tea is poorly processed and the flavor is ruined before you've even opened the package. If you start with a high-quality tea, you're much more likely to get good results. :)

Tea Quality
To avoid bitter tea, buy higher-quality tea. Bitterness comes from tea leaves being broken, often because they are harvested by machine. Hand-harvested tea is more expensive, obviously, but probably won't have that tannic taste. Here is a good website with better information: https://sevencups.com/learn-about-tea/how-to-judge-tea/
Add lemon to tea to reduce tannins, which can chelate iron from your food.


Do I need to add pectin to make jam? I'm making a variety of jams. And I've never made jams before.

I found some really fun flavours online, such as blueberry-lavender, spiced-fall-fruit, tomato-rosemary, and pear-vanilla.

Some of the recipes call for pectin. A quick google search reveals that pectin is something that's released from fruit. Is this correct? If so, why do I need to add pectin while making fruit jam (by heating fruit for a long time)? Won't the fruit release pectin of its own? So do I need to  buy pectin?

EDIT - I followed the advice given here and got pectin (sureJell brand) from QFC, followed the recipes online, and the jams came out amazing. I think I'm going to make jam every month! No need to wait for Christmas :)

I would probably just follow the recipes. If they're good, the amount of additional pectin they call for is what's necessary to get the jam to set well. If you use less than that, it might end up really runny.

Different kinds of fruit have different amounts of pectin, and it's not evenly distributed through the fruit. For example, apples and pears have a decent amount, while grapes and strawberries have very little. Oranges have some, but orange peel has a huge amount. There's a partial list in the Wikipedia article on pectin.

So, it's possible to make things that get the pectin they need from the fruit, especially if they're cooked enough to thicken and set more easily. Orange marmalade might be the most obvious example of this. But some recipes/fruits don't have enough to ever set, so they need additional pectin.

Since you're searching broadly online for recipes, you may also be seeing variations in how firmly set they come out. You might discover that some of the no-pectin or lower-pectin recipes just don't set as firmly, because that's what the author prefers. If the recipe comes with really good photos, you might be able to anticipate this.

You can also purchase Pomona's Universal Pectin that you can use in little to no sugar added jam. It is activated by calcium water which is included in the box (dry powder) . You bring your jam up to boiling then add the prescribed amount of pectin stir to combine remove from heat and jar. I buy mine at Whole Foods or you can purchase online and I believe from Pomona's website. I've never used the other pectins so I can't comment on them but you have to add enormous amounts of sugar and usually the entire box of pectin . With Pomona's it's just the opposite and no long cooking times.


Is "instant flour" worth bothering with? I have not used "instant flour" before as it is not available in my home country, and I have never seen it on my travels

I have seen a few references to it in North American cooking though. Does this product have any real advantages over normal flour other than for quick and easy sauces and gravies?

If so, is there a simple way to make a substitute?

I currently have no problem cooking and emulsifying flour into sauces etc.

Instant flour has the advantage of speed and ease.  You can pretty much always do without - but for home cooks in a hurry, it can be an easy solution.  Its used for sauces, but sometimes recommended for pastry work because of the ultra low protein content.

Normally, when adding flour to a sauce you'll need to make it into a slurry or roux and mix in correctly to avoid lumps.  Then you'll need to cook it for a bit to get rid of the 'flour taste'.

With instant flour, its just pour and stir - no clumps, no waiting.  My understanding is that this is ultra low protein flour that as been flash hydrated, cooked (possibly with steam), dehydrated, and then finely ground.  This means its pretty much 'ready' to use - it won't taste 'floury' since its already been cooked and the superfine particles are supposed to not clump.  (It may also contain some malted barley flour as a dough conditioner).

You could try (this is just an idea) making it at home by basically repeating the above process - steam cake flour, dehydrate, grind...but I don't know why you would.  If you going to do all that, just make a slurry or roux or use cake flour.

This site lays out a few interesting uses.  Using it for crepes because it will hydrate quicker.  Using it for pastry work when you can get pastry flour and you don't want the bleachness of cake flour.

There is some information on the internet regarding "instant flour".  In the discussion I just read it is stated that "Wondra" instant flour is the leading USA brand for this and that it is a pregelatinized, low protein wheat flour to which some malted barley flour has been added.  The article goes on to say that it is sometimes used for pie crust [probably due to the low gluten content], and that a reasonable replacement would be cake flour [which is low protein wheat flour with low or no gluten].

In my years of cooking, have not heard of this product before - so can't really advise on what you should do.  I do know that I have made plenty of thickened sauces using plain old wheat flour with satisfying results for myself and my guests.  I certainly never knew I was missing something.

If you search for "instant flour" in your favorite internet search application will yield a lot of information.

One other thing; from what I read, it sounds like this type of flour product would not lend itself to making a roux thickener.


Substitute yogurt powder for confectioners sugar when making royal icing When making treats, I try to make them as appealing as possible and like to decorate them.  I have been looking for an icing recipe that can be used for decoration that doesn't include sugar.  Most of the ones I have found call for yogurt, however they do not harden.  I recently purchased a mix which was yogurt based which worked really well however could get costly if I do a lot of treats.  I was wondering if I used a royal icing recipe and substituted the confectioner's sugar in the recipe with yogurt powder, would it work?

I wonder what those yogurt covered peanut contain? They are sweet but a similar setting agent minus the sugar might do the trick? e.g Agar agar


Adding moisture to gluten free muffins I am using the following list of ingredients in trying to make gluten free, grain free, egg free, sugar free muffins. The texture turned out a bit too dry. Increasing which ingredient would give a moister texture? Bananas or date puree?

1/2 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 cup Potato starch
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup date puree
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup yogurt
Pinch of cinnamon

Increasing the amount of yogurt and/or banana mash should work best, the former having a more noticeable difference. You might have to experiment to get the amount right, but I'd suggest starting with an additional 1/4 cup of yogurt or banana mash. You could try more date puree as well but that might make the muffins too thick.

Also don't forget to add moisture into the oven by placing a bowl of water in the oven when baking.


Beef Steaks : Cooking older-grade meat (C-Grade) I'm an amateur cook and I can't afford to buy "good" steaks, so I made my own Sous Vide circulator to try and get the best out of cheap meat cuts. Thing is, where I'm from, even the less-glamorous cuts of A-Grade beef is too expensive for me. So I buy C-Grade rump, which is basically meat from older animals.
My question is: How do I adjust my Sous Vide temperatures and times for the older beef? I tried a 1-inch rump steak at 65C for 2 hours and it came out dry cos all the juices from the meat seemed like it oozed out into the bag. I salted it before the sous vide phase.
I previously tried a big piece of rump on a 16 hour cook time, and it was also very dry cos all the juices had come out into the bag.

What are my option to make a decent steak out of C-Grade rump?

EDIT#1: So a few suggestions that my temp controller isn't accurate... I do have a candy thermometer lying around. I'll try double-checking it against that. Also, from the other question that was linked, there's  a suggestion to hold back on the seasoning until after the cook is done. I'll give that a try next time. I've looked at Douglas Baldwin's "Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking" and I think I might try a sub-60C cook to extract the magic from this passage:

  Indeed, collagen begins to dissolve into gelatin above 122°F to 131°F (50°C to 55°C) (Neklyudov, 2003; This, 2006). Moreover, the sarcoplasmic protein enzyme collagenase remains active below 140°F (60°C) and can significantly tenderize the meat if held for more than 6 hours (Tornberg, 2005).

EDIT#2 : See my link below. It's a scholarly article on fibrous connective tissue, which makes comments about older animals and the effect on collagen. It's a bit over my head, but might be interesting to anyone who has the appetite for food science...
Click Here for the article

Older animals will have much more flavorful meat, but the only way to get the meat tender is to cook for a long time with moisture, at a relatively low temperature. This means braising or steaming. It is unlikely that sous vide methods will provide the temperature necessary to break down the collagen proteins, nor does it usually provide enough moisture. It is really not appropriate to use this grade of meat for steak, or any quick cooking method.

A possible alternative would be to use a marinade which includes fresh pineapple juice or papaya juice. These juices contain enzymes which break down the protein structure of meat and make it more tender, but must be used fresh, as the canning/pasteurizing process denatures the enzymes, making them ineffective.

One technique I like is a form of "turbo-aging" using the oven.

Start with steaks about 1.5" (4cm) thick.  Season with salt and pepper, then put them in a low oven (275 F / 135 C) on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet and leave them there about 25 minutes, until the interior of the steak is 90-100 F / 32-37 C.

After that, grill or sear them as per your preference and as you normally would.  The interior will be medium-rare to medium depending on how hot you let the interior get in the oven.

I normally do this with strip steaks, but it will work for any cut.


When should I press garlic and when should I chop it? I just found out they make fancy devices for pressing garlic. However, I'm unsure of when I should use this. When do chefs press garlic and when do they chop it? Is there a rule of thumb that needs to be followed? Also, why does only Garlic and Ginger get pressed?

That is actually quite controversial in its own way. If you are going to use a garlic press, you should cut the root end off the clove (you can do that a bulb at a time if desired) and give the individual cloves a bit of a crush with the side of a big knife before you press them. If you do that and you have a good garlic press, you can then just pluck the paper from the press to be ready for the next clove. That's fine, if pressed garlic is actually what you want.

Garlic is funny this way. It all depends upon how fussy you want to be. Pressing is about the least "perfect" way to prepare garlic for anything, but it pretty much works for everything. Many people find pressing to be the most convenient way to deal with garlic. If you press garlic you get fresh garlic juice and smudged garlic paste. For almost anything that is adequate.

If you desire for more than adequate, the kind of superlative awesomeness that Michelin Star judges look for and your little brother would never notice, then you need to break out the knife skills. Slicing, mincing, smearing, crushing, and even pressing give different results, even if those differences are barely apparent to us mere mortals.

I don't think ginger should ever be pressed, and I would not say that pressing is an always adequate technique like I would say for garlic. The best methods for ginger are to grate with a microplane or a ginger grater, to finely dice, to do it in volume with a food processor and then keep in the fridge or freeze in single use aliquots, or to roast and use in big chunks. You might find it helpful to know that you can freeze the whole hand of ginger. Frozen, you can use a microplane and the paper will just drift out of your way.

I'm not aware of anything else for which a press of the garlic press type could be of any use.

Pressed garlic is 4 times as strong as minced! So adjust your recipe accordingly if your going to use pressed garlic.


Plain chocolate Chips same as semi sweet chips I live in the UK and am having trouble obtaining semi-sweet chocolate chips in grocery stores.  Today I spotted De.Oetker (brand) plain chocolate chips.   Would that be the same as semi-sweet, say Nestle' or Hershey's?  Package states Cocoa solids 44% minimum.

Yes, dark chocolate of around 35-60% cocoa is essentially semisweet. Higher cocoa percentages are bittersweet.

When in doubt, I say to perform a taste-test.


How does one cook with aloe? There is an asian grocery nearby and I've seen foot long lengths of aloe vera plant in the produce section.  I have an aloe plant at home. What do you suppose people do with aloe as a ingredient?

As Kruti Jani rightly pointed out, you can make aloe vera juice. Aloe vera gel (made like this) can also be diced finely and mixed into fruit juices to give a texture and slight freshness to a glass of juice. I have also seen it (the aloe vera gel) mixed with lemongrass jelly or mango sago dessert.


Pork Tenderloin Safe to eat? I bought a 4 pound pork tenderloin and put it immediately in the freezer.  It was there a week or so.  Then I took it out and placed it on the counter Monday night to thaw.  I don't have central heat and my internal thermometer hasn't gotten above 40-45 in days.  I forgot about the tenderloin for about 20 hours.  I was prescribed a medication that made me rather violently ill the last two days.  When I remembered on Tuesday evening, I ran and grabbed it and threw it in the fridge.  It was cool (like it had been in the fridge) to the touch.  It was vacuum packed.  I took it out today to roast after asking for advice in a group I am in.  Everyone there said it would be fine.  I even read that the door in a fridge can get up to 59 degrees, so food stored there spoils faster.  I opened the roast and it had a slight smell.  I rinsed it and there was zero smell.  It is not slimy.  It isn't stinky.  Think it's okay to roast and eat?

Cryopacked pork (I am assuming that's the product you have) can stink when you open the package...apparently companies have lost a lot of money due to unnecessary returns of this product. If it was cryopacked, and the package's integrity remains unquestioned, AND if the smell is like eggs and that's your concern, well it's supposed to be safe...I however won't buy cryopacked pork again just because I don't want to second guess myself and wonder if I am going to make myself sick...

so as you can see, this is NOT a definitive answer really...

My answer is "it's supposed to be safe, but I still don't like it"


How can I make macarons with "feet" in my oven at home? I've tried many macaron recipes, and all have tasted very good.  The problem is they always end up as a meringue, or looking like cookies.  They usually don't have the "feet" that macarons are known for.  My success rate on every recipe I've tried is about 1 in 6.

Does anyone known what my mistakes are or know a recipe that easily makes macarons with "feet"?

http://joepastry.com/index.php?title=troubleshooting_macarons&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

The point of leaving the cookies to sit on the pan is to dry out the skin so it'll solidify better. I'd suggest resting longer (up to 50 minutes) or using a hotter oven.

Thanks to Duncan at Syrup and Tang, and Helene Dujardin of Tartlette, I am now making batch after batch of perfect macarons.  I found Helene’s recipe for (French method) Lemon Verbena macarons and after 2 years and 3 months struggling to make the perfect shell, I began using this version for every batch.

I read incessantly about macarons, searching the web for hours to find just the right thing that might help me produce taller feet and macarons that don’t have sunken tops.  Finally, everything that was said regarding not over mixing during the macaronage stage (mixing the meringue with the almond flour/confectioner’s sugar) sunk in and I now stop short of what has always seemed to me to be the correct consistency.  It shouldn't be runny.

While reading, I came across a curious reference to using a pizza stone.  After finding the oven tutorial at Syrup and Tang, I discovered that my oven had its heating element at the top, and my macaron shells were not getting sufficient heat to thoroughly cook them on the bottom, resulting in wet macarons.  I now have my old pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and bake my macarons on the middle rack at 300 degrees for 18 minutes, rotating the pan at the 9 minute mark.

Another change has been that I no longer use 2 pans stacked inside one another, as my macarons don’t get enough heat as it is.  They are baked on parchment paper on one baking sheet and have perfect feet every time, feet that do not deflate after being removed from the oven.

Best of luck!


How long before a dead chicken becomes inedible? Given that the chicken is not contaminated by poison, and it simply dies of heart failure or heat stroke and not anything that makes it immediately inedible, how long does it take before a dead chicken becomes inedible?

I will post as an answer as too long for comment, but would support closing as opinion based with no definitive answer.

When I raise meat chickens, my answer was zero.  Even if the cause was harmless, the meat would be low quality at best due to lack of ability to remove blood.  Even simple heart failure, besides the lack of ability to purge blood, could result in contamination from systemic issues related to poor circulation.  Note that consumption of down birds was blamed for spreading Avian Influenza in Asia.  The use of down animals was responsible for a widespread Mad Cow recall in US and Canada a few years ago.

At times, and in many cultures, using down animals, either dead or dying, has ranged from acceptable to taboo.  I personally side with the taboo argument.  I hate to waste an animal, but the risks are too high for me.

I was also searching since I am concern if my rooster dying one day because I am tying him and I have a tree near him with a wood where he can rest which is where he likes to always be at and I am concern if he gets tangled on it.

I saw a link that may help its entitled : If an animal died this way, don’t eat the meat

The article mentioned that the animal may have died of the following causes and eating should be avoided: Poisoning, Disease, Lead ammunition, Bacteria, Parasites


How do I prevent jams from turning brown? I have been a jam maker for years.  We live in an area of fresh fruit so it's always naturally sweet.  I decrease the sugar in each recipe by at least 1 cup and I always add fresh lemon juice.  My question is: do I need to water bath the jam to prevent it from turning dark on the top?

It doesn't affect the taste but it doesn't look very pretty.  I have jams I recently made & I'm also wondering if I could water bath them now even though I made it a few weeks ago? I pack hot jam into scalding hot jars with hot lids.  I always have good seals & I love the sounds of the jars sealing!  I call it the Canner Symphony!

Turning brown on top is usually a sign of too much oxygen in the jar.

The NCHFP FAQ covers this exact topic (search for "dark"). There are a few primary causes:

too much headspace, or bubbles left in the jam before processing;
not enough liquid to cover bits of food/fruit; or
not enough processing time.

All of these result in the surface of the jam being exposed to oxygen. The first two are fairly direct: there's too much air on top. The third is because processing drives some of the air out of the headspace, leaving lower pressure air, which not only prevents browning but also creates a reliable vacuum seal.

Too much headspace is an easy possibility for you to check. The right amount varies depending on the jar size, but you might well have too much.

The processing time is the really worrying thing to me in your case; you're not processing your jam at all, just packing it in hot and letting it seal. That's actually a good way to get unreliable seals, but it sounds like you're getting lucky and it's working out. (But be really careful to test the seal later just to make sure after it's cooled - push down on the middle and make sure it doesn't pop back up.) Still, I might suggest trying a couple batches of jam with a tested recipe that involves water bath processing just to be sure. It might well solve your problem, and it'll make your canning safer.

Sterilization of the jars is of the utmost importance. This sounds like some sort of bug has been let loose on your concoctions and has ruined everything.

Some people think that you can sterilize the jars in a dish washer but I would not chance it. I boil my glass jars in a big 5 liter pot of water to ensure everything is sterile.

Also you need to close the lids of your jars super tight. They must form a seal until the day they are to be consumed. Also full them up right to the brim.


How do I pound chicken (or other meat) without making a mess? Despite my best efforts, my kitchen (and sometimes the chicken) always looks like a war zone after pounding 8 or 10 breasts.  Maybe this is just a messy job, but I think there must be something I'm missing.

I've tried using mallets, both metal and wooden  The meat always gets stuck to the pounding surface and the mallet.  I've tried putting the meat inside a plastic sandwich bag or freezer bag; the bag is always ripping and falling apart before the meat is flat.  Wax paper is about the same.

I've also tried rolling pins.  Even got a "non-stick" one.  This way is even more hopeless for me, because the meat either slides around on the surface or sticks to the pin (doesn't matter if I use flour).

Surely there must be a combination of tools and techniques that would allow me to complete this task without requiring 20 minutes of constant cursing and an extra hour of cleanup.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Clingwrap works fine for me -- but I don't use a meat tenderizer -- I just use a small but fairly heavy pan (but not my cast iron, as it's not smooth on the bottom).

When I was in college, I tried a few things.  I can get pretty decent results just hitting it with my cutting board.  (with it between saran wrap).

Part of it might be technique -- if I'm doing chicken breast I first slice is sort of following the taper of the breast, so it's neither with or across the grain, but kinda of diagonal.  You also don't want to hit straight down -- you want to angle the blows, so you're actually pushing the meat out, and not just trying to force it through the counter.

And I should mention that I've only ever pounded out poultry and pork -- I assume beef would be the same, but I have no experience to confirm or deny it.

Cover meat with Saran Wrap. Then hit with a Pyrex dish.


What do you get when you reheat and cool clotted cream? I made clotted cream and tried to heat it for serving. It immediately disintegrated so I tried to salvage it by freezing it. It solidified into something yellowish and left some liquid at the bottom, just like when I made the clotted cream. Is the solid part still clotted cream or is it something else?

From your description and re-reading the instructions for your version: yes, what you had on top was still clotted cream.

They liquid on the bottom should be whey, which gets separated from the rest during the clotting-process. Re-heating did start the same process you used originally, and left-over whey separated again.

You made butter. Unsalted butter, but butter nonetheless


How do I convey an order for over medium eggs without runny yolks? I'm not a chef; I'm a (new) waitress and a few days ago a customer ordered her eggs over medium, but she didn't want the yolks runny. She was very insistent on this, and said she would send them back if they were runny so I put the order in as over hard eggs because I thought the very definition of over medium is that the yolks are just a bit runny.

She was pissed and sent the over hard eggs back and told me that she didn't want over hard. So next I tried putting them in as over medium but well done and put a note "yolks not runny". She sent these back too and was absolutely livid, and complained about my terrible service to the manager.

How should I have translated her request to the kitchen?

Not to be dismissive, but this just sounds like a difficult guest to me. I think you'll find that this happens from time to time and it can be tough to know exactly what they're asking for.

There are two major possibilities here:

She was looking for the standard definition of "over medium", but has gotten under-done eggs before and thought she was clarifying; instead her additional information ("not runny") just confused things.
She's got some non-standard definition of "over medium", in which case she's going to find it difficult to locate any kitchen that can deliver. This is a bit like defining a "medium-rare" steak as one without any pink in it, then getting mad when you receive a well-done steak.

From a server's perspective, it sounds like you tried a couple ways to deliver what she asked for. Her not being satisfied with that could be the result of the kitchen not quite meeting your request, her not really knowing what she's asking for, or other factors entirely. Perhaps you addressed her in a way she found disrespectful or annoying, and used her eggs as a proxy to complain.

(A side note from my experience: somebody insistently telling you up-front that they'll send back their food is a huge red flag. It almost always means they're looking for an excuse to cause a fuss.)

Frankly, it's not unusual for someone having a bad day to take it out on service staff over something minor. It's an occupational hazard. When this happens, be polite and clear with your manager about what happened and explain the situation as best you can.

"Over medium" is that stage at which the yolk is still bright/deep yellow and not brittle, but not liquid/runny. Might say it's "thick".

Over-hard eggs have a pale yellow, solid, brittle crumbly yolk, like that of a hard boiled egg.


What's the best way to cook BBQ ribs in the oven and grill? I have some pork ribs that I want to barbecue, but being relatively inexperienced with BBQ and lacking a decent grill thermometer, I want to simplify things by cooking them partly in the oven and partly in the grill. Researching online has thrown up many variations as to temperature, timing, and which order to cook them in. So, some sub-questions:

Is it better to grill the ribs first, then put them in the oven, or vice versa?
In either case, is it best to use indirect or direct heat on the grill to get the necessary smokiness and glaze?
What temperature should the ribs be cooked at in the oven and for roughly how long (I know outcome is more important than timing)
Should the ribs be wrapped in foil in the oven for the entire cook?

FWIW my instinct is to grill (with some wood chips for smoke) first, then oven, but my concern then is how to get a good glaze.

The goal with ribs is "low and slow" cooking to break down connective tissue.  But a quick sear will help to lock in juices and provide a good smoky flavor.  I find it's preferable to do this first so that the smokiness can work its way into the meat over the slow cook to come.

After seasoning, I would start with a sear on your grill over direct heat (8-10 minutes per side).  Then, either move to a very low indirect heat on the grill and cover, which will provide a more smoky flavor, or transfer to your oven at a very low temperature (most home ovens go down to about 250F which is what I'd use).  Baste both sides every half hour or so if you're using sauce.  It should take about 2-3 hours at this low temperature to get good results, although you can let it go a lot longer if you want.  I would have no problem at all cooking ribs for 6, 8, or 10 hours assuming you've got the time.

If you're cooking on the grill the whole time, the smoke will help create a delicious glaze.  If in the oven and the glaze isn't as thick as you'd like by the time you're ready to serve, you can crank on the broiler and place the ribs underneath for just a couple minutes to dry out the glaze a bit.

You do not need to wrap them in foil during cooking if you have quality ribs and cook them slow.  The only time I'd wrap them in foil would be at the very end once you have finished cooking, in order to keep them warm until you're ready to serve.

I regularly have really good ribs at a local rib place, the cook told me to grill first then wrap in saran type wrap put in oven at 180 if possible.  she said bone side down on grill, but I can't remember how long on the grill, I am gonna give it a try


Is there something better than mineral oil for cutting boards? I've been using mineral oil to oil my wooden cutting boards ever since I found out this was a good thing to do.  I had a couple of bamboo boards up until I bought a really great John Boos carving board (made of maple).

When I bought the maple board, I noticed they sold something called "mystery oil".  A few searches later, I found it appears to be a mix of mineral oil and linseed oil.

Since then, I have been using just mineral oil on the board(s) with no ill effects.  However, I have been wondering if there is a benefit to using something other than just straight mineral oil.

Can anyone weigh in on this?

"Better" might be a matter of interpretation. The oils will behave a bit differently, however.

Mineral Oil is a non-drying oil, which means that it will not polymerize (form a plastic-like substance) over time. This is good for oiling cutting boards because it will stay a bit liquid in the wood and flow into cracks and scratches. It is also food-safe and won't go rancid or support microorganisms.

Linseed Oil (AKA Flaxseed Oil, or Flax Oil) is also a good choice, for a different reason. Linseed Oil is a drying oil, which means it will fully polymerize and form a harder plastic layer. This is why it is about the best oil for seasoning cast iron pans. It may be more durable than mineral oil, but lacks the ability to "flow".

A blend of the two sounds like a fine idea. My favorite, Howard's Butcher Block Conditioner is a mix of Mineral Oil and natural waxes like Carnauba and Beeswax, which add a bit of that "durability" that Linseed Oil could add.

What would be a bad choice are most food oils like Canola, Olive Oil, Lard, etc. Unsaturated fats will oxidize (go rancid) and affect your food. Even oils high in saturated fats may have too many anti-oxidants (which are bad in this case), which will prevent polymerization and leave a gummy surface. These semi-drying oils are of no use here.

Whatever you use, make sure it is intended for food (Linseed Oil is a common woodworking finish, and not all versions are intended for use with food). Mineral Oil is probably more convenient for quick daily wipe-downs, while some of the blends are probably a bit more suited toward occasional re-finishing. Either way, regular application and keeping the board dry while not in use will make more difference than the exact type of oil.

Coconut oil works great, doesn't go rancid.


Effects of reducing sugar in cookies If I want to reduce the amount of sugar (to reduce sweetness) in a cookie recipe, how would that affect the end result (mainly with respect to texture) and what can be done to negate it?

Sugar isn't added to baked goods just to sweeten them: it also does things to the fats and starches to help create the texture. This is related to why some recipes require castor sugar (i.e. very fine crystals) and others do not.

One solution you could experiment with is changing the sugar. Dextrose is noticeably less sweet than cane sugar, for instance, for the same quantity.

they will be softer (less hard) cutting the sugar. i prefer them this way.


How safe is steak tartare? How safe is steak tartare?

What can I do when preparing it make sure it is safe to eat?

Butchered meat is generally sterile except on its exterior.  (That doesn't mean parasite- or botulism-free, but it's a start.)

Get the best quality you can from a source you trust.  Keep it at as low a temperature as possible, and don't expose it to warm air for more than the few minutes it takes to prepare.

Cut with a clean knife on a clean surface. Put it right back into the fridge at a very low temp.

Salt and acid, if you use them in your sauce, will provide some anti-bacterial benefits, but this is not foolproof.

People all over the world eat raw meat, but it's best to start with small amounts and see how your system handles it.  If you're a child/pregnant/old/sick, it's much less of a good idea.

I have eaten raw beef (including store bought ground beef) all my life. In fact, my mother told me our butcher fed me a small ball of raw, ground beef when I was a baby. She said it was my first solid food. I am now 80 years old & have never had any type of food borne illness, Probably have eaten at least a thousand pounds of raw beef of almost all cuts, gallons of raw oysters including some in southern Mexico, & still tell the waiter in the resturants "just knock off their horns, wipe their ----, & throw it on the plate" My step dad always said the way I ate a steak was "put a bandaid on it & it will get well", but he is now deceased, may he RIP.


What defines a bread as 'artisan'? 'Artisan' is a term thrown around a lot right now in the bread world.  What defines something as an 'artisan' bread?  Is it a function of the recipe, the technique, or the person?  Note, I'm not talking about just store bought bread here - but books like Artisan Breads Everyday.  So clearly it can't be just a grocery marketing term.  (It could be more generally a marketing term.)

I think everyone agrees that "artisan" gets tossed around as a marketing term that is largely empty or vapid, referring as much to the "old world" images used on the bag than to the bread itself.

However, I think there is an actual "artisan" quality to food, and that it relates to several qualities or ethics of the producer - which you do find in some actual bakeries:

Develops their own recipes - an artisan baker should be developing recipes that meet their needs. If they don't know enough to do that, then they are just following instructions.
Tweaks recipes carefully over time to maximize the intended qualities of the bread. An "artisan" producer understands the variables that impact the quality of their product and constantly adjust them to keep the bread quality high, despite changing or variable ingredients.
Follows the ethic of "Flavor Rules", and flavor is the first priority. Of course they have to be a business-person as well, but recipe changes and enhancements should primarily be made to improve flavor, not reduce cost, improve packability, etc.
Has a real passion for what they are doing, and holds themselves to the highest standard. Artists are always the most critical of their own work, and are constantly looking for ways to improve.

A home baker may not be an "artist", but when I make "artisan breads" at home (and I think this is what Peter R. is referring to), I do so with an intent to make the bread as good as I possibly can, even if this means baking it tomorrow instead of tonight, or ordering special flours online. I contrast this with my "makin' dinner" baking, where I obviously want it to be good, but am willing to give up some perfection in order to get it done tonight. Neither method is inherently better, but they are undertaken with a different intent and process.

The Term Artisan SHOULD (not saying it is) be used as a term for Scratch Cooking or baking in old world technique. Meaning, none of this "Semi Homecooked" Crap. I consider myself to be an "Artisanal Chef" meaning that IF I can make it myself. I will. period. Just about anything can be "Artisan" and it is a beautiful term, to me it brings up images of beautiful loaves of bread with a thick crust, deliciously mouth watering cheeses, smoked meats, and wonderful jams and sauces. But sadly this term has been watered down, to mean anything made to look "old world style" never mind that it has been produced with bagged mix, or frozen products. If it looks old world it is artisan. BS in my opinion. Go to a farmers market, local bakery, local coffee shop, or local butcher...there you will find the real Artisan products.


Should I use whole eggs or only yolks in Spaghetti alla Carbonara? I tried to cook spaghetti alla carbonara and searching out I found out that some recipes use whole eggs and some only the egg yolks. Which way gives the better result?

I've asked this question to many friends of mine from Rome, and they all agree that only yolks should be used. Then I managed to find out the scientific reason behind this.

The real challenge with this recipe, which makes the difference between a perfectly made creamy carbonara and just pasta with omelette, lies in temperature control.

As a matter of fact, the problem of keeping the sauce from getting curdled arises when you mix pasta just taken out from water boiling at 100 °C with egg components that coagulate at a much lower temperature. In particular, as anyone having fried an egg knows, egg white coagulates earlier than yolk (protein coagulation temperatures are approx. 60-62 °C for the former, 68-70 °C for the latter).

This means that egg whites are more susceptible to ruin your carbonara, if you can't manage to rapidly decrease the overall temperature below 60 °C. Since egg whites function is just to provide a more fluid substratum (creaminess and flavour come mostly from yolks), they are usually left out and replaced with starchy pasta water.

So, put yolks only (one per person) in a large bowl and whip them, add pasta al dente without straining it first, using a large fork or kitchen pliers to take it straight from the pot, and then quickly mix them together while adding the remaining ingredients.

In this way, cooking water adhering on pasta surface will provide both the liquid base for the sauce and enough heat to thicken it, while the mixing will disperse the heat in excess.

Considering the origin of that dish (poor coalmakers in need of a simple dish they could cook in the woods), I don't think throwing away the egg whites has ever been an option there.


For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar? So Ball’s Mason Jar is not as common in my country but I want to try my hand at pressure canning sambal (chili, garlic, fermented shrimp paste, no vinegar). Is there any alternative to Ball’s Mason Jar that is gold standard for pressure canning?

The important part of the system are the lids. The ideal lids are the Mason-type (no matter which company produced them), with a flat top and a separate side piece with thread.

Another type that works is the older Weck style jar, which consists of a glass jar with glass lid, plus rubber steal and metal clamps, no threads. This system is as safe as the Mason style lids. It might require frequent rubber replacement when pressure canning, because the gasket gets quite deformed in pressure canning as opposed to water bath canning, and in the extreme cases, some jars don't seal properly because the gasket gets sucked inside. This is not a safety issue, because it is easily recognized when it happens, and you just remove these failed-to-seal jars from your batch.

What you cannot use is single-piece twist-off LIDS as in your picture. They are not suited for pressure canning at home.

You might be able to use these jars, if you can find ones with the proper size mouth and threads to fit Mason-style lids on them. They will either seal properly and be safe, or not withstand the pressure and break apart while being heated in the canner. You will lose some jars that way, and will have a mess on your hands to clean, but you will not get food poisoning from improperly sealed jars. See https://www.healthycanning.com/re-using-bottles-from-store-bought-products/ for some expert opinions on that.

I believe further research would change your answer. The jar the questioner pictured is certainly safe and is proven so by the fact it has already withstood the far more rigorous commercial pressure  canning process.

The lids on those jars are reusable many times. But I prefer home canning with new lug lids I purchase from a wholesale company ( I use Fillmore).

The conglomerate that produces the Ball-type two-part lids makes most of the brands sold today. The internet is full of tales of woe from experienced home canners finding delayed fails in the new 18-month lids weeks after storing the jars.,

Home canning jars are annealed with different properties from tempered.

In summary there are 3 choices for pressure canning lids

1) 2-part single use  flats with reusable  rings (balll-type)

2 2-part flats & reuseable rubber gasket made by Tattler (wire bail or separate reuseable screw ring is needed)

3) a secret known to home canners for many years, commercial quality jars purchased at great expense with one piece ‘lug’ lids. (or reused jars from grocery store purchases, spaghetti sauce for example. These jars have already been used in commercial pressure canning so are proven safe.


What makes a chewy brownie? I've tried many different brownie recipes and most of mine bake to a cake-like consistency. The brownie holy grail for me is crusty top chewy brownies. What can I add/remove/do that will make my brownies chewier?

One of the most important factors in achieving a fudgy, chewy brownie is cooking time. Essentially you should be slightly undercooking the brownies so they don't dry out in the middle.

Use the cooking times given in recipes as a guide only, because each oven will vary. 5-10 minutes before they 'should' be ready, start testing the centre of the brownies with a toothpick or cake tester: unlike a cake, you want a good amount of sticky crumbs on the skewer (but very little liquid batter). Remember that the cooking process will continue even once the brownies are out of the oven.

Another factor that contributes to chewiness is the sugars you use: adding some sticky, dense, dark sugar will help create a fudgy brownie. The brownie recipe I use, which is pretty damn good, uses 1.5 cups of granulated sugar and .5 cup of packed dark brown sugar.

Use REALLY high quality Dutch Process Cocoa. Contrary to what is often seen, oil is not the answer to chewy brownies. Good cocoa, and bake them in a 9x9 pan, not 9x13 (think surface area to volume here).  I do not recommend undercooking, in my experience the texture is "off" in undercooked brownies.

Watch them carefully.  When the toothpick test is good (it comes out clean), get them out of the oven right away.


How soon after baking can you refrigerate freshly made fruit pies? How soon after baking a fresh fruit custard pie can I refrigerate it? Must it be at room temperature before it's put in the fridge?

EDIT: Although the question title says "fruit pies," the question specifies a "fruit custard pie."  The following answer relates to custard pies and other pies containing fillings with eggs and/or milk.  Actual plain "fruit pies" generally contain enough sugar to prevent rapid spoilage and therefore often do not require refrigeration.  If you do plan to refrigerate a plain fruit pie, there's no significant advantage to getting it into the fridge quickly.

Pies do not have to come down to room temperature before refrigeration.  In fact, most food safety organizations recommend the same general policy for egg-based and dairy-based pies as they do for other foods: don't leave leftovers out for more than 2 hours after cooking.  See, for example, recommendations here:

  Foods which contain eggs and milk, with high moisture content, must be
  kept refrigerated, as bacteria love to grow in these foods. Failing to
  put that pie back into the refrigerator before it has remained on the
  counter for more than 2 hours can make a very merry celebration for
  the bacteria, but not so good for friends and family.

So, 2 hours should be a maximum before refrigeration.

As for recommendations about the appropriate time to let cool at room temperature, see here, for example, which states:

  Cool cream pies at room temperature for only  30 minutes after you
  take them out  of the oven.

  After 30 minutes, put them in the refrigerator  to complete the
  cooling and to keep them  cold.

While it says "cream pies" here, the guidelines above in that link imply that such guidelines also relate to custard and pumpkin pies.  (The first link above also says the same thing about pumpkin pies.)

Basically, the only reason to keep a dairy-based or egg-based pie out of the refrigerator after removing from the oven is to allow cooking and setting to continue.  Many custard pies will continue to set a bit while cooling, and putting them in the refrigerator immediately might "shock" them and disrupt this process of solidification.  Changes in humidity levels and condensation might also have unpredictable effects on the pie surface while it is very hot.

(As for concerns about putting hot food in the fridge, see links to food safety organizations on the subject in my answer here.  Basically, you shouldn't put a hot or warm pie near anything that's very perishable in the fridge.  Otherwise, you're safer getting it in the fridge as soon as it has stablized after cooking, which shouldn't take more than 30 minutes or so.)

Basically you want to avoid heating up the contents of your refrigerator. That's pretty much the only concern, protecting your other food items.

How long it will take a given pie to cool depends on a lot of factors, but I'd say wait half an hour minimum after pulling from the oven.

It will still be warm at that point, but probably not enough to appreciably warm your fridge.


How long should I cook pasta sauce? I recently made pasta sauce, and every couple of minutes decided to add something more... More tomatoes, more pepper, more garlic...
After that I let it sit on a small flame for a bit more.
As a result, the sauce set in the pot for a fairly long time (45 min at least).

I asked my roommate if it's ok to leave it this long, and he said that the longer I leave it, the better it will come out.

Is this true? Is patience a key ingredient to a perfect sauce?
(P.S, it really did come out great...)

Yes, with any kind of 'stewing' sauce, the flavour improves the longer you cook it (provided it's a slow, gentle process). The longer you leave it, the more chance the flavours have to 'marry'. I have a recipe for a pasta sauce that calls for 6 hours of slow simmering!

You may also have noticed in the past that left over pasta sauce that you eat the next day is really good, for the same reason as above. Any stew, in fact, like bolognese, casserole, chilli, bourgignon etc, is really delicious when left overnight and reheated.

The longer you cook sauce the more the aroma fills the room and the less there is in your pot.

The reason you guys overcook or should I say overboil the sauce is because you add water in large amounts. Many amateurs add tomato paste (did you ever taste that straight from the can?). You absolutely do not marry flavors when the heat is on.

My grandmother used to say, you need to rest the sauce when cooked and reheat as desired, but never reboil. As the sauce cools it not only marries flavors, but thickens considerably.

If you want to preserve the fresh flavor, add little or no water, keep it covered so precious aromas are contained, and then if you want to seethe the meats, remove some sauce into another pan with the meat and boil your brains out.

The first pot will be ready and you will enjoy two flavors when you serve, similar to the difference when you have a strawberry sunday as opposed to putting all ingredients in a blender and making strawberry ice cream (not the flavor here but the concept of two flavors as opposed to one).

You may then store any leftovers in one pan and when reheated, not reboiled, enjoy another flavor marriage.

I have found that tomatoes are not always sweet since they are not all picked at their peak for obvious reasons, but the addition of asti spumante or a very similar, but much cheaper, wine called Canei will do you fine. For those who don't do booze, add it early and all the alcohol will evaporate. Remember the flavor of a tomato is basically citric acid. Enhance it, do not neutralize it.

NEVER brown your garlic or onions as the thin membrane on each will never digest in your stomach. Instead, sautee till mushy and they will disappear in the mix. The first part of flavor is aroma (remember when you have a cold you cant smell or taste very well?), so preserve the aromatics as though they were golden.


What is this yellow "fat" thing on my bacon Searching in google for yellow bacon fat returns nothing

I'm assuming it's fat, but have never seen a large yellow lump of it on any bacon I have had in the past.

Would this still be good to eat? (Already ate half the pack...)

That's a piece of the rind of the bacon, which is yellow because it was exposed to the smoke. The bacon shifted while being sliced, causing the strip to end up attached to that one piece rather than in bits on the others. It's fine to eat.

The slab of bacon where these slices came from, seems to have been slightly irregular shaped at that corner, so that when was cut, it didn’t give the uniform slices the customer is used to. This particular part was cut so that the layer of fat and skin/rind was cut on the bias, making the layers appear wider than when cut perpendicularly.

I suspect that the processing machinery “saw” slices within the expected width and so they ended up in the package. Irregularly shaped parts of the meat are often sold separately, e.g. as small cubes or otherwise cut up more.

In short, your bacon is perfectly fine.


What can I substitute for puff pastry? I have a recipe that calls for me to roll up turkey in puff pastry. What can I use as a substitute for the puff pastry, preferably that is lower in saturated fat?

Joe,

Whole wheat puff pastry.   It's expensive, and hard to find, though.

Or try another recipe.  If the recipe you're using calls for puff pastry, then the flavor and texture of the puff pastry is going to be a big part of the dish.  It never works very well to substitute a primary ingredient in a recipe.

This might be a wild bet, but I would try something out with tampura.


classical sauce-making with induction cooktop In classical french sauce-making lined copper pots are preferred for their responsiveness. Can anyone tell me how induction-capable cookware such as Demeyere Atlantis sauciers or All-Clad D3 equivalents perform compared to lined copper with gas heat? It is really responsiveness more than evenesss of heat distribution that I am interested in.

Cookware has nothing to do with sauces, you can make great sauces with whatever equipment  you have on hand, pan material (steel, aluminum, cooper...) or heat sources (gas, electric coils, ceramic induction or wood burning)
Most sauces need to be reduced to gain the most flavor, so responsiveness is not really an issue.


How do I avoid botulism formation when vacuum sealing and freezing raw chopped vegetables? I want to chop onions and green peppers then freeze in a vacuum sealed bag without blanching the vegetables first.

I read the article on blanching after vacuum sealing and then blanching but to your point the heat transfer is dramatically reduced by the insulating value of the plastic and the bulk thickness of the vegetables in the bag.  Any insight that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

A timely answer would be greatly appreciated as we need to start this process as soon as possible with the utmost safety in mind.

I suppose dropping the bags in liquid nitrogen for a few minutes, and then storing in the freezer might suffice.

mostly fish, but not a bad read:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM252416.pdf

Edit post clarification of the question:

Liquid nitrogen is still fun if you can find an excuse, and highly effective.

In a less drastic direction, simply doing the processing on pre-cooled (below 38F, preferably 33F) vegetables (and preferably in a walk-in cooler held below 38F) should keep things out of the botulism growth zone, and putting them in a -20F freezer for long enough (do some test runs where you actually stick a thermometer in a test bag) to get the center of the mass down below 0F before transfer to a 0F freezer (assuming that's your standard freezer temperature) would likely suffice. A cold brine step might help freezing get started faster but would be messy as compared to just using a -20F freezer (perhaps with racks to separate bags and extra air circulation, so you don't have bags packed together until after they are frozen through.) Depending on scale, maybe just size the -20F unit for a days production and clear it out at the start of each day after holding product overnight.

If processing in a warmer environment, you'll want to minimize time between "being held pre-cooled" and "being packed and frozen" - and especially "time between being vacuum-packed and being frozen." But giving the workers warm coats and hot coffee (and breaks) while working in a cooler will be safest. You will also need to sanitize any equipment on a regular schedule, which will be more often if they are not cold (and you'll need to check the temperature of the food contact parts of any machines when they have been running for a while.)

Food preservatives such as nitrite, sorbic acid, phenolic antioxidants, polyphosphates, and ascorbates are all proven additives to help reduce the risk.

phenolic antioxidants in particular come from plant materials. If I were you, I would invest my time into researching such ingredients as bay leafs because you can buy them in bulk and because they're food (again this is what I would do, I have never done this and I don't know if this would work without further research).

Bay leaf's may although also change the flavor (but there is many more ingredients that are high in phenolic antioxidants that might not affect the flavor profile of the vacuum packed product).


Will changing the setting on my Crock Pot reset the timer? If I have a Crock Pot "Smart Pot" set to "High" (or 4 hours) and then I change the setting to "Low" or 10 hours, does the time start over or will it just cook for 10 hours from the time I changed it?

For instance, if I put the crock pot on high at noon, it will turn off at 4 PM; say I change it to low at 2 PM - will the slow cooker turn off at midnight (10 hours later) or just cook on low until 4 PM?

From experience cooking chili in Crock-Pot brand slow cookers, each time you change the setting (at least from high to low or vice versa), it resets the timer. Also, of course, so does high->off->high.

So, (at least my Crock-Pots) would cook on low until midnight in your example.

Well, unless the power went out for three seconds. (It'd be off after the power blip.)

Personally, I've switched to non-"programmable" slow cookers.

I agree with Davy8.  But being a programmer, I'd have to guess that the time starts over when you change the setting


Can you beat eggs inside their own shell? A random thought: can you shake an egg vigorously enough to beat it inside its own shell?
Aside from this patent I can find nothing about this. Any thoughts, recipes?

Someone made an instructable on how to make what they call a Japanese Golden Egg (although a search for that just gave me lots of hits on Angry Birds); they spin the egg quickly, breaking up the internal structure, and then boil it to get a scrambled-egg-colored boiled egg.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Scrambled-Eggs-still-in-the-Shell-/

You can, you have to shake it real hard and along different axis. It works, I do it all the time (usually exhausting process to do)
If you want w video, ask me, happy to share on YouTube :)


How to make Banana juice I have looked up how to make Banana juice because I wondered if it was possible. It turns out that it is.

I read that it is best to use a blender for this.

Wouldn't I just end up with a banana puree if I use a blender to try to juice it?

If you microwave bananas for a few minutes in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and then dump everything into fine mesh strainer to sit for about 15 minutes, you will get a bunch of juice out.  Freezing the bananas before microwaving them works even better.

This technique was used in a (really good) banana bread recipe from Cooks Illustrated several years ago.  Once the juice is extracted, it is reduced, allowing more real bananas in the bread without making it too wet.

There is no such thing as banana juice. Banana flavor comes from an oil that does not mix well with water. Normally it is imbued in the fatty flesh of the banana.

You can buy banana acetate which has a banana-like flavor. I think this can be mixed with water to make juice. It does not taste exactly like banana, but is similar.


Equivalent of dried (ground) pepper when the recipe calls for crushed This question is in relation to my earlier question Recipe calls for Aleppo Peppers, I need the right substitution amounts for cayenne and paprika that I got an answer to. My recipe calls for crushed Aleppo peppers, and I have the proper substitution ratios using paprika and cayenne peppers. Now my question is that I'm actually using ground (dried?) paprika and ground cayenne pepper for the recipe.

The original recipe calls for "2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon crushed paprika and cayenne pepper mix", so my question is how much ground paprika and cayenne pepper mix do I use?

Thanks for the help. :)
Patrick.

Here's what I've been able to find (looking at crushed red pepper flake substitutions):
This site says to 2/3s as much ground as crushed:

Substitute 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) ground cayenne pepper with:
• 3⁄4 tsp (4 mL) crushed red pepper flakes

I'm not sure why the mL are doubled but the tsp are 2/3s
This site says 2/3s as well:

1/2 tsp Cayenne powder per 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

So, in your example from your other question, you would use 4-1/2 tsp of the chili powder mixture (6.75 tsp x .666).

The difference is in the size,  powder=fine, crushed or coarse ground=medium, whole=large, period, the rest can be dictated by taste and personal preference. Unless you're baking recipes are less formula and more subjective. A fine power will be denser (you can pack more small particles into a space than med or lg) and the flavor generally more intense. The general rule is 1/3 more for the larger size e.g., fine powder pepper vs coarse ground pepper.


How can I fix my dry crumbly cookie dough? After following the recipe for sugar cookies, I chilled the dough wrapped in plastic for 2 days (recipe specified that I could chill anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days).

As I'm trying to kneed/roll the dough it is very dry with cracks forming, and I'm afraid if I just roll it out and cut cookies that the cookies will crack easily.

Is there anything I can do to "fix" the dough?  Should I even worry about it?

My own sugar cookie recipe is quite dry as well. It cracks along the edges when pressed or rolled and is easily "broken".

I've never experienced a problem with the dough being so dry it doesn't take to cookie cutters, but if your dough is literally falling apart you may want to just spritz (or in the absence of a kitchen water spray bottle, sprinkle with your finger tips) cold water on it. (Like adding water to pie dough) Give it one sprinkle/spritz and kneed it in. Repeat until it just stops breaking. Don't go overboard and make it gooey.

I'd use water over oil or milk because it's the least likely to change the structure of your cookie in the baking process. Such minuscule amounts of water shouldn't yield a detectable change in the end product.

If this is a consistent problem with the recipe, in the future I'd decrease the flour by a tablespoon or two and see if that helps.

I would try small amounts of water. Oil or butter will change the taste and mess up the recipe.


Substituting hazelnuts for almonds, baking I simply prefer hazelnuts to almonds, especially in sweet applications. I've been recently gifted with a pound of very nice bittersweet chocolate so I've decided to do America's Test Kitchen's Sacher Torte, but I'm going to fill with some kind of Frangelico cream cheese or buttercream mixture instead of raspberries or apricots. That I'll just tweak until I like the results, but the cake itself (almost but not quite flourless) really needs to be right the first time. Here is the relevant portion of the recipe:
"Process remaining cup almonds until very finely ground, about 45 seconds. Add flour and salt and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds. Transfer almond-flour mixture to medium bowl. Process eggs in now-empty food processor until lightened in color and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. With processor running, slowly add sugar until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Using whisk, gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture until some streaks of egg remain. Sprinkle half almond-flour mixture over chocolate-egg mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Sprinkle in remaining almond-flour mixture and gently whisk until just combined.

Divide batter between cake pans and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake until center is firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes."

Is there anything I should know about hazelnuts and almonds before I start? Perhaps a difference in the fat content? Is there anything I need to know about peeling the hazelnuts (I understand that task to be a bit notorious)? I'll buy the hazelnuts raw in the bulk aisle of the grocery. I would think that I should peel and lightly toast them. Can you anticipate any other way that this substitution could be problematic?

According to the Mayo Clinic, hazelnuts are somewhat more fatty than almonds, per ounce by weight (the range is for whether they are roasted or not):

Almonds - 14 - 15 g
Hazelnuts - 17 - 17.7 g

As might be expected, hazelnuts are slightly lower in starch.  These is unlikely to make any practical difference in the recipe, as both are fairly close.

You should be able to use them close to interchangeably in recipes, although their flavors will be deliciously different, of course.

As for peeling hazelnuts, there are many methods.  One of the more effective techniques, which will work if you are going to toast them lightly afterwards is to blanch them in a baking soda solution.   See, for example, this article from My Baking Addiction with a video of Alice Medrich and Julia Child embedded demonstrating the technique.

macadamia nuts should work out just fine


How can I know when a thick simple syrup is done cooking? When making a thick simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part white sugar), how can I know when I've cooked the sugar for long enough?  Is it possible to overcook this?

You aren't actually trying to cook anything. When you heat a solution, it makes dissolving a solid in to that solution much easier. So you can dissolve more sugar in to hot water than cold water. With a 1:1 ratio, you wouldn't be able to get all the sugar in to solution with cold water. So, you heat the water to allow more sugar to become part of the solution. So the answer is, as soon as there is no visible sugar in the water, you are done.

If you were to cook it for longer, you would reduce the syrup, increasing the concentration of sugar in the solution. You'd have to reduce it an awful lot before you burnt this. However, if you reduce it too much, then the liquid will become solid when it is cooled. Both of those would probably qualify as "over cooked".

Here's a nice science description of sugar solubility. Interestingly, they say that sugar has such high solubility in water that you can get 1800g in to 1L. Using this volume to weight conversion site, that's approximately 7.5 cups of sugar in 1L of water. 1L = 4.2 cups, so you can get ~1.8 Cups of sugar in to 1 cup of water (under ideal circumstances). So, if you are actually interested in cooking your water off to get a more sugary syrup, you can't reduce the water to less than 1 / 1.8 = or 55% of the original volume. However, if you do want a ratio higher that 1:1, then I would suggest introducing the appropriate amount of sugar in the first place and stopping when the sugar is dissolved rather than using less sugar and cooking the liquid down, as the first approach is much more precise.

(for purposes of this answer, I have ignored the possibility of super saturating the syrup, as that would be essentially useless for cooking....although it would be funny)

It's steeping. You can boil 1 cup water (remove from heat source) add 1 cup of sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved and you have simple syrup. Clover.


Fermenting by accident I had made some lemonade for a party and now having some leftovers sitting on a counter for a few days it has started to ferment. The containers were all sterilized with bleach, produce was washed and water was boiled. It tastes totally fine. Would this be safe?

5 gallon water
1 c honey
1 c sugar
2 c fresh lemon juice
3 c barley
Lemon zest
Mint leaves

Add barley and honey/sugar to water, boil for 10 min
Remove barley
Steep lemon zest and mint leaves in the lemonade
Once cooled down, add lemon juice

Accidental fermentation is never safe. You have bacteria growing in your food, and you don't know which bacteria they are. Fermentation is only safe if you use a process which has been tested to only allow the growth of benign bacteria.

  The containers were all sterilized with bleach, produce was washed and water was boiled

This is irrelevant. It is only good to ensure that you won't be starting with an unusually high load of random bacteria - because if you had such a contamination, the food could start spoiling before its usual storage lifetime has been reached. But once you either 1) reach the end of the storage lifetime (which is 4 hours on the counter, as for any prepared food) or have visible signs of spoiling (and fermentation is one of them), hygiene precautions stop mattering and your food is unsafe.

If you want to consume fruit juice after several days:

the more it tastes fermented, the more likely it will give you
indegestion/gas/the runs.
the more it is carbonated / bubbly from fermentation, the more it can cause indegestion.
if you boil it or put alcohol in it, it will be a bit safer, but it can still cause indegestion.
the fruit substrate bacteria aren't notably beneficial especially in volume.
having a sip is not very noxious unless you have a weak constitution.

Having a small amount of natural fermentation of non-sugary vegetables or couscous provides the digestive system with beneficial bacteria the digest veg and carb inside you, but sugary food bacteria are not metabolically stable in teh gut except for special fermentation granules like fruit kefir... which can make naturally bubble lemonade, unfortunately, if you drink too much fruit kefir, then your entire gut carbonates too much and causes gas issues.

Fermented food varies depending on the pH and substrate. For example, lactose has evolved in animals because it could not be digested by all the microbes that could previously digest glucose/galactose which is found in plants. So milk is often used as a substrate for biological cultures which are fairly symbiotic with humans.

Fruit is normally subject to funghi and microbiota that are not particularly dangerous to humans like meat is, because they don't particularly thrive in the human body, but they can give you indegestion and the runs/dysentery.


What cut of meat is used to make shabu shabu? I'd like to explain to a butcher what cut of meat is required to make shabu shabu. Can anyone help me?

Very high fat, thoroughly marbled ribeye is a good start, but there's a fair amount of variation. The extremely thin slices are also not something that every butcher is accustomed to producing, but that should get you to the right beginning.

Never never take topside or shank for Shabu shabu. Its disaster. Marbled Ribeye is the right part for shabu shabu.


Why can't I use toaster oven instead of real oven? My toaster oven has a temperature gauge just like my oven 200-450 degrees. I opened a package of fish sticks and the instructions said "Do not cook in microwave or toaster oven." It only had instructions for cooking them in a regular oven. Do you have any idea why a toaster oven that can be put at the same temperature would not be good to use?

Possible reasons:

Horrible temperature control - this is simply a problem of cheap
construction.  One could theoretically build an excellent toaster
oven with precise temperature control, but why would you?
Low
thermal mass -  If you get an oven to 400F and open it for long
enough to put in food, the result is an oven at very slightly less
than 400F, and which will quickly return to 400F.  Do that with a
toaster oven, and who knows what temperature you'll get, or how
quickly it will get to your desired temperature (if ever, see #1).
This is not a slam at toaster ovens, this is just due to them being
approximately 2% of the volume of a standard oven.
Closeness to
elements.  It's easy for toaster ovens interiors to vary by nearly
50F from middle to edge, simply based on distance to elements

Now don't get me wrong, I once made some kickin' Oysters Rockefeller in a toaster oven, when I thought that they would be the difference between serving an appetizer and being allowed to serve breakfast the next morning (wink, wink).  If you know what you're doing, and watch carefully and continually, a toaster oven can be an excellent source of high(ish) direct heat.  But they are extremely difficult to control, and extremely unforgiving of errors.  I can't think of a circumstance where a toaster oven would be my first choice of cooking tool (and that includes microwave, campfire, plumber's blowtorch).

It's legal CYOA. You obviously can cook them in a toaster oven, but it's fish- it must reach a safe temperature or you could get sick. The directions they have for an oven can't guarantee that safe temperature in an unknown toaster oven. If they didn't say "don't use these directions for a toaster oven," then someone could screw up, give themselves food poisoning and sue because the directions didn't specify.


How can I thicken whipping cream? I used to live in Britain and I'm familiar with using Double Cream (48%+ fat) in all my recipes. However I moved to Canada a year ago and double cream doesn't seem to exist in North America. This has resulted in many of my recipes failing with the 35% heavy whipping cream as it doesn't whip quite thick enough; it won't hold up my cake tiers, and it goes oddly foamy in my pastries. Yet I've seen strongly thickened cream in stores and bakeries, so how are they thickening it?

I've tried googling this and have tried a few things, such as boiling the cream, and I've also tried adding corn starch (unless you want dry floury cream, never do this). I've also seen a couple of mentions of gelatin and stabilizers but don't know if that's the correct direction.

I'm starting to think I should buy my own cow. Any cream experts out there who can help?

Corn starch only thickens when heated to 180 F, so it probably is not helping at all with your whipped cream.

I live in the US, so I cannot compare to whipped cream in the UK.    Whipped cream for cake fillings is often beaten almost to the breaking point to make the foam as thick as possible.  I assume you are whipping the cream sufficiently, and it still isn't getting as thick as you would like.

If that is the case, you might try stabilizing the whipped cream with gelatin.  The link is one of many I have found on a quick search, and it specifically calls for 35% cream.

This long chowhound thread also has some interesting thoughts and advise.

This ochef link also provides an interesting method of using creme fraiche.

I don't know if you are hand whipping it, but mine would not whip either. To fix this, I just blended it in a blender. Sorry if this answer seems like a DUH answer, but I normally whip by hand


Is anyone aware of cast iron pots and pans that are enameled on the exterior with plain cast iron (no enamel, no non-stick) interiors? Looking for a brand of cast iron pans that is enameled on the outside, but with a bare iron interior. In other words no enamel, no ceramic, no non-stick on the inside. (so it is less likely to scratch an induction cooktop)

Staub has cast iron enameled outside and bare iron inside