instruction:
Given the background description of some cooking related query, summarize the question into a title
question:
I'm preparing the court-bouillon recipe from James Peterson's Sauces (p. 103 of 3rd edition). The procedure is, roughly:Sweat vegetables,Simmer vegetables for 10 minutes,Add white wine and vinegar, simmering for a further 15 to 20 minutes, and thenCool and strain.My question is about step 3. For what reasons would the wine and vinegar be withheld for the first 10 minutes of simmering? Is this an evaporation issue? Or is there some deeper interaction between wine/vinegar and vegetables to be accounted for?Thanks!
answer:
Court-bouillon: Why delay adding the wine and vinegar?


question:
I have a recipe for a steamed egg and ginger pudding. It can be eaten hot or cold, and I prefer it cold. The problem is that it starts to separate in the fridge (liquid accumulating where I've scooped pudding out, or sometimes around the edge of the bowl). How do I prevent that?I did look at this discussion, but I can't tell whether it's relevant.Recipe, in case it's relevant2 C water4 oz. ginger root4 oz. Chinese rock sugar4 large eggs, beaten2/3 C milka few drops vegetable oilSet up a stovetop steamer.Slice ginger.Bring water to a boil; boil ginger 2 min. Discard ginger slices.Dissolve rock sugar in boiling water.Remove pot from heat.Add milk to the pot; whisk in eggs and vegetable oil.Pour into bowl or bowls and steam 12 min.
answer:
How do I keep a custard from breaking?


question:
It seems to be a popular ingredient in Asian (esp. Chinese?) food. I encountered them on pork spareribs, and some side dishes. Apparently it turns everything completely black when it is added.I can rule out soy sauce (which is too salty and tastes entirely different) and I realise that this question is rather vague. What additional information could I provide?Edit: I can rule out oyster sauce. I asked in a restaurant what the black stuff was, but either she didn't understand me or she didn't want to (all she told me was that it contained salt). Finally she said she made it herself. Anyway, I bought Hoisin sauce:and I think it's as close as it gets (perhaps the restaurant uses a slightly different version of the one I bought, as mine is a bit saltier and a bit less sweet).Update: I finally discovered the exact sauce I was looking for. It turned out to be Black Bean Garlic Sauce.
answer:

What is the black, slightly sweet, flavour in some Asian food?