niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
I had found a recipe to make homemade Tootsie Rolls which was essentially just chocolate taffy. I've tried it a few times with the same result; it turns into basically a somewhat chewy hard candy.I'm not a candy making expert, but I think the problem might lie in either the heating of the mixture (ie- getting it to the right temp for the type of candy it is) or in the pulling.Does that sound about right? Are there other things that I can check when making taffy that would turn it into a soft rock?
Output: Homemade taffy turned out too thick and hard
Making royal icing today, for a rather overdue Christmas cake.I always end up with too much icing sugar, based on my normal recipe which asks for 4 large egg whites and 500g icing sugar.So today I used 3 egg whites and as much icing sugar as "felt right". Is this fair enough? If it's taking a long time for stiff peaks to form, is this a sign of too little icing sugar? And if I overdid the icing sugar how would I tell?
Output: Royal icing - how important is accurate measuring?
I want to make ice cream at home for diabetics without a machine. I'd want it to be sugar-free. What kind of base ingredients should I use? Will the any of the no machine methods here be better or worse, or require modification, since I'm not using sugar?
Output: How do I make sugar-free ice cream without a machine?
I'm wondering if it matters whether you start from acid alone (lemon, vinegar or citric) vs something like acid + rennet. So the whey left over from making paneer, vs the whey left over from making mozzarella. Can you use either to extract the ricotta?
Output: Does method of coagulation matter when extracting ricotta from whey?
Sometimes, I want to try a recipe that calls for a small amount of heavy cream. Can the remainder be frozen and then used to make whipped cream? If so, how long will it keep in the freezer?
Output: Can heavy cream be frozen?
This Korean fried chicken recipie uses vodka to prevent gluten formation in the batter, which results in a thin and crispier crust. vodka is expensive. Are there any substitutes? Will a beer batter do the same thing? Does beer prevent gluten formation?
Output: Vodka for crispy wings - substitute?
I am cooking a meat stew with a delicious, fatty bunch of oxtails. Initially when browning the meat, I didn't get a sufficient amount of caramelized glaze around the oxtails and none of the fat melted into the stew.Is it possible to pull out the meat for a second sear, browning it thoroughly then reducing with the stew? Are there better ways to "save" the stew?
Output: Can I "re-caramelize" meat after a failed braising attempt?
I've read several question about slow cooking, but I don't know what is it and what it's good for. Can someone explain it? Thank you!
Output: What is slow cooking and what it is good for?
I got an apple chutney recipe from a friend. It's an old family recipe and it specifically says to chop the apples but to NOT core or peel them. The recipe is basically just apples and pears, red onions, raisins, brown sugar, cider vinegar and various spices which you simmer gently for a couple of hours. It says nothing about straining or grinding. The onions are finely sliced and it says "chop apples and pears roughly but without coring."Does the vinegar somehow soften the seeds and core of the apple? Is that important to the taste or texture? I am hesitant to used the whole apple as most recipes I have found online say to core or even peel and core.
Output: Using whole uncored apples in chutney?
I have always wondered why baking with refrigerated eggs VS room temperature eggs comes out much better. Can anyone explain why please?
Output: Why are eggs not stored in the fridge better in baking?
This is the second avocado from the same bag that is tough and rubbery. The pit won't come out without leaving a skin, and it won't peel out of it's skin without cutting the skin off. I made sure it was soft and was at room temperature before I cut it open. How can I de-rubberize them?
Output: Why is my avocado tough and rubbery?
When the heat of a charcoal grill gets too hot, what is the best way to douse the fire; the objective being to lower the temperature without putting the fire out completely?How much water should be used when burning charcoal in a very primitive grill or pit without a lid or adjustable vents, and how should it be added (poured, sprayed, etc.)?
Output: What is the best way to douse a charcoal grill?
I know there have been questions on refreezing meat, which apparently is not safe to do. My understanding from those posts was that it was referring to raw meat. My question is slightly different. I made a casserole with pasta, cheese, cooked ground turkey, and some veggies a few weeks ago. I had the leftovers in the fridge for about a day or 2 and then froze the leftovers. First, was it okay to freeze it at that point? Second, I put the casserole in the fridge to thaw yesterday, but ended up having something else to eat for dinner. Based on other plans, I won't be able to eat it for another 2 days. I am not sure if t will be safe in the fridge for that long. If won't be safe for that long, would it be safe to refreeze?
Output: Is refreezing a meal safe?
Does anyone have any tips for roasting sweet potatoes? Since - seems to me - they cook and break down much faster than normal potatoes I skipped the parboiling stage and just stuck them (peeled) in the oven to roast for 45-60 minutes.However they still came out a somewhat soft and squidgy result. Roast for shorter time or some other methodology?I suppose I am looking for a crisp texture something like a normal roast potato but keeping the orange colour and distinctive sweet taste of the sweet potato itself.
Output: Tips for roasting sweet potato
You've got a cocktail party and need a supply of crushed ice through the night without having to continually bring out the blender.Leave it out and it melts quickly.Put it in the freezer and it joins back together.Is there some cheap way of keeping it crushed like those super-expensive, super-unreliable Iced-Coke/Slurpee machines do?
Output: Keeping crushed ice from melting, without it joining back together
Am I asking too much of meringue to be able to keep a key lime pie in the refrigerator for 24 hours? The meringue ends up very wet at the end of that period. I keep it covered in the fridge.
Output: How do I keep meringue from "weeping"?
I was in the middle east for a few weeks a few months ago. Anyways, I was introduced to the following Nestle cream: It didn't really taste like the cream I'm used to here in North America.Have any of you tried this before? Can I make it at home?
Output: Nestle Cream "Ashta"
Are there any available substitutes for greek yogurt?I don't have any in the fridge. Looking for a substitution besides regular yogurt or any yogurt based substitution. Looking to make a creamy like cold sauce for fish tacos.
Output: Substitutions for greek yogurt?
How thick should be the sponge for a swiss roll to roll easily without breaking and hold its shape?I saw some pictures that look perfect and then some where the sponge looks too thick.How do I figure out the perfect thickness of the sponge?
Output: How thick should be the sponge for a swiss roll?
How can I make hot chocolate drinks made from using instant hot chocolate sachets taste less watery?I work in an office with limited kitchen appliances, we only have access to a tap that dispenses boiling hot or ice cold water and a microwave.I have tried adding milk but that just takes away a lot of the chocolate taste.
Output: How to make Instant Hot Chocolate Taste Less Watery
I've noticed that meatballs are one type of food that often tastes much better the next day. So whenever I make meatballs, I make lots of extras and put them in my fridge to allow the flavors to "develop".However, when I warm the meatballs up in the microwave they sometimes get dry or have slightly tough and rubbery spots -- especially on outside edges.What is the best technique to re-warm / re-serve meatballs that you have made the previous day (or a couple days prior) so they stay moist and delicious?
Output: What is the best way to re-serve day old meat balls?
Is this one of those things that unless you've been taught by an experienced person and you know what you're doing you probably just shouldn't try? If I did want to try, what precautions should I take? Is this a valid cooking method or is it mostly just done as an impressive visual effect?
Output: What safety precautions should be taken when attempting to flambe at home?
When I bake a banana bread or cake at home, I always use a square Pyrex(about 20cm in width and 7 cm high) dish. The batter only fill the dish at half its height or less and I set my oven to 350F. I bake the banana bread for 30 min in the middle of the oven and when I check for doneness, the middle part is a bit wet(about 90% done) while the surrounding area is perfectly done.Is a square Pyrex a good way to bake banana bread and cake or should I get a loaf pan or bundt shape one? Does a loaf pan bake the banana bread or cake evenly in a set period of time? From this recipe, the baking time in the load pan seems to be 1 hour compared to 30 min in the Pyrex.
Output: Which baking dish is best to bake a banana bread?
They say you should drink your wine in the 24 hours window since you have uncorked it. But what about using the wine in flavor bases to give sauces a sweet taste? Is it ok to use white wine for sauces even 2 weeks after you have uncorked it as long as it does not have a foul taste?
Output: Can you use wine for cooking even after it's past it's drinking date?
I was reading Essentials of classic Italian cooking by Marcella Hazan where I noticed she first pours a lot of olive oil to "protect the salad" from the vinegar as it prevents the acid from doing its "cooking". So, that is one unproven benefit I know of.I am also interested in taste differences. If it tastes about the same I would much rather not spend all that time making a vinaigrette. The consistency of the liquid would obviously be different - does that give a different mouthfeel perhaps?Any experienced salad makers here with some insights?
Output: Benefits of vinaigrette vs. pouring oil and vinegar separately on salad?
I know that there's a risk of bacteria in any area where you defrost chicken, but what about the chicken itself? Will running water over it (unwrapped) reduce the taste or change the texture?
Output: Is it OK to defrost chicken by running water over it?
How long does fresh parsley stay good if kept in a refrigerator?
Output: How long does fresh parsley keep in the fridge?
I just purchased a burr grinder to use with a chorreador coffee maker. A chorreador is functionally similar to a pour over, but the cloth filter will likely have different characteristics.I've read that the grind should be "fine to medium-fine", and I imagine the specifics are left to taste and depend on other characteristics (roast, amount of beans, etc.). I will tune my grind based on some experimentation, but what are the characteristics I should be looking for? In general, how does coarseness or fineness affect the coffee profile? What characteristics should I expect to vary?Are there particular characteristics that are "bad" and I should tune to avoid (for example, I've heard the silt in coffee can be hard on digestion)?I'm not looking for an answer to "how fine should I grins my coffee?", but rather what are the parameters I should look for when experimenting with the grind?
Output: Finding the Right Coffee Grind
It has flavor, but its consistency is too thin.Will letting sit over medium low heat evaporate enough to increase its density or is this useless?Would bringing it to a boil help more. I don't want to ruin its flavor and am afraid bringing it to a boil with high heat will do just that.
Output: My tomato sauce is very watery
After I have made my pizza and put the toppings onto it, I find that I am unable to transfer the pizza on to the pizza stone in the oven.When I try to do it the pizza goes out of shape, gets folded, the toppings get messed up and sometimes it sticks or rips. I have tried putting lots of flour under the pizza before I add the toppings but it didn't really help.I am having to make the pizza on a metal tray and then put the tray onto the stone. Put I think that doing this prevents my pizza base from crisping properly.What am I doing wrong? Is there some technique I should use, or am making the dough to wet, or to thin or something?
Output: transfer pizza onto stone without sticking
I purchased some dried chile peppers from a local market thinking that I might be able to grind them up in a mortar and pestle. That completely failed - the peppers didn't grind at all, and instead mushed up.Is there any way to grind peppers in a mortar and pestle, or is that purely a job for a blender?Thanks!
Output: Grinding dried chiles in a mortar and pestle?
I use a simple fried chicken recipe: wash chicken (I use thighs), dredge in seasoned flour, dip in egg with a bit of milk, re-dredge in flour, shake and fry. The dish comes out great on the day I cook it, but loses its crunch the next day when I want to take it as part of a picnic lunch.Is there a way to avoid the limp-crusted fried chicken on day 2?P.S. I remove skin and all visible fat, and I drain on paper towels both top and bottom sides.
Output: Crispy fried chicken goes limp: picnic disaster
I recently received a charcoal smoker for my cake day. I attempted to smoke pork ribs, here are the steps I followed. Cured the smoker with 2 Lbs of charcoal. (6 hours) Cleaned the smoker. Prepped 3 Lbs of charcoal in charcoal chimney. Put water used to soak hickory chips in the water reservoir.Position ribs on the two racksOnce charcoal was red hot with white ash, transferred it to the charcoal pan.Smoked for about 5 hours and temperature started dropping.Added 2 Lbs more of Charcoal Chimney prepped charcoal.Smoked for 3 more hours.The problem I experienced is the temperature never went above 180F (82C), at the end of the 8 hours total smoking time, the internal temperature of the ribs sat at 120F (49C).I ended up finishing them off in an oven set to 360F (182C) for about 25 minutes to raise the meats internal temperature to 145F (62C).Is the charcoal at fault for the temperature?I used: Cowboy Brand Hardwood Lump Charcoal Is the smoker the issue?I used: Char-Broil Vertical Charcoal SmokerOne note, the smoker smoked from around the door to what I would think might be excessive. Should I look into sealing around the door? This smoker has no smoke stack on it's top.Ribs turned out great either way, but finishing them in the oven caused fat to drip into the bottom of the oven and now the wife is mad because when we use it, it smokes the house.
Output: Is charcoal or the smoker at fault for low temperature smoking?
Today I sauteed a quarter cup mushrooms in 3 tbsp butter and added 250ml cream. Everything was set for me to add the ricotta and finish the Alfredo, but it only partly melted. Beyond a certain point, there were some "cheese crumbs" that no amount of heat could dissolve, thus robbing me of a velvety textured Alfredo.I have successfully made Alfredo with ricotta cheese before. Is there any reason as to why the ricotta did not completely melt? The ricotta package was only opened a few days, so it couldn't have gone bad.
Output: Why did my ricotta cheese did not completely melt in the Alfredo?
I've always thought that vanilla and espresso would be a good combination but the problem is: I don't take sugar! I understand one can buy coffee flavoured beans but how would I get the vanilla flavour using my home set up (espresso machine, burr grinder and preferred brand of beans)?
Output: Flavour espresso with vanilla without adding sugar or other sweetener?
I want to cook red grain quinoa while making breakfast at home in the morning, and then pack it and have it later for lunch at work with a salad. How should I store it after cooking for about 5 hours? More details: I'm planning to cook it and immediately put it in a plastic container, then go to work (travel time: 15 minutes) and then keep it in a refrigerator at work. Then re-heat in a microwave for 20 seconds at lunchtime and consume hot.
Output: How to store cooked Quinoa for few hours at work?
I never cooked "real" sausages before. Now I have several kinds of sausages: chorizo, merguez, and chicken. I have only a couple of each and a big electric pan.How do I cook them? Should I add water? How long?
Output: How to cook sausage?
I have seen a discussion regarding a replacement for sugar in brownies to give moisture. Does sugar give moisture when baking?
Output: Does sugar give moisture?
I've heard that using a wooden chopping board for cutting meat is not very hygienic as it is a porous material. If that is the case, then what would a chopping board ideally be made out of when chopping meat?
Output: Best chopping board material for meat
I live in Belgium and I can't find where to buy SOUR cream, which is amazing with quesadillas.Is there a way to make it myself?http://foodies.blogs.starnewsonline.com/files/2010/05/cosmic_quesadilla.jpg
Output: How to make the sour cream that some restaurants serve with quesadillas?
I've seen them shaped like a rugby ball (but longer) but geometrically can't see how a circle can be folded into such a shape.I've also ordered French omelettes from menus before and they weren't pinched in at the ends.Is there a classic shape, or is a French omelette just one that is not set as much with no browning?
Output: What shape is a French omelette and how is it achieved?
I am often making a basic leavened bread for some basic recipes, like naan, burek, focaccia, pizza, etc. However, I find that dry active yeast is prohibitively expensive, considering it is a self-replicating living organism. Is there a way to effectively create and store yeast for a reasonable period of time (~3 months) from a mother spore?
Output: How can I cultivate and store yeast?
Most of the recipes that call for crispy chicken mention that you must leave the skin on. That's what crisps.Is it possible to make crispy chicken without skin?
Output: Crisping Chicken Without Skin
I cook quite regularly at home, but I have trouble tasting food while cooking. All I want to know is if I should adjust salt, pepper or sourness. On the rare occasions that I taste, I invariable mess up the ingredient that I tasted. For example, I might place a little quantity (enough to lick) on my palm, wait/ blow for it to cool down, taste and adjust for salt. Later when eating the meal, I discover that I have added too much salt.Any tips?If it matters - this is South Indian style vegetarian cooking - lentils, vegetables.
Output: Tasting food while cooking
My brother in law was telling me the other day that he just sticks whole potatos into the microwave wrapped in wax paper for a quick snack. Is this ok/safe? If you do this, do you have other suggestions to make it tastier? I haven't tried it yet, but am tempted!
Output: Potato in the microwave
I just tried to answer a question about pot roast and looking at recipes I discover one that cooks the meat at 200 degrees in a sealed pouch for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.There is a lot of reason to make a roast such as a prime rib at low temperatures since the inside of the meat will cook close to the same speed as the outside making an even color and temperature to the meat.However, cooking something at 200 degrees for 3 hours will ultimately cook it through and through which is the purpose. But, does it make a difference if the actual temperature of the meat goes past the boiling temperature? Would it be better to cook it in a 170 degree oven since the steam pressure raises the temp to perhaps something just under boil?
Output: If braised meat is cooked at 200 degrees in a perfectly sealed pouch in the oven, does the temperature rise above boiling?
Most recipes for sponge cake use a quantity of yogurt which sometimes is replaced with milk, or even soja or almond drinks. In those recipes (flour, sugar, eggs, butter/oil, yogurt/milk, some flavouring), what is the role of the dairy product? Is it about protein/fat/chs, about water, about flavour, about colour? Do the substitution for soja or almond drink make sense, or exist better ones?
Output: What's the role of milk or yogurt in sponge cake?
I made a jalfrezi today for tomorrow and I forgot to add spices, (cumin, tumeric, paprika).Is there a way I can add them now getting the most from them?
Output: Forgot to add spices to curry
I was making pancakes that called for melted butter in the recipe and when I added cold milk the butter re-solidified. How did that mess up the pancakes? Was the texture more dense and less fluffy? So I presume this batter could not be made ahead of time and refrigerated?
Output: Melted butter or not for pancake batter?
When we make polenta, we use polenta leftovers for lunch, grilling them.Are there any other uses for polenta leftovers?
Output: What can I use polenta leftovers for?
I guess it can be subjective according to tastes, but some reduction is required. If I could know what I am trying to do away with in the reduction process (alcohol, raw bite or volume) then I could adjust according to my subjective taste and dish.Some general guidelines about how do you know when your wine is reduced or what to look for in a reduced wine would be useful.
Output: How do I know when my wine is properly reduced?
Soaking liver in milk is said to be a common technique that supposedly helps to remove impurities, softens flavour, and tenderises the liver. I tried it, and the liver turned out alright, but it got me wondering: how does this work? What's the chemistry behind it? Exactly what's happening between the milk and the liver? Is it the acid in the milk tenderising the liver? That would mean I could soak liver in a marinade based on lemon juice or vinegar? (It doesn't seem like a terrific idea) Or is there something else involved? I searched around, but nothing I found seemed terribly exact.
Output: How does soaking liver in milk work?
The Japanese term カステラ (kasutera) and the Korean term 카스테라 (kastera) are etymologically derived from the Portuguese "Pão de Castela". But does "kasutera" and "kastera" refer to the same foodstuff, or a different foodstuff?KOREAN CASTELLA CAKE says: I’ve come to the conclusion that Koreans use “kastera” to describe almost every type of baked product that’s Western in origin.Castella = Kastera = Kasutera says: These baked products are a cheap, guilty indulgence -- they are good -- but I don't consider them "genuine" Japanese kasutera, which I have come to understand is not as spongy and comes in a rectangular shape.Are they the same foodstuff, or are they different foodstuffs? Would it be more logical to say "I prefer kastera over kasutera", or would "I prefer the way Koreans do kastera over the way Japanese people do it"?
Output: Is Japanese kasutera the same foodstuff as Korean kastera?
Every recipe about searing duck breasts I've seen says that you should score the breasts cutting through the skin, but not too deep: you should avoid cutting into the meat. I do follow this instruction but don't completely understand why. What harm could be done if I cut through the meat, just a little? What exactly should I avoid?
Output: Why not to cut into the meat when scoring duck breasts?
I can find whipping cream, half and half, and even clotted cream where I'm staying in the US but not double or single cream, are these familiar terms or is there a US equivalent term?
Output: What's the US equivalent of double and single cream?
I am trying to make packets of instant pudding that do not need heating, in order to thicken the mix to form a cold dessert. Some sanity has to be found in my kitchen, as most foods are home cooked because of my allergies.I have attempted to test rice paper and tapioca flour (Australian brand and Chinese or East Asian product), potato starch, and puffed amaranth breakfast cereal, thinking that some value or gel might result from my efforts. (It has not.)Inquiries regarding pre-gelatinised products result in blunt dismissal, as those products here in Australia are reserved exclusively for medical reasons to celiacs or patients with problems swallowing, and supply is restricted to local chemists.Is the supply of these products restricted by requirements for a doctor's prescription? If not, how or where can I obtain them?
Output: Is there a product available that is pre-gelatinized starch and what product name is it sold with?
I have roasted a goose ready for tomorrow. Would the flavour and/or texture be better if I carved it tonight when it is warm, or wait until tomorrow when it is cold from the fridge.
Output: When to carve a goose - hot or cold
I am a cooking dummy and I hate bitter cucumbers. :) Help!
Output: How to prevent cucumbers from tasting bitter?
I was told by someone that rice vinegar was not suitable to be used in a salad dressing.Can only certain types of vinegars be used for salads?
Output: Types of vinegars used for salads
I've been looking at a number of kim chi recipes and they all call for 'Korean chili powder'. My visit to the local Asian grocer only yielded 'Asian' chili powder and other nondescript chili powders.Is there a particular chili powder that is Korean? Can I simply use cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes?
Output: How does Korean chili powder differ from "US" chili powder?
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.
Output: How do I keep a custard from breaking?
I've tried using spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta a few times, but every time I do the dish ends up really watery.I've been roasting the split squash for about 45 min in the oven, then scraping out the flesh and then mixing it with my sauce. When I first shred the flesh it's definitely moist and steamy, but it doesn't seem to be overly wet. A few minutes after I've added it to the pan with my sauce however, it renders off what seems like a cup or two of water.Most recently I've even tried wringing out the strands in a clean towel over the sink before mixing it. That did seem to help, but it still watered down the sauce way too much for my taste.Has anyone else encountered this issue? Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to prevent it?
Output: How to prevent watery spaghetti squash
I'd like to prepare a few meals for a cousin who recently gave birth. She lives about an hour and a half away, and I will be walking and taking public transportation to get there. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for convenient ways to tranport the food? I am looking for sturdy, easy to carry bags that will keep the food from sliding around and will keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Output: Suggestions for convenient and safe methods of transporting a few meals without a vehicle?
I recently got a L'Equip food dehydrator and have had some good success playing around with it. But I'm interested to know if I can dehydrate different food stuffs at the same time. For instance, could I throw jerky on one tray, onions on another, and strawberries on a third (assuming they all wanted the same time / temp) or would my strawberries end up tasting a bit like oniony beef? What kind of things would cause this contamination?
Output: Can I dehydrate multiple different types of food at the same time?
Okay, so my lovely wife ("Plain Ol'Common Sense" here on the exchange) entrusted to me a mildly expensive roast as she left to spend a night with her sister.Everything started out so well... I heated the cast iron skillet good and hot, browned the roast, poured a can of tomato paste onto it with a can of french onion soup and some fresh garlic and coarse pepper and popped the whole shebang into the oven at 375.It all broke down when I let a project get me side-tracked and now I need to save my bacon (or beef as is the case now).So, now I'm wondering something. I want to take this lovely, dry roast and crock-pot it with honey and molasses for a spicy-sweet fajita masterpiece before she gets home tomorrow and I'm looking for a recipe.Now, mind you, I need to be at work 70 miles from home at 7:00 in the morning but I've got 2 teenage boys that can babysit the crock-pot. I'll have some time to put this together before heading out the door.Any spicy-sweet ideas out there?Thanks in advance!Edit An excellent point was made in the comments: How bad is it?The Roast pulls apart readily, is quite brown and very dry tasting. The french onion soup and tomato reduced down to a very caramelized reduction in the bottom of the pan leaving the top of the roast exposed for about an hour. Although, I did have a cast iron lid on the whole rig so it didn't 'burn' completely.
Output: Molasses and Honey with burned beef suggestions?
Can I use cueritos as my fat to make burger? I usually use pork fat but my butcher was out today so I bought 2 pounds of this delicious stuff.
Output: Using cueritos (Pork Rinds) for ground beef
Is it viable to make stock from store bought Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning? I'd be ok using a bullion cube but they all seem to be loaded with salt. Mix with water and bring to a boil.Ingredients:Organic Onion, Organic Garlic, Organic carrot, Organic black pepper, organic red bell pepper, Organic tomato granules, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Parsley, Organic bay leaves, organic thyme, Organic basil, Organic celery, Organic Lemon peel, Organic oregano, Organic savory, Organic mustard seed, Organic cumin, organic marjoram, organic coriander, organic cayenne pepper, citric acid and organic rosemary
Output: Vegetable Broth/Stock from Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning
I'm trying to reduce cholesterol in my diet and have switched to using egg whites (from a carton) instead of whole eggs. This substitution usually works out OK, but when I make zucchini bread -- and other quick breads -- the loaves don't rise as well as they used to, and they tend to be drier. I'm doing a 1:1 substitution using the guide on the carton (1egg is approx. 2oz), so I assume that a lot of the problem is that I'm missing the fat from the egg yolks. Is this correct, and if so, what can I use instead that will be low in cholesterol?
Output: Baking zucchini bread without egg yolks
When I read food safety guidelines, I always get the sense that I should run for the decon shower if I even look at a piece of raw meat. I have to fight the urge to sprint home with my groceries lest the eggs become poisonous on the way. If I thaw meat from the freezer, I worry that one misstep will kill me.But rationally, I know none of that is true. Aside from the fact that I've been cooking for myself for decades, and I'm still here, we simply wouldn't be here as a species if it were that hard to cook safely. And then there's this thread from a couple of years ago, which seems to say that there's a fair amount of subjectivity in food safety procedures. (But this thread takes a stricter line.)So: how much difference is there between official food safety doctrine and actual danger? Are there rules that are just oversimplifications in order to minimize human error? UpdateThis is not a duplicate of this question. More specifically, the question is similar, but the accepted answer on the other thread doesn't actually address the question of fault tolerance.
Output: How much "buffer" or margin of error is in food safety guidelines?
When I see tuna steaks, seared rare, on restaurant menus it's almost always Ahi tuna specifically. What's special about Ahi with this preparation method? Does it have different cooking properties from other kinds of tuna steak, like Yellowfin? Or is it an economic matter?I ask partly out of curiosity and partly because I'd like to make this myself, so want to know if I should be preferring Ahi to other tunas that are sometimes at the fish market.
Output: What's special about ahi tuna?
Currently, I pressure cook a whole chicken for 45 minutes to make stock. However, the meat falls apart very easily. My aim is to extract the inosinate from the chicken meat into the stock, but also minimise damage to the meat so that I can cube it for other purposes.Would pressure cooking for a lesser amount of time help. If yes, could I have a rough estimate.Also, would like to know your opinion on simply boiling the chicken for X amount of time to extract the inosinates. Would appreciate a rough time frame here as well.
Output: Chicken stock and inosinate
Tonight, the main course is: Red Baron's Chicken Alfredo.The problem is that it's a little bland so I'm trying to figure out what the best seasonings will give it more spice, or at least a more intricate taste. I'm already throwing a lot of salt and pepper in there, what else could one use?
Output: What are some seasonings that can spice up a bland frozen chicken alfredo?
If I wanted to cook a meal - ie chicken wings - in a baking tray evenly on both sides, instead of turning them halfway through the cooking process, could I just switch from bake to broil midway so that both sides cook evenly? This is using a conventional oven with a heating ring on the top and bottom.
Output: Bake and then Broil instead of flipping?
Recently, I observed that there is some brown slimy stuff on the underside of my plates. I don't know what they are or how they form. I tried removing it with a tooth pick, but was too hard to come off. Does anyone know what this is? How can it be cleaned?
Output: What is this slimy coloured stuff growing in my plates?
We bought a smoker and it has been fabulous for doing ribs. However, when we've tried to do chicken in it, it comes out "leathery" and tough. I have had smoked chicken at other people's homes that was DELICIOUS. So, what are we doing wrong? (We've tried whole chicken and parts, both were tough)
Output: How to smoke chicken without it coming out tough?
I am relatively new to deep-frying. Having seen the questions about oil reuse and conservation, I'm still at a loss about what's going on with my oil...My sunflower oil foams like crazy. I've been reusing this oil for a while now and was going to discard it, however a friend of mine told me this oil was still looking good. Relatively clean (I filter it regularly), no off smell and it doesn't smoke (in my fryer, that is). I only fry potatoes in this batch of oil to avoid flavor transfer. These are cut into French fries, chips or straw potatoes. Specially the chips and straws retain a lot of water, and I guess that has something to do with it.Also, I noticed the frying takes longer with the foaming oil.Edit: I've tried poaching(?) the French fries, but they foam during poaching. Then when frying, they really foam. I have to keep an eye on it or the oil spills over the top. Anything I can do about it, or should I just go ahead and discard the oil altogether?Edit: Serious Eats has an article about frying oil.
Output: Frying - Oil foams
I have a Panasonic SD-ZB2512 bread maker and I like to use it to make pizza dough. It does a good enough job but only makes enough for one pizza at a time. Can I double the recipe? I'm pretty sure it would fit but worry the recipe might not be scale-able for other reasons. Would I be risking horrible dough or a damaged machine?
Output: Can I double the pizza dough recipe for my bread machine
I don't normally make a lot of confections but decided recently to try a few new things.Yesterday I used this recipe for Turkish delight which I originally found on the Hydrocolloid Recipe Collection. It uses agar as the gelling agent and appears relatively easy to prepare (that's why I tried it). Basically you just dissolve some agar in warm water, orange juice, and lemon juice, add sugar, simmer it, then cool and refrigerate to set.Unfortunately, what I ended up with after refrigerating overnight was closer to the consistency of jam or marmalade than a Turkish delight. It was far, far from delightful.When I prepared this I didn't actually follow the source URL and noticed a few differences that may account for the problem (but I'm not sure, that's why I'm asking):The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of agar; the one in the collection specifies exactly 1.2 g.The original recipe specifically says to cover with a cloth; the collection recipe is not so specific, it just says to cover (I used plastic wrap).The original recipe says to refrigerate in an ice-water bath; the collection recipe does not (I just put the dish in the fridge).Other issues that may have been causes:It turned out that my scale wasn't precise enough to get exactly 1.2 g. The amount I used could have been anywhere between 1 g and 2 g. In retrospect, I wish I had checked the original recipe and simply used the 1/2 teaspoon that it called for.I got the agar from an Asian grocery store, and the packaging clearly said "agar agar", but I did notice that it had two ingredients, the second one (after agar) being vanilla. I'm not sure whether this is normal or whether it might have been diluting the agar mix.I did notice that it did not seem to be gelling at all while it was coming down to room temperature. It was basically a soup until it had been refrigerated.Can anyone identify the most likely reason why this didn't work out? Did I use too little agar? Too much? Could some of the differences between the two recipe versions be important? Could it be something I haven't thought of yet?And equally importantly for the purposes of this question, can I fix it or am I going to have to throw it out?
Output: Why did my "Turkish Delight" turn into a horrible goopy mess?
I am doing chapatis with quinoa flour. How can I remove or hide the bitterness of the quinoa?There are several constraints for the solution: no egg, wheat, soy, dairy, corn, rice, meat.
Output: How to remove quinoa bitterness (with many restrictions) doing chapatis
I usually throw away the remaining water in the electric kettle before refilling it if the water is more than about a day old. In theory wouldn't boiling kill any impurities the old water might have? How long would the water stay drinkable in the kettle (assuming you boil it again before drinking)?
Output: Is it safe to reheat old water in an electric kettle?
Most recipes for salmon soup say that you cook it in just 5-10 minutes. If that were beef or pork, I would boil it for hours. Then why do they say such a short period of time will work with fish? I have no access to fish that is safe to eat raw so I have to properly cook it through. Will salmon really get cooked safely in just 10 minutes?
Output: How much time does it take to boil salmon?
Is it permissible to store and transport an intact wheel of Pecorino cheese at room temperature for 2 or 3 days before putting it back into refrigeration?
Output: Storage of Pecorino cheese — is room temperature ok?
Because of the contest, I read up about tofu. It's something I'm not familiar with at all, I've only eaten it twice. I came across the term 'silken tofu'. I only know this by name.I've found that silken tofu is in short tofu that's not well pressed. It's consistency is custard-like. My question is if this is correct. Are there any other differences, apart from the moisture content?Another question is how to handle this. You can't fry custard AFAIK (although I'm willing to try ;-) ). So do you always use it raw? Or do you bake it in the oven? Do you use it as a 'sauce' with fried veggies? Or should/can you drain/press it yourself? If you would drain/press it yourself, would you have the same result as store-bought regular tofu?
Output: What is silken tofu compared to regular tofu and how do you use it?
Can thawing meat more quickly (e.g. warm water, microwave, warm oven) than normal (leaving out at room temperature) affect the taste / texture of the meat? Is there a particular maximum rate of temperature change for various types of meat (beef, pork, and chicken is what I'm most interested in)?
Output: Can thawing meat too quickly affect its quality?
If you brine chicken in a high saline solution and and then cook it using a dry heat method it will come out salty. IF however you do the same thing and then cook it with a wet heat method e.g. soup it doesn't come out salty or seem affected by the brine. Why is this?Thanks
Output: Why does brining work with dry heat methods and not wet heat methods?
I have always roasted my beets in a bit of vinegar in the bottom of the pan like 1/4" or so. It is how I was taught. But why do it? What does the vinegar do for the beets?
Output: Why roast beets in vinegar?
I bought some precooked whole shrimp. Do I need to peel and devein them before eating or is it possible to leave this step out? I intend to saute them in garlic butter.
Output: Should I peel and devein whole shrimps?
I forgot to add the vanilla at the end of making my vanilla pastry cream for eclair cake. Can I add it now after its been in the frig overnight? I'm going to fold in whipped cream also.
Output: Can I add vanilla to pastry cream after its cooled?
I make a fair amount of homemade pasta (Mostly Tagliatelle or Linguine), and I tend to cook it fresh, rather than drying it and cooking from dry; however, it tends to clump and stick together in the pan when cooking. What can I do to minimise this, and make my homemade pasta behave a little more like store bought fresh pasta?For reference, I'm using a fairly standard recipe of one egg per 100g of 'OO' flour; and I add salt and a little olive oil to the pan when cooking, as well as following all the normal steps that give successful results with store bought pasta - Could it be that I'm not working the dough enough, working it too much, or just down to not using the "correct" type of flour (semolina flour doesn't appear to be available in my area)?
Output: Why does my homemade pasta stick to itself whilst cooking?
A picture is worth a thousand words...I dropped a glass jar filled with rice. I've picked up the macro-sized pieces of glass, but am wondering if there is any way on earth to make the rice safe to eat, given that I am sure it contains small fragments and shards of glass. I could, naturally, go through it grain-by-grain, but this is only a couple of bucks worth of rice, and I don't think it warrants the time.Does anyone have any suggestions? (Or is this too localized?) I would also welcome suggestions for a better tag than "rice."
Output: Remediation Methods for Rice Contaminated with Broken Glass
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Pizza-Hut-WingStreet-Traditional-Chicken-Wings-Copycat-Recipe.html has a copycat recipe for Pizza Hut's hot sauce (you can't see the recipe anymore as it was free to the public only until July 21). Anyway, the instructions says to use margarine to really get close to the original recipe, but butter is an OK substitute. What exactly is the difference between margarine and butter when making sauces? Is one better than the other (it seems to me that margarine is supposedly better -- but always thought that I should stay away from it)?
Output: Hot Sauce: margarine versus butter
If you're making a regular cake, you add all the first ingredients (eggs, butter, sugar, ...) and mix everything well. When you add the last ingredient, the flour, you mix until it's just incorporated, since over-mixing can make the gluten form and you'll end up with a tough cake.If you work with gluten-free flour, can you mix as long as you want?
Output: Can you overmix a gluten-free cake?
In Masterchef The Professionals (season 8 episode 11), Marcus Wareing demonstrates his skills test and cooks a burger. In the process, he rapidly cools the onions after sweating them by placing them on a freezing tray. Would it make a noticeable difference to skip that step? I never did this and my burgers did not fall apart as he suggests. Is there some other reason for doing this?You can see the episode here (skip to 17:30).
Output: Cooling cooked onions before adding to raw mince
A family member has a dairy allergy so we often substitute non-dairy milk in recipes. Most often, this is almond (it's what we have in the house for the kids to drink, and is therefore always on hand). However, if a recipe involves baking soda or baking powder, almond milk produces a less satisfying rise and there's a bitter aftertaste.I think this means that the baking soda is not reacting fully with the almond milk. Soy milk does provide the same "lift" and eliminates the bitterness the same way that dairy milk would. What's causing this? Is it possible to adjust our baking powder recipes to use almond milk, or do we need to buy two kinds of milk (one to bake with, one to drink)?While I'm hoping to get a general rule of thumb, here are a couple of the recipes we have noticed this with for reference. Pancakes:1 c. flour1 tbsp. sugar2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt1 c. milk1/4 c. oil1 eggand muffins:3/4 cup butter1 cup sugar4 cups flour4 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt1 cup raisins, plumped1 egg1 cup milkI did find a Question about almond milk in pancakes, but I'm hoping to get a more general answer about how baking soda/powder and almond milk work together (or, more accurately, fail to work together).
Output: Adjusting baking powder to work with almond milk
I am using a quick prep of ribs on a UV grill (that doesn't really hold a temp under 300'F; qed, no long slow cooking). I saw one other answer here where the ribs are wrapped in foil and quasi-braised in apple/pineapple juice.Basically it goes like this: (1) trim, apply rub, and grill at 300'F indirect heat 30 mins, (2) wrap in foil with apple juice for 30 mins (which is supposed to quasi-braise the meat), (3) finish grilling apply bbq sauce.Unfortunately I don't have apple or pineapple juice. On the other hand, I do have vanilla Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, iced tea, Sierra Mist, margarita mix, sweet and sour mix, and watery domestic beer.From the list above, can I make any substitutions? For further consideration, I will be applying a chipotle rub and bourbon BBQ sauce.
Output: What can I use to substitute apple juice in a preparation of ribs?