niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
I have made both the classic and the speedy version of the no-knead bread recipe provided by Mark Bittman in the New York Times. The one change I make is that I use active dry yeast rather than instant, simply because I don't typically have the latter at hand. I measure out the amount of water the recipe calls for, take out a quarter cup or so, heat it for a few seconds in the microwave so that it is warm (but not hot), dissolve the yeast in the warmed water, then add the dissolved yeast and the rest of the water to the flour to make the dough. In the video that accompanies the speedy bread recipe, Jim Lahey suggests using hot water and adding a couple drops of red wine vinegar. The last couple of times I tried the recipe, I tried those suggestions. I separated out the water for dissolving the yeast and heated the rest beyond merely warming as needed for the yeast. I warmed the water for the yeast as usual. I added the hot water and a couple drops vinegar to the flour and gave it a couple of stirs first before adding the yeast water, as I thought the yeast would die if it came in contact with the hot water. Both times, the bread was disastrous. The dough simply failed to rise sufficiently. Instead of more than doubling in size in four hours, it looked as though it had gotten to perhaps 1.5 times the original size, and it was quite smooth, like kneaded dough, instead of bubbly and stringy as the no-knead dough is supposed to be. The first time, I thought I had made a mistake and added too little yeast, so I didn't think too much about it. The second time, though, I know I measured out the right amount of yeast and I was pretty careful in following the procedure. So I'm trying to account for the lack of rising. A little research suggested that perhaps the vinegar didn't help the yeast to rise, as it ordinarily would, but overwhelmed and killed the yeast. I used a stainless steel bowl for mixing dough and letting it rise. I know that using stainless steel is generally fine, but perhaps it's a bad idea to add vinegar to the dough if I'm using stainless steel? Would this account for the lack of rise in the dough? What other reasons might there be for the failure of the dough to rise? I tested my yeast with sugar dissolved in water and it's fine. Thanks!
Output: What would cause dough not to rise while making no-knead bread?
Picked up from farmer's market yesterday. Not sure if organic.No smell. Slimey texture. Strong grip. A few have started to sprout.About 4 on this one leaf. Other leafs have none.Any idea what they could be?
Output: What is this? Fresh Kale looks to have small sprouting seeds, although looks similar to insect eggs
Yesterday, I had some cooked rice and poured in coconut milk. The can turned out to be bigger than expected so the contents got a bit too "loose".One way was to cook some more rice, of course. However, I wonder, is there another commonly usable ingredient to thicken up things?I'm thinking - if it's too thick, I'd pour in some water or milk. Possibly oil too. But what if I want to accomplish the opposite?
Output: Common ingredient to thicken the soup
Making stock from oily fish is often advised against, but what is the big deal? Does it just taste really bad?
Output: Reason(s) for not making stock with oily fish (salmon)?
Update: I managed to properly incorporate the gum without any clumping. I used an immersion blendsr (blade attachment) and mixed it with sugar this time, and it helped. To thicken a home made tomato sauce, I tried added xanthan gum. While the sauce did thicken (too much in fact, it was mucus like), it resulted in little white 'seeds' floating in the sauce, which was visually unappealing.First, I placed the sauce in a tall metal cup. I placed my immersion blender (with whisk attachment) inside and turned it on. With the high speed immersion blender whirring inside, I sprinkled xanthan gum inside, bit by bit.The xanthan gum powder did not mix well and white 'seeds' could be seen floating in the sauce.Are the 'seeds' a result of the xanthan gum clumping together? What should I do differently to mix it well to avoid this from happeningI should note that the sauce was quite hot (between 160F- 180F) when I added the gum. The sauce also consisted of mainly vinegar, and some sugar.
Output: Xanthan gum 'seeds' in sauce
I just grilled up a steak marinated in vinegar, rosemary, and olive oil. Problem is I made too much. What's the proper way to freeze, store, and subsequently reheat this steak to get it as close to as delicious and tender as it now?
Output: How do I properly freeze and reheat a cooked, marinated steak?
I need to make chicken stock so I bought a 3 lb fryer chicken today. Obviously my plan was to roast the chicken tonight, take meat off the bones and then use the carcass to make the stock tomorrow. My roommate, however, is begging me to make my chicken and sausage gumbo. To do this, I usually boil the chicken whole in a large pot of boiling water for an hour, take out the chicken, use the water as the base for the gumbo, add the chicken to the gumbo, and discard the bones. I really need chicken stock though. Can I make the gumbo tonight and then boil the carcass again tomorrow to make stock? I'm worried the stock will be weaker in flavor since the bones already went through a similar process, but maybe its no different than roasting it. Anyone have experience with this?
Output: Submerging chicken carcass twice
I've been making freezer burritos and eating them for lunches this week. The first batch I made microwave beautifully: just 45 seconds and they're hot all the way through. They were layered with rice, beans, and corn, nothing else (I don't eat cheese and I wanted them to be non-spicy so I can eat them when I'm feeling unwell). The second batch replace the corn with ground beef, cooked and seasoned. The exact same beans, the same rice made the same way. They're smaller, due to using a different package of tortillas; after almost 2 minutes of heating in the same microwave, the meat burrito I had brought still had cold spots in the middle. What causes this? Can I avoid it somehow? Should I mix the ingredients instead of layering?
Output: Why do my meat burritos not heat well?
I am attempting to make dauphinoise potatoes using this recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/402620/dauphinoise-potatoesI am preparing them for tomorrow. So the aim is to put them directly into the oven tomorrow. I've done the cream and the boiling and they are in the tray ready to go, sans cheese.My question is: I followed the recipe but I'm not that great with the knife and thus my slices were a bit thick, probably 5-6mm.It said to cook them for about 3 minutes in the simmering cream, or until cooked. I must have cooked the potatoes in the cream for what felt like forever (well over ten minutes) and they did not seem to be thoroughly cooked. It did not want to boil the cream lest it split. So I just continued with a simmer and kept turning them so they didn't stick to the bottom of the pan.After well over ten minutes I was concerned about burning the cream though the potatoes still didn't look all that cooked. So I dished them out.My question is, will this be OK if the potatoes are not fully cooked through? Providing it's going to go into the oven with a layer of milk and cream it should cook the potatoes through so they are soft? Should I cook it a little longer and lower than the recipe states?
Output: Dauphinoise potatoes: not fully cooked in cream?
Which potatoes in the US are best for twice baked potatoes? My twice baked potatoes didn't turn out right. The skins broke, and punctured to easily. I was using Yukon golds of medium size lightly washed, and punctured with a fork.
Output: Which potatoes are best for twice baked potatoes
Different sites recommend different flours for the feeding of my established starter, so I suspect it depends on the purpose, but I can't find a definitive answer. Should I be using the flour I plan to bake with next? Will mixing and matching make a difference? Do certain types produce more activity? Better flavor?
Output: What type of flour should I feed my starter with?
When I make yogurt, I freeze some of the yogurt for the next time. However, I concentrate the yogurt by pouring it into a cloth, and extracting the yogurt whey (I do not know if it is called whey like cheese).Is the culture in the yogurt whey? Do I lose culture by concentrating the yogurt?Is salt harmful for the culture? Do I necessarily need to store the culture before adding salt to yogurt?
Output: How to catch culture out of yogurt?
Me and my friends have been cooking a 2kg=4.5 pounds piece of rumproast in a bbq smoker. We cooked it at about 250°F for about 3 hours. After that we, wrapped it in tin foil, raised the temperature to about 300°F and cooked it for an additional 3 hours. Our thinking here was that we can raise the temperature a bit, since the moisture can't escape anyway because it's wrapped in tin foil.We were hoping for a juicy and tender roast, that "tears apart" easily with a fork. At the end it wasn't tender and it was so dry that we were afraid it would suck the moisture out of the air... When we unwrapped the tin foil there was a lot of liquid (juice), that should've probably stayed in the meat? Was the temperature too high or wasn't the cooking time right? Is this even an appropriate piece of beef for "low and slow" smoking?
Output: Dry and Tough Rumproast
I made a hot-and-sour soup based on an online recipe, omitting the pork, sugar and dried lilly buds.The major flavoring components were:1tsp White pepper (I used a supermarket-grade pre-ground variety)2tblsp premium brand red wine vinegar1tblsp good soy sauce1tsp Sesame oil1tsp Salt Small package (3oz) assorted dried and reconstituted wild mushrooms4c Chicken stock as the baseI also added a tablespoon of Asian chili-garlic paste for extra heat.The color was pale clear, not the rich brown or reddish-orange I'm used to at Asian restaurants. It smelled terrible - a definite barnyard odor once the white pepper was added. The taste was off as well - instead of a pleasing tangy heat, it was vinegary in an unpleasant way without being tangy, and not particularly hot despite some extra white pepper and chili-garlic paste. While I can fix the heat (more chili paste!), I'm not certain how to fix the sour, the color or the aroma.(Note: I cannot add sugar or solid meat to this dish for medical reasons. Sugar substitute should be OK, if that will really fix it.)
Output: How to make a restaurant style meatless Hot and Sour Soup
I was just putting away my cornstarch when I saw this on the label: To make cake flour: For 1 cup cake flour combine 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour with 2 Tbsp. Argo Corn Starch.Of course I see this two days after paying a ridiculous amount of money for Softasilk.I usually use AP flour for simple cakes, but I'm making some really fussy desserts for the holidays. Some of those recipes call for cake flour and I've always gone ahead and bought cake flour for that kind of thing. Would I really get as good a result with that substitution?
Output: Is cornstarch and AP flour really a good substiture for cake flour?
I love to make chicken stuffed with pesto. I cut the chicken breast in half, and then fill them with pesto and make a roll of it. I first bake the chicken in a frying pan to give them a nice color, and then put them in the oven to cook until it's done.However here comes my problem, I want the chicken to be totally done, because I am very afraid to eat raw chicken. However, I now cook them too long to be sure it is not raw anymore. I cook them for at least 20 minutes on 175 degrees Celsius. I was wondering, can anybody tell me how long I should cook them in the oven on which temperature to be sure it is not raw anymore, but not cook them overdone?
Output: cooking time for chicken-pesto in the oven
Broadly speaking UK recipes will specify amounts by weight (lbs/ounces or metric), whereas American recipes will specify amounts by volume (cups).Is there an explanation for how the two different approaches arose in the first place? I'm not talking about whether or not metric is used, but specifically about volume versus weight.
Output: Cups v. weighing scales - is there an historical explanation?
I was watching a video recipe about peanut butter cookies. The maker mentioned that you shouldn't use all natural peanut butter for making those cookies, because the oils would make your dough split. You should use the other kind (I have no idea what this is).Is this true?My peanut butter contains these ingredients: peanuts, vegetable oil, vegetable fat, salt. I'm assuming this isn't 100% natural peanut butter? Is it only natural peanut butter if it contains only peanuts?
Output: Is it true that natural peanut butter splits in cookies?
When I have made white wine sauce at home, I have been unable to replicate the classic 'round' taste, with the 'long' aftertaste. The taste I'm looking for is typical for restaurants serving it with white fish, like cod.I have a theory that this particular quality has something to do with the preparation of butter, e.g. caramelization.How do I make restaurant-quality white wine sauce?
Output: How do I make restaurant-quality white wine sauce?
Let's say, I only want to make 1 sushi roll right now. Is there a good way to store the rest of the rice for tomorrow's rolls? And what about storing the nori?
Output: What's the best way to store unused sushi rice?
I'm making some saffron rice. After sautéing some onions and saffron and then toasting the rice, it calls for simmering with broth for 8 minutes with a parchment lid. What is the difference between a parchment lid and a top? Is it just the vent for steam? If so, can I just partially cover with a lid? Does the parchment need to be directly resting on the rice for it to "work"?note: I know what a parchment lid is, I just don't fully understand why you'd use one.
Output: What's the purpose of a parchment lid?
I'm making mushroom soup recipe and I'm looking forward to serving it at dinner tomorrow. I have powdered the shitakes, sliced the mushrooms and the wild rice is in the oven now. In order to serve the best possible soup, where should I stop preparation tonight? If I were comfortable with all of the ingredients, I would prepare the soup up to the addition of cream. Unfortunately, I know nothing of wild rice, and how best to hold it. Will it be OK overnight in the fridge? Even better, can I leave the soup (up to the cream addition) on the porch overnight? It's expected to dip 10 degrees F below freezing and stay there until morning.EDIT: My best guess is to add the rice to the soup now, store overnight on the porch, and add the cornstarch slurry, cream and the rest just prior to service. Would the wild rice hold up to that?
Output: How to best hold wild rice
I bought potatoes today in a different store then I normally do. When I came home I saw that the potatoes look like they are 'shedding', and I can peel of pieces of skin. Is this normal for some kind of potatoes? I'm not familiar with this with the potatoes I normally buy. They feel and smell normal. Also they have normal color, no 'bad' spots and when cutting one in half it also looks fine. Are this potatoes just an other kind then I'm used to, or is there something wrong with it? I bought 'regular' waxy potatoes from some supermarket. Thanks!
Output: Is it normal for potatoes to look like they are 'shedding'?
I was hoping to use a recipe that requires sour dough starter tomorrow for dinner. When looking online for recipes I found several, but all of them required several days (examples here, here and here) to make.Is it possible to prepare a sourdough starter in around 24 hours or is it too late in the game for me to get something going for tomorrow night's dinner?
Output: Possible to make sourdough starter quickly?
I made a dish that used a small amount of wine and now I'm wondering how long I can keep the rest of it for next time. I know you wouldn't want to keep good drinking wine around long after opening it, but does the wine get too bad to use in cooking quickly? It's Chardonnay, if it matters. Thanks!
Output: How long can I store cooking wine?
What is meant by "neutral" oils? Conversely, what would make an oil not neutral? When is it important that the oil be neutral (or not)?
Output: What is meant by "neutral" oils?
Sometimes I have only one sushi rice and want to prepare risotto, sometimes is the other way around.Both varieties have a lot of starch, but I don't know if it's the same starch. Is it?
Output: Are sushi rice and arborio rice valid substitutes of each other?
The consensus seems to be that toasted (black) sesame seeds taste better than their raw counterpart.But what happens to the improved flavour when those toasted sesame seeds cool down or get refrigerated and consumed without being reheated/re-toasted? Is that improved flavour retained? And would microwaving cooled-down toasted sesame seeds make any improvements to flavour?
Output: Do cooled-down/chilled toasted black sesame seeds taste nearly raw again?
I am wondering if these painted knives are safe to use.
Output: Are these knives safe?
In many cities in the Venezuelan Andes, there is a traditional beverage with the following preparation:Put a slice/piece of pineapple about two inches per side in a bottle of milk.Put the milk with the pineaple in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.Take the milk, without the pineapple, and shake a little with a spoon to homohenize, then put about 2 oz in a milkshake machine, and shake for about 1 minute puting suggar in the process.Optionaly put some artifitial flavor in the milkshake machine - I'd recomend coconut artifitial flavor. Also you can put in the milkshake machine with the milk, some small pices of ice cubes, this makes the drink a bit more creamy.This is usually a companion for Empanadas or PastelesWhat is the name of this beverage? Is a powder or something else that substitutes the pineapple piece and/or the fermentation process?I googled for something like this with no luck, the closest recipe is the pineapple-coconut milk, but that is not what I'm looking for.
Output: What is the name of this drink and is there a substitute for the pineapple?
I have a large batch of corn bread that's about to go bad, a situation I'd like to salvage by turning it into corn bread pudding. Unfortunately, all of the recipes I can find online start from base ingredients, or corn muffin mix, rather than using completed corn bread as an ingredient. Recipes for bread pudding don't have this problem; they don't expect you to start from flour :)Can I just substitute corn bread for wheat bread in a bread pudding recipe and get palatable results? I'm not at all sure. If not, what would people suggest I do to my corn bread, to turn it into corn bread pudding?
Output: Making corn bread pudding from corn bread
In the metropolitan area where I live, there is truly a great selection of dried fish in various ethnic food stores, my favorite of which is herring. However, it is always very salty and I have a somewhat high blood pressure so the doc said keep my salt intake under control as well as I don't really like salty food very much. Is the saltiness essential to the preparation of dried fish? Can the fish be as nicely dried/smoked without using so much salt? Finally, the most important question is, is there a way to desalinate the dried herrings that I otherwise like so much? E.g. I would make eggs with minced dried herring and not add any salt to the eggs, hoping that would neutralize the saltiness and the mix is still so salty I can barely eat it.
Output: Desalinating dried/smoked fish
I am planning to make a pasta dish and would like to know if adding 1Tb spoon of olive oil while boiling 500 gram of pasta make it sticky. What are the other advantages and disadvantages of this approach?
Output: Does adding olive oil in pasta while boiling make it sticky?
I am considering ordering a few silicone kitchen utensils from China (like this). However, I am concerned about their food safety. The seller assures that the tools are made of "100% Food Grade Silicone" and food safe symbol (fork and wine glass icon) is there - however anyone can print anything on their products... The seller also assures that their products are certified by a number of agencies ("CIQ,EEC,FDA,LFGB,CE / EU,SGS", of which for certain I can recognize only FDA, EU may possibly mean European Union).Do you have any experiences with this producer or is there any official online resource (e.g. published by FDA or EU) that can be used to confirm food safety of products offered by a given producer?
Output: Food safety of China-imported kitchen utensils
I am looking at:100% peanut butter (no added salt, sugar, oils or anything else)100% roasted peanuts (no added salt, sugar, oils or anything else)When looking thought different sources, I can always notice the following:Peanut butter has more protein (as % of calories) than peanutsexample sources (I've looked through a dozen more, but please check others, maybe mine are not representative?):http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-5588-Waitrose+LOVE+life+roasted+peanutshttp://shop.wholeearthfoods.com/collections/award-winning-peanut-butter/products/whole-earth-100-nuts-crunchy-peanut-butte-227-gWhy is this? If no ingredients are added, how is it possible for the macronutrients to change (as % of the calories). Different levels of roasting cannot be the reason because they should not change macronutrients disproportionally.The only explanation I can think of is if in the process of making peanut butter, some part of the peanut is removed and that part contains a low protein amount. Some sources say that when peanut butter is made, the 'bitter heart of the peanut' is removed. Could that explain it?If anyone has some insight I would be very interested to learn.
Output: How can 100% peanut butter have more protein than 100% peanuts
I make this Sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, it has a streusel like topping. Usually I can bake this at the destination, but this year I need to bake at home and take. I have a baking dish that has a heat resistant plastic cover and an insulated carrier. I know that the topping will get soggy if it is tightly covered after baking. How can this be avoided?
Output: How can I keep streusel topping from getting soggy?
To provide my diabetic guests with a low-carb option for dipping, I make cheddar cheese "crackers" by melting small mounds of cheddar on a silpat at 400° F. Once the cheese has started to bubble very slowly, I remove them, dab them with a towel to remove excess grease, and then place them on paper towels or brown paper, flipping them once, to cool and wick away additional grease. Not surprisingly, the crackers are always very greasy even with the dabbing/wicking. What could I add to the shredded cheese to make the crackers less greasy without dramatically increasing their carbohydrate count, and how much of that ingredient should I use (assuming two cups of cheddar per "recipe")? In lieu of adding anything to the cheddar, is there an ingredient with which I could dust the crackers to help cut down their greasiness without dramatically increasing their carbohydrate count?
Output: How do I make my cheese "crackers" less greasy?
For example, is there any difference (taste, use, health, etc) between using an olive oil infused with lemon and a regular olive oil and adding lemon juice?If there are differences, do they only apply when not cooking with the oil (e.g. in a dressing or garnish) or also when heating the oil?
Output: Is there a difference between infused oil and adding the ingredient?
I am planning on making a new chili using grilled venison, Great Lakes Black Out Stout, and roasted corn (I'm in Ohio and sweet corn is getting good right now). My least favorite part of making and eating chili is the beans; I hate selecting them and pick around them in my bowl. (I will probably also be using chiles en adobo, serranos, and roasted jalapenos/tien tsin as my pepper trinity.)The only ones I do actually like are black beans. What would your recommendations be for a good bean, both in choice and preparation to pair with the ingredients above? (Please include other ingredients or flavors to incorporate in the comments.) I want it to be dark and mysterious; typically I name things first and then build them up from there and this one I'm calling Bear's Den Chili (hopefully that will be a note to start you off with).
Output: Bean selection for a chili recipe
I'm building a breadbox that will hold multiple loaves of bread. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to put a gasket around the lid to reduce air infiltration but I don't know what is more important. So is the key to keep out light or air or both?
Output: What makes bread mold grow; light, air or both?
I am a rookie bread baker and I have been following some recipes that range in amounts of water and flour. I have a Kitchenaid artisan mixer that has been doing the hard work of kneading for me. My problem is knowing when to stop adding flour during mixing/kneading.Some recipes say add flour until the dough is workable and then knead. My questions is, when they say use 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of flour but no more. How do I know when to stop, I have ruined a few loaves as they came out heavy and dense.How do I know when to stop adding flour and let the gluten take care of the stickiness? I often find myself adding flour until the dough balls up and pulls from the sides but by then it's too late.On the other side, I have kneaded for 15 - 20 minutes waiting for the dough to pull sides of the bowl and it never happened.When do I add flour and when do I just wait?Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Output: When and how much flour do I add when mixing dough?
I'm a regular consumer of tea (since about 2 years ago), usually from commercial tea bags.They advise to infuse tea for 3 to 5 minutes, but there is some times that I have left it longer by accident.So I have been wondering what are the consequences -if any- of infusing tea bag longer than recommended by sellers (sometimes up to 10 minutes). My question is general, but I'm especially interested in black tea.
Output: What are the consequences of infusing a tea bag longer than recommended?
My roommate decided to store a sizable purchase of ground beef in the freezer. For reasons I don't entirely understand, he would thaw it as needed at cook temperature in the microwave, then refreeze.Quite a bit of this beef remains, and it's been in the refrigerator since I discovered his shenanigans, but unfortunately it's difficult to make patties out of the meat because it's partially cooked. I don't want it to go to waste, so what might I use to hold it together while making burgers that still taste like burgers?
Output: Making patties from half-cooked ground beef
I made a fairly simple chicken-and-dumpling stew recipe; however, after one bite of dumpling, I have the most wretched aftertaste. The soup is fine; however, the dumplings taste totally nasty, kind of bitter and repulsive and a little like vomit (My fiancee describes it as "metal and bad"). If there had been anything in my mouth by the time that taste hit, I'd have spit it out instinctively. The recipe calls for 1/3 cup Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix and 1/3 cup buttermilk to make the dumpling dough; I doubled it because I was making a large pot of stew. The stew tastes fine once I ditch the dumplings; it contained chicken broth (made from bouillon cubes), milk, cornstarch, cooked chicken, parsnips, carrots, celery, and onions. The dumplings were dropped by spoonfuls into the stew and cooked for about 7 minutes, as per the recipe directions. I have not made this specific recipe before. The consistency of the dumplings seemed fine; they were a little bland due to lack of seasoning, but otherwise all was well until that aftertaste hit. What could have gone wrong? The buttermilk was purchased just a few days before, well within its expiration date (Nov 24th), and the baking mix had been used for pancakes earlier in the week (which were a little bland but not disastrous)
Output: Why are my dumplings made of evil?
My family has been making homemade ice cream for years. I run the machine, but usually there are many other hands that want to make it. I know their is the custard less variety, containing milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and any other flavoring or fruit they want. Recently, I found a recipe for 'banana pudding ice cream'. I decided to give it a go. Unlike the other ice creams we make, it has a custard base of milk, cream, sugar, and a pinch of salt. You add in pureed banana, a little lemon juice, and a little nutmeg. So I tried this recipe, doubling everything to get 3 quarts.It really didn't want to get made as first, the custard foamed up on me and ran over in about 3 seconds, then when I was blending the mixture, the bottom didn't come out with the rest of the blender and I lost some there. I persevered and got the mixture done and in the fridge over night. I put it in the machine the next morning, because it called for making it, folding in the crushed/frozen vanilla wafer cookies, and letting it set for 4hrs.I did this and it turned out great. It came out of the machine at the consistency of soft serve. I folded in the vanilla wafers and it froze from ~9-10am on to around 5pm. When we pulled it out of the freezer, it was a similar consistency and everyone liked it.However, the next day I didn't go back to the river and the rest of the family did. They ate more of my ice cream and while one person said it was really good and tasted the same, my dad said it had frozen funny. I couldn't figure out if he meant it crystalized or just froze up harder than soft serve.To be honest, I don't really eat leftover ice cream, because there are usually enough people to polish it off, so I don't know how either version turns out when left to freeze over night. What I'd like to know is what can I expect if I make another batch. I have a trip to the mountains this weekend to see more family and after hearing about it, they want to try it. I plan to make the mix and churn it up there, because I'm worried it'll do something funny if I freeze it too long. Is custard based ice cream supposed to be set up hard or can the soft serve consistency be what I expect? Is it prone to getting too hard or forming crystals when frozen over night? That's the kind of thing I need to know. I'd just like to repeat my experience with the good ice cream and I don't want to disappoint them by making a hard icy ice cream instead of the soft smooth goodness I made last time. Thanks for the help.
Output: Question about consistency of homemade ice cream
I am making small pies (in muffin tins!) for a party. I plan on pre-cooking the filling (ground beef and veggies), then finishing the pies at the location. Would it be helpful (either for transport or for shortening the on-location cooking time) to par-bake the pie crusts in the tins?
Output: When is is necessary to par bake a pie crust?
Most detailed bechamel recipes call for the roux to be brought to room temperature before adding the warm milk. What is the difference between that and pouring in the milk while the roux is still hot?Also should the roux be a liquidy creamy texture or more of a grainy coarse texture?
Output: When making bechamel, why does the roux need to be room temperature?
I have a caramel candy recipe that uses spiced honey instead of corn syrup that I really love. I also have a caramel syrup recipe that uses rum and it was a huge hit with the family. I am hoping to merge the two and make a spiced caramel candy that has rum flavor. I saw a recipe that called for 1/4 cup of Rum in its recipe, but I was afraid to add too much moisture to a recipe with honey in it (especially since the reviews for this particular recipe complained a lot about the caramels not setting properly), so I tried adding 2-3 tablespoons of rum during the initial heating of the sugar and honey. They turned out well as far as firmness goes but the rum seemed to evaporate and leave no flavor behind. Second attempt I tried adding a teaspoon of strong, dark spiced rum at the end after taking the whole batch off the heat, much like you would vanilla extract, but yet again there was no flavor left. This time they also turned out a bit soft.I guess I'm wondering... is there a better way to do this, or should I just use a rum extract instead? Do you have any experience adding rum or other alcohol flavors to candy? Thanks so much for your time!
Output: Best way to impart rum flavor in caramel candies?
I was wondering what taste good as a filling for chicken breast. I want to make kind of chicken breast pockets by almost cutting through the chicken breast but keeping both sides still together to fill. Then I will fill it and close it with some string or tooth picks. That's very much for any suggestions!
Output: Filling for Stuffed Chicken Breast
I just received a Hario Coffee Syphon TCA/50A as a birthday gift which makes use of an alcohol-fuel powered wick/lamp to heat the water.However, I'm a bit confused which fuel I should be using exactly? The manual states: Use only fuel-type alcohol. Never use gasoline, benzene or kerosene. Purchase fuel-type alcohol from a pharmacy, etc.However, what exactly should I be asking for? I live in Germany and none of the Apothek/Pharmacies said they had what I was looking for. I feel like there should be a more common name for the exact fuel I need to use! (eg: Should I be looking for Butane or Ethanol?)
Output: What kind of fuel do I use for a Hario TCA/50A coffee syphon?
A few months ago I attempted a soufflé and had mixed success (i.e. failure). I determined that I enjoyed both the taste and the presentation, but I just haven't gained the confidence to try again. I noticed that my soufflé would puff up very nicely, but quickly collapse, losing its structural rigidity and demolishing its parabolic nature. Does anyone know any tips or tricks to re-puff a soufflé, or at least a way to keep it from falling in the first place?
Output: Collapsing soufflé
My wife was planning to make us pad thai, but accidentally bought tamarind puree instead of tamarind paste. We would like to still use the puree if possible - is there any way we could use the puree instead? Is the difference noticeable enough that our recipe can't be made with the puree?
Output: What can we do if we accidentally buy tamarind puree instead of paste?
I am cooking for a large group and am trying to do as much as I can in advance. One thing I would love to do in advance is chop several onions. I have done this before with a single onion; I stored the chopped onion in a plastic storage container (sealed with the lid) in the fridge. About 6 hours later, the smell of onions was very strong both in the fridge and on everything that was in the fridge. I can't imagine it with 4-6 onions!What can I do to avoid the smell, not ruin everything in my fridge, but still be able to do the preparation 6-8 hours in advance?
Output: How can I store chopped onions in the fridge without the smell?
Raw fish pieces have stuck to each other in freezer. How to take out few pieces of fish without disturbing other pieces?Thawing whole bunch may not make sense since I do not intend to eat them all today. What are my options?My question is about "how" to do it. Should I hammer out the pieces without thawing them? If yes, then what would be the approach to do it?https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/40690/6168 Quick and sloppy:  Pry the frozen fillets apart using a case knife or use a wedge of some sort to separate them physically without thawing.Why is this method called sloppy? What is wrong with it?
Output: Raw fish pieces have stuck to each other in freezer. How to take out few pieces of fish without disturbing other pieces?
I received several different pepper (spice) for christmas. One of them is a white pepper. Whenever I use (very) little of this white pepper in my dishes, the odor/flavor is very dominant cutting out all other flavors. How can I use this pepper without losing the other flavors?
Output: How can I use white pepper without having the odor dominate the food flavour?
I have a recipe for kumquat marmalade, it calls for 2 parts fruits, 1 part sugar and 1 part water. Before boiling the liquid it states that one should macerate the fruit in de sugar water first. How does this maceration help?
Output: Goal of macerating fruit for marmalade
I heard on a film the other day that you shouldn't crowd mushrooms when cooking them? What does this mean and how do you avoid doing it?
Output: What does "crowding mushrooms" mean?
I am going camping shortly. I have done some dutch oven cooking before, and there is one recipe that I want to make that uses one. However, I do not have a dutch oven...I am thinking of using two aluminum pans (the cheap foil ones) and aluminum on the top (several layers) to make a sort of dutch oven alternative.Has anyone tried that? Does it work?I am also thinking of putting some sand or water between the two pans to make it hold and transfer the heat a little more evenly. Anyone know if this will work?
Output: Dutch Oven alternative for campfire?
I went to the Halal butcher the other day and asked for steak, except what I received was more like thinly sliced beef. What can I do with this on a barbeque? Will it cook the same? How can rescue the situation?
Output: What precautions should be taken while cooking a thin steak?
I got some beef this weekend with the following label. This label is obviously not aimed at the consumer, but as I was after a single piece, the guy behind the counter gave it to me in its original packaging. When I got home I noticed the details of the label which opens a whole raft of questions:I'm guessing USE AFTER instruction is to ensure the meat is sufficiently mature before being sold, is that correct? If that's true, is the whole aging process done in these vacuum-pack bags? If so, could I have kept it for a further 19 days before opening (I bought it on the 5th) for a more mature beef? Who needs "Jamie Oliver Matured for 21 days" if we can just do it ourselves? PURCHASED: 5th, USE BY (on sale label): 6th
Output: Is beef 'aged' in vacuum packed bags?
I've accidentally left a pork tenderloin marinating in the fridge for the past six days. Is it still safe to cook and eat? I'm not sure how it will taste, but I'd hate to waste a good tenderloin. The marinade is really more of a brine made of apple juice, sugar, soy sauce, salt and some spices. It was in the back of refrigerator, so it remained quite well chilled.Update!As many folks mentioned, I used the power of The Sniff Test and everything smelled fine. We ate it and no one died or fell ill. In fact, it was quite tasty. I was afraid the taste would be off, but it was great!
Output: Is it safe to eat a pork loin that has been refrigerated for 6 days?
Food bits get stuck in this. Simply washing it under tap doesn't help.How to efficiently remove the stuck particles from this scrubbing pad?Don't have a dishwasher.
Output: How to efficiently remove the food particles stuck in the scrubbing pad?
I have a couple of old pots and pans laying around in the house and unfortunately I don't have the original box. Is there an easy way to tell if they are safe to use in the oven? Like for stainless steel or non-stick pans are they generally safe to use in the oven? Maybe only for certain temperatures?
Output: Is there an easy way to tell if a pan/pot is oven-safe?
I have experience making a roux with butter and flour. If I want to substitute a non-dairy fat (e.g. olive or sunflower oil), will there be any cooking or consistency differences that I need to watch out for? Does the fat/flour ratio stay consistent?
Output: Is an oil-based roux cooked the same as one made with butter?
I sometimes find myself wanting to eat whole nuts in situations where I have no access to a nutcracker, whether because I'm at work or traveling or otherwise not in a place where I might be expected to keep a nutcracker on hand. I've had good luck squeezing two pecans together in my hand, but what other nuts are good for improvised cracking methods?
Output: Which nuts can be cracked without tools?
I decided to make scones for the first time and picked a high rated recipefrom allrecipes.com. It instructed me to combine the ingredients like a pastry dough (cold butter cut into the dry ingredients, crumble, then add the wet ingredients). Then:  Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 8-10 times. Divide into four portions. On ungreased baking sheets, pat dough into 4-in. circles. Cut each into four wedges, but do not separate.I followed the recipe to the letter, using a scale. But the dough emerged extremely sticky. Kneading was impossible. Forming into circles too: I spread it with a knife, but couldn't get it in any way into a regular shape. It stuck to everything, including a silicone rolling mat and a silicone spatula. The best description I can manage for the consistency is Nutella-like. Is this normal? If yes, why the "knead" instruction? If not, what went wrong?
Output: Should scones dough be sticky?
I had a frozen package of bacon. I only wanted to use half the bacon, but couldn't separate the frozen bacon strips, so I defrosted the whole package in the microwave. The bacon got quite warm - not fully cooked, but smelling like bacon. I used what I needed and put the rest in the fridge immediately. I'm planning on using the rest of the bacon in a few days. Is that a good idea, or should I just throw it away?
Output: Can I store raw meat in the fridge after defrosting in the microwave?
My quesadillas keep turning into burritos. This happens because I fold the tortilla in half but it doesn't stay so I tuck it in and roll it up by then it becomes a burrito (full and round). What's the difference? How do I make my quesadillas come out flat?
Output: At what step is the difference made between a quesadilla and burrito?
This past weekend we visited Rodale farm's organic apple festival, and we spent all of yesterday canning. We also have several peaches from making a batch of fruit ketchup. We still have about 1/4 a bushel of apples left, so I was considering making several fruit pies to freeze for the upcoming thanksgiving season.Thus far, I have seen several recipes that caution AGAINST freezing, some that have tips about freezing (namely, blind bake the crust before freezing, do NOT bake the fruit, bake the pie frozen, just add an extra 20-25 minutes to the normal baking time).Are there any other major concerns when making a pie specifically with the intention of freezing it? Should I add starch to prevent a liquidy mess? Should I try to drain the fruit first with a little salt to remove excess water?
Output: Are there special considerations for making a pie with the express intention of freezing?
When creaming butter or shortening with sugar, how can I tell when it's creamed enough? With the mixer as low as 3 or 4, even a few minutes of mixing seems excessive. Also, what are symptoms could I see in cookies which have had the butter under-creamed?Update: I think that I'm familiar with the standard guides of light and fluffy, but I seem to have a hard time evaluating that when I'm watching the mixer. My cookies always seem to come out too flat, and since I'm measuring flour by weight, creaming is my next suspect.What should I look for? Are there any tests that I can do; perhaps similar to the window pane test for bread development?
Output: How can I tell when my fat is sufficiently creamed?
I very rarely buy avocado, but now I happen to have two of them in my kitchen. I'm used to ripe avocado having this colour:Now, mine are more brightly green, like this:They aren't very soft, so I guess they aren't ripe yet, but I'm wondering if the colour will change or if this is just a matter of which variety of avocado it is?
Output: Can bright green avocados be ripe?
I recently bought something that was labelled at the grocery store as a "purple sweet potato". They were larger than what I am used to for sweet potatoes, but looked similar, although they had a purple skin on the outside and white flesh on the inside. I figured since they were labelled as "sweet potatoes", I would prepare them the same way I like to prepare regular sweet potatoes, by boiling them first (for about 40 minutes), then removing the skin, slicing it into wedges and then pan frying them. I have done this many times with normal sweet potatoes, and it works quite well.However, after I boiled the purple sweet potatoes for 45 minutes, I pulled them out to take the skins off, and they were soft and stringy and incredibly off putting - they felt the same way as a gummy mashed potato would feel, and they fell apart all over the place.Are they more like a potato, requiring less boiling time? Or is there something else going on here that I am missing?Edit: I went to the grocery store today, and they are now labelled as "purple yams". I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I also got a picture of them, to make my description a bit clearer.
Output: Cooking "purple sweet potatoes" or "purple yams"
I have found that after 2 batches of chicken breasts, the fond is in the pan for enough time to start burning, so the third batch gets a little black and starts to taste burned. Does it mean that I should deglaze or wash my pan every 2 batches to make sure I won't get a burned taste?
Output: Will meat taste okay if I cook it in a pan where the leftover fond seems burned?
I bought some printed rice paper decorations (flat circles of rice paper printed with edible ink) for my son's birthday party. I'm not sure what the best way is to attach them to cakes / cookies and I don't have a lot of spare time to experiement.The options I can think of are:make my own cookies and press them in to the cookie - either beforebaking or more likely after baking but while still warm and softplace the rice paper circle on top of a pre-baked cookie or small flat-topped cake and pipe some form of icing or frosting around theedge to hold it in placepile butter cream icing on top of a small cake, press the rice paper circle onto the butter cream icingWhat I ideally want is to be able to do this the day before they are needed, so as well as being held properly in place, I also would like the rice paper not to go soggy / curl up and the ink not to run or leak out of the rice paper.
Output: How can I attach printed rice paper decorations to cakes / cookies?
What are the mechanics of water boiling over? How can you stop it from happening? Is it more likely to happen with certain ingredients? Which? How does the amount of water effect the likelihood of water boiling over? What role does burner temperature have? Will it only occur during a rolling boil?This is brought up by this comment by MeltedPez in one of the cooking pasta questions: The only other argument for using more water is that less water is more likely to cause the pot to boil over. Basically the starch in the pasta makes it easier for the water to form bubbles that collect and spill over when not paying attention. I've found that with a very low pasta to water ratio can end in a messy kitchen. This seems very counter intuitive to me initially, as I feel less water should make it harder to boil over the edges.
Output: What causes water to boil over?
When looking for a blowtorch for the kitchen, you can buy some reasonably expensive tools. When looking for a blowtorch for plumbing, you can buy some reasonably cheap tools.The price is different. The look is different. The principle is the same. I guess the gas is the same.Why pay more? Is there a health issue? Is the kitchen blowtorch more precise?
Output: Blowtorch - hardware store vs kitchen store. Is there a difference?
I have a packet of fresh tilapia filets from the grocer, and I'm planning to broil them with BBQ sauce. How long should they stay under the heat and how far should they be from the heating elements? My broiler is the "under-the-oven" kind which re-uses the gas flame that pre-heats the main oven.Edit: Are there any additional preparation steps I should be aware of? I'm a novice when it comes to cooking fish.
Output: How long should tilapia filets of normal thickness be broiled?