Exactly how much is "one glass", in Russian recipes?

In many many Russian recipes, measurements call for one glass or this one glass of that.

One glass in Russia, appears to be a similar concept to what one cup is in United States.

But here lies a problem, I will run down the list:

• USSR mass-produced a certain type of faceted glass that pretty much everyone had in Russia. The facets on the glass ended before reaching the top of the glass, thus marking a natural edge.
  
  
  
  
  • Pouring water into glass up to that edge == 200 milliliters
  
  
  • Pouring water till the top of the glass = 250 milliliters
  
  
  
  

It is NEVER specified if you are to fill up till the edge or to the top.

Now Russia produces all kinds of "glasses". Looking around Russian native sites, I see that one glass can be anywhere from 180g, 200g, 250g. Also, measuring water, sugar, and flour by volume this way, will produce different weight.

Does anyone have an experience in this?

I have a recipe that calls for "approximately 4 glasses of flour". How much do I put?

I suppose I can use "one US cup" measure, but I know that one US cup, as a measurement vessel/quantity, did not exist in the recipe originator's minds in Soviet Russia.

Question: how much is 1 glass? Is it safe to use one cup?

How long do sharkfin melons keep?

Do sharkfin melons (Cucurbita ficifolia ) really have fruits that keep for years, if kept dry? I read that somewhere. That seems an awesomely long time. I have some seeds on order. So even if no one else has experience here, I plan to find out.

Three day old pancake batter with grey spots

I know from experience and Googling that day-old carrot cake can result in green carrot bits due to oxidation but remains perfectly edible. Has the same thing happened to my pancake batter? Or are these grey spots speckled throughout mold? It doesn't smell nor taste off.

How should I store bolognese sauce prep?

I want to make a huge batch of bolognese ragu sauce, and would like to do some of the prep the night before. I'm going to finely chop these ingredients:

• Beef


• Pork shoulder


• Carrots


• Celery


• Onions

...and the day after they will be fried and turned into sauce.

How should I store these chopped ingredients overnight? Will just putting them in bowls with cellophane over do? Are there any of them that probably shouldn't be prepared the day before?

turkey gravy when undisturbed

TURKEY GRAVY WHEN IT SITS UNDISTURBED FOR HOURS IN A CLEAR JAR, A DARK LAYER DIVELOPES UP AT THE TOP.(NO FAT) I KNOW JELITON COMES FROM THE TURKEY BONES, BUT WHAT IS THE PROPER NAME FOR THIS DARK LAYER. I KNOW IT`S THE FLAVOUR LAYER, CARMEN Toronto Canada

Are sharkfin melon shoots really edible?

I read that the shoots of sharkfin melons (Cucurbita ficifolia ) are edible. Isn't that kind of unique for a cucurbit? Is it true that they're edible? Are the mature leaves/vines poisonous?

I left a fully cooked honeybaked ham out overnight, and i am planning on making it into soup-is that ok?

I plan to make soup out of fully cured ham that was left out overnight-since it will cook another two hours, should it be safe to eat ?

What should the consistency of the meat filling of moussaka be like?

I intend on cooking a lamb moussaka (having never eaten one before); in planning to do this I've referred to numerous recipes. The meat filling of the moussaka seems to be it's most integral element however in looking at all these recipes I've been unable to reach any consensus as to how this should be cooked. The sticking point seems to be the choice of ingredients to cook the meat filling with. My options seem to be:

1. tomato passata/canned tomatoes/peeled


2. tomato puree


3. or a combination of both.

I am under the impression that the meat filling in a moussaka tends to be less tomatoey and thinner than say a Ragu alla Bolognese meat sauce. When cooking a Ragu alla Bolognese meat sauce you're aiming for a nice thick consistency with caramelisation of the tomatoes in the sauce.

I feel that cooking moussaka meat filling with tomato passata/canned tomatoes will result in the meat sauce being similar to that of a Ragu alla Bolognese. Is this desirable for moussaka?

Can someone guide me as to the consistency I should be striving for?

Can I make any modern improvements to this Russian cake recipe from 1971?

I found a recipe in a 1971 Russian booklet on holiday recipes, (see it below). I translated it to English. My questions about the recipe will be these:

• 
  

  are there any advancements known to culinary science that will bring this recipe to 21st century? (I am thinking of things like mixing egg yolks and egg whites separately, mixing liquid and dry ingredients separately, use of baking soda vs baking powder, when to put ingredients together in what order, baking it at what temperature and so on, or is it fine as-is?)

  
  


• 
  

  there is no temperature listed at which it is to be baked, but I am guessing 180F

  
  


• 
  

  it mentions crushing star anise and cloves. Do I use the old methods and crush them in a mortar and pestle? Or do I use ... a blender? I do have the spices in whole uncrushed form.

  
  


• 
  

  in a word, can I make improvements to this cake, to make it better, without changing its authenticity?

  
  

The Recipe

• 
  

  3 eggs

  
  


• 
  

  200 grams of butter or margarine (1 cup or vegetable oil, better corn)

  
  


• 
  

  2 cups sugar

  
  


• 
  

  1 cup of thick (candied) jam

  
  


• 
  

  2 cups of buttermilk or yogurt

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves, star anise (crushed)

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  
  


• 
  

  about 4 cups flour

  
  

Mix eggs with sugar, add the butter, jam, crushed spices, sour milk.

Pour baking soda and flour (flour pour as much as necessary to achieve consistency similar to a thick porridge).

Prepare the form (line bottom with oiled parchment, well-lubricate the entire form and sprinkle it with flour), put it in the mix, filling in the form only as much as 3/4 since the cake will rises.

Bake the cake on low heat in the oven.

Note. You can add chopped and sugared lemon and orange peel, raisins, nuts. If you do not have all of these spices, you can restrict it to 1 1/2 teaspoon of crushed cloves. Instead of jam you can try putting in the same amount honey or preserves. This cake should be kept in cool place, wrapped in a wet cloth and a plastic bag. Thus it can be stored even 2 weeks, but when it is necessary to change the cloth.

Xanthan Gum Use in Tamarind Chutney

How much xanthan gum should be used to thicken a large 24 Quartz pot of hot tamrind chutney to get a smooth pourable tamrind chutney when we cool, currently use 2 lbs of corn starch but it spoils the taste.

How to turn a large piece of meat without losing breading

I have a mustard-crusted pork tenderloin recipe that I really like, but I have a presentation problem. Basically coat the tenderloins in a honey mustard sauce, then bread with panko. These are fried for a few minutes in a large skillet in clarified butter. Once brown on all sides, the loins are finished in the oven.

The problem is I always loose most of the breading while turning the loins to brown them or when I take them out of the pan. The ideal is that each medallion should be evenly coated around the outside. Instead I end up with a platter of saucy (and tasty) crumbs underneath my half-crusted meat. The challenge is that each piece of meat is quite large, about a pound, and pretty long. How can I turn and lift these tenderloins without ruining my crust?

I have tried both metal and plastic tongs, with no better result. I have tried some of the tips here: How can I get breaded chicken to stop from sticking to the frying pan?. Though my problem was not quite the same.

What are the advantages of "bathed" bread?

There is a technique of making bathed bread. For it, the dough is kneaded as usual, then shaped into a boule, bound in cheesecloth, and submerged in water for the first proofing.

When it floats up, it's considered ready. It is then shaped, final-proofed and baked. There is no knockdown and second proof before shaping.

This is a home technique, I've never heard of it being used professionally.

I realize that it's a convenient way for novice bakers to judge when their dough is fermented. But is this the only advantage? Does the technique somehow change the quality of the prepared bread?

how much do i have to weigh to be considered a good cook?

time and time again i've been told by my chef friends that the only way to display my cookery chops is to grow a pair of my own. whats the accepted cutoff point?

Chow Mein: What is the starchy sauce called and how can I cook it?

This is a two part question, both relating to Chow Mein:

When ordering Vegetable Chow Mein from various Chinese restaurants in New York and New Jersey, I find that the dish is prepared with two different sauces depending on the restaurant. One sauce seems like its a typical Chinese "brown sauce," but the other is pretty much uncolored, is starchy, and not oily at all. I'll call this second sauce "Sauce X."

What is the correct name for "Sauce X," and how can I specify it when ordering Chow Mein at a Chinese restaurant?

How can I cook this sauce for use in homemade chow mein?

Is it necessary to "heal" clay pots?

I'm from Mexico, and every time either my grandmother or mother bought a new clay pot, they started "healed" the clay pot by boiling water with vinegar, rub garlic on the outside of the pot, and let it rest all night long.

I recently bought a clay pot, and it released black particles into my food. I asked why, and my mother told me it was because I didn't "heal" the pot.

I thought it was ridiculous, so that made my wonder if it's truly necessary to "heal" a clay pot, and if this belief is endemic of Mexico or is it also well know in other parts of the world as well.

Hope this question isn't off topic. And if it is, feel free to flag it.

Why should or shouldn't I peel mushrooms?

I've peeled my button mushrooms since cooking with a friend once, who did it, but I've never understood why, if at all, it's advisable.

Searching shows a fairly wide range of opinions but I see no reason attached to either side.

Is it purely aesthetic?

grinding my own meat/new

I'm new to grinding my own meat. I'm not sure how much of the fat to leave on the meat before I grind. Whether it be chicken, beef or Turkey. What's the best method for grinding chicken vs beef vs Turkey, etc. Need all the info I can get. Also could use some new awesome recipes. Help.

How much full cream milk do I need to make 100 gms Paneer (Cottage cheese) at home?

That is the question. Have nothing more to add.

What is the easiest way to remove the papery covers from the peanuts?

Intention is to make peanut butter. What is the easiest way to achieve the said aim?

A question about browning meat for spaghetti bolognese

I've been told in one form or another, "no colour, no flavour", so when cooking Spaghetti Bolognese I'll always brown the meat (after chucking in the onions, carrots, celery etc.). This does impart flavour but it also alters the texture of the minced meat - the mince becomes grainier, drier, etc. Its not that i'm overcooking it, I believe this naturally happens, as the browning can only occur after all the moisture has been cooked off and subsequently as you brown the meat it forms a crust and becomes harder.

Is it possible to retain the benefits of browning along with the mince being soft, tender, moist?

Ballotine of Foie Gras - chop or not?

I am in the process of making a ballotine of foie gras.

The liver has been cleaned of veins and is currently in 2 large pieces. It has been marinading in Sauternes / salt / pepper for the last 24 hours. Should I chop the Foie Gras, or leave it in larger pieces when I make my ballotines? To make the ballotines I will wrap in cling film, pierce air pockets etc. and then simmer in water at around 80C for 10 mins before refrigerating overnight for consumption tomorrow.

are eating potatoes covered with dirt good?

i normally buy peeled potatoes in the supermarket but today I wondered if potatoes covered in dirt were better than the ones already peeled.

Why do my pancakes taste dry?

I've tried various pancake mixes, and they always taste "healthy" and dry compared with the ones at a good cafe, and I don't mean greasy like iHOP's. What am I missing, fat?

Nutrient content of ground bison meat

I have been searching for fat and calorie content per volume of ground bison meat, and I have found various conflicting sources. BisonCentral.com lists it as 2.42 grams of fat and 143 kcal per 3.5 oz serving. nutritiondata.self.com claims 14 grams of fat and 190 kcal per 3 oz serving. Finally, healthyeating.sfgate.com says 10 grams of fat and 200 calories per 4 oz serving.

So which is right?

How can I cook a 9 pound pork roast in a slow cooker?

I need to cook a 9 pound pork roast in a crock pork/slow cooker. How long do I need to cook it? I have a recipe for a 3-4 pound roast; is there any way to adjust it for a larger roast?

why does my non dairy creamer not dissolve in coffee?

I use Nestle's Everyday Whitener to make coffee. But with some brands of coffee (eg: Davidoff) the creamer doesn't seem to dissolve. It instead remains suspended as granules in the coffee. But with other Nescafe brands of coffee the dissolution occurs easily. What's the difference and how do I fix it?

Frosting kept melting when trying to frost cake

I made a chocolate malt cake for the first time the other day. The recipe had me cook the cake at 325 for 45-50 minutes. That turned out to be 10-15 minutes too long (when I checked it at 40 minutes it was very overdone). That's easy to correct for next time. The frosting is what's stumping me. The recipe is: • 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar • 3/4 cup malted milk powder • 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

When I added the first three ingredients it was a good consistency, if slightly thick. I added the rest and it became too thin. I added another 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and it was a lot better. I put it in the refrigerator to use the next day. Of course it became very firm. When I was spreading it onto the cake it kept getting so melty that I couldn't spread it consistently. I've never seen this happen before. It was so bad that I actually had to make a ganache to cover the bad frosting job. Next time I will definitely cut down the butter to two sticks and reduce the milk to maybe 1/4 cup. What else could have happened to cause this?

What is the name of this french food?

One of my friends is in Paris (France), and he posted this photo from a restaurant there . Does anyone know the name of this dish ?

Calculate baking time for bread

I have a standard long-raising bread I use to make and bake in a cassarole. During this holiday I wanted to bake a double-sized bread. However,I ended up only giving it 150% baking time, and not 200%.

Are the sources that can help you calculate how long approximately your bread needs to be baked given size, floor and water composition, etc. ?

Example-recipee:

400 grams flour
300 ml water
1 small ball of yeast
Raise for 18 hours
Baked for 30 minutes in 250 celcius closed heated cassarole. 
Baked 10 minutes without lid. 

Double up:

800 grams flour
600 grams water
2 small balls of yeast
Raise for 18 hours
Baked for **45 minutes** in 250 celcius closed heated cassarole
Baked for 10-15 minutes without lid.

Can semifreddo be used in fried ice cream recipe?

As the title says, can I use semifreddo instead of ice cream in a fried ice cream recipe?

Are there any situations where untempered chocolate is better than tempered?

Every chocolate-based recipe I've seen either requires tempered chocolate or can use either tempered or untempered chocolate. Are there any recipes or techniques that specifically require untempered chocolate?

How does the carrot in deep fryer trick work?

So I just heard about putting a carrot in the deep fryer so as to pick up the burnt junk and keep the oil clean for longer. I tried it. It works! Now I'm wondering how it works, and what other veggies or whatnot can be substituted in place of the carrot?

Is the white hemolymph that comes out of a lobster (when boiling) edible?

I know most parts of a lobster are edible except for what was afore mentioned in your content. But there is no mention of the hemolymph, the white substance that comes out of a fresh, live lobster when boiled. I was thinking about blending it into a bisque for intensifying the flavor.

Forgot Brown sugar in cookies

I forgot to add the brown sugar to a cookie mix. I have added all the ingredients including the flour. Can I still add the sugar to the mix?

What to do with dried vegetables that feel like a chewing gum?

Several months ago I dried some vegetables, mainly cabbage and carrot. Now, their look and their taste is OK, but their texture has become hard and chewy, like a chewing gum. When I eat them, I need to chew them for a very long time before I can swallow.

What can I do with these vegetables?

Maintenance and safety of cast iron skillet

I come from Stack Overflow and this it my first post on this branch of Stack Exchange!

I write here because I received a small skillet as a gift (I assume its material to be cast iron), and I don't know how to handle and maintain it properly because I have never used one. Also, I have a couple concerns regarding it and I hope that I could get proper advice here.

TL;DR (yes, this question in quite long, if you read it all I'd really appreciate)

Is it normal for the skillet to have residue when I pass my finger on it? Is it safe to cook in it? Out of the many advice that I could find on the Internet on how to clean it, which one(s) should I follow?

Detailed version

The skillet serves to keep food hot on the table by lighting a candle underneath it. I first saw it at a Japanese restaurant and I liked it a lot, the one that I have should come from the same place the restaurant bought it from.

Some pictures:

The first picture is of the stand: the candle is put in the hole, and the skillet is put above. The second pictures is of the handles, and the third is obviously of the skillet.

The person who gave it to me washed everything twice thouroughly. I think this might have caused some of the coating to come off from stand & handles, as you can see from the pictures. I wouldn't care for that, I also think that the material used for the stand is not iron as it is very light. I'll just use the stand and never wash it.

I noticed that the skillet itself, though, leaves a bit of residue when i rub my finger on its bottom. It's different from the pieces of coating that come off from the stand, it's a very fine powder. I've looked online, and it seems that from now on I'd better not wash it with water and clean it in other ways instead. The problem is that I've seen a lot of different advices on the Internet, and I can't figure out how to properly take care of the skillet. So here is my list of questions:

1) Is the residue normal? Can I get rid of it? Is it dangerous for my health to put food in the skillet?

2) Out of the many methods that I found to clean the skillet, which one should I use? I've seen people suggesting that I rub it with salt, then I apply a thin film of vegetable oil. Others say that it can be cleaned by pouring water in it while it is on the stove, and letting it evaporate.

3) While I don't care about the base, I'm not OK that the handles lose coating above my food. Should I avoid using them, or again there is something that I can do to stop it from coming off? If they are made of iron like the skillet, can I assume that a proper handling (e.g. scrubbing with salt, no more water, rubbing with oil) will work?

Thanks in advance.

Glasses/cups placed up or down in cubboard

I believe that the food safe information on glasses/cups is that they are turned up not down. At work everyone turns them down but I leave them up. Any real answers please.

my french bread dough did not rise on the second rise after forming the loaves

My dough looked great after the first rise, I punched down the dough and formed into long loaves and used a jelly roll pan vs loaf pans. They did not rise fully, I went a head and baked them the final product was dense and not chewy. I'm not sure what may have happened.

How to dry fruits without sunlight or a dehydrator?

I need to dry amla (Indian gooseberry). I live in India so we get plenty of sunlight but I live in the city and it's very dusty outside, so I can't leave fruits out, otherwise they'll be covered in dust. But the indoor temperatures are quite warm (around 30 degrees celsius). Can I just dry the fruits (preserved in sugar syrup) indoors or will they spoil? thanks for your help :)

Semifreddo vs Ice Cream

What is the difference between semifreddo and ice cream? Is it just the cooking method and the time for which they are frozen?

Can grilled steak be eaten next day if refrigerated and the heated in the oven?

I grilled a few beef steaks on the electric grill and then kept it in the freezer. Can it be eaten for next few days , by heating in the oven? Thanks!

FF

How does one break long bones for broth?

When attempting to cook bone broths, what is the correct technique of breaking up long bones which do not fit inside the crock pot?

I can think of hammering or sawing off hand, but both seem to be rather messy techniques. Is there any good method to break off large bones (relatively) safely?

Why does a cold saturated sugar solution melt chocolate?

In this YouTube video at 3m22s, a chocolate easter egg melts when a cold saturated sugar solution is poured into it.

Why does a cold sugar solution melt the chocolate? I would totally understand if the solution were warm/hot, but there must be some other factor which causes the chocolate to melt when exposed to a cold sugar solution. What's happening here?

Using Milk Chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate in a pie

I would like to make a chocolate silk pie for Christmas. I have a LOT of unused Milk Chocolate left over from a wedding and so that's why I am using the milk chocolate. Most of the recipes that I've read call for unsweetened chocolate and then melting the chocolate and then adding it to a creamed mixture of butter and sugar. Since the chocolate is already sweet I don't really need to do that, so should I just melt the chocolate and then add eggs and pour it into the pie shell?

Cooking Wine in a Gas Oven?

I've got my first gas stove / oven. I'm wondering about cooking wine in the stove. Is it safe at all? I like putting a piece of meat in a all stainless steel pan, brown it a bit on the stove then throw it in the oven to finish off. For certain cuts I'd add something like burgundy wine and some vegetables as well. I'm just not sure about doing this in a gas stove and couldn't seem to find any existing questions or articles on the topic (Searched for "Cooking wine in gas stove" and similar).

I am using agave instead of sugar, do I add more flour to keep things right in cookie dough?

I want to use Agave liquid sweetener instead of dry sugar. How much extra flour would I need to use to offset the extra liquid?

Does it matter if I freeze dough before proofing?

I made some pizza dough today and only used 1/3 of it. The other portions I decided to put in the freezer to use later on. I froze them before proofing though. Does this matter? Should I have let them proof first, then freeze?

I'm mostly worried that this might affect the future proofing, once I get them out.

Filtered or non-filtered soymilk maker?

In the process of making soymilk for drinking it, using it as diary replacement in vegan cooking or preparing tofu, one have to strain the mixture to remove the okara. There are lot of soymilk makers available. Some (like the Soyabella) include a filter so that every steps of the process are automatized. Yet, the most recent makers like the Soyapower PLUS are filter-less, which means one have to filter the milk at hand with a strainer.

Why do they removed the filter in the recent soymakers ? Is it to make the cleaning easier, or does it improve the quality to boil the milk together with the okara ?

Pressure cooker rice quality vs high-end rice cooker

I'm considering buying a proper rice cooker, as we've eaten most of the non-stick coating of the cheap one. The forums rave about induction heating, Zojirushi, Tiger, Toshiba RC-18NMF with its cast-iron pot, Buffalo with their stainless steel pots. And now there is also the Tefal RK704 with its ceramic pot to consider...

Occasionally it comes up that folks cook rice in their electric pressure cookers, and it takes them on the order of 10 minutes! That speed sounds like a major advantage. Why would anyone use a rice cooker? (At least the expensive ones?)

Comments such as this one seem to indicate that the high-end rice cookers do something special, resulting in longer cooking times (50 minutes) and better-tasting rice.

So my question is: is this difference real? Is it noticeable by ordinary people? Has anyone tested this side-by-side, with the same rice?

Is there any other reason I'm missing that a rice cooker be more convenient than a modern electric pressure cooker?

How to honey roast peanuts?

http://m.wikihow.com/Make-Honey-Roasted-Peanuts

Here it is mentioned that peanuts should be raw. Why?

When I will put them in the oven, they will get roasted. Why does that link want me to not use raw peanuts?

Slightly bitter potatoes or onion

I have got the same annoying result a few times now, when making potato gratin, and something known as "french potato cake" in my country (grated potato in frying pan).

I believe that it's the potato which has a slightly off taste; bitter/metallic/raw. Some googling leads to solanine as an explanation, but I'm not completely satisfied.

Things that might be related:

1. I rarely peel them (yet, I think that the same batch of potatoes, used a few days apart did taste fine the first time).


2. I think that it's worse when any piece of potato isn't in direct contact with heat (i e the center of a thick potato cake or gratin)


3. I almost always add raw, finely grated onions.


4. Sometimes raw garlic - my impression is that it makes it worse

So my guesses are:

1. Solanine, in that case solution is to peel them?


2. Something related to oxidation, either in garlic/onion or perhaps catalysed by it. Solution, in that case?


3. Rawness - can potatoes be soft and still be "raw"?

How to roast peanuts for peanut butter?

Do I have to roast peanuts before grinding them or after grinding them?

Does it matter?

May I roast the peanuts with their papery skin on?

What should I expect from the output if I make the peanut butter with the peanuts with their papery skins on?

What is a good technique for making candy floss?

I have a candy floss machine, but I'm struggling to get the floss all together. It just flies around and makes a mess of the bowl.

What is a good technique for making a stick of candy floss?

Are sharkfin melon shoots really edible?

I read that the shoots of sharkfin melons (Cucurbita ficifolia ) are edible. Isn't that kind of unique for a cucurbit? Is it true that they're edible? Are the mature leaves/vines poisonous?

How much quantity of jaggery can replace 1 table spoon of white sugar?

Assuming the jaggery is of finest quality and is ground. Also, the sugar can be powdered or in crystal form.

I just want the same level of sweetness when I replace them with each other.

Help!!! i accidently overcooked the soup, all the liquid boiled away

I wanted to reheat my chicken tortilla soup and walked away and forgot about it. When I went back to the stove very little liquid was left in the pot, it was practically all boiled away. It still tastes good though. I used a mexican tortilla soup stock by swanson. What should i do? the leftover chicken and vegetables still tastes good. What would happen if i poured in 3 cans of water for example? (This is my only mexican recipe that I make) Since this is a mexican recipe at least it tastes good enough to turn into burritos or enchiladas this time but i want to know if i could just add 3 cans of water and reheat it all again. I wanted it to be soup because I am sick and the soup helps clear my nasal passages. What would happen to the flavor of the soup if I added back 3 cans of water and reheated it allover again? I'd like to know for future reference. Other ingredients in this recipe are black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and tomato paste, plus the chicken. Thanks for all your help.

How to prevent cheese and certain other products from stinking up my fridge?

Certain food products have a very strong odor, that may not seem annoying at all when I buy them, but become very much apparent after I keep them in the fridge for a few hours.

For example these kind products:

• roquefort cheese


• liver pâté


• pretty much any kind of meat pâté

My fridge is quite new, kept clean, and normally doesn't smell, only when I buy these products. I don't keep these products for a long time, I always eat them within 2-3 days, but I cannot prevent the bad smell from lasting about a week, after which it naturally dissipates.

I tried wrapping the products in double-bags and inside sealed plastic boxes but it didn't make a big difference. I also keep a few trays of baking soda in the fridge, but that doesn't seem to help much either. What else can I do?

Rib Roast Rare standing up or lying down?

I have a 4 inch thick one which I'd like rare. Will it make a difference if I cook it standing up or flat in the pan? And at what temperature? I have an electric oven.

Replacement for the ring seal or gasket in a blender

I have a Moulinex blender and the seal ring or gasket is torn. I have searched everywhere to get a replacement. is there a replacement or is Oster the only seal rings I can get. Is there a DIY solution. Thanks

How can I replace apples with peaches?

I have a recipe for a dutch apple pancake (basically sauté apples, make batter and place in pan, add apples, bake) that I wanted to try with peaches. However, my sister thinks it'll turn out too wet/soggy with the peaches. My thought is to use less ripe peaches or sauté them for less time. Will that work? Is she right? How can I replace the apples with peaches?

Cleaning silver with aluminum

Will the silver get broken down (disappear a little bit) when cleaning silver utensils with boiling water, baking soda and aluminium?

How long to bake lasagne at lower temerature?

Good Day Seasoned Advice, my recipe states that I need to bake my fish lasagne for 40 min at 180 degrees Celsius. I will go out and want the food to be ready when I return but will not be back within 40 minutes. Is there a way how I can extend the cooking time at lower temp without drying the lasagne out?

Putting cure in fry sausage?

We made some venison sausage today. On the packaging for a smoked German sausage, it said do not put cure in if you will be pan frying. I've looked around but I can't find a reason why. We ended up having a little bit that wouldn't fit in the casings and ended up frying that to get an idea what it'll taste like after its smoked. Does anyone know why you shouldn't put cure in pan fry sausage?

Is it ok to let vegetables cool before roasting?

Could I boil vegetables now (potato, beetroot etc.) And then roast them a few hours later? This would be convenient, but would it effect their taste, texture etc?

Smoke alarms go off now that we have a gas stove didn't when we had electric

Our smoke alarms are constantly going off while cooking now that we have had to replace our stove. My wife didn't really like the electric so when it was necessary to replace it, we went with gas.

Ever since, nearly every time we cook, especially if we fry bacon, or something like that, the smoke alarms go off. We had to disconnect the one in the hallway near the kitchen, and we have to make sure our master bedroom door is closed. But, it still trips the alarms all the way across the living room in the main hallway.

Since they are all interconnected, they all go off at the same time. Since our home was about 10 years old, I replaced all of them last year, but, they still go off just the same.

The stove is clean and now the smoke alarms are clean.

I know we are not generating smoke every time we cook. That might happen on a rare occasion, but, this is becoming annoying!

Any suggestions?

Boiling vs soaking rice noodles

The instructions on this package of large rice noodles says just soak them for 6-7 min.

I did that and then fried them in some oil and soy sauce but they were still too crunchy. I just want to eat them as a side, not in pad thai or something similar.

Should I actually boil them to get a desired softness and approximately for how long?

Is it possible/advisable to slice deboned Jamon Iberico on a mandoline?

I am intending to purchase some Jamon Iberico, but I am not confident in my ability to use the knife correctly on the jamonera to produce sufficiently thin slices.

I do have a mandoline slicer, which I presume would work for cutting thin slices of jamon. Is it advisable then, to purchase deboned jamon, cut it into chunks (possibly stored in a vacuum pack in a fridge), and slice them on the mandoline before eating? If not, why not?

Why isn't glass ideal for the fermentation of sauerkraut?

I last made sauerkraut over 20 years ago, so embarking on it again I did some reading and chose an Alton Brown recipe. He specifically calls for the fermentation to be done in a plastic container. This answer here on SA suggests that fermentation in glass is "higher maintenance" What's the best container to ferment vegetables?, but that is counterintuitive to me.

I believe it, since it meshes with what Alton Brown recommends, but why? And is there an advantage to the traditional ceramic pot or the newer high-tech container?

How to sweeten ganache for a chocolate lining

I'd like a chocolate lining in a banana cream pie, very similar to this recipe. However, I notice in the final pie that the chocolate lining is a little on the bitter side. What is a good way to sweeten it up? I'm no expert on ganache, but my understanding is I shouldn't just add sugar as it will turn grainy. If I melt sugar into the cream before the chocolate, how much should I use?

How can I make these cookies less sweet without ruining the texture?

I've finally found a snickerdoodle recipe that results in cookies with that perfect "bite": a crispy outside -- not crunchy, but an almost-infinitesimal stiffness that resists your teeth just a little before "letting them in" -- leading to a chewy-soft inside that is neither too chewy nor too soft, but perfectly in between. The cookies also have a perfect balance of cinnamon vs. vanilla: they're snickerdoodles, not cinnamon cookies. (Well, unless you accidentally use the 1/2 tablespoon measure instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. Don't ask me how I know this.) The problem is, the cookies are just too sweet for my taste. They're not so overly sweet that I can't eat them, but every time I do eat one, I find myself wishing it weren't so sweet.

How can I modify this recipe to make the cookies less sweet, without ruining their texture?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for dipping

The method is the usual: cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla, then the dry ingredients, then the milk. Chill 30 minutes, then form into big balls - 1 1/2 inches, dip in the cinnamon sugar, put on parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

(I followed the recipe almost exactly¹, except for substituting 3/4 cups of the AP flour with WWW [white whole wheat] flour.)

¹_{OK, so I followed the recipe almost exactly the second time I made it. The first time, well, let's not talk about that. Stupid capital T vs. lowercase t.}

One oven dinner

I have a ham that needs to be in a 275 degree oven for 2 hrs. My scalloped potatoes call for a 350 degree oven for 1 hr. Since I only have 1 oven, will the potatoes cook through at 275 if I cook them in oven for 1 1/2-2 hrs w/ the ham?

Kutya- Ukranian Christmas recipe

It calls for wheat. is wheat germ the same? If I can use wheat germ - the recipe says to soak the wheat in cold water overnight, would this be necessary with wheat germ?

British "pot" of whipping cream?

In Great Britain, recipes often call for a "pot" of something. Is a "pot" of whipping cream whipped or un-whipped?

Why does my pizza dough stick to my peel?

I've been experimenting with Neapolitan pizza dough(recipe) and what I would call a normal wooden peel(here). I have run into trouble transferring the pizza from the peel to my baking steel in the oven on about 10% of my pizzas. Usually what happens is I'm fine transferring the first 1-2 pizzas, but by the 3rd or 4th in a row(within 20mins or so) the pizza sticks to the peel and causes a huge mess in the oven and me to throw out the dough.

The way I am making dough is about as wet as I can make it, I add about 20-30g to the existing recipe noted above to make it extra wet. I flour the peel, dough, my hands, and working surface quite liberally with a dredge. I stretch the dough about as far as possible for 200g pizza, until it almost tears.

I did find a tip on YouTube where they recommended lifting up the edge of the dough after it is prepared on the peel, and blowing under the pizza dough to "lift" it up before trying to launch it off of the peel. I do this each time and still run into my issue.

Note - I do own an aluminum peel as well, but the first and only time I tried that to transfer the dough into the oven I failed so I'm too afraid to try it again without further advice on the matter(this peel)

Here is what my dough usually looks like with the peel I normally use floured and ready to be launched into the oven:

Here was a successful peel to steel transfer to give you an idea of my oven and setup:

Golden brown and crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside

To get a marinated chicken to be golden brown on the outside, maybe a bit crispy, and tender and juicy on the inside, which is a better approach:

1. Cook it on high heat until it browns, then cover it and cook it on very low heat until it cooks.


2. Cover it and cook it for a couple of hours on low heat, then uncover it and blast it on high until it browns.


3. Other...

In the past I've cooked it on extremely low heat, circa 190 celsius, for three hours, uncovered. It's tender and juicy, but it doesn't crisp.

Which red pepper to use?

I am making clam chowder and the recipe calls for black pepper, salt, parsley and red pepper (1/2 t). SHould I use ground cayanne pepper or red pepper flakes?

Dry aging at home - is it really possible?

I am thinking to test the process of dry aging at home. I have some questions:

What exactly are the processes a piece of meat experiences, in this case, beef, from the time it is slaughtered to the time its cuts show up in the meat counter in your local market.

How do these processes deviate from the beef that is labeled as 'dry-aged' in the meat counter.

Dry-aging is supposed to achieve two things: 1) Evaporate moisture and concentrate flavor 2) Enzymes break protein into glutamic acids (umami components)

I have noticed that there is plenty of debate about the time involved required to properly dry-age. Is there any research about the time involved for the chemical reactions related to the 2nd part?

How is the british tea prepared?

Do you add any flavor on the british tea of breakfast? I need to know how it is prepared; either without or with additionnal flavor.

Why should or shouldn't I peel mushrooms?

I've peeled my button mushrooms since cooking with a friend once, who did it, but I've never understood why, if at all, it's advisable.

Searching shows a fairly wide range of opinions but I see no reason attached to either side.

Is it purely aesthetic?

What is the best sugar for sweet short crust pastry?

I am reading an American Pastry & Pies cookbook and they say the sugar granules in sweet short crust pastry stabilize it and recommend using granulated sugar. So does this mean the bigger the sugar grains the better? I assume there would be a limit to how big you want to use. I am half American and using my experience of sugar in both countries I will grade what is available here and the US in grain size to help answer the question.

powered sugar/ icing mix - white power

confectioners sugar / castor sugar - like very fine white sand with tiny separate grains

brown sugar* not raw sugar - small sticky brown grains

granulated sugar - unified small individual white grains

white sugar - cane sugar, most similar to granulated sugar but grains can vary in size and shape depending on brand and processing - white

Raw sugar - large translucent brown individual grains (I have never seen this available in supermarkets in the US and when Australians say brown sugar in their tea/coffee they usually mean raw sugar*)

coffee sugar - big dark brown translucent 3-5mm cubes.

Thank you.

:)

regulating temperature in cheap offset smokers

I recently acquired a cheaply made offset smoker, and-- ahead of the big event-- did a 'dry run' to get a feel for how it behaves. I think my biggest issue will be regulating temperature; the smoker is made out of thin-gauged metal that just doesn't have enough thermal mass to avoid quick swings out of my ideal zone.

I'm thinking about adding some thermal mass to the bottom of the cooking chamber... possibly rocks or man-made bricks. But obviously I don't want to add anything that will out-gas toxic gases when heated.

Am I on to a good idea here? And if so, what kinds of materials are recommended? I've seen 'refractory fire bricks', however I think the point of those is that they don't store much heat themselves, which means they aren't really helpful for my needs.

How do I take the heat out of my chili?

I made chili and it's too hot! If I cook it longer will the heat calm down?

Fix fudge that is too rich

I've made some fudge from a paleo recipe using almond butter, coconut oil, honey and cocoa powder.

Following this recipe, I find the fudge far too rich to eat -- the cocoa requirement was for 6 tablespoons in the recipe, but I feel this is too much. Is there any way I can now correct this after I've formed the fudge and refrigerated it?

I'm loathe to bin it all, but figure I can let it soften again and tweak it somehow.

Mushroom soup prep in advance

Want to make cream of mushroom soup for Boxing Day (26th Dec). How long can I prepare in advance? Planning to cook the mushrooms in white wine and garlic. Boil than cool and blend so I can just add the cream before serving. Will it be OK to cook now (23rd) ?

Brining rack of lamb

I am making a crown rack of lamb tomorrow, and today to prep I plan on getting some of the trimming done. I went to a new butcher this time around and sadly they left the extra layer of fat on the meat side of the racks which I want to remove (i'm a bit angry considering I paid about $30 extra because of that layer of fat).

Anyways - I know lamb doesn't have a lot of extra moisture of intramuscular fat. So, it would seem like it is a natural candidate for wet or dry brining. However despite a ton of searching I can't find anything referencing brining racks or crown racks of lamb. I know the amount of actual meat on each bone isn't huge so I am concerned about over-brining or washing out the delicate flavor of the lamb.

So, is brining lamb not a thing? Is there a specific reason to brine or not to brine lamb?

What is the most cooked meal in london in this season?

What is the name of the most eaten meal in your country in this season ? Desribe the ingredients . I wish to know many meals names.

Is it safe to microwave Pyrex containers immediately after removing them from the freezer and removing the plastic lid?

I am attempting to bulk prep some frozen convenience food and have determined that a standard Pyrex glass container would be ideal for freezing (non-liquid) meals (think burritos or tacos), but I want to ensure it is safe to induce a huge temperature swing, or if there is a better way to do this.

Oil Dates, If a cooking oil has never been open how long past the "Use by date" would be acceptable?

How long past the "Use by date" is cooking oil good for if it has never been opened?

How can I make a fondant

I've been trying my best to search for a book that has recipe of a perfect fondant but I couldn't have one because its so expensive. I've been also trying to search for a fondant recipe online but it just makes my baking life more difficult. I badly need your help.

When is a food considered a delicacy?

I had an interesting discussion today during lunch on when a food can actually be 'declared' a delicacy. Is there someone saying "this is hereby to be put on the delicacy-list", or is this something that goes by word of mouth? Also, who determines that an item should be classified as this?

How can I extend shelf life of my cakes?

I need to bake a cake and send it over to a friend. It might take 5-7 days for the cake to reach him. What are the possible ways available to extend shelf life at least till the day it reaches him, especially during the transit?

My current recipe consists of dry spices, honey, sugar, white floor, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, warm water, coffee powder, almond, oil.

Xmas ham on the BBQ

We are hosting Xmas for the first time this year, and our oven is going to be full with turkey and vegetables, so I am hoping to do the ham (half a leg) on the BBQ (with lid down)

Is this a feasible plan, and does anyone have any suggestions on how should I do it?

(I hope this is not contravening any 'no recipes' rule, I'm really looking for some pointers on not destroying the ham and stressing out my already stressed wife further :) )

Why do my pancakes taste dry?

I've tried various pancake mixes, and they always taste "healthy" and dry compared with the ones at a good cafe, and I don't mean greasy like iHOP's. What am I missing, fat?

How to bake crushed peppermint into cake?

I'm still fairly new to baking and I'm making cupcakes for a Christmas party on Thursday and I couldn't seem to find a recipe online for the the kind I want to make, which is a peppermint cupcake. Instead of sprinkling it on top of the icing, I wanted to mix the peppermint into the cake batter and bake it.

Basically, should I play it safe and use peppermint extract/sprinkle the crushed peppermint on top? or is it possible to bake the candy into the cake?

Simple syrup end result

When making a simple syrup, my ratio was four cups water to three cups sugar, what is the end volume?

I ask because i messed up a drink recipe by measuring the next step against the amount of the water and forgetting to take into account the increase in volume due to the sugar.

Pâtés raw from inside in another oven - how to make them right in this oven?

We used to do different pâtés in one oven, they are always great. For Christmas we can use different oven and, so far, three pâtés were raw from inside.

Could you advice what configuration of oven to try to get it right?

Some more data:

• Pâtés - different vegetarian ones.


• Default oven that works great: electric build-in Simens (similar to this Simens), in "3d hot air" mode 180C, middle height.


• Oven we can not master: electric free-standing Amica. So far we made three failed experiments
  
  
  
  • in 180C "hot air" mode - raw from inside
  
  
  • in "hot air" 200C mode it burned Pâté from outside and left inner part raw
  
  
  • "hot top+hot bottom" 200C, was better as not burned it from outside, but still Pâté was raw inside.
  
  
  
  

Any advice how to get it not raw from inside?

Refreezing stock after boiling

Can I safely refreeze stock that I have brought to the boiling point?

If so, should I boil it or bring it above a certain temperature for a certain length of time to ensure food safety?

Is the presence of fats or oils a point of concern for rancidity or food safety?

Finally, are there some kinds of stock (vegetable/fish/meat/poultry) that need to be handled differently? Or will boiling suffice for any liquid preparation (soups, reductions, gastrique)?

How do I substitute out canned pumpkin pie filling

I have a recipe for a pumpkin french toast bake (think pumpkin bread pudding) that calls for 30oz. canned pumpkin pie filing. I have all of the ingredients for making a pumpkin pie from scratch, including canned pumpkin. How do I doctor the canned pumpkin in order to substitute for the pie filling?

I figure that I'll need to add spices and sugar, but I'm unsure if there is any egg or dairy products in the pie filling that I'd need to account for.

How to know potato is done boiling without poking it to check softness?

I can never get potatoes boiled just right, they're either over or undercooked. When I think they could be about done, I poke one or two with a knife but then that one splits and cooks faster than others. It also spills the potato juices in the water and I don't like to do that, which is why I boil whole potatoes and not sliced.

Is there a way to know potatoes have attained just the right level of boiling without poking them with a knife or fork?

How to "fill" a cake made from a cupcake recipe

I have several cupcake recipes. I know it's easy to convert to a cake (just adjust baking time and figure out correct pan size). My question is many of the cupcake recipes have a filling that is (for the most part) just sort of stabbed into the baked cupcake using a squeeze bottle. These fillings are usually between artificial maple syrup and pudding in consistency/thickness. If I want to use the filling, how would I incorporate it into the cake other than repeatedly "stabbing" the cake in various places? A google search only tells me to tort the cake, but I'd like to leave it in a single layer if possible (plus I don't think the cupcake fillings would hold up to be filling layer in a layered cake).

Keep roast beef fresh?

I find that roast beef in the refrigerator starts going bad within 24 hours and after a couple of days, it is noticeably bad smelling.

How can I keep the roast beef fresh? How do butcher's do it?

How to make "salt-crust-baked" chicken?

A while back I heard mention of a way to bake/roast chicken that supposedly would make it very good and juicy. Unfortunately I didn't get the details, so I haven't dared try it myself. I was wondering if someone here had done this or something similar, and could describe the methode (especially temperature and timing) to me - and confirm that this actually work and give a good result.

The idea was to take a whole (or half would do?) chicken (I assumed plucked, cleaned and ready for cooking), and cover it with salt! You would basically take lots of salt and add a little water, so you got a thick "goo" of salt. Then you would cover the chicken with this salt-goo in a thick layer. Then you would put the salt-goo covered chicken in the oven to bake. In the oven, the salt-goo would become a thick salt-crust, that would trap in the moisture. When finished, you just crack the salt-crust open.

Does this actually work?! I can't help but thinking that the result would be a very salty chicken...

Fell asleep with slow cooker on warm for 9 - 10 hours? Still good?

Making applesauce in slow cooker. Was supposed to put it on 4.5 hrs on high but cooked it 4.5 hrs on low. It then switched to warm and sat on warm for 8 hours.

I'm planning to turn it back on high for another 2 - 3 hrs. Thoughts? It should still be good right? The only ingredients in the cooker are apples, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

what can you use instread of saltpetre for spiced beef

what can you use instead of saltpetre when making spiced beef

Allergic to Preservatives

I am allergic to preservatives (will only know wich one in next year Feb as this is the only booking that I can get as soon as possible)

Currently I'm scared to eat anything packed or not fresh from the store but now cooking fo rmyself became difficult as most ingredients have preservatices unless it if fresh for the butchery. Plain and simple I don't know what to cook. I grave for something sweet but don't know what to buy

Can someone please help me by answering what in the shop don't have preservatives?

Why are roasts wrapped in foil?

I wrapped a piece of beef brisket in foil and slow roasted it last week.

It was the beefiest tasting beef that I've ever had.

So now I'm wondering, was it beefy because it was a nice piece of brisket from the farmer's market? Or did roasting it in foil make it better?

Would it be recommendable to slow roast belly pork wrapped in foil?

Cooking pork roast ahead of time for Christmas?

I need to take a rolled loin pork roast to Christmas lunch. I will cook it at home and take it with me but we will not be eating until an hour after we arrive. My question is, how do I cook the roast to ensure it stays tender and the cracklings stays crispy 2 hours after taking it out of the oven? Or, is there a recipe to pre half cook it and finish it off at the location just before lunch? I don't cook pork much so I'm quite nervous!!

Thanks so much!!!

Fudge not setting up-- any salvaging possible? Alternate uses?

I made fudge with evaporated milk I made myself. Added this to butter and sugar and heated. Added this to chocolate and stirred enough to mix. Poured into 8x8 dished and left to set up. No such luck. What I have is silky thick hot fudge sauce-like chocolate. Kind of like soft caramel. What can I use this for now or do y'all have suggestions as to how to fix it?

How do I make my sourdough bread dough stretchy and not have it tare?

I've been trying to make chewy sourdough bread and it's not going as planned. I read somewhere that if you mix and knead the bread a lot and avoid adding a lot of sugar and use a lot of water that should aid gluten development to make the dough chewy. Also I read that the dough should be stretchy and if you pull two pieces apart it's supposed to be transparent. Well, I don't have anything anywhere near that.

My starter was super fluffy. I took 2 cups of starter, added about 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tea spoon of brown sugar already dissolved. Then I kept adding flour and mixing in one direction until it didn't mix with a spoon anymore. Then I kneaded it for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. I tried to avoid adding too much flour to keep the water percentage up, but that's hard to do when you are kneading on a wooden board and the dough keeps sticking. I finally got it to where there was an even layer of dough stuck to the pen so the piece I was kneading didn't stick to it too much anymore, but the dough still refuses to be stretchy. I pull on a piece and it tares with a rugged edge. That's after 1/2-3/4 hour of non-stop kneading. Finally I gave up because it wasn't getting better.

I let it rise for 1 1/2 hours between a heating pad and covered with electric blanket on top. Then I kneaded it again. At first it was slightly more stretchy, but the more I kneaded it the less stretchy it got. I didn't add a lot of flour at this stage either so it kept sticking to the board. Now it's back to the original non-stretchy, tearing consistency.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

What is the best temperature for the soft-ball stage?

I want to make peanut butter fudge. My dad can make it perfect by just eyeballing it and dropping a spoonful in cold water to know when it is just right. but I have never been able to do it that way. I have also tried it using a candy thermometer, and i know the soft-ball stage is between 235 deg and 245 deg, but it always seems to come out grainy. I also know that the outside/inside temperature plays a role in how it turns out as well. I make several batches of caramels every December and they turn out great using my thermometer when cooked to 239 deg, sometimes they are a little softer than other times, but always within reason.

Can anyone tell me the best temperature to shoot for with a thermometer for peanut butter fudge?

Debbie

How to cook Brussells Sprouts and sweet potates in one oven?

I need to roast the Brussels sprouts at 350 for 40" and bake the sweet potatoes at 425 for 60" in one oven. How should I do it?

Using Milk Chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate in a pie

I would like to make a chocolate silk pie for Christmas. I have a LOT of unused Milk Chocolate left over from a wedding and so that's why I am using the milk chocolate. Most of the recipes that I've read call for unsweetened chocolate and then melting the chocolate and then adding it to a creamed mixture of butter and sugar. Since the chocolate is already sweet I don't really need to do that, so should I just melt the chocolate and then add eggs and pour it into the pie shell?

I am using agave instead of sugar, do I add more flour to keep things right in cookie dough?

I want to use Agave liquid sweetener instead of dry sugar. How much extra flour would I need to use to offset the extra liquid?

Can't I just grease the Baking Sheet instead of using Parchment Paper

Recipes such as http://ift.tt/124CQ1f say to line baking sheet with parchment paper. Why can't we just grease the baking sheet?

Why does a cold saturated sugar solution melt chocolate?

In this YouTube video at 3m22s, a chocolate easter egg melts when a cold saturated sugar solution is poured into it.

Why does a cold sugar solution melt the chocolate? I would totally understand if the solution were warm/hot, but there must be some other factor which causes the chocolate to melt when exposed to a cold sugar solution. What's happening here?

Buttermilk substitute for making creme fraiche?

I want to make creme fraiche. I have 2 cups of heavy cream, but I can't find any buttermilk in my Country. I've read that it can be substituted with lemon juice, or vinegar mixed with milk. The problem is that for creme fraiche you need the bacteria from the buttermilk right?

So how can I substitute my buttermilk for this recipe?

Reducing Heavy Whipping Cream

Can this be done the day before using it for a sauce? Because of a time crunch, I was wondering if I could reduce the heavy whipping cream the day before I make the actual sauce?

Local special ingredients on Cape Cod

I will be spending some time on Cape Cod and since I'm from a landlocked country, I wonder what local ingredients I could take advantage when cooking during my stay. I suppose seafood and fish are in good supply, though probably still not cheap. Is there anything else worth hunting for? What are some typical dishes in the wider area utilizing local ingredients?

Use by date on cacao butter

I have just used cacao butter 6 yrs out of date to make raw chocolate adding honey and raw cocoa powder. I didn't realise until after I had made the chocolate how out of date it was. Is it OK to eat? The cacao butter looked fine. I had it in the fridge all that time in a sealed plastic container.

Freezing meat - whole or in pieces?

I have a beautiful, top quality beef tenderloin in the fridge. It's from my local butcher and I know it's been handeled with great care up to now.

As my guests had to cancel, I'll have to freeze it - even planning for leftovers we won't be able to eat all of it. We are talking about a scant 2 kg /4 pounds of meat.

I'm wondering if I should freeze it whole or in small/individual portions:

Does it influence the quality of the meat whether it was frozen & thawed as a large "chunk" or in smaller pieces?

Im not asking about practical considerations like what kind of dish I'm planning to cook afterwards, but rather about physics: Once the meat is frozen, the ice crystals will invariably do some damage to the cells that can lead to some loss of water when thawing. But are there other influences to be considered?

To cut a long story short:

How can I preserve the quality as much as possible?

How can I make these cookies less sweet without ruining the texture?

I've finally found a snickerdoodle recipe that results in cookies with that perfect "bite": a crispy outside -- not crunchy, but an almost-infinitesimal stiffness that resists your teeth just a little before "letting them in" -- leading to a chewy-soft inside that is neither too chewy nor too soft, but perfectly in between. The cookies also have a perfect balance of cinnamon vs. vanilla: they're snickerdoodles, not cinnamon cookies. (Well, unless you accidentally use the 1/2 tablespoon measure instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. Don't ask me how I know this.) The problem is, the cookies are just too sweet for my taste. They're not so overly sweet that I can't eat them, but every time I do eat one, I find myself wishing it weren't so sweet.

How can I modify this recipe to make the cookies less sweet, without ruining their texture?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for dipping

The method is the usual: cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla, then the dry ingredients, then the milk. Chill 30 minutes, then form into big balls - 1 1/2 inches, dip in the cinnamon sugar, put on parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

(I followed the recipe almost exactly¹, except for substituting 3/4 cups of the AP flour with WWW [white whole wheat] flour.)

¹_{OK, so I followed the recipe almost exactly the second time I made it. The first time, well, let's not talk about that. Stupid capital T vs. lowercase t.}

When is it better to fry with oil and when is it better to fry with butter?

I usually see people frying eggs with butter and sometimes with soy oil - for example. But there are a lot of other ocasions in which these two options appear. My guess is that there are kinds of frying, for example: When you want to fry eggs, it's better to do it with butter, this is a kind of lighter frying. But when you are frying chips, it's better to do it with oil, this is a kind of heavy frying in which the food much receive more heat for a long time (I guess that oil can reach temperatures higher than butter).

Tomato Sauce Turns Dark/Sweet

I tried to make my own tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes using a slow-cooker (for quite a long time). I gather this may not have been a good idea because the result is very dark red and it's super sweet. What happened? Why did it change color and get so sweet?

Mistakenly Used Egg Whites instead of Egg Yolks

I accidentally used egg whites instead of egg yolks in my cookie recipe , but when I realized what I did I added the yolks....but my texture is not like it is suppose to be? What can I do? Any suggestions?

Whipped cream running permanently from siphon

I have a Kayser siphon of whipped cream. I filled it with whipped cream (not fully though), added some sugar and swung it. It works perfectly, only today it wouldn't stop. But once Ive used, it won't stop flowing grom the siphon even though i stopped using it.

All my breads seem to taste and look the same

I have been working through a few different recipes from the bread bakers bible, and I can't seem to get the breads to differentiate.

I am using the specified ingredients, and following the instructions to a T, and have made multiple loaves, but all of them seem to be on the heavier side, and the results don't really taste that much different from the other loaves, when though one made be made with all purpose, another with whole wheat, and another with bread flour.

I'm wondering if I am making some fundamental mistake, like under/over proofing, over/under kneading, or that one of my ingredients is not working.

what kind of meat is used at carving stations?

If I go into a cafeteria and they have a hunk of meat on a carving board that the cafeteria is calling "roast beef"; generally what cut of meat is used? The cafeteria slices it very thin about an eighth or an inch. the serving size is 1 to 3 slices.

I know it is not Prime rib. it is cut too thin to be Prime rib.

Will cooking meat with the thermometer in affect the cooking time?

Last night I cooked 3 pounds of chicken breast tenders using my preferred "set it and forget it" method:

• Preheat the oven to ~350°F


• Lay out tenders in an oiled baking dish & season as desired


• Insert meat thermometer probe into side of thickest piece


• Stick in the oven and set the meat thermometer to beep when internal temperature hits 165°F (15 minutes or so, depending on the size of the pieces)

I like this method, especially when I'm cooking for leftover purposes and not a meal, because it saves me the trouble of the "timer beeps > check temp > reset timer" song and dance. But last night I got to thinking: Does keeping the probe in the meat throughout the cooking process affect the cooking time of that piece? I imagine the probe would conduct more heat into the center of the meat, cooking that piece faster than the others around it.

If it does, the effect is negligible at short cooking times and relatively low temperatures like this. All of my chicken pieces come out perfectly done through this method. But I would imagine the effect could be much more pronounced at a longer cooking time, or with smaller cuts of meat.

How-to Cut Baking Chocolate bar clean for perfect squares

My recipe calls for 1/2 square of baking chocolate per cookie. But trying to cut thru the bar into the indicated squares just crumble and are not neat or exact. Is there a method of somehow either warming the chocolate or softening it, so that it will cut easily/nicely from the solid bar?

Why does my pavlova always look like this?

It has circles on it every time I try to make it. And sometimes it just won't dry - it's soft; it doesn't really crack like I hope it would! It always sink and the bottom is kinda sticky and dark brownish. PS. I have a small oven

What did I do wrong?

How long is homemade spiced apple cider good for in a sealed Mason canning jar?

I bring the cider to a boil and simmer the spices for 15 minutes. Immediately after, I pour the cider into canning Mason glass jars with the lids that have the button. How long should I expect the cider to be good for unopened?

How to make a coconut bar?

I am trying to reverse engineer this coconut bar. I placed all the listed ingredients together into a pot, heated it up, mixed it up, let it cool, but the result was bad. Any ideas of how to find the recipe?

Seeking a creamy/melty Swiss Cheese commonly available in the US

My next kitchen project is killer Reuben sandwiches with all of the components homemade (home corned beef, homemade sauerkraut, homemade dressing, fresh homemade sourdough rye bread). The one thing I will buy is the cheese, but I want it to be special enough to stand up to the rest of the ingredients.

To me, Reubens need the unique unwashed feet funk of Swiss cheese. Another cheese just wouldn't be right, but Swiss tends to be waxy. I want the flavor of Swiss, but the creamy melt of Gouda or Gruyere. Is there a Swiss Cheese commonly found in US grocery stores that would deliver on both counts?

How to choose the right kind of flour?

I love to cook but I'm not too much into baking. My mom is currently visiting from overseas so there is more baking going on in the house. Unfortunately, she doesn't really know English so it's hard for her to evaluate different types of flour that are available in the supermarket. I got her the King Arthur All-Purpose the other day and she baked some rolls with it but said they didn't rise as much despite using baking powder.

I use flour mainly for making frying batter for fish as well as for rough when I cook stews.

I noticed that, in addition to the differentiation between bread and all-purpose, flours also differ in whether they are bleached vs non-bleached.

I would like to learn more about different kinds of flour and what makes them different and what the best kinds are for different uses.

Is there a difference between freezing meat at 26°F and 0°F?

According to this answer, you are allowed to market turkeys as fresh as long as they haven't been frozen below 26°F. What is the purpose of this law/regulation?

Failure at Christmas cookies!

I read the answer about spritzing the dough with a little water but my question is....do you take the dough (I buy Pillsbury in a roll) out of the refrigerator and immediately start your cookies? Or do you let the dough get room temperature? When working with the dough should you continually use flour to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin?

crunch and crispy honey cookies

I tried a honey cookie recipe that I found on line. The cookies came out very tasty and nice but rather soft. How do I achieve a crunch and crispy effect in honey cookies?

How can I prevent pasty becoming soggy when it has a filling and is stored overnight?

I want to make sausage rolls the night before and store them in the fridge before cooking. I am worried that the sausage meat will make the pastry go soggy. How can I prevent this?

I used evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk in a fudge recipe. How do I fix this?

I was given a fudge recipe citing evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. Is it possible to fix this by adding sugar and re-cooking the fudge or is it just a recipe gone bad?

Challah rolls open up when baking in the oven

I cook Challah rolls very often.

Sometimes it all goes great. Some other times I encounter an issue I cannot identify where it comes from.

The baked challah roll comes rises in the oven and opens up in a not very nice way. Taste is great, but the look is obviously not very good.

Here is a picture. That crust kind of opening where the roll is folded is the issue I am dealing with.

Egg Yolks in Making Tassies

I am making the pecan filling for some tassies. I have extra egg yolks, and want to know if I can use 2 yolks intstead of 1 whole egg.

Can meat freeze from the inside out?

We received a turkey recently which was meant to be 'fresh'. When it arrived it was frozen on the inside. We are told that the fridge was probably set a bit low so the turkey froze on the inside.

I'm not rocket surgeon, but I would have thought that meat would always freeze from the outside in, and then thaw from the outside in. Meaning in this case that the only way for the turkey's inside to be frozen would be for the whole turkey to have frozen and then partially thawed.

My question: is it possible for meat to freeze on the inside first or is by butcher pulling a fast one?

wet cured ham spoilage

I left a frozen wet cured fully cooked ham still in the shrink wrap in a cool water circulation last night to thaw it. At some point my wife used the faucet and set the temp on the tap up. When I reached in to pull the drain, the water was warm and so was the ham. It had been in this warm state for no more than 3 hours. I shot a temp on the exterior of the ham and it read 100.2F. I immediately put it back in the frig to wait till the morning to cook. Will it be safe to consume after reaching 160?

What are "rye sours"?

Not the drink.

I'm interested in making this bread: King Arthur Flour Caraway Rye. The recipe recommends the addition of vital wheat gluten or King Arthur's rye bread improver. This is how the King Arthur product is described on the web site: "A blend of rye flavors and sours, diastatic malt, vital wheat gluten (for a good, strong rise) and potato flour (to help combat the "dry crumblies")". I'm disinclined to buy the King Arthur product mostly because their shipping fees to Alaska are ridiculous, and also because I've been meaning to try this: Honeyville Dough Conditioner. But am I missing something without "rye flavors and sours"? The recipe suggests possibly repacing some or all of the water in the recipe with pickle juice, a concept I find rather intriguing, and it gives a range for caraway, which is one the flavors in the King Arthur rye bread improver.

Fresh deer meat at room temprature still ok?

I bought 40kg of deer from professional hunter. He kept it in cold storage for 2 days after he shot it, then we cut it into small parts together in cold room. Then I took it to my home to put it into vacum bags and to freezer.

Anyway my vacum machine broke and it took 3 hours to fix it. All together the meat was at room temprature for 5 hours before I put it into freezer. I am reading that the safe limit is 2 hours. Is that "rule" also for fresh deer meat that was shot 2 days ago and never frozen before?

Can I use ocean water to cook my pasta?

It is said, that the water you use to cook pasta should be as salty as ocean water. So can I use ocean water to cook my pasta without adding salt to it?

Bread with LOTS of seeds

A local breadshop cooks a loaf of bread that is packed with seeds, much more than a couple tablespoons. The seeds are mixed within the matrix of the bread, plus sprinkled on top and in the baking pan.

I wanted to make a wholemeal loaf at home and add in the large amount of seeds.

Is there any modifications to the standard bread recipe I should make, or changes to cooking times.

Any recipes tips or links would be appreciated.

I Have a question about egg yolks

Have egg yolk sizes changed over the years? I have an old recipe from the 1950's I believe. It's called Norwegian Crowns. It calls for 2 hard boiled egg yolks. You force them through a sieve and cream them with butter. Then mix them with sugar and cake flour. You then put the dough in a cookie press. The dough never comes out of the press right. I've been using large eggs. Should I use smaller or larger eggs?

How to make wet fries?

There's a place that does 'wet fries', they look more like english chips though & they're basically floppy & wet from the sauce it's placed into.

The ingredients told by the manager are;

Sweet chilli sauce Hot chilli sauce Tomato sauce Garlic Sesame Oil.

Do you think this is correct?, what potatoes would be recommended for such?

Fruit smoothies

Next year for university I'm moving into a new house with a large chest freezer (a big upgrade from my current freezer drawer). I've always been a fan of making fruit smoothies with banana, milk, yoghurts, berries and what not however the biggest problem with this is that since I've moved out I can't afford to keep buying fruit for it to go off. So I have essentially 2 questions

Firstly is it realistic to buy fruit from the market where its cheapest, I'm thinking all fruits from apples to bananas and from berries to mangoes and then just throw them straight in the freezer, will this preserve them ?? Then the next day get them out and throw them straight into a smoothies.

Secondly and more preferably would I be able to buy a lot of fruit make it all into smoothies then put these into containers and freeze them, then get them out the night before so they will defrost and I can drink them for breakfast in the morning.

Thanks in advance

What's this odd stuff coming out of my meringue?

http://ift.tt/1z6Q9vF

I used this (http://ift.tt/1v2453z) recipe, but added some vanilla, probably a bit extra sugar, and baked them at 185 instead of 200 with the door open.

Is there a reason to not add salt when making a soup?

On several occasions I have had friends make soup without salt and then tell me that salt should be added only when the soup is served.

I've read Why is it important to add salt during cooking? But what is the reason, if any, for withholding salt during cooking?

I have only heard this advice in context of Chinese soup/broth, namely a Chinese-style chicken soup and a brothy oxtail soup. I've asked a friend about the reason, but didn't quite understand the response (something about damaging the proteins).

Fully cooked ham left out for 10 hours, is it still safe to eat?

I received a fully cooked 13 pound pit ham from work at 12 noon. It was refrigerated when I got it. I made it home 4 hours later after running errands and it was 38 degrees outside and the ham was in the car the whole time. I forgot to put the ham in the refrigerator and left it still in the bag and box on the floor in the kitchen. It was 10 pm before I remembered about it and I immediately put it in the refrigerator. Is it still safe to eat?

Refreezing Turkey Breasts

Sobeys meat department called me as I had ordered Turkey Breasts only. When I picked them up there was a red sticker on the packages that said Previously Frozen....I asked the clerk from the meat dept. about it and she assured me I could refreeze them. I have never refrozen meat before and a bit apprehensive. Help! Should I take them back?

Desalinating dried/smoked fish

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.

What is the history of the standard bun pan?

What is the history of the standard bun pan? Who came out with that size? Why that size? When did it occur?

Is it safe to reuse unrefrigerated canola oil for deep frying?

Last night I deep fried some frozen chicken wings. After letting the oil cool, I filtered it through a cheese cloth and put it in a bottle. But I didn't refrigerate it. How long will it keep like this? Does it have to be refrigerated or frozen to be safe?

Is there any cut of beef that's close to Kobe beef?

I have had the real thing in Japan and it was fantastic and very expensive. I don't usually eat steak at all. The Kobe beef steak was the first I ate in my entire life. It was very tender and tasty, cooked medium rare. I had it because there was nothing else on the menu I would consider eating.

I live in Canada. I want to know if there is a cut of beef that's available in Canada that's close to Kobe beef quality.

Which cut of beef is most popular in Russia?

I looked up Cut of beef. There is no Russian cut. I wonder which cut is most popular in Russia.

Baking below sea level

I now live on the Sea of Galilee (600+ feet below sea level), and my cakes all seem to fall, no matter what I do. Is baking affected by being below level?

Saute Pan - Non stick - non toxic (no PTFE or PFOA)

I'm looking to buy a saute pan.

After hours of researching, I summarised the following (please correct me if I'm wrong):

• with non stick coating, there are 2 types PTFE and ceramic


• PTFE can be toxic is overheated (over 500 degrees)


• PFOA is a way when they coat PTFE


• Ceramic can fail after 6-12 months

Please correct me if any of the above are incorrect.

So my questions are:

1. If I want 100% non-toxic, I'll have to go with ceramic?


2. I have been searching for a saute pan, and I can hardly find one say ceramic coating, Most of them says PFOA free (but I believe they are still PTFE coated?)


3. can someone please suggest me a good branded ceramic saute pan? (I'm in Australia, good if the brand exist in Aus, if not I can buy it from overseas and have it shipped)

Thanks heaps!!

Can someone identify this food?

I saw my friend eating this Asian snack, either Japanese or Chinese, which I've seen before in those Asian markets. It is hard to describe, but it looks like a ball of dough, with a clearish color, and the dough looks quite disgusting. It is not cooked, and it is not a dumpling. Inside the ball, there is some jelly substance with nuts. It's quite a strange food.

Can someone identify it?

What flavors complement pistachio (pudding specifically)?

My department at work is having a potluck holiday lunch, and I've settled on making something really easy and low-effort: a pistachio pudding pie.

Instant pudding in a store-bought crust actually tastes really good to me so I'm not just being lazy here.

But I had the idea of punching it up a little bit by making a special whipped cream to top it, I'm just not sure of a flavor. I don't want anything too overpowering.

I've been looking around, and I've seen pineapple suggested as a flavor that goes well with pistachio, or rosewater which could be interesting.

In the past I've made Irish whiskey whipped cream that tasted great but I'm not sure it would work here. I am open to using liqueurs to flavor the cream.

How to get good barley texture

I have had barley a few times where each pearl is light, slightly dry and separate. When I've cooked it at home I get a very gummy, clumpy texture.

I have been cooking it by rinsing the barley, adding to cold water, bringing to a boil and then simmering for about 50 minutes. I use 1:3 barley to water.

Any tips for a better end product?

How should I use soft raclette cheese?

I bought some cheese labeled "French raclette" that's quite soft even when refrigerated - think double or triple cream for comparison. Is there a traditional way to use this for raclette? It seems like you'd just make a mess by melting it.

(In case it's relevant, I have the tabletop variety of raclette grill, where you put things with cheese on top in trays underneath, not the original melt-half-a-wheel kind.)

How to bake crushed peppermint into cake?

I'm still fairly new to baking and I'm making cupcakes for a Christmas party on Thursday and I couldn't seem to find a recipe online for the the kind I want to make, which is a peppermint cupcake. Instead of sprinkling it on top of the icing, I wanted to mix the peppermint into the cake batter and bake it.

Basically, should I play it safe and use peppermint extract/sprinkle the crushed peppermint on top? or is it possible to bake the candy into the cake?

Can I refreeze my standing rib roast

left roast on counter inside temp 54 can I refreeze will it be safe for Christmas dinner?

How do restaurants make chicken fried rice? What ingredient am I missing?

Everytime I try to make chicken fried rice like I get at the take out place it never tastes like it does when they make it. We all know the basic ingredients

Rice (1 day old), Chicken, Green Onions, Sprouts, Eggs, Soy Sauce, MSG (optional)

I have a wok and I cook it just like them, I've heard all sorts of things as to what the "missing" or "secret" ingredient is. Some say it's a different type of soy sauce (not the standard La Choy) that they use.

I've been searching for definitive answers for this for a long time. It seems no one knows or anyone who's worked in a chinese place doesn't wish to share the knowledge. I went as far as adding MSG thinking that was what made the take-out place's Fried Rice taste different. MSG helps (sold as Accent Flavor Enhancer in your spice aisle) but that's not it.

What should I look for in a cookie jar?

I would like to upgrade from the novelty plastic bin I currently use for cookies. What cookie jar features would prevent the cookies from getting stale for the longest amount of time? What shape of jar will allow for storing the most cookies? Is light sensitivity a factor?

Pressure cooking for one?

I just got myself a pressure cooker, one of those modern ones with both "sautee inside the cooker" functions.

The problem is I'll be cooking pretty much for myself, and that most recipes I saw are for 4-6 people. The pressure cooker itself looks like it's meant to be used for no less than 1 portion.

My question is, would halving/thirding/quartering the recipe still be alright with these huge pressure cookers? I imagine with less water, the meats will be less likely to be covered fully, and things like that. Would the pressure just magically take care of everything, and cook things evenly?

Substitute for All Purpose Flour?

I saw a recipe where ground-up walnuts were a substitute for flour but this was for a cake that you do not cook (it was a recipe for chocolate cake made out of zucchini.

Can powdered walnuts (grounded by a food processor) ever be used as a substitute for flour if the recipe calls for the cake to be baked?

Baking for the first time.Any Tips and suggestions?

I am going to use my oven for baking for the first time...any tips or suggestions on how to bake

How do you stop banana flower soup from tasting astringent?

I have made banana flower soup 3 times now. The first time it had a nice, unique warming/comforting flavour. The second time it was inedible. The third time it was almost inedible. The recipes I have found call for the banana flower to be soaked in water with a slice of lemon for 1 hour.

Worried that it didn't work last time, I just quartered the lemon and soaked it with the whole thing (squeezed), but still it had that crappy taste (like banana peels).

I noticed this time that it also said use a non-reactive pan, so I did that.

I am wondering if any one can shed some light on what counteracts this taste? I know it can taste nice, and the banana flower is to substantial to waste! Thanks.

How do canned soup companies keep their noodles from absorbing all the liquid in the can?

I like to make noodle soups. Chicken noodle, pho, k'tieu, soba, and so on; there are many different types of noodle involved. In every case, if the soup goes into the fridge, the noodles absorb all the broth fairly quickly. Typical fixes for this include:

• cook the noodles separately and add to the soup when serving;


• freeze the leftovers;


• eat all the soup right away!

But when I buy canned soup from the grocery store, the noodles are never blown up and they don't seem to blow up even after opening the can and leaving summer in the fridge.

What is the secret? Is it a special kind of noodle, something about the broth or a heavy duty industrial preservative at work?

Easier way to shell out sunflower seeds

I like the taste of sunflower seeds, however I really dislike the process of shelling them. The bags say "Eat. Spit. Be happy." But I have found that shelling it in one's mouth is not only messy, it also tends to splinter the shell and hurt gums. I have tried shelling them out by hand, but that is exceedingly time-consuming.

I know they can be purchased shell-less but I was wondering if there is some trick, as I like some of the seasoned kinds, just not a fan of the process. Any trick to unshell multiple sunflower seeds efficiently?

I made a mistake and put the baking soda in the pretzel dough!

I made a mistake and put the baking soda in the pretzel dough! Instead of using it for its intended purpose ( Boiling the pretzel dough in it before baking.) It was a box mix: Pretzel Creations Homemade baking mix. Should I just toss it or is it going to be okay? Is there any way to counter act the baking soda. It is still in a dough ball. The packets were not marked and I thought the baking soda was the yeast package. LOL

Freezing an apple pie

I took out an unbaked apple pie from the freezer, thawed it out and baked it. I was wondering if I could refreeze it now.

What is Apple Custard Bake Time

Eggs: I added fresh apples to custard mix using ramekin in a marie aubain? What is the bake time at 400 degrees F?

Can I make ciabatta with corn flour?

This is my ciabatta recipe:

4 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon yeast

Mix water and yeast
Add flour and salt
Stir into a heavy batter
Set aside covered at least 8 hours
Heat oven to 400
Bake on a flour dusting for 30 minutes

What would happen if I substituted corn flour for wheat flour? Perhaps half and half?

Low Hassle Kneeding Free Doughs

I wanted to try creating a type of curry filled pastry but I am curious if there are any good doughs I could utilize that don't need the large waiting times/kneeding/rising that most bread recipes require.

Basically I'm thinking the ideal case is if there is quick and easy dough that I can just prepare, fill, and toss in the oven and get a little to moderate rising while it's cooking. I suspect some kinds of pastry recipes can do this but I don't a)know any recipes like that or b)know how heavily they rely on the sugar in their recipes.

Mold on Vinegar Batch?

About 2-3 months ago I decided to start my own batch of vinegar. I started with some Braggs apple cider vinegar which contains the mother, and I added some old wine and some fruit juice to the mix. I kept it in a dark and warm place, as per instructions online. A few layers of cheesecloth were placed on top to allow it to air, without letting anything else get into it.

When I recently opened it, I found a layer of what appears to be a yellow-orange mold on top. There are also some small worms or maggots living on the top, but that doesn't seem as problematic to me.

As you can (sort of) see in this picture above, there is definitely a mother at the bottom. The mother has grown since I last saw it. I am not sure what to think about that top layer though. Is the vinegar batch completely spoiled?

Picture #2 (a closer look at the top)

How long do you have to cook adzuki beans in a pressure cooker before they're edible?

I'm not talking about taste, I'm talking about them not being a health hazard.

I cooked unsoaked adzuki beans for maybe a little less than 20 minutes on the lower pressure setting (don't know the numbers) in my pressure cooker. Then I waited for that cap in the pressure cooker to fall down and put the cooker under cold water, just to be sure, before opening the cooker.

The thing is, I don't usually cook them longer, but I don't open the pressure cooker for 1-2 hours. This time I opened it earlier, didn't think it would make so much difference because the cap was down.

I tried tasting the beans and I like the taste, it's a bit more sour than usual and the texture is a bit harder. I'm used to soft adzuki beans, but these are more like chickpeas, there is a chewing sound when I chew them. Also, they didn't expand as much as when I usually cook them.

I'd like to eat them but I don't know if they're safe, so what I'm asking is, I guess, how long do you have to cook them before they're safe to eat?