The following snippet from Wikipedia doesn't fully answer your question, but it's at least suggestive of what might have happened: the UK standardized the tablespoon as a volume measure using its “eating spoon” meaning while Australia used its “serving spoon” meaning. Before about 1700, people generally brought their own spoons to the table.

Spoons were carried as personal property in much the same way as people today carry wallets, key rings, etc.

From about 1700 the place setting became popular, and with it the "table-spoon," "table-fork," and "table-knife.

" The 18th century witnessed a proliferation of different sorts of spoons, including the tea-spoon, coffee-spoon, dessert-spoon, and soup-spoon.

In the UK, the dessert-spoon and soup-spoon began to displace the table-spoon as the primary implement for eating from a bowl, at which point the name "table-spoon" took on a secondary meaning as a much larger serving spoon.

At the time the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published, "tablespoon" (which by then was no longer hyphenated) still had two definitions in the UK: the original definition (eating spoon) and the new definition (serving spoon) .

By the time of the second edition, the first definition was relegated to "also, occasionally".

However the term "tablespoon" referring to a serving spoon has been on the decline in the UK since cooking books became common; it has more and more been used the same way as in the USA due to the measurement system outlined below.

Source:

Here's a list of the definition of the tablespoon measure from older recipe books published in different English-speaking countries.

It's a short list, but it does somewhat show that the Australian definition evolved to be generally higher (20ml-25ml) than the UK one (around 18ml), with the South African one on the lower end (12.5ml).

Margaret Powell (British)

1970 Tablespoon = 18 ml Australian and New Zealand

Complete cooking 1973 =

Tablespoon =

25 ml Best of Cooking (Hamlyn)

- Tablespoon, (Australia) =

20 ml Best of Cooking (Hamlyn

) - Tablespoon, (British) = 17,7 ml Best of Cooking (Hamlyn)

- Tablespoon, (America) 14,2 Indian Cooking, Chowhary 1952 -

= Tablespoon = 25 ml Cook and Enjoy, De Villiers 1971 (South Africa) =

Tablespoon =

ml Complete South African Cookbook (South Africa)

1979 Tablespoon =

The Australian Women's weekly 1978 =

20 ml Source: http://whitegranny.blogspot.com/2008/11/beware-of-tablespoon.html

The proliferation of spoons mentioned in the Wikipedia snippet above is still evident in recipe books today.

British recipes occasionally still use a “ dessertspoon ” to mean a 10ml measure.

In Dutch recipes (link to a page in Dutch), a 5ml measure is referred to as a “coffeespoon,” while a “teaspoon” refers to a 3ml measure.

I would basically ignore it.

Domestic recipes are generally never that accurate anyway.

Does the recipe mention level or heaped tablespoons?

Does it say 20 ml for a tablespoon?

For rising agents you may want to be a little more accurate, so how about 1 tablespoon and one teaspoon, or just 4 teaspoons, or even just heap it a little?

I have a few Australian published recipes with dual measurements, and they show tablespoon as 15 ml, so the whole 20 ml thing may not be so universal in Australia in more recent times.

Some examples are: Smoked Loin Roast Beef Stroganoff II

Many Australians are recent immigrants, including 500,000+ from New Zealand and they all use 15 ml tablespoons Another issue being that now all the basic kitchen utensils are made in China, so they get what every one else gets, 15 ml

In the history of the tablespoon it has meant many different sizes in many different cultures, from South Africa with 12.5 ml, to India with 25 ml

I still have the booklet issued to all Australian households by the Government when Australia adopted metric measurements.

The standard adopted by the Australian Government for one tablespoon is 20 ml.

The reason given was that the Australian tablespoon had always been larger than 15 ml, at a fraction under 18 ml, and so 20 ml was the closest

measurement.(It was recognised that in the UK, USA, and NZ, a tablespoon was around 15 ml.)

So now, because most such things in stores are mass-produced overseas for world-wide markets, almost all available tablespoons, at 15 ml, are not of the Australian Metric Standard.

Back in history, a tablespoon was what you might call a serving spoon nowadays, perhaps 20ml-30ml, and teaspoons were more like 7ml-8ml.

In these parts, old style teaspoons are still common.

Somewhere in the 1960s, in an effort to prevent people having problems with medicinal doses, teaspoons were standardised to 5ml and tablespoons to 15ml in the US and Europe.

Australia has standardised the tablespoon to something that reflects the old usage, although my mother's idea of a tablespoon was actually more like 25ml.

It is like those old recipes where a "cup" turns out to be 6 fluid oz ...

A 15mL tablespoon is three 5mL teaspoons.

The Australian tablespoon would just be four instead of three.

Equivalently, that would be one 15mL tablespoon plus one 5mL teaspoon.

In Australia, a tablespoon is defined as four teaspoons, equaling to 20 ml (0.68 US fl oz).

In writing volume-based recipes, an abbreviation like tbsp.

is usually used to refer to a tablespoon, to differentiate it from the smaller teaspoon (tsp.).

Question: In Australia, a tablespoon is defined as 20mL whereas it is 15mL in nearly all other countries.  I'm interested to know where this comes from, and also what other Australian people do about this because the shops here seem to favour the 15mL variety which isn't a whole lot of use for local recipes.

Why is a tablespoon defined as 20mL in Australia?

This is partly because table spoons were different sizes in different countries, and cooking recipies were not very exact in the past. A tablespoon measurement in Australia was initially defined as four 5ml teaspoons, but now most utensils are mass produced abroad and people tend to use the same measurements as in other countries.

It goes back to the standardization of measurements. Every country used a slightly different measurement but now that cutlery is mass produced, they just use 15ml as that is used in most places.

The tablespoon goes back to when cutlery was first being used on tables. Australia took a different standardization to other countries.

Because most things are mass produced in China, 15ml is what you find the most of in Australia.

Just use 4 teaspoons instead of a tablespoon or reduce the quantity slightly. Home recipes are never that exact anyway.


For starters, you'll almost certainly need a food processor for anything you need to mix dry , unless you've also got a heavy duty coffee grinder that you don't mind cleaning inside-out thoroughly and frequently.

Conventional stationary blenders, at least in my experience, are terrible at this task, and immersion blenders aren't designed to be run dry

(in fact, most of the good models come with stern warnings never to do this).

Examples of this are: Nut butters, fresh herb purées, meat purées, and homemade bread crumbs and flours.

Pesto sauce also sounds like a long shot, but maybe there are customized recipes.

I've also never had any luck making cheese sauces, cheese dips, or other cheese preparations in a blender, and haven't had much better luck with my admittedly cheap stick blender.

It's difficult enough with a food processor, but usually with them

it's just a matter of scraping down the sides a few times.

Whenever I've tried to make a manicotti filling, a mayonnaise-based tonnato sauce, a blue cheese dip or a goat cheese mousse with a blender, I've been totally unable to get a vortex going and have had to resort to the food processor to thin it out (after which I might transfer it back to the blender, but I usually don't bother).

It's an issue of viscosity, I think.

Too viscous, and conventional/stick blenders are practically useless.

Now a lot of this might be possible with very high-end equipment.

A Vita-Mix or Blendtec can blend just about anything, and usually comes with a tamper so you can force dry or viscous food down into the blades without risking life and limb.

Also, some very high-end immersion blenders - and when I say "high end", I mean that they are labeled as "power mixers" rather than "immersion blenders" - can be run continuously and possibly even dry.

But I would not want to try this on a consumer-grade stick.

I've also heard that you can do some of these things with a Magic Bullet.

For those not familiar with the product or infomercials, it's basically a really tiny blender that you can pick up and shake around while it's running - ergo, much easier to do dry preparations.

But the effort required is still much higher than that of a food processor.

I think that pretty much covers it.

If you need to purée anything solid or even semi-solid, you'll likely regret not having a food processor.

Anything that you want to pulse, so you're not completely liquifying it like in a blender pretty much requires a food processor.

Which conveniently, happen to be some of the things that Aaronut already mentioned: bread crumbs meat purées (or even a quick grind for making chili)

vegetables (when I'm making large batches of meatloaf, tomato sauce, etc.)

It works rather well for mixing some types of dough (pasta, brioche, pie crusts), which don't come out quite as well

(in my opinion) in a stand mixer.

But for the 'can't live without it' feature of the food processor -- grating stuff up.

Semi-firm cheese (eg, cheddar), carrots, potatoes, etc.

Faster, and less potential injury than breaking out the box grater if you're doing any significant amounts.

You might also give some thought to getting a mini food processor before a full size one.

They are less expensive, of course, but they can also do some things a larger one can't.

Specifically, they are much better at making small batches of things like pesto, chimichurri or chermoula.

In a large food processor, a small batch of those things won't even reach the blades.

I used this model for years with great success.

(Now I bought a high end stick blender that also has a mini-food processor attachment.

This kicks butt but you already have a stick blender.)

None.

No food prep requires a food processor.

It makes a number of things easier–but I haven't owned one (or needed one) in 20 years of home and restaurant cooking.

I am with Bruce on this one.

Food processors are notorius for time-consuming clean up -- often you will exchange the time that you saved on food prep for time at the sink washing the various parts.

Minimalists can get by with quick knife skills, and a good blender .

(Note: to get chunky results from your blender: do the prep in small batches, and remove each amount as soon as it is partially blended -- just a few quick seconds at low speed is sufficient).

I drag my Cuisinart out mostly for grating and shredding.

Coleslaw, for example, requires me to shred most of a cabbage, and two carrots.

It takes just seconds with the food processor.

A hand grater and a mandoline could probably cover a lot of this ground, but it would take longer.

One thing's for sure: your blender isn't going to help you grate cheese or shred cabbage.

None.

The food processor is something to have if you don't have a stick blender, grinder, mandoline, etc.

It's a sporkish machine designed to do the jobs of 5 other tools, badly.

I just recently got rid of my food processor after acquiring a Preethi Food grinder.

With that, a mandoline, an immersion blender, and a good box grater, I find I haven't used my FP in a year.

All that being said, FPs are bizarrely effective for pie crust, quick pizza crust and other low-gluten doughs.

Personally, I prefer to make these by hand-mixing, but if you do a lot of pie, I could see keeping an FP around.

Some recipes for no-egg and/or non-dairy mayonnaise are very easy with a food processor with an emulsifying disk and very unreliable or difficult with other tools.

Question: I've got an immersion blender, a normal blender, and will eventually be getting a stand mixer.  Are there any foods I absolutely have to have a food processor to make, where I can't use one of those?    I know I can do purees and mixing with the stick blender, and supposedly pesto too... but I'm trying to figure out if I need to plan on buying a food processor long-term. Thanks!

What foods *require* a food processor?

Food processors are good for dry ingredients as well as grating and shredding, although some of the same tasks can be performed with a coffee grinder, blender or mandoline. Many people can cope well without a food processor, and they are notorious for being time-consuming to clean.

Food processors are useful for grating, shredding and dry foods but are not essential.

Food processors are useful for dry foods, grating and shredding.

Try getting a mini food processor first to see if you use it.

It makes things easier but it's not essential. They are time-consuming to clean it after.


Dilute heavily by using a very small portion of peppers per dish Allow cooking time for the pepper flavor to permeate the dish before adding more.

It's not like black pepper where the taste spreads instantly.

Remove the seeds and membranes holding them, as this reduces spiciness considerably Cut peppers very finely or puree

so there aren't any large pieces to deliver a shocker in the final dish Wear gloves when handling the peppers If you don't use gloves, wash your hands well before touching your eyes, mouth, or other "sensitive regions.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY,

DO NOT FRY OR SAUTE THE PEPPERS.

No, seriously.

The last one is a mistake you only make once, and should be on a warning label with all store-bought chilis.

The capsaicin somehow becomes volatile when heated enough, and the result is like filling your entire domicile with pepper spray.

I am ashamed to say that the last two cautions are drawn purely from personal experience.

It's not the kind of "hot date" you want to share with an (un)lucky person, believe me.

The hottest part of any chilli is the membrane the holds the seeds (contrary to popular belief that says it's the seeds themselves).

If you remove this, you remove a lot of the heat.

So if you want to try using ghost chilli, I'd suggest A) removing the seeds and membrane and B) chopping finely, then adding a little at a time to your dish, tasting after each addition until it's just right.

I'd also recommend wearing rubber gloves while you prepare the chilli, otherwise you'll blind yourself if you happen to rub your eyes.

Capsaicin stays on your hands for a surprisingly long time.

This applies regardless of what variety of chilli you are using.

I just came back from a local chili festival where I was able to taste the ghost chili for the first time.

My favorite by far was a dark chocolate and toffee brittle with ghost chili.

You can absolutely taste the difference between the ghost chili and habanero.

I was surprised at how different the flavors are, but folks who aren't used to using different chilis may not taste the variation.

Thanks for the advice, as my husband's immediate reaction was "Let's fry some up with eggs tomorrow.

" I thought...let's not.

I also suggest, for anyone wanting to get the heat and flavor from chilis without using what may be a chili that's too hot for them-- chili vinegar.

Just pack a jar (or a bottle if you want a nice display) with as many chilis as you want, top with a mixture of red wine and apple cider vinegar, and pop it in the fridge.

Let it sit for a few weeks before using it.

The flavor matures with age.

Lots of folks will tell you to throw it away after 6 months.

I just keep topping off the vinegar after I use more than a third of the jar and have kept different jars of pickled chilis like this for upwards of 16 months.

When I feel the chilis have been hanging around too long, they become hot sauce.

Use the vinegar in everything from salad dressing to marinades to sauces.

Some people will call "sacrilege" and "cheating", but I find it perfectly acceptable to use part chili part sweet peppers (bell peppers work, but I prefer the long red kapia).

Adjust the ratio depending on your heat preference.

It also works with chili powder and red pepper powder.

Of course, combining this with ElendilTheTall's advice for removing seeds plus membrane will give you more chili before you reach your heat limit, so I'd do it too.

I make hot pepper jam, and the sugar cuts the heat.

I haven't used ghost pepper, but I have used habaneros and scotch bonnet.

The recipe used is in the pectin I buy, although I chop and use the entire peppers, to make the jam hotter.

But, as others say, always use gloves when handling the peppers, and the boiling fumes when making the jam can be hard to take.

It makes a great jam for meat and tomato sandwiches, with a heat that sneaks up and slaps you.

If you use cheese and/or sour cream with your chili, that will counteract the spices in the chili.

Also be sure to have a glass of ice cold milk on hand to drink.

You can use acidic fruit juices like tomato or orange if you cannot have dairy.

The fruit juice also counteracts the spices.

Peppers like that work best with dishes that have plenty of emulsified-in fat in the sauce - anything based on coconut milk, cream, yoghurt ... can be spiced to a pleasant level with a small amount of them.

More watery sauces/broths (that includes "brown" chinese sauces, red tomato sauces and tomato based chili) will come out unpleasantly harsh even if not inedibly spicy (if familiar with Thai food, compare a Gaeng Phed with a Gaeng Pa made from the same amount and type of paste to see which direction things are going).

Question: I may want plant some ghost chili pepper, but I am afraid it will be too hot to eat.  Is there any safe method to prepare/cook ghost chili which will not reproduce insanely hot heat from the throat to stomach?  What about habanero chili pepper? Is it safer to eat?

Is there a "safe" way to cook ghost chili?

You can use very little chilli and balance it with sweet peppers, cheese, sour cream, yoghurt, coconut milk and other foods high in emulsified-in fat. Remove the membrane holding the seeds, chop very finely and wear gloves when preparing the peppers. Add a little at a time and allow the flavour to permeate before adding more. You can also infuse the chilli in vinegar or make chilli jam, which helps to cut the heat.

You can cook with sweet peppers and add a dairy product to reduce the heat.

Use sweet peppers with them to dilute the heat.

Use a dairy product to reduce the heat and remove the seeds and membranes before chopping.

Wear gloves when chopping to protect yourself.


Seitan (aka.

wheat gluten/vital wheat gluten/wheat meat/fu*) can be used to make chik'n nugget type chicken, but not as in breast or thigh, etc.

Recipes abound on the internets.

The gist of using it involves bringing together compositional ingredients (basically the gluten) and flavoring, mixing to develop it into a rubbery mass, forming it into and using as a dough (i.e. making chik'n nugget cutouts).

There are differences between these, but they are all basically the same beast.

There are a few recipes on the Vegan Dad blog for veggie chicken from scratch: Chick'n Burgers (but read the comments also) Chick'n Nuggets

Chicken-flavored vegetarian broth is usually a key ingredient.

You can find a lot of them on Amazon, and sometimes in health food stores.

I usually use Edward and Son's Not Chick'n bouillon cubes, just because they sell them in a store on my block.

There's also a company called eco-cuisine that sells mixes, but I haven't tried them.

For other pre-made options May Wah in NYC supplies meat substitutes to a ton of vegan restaurants, and Gardein has some great veggie chick'n scallopini cutlets you can use for a lot of recipes.

You could try Chinese dry tofu (Dòu gān) as a starting point.

It is nutritionally good and has a 'meatlike' texture. http://www.thetofuboutique.com/?p=454&page=4

For stewing, I love Green Jackfruit -canned or frozen.

Fooled me entirely in a Malaysian curry.

Needs long gentle simmering in flavorful broth/sauce.

Flakes fleshily when forked.

Beancurd sticks are those shrivelled yellow plastic batons in cellaphane packs that cook up first rubbery then slowly disintegrating to desired tenderness.

Forgot it once in a hotpot for 2 hrs and it was chicken soup!

I know someone had already mentioned Chick'n nuggets, but you could also try the Quorn brand "chicken" items.

They have a very similar texture to chicken.

But if you are looking for a veggie burger, then i found this great recipe for Black Bean cakes.

and they are pretty easy and delicious too!

For 'chicken' strips I often use tofu that has been pressed for a really long time

so it has less of a squishy texture, then roll it in flour paprika and salt and flash fry it until it's golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Question: How can I create a homemade product with that has the texture, flavor, and cooking properties of chicken, but is vegetarian (or vegan)?  I'm inspired by the Lightlife, the  Sipz  orange "chicken", and  Veggie Grill  "burgers" but am looking for something more flexible that I can make myself.   I'm not looking for a specific recipe, but rather general techniques and ingredients to use as a starting point.

How can I create a chicken substitute?

You can use seitan, preessed or dry tofu, Chick'n or Quorn brand products or try the recipes on the Vegan Dad blog. Alternatively, you can make veggie burgers using ingredients like black beans.

Try the recipes for Chick'n Nuggets, quorn or veggie burgers with black bean cakes.


I second the recommendation for Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every

Which Way .

I've been working my way through it and have made several of the recipes so far, all of which have been good.

However, I would say that not all of the recipes in the book work well for the grill.

I've been doing everything vegan from the Volger book with mixed results.

Many of the recipes use eggs, but you can do them with just breadcrumbs and water as the binder.

They come out pretty delicate that way and are better in a skillet and then baked, as Volger recommends.

His tofu and chard burgers use some tofu that has been browned then pureed as binder.

This works ok, but the burgers came out quite delicate (but still delicious).

Silken tofu pureed in the food processor gets a thick, creamy texture that could also be used as a binder.

Eggs are by far the most common binder as they may be the best edible binder there is, since they are basically liquid protein, but obviously not vegan.

For delicate burgers, I use this cooking grid on the grill, which works great.

You can find something similar at most kitchen stores.

Another binder option is steamed rice, prepared like you would for sushi.

It gets sticky and makes a great binder, though they'll still be a bit delicate.

I've been making the beet, brown rice and black bean burger recipe from Volger's book.

I add bbq sauce and a paste of pureed rehydrated prunes, similar to the veggie burger at Hillstone/Houston's restaurant

and they come out really great.

They work fine right on the grill, though refrigerating them overnight makes them a little sturdier.

Another option is adding vital wheat gluten and water, aka raw seitan dough.

This is what is done in the Veganomicon black bean burger recipe.

I tried these straight on the grill also and they stayed together perfectly, as well as any commercial veggie burger.

However, they were a little bland and could use some more seasoning.

I haven't tried any of these in burgers, but some common binders in vegan baking are peanut butter, apple sauce and Ener-g egg replacer .

I bet peanut butter would work well in a burger with flavors that work with peanut, like Thai flavors or chipotle.

Falafel-style burgers also don't need any binders, they stick together pretty well and can be grilled, though you may want to use a grill grid or something similar.

Lastly, you can put a cast iron skillet or pizza stone on the grill

- it's common now for grilled pizza and will work for delicate burgers.

There's a lot less fat in most veggie patties compared to most meat patties, so add extra oil to the grill (using an oiled cloth).

You can also freeze vegetable protein based patties first (they stay together longer), and let them cook for long enough before trying to move them.

It may just be your recipe too, it may be too wet (or too dry).

Try a recipe book like Veggie Burgers

Every Which Way for inspiration, which has a huge selection of tasty veggy treats.

How were the burgers shaped?

If formed firmly in a press rather than just scooped out and hand patted, air pockets would be reduced and a nicer edge created.

In a skillet, I pack heavy wet burger mix directly into rings and let the bottom crust form before lifting out ring.

No breaking apart upon flipping.

For grill...trickier: maybe cheat badly and first give a quick zap in the microwave just to set.

Alternatively, freeze and pop onto grill.

I'm sure I already mentioned that in a related question, but this is needed for completeness here: Chickpea or lentil flours work well for binding - they bind like billy-o and are also very rich in protein (nutrition OT or not, using something nutritionally similar as a substitute is always a bonus)

- make sure they patty is cooked long enough for these to properly set, they taste bitter when raw and yolk-y when undercooked... If the patties are still too soft, grilling/pan frying them then finishing them in the oven can improve them a lot.

Make sure all patties have gotten to room temperature on the surface, apply oil to surface of patties and grill's grate, have at 'em.

This technique worked for my vegan naked fatties , and I'm sure it will work for burgers.

That said too much bread/starch will cause sticking.

Add corn or (black) beans to tinker with that if the oil trick doesn't work.

Some creative answers were given.

I have had some good success with adding some cooked oatmeal to mine

(I don't use instant oats, but that might mask the presence of the oats).

If they are still crumbly, you may also want to line your grill with aluminum foil to create the effect of a skillet and allow them to hold in place while cooking.

Flax eggs are the answer you are looking for.

Question: I tried this weekend to make veggie burgers to cook on the grill, with fake ground beef (maybe Gimme Lean or something like that), egg, breadcrumbs, spices, and they totally fell apart.   Is there a secret to home-made veggie burgers that can be cooked on the grill? All grilled veggies instead of fake meat?  Just a proportion issue? Can't be solved?  Thanks!

How can I make home-made veggie burgers stay together so I can grill them?

You can add blended silken tofu, flax eggs, peanut butter, apple sauce and Ener-g egg replacer as a binder, chill or freeze the patties before cooking or use a cooking grid on the grill. Leave the patties to cook enough before trying to move them.

You need a binding agent like tofu, flax eggs, peanut butter or apple sauce. Refrigerate the mixture before cooking.

Try tofu, flax eggs, peanut butter or apple sauce as binders.

Try refrigerating or freezing before grilling.


I alone on the planet seem to have solved the endless problem of cleaning the fine holes of an espresso portafilter, or a Moka express fine steam filter.

None of the liquid or abrasive cleaning apps work, period.

Instead, in the past, one had to use a pin to poke out the minute holes — task so laborious and hopeless than most espresso and Moka machines in the world are hampered by limited filtration.

No longer.

The pin-holes are plugged with coffee fibre, which burns.

Place the filter over a gas flame, either side, for 10 minutes, tapping it with tongs occasionally, and bingo...

A CLEAN FILTER.

All the minute coffee fibre plugs burn or pop out.

Best to use a small coffee pot rack on top of your smallest hob gas burner for this.

And metal tongs.

Will I be knighted for this?

I would let the basket soak in a hot water ( just from the tap ) bath of Cafiza for about 15 minutes to dissolve the coffee oils.

If the problem is scale buildup I would try a soak in a citric acid bath, about 2 tablespoons to 1 liter of water.

Of course a good stiff brush could do the trick too with both the methods described here.

An old toothbrush maybe.

I would also recommend getting on a routine cleaning schedule.

I do a complete espresso machine and grinder cleaning about every 4-5 weeks

and it keeps some of these problems from happening.

Once you get into the habit of doing it and develop your own personal system it is not too hard to keep up, and you learn a lot about the internals of your machines, which can come in handy if you want to mod or need to do repairs.

Here is a pretty good how-to on cleaning the portafilter and basket link

If the clogging is a result of mineral deposits, soak the "basket" in vinegar for a few hours.

Then use a wooden toothpick to gently dislodge any deposits.

There are special detergents for dissolving the coffee oils that are usually used for backflushing portafilter machines.

Search for Coffee Clean or Puly Caff

The Chad Evans method worked.

I had no idea

how much coffee sludge

I had

that was visible at the bottom of the portofilter.

I thought this was a small rubber ring or something!

It easily crumbled out with a gentle touch with a dental tool.

I did not want to damage the finish

so I chickened out after 4 minutes of cooking over a flame.

This successfully fully opened one passage of the portofilter.

I am soaking the whole thing over night in espresso cleaner to see if that will free up the other side, but I have a feeling I will be cooking it again to free up the other side.

I am at this moment using hot vinegar and after soaking in that for a while, adding baking soda, getting lots of coffee residue out!

Question: Can anyone recommend a method for cleaning the clogged holes in a "Basket" of an espresso machine Portafilter? I had this problem with both DeLonghi and Saeco home espresso machines.  For example, in  Care of Saeco Pressurized Portafilters  (regarding  Saeco Manually Pressurized Portafilter ) they caution against using metal pins.   Any suggestions of methods or cleaning materials?

Cleaning a clogged espresso machine Portafilter

You can soak it in hot vinegar for a while and then add soda, or try a bath of 2 Tbs citiric acid to 1 litre of water, or use hot water and Cafiza for 15 minutes. A wooden toothpick will help to dislodge deposits remaining. Alternatively, you can place the filter basket over a gas flame and tap it with tongs occasionally.

You can place the filter over a gas flame, soak it in hot water or vinegar.

Place the filter over a gas flame to clean it up.

Soak the basket in hot water or vinegar. Use a wooden toothpick to dislodge the deposits.


The real, original Wiener Schnitzel is veal.

Definitely.

I can't link to a web source now, but I have some German cook books at home, including one solely about different kinds of schnitzel.

From the veal, you use parts 6, 7 and 11 for any kind of schnitzel, 7 being the best and highest-prized choice.

I don't know the English names, maybe somebody can supply them.

Also, try using leaner meat.

I think that in the US, the fat marbled beef is considered higher quality.

But in Europe, lean beef is preferred.

A good beef schnitzel has maybe 3% fat.

This said, there are lots of places which cook pork schnitzels in the Wiener style and call them Wiener Schnitzel.

It isn't traditional, but if you like the taste, there is nothing against doing it that way at home.

They come from the same parts of the pig as the veal schnitzel: the ham and the lower back.

Again, they should be very lean.

And in both cases, unlike a steak, a schnitzel is always boneless.

When you see 'Wiener Schnitzel' on a german or austrian menu it is ALWAYS veal.

Schnitzel made with pork loin can not be offered as such in restaurants, but must be called instead"Schnitzel Wiener Art"(Vienna Style).Here is a tip for those schnitzel lovers out there:use japanese panko bread crumbs for your coating!

German Food Guide says to use the pork loin.

Cooks.com says to use either a pork chop or a veal cutlet.

I was taught that the "Wiener" referred to the original recipe origins in Vienna.

This Schnitzel in the Vienna style was originally veal.

American German restaurants usually serve a variety of meats prepared into paillards (flattened with mallet) and breaded - generally only the Veal one is called "Wiener Schnitzel".

At home, I prefer to use Center Cut pork chops to prepare what I like to call "Swiner Schnitzel".

I agree with the answer above that leaner is better.

Schnitzel cooks extremely quickly and marbling is unnecessary.

"Wiener Schnitzel" in Austria is pork.

The term is only protected in Germany where your Wiener Schnitzel is made from veal. "

Wiener Art" refers to pork Schnitzel.

Technically, schnitzel made with pork is schweinenschnitzel.

Weiner Schnitzel is Veal, but even german restaurnats will often sell port and call it weiner Schnitzel

I’ve not the points to comment on rumtscho ‘s post, but this is an extension of what he said. 6)

goes from loin to sirloin 7)

tenderloin 11)

Round; Ham when taking pork With regards to pork: Using the loin is a nice and quick way.

Just slice (butterfly cuts are good) and prepare them.

In my opinion the flavor is good but not great.

It never puts my back in Mittelfranken, Oberbayern, or any part of Germany for that matter.

With sirloin , the flavor was dead on, but the fat running through it, made for a pour consistency and wasn’t nice to work with.

Pork Tenderloin lacks circumference and makes small schnitzels, but flavor and consistency are there.

I believe the top-round is the best cut for large, tasty, and consistent cuts, but alas I have not used it.

At some point, I’ll pick up a raw ham and cut the top-round from it.

I have no idea where, in America, you can buy the round already cut out.

I’d likely use the bottom and eye of round for stew… or perhaps additional smaller schnitzels.

Tip: though oil of your choice works, using butterschmalz (Clarified butter) ads some really nice flavor.

I found some clarified butter called Ghee at a store here, however you could make your own.

Regardless, not needed, just a nice touch.

Note:

Our cook book and German wiki says the Oberschale is used for schnitzel.

Dict.cc lists the Oberschale as top-round.

Part 11 on the image is the Oberschale.

Question: I understand that the meat is thinned with a mallet before coating with breadcrumbs and frying.  What parts of veal or pork are suitable?  (Googling the subject seems to produce mostly sausage related hits for some reason)

What kind of meat to use for Wiener Schnitzel?

The original Wiener Schnitzel is veal, but you can also use pork loin or sometimes lean beef.

While the original recipe is veal you can also use pork.

You can use pork according to some sources.


Yes, I've heard this suggested, using wet/dry sandpaper and a mousepad.

It is a very inexpensive way to match a whetstone, and you can use sandpaper with the same grit to produce an excellent edge.

You duct-tape the sand-paper together

so it wraps around the mouse pad, and then pull the knife along the sandpaper with the edge trailing.

This is to say, you use sandpaper in the opposite direction as a whetstone.

Once you work up to the finest-grit papers, you can use jeweler's polish and a leather strop for a truly razor-sharp edge.

Because the mouse pad's rubber/foam has some give, this method produces a convex edge which remains sharp for longer that an V-cut, because it has more metal behind the edge.

It also still presents a very sharp point for cutting, moreso than an equivalent V-cut front bevel.

Using sandpaper will also cost a small fraction of what you spend on a good sharpening stone, which will run you $50 or more PER STONE.

Wondering what grit to use?

There are comprehensive tables here and here .

However, here is a quick-reference mini-table for you: Name / US Grit Rating / Use Coarse / 100-400 / Remove lots of metal.

At the low-end of the range, used for reshaping blades, taking out large chips, or restoring snapped points.

At the higher end of grit range, used to establish a bevel angle and restore very dull edges.

Medium / 400-700 / Remove moderate amounts of metal.

For refining an edge established with coarse grits, and for restoring moderately dull blades.

Can be used to establish a bevel angle, but it will take considerably longer.

600 grit is a common point to start at for standard sharpening.

Fine / 800-1200 /

For finishing a blade or touching-up a slightly dull blade.

At about 1000 grit, you will get something equivalent to a factory edge, assuming you use the same bevel angle.

Ceramic steels have grits in this range.

Extra-Fine / 2000

For polishing.

Higher grits create a shinier and sharper edge, until at 8000+ grit you get mirror finishes and sharpness equivalent to a straight razor.

If you're going to bother using grits this high, a leather strop and polishing paste may serve you better than even a ceramic steel; the steel would actually be reducing the edge sharpness with use.

Source: Sandpaper-mousepad sharpening Source2:

Sharpening techniques and explanation Edit: Another way to use sandpaper in sharpening -- expanding the grit range for a Spyderco Sharpmaker

I'm currently using sandpaper to make a very coarse stone for sharpening extremely dull edges on my Spyderco Sharpmaker.

I wrap both of the normal triangular stones with a strip of emery cloth or 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper, and then hold it in place with medium binder clips.

Since the lowest stone the Sharpmaker comes with is 800-grit ceramic, this saves HOURS versus using the normal stones.

It is also considerably cheaper than the diamond stones they sell; for a big tub of clips and a package of sandpaper, I paid $7, versus about $37 for the diamond rods.

I bought my (Chinese) whetstone for 7,5€

and I've used it for the last 20 years.

You could spend some money on a honing steel, but even these are not really expensive.

I got mine for free at a fair, and it receives regular action.

Make sure you buy cheap vanadium steel knifes for your kitchen (shameless self-promotion).

If you're looking around your house for stuff you already own to sharpen your knife on, the story goes that the underside of a dinner plate is the way to go.

I've never done it

- I bought stones from Lee Valley many years ago

and I have a steel, and between them I'm taken care of.

I have for years used sandpaper for sharpening and polishing my plane blades and bench chisels in my woodworking shop.

It works wonderfully well provided every stroke on the abrasive is exactly the same angle.

Remember that the cutting edge is the union of two planes.

The more uniform the planes, the sharper the edge.

I finish off with 6000 grit wet paper, it has the texture of a brown paper bag.

I can see my reflection and readily shave hairs off my arm.

The difference in usability of my woodworking tools is downright sexy.

Why wouldn't this technique work with kitchen knives?

Consider shopping at a thrift store for economical kitchen knives to practice on before going to work on your real knives.

Try this website: http://www.woodbutcher.net/scary.shtml Do yourself a favor and skip to the condensed version; or grab a mug of Earl Grey and be entertained by the ramblings.

Sand paper does work on chisels.

I had to have my oak kitchen floor repaired.

The flooring expert just sat on the floor with an old cheap chisel and my rubber mallet.

He stopped every 15 minutes or so to refine the edge.

When he finished the repair, darned if I could find where he had worked.

Note:

The wood was Bruce pre-finished red oak strip.

I used to sharpen my pen knife on 1000 grit garnet paper.

However, I am not going to use this method on the very expensive kitchen knives.

I will buy some water stones for that.

Question: So I was thinking, instead of purchasing a dedicated (and expensive) whetstone with limited coarse(ness?) range, why not use patches of sandpaper in increasing grit numbers (getting finer), stretched on some small flat surface? This way I can have as many grit steps as required, to the fineness level required, for relatively cheap and disposable?

Can I sharpen a knife with sandpaper?

Wet/dry sandpaper is sometimes used to sharpen knives and other tools, but a whetstone can be quite affordable.

You can use sandpaper to sharpen all kinds of blades.

You can certainly use sandpaper on blades of all kinds.


Not sure how much rice you are making, but if making about 2 cups of rice, first heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil over Medium High heat.

Add the rice and toast it in the oil until it releases a nutty fragrance - about 1-2 minutes.

Then I like to use Chicken stock (3 cups) to finish it off.

Personal preference

but I like to add scallions (green onions) and cilantro to the rice when it is done.

Cooking it this way I have not noticed a tremendous taste difference from different brands of Jasmine Rice.

A few things come to mind: Before cooking: Cook the rice in coconut milk, maybe with a piece of ginger or Put a teaspoon or two of cumin seeds in the cooking water After cooking: Mix with fried scallions, ginger and mustard or cumin seeds

Jasmine is specific as it has high GI index.

As for the flavor, it is a bit bland on top, but should have a floral fragrance, so it is perfect for Thai, Indonesian, Malay and other far east recipes where you have very strong sauces or tastes from the main dish (where basmati would be best for Indian and middle eastern dishes).

NOTE:

I would not call myself a cook, but my Thai friend, whom I would, used to use a mix of three types of rice, some for texture and some for taste (SEA dishes).

Also, I must say that I got aware of subtleties in taste of rice only after few months of heavy rice diet.

Although I have not tried this with jasmine rice, I think you can try cooking it like the Indian pulao .

In a tbsp or two of neutral vegetable oil fry 2-3 cloves, 1-2 inches of cinnamon, and 4-5 whole cardamom pods.

When spices release their flavor, add jasmine rice soaked for roughly half hour and drained.

Fry the rice for a couple of minutes and then cook it in water, as you would usually do.

The aromatic spices will impart a nice flavor to the rice.

Alternatively, you can also add star anise or fried onion.

In my experience, it at least partly depends on where you buy your jasmine rice.

If you buy it at a large American grocery store chain, you'll get something bland.

I don't know where they get it or what they do to it, but it has no smell or flavor.

If you buy it at a small Asian grocery, it will taste and smell very good, and complement the dishes you serve it with.

Replace your rice water with stock.

Vegetarian/vegan?

Use vegetable stock instead.

Other liquids to intensify the flavor--

rice wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce.

I'm sure you could use the Western style wines/vinegars too, though I haven't tried with those specifically.

allnet's answers cover the rest of what I would say: basically toasting the rice and using herbs/spices.

What I ended up doing, which worked well: Toast rice before cooking until just a hint of golden brown appears, and a nutty smell is produced (as per allnet's and avinash's suggestions, which is why allnet's answer was accepted) Add minced garlic and diced Roma tomato to rice just before toasting is done (for 2 cups dry rice, I used 3 cloves garlic, 1 medium Roma)

Add caramelized onions both before and after cooking rice.

This is similar to the "fried onions" suggestion. Add an additional diced tomato after rice is cooked Finish flavor of cooked rice with rice wine vinegar, honey, and a touch of lime juice

My girlfriend called the final result the best of my cooking experiments, after chicken breaded with pakora batter.

Thank you everyone that had suggestions!

I think toasting the rice made the biggest difference from previous versions.

The rice released a very delicious flavor and smell.

I could have used even more onion and garlic; although I thought the amount excessive based on the smell when cooking, the actual flavor was fairly mild afterward.

I will experiment with adding toasted cumin, mustard seeds, and ginger to my current result.

Don't have good (read: homemade not crappy grocery store) stock or scallions to play with right now.

Tilda Rice & Spice guide suggests jasmine rise teams perfectly with ginger, lemongrass, galangal, lime, green chilli and kaffir lime leaves.

So maybe try ginger instead of star anise, which is a better match for basmati.

Question: I'm used to cooking basmati, which can stand on its own with just a few spices and a little butter.  With jasmine rice, I come away disappointed; the rice never seems to bring anything to the dish, and generally comes off a little bland, even with fairly potent flavorings.  Is there some technique or trick specific to jasmine rice that I should be using?  Are there particularly good flavor/ingredient combos for jasmine rice I can use?

How can I get more flavorful jasmine rice?

Try cooking it with stock or coconut milk rather than water, maybe adding ginger to the coconut milk. Tilda Rice & Spice guide suggests jasmine rise teams perfectly with ginger, lemongrass, galangal, lime, green chilli and kaffir lime leaves, which can often be added after cooking. You could also cook it like Indian pulao. The taste can also depend on the source of the rice.

Cook in stock instead of water and think about adding spices and flavourings.

Add scallions, cook in coconut milk, add ginger, lemongrass and green chili.


In Northern India, we eat Musk Melon and Water Melon seeds.

In fact they are used like nuts.

We make sweet dish too.

The de-kernelling process is done by hand at home, which is quite lengthy.

We deseed melon.

Put the seeds to dry for approximatively 2 days; with fingers or tweezers, break the kernel and get the yummy seed.

Of course, it can be stored for months, if dried properly, and for years, if kept in freezer.

There are a few seeds which are good to eat.

These generally get sold in the supermarket (pumpkin seeds, apricot kernels).

If you buy the fruit containing them, you can keep the seeds.

If you want to store them, you should dry them first.

Spread the cleaned seeds in a single layer on paper and put it in a warm dry place (not in direct sunlight), and wait a few days.

You should deshell them right before consuming, that way they keep longer.

If you want to eat them right away, don't dry them.

They taste better when fresh.

Some should be roasted in the shell before eaten (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds).

There is little sense in eating seeds not commonly sold in supermarkets, like melon seeds or apple pips.

They don't have any nutritional value for humans, or taste bad (e.g. very bitter), or both.

It is even dangerous to experiment too much.

For example, peach kernels contain poisonous cyanide compounds.

So stick to what is commonly eaten, there is a reason the other seeds aren't used.

My wife's family is from Peru and they tend to eat the seeds of things that I would typically avoid.

Look at fruits like grenadillas or tunas (more commonly known here as the prickly pear) and the granada (pomegranate).

I had a friend who used to eat the entire apple and, while the seeds are considered poisonous it would take a large amount to affect you.

All of this said, I don't like the texture of the seeds so use your judgement and do a bit of research.

You may find that the seeds add an interesting element to your foods.

The accepted answer says that seeds not commonly sold in stores have no nutrition, are bitter, or are poisonous.

This is incorrect.

Watermelon, cantaloupe, apple, peach, apricot, and so forth seeds are packed full of nutrients; even more than most commercially sold seeds.

Watermelon seeds are one of my top favorites, and are loaded with vital compounds, one being zinc.

They are crunchy, and taste nutty.

They are delicious!

Cantaloupe seeds have been eaten by other cultures for years, and studies show they are full of good stuff too.

Also, apricot seeds which are bitter, are said to be poisonous because they contain hydrogen cyanide.

Although this is true, it is such a small dose that it takes 70 apricot kernels to be lethal

[editors note:

probably mean lethal dose in full sized adults].

Many cultures, like turkey adore apricot seeds; they simply don't eat too many.

Studies also show that the small amount of cyanide is beneficial to our immune systems.

Do you know that apple, cherry, peach, apricot, almond or anything else in this family produces cyanide?

Guess what cyanide tastes like?

Almonds!

That's right, our beloved almonds contain cyanide too!

I used the seeds of a honeydew melon in my daily green power smoothie.

I found pulverized in the high powered blender made the bitter kale taste disappear.

Pumpkin seeds roasted with a little of salty water is a great (and commonly sold and home made in México) snack.

They are also used along with sunflower seeds in preparing some hot sauces and Mole (the hard way).

Seeds of Cantaloupe (melon) and Watermelon can be blendend along with their edible parts to strengthen flavor and keep freshness when preparing fruit flavored/fresh water ("Agua fresca").

When watermelon seeds are really small, you can eat and chew them along with the fruit: they are usually sweet.

There's no harm in eating the fruits of a melon, or fruit.

It just passes through your system completely.

You probably can't store them for future usage, as only ripe seeds are eaten, and most seeds from a melon don't ripen until the melon rots.

If you are able to find watermelons with seeds in your local market or supermarket,you’re in luck,but if you can’t,I suggest you to buy the seeds of them...

My recipe is to use the watermelon seeds and blend them with your seedless watermelon(2 or 3 slices of them) and turn on your Ninja or Nutribullet...

You won’t regret,it tastes delicious and you’ll have a really healthy prostate.

When it comes to pumpkins, there's a variety called kakai that has hull-less seeds, easier to prepare and good to eat (the flesh is quite good too).

Melon seeds can be treated in the same way.

Melons and pumpkinsa are in fact very closely related.

You can simply clean and dry them, but generally they're nicer toasted in the oven, perhaps with some spice (or salt, or honey).

Once very dry, or toasted, they will keep for months in an airtight container in a cool place, though if I toast homegrown pumpkin seeds they're normally eaten in a week.

Question: I usually throw away seeds in melons (and other fruits) and I paradoxically buy different seeds from the store. Are seeds in such things good to eat and where can I use them? Because they are not dry, how can I store for future dishes? Do they have the same nutritional profile as other seeds for sale?

Are seeds in melons and other fruits good to eat?

Many varieties of melon can be eaten, as can the seeds a Some seeds like sunflower and pumpkin need to be roasted in the shell first.nd stones of other foods like peach and apricot. Melon seeds can be blended into smoothies or along with the other parts to strengthen the flavour. When storing, the seeds should be dried first.

You can eat watermelon, melon and pumpkin seeds.

Make sure you dry them for storage and then toast them for eating.


There is no single cut of meat that is universally used in Philadelphia.

Top round is common, and it may actually be the most traditional given the sandwich's Italian origins (top round is what is used in braciole and Italian beef sandwiches ).

It is becoming more and more common to use rib-eye , though, which is what is used in some of the most popular Philadelphian establishments ( e.g. , John's Roast Pork and Tony Luke's ), which makes sense given its higher fat content.

As lazoDev mentioned, you should be able to get your butcher to slice the meat into thin (~1mm) pieces.

If that is not possible, though, you can put an entire rib-eye roast into the freezer for a half hour or so.

This will harden the meat without actually freezing it solid, and will make thinly slicing by hand much easier.

As a person who actually sells Philly steak meat to many of the national chain accounts and most of the cheesesteak accounts around the Philly area, the raw material used to make a true Philly steak is knuckle meat or wedge meat .

These are both cuts of meat you will not find in your local grocery store.

Thousands of cheesesteak accounts claim they use only ribeye, but very few can afford the high cost of ribeye and having ribeye advertised on their menu but serving something in place of ribeye is actually a crime, but who is going to turn them in?

Chances are nobody is going to fight that legal battle and that is why they get away with breaking truth in menu laws.

I think that the best meat to use for a Steak sandwich is very thinly sliced ribeye.

The fattiness of the steak make the best flavor for sandwiches in my opinion.

You can get it thin sliced at any butcher shop, or grocery store that have a good meat department.

Top round with tallow to lubricate the griddle.

Using ribeye for this application is a waste of a pricey cut, but the extra fat is 100% required.

Hanger steak is also a very popular choice.

Flat iron would work, as well.

Question: I want to do some cheese steak at home. I was wondering what kind of meat  should I buy. What part?

What kind of meat is used in cheese steak?

There is no one meat that is universally used in Philadelphia, but good options include ribeye, top round, hanger steak, flat iron, knuckle meat or wedge meat. A meat with higher fat content is good, and tallow can be used to lubricate the griddle. Meat should be thinly sliced, which can be found at a butcher shop or grocery store with a good meat department.

There is no single cut of meat used for this. People often use ribeye, top round, hangar steak or flat iron. It should be thinly sliced.

There is no single cut of meat used. You can use top round, knuckle meat, wedge meat, hangar steak or flat iron.

You can ask a local butcher to slice it thinly.


You may have been served Bearnaise, which is a common red meat sauce.

Bearnaise is based on Hollandaise (a mother sauce), a butter based sauce.

Hollandaise is somewhat advanced to make because it is important to keep the temperature right and the ratios correct while making it, but the result is worth the effort.

My spousal unit taught me to to make cream-based sauces with the drippings when pan-frying steaks.

Something like:

Remove meat to stand

Throw in a few green peppercorns or capers Deglaze with a little brandy (not too much, if you need more liquid use hot water) Add cream, turn off the heat and stir until thickened.

You can vary the spice and deglazing agent almost endlessly.

Now I have a hard time walking away from dripping without doing something with them.

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1670/dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten

I don't see Steak Diane here, so I'll add that.

The sauce is prepared from the pan juices, using butter, shallots, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, and flambéed with brandy.

Sometimes with mushrooms too.

Pepper corns are mentioned, but no-one explicitly said Au-Poivre.

Dijon, brandy/cognac, cream, sometimes shallots.

Basically, as stated above, but with a formal name.

I've seen this in France with and without the dried crushed peppercorns stuck to the steak.

More often it's soft green peppercorns in the sauce.

Both are on every (ok, most)

French cafe/brasserie type menus.

To be honest, just add a little cream to your existing sauce and you'll find it pretty delicious.

Add some worcestershire sauce (quite a lot) for Diane, add some green peppercorns for Au Poivre.

My absolute favorite way to eat steak is Oscar style...

To @michael's point, this is: rib eye + asparagus + crab cake (or lump crab meat)

+ hollandaise... Fantastic!

Cream gravy is traditional with chicken fried steak (breaded and fried cube steak).

It isn't a high-end steak cut, though.

Cream gravy is basically just wisking flour into a few tablespoons of the pan drippings / leftover frying oil to make a roux, and then cream to make a white sauce, usually seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper.

Often when I see roasted cuts of beef served with a white sauce, it's a sour cream or mayo-based horseradish sauce, though.

The recipe I like to use for pepper steak features cream, and I use strip steaks for pepper steak.

Once the steaks are out and resting, get rid of the fat (but not the browned bits, random fallen off peppercorns etc) in the pan, add a little butter, some finely chopped shallot, let them cook but not brown, deglaze the pan with some brandy, reduce, then a nice slug of cream.

18% or 35% is great, but I use 10% when that's what's in the house.

Finish with a tablespoon more of brandy at the last minute and everyone loves it.

I do fries in the oven whenever I do pepper steak and that sauce on fries ... irresistable.

the best cream based sauce i have found in many years of cooking is caramelized onion sauce,first get a nice skillet cast iron or a old school pan...not a non stick pan.next get the skillet nice and hot med high heat slice the onions toss em in the skiilet no oil

, they will stick at first ,stir with wood spoon as they start to get darker and caramelize add a touch of oil,salt &or sugar ,

next take about 1/4 cup of redwine/marsala/or sherry to deglaze pan

then take them off the heat,in another sauce pan add a little bit of beef stock or base with about 1 quart heavy cream , add onions then reduce on med/low heat till it gets darker and the cream gets thicker a little thicker than a chowder soup base, finally put this cream mix in a blender and emulsify the onions into the sauce.

it is great for steaks,venison or any other rich red meats.

Question: I've reached a point where I am very comfortable with a nice red wine/shallot reduction as a pan sauce for my strip roasts/steaks.  I think I remember have a meal once where they served sliced tenderloin with a white sauce.  I imagine it was cream based but I don't often see this combination.  I was wondering if there was hope for throwing together a cream based sauce and if so if anyone had an idea of what base (mother or otherwise) sauce would be a good jumping off point for experimentation?

Would a cream based sauce go well with steaks?

Common white sauces include Bearnaise, a sour cream or mayo-based horseradish sauce, caremelised onion sauce or a sauce made with the pan juices, butter, shallots, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, and flambéed with brandy. Cream sauce is often seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper.

You can make a bearnaise or horseradish sauce or just take pan juices, onions and cream and create a sauce that will go well with red meat.

Bearnaise or horseradish cream sauce are commonly served with red meat.

You can make a caramelized onion cream sauce, or a pan sauce with cream and brandy.

Just add cream to your usual sauce and this will be equally nice.


Using a cut of meat without too much connective tissue will definitely help.

Talk to your butcher about good options.

Stew meat isn't the best choice; it contains a lot of connective tissue which breaks down during the long, slow stewing process.

Grilling is too hot and quick to break down that tissue.

If you do grill stew meat, lower temperature and longer cooking time may help some, but in that case you'll probably want to do the veggies separately.

A good marinade will help.

You can add some meat tenderizer, or make fresh pineapple juice one of the marinade ingredients.

Pineapple contains an enzyme that'll break down some of the connective tissue, but it has to be fresh -- canned juice will have been heated, destroying the enzyme.

Also, they aren't as pretty with this strategy, but I've begun skewering my shish kabobs more in line with cooking time than for aesthetics.

So I will skewer all my meat together...

This would allow you to cook your meat kabobs seperately and only until they are cooked rather than trying to get everything on the kabob to cook at the right time.

Admittedly, I know once you get really good at this, it's totally doable (to cook it all on the same skewer), but I'm not there, and it might make your life easier as well...

a proper marinade helps, but if you want juicy soft meat there is no substitute for fat .

The meat must have marbling and not come from an old animal.

Also, scoring the meat before marinading helps the liquid penetrate.

tenderizing chemicals like pinapple juice or papaya do work, but they can leave you with a mushy texture - not very appetizing.

Experiment before you get a nickname and a place in the family history...

I have found a pin style meat tenderizer (before you cube or marinade the meat) to be very helpful in using a cuts that might otherwise prove "too chewy".

This model is on Amazon .

Once penetrated by this type of tenderizer a good marinade (BEER) will work wonders on those connective tissues.

Another option is to cook the meat low and slow.

Once the meat is tender, let it cool in the fridge.

Once it's cooled, you can skewer it on to the shish (or is it the kabob?).

The high heat will now caramelize the outside and warm the inside.

At least in theory.

try marinating stewing beef in your favorite marinade...then sprinkle some coffee grounds into it.

mix thouroughly.

i did this last week...

marinated in the fridge for a day.

the tough cut was sooooo tender and cooked quickly with the veggies.

i sliced the stew beef in at least half to get quarter inch thick pieces.

my buddy was amazed....

as was i.

I know I'm coming late to this discussion, but thought I'd answer for those referencing or googling the topic!

I use stew beef for souvlaki and shish kabob all the time.

The 2 best ways to get it tender are: 1)

Marinate over night in yogurt, just google yogurt marinades, but make sure you are using plain Balkan style yogurt 2) brine.

This is my favourite because it's more adaptable.

Brining is not just for poultry or pork.

Just google brine for beef, but this is the ratio I start with 2 3/4 cups water1/4 cup salt3 tablespoons brown sugar2 cups ice Bring water salt and sugar to a low boil to dissolve sugar and salt.

Do not lower amounts of salt or sugar.

These are what break down the meat fibres and make it tender.

The meat will not be salty.

Add 2 cups of ice and let cool completely.

Place meat and brine in a baggie and keep in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Rinse the meat.

Pat dry.

Put on skewers with whatever accoutrement you like and grill away.

That is a basic brine.

I like to add extra stuff depending on my mood.

During the boiling stage I'll add things like mustard, herbs, vanilla and/or liquid smoke.

Many have mentioned beer.

Instead of ice, add alcohol during cooling stage.

I like adding Guinness.

Other faves are whiskey/bourbon or a bold red wine like Shiraz.

Do not add alcohol during boiling stage ( particularly whisky), as it will flare up.

Hope this helps!!

Ps-

if I'm adding a BBQ sauce ( I rarely do)

I only add it in last few minutes of grilling, and I try to use something similar to the brine.

Guinness BBQ Sauce if I had Guinness in the brine for example.

Pps.

Also makes a difference to whole kabob if you Marinate the veggies.

Just use a cheap store brand Italian salad dressing.

Place pre cut veggies and dressing in a baggie and Marinate for as long as you like.

Question: We cut beef stew into one inch cubes and pierce them on a stick with cherry tomatoes, onions, green peppers, etc, and grill them nicely.  The meat is brown and grilled on the outside, pinkish in the middle, vegetables are grilled, but the meat ends up being not so tender.  How can I make the Shish Kabobs tender?

How do you grill Shish Kabobs so they aren't so chewy?

Talk to your butcher about good options with fat but not much connective tissue as in stewing beef. Marinading and tenderising the meat can be helpful, as can cooking low and slow.

Local for a better cut of meat for this. You can also try marinading it or tenderizing it before cooking.

Talk to your local butcher about meat cuts that are more appropriate for this.

A good marinade will help make the meat more tender.

Cook the meat separately on a low heat until tender.


I agree with the others that 1 gram is way too much saffron.

Unless you're making one of those huge outdoor pans of paella which feeds 20 people.

Exact quantities depend on how much paella you're making, and the freshness of the saffron involved.

I tend to use a hefty pinch, which would be around 12-20 threads, for a paella for 6 (2-3 liters).

I'll adjust that downwards for very fresh saffron, and upwards for old stale saffron.

You can tell how fresh your saffron is by (a) smelling it, and (b) soaking it in a small amount of warm water.

Fresh saffron will smell strongly floral/spicy, and will turn the water bright yellow very quickly.

I like saffron a lot though, and also tend to err on the side of more rather than less.

Err on the side of caution.

Too much saffron can be overwhelming to the point that it will destroy the dish.

A gram is an awful lot.

Most recipes

I'm familiar with call for a pinch or sometimes a specific (small) number of threads.

Crush

the threads first; don't add them whole or you won't get as much out of them.

If your goal is the bright yellow color, soaking the crushed saffron threads in a little wine or vinegar for 10 minutes

or so helps quite a bit.

I don't know if this makes a difference on how much saffron flavor you get.

(And obviously this has to be in a dish that won't mind a couple tablespoons of wine or vinegar.)

I add saffron sparingly, starting with a medium pinch of the threads as I'm cooking, and adding slowly as I go, with pauses for steeping of the flavor.

Have occasionally used the powdered (really expensive)

saffron and warn you to be extremely careful with that product - once ruined a beautiful seafood stew trying to 'tap' the powder out of the bottle.

Bottom line: Start with small amounts and taste.

It is an extremely powerful spice (used a lot by medicine manufacturers) and can end up making your dish taste like vitamin pills if you aren't careful.

Experience will guide you as you use it more.

One gram does seem like too much saffron.

From what I've seen, most recipes call for 1 pinch to 1/2 teaspoon of saffron.

To make a pound of saffron, over two hundred thousand stigmas from crocus sativus flowers must be harvested by hand.

That's why saffron is the world's most expensive spice, and also why so there are so many fakes on the market.

Fortunately, a little of the good stuff goes a long way--it only takes a few threads to add saffron's distinct yellow color and earthy aroma to a family meal of paella or bouillabaisse. foodsubs.com

I have read that 2 to 3 strands per person is as much as you need to use when it comes to Saffron.

Its not just overpowering to the dish but is also toxic in high amounts.

One medical site states that a medical overdose of saffron, whether used in a dish or medicinally (caps), is five grams and the symptoms range from vertigo, jaundice, vomitting, nosebleeds, bloody evacuations as well as death.

Yes I know.

Death.

LOL.

On the lighter side just use very little saffron.

The two to three strands per person seems like the best "rule of thumb" until u are more accustomed to the spice.

Saffron is one of the most appreciated (and expensive by weight) spices, due to the laborious process of obtaining it from the flowers.

It is growth mainly in the Mediterranean area.

You only need a small amount (0.15g or 3-4 threads) for a 6 people paella.

I'm going to disagree with the other answers a bit, and say you can have a recipe, a good recipe, that asks for a lot of saffron.

Whether that's a recipe (or a flavor)

you like is a different story, it is just not an automatic fail to ask for a larger amount.

I have a bread recipe that asks for a gram and a half of saffron

(it does make two loaves)(oh, but it's so, so good).

I use the whole amount, and do not regret it because I really like the flavor and color it gives.

I have a few other recipes, a saffron and garlic mayo dip, and a risotto recipe, that I use saffron pretty generously for - starting with a heavy pinch (thumb-to-side-of-finger pinch) and occasionally adding a bit more to taste.

I do make the most of the saffron I add with grinding, hot steeping, and rinsing spice dust into the dish, and I do admit I make these dishes very rarely, since saffron is dear, but that's how it goes.

And again, it isn't wrong to be sparing or prefer less, it's just also not wrong to be generous or prefer more.

Mama would use a scant pinch, or a few threads, to give her (usually sweet)(often large quantities) dishes a bit of a saffron scent

and that's enough for her.

Plenty of people like it like that.

But there's my brother, who has said that saffron "only gives a bit of color,

right, there's no flavor to it" (based on history with mama's very light usage), and might benefit from a stronger-saffron'd dish if he was here to taste it.

Along the same lines if I would get three dishes out of the same amount that gives her ten dishes, I like my three dishes enough more to go seven dishes without, so it's worth it to me.

So, to bring the whole thing back to your paella, I'd suggest finding a recipe that looks good (pictures, instructions, and reviews all appeal) and trusting it whether it asks for threads, tsp(s), or gr(s).

And if in the end, the flavor of the saffron is a bit light or elusive, next time you make it

you can add a bit more, and if it's a bit strong or feels out of balance, next time add less.

Question: I'm a bit confused with how much saffron to use in a paella recipe. I've seen numerous recipes that state to use 1gram. However I have a 1gram jar and that seems like a lot of saffron to me. I've spotted some recipes that say to use 1/2 a teaspoon and they state that this is about equal to 1gram. But my jar of saffron is a lot more than 1/2 a teaspoon.

How much Saffron to use?

You should use saffron sparingly to avoid overwhelming the dish; one pinch to half a teaspoon should be plenty for six people.

2-3 strands per person is enough. Saffron should be used sparingly.

1 gram sounds like too much. Too much saffron will ruin a dish.

Saffron should be used sparingly. 2-3 strands per person is enough.


If you can't get a bigger cutting board, here are a couple pointers to getting the most done CLEANLY in a small space (mostly tricks from my kitchen manager):

Use a sharp knife.

It's easier to control, and when you chop, pieces don't move as much.

Hone it at least daily to keep the edge aligned.

Organize your work on the board.

If you're right-handed, keep raw ingredients on the left side, and finished, cut product on the other.

Keep the spot you're using to cut clear.

It may only be 4-6 square inches, but it shouldn't have anything to get in the way.

I like to use the bottom middle of the board for cutting and the corners & top to organize stuff in various stages of cutting.

Remove trash (trimmings, ends, unusable vegetable scraps) from the board.

Either keep a trashcan next to the counter, or use a bowl to collect garbage.

This frees up space on your cutting board.

You can use additional bowls to store uncut material, and finished results.

This frees up more cutting board area.

All of these tips help, but I'll tell you what my chef told me:

the bigger your cutting board, the more room you have to work, and the faster you can go.

As your knife skills improve, you will be able to work in a smaller space without problems.

But first, start off with plenty of room.

As you you gain experience, your cuts become more precise, you organize your space, and work faster and cleaner.

With this advice in mind, you should move to a larger cutting board.

The extra space to work make it much easier to develop proper knife skills, because you're not trying to cramp yourself in.

I suggest the largest board that you can comfortably fit in your sink for cleanup.

With professional knife skills, I can handle prepping multiple items on an 8.5" x 9.5" cutting board; however, I find that my 11" x 14" board provides a lot more room to organize my work, and is more comfortable to use.

At work, I use the biggest board I can fit on my station.

I disagree that your board is small.

My go-to everyday boards are about 4"x8" - smaller than a standard piece of office paper folded in half.

I use them to chop onions, carrots, cabbage, potatoes - even watermelon!

Sure, they're small.

But they fit easily in the dishwasher and the cupboard, and I have four of them

so I can always grab a clean one.

My tips: sharp knife.

We all agree on this prep bowl.

Don't accumulate finished product on the board - there's no room for it economy of movement.

Don't knock down neat piles.

Have a gesture repertory.

For example, when slicing a carrot I can do about 4-6" of carrot without moving the carrot.

Then one hand pushes all the carrot slices up towards the empty end of the board while the other moves the carrot forward

so I can start slicing again.

If the pile of slices wants too much of the board, it goes into a prep bowl.

I don't feel cramped at all cutting up one potato at a time or one of anything at a time and putting them into a pot or a prep bowl as I go.

I like that my cutting boards don't take over the universe when I am working.

I do own a giant wooden one which is mostly for serving pizza on, and occasionally for bread, a medium oval wooden one that gets a ton of bread use, and a giant plastic one that ...

well, if I recall correctly it mostly gets used by visitors who are more comfortable with large boards.

To me the advantages of the small boards are all I notice.

And I the meals I routinely cook serve 6-8 people.

It's probably mainly technique given that size, but you're working on the smallest board I'd consider suitable to the task without really cramping your style.

So much of knife work is the skills and technique - but its also the knives.

Dull, un-ergonomic knives really are a pain to use and the result is overall sloppy work.

All that said though - in cutting anything though, I always give myself as much space as I can.

Stuff falling off board and such starts to become dangerous(in a food safety concern), unless you just have a sparkling sterile kitchen.

If that's your biggest board, and you're cutting meat on it sometimes - I'd consider a bigger board for more reasons than an onion.

Use a very sharp knife and slow down.

A dull knife requires more pressure, and food (especially hard foods, like carrots) tends to break free and bounce around when you're cutting it up.

A sharper knife will allow you to use more of a slicing motion, rather than exerting pressure, and food will stay put better.

Working slower will let you concentrate on using a slicing motion rather than trying to push through the food.

It will also move the food around less, so you'll have less trouble knocking it off the board.

Also, keep a bowl nearby to transfer already-cut-up food into and get it out of your way.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice!....

To quickly improve your technique you may find a Mandoline Slicer helpful.

With the julienne attachment you can get strips quickly, easily and consistently.

Once you have the strips, dicing is easy and should be doable with a minimum of mess.

[The Mandoline slicer I provided a link to is a "typical model".

From Amazon to Walmart you may find a variety of brands and models with an assortment of attachments and of varying quality.

This is not an endorsement of a particular model.]

Question: I have a fairly small cutting board - about 8.5" x 12.5" (22cm x 32cm), and I am finding it difficult to dice vegetables, especially the onions, without stuff going all over the place.  Is it my technique that's sloppy or should I just get a bigger cutting board?

How can I dice vegetables on a small cutting board?

Transfer cut vegetables to a prep bowl and use a sharp knife to stop food from breaking free. A mandoline slicer may also be helpful.

Transfer chopped vegetables to a bowl to leave space on your board. Make sure your knife is sharp.

Don't accumulate chopped vegetables on the board. Transfer them to a bowl.

Use a sharp knife and don't try to work too fast.


If it's refrigerated, it'll last for at least a week, as long as you didn't pre-dairy it.

Unrefrigerated, I wouldn't trust it for more than a day.

Coffee is a crappy growth medium and it should start out the next best thing to sterile, but, even covered, its going to start to get moldy.

Obviously if you add dairy, then you're dealing with that dairy shelf-life, and that isn't very long at all.

Oh dear.

I wish I could answer this more anonymously.

I am notorious among my friends and family for drinking old coffee left in the mug in the center console of the car,often for a week or more.

Coffee is safe to drink, as far as I am concerned, as long as there are no fuzzy things growing on it .Today is Wednesday.

At present, I am drinking a mug of room temperature coffee from a pot I made Monday afternoon.

I make my coffee medium strength.

It tastes acidic although I have never run a pH test on it.

I use Chock Full O'Nuts brand when I can find it.

I don't use any additive, flavors or sweeteners.

I like it cold and black.

Nothing bad has happened to me that I can attribute to old coffee; I have been doing this for perhaps 40 years since college.

It was a habit I developed when I was very broke and never lost.

I keep post-brewed coffee in the fridge in a big glass container.

It lasts for a long time; weeks!

My buddy is a chef, and at his restaurant they make liquor/coffee/martinis--the bar keeps black coffee in the fridge for weeks.

He insists it won't go bad for a month.

I've drank coffee I've left out for a few days without any noticeable consequence.

It's always black, so I don't have any other components that go bad.

coffee doesnt grow mold for quite some time..

try it youself; saturate some coffee beans and some grounds and let them sit out..

normally 4-5 days until mold grows on the grounds

.. 3 in warm conditions and since its diluted with all the water..

the first signs of mold I've actually seen are around 7 days in the pot.

We have always kept coffee outside for a week, no problem.

No difference in taste.

But, now that the idea of keeping in the fridge has been planted in my ears, I will do that.

If you freeze and make it as cubes then it will last very long.

In fact, I am gonna do this.

It's been a hassle to brew coffee every morning for a single person.

I brew a whole pot for myself and then refrigerate it (I drink it black).

It usually takes me about 5 days to finish the pot.

If I stretch it to 6 days, sometimes the last cup tastes "tinny" (metallic) and I don't enjoy it very much.

Funny thing is, the freshly brewed (first day)

cup is "just okay" as it tastes more tannic than the cups I have on day 2 through 5.

Having it "mellow" in the refrigerator seems to make it taste smoother to me and I enjoy it more.

I heat a single cup of it up in the microwave each morning.

From reading other's comments, I can see I'm not with the crowd as most people detect a negative taste from coffee after just a few hours from brewing.

Frankly, I like coffee most ways.

I like the $6 hand-poured stuff where you can really taste the beans, and I'm fine with most diner coffee too (as long as its not too watery).

I just feel its a waste to throw away coffee that's been brewed just because its not "fresh.

In my opinion, it just tastes different, but not "bad." To answer the actual question; I don't really know how long its safe, but almost all food is safe in the refrigerator for several days (as long as its not been sitting out too long) and in my years of experience with coffee, I feel comfortable with keeping it up to a week.

I believe that the process that you use in brewing and storing your coffee can make a difference.

I have a coffee maker that you load with whole bean coffee and clear, cold water.

Press a button and the coffee is ground and water drips through it and a filter into a vacuum bottle type container.

It stays warm for hours, and when it is no longer hot enough for me

I place a cup full in the microwave to heat up.

It lasts for days with no deterioration.

If I forget to dump the filter with the ground coffee in it, after a few days it will begin to develop mold.

I also found that if I want to you have cold coffee.

I can store the brewed coffee in a glass closed container in the refrigerator and simply add half-and-half and ice cubes to it when I'm ready to drink by the glass.

Question: How many hours/days would you recommend to drink coffee (after brewed) and consider it safe? (For example if you don't want to waste it). What is the difference if it is refrigerated or not?  The question is not about flavor since (I think) it is probably ruined after at most a couple of hours.

How long is it safe to drink coffee after brewed?

Plain black coffee can last for a week or more in the fridge, or longer in the freezer, but is less durable when left out. It will grow mould after some time, but usually not for a few days at least.

You can keep coffee in or out of the fridge for several days without any problem.

In the fridge it will last for a week or more without any deterioration.

It will last for many days without growing any mold.


If you want to make sure your wine is still good without opening the bottle (wine, vinegar or broth), there are some things you can check.

This doesn't give you 100% guarantee that the wine is actually any good.

Did the bottle lay horizontally (good) or was it standing up (bad).

The wine must be in contact with the cork to hydrate it.

This way the seal stays intact and the wine doesn't spoil.

How 'aged' was the wine?

Normally a young wine will last about one year (maybe two in the fridge), a reserve or great reserve can last longer.

Some wines will mature for 25 years or more.

Check the seal.

If it's in good state (no 'dirty' spots), that's good.

Check the cork (without opening the seal).

If the cork is pushing the seal out, then your wine may have suffered from heat (the air in the bottle pushes the cork out).

This may cause your wine to taste of cork (broth).

Remove the seal and check the cork.

If the cork is clean, that's good.

If it has red spots (see point 4).

If it looks dry...

you may have a nice vinegar.

Substances floating in the wine doesn't mean the wine is bad, but you'll need to decant the wine carefully.

But anyway, open the bottle soon.

Waiting any longer won't make the wine any better.

That's the thing about wine.

You never know until you taste it.

It might be a pleasant surprise or it might be swill.

That's actually part of the fun of trying wine.

But generally speaking, if it was nothing special 2004 it won't be better now.

Wines that are worth "waiting for" are noticeably outstanding even when they're new (they might need more decanting early in their life).

Just try it... but have a back-up bottle!

Until you are ready to "take a swig" it doesn't really matter what state it is in "Now".

At present it is a perfectly fine mantel piece.

When you are ready to actually drink it, it is either wine or vinegar, but you are going to have to pop the cork (or open the twist top...) to find out.

If it is for an important occasion, have a back up bottle in the wine rack.

You need all the information on the label to assess a wine.

the vintage in only part of it.

The fridge is not a good wine cellar.

wines deteriorate quickly there.

ultimately, it is all educated guess work anyway.

It might not have been good in 2004. try it. if you like it, serve it.

if not, flush it.

Easiest answer:

you can taste it, wine doesn't go off.

It can lose its taste and quality but it can be drunk without making you sick or killing you so crack her open and taste it.

If it tastes bad don't drink more obviously.

If it's sweet then drink it.

That's from a professional wine expert.

Question: During my move to a new place, I found a bottle of wine that I had kept in my refrigerator that was dated 2004. It was still sealed; it didn't look like anything was floating around inside, and to all intents and purposes, it looked to be an average bottle of red wine that you'd find at your typical liquor store. However, I'm wondering if it's still any good or not, and if there was a way to check outside of opening it and taking a swig.

Wondering if the bottle of wine I have is still good or not

The fridge is not a good replacement for a wine cellar and the cork should be in contact with the wine to hydrate it, but you can safely test whether the wine is still good or has turned to vinegar.

Wine cannot go bad so it will not make you sick. Opening it is the only way to check if it is still good to drink.

If stored in its side, the wine should still be in contact with the cork. Many wines last for a very long time and are still fine.

You will have to taste it to be sure. The fridge is not good for keeping wines but it will definitely not make you sick. Wine cannot go bad.


Personally, I've switched almost entirely to heat resistant silicone for all types of stirring and scraping spoons.

They don't stain, they are fine up to quite high temperatures, they clean up easily and can go in the dishwasher.

They are also won't scratch the surface of non-stick cookware.

It is true that they don't feel quite so nice as a good wooden spoon, but the convenience is outstanding.

(On the other hand, I stick with metal for the type of spatula one uses to flip a fritter, because silicone can't have a thin enough leading edge, it is too flexible.)

I think it is just a matter of style.

I prefer the bamboo to all others for the fact that the grain and the resilience of the bamboo pretty much guarantees that the edges won't break off due to water expansion and the accompanying drying contraction after years of use.

In wooden utensils, the grain direction is a weak point, which will crack and eventually fail more often than bamboo, which isn't a wood at all (bamboo is classed with grasses).

For high temperature cooking though, such as making roux or other cooking which expose the spoon to high heat for extended periods, use stainless steel.

Found this out the hard way several decades ago: Used my favorite bamboo spoon (which I still have) to make a roux for an Irish stew.

The stew was beautiful, smelled wonderful and tasted extremely bitter.

The cause was that the bamboo charred at the end of the spoon as I scraped and stirred the roux, the charred bamboo became incorporated in the roux, and rendered it inedible.

As I recall, the dog even turned it down after a couple of laps.

I just get relatively inexpensive wood spoons (maple, most of the time).

When they get too chewed up, scorched, and stained, I replace them.

Even with rough use, including the odd accidentally setting it down too close to a burner and charring the edges a bit, they last me several years.

I have one solid wooden straight-edged flat paddle that I bought my first year living off-campus in college, and it survived several years of being used by me and my roommates, followed by a few in my own kitchen.

It shows no signs of failing yet.

I think it is an Oxo model of some sort, very thick, heavy wood.

The thinner, cheaper spoons haven't faired nearly as well.

Plastic spoons have never lasted as long as wood for me.

I do have one fully-encased silicone spatula that I use quite a bit, but the edge isn't stiff enough to scrape up fond.

I use it for gently folding stuff, and stirring delicate foods like custards and scrambled eggs, as well as for pushing back the edges of omlettes.

I also have an Oxo plastic perforated spoon because it's just the right shape and has holes just the right size for everything I use a perforated spoon for.

My ladles are both metal, but other than them I don't use metal spoons for cooking much.

I just don't like the sound they make when scraping against the bottom of my pans.

Doesn't seem to hurt anything, it just bothers me like nails on a chalkboard.

I do use metal spatulas; I have one very thin, gently-curved slotted spatula that's great for getting under fish and other delicate proteins, and a much thicker, heavy rectangular spatula that's great for less delicate jobs.

Any hardwood (and bamboo is effectively a hardwood) is going to be pretty much equivalent except from an aesthetic perspective.

The only woods you should avoid are softwoods (pine etc.) and anything which is actually varnished or shellacked instead of being properly oil-sealed.

This is because varnishes will eventually come off in your food.

In general, I'd recommend getting inexpensive wooden spoons rather than fancy olivewood ones.

That way, if one gets chipped or discolored severely you can just toss and replace it.

I have no opinions about steel, silicone, or fiberglass, since I pretty much use wooden spoons all the time.

I picked up a pair of "synthetic wood" spoons from the local Job Lot a few years back, and they are excellent.

They have the "feel" of wood - a somewhat rough texture and exemplary stiffness that makes them comfortable to hold and gives them "bite" when scraping fond from the bottom of the pan, but a softness that won't mar enamel or teflon.

They're made of fiberglass and nylon, and are dishwasher safe and nigh invulnerable and so long as you don't stick them in the oven at 500º or leave them in an empty pan on a burner set to high, heat-resistant.

(Don't do this with wooden spoons, either.)

They do stain, however - turmeric and tomato paste in particular left their mark.

Otherwise, they last forever without much care or maintenance, are colorful and a joy to use.

I use bamboo for most things as they don't scratch, are hard to stain and are very resilient.

Yes, you can char them, but this is the case with any wood

and I find them much sturdier than other wooden spoons I've had.

However, for very high temp things, I also recommend the silicon or stainless (with heat resistant handles).

Question: We use standard wooden spoons, but they soon pick up stains from the various dishes. What are the pros and cons of the various woods, e.g. olive, Cilio Toscana Olivewood, beechwood, maple, bamboo, etc? Is there a 'best', or is it just a matter of style or personal preference?

What is the best material for a cooking spoon?

Hardwood or bamboo spoons will be mostly equivalent except for aesthetics and price, although bamboo may be more resilient to expansion and contraction from the water. Synthetic wood and silicone are also good options.

Bamboo is very hard and resilient. Maple is inexpensive to replace.

Bamboo or any hardwood is very resilient. Maple is also inexpensive.


For the next time you make it, a common way to take out the "bite" of raw garlic is to roast it first.

Chop off the top of the unpeeled head, drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle some salt, wrap in tin foil and pop in the oven.

More details and pictures covered here and here .

A quick search for roasted garlic pesto came up with a bunch of recipes as well.

I've used this trick with numerous recipes when I want lots of garlic, but want to take out the bite (from salsas, to guacamole, to just a straight garlic spread for bread).

I know this is a bit of an old question

but I came along it on my own search

so thought I'd share my solution.

I figured the problem with the excess garlic is that it's raw

so I sprinkled some parmesan on top of my pesto and baked it in the oven for 5-10mins.

Stirred through the now melted parmesen with the semi-cooked garlic and it tastes so much better.

Still a little garlic-y for my liking

but hey, we can't all be perfect.

Oh, I was making my pesto in a glass mixing bowl so just chucked the whole thing in the oven but make sure whatever you have it in is oven safe before whacking it in.

Enjoy!

I had this exact same problem when I first made homemade mojo...

It would snap your head back when it was fresh!

I had made it a day early for a party the next day and by the time the party came along, it was perfect!

Could you try this and let all the flavors marinate for a day or two before serving?

Pasteurization or freezing should cut the spiciness of garlic somewhat, since they reduce the flavor of whole cloves.

Pesto generally freezes well, so give that a shot first.

Heating the pesto briefly to a high temperature may affect the flavor, but will reduce garlic's role.

The shorter the period at heat is, the less it'll affect non-garlic flavors.

If you didn't pre-roast your garlic and need to fix it after the fact...

Throw your pesto in a saute pan with a little olive oil and cook it very lightly; that will help mellow the flavor.

Also, are you using lemon juice in your garlic?

I find that helps temper it while adding some much needed acid.

Finally, make sure you are cutting out the "sprout" piece from the center of each garlic clove as that usually has the strongest, most unpleasant flavor.

If you are willing to end up with something that is 'not pesto' but rather ' pesto cheese spread '

you can mix your pesto with cream cheese, butter, sour cream (etc..) to dilute the garlic over a larger volume.

The dairy product will help take the edge of the pesto and will give a delicious dish, just not the one you were planning.

The more the membranes in walls of raw garlic are bruised or torn, the spicier/stronger/more bitter it will taste.

Cutting fewer walls (instead of smashing which tears many of them) results in less spiciness especially when cut with an extremely sharp blade.

So if you're goint to use the garlic raw, chop or slice it rather than smashing if you don't want that extra pepperiness.

To get the skin off easily, a little bit of smashing with a knife blade won't affect things too much.

Cooking garlic makes it almost "sweet" though and removes that "hot" spicy taste, which is very different.

Had the same problem and used a little dry mustard.

Seems to blens the garlic not the rest of the sauce.

My hunch is that the answer is quite simple: mix your pasta into your pesto immediately after draining it, before it has time to cool.

This will cook the garlic just enough to take the zing out.

(Adding a bit of hot pasta water will help as well, as is often recommended in pesto recipes to thin the sauce out.)

In Uganda some people don't like garlic at all

but we all know the importance of garlic and some foods are just tasteless without garlic.

So as a training chef I put a small pinch but for the times when I put a little too much of it, I use lime, oranges or lemon.

Question: I recently made some pesto from scratch and my end result, while delicious, was overpowered by a strong garlic flavor, and not entirely in a good way. I'm talking about that sharp, spicy flavor that garlic sometimes imparts.  I would have added more basil if I had it on hand, but I used all of my stash in the first go-round.  What else could I add to lessen the flavor?  Is there a general purpose ingredient for this situation?

How do I neutralize a strong garlic flavor?

Try roasting or sauteeing the garlic first to cook it, pasteurising or freezing it to cut the spiciness, or diluting it with cream cheese, butter, sour cream or mustard. You can marinate the flavours for a day or two before serving, or heat the pesto briefly (although this may affect the flavour of the pesto).

Try roasting the garlic or heating the pesto slightly to take the edge off. You can also leave it to rest for a day before using.

Leave it to rest for a day before using.

Freezing wil reduce the garlic strength.

Try mixing mustard powder or cream cheese.