At a bare minimum, you'll want at least one "flavoured" and one "unflavoured" oil.

Olive oil is definitely the most common choice for a flavoured oil, and sunflower

/peanut

/canola oil all have pretty neutral flavours (not to mention similar smoke points).

Note that for good flavour you'll want extra virgin olive oil, which also makes it unsuitable for frying/sautéing at high temperatures.

So I would say that you already have the minimum requirement.

That said, even the "unflavoured" oils have subtly different flavour characteristics due to their different fat contents, and you'll want to take this into consideration if you like to cook in ethnic cuisines.

A short list (and keep in mind that this is partially subjective):

Peanut oil:

Asian cuisine, Mexican cuisine (high-temperature frying) Sesame oil: Asian cuisine (stir-fry or deep-fry [refined only])

Olive oil:

Italian cuisine, French cuisine (low-temp) Sunflower or Canola oil: American cuisine, esp.

deep-frying Grape seed oil:

Decent substitute for any of the other oils Walnut/

almond oil:

Great for fried desserts (watch the smoke point though).

If you deep-fry, peanut should be the 2nd.

The neutral seed oils (canola, sunflower, corn, etc.)

all cook about the same.

Peanut has a fairly high smoke point, so is better for deep-frying.

Olive has a good flavor.

Sesame, almond, walnut and other nut oils are short-lived, and tend to be expensive.

They make great additions to salad dressings or as a finishing flavor in some dishes (sesame is great in a stir fry).

Olive oil has a low smoke point (especially extra virgin), and will loose considerable flavor if heated, so it isn't recommended for frying (it costs more than the seed oils, and its a shame to waste it).

Any high-temp cooking should not be done in olive oil.

Since I don't deep fry often, I have two cooking oils on hand: good olive, and canola.

The olive is used mainly to finish or in lower temp saute/sweat.

The canola is used to fry onions, pancakes, meat, and anything else that takes some higher heat.

I chose canola because it has a neutral flavor and a fairly good omega-3 content.

Plus it was cheap.

I also have some white truffle, walnut, and sesame in the fridge for finishing.

They aren't used terribly often, and a bit goes a long way.

Also: butter.

Although it isn't really an oil, I use lots of butter/ghee(clarified butter) in my cooking.

Good one to make sure you always have on hand.

Olive extra virgin and sunflower.

Same here.

Make sure the olive oil is extra virgin though, for flavor and use sparingly.

We often have much more than two, but I'd say the two you really need are olive oil and some form of vegetable oil (vegetable, cannola, sunflower).

The second type will often have a higher smoke point than olive oil.

I find olive oil has much more flavor than vegetable or cannola oil.

Olive oil is often used in dressings as well.

Once you start to get in to more specific dishes, you may find the number balloons from two though.

Sesame oil for asian food, peanut oil for deep frying, a nice evoo for salads.

I think we have about 6 different types of oil, but we mostly just use olive and cannola.

If you're looking for a 'must keep on hand' list -- a mild oil, extra virgin olive oil and butter will get you through most anything.

Add shortening if you like baking, and sesame oil if you like to cook asian food, and you'll be prepared for most anything.

For the justification see my response to What oil or fat to use for different purposes?

I've actually come to find lately that grape seed oil is extremely versatile.

It has a very light, mild flavor, and when used in cooking you almost can't taste it at all.

When used in its "raw" state, the flavor is a little nutty, and makes a very nice addition to salads/dressings.

I've used it to make a basil infusion that was great.

And, with a very high smoke point, it's safe to use for frying and sauteing.

I now use grapeseed oil in place of olive and vegetable oils in a whole lot of recipes.

It's become my go-to oil lately.

If I had to have only two oils in my kitchen, they would be an olive oil, and grape seed oil.

One oil with a high smoke point, plus any with flavors you like.

I keep: peanut or canola oil extra virgin olive oil sesame oil and sometime a small quantity of something else if a recipe called for it.

Other fats on hand include: butter schmaltz (skimmed from a chicken pot left to cool, rewarmed, poured into ice cube trays to freeze and kept in a baggie in the freezer) bacon fat (poured hot from the pan into a jar by the stove; mostly used for seasoning my cast iron, but also for flavor)

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

Olive oil is a must have in a Kitchen.

The only other type of oil that you want to keep is something with a neutral flavor and high smoke point.

I recommend Canola oil or Vegetable oil.

Question: What different varieties of oil are  really  needed in a decent home kitchen?  I ask because I've only two right now (olive & sunflower) that I try to use "correctly" but sometimes use interchangeably. I wonder what I'm missing.

What oils are "required" for a decent home kitchen?

You should have at least one "flavoured" oil (e.g. olive) and one "unflavoured" oil (e.g. vegetable, cannola or sunflower). Peanut oil is also useful for deep frying and grapeseed oil is also very versatile.

You should have one flavoured oil like olive oil and a neutral vegetable oil like canola or peanut oil for frying.

You should have one flavoured oil like olive oil and a neutral vegetable oil for frying.

Try peanut oil, grape seed oil or canola oil.


This isn’t really an answer to your question, but I have found that Amore brand tomato paste has better flavor than canned tomato pastes and it comes in a resealable metal tube, which you can store in the refrigerator and take out whenever you need a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.

It’s also more expensive than canned tomato pastes but you actually get the opportunity to use all of it rather than just a spoonful or two.

America’s Test Kitchen reviewed tomato pastes (subscription required link) and came to the same conclusion: Sold in a 4 1/2-ounce tube and priced at $2.49 (considerably higher than other tomato pastes), Amore Tomato Paste shined in our initial from-the-tube tasting—no cooking, no sauce.

Tasters described the product as “intense” and “fresh,” which may be because of the fat it contains.

It also scored points because of its tube packaging.

Just squeeze out what you need and store the rest in the fridge.

No fuss, no waste.

I freeze it in ice cube trays or silicone muffin cups, then pop them out into a ziploc bag once they're frozen.

It's much cheaper to buy a big can and portion it up like this than to use the tiny cans or tubes.

I always freeze it .

(zip-lock freezer bags, although at the price your quoting, wasting it might almost be cheaper :) )

Personally I'd just eat it.

Toast some bread, stick some paste on top and then a little cheese, perhaps a bit of EVOO.

Perhaps a little basil if you have it.

Essentially a mini pizza - brilliant snack IMO.

I buy tomato paste in a squeeze tube for that same reason.

I used to buy the can, and freeze leftovers in 1 tablespoon portions.

I'd toss one or two in soups or stews for a little bonus flavor.

I've been known to toss the remainder of the can into a bread recipe with a bit of dried basil and garlic.

For a simple side dish, I have sauteed some onions and garlic, added the remainder of the can of paste, then toss in an undrained can of french style green beans, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Question: I sometimes make sauces that use tomato paste. The problem is that usually I need only one or two tablespoons and I don't know what to do with the rest of the can. The smallest can I could find is 6 oz. and while it only costs 50 cents, I hate the thought of the rest going to waste. It's also not particularly flavorful.  Any ideas?

What do you do with left over tomato paste?

You can buy tomato paste in resealable containers or squeeze tubes, which may also have more flavour. It can also be frozen in ice cube trays or silicone muffin cups.

You can buy it in tubes that will keep for longer or freeze it.

Try using tomato paste in a tube.
Freeze it into ice cube trays.


A general reconstitution of milk with dried powder is 1/4 dry milk and 1 cup water to reconstitute milk.

So 2 tablespoons is 1/8 cup to 1/2 cup of water.

If you want to replace 2 tablespoons, replace 1/2 cup water with milk.

Tablespoon is 1/4 cup milk instead of water.

I have done this as a replacement for dried milk in bread many times with success.

Yes, you can.

I use the King Arthur Flour Small Pain de Mie recipe

all the time http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/a-smaller-pain-de-mie-recipe , which calls for non-fat powdered milk.

An answer to another question here Why is milk powder used in bread machine recipes? says to scald the milk, a concept reiterated by the folks at King Arthur.

So as an experiment, I made two loaves of bread, identical in every way except that in one I substituted 170 ml scalded skim milk for the powdered milk and that volume of water.

Right out of the oven and

three days later, I can find no difference between the two loaves of bread.

My package of powdered milk calls for 7 ounces of water to 1/3 cup powder to make 1 cup of milk, so I figured 8 tsp powder + 7 Tbs water = 1/2 cup milk.

I converted to metric just to make the math easier, but it doesn't seem to me to require that much precision.

One thing to add to the answers mentioned before: if you leave the ingredients in a bread machine overnight, then powdered milk is better as it doesn't go sour.

Yes, you can substitute as already answered, but you can also just leave it out!

I've found it makes no noticeable difference.

Just leave it out - least in those quantities.

We make bread in a bread maker with and without it, and anecdotally it tends to make for softer, less chewy bread, especially if its a recipe with some sort of fat in it.

Question: I have a book with several bread recipes that call for 1-2 tablespoons of powdered milk. This isn't something I usually use and I was thinking substituting it with normal milk, and putting less water to compensate for the added liquid. Would this be ok? And if yes, how much milk should I put for one tablespoon of powdered milk?

Powdered milk in bread recipe

1 cup of milk is generally equivalent to 1/4 cup of powdered milk and 1 cup of water. Powdered milk would be better if leaving in a bread machine overnight, but it can also be left out altogether for a less soft and more chewy texture.

Reduce the water by one cup for every 1/4 cup of dried milk. It isn't necessary but it might make the bread softer and less chewy.

You can reduce the water by one cup for every 1/4 cup of dried milk.

Powdered milk isn't really necessary but it might make the bread softer and less chewy.


I'm solidly in the flip as often as you want camp.

As long as it's not over (or under) cooked I find that you get better results flipping often.

Plus you can rearrange things to make more room as you flip.

To tell how cooked a burger is poke it with a finger or something else

that's not too sharp; just like a steak the more cooked it is the more firm it will be.

You just need to learn how "squishy" you like them.

Also, as fun as it is, don't press the whole burger into the grill!

All that happens is that the delicious juices are forced out.

Harald McGee says flipping more often will help the meat inside the burger (or steak) to warm without burning the outside.

Multiple flipping: more even cooking, thin crustFlip once: uneven cooking, thick crust

(Note: by 'uneven'

I mean that you will have a much wider range of doneness from crust at the outside to possibly raw in the middle; more crust=less unevenness)

So it's a matter of taste really.

I personally prefer multiple flipping, in a pan and not on the grill.

i feel flipping any thing on the grill once for best results juices stay in side place the burger or steak on the grill few minutes or so depending on temp

turn it

weight 3-5 minutes then flip it once better diamonds juicier steak or burger is

I'm in the flip-turn-flip camp to sear in the juices and for some sweet looking grill marks.

FWIW, I used to be a high volume grill cook.

After a while you can tell when it needs the flip or turn just by looking at it.

It's also really weak to cut into the meat to check the temp since you'll lose all the juices.

I prefer "flip once".

Assuming you've got the heat right... put them on the grill or pan as soon as they're all on the heat, give each one a little nudge to make sure it's not stuck finish messing with condiments or have a beer or something else for 3-5 minutes flip the burgers, and give them the same "unsticking" nudge as before and wait another 3-5 minutes get the buns toasted serve and eat

I think the meat done-ness method I heard was to compare it to each of your "earlobe" (rare), "cheek", "side of nose", and "tip of nose" (well or medium well), going from least to most done.

The more firm the meat is, the more done it is.

or you can do what my mother does, and get out a knife and cut into one of the burgers and see how pink it is on the inside.

Question: When grilling burgers I usually flip several times, but have recently been advised to cook forever on once side, flip once, cook and be done.  Is that the best way to do it?  How do you know when a burger is ready to flip?

Grilling burgers: flip once, or keep flipping?

Flipping the burgers may give more even cooking without burning on the outside, but you may lose some of the juices. When flipping once, you can nudge the burgers after placing them to make sure that they are not stuck and leave them for 3-5 minutes before flipping, nudging again and leaving for the same amount of time.

You can flip the burger after 3-5 minutes but you can also flip it multple times until it's done on both sides.

You can flip as many times as you want. The burger will cook more evenly.

Flip only once and wait 3-5 minutes for each side.


Most fats work (this is why cocoa butter works)

most people recommend Crisco but a small amount of low flavoured oil (or flavoured for that matter) is fine.

I like ganache

so personally extra thick double cream does it for me.

Either way it's easier to add more later than take out!

Start with a little bit.

Butter will work.

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2251/In the Booley House

Butter, oil, half and half (or heavy cream), reduced, all will work.

It depends on what flavor you are going for...

My best answer for this is to experiment with all these answers and see what works for you.

You can add a little Cream or Milk.

I do this for my cake pops and choc sweets.

My Mom has made candies since I was a small child.

For melting chocolate she always used Gulf (paraffin) Wax ... it thins the chocolate perfectly and makes it easier to work, doesn't effect the taste or how it drys and gives the candy a nice pretty shine.

Perfect for Buckeyes like my Mom made.

It also acts as a preservative giving your candy a little longer shelf life.

Just be careful on how much you add.

Use your own judgement on how thick or thin you want your melted chocolate to be.

Start out with just a little paraffin and keep adding a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Warning ...

adding to much will make your chocolate thin like water.

I've made this mistake when I first started making candy.

Albeit it didn't hurt the chocolate flavor, it just made my chocolate extremely thin which resulted in having to double dip everything.

Nonetheless my candy still turned out fine.

It just was twice the work.

Anyhoot

I hope this helps.

Happy Baking :)

Do not use milk, that is to thicken, do not use water (beginners mistake).

Using an oil is safest, guaranteed results!

in coating truffles, i find the best "thinner" is plain crisco (not the "butter" type).

found this information on several websites a year or two ago...

it melts together perfectly evenly and they cite the fact that the fat content in cricso is closest to that of your melting chocolate, hence no lumps to stir through, no change in its ability to cling to the item being dipped, no change in drying time.

2 teaspoons of shortening to an 11.5 oz bag of semi-sweet morsels worked great to thin the chocolate for dipping to coat and hardened.

My guess is less is more here or chocolate will melt at room temperature.

We used milk....

lesson learned....

do not use MILK!

Now as I type we are adding a little Crisco to see if we can reverse the milk issues.......

Now the chocolate is really grainy.

I worked for Hershey Chocolate for 15 years,

DO NOT use milk like Melissa has said.

She is correct, it is the water in it that will rune your chocolate.

The It will only take a few drops of water and your chocolate will become very brittle.

Your best bet is to use a little Oil or Shortening.

Some say to use the Wax

but I'm not a fan of eating wax sorry.

But do not over do it, as it will affect the candy in a warm room.

Hope this helps someone..........

I have used oil and it works well.

Getting the right amount is a little tricky for me.

I have also used paraffin wax.

It works perfectly, dries quickly, it looks great and is less tacky when dried.

However, I too am not a fan of eating paraffin wax.

It just doesn't seem right to eat stuff you burn in candles.

but the chocolate mixed with oil is always pretty sticky.

Question: I have been dipping chocolates for many years. I recently tried a new brand of chocolate that has a fantasic flavor, but it is thicker than I'd like when melted. I know adding cocoa butter will help, but I don't have any on hand. Is there anything else I can use that will leave me with a hard (as opposed to ganache-like) chocolate coating?

What can be done to thin chocolate for dipping?

Most fats will work, and a low flavoured oil should provide the safest results. 2 teaspoons of shortening to an 11.5 oz bag of semi-sweet morsels worked great to thin the chocolate for dipping to coat and hardened. A little cream or milk will also thin chocolate.

You can use any fat like butter, cream or oil.

You can use any fat. Butter is a good option.


Yes, there is no real difference.

Be aware that if you one from the hardware store, it should be one where the flame does not fluctuate when you tilt the torch.

This usually happens with the very cheap ones.

This becomes a big problem when you try to uniformly brown something.

Aside from that and maybe "esthetically" I see no reason not to use one from the hardware store.

Actually, the gas isn't always the same -- in hardware stores, there's both propane and MAPP gas; you'd want to get a propane one.

(it's cheaper, but it doesn't get as hot ...

you won't need the extra heat for cooking purposes)

But well, the hardware store ones tend to be either much larger, or much smaller

(they make some little mini-torches for emergencies that are about the size of a AA-battery flashlight).

I would think that if you're a caterer, doing smaller parties at customer's houses, that the mid-size 'culinary' torch would be a benefit as it has enough gas in it to handle the job, but not so large that it's going to take up lots of space.

The MAPP Gas is your best bet.

Even though it may burn hotter, when the MAPP Gas does not completely combust, micro particles of the gas will be emitted from the tank and onto the food.

This is also true with the propane burners.

The difference is the flavor and smell.

You will not taste or smell the minuscule amounts of MAPP gas on the food, whereas with the propane you will.

They're not always the same thing.

You need a pressure regulated torch; the unregulated ones will shut off when tipped down, making them impossible to use on food.

For the most part they are the same.

But if you work professionally, you may need one with health code stamp on it regarding the mechanisms cleanliness.

I had traded a refillable butane torch to a friend's daughter who was in school and needed one for class for one of her Sherry cakes,Not a big deal.

I bought the them for $15 at HF tool store.she was gonna buy the same looking thing for $60-$70.

after a month or so.

I had heard about the Health code stamp, she had to borrow a friends for the class.

but still uses the one I traded her at home.

Question: When looking for a blowtorch for the kitchen, you can buy some reasonably expensive tools. When looking for a blowtorch for plumbing, you can buy some reasonably cheap tools.  The price is different. The look is different. The principle is the same. I guess the gas is the same.  Why pay more? Is there a health issue? Is the kitchen blowtorch more precise?

Blowtorch - hardware store vs kitchen store. Is there a difference?

The gas used may be different and some torches that are not pressure regulated will shut off when tipped down, making them unsuitable for food use. Where this does not apply, there is no real difference.

There is no real difference but make sure the flame will work when tipped. Either propane or MAPP gas are fine.

Make sure the flame doesn't fluctuate when you tip it.

You should look for propane or MAPP gas.

You might want one with a health stamp for the mechanisms to be used near food.


According to The Spice House : The flavor of these Turkish bay leaves is far milder and more complex than that of domestic bay; it adds a subtly sweet astringency to dishes.

Only one or two are needed to enhance a whole roast, pot of soup or stew.

I consider them "normal"; they're the oval-shaped bay leaves.

There's a "California" bay leaf variety that has elongated leaves and a slightly different flavor.

Are there even different types of Bay Leaves?

There is the California Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica .

Turkish Bay is

Laurus nobilis ( https://nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/laurus-nobilis-the-true-bay/ )

We have an California Bay Laurel (AKA Oregon Myrtle) growing in our yard.

While looking the same and smelling like normal store bought bay leafs like from Spice Island, it is 10 times more pungent.

I used it once and that was the last time.

So there are two plants which are called "bay leaves"; the Turkish Bay Laurel (Laurus Nobilis) and the California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica), as other answers have noted.

What's "normal" honestly depends on where you live and what kind of recipe you're making.

European recipes are going to expect bay leaves to be Turkish, because that's the tree that originated bay leaves as a spice in Europe.

Mexican recipes, and ones from the American West, are going to expect California Bay.

For any other region, it's kind of random.

If you buy dried "bay leaves", what you get is going to depend on sourcing; you're best reading the label.

The two species are largely interchangeable in most recipes, which makes life easier, with one exception: if you specifically need fresh bay leaves, go Turkish.

California bay leaves are less flavorful when fresh, and have a waxy texture.

Figured I'd check the site of the brand I use.

Turns out they are Turkish: The bay tree is native to the Mediterranean region and Asia Minor.

The bay or laurel tree grows well in the subtropics and is cultivated today as a spice in the Far East as well as the Canary Islands, France, Belgium, Mexico, Central America and Turkey (where McCormick's bay leaves are grown).

Question: I recently saw a recipe that called for Turkish Bay Leaves. Is this any different than the kind I would find in a standard spice bottle labeled "Bay Leaves", or is this a form of exotic marketing? Are there even different types of Bay Leaves?

Are Turkish Bay Leaves "Normal" Bay leaves?

The Turkish Bay Laurel (Laurus Nobilis) and the California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica) are both called bay leaf, but the Turkish variety is far milder and more complex in flavour.

There are two varieties of bay leaf: the California bay and the Turkish bay. Turkish bay leaves have a milder flavour.


This writeup suggests substitutes:I've quoted the most promising option.

It seems that Vietnamese Coriander is not really from the coriander family and closely mimics the flavor of cilantro.

Let me know if this works.

Vietnamese coriander or Persicaria odorata is a herb, the leaves of which commonly feature in Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly in Vietnam and Malaysia.

It is also known by the name of Vietnamese cilantro, Vietnamese mint and Cambodian mint.

Though it is not related to mint, its flavor as well as appearance can be said to slightly resemble mint.

It is more commonly included in salads and soups.

The flavor of Vietnamese coriander closely mimics the flavor of cilantro, and hence, can be used as a cilantro substitute.

This herb is believed to be very effective for some common gastrointestinal problems like, indigestion, stomachache and flatulence.

I would try Lime Basil or a mixture of 1/2 vinegar, and 1/2 bottled lime juice (small portion).

I am one of the people that love the taste of Cilantro (and Coriander) - Cilantro tastes like as if it should be called lemon Parsley to me - so my suggestion would be to replace it half and half with Parsely/Lemon Balm or Pasley

/Lemon Thyme depending on the region the dish is from.

If it is a SE Asian dish, you might also be able to substitute Lemon Grass and Parsley.

I would only use Flat leaf Parsley as it isn't as bitter and tastes more "green" than curly leaf Parsley.

Lemon Balm and Lemon Grass on their own taste too much of Lemon, Parlsey on it's own is too dull.

If you are cooking a curry or Asian dish, perhaps Thai basil or purple basil would work instead.

If you are cooking a Mexican style dish, Mexican oregano might also be a good choice.

I have also read that celery leaves are a good substitute, but they can be tricky to find as most stores only sell the stalks.

Sometimes you can find bunches at the Farmer's Market that still have the leaves attached.

I would also suggest carrot greens, which will have a similar appearance but still impart some flavor.

These might pack more of a flavor punch than just parsley.

I too have the so-called "soap-gene", but after 8 years living in Mexico, I have come to tolerate cilantro.

Still, for several years I sought alternatives.

Parsley is not, except visually.

A mix of parsley, lemon basil or lime basil, and beet or radish or celery leaves isn't too far off, and lacks the soap thang.

A very small bit of yerba buena, mixed with Mexican oregano, and maybe a bit of basil, gets a similar point across, but don't use too much, because it is a member of the salvia fairly closely related to spearmint -- great on a cucumber and onion salad or cucumber yogurt dressing on salmon, but not quite right on tacos.

Someone above said fresh coriander, but that is silly -- fresh coriander is cilantro.

And ground coriander seeds are used extensively in Mexican cooking, but do not replace cilantro.

Papalo - cilantro on steroids.

For the special case of just using it as a green, herby garnish on top of an asian dish: In some cases, thinly sliced spring onion greens will do fine (different flavor, same function: be green and provide a visual and flavour-wise contrast to the cooked ingredients).

Culantro (eryngium foetidum) seems to have many of the flavors of cilantro without the soap taste.

I can't say for certainty how similar they are, because the soap flavor is so overwhelming to me.

The wikipedia page says that culantro is stronger.

(but I can put lots into a dish, and not gag)

I have no idea if it would still trigger your dad's allergies, though.

They're both in the Apiaceae family.

The only place that I can find it in Maryland is in latin markets, or the larger international markets (that cater towards asian & latin communities).

It's a long, narrow leaf (sort of a stretched oval.

See wikipedia , although the cultivated stuff is closer to 12" (30cm)).

It's often in plastic bags in the store (as it can dry out fairly quickly, but it holds okay in your fridge for a week or two if you wrap it in paper towels and then re-bag it)

Out of 3 different recipe books, I see they swap parsley for cilantro.

Not sure if you will get the flavor that you are looking for there, though.

I'm doing 1/3 each mix of basil, parsley, and lemon peel in my tandoori based dish.

I forgot the cilantro and dont have thai basil or those other "exotic" spices laying around.

Wish me luck.

Also have the soap-taste problem.

I agree that parsley is more a substitute in looks rather than flavor.

I tend to use either arugula or watercress as they have a bit of a bite that at least let's you know they're there.

I like the idea of celery leaves.

Maybe will try mincing a three of them up together!

Question: I have several friends with the soap gene (cilantro tastes like soap to them), my father's allergic (it gives him a headache) and because of a lifetime of avoiding the stuff, I find cilantro overwhelming in just about everything.   Typically, I substitute parsley, but sometimes it still feels like the dish is missing something. Are there other good substitutes for cilantro, either individual herbs or combinations?

What's a good substitute for cilantro?

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2251/In the Booley House

Vietnamese coriander is not related, but closely mimics the flavour of cilantro. Different basils, parsley, beet, radish or celery leaves, lemon balm, carrot greens, papalo, culantro, arugula and watercress can approximate the taste, and vinegar and lemon juice or peel may also help.

There are a lot of different herbs that comes close to cilantro. There are several varieties of basil, celery and carrot leaves, then other herbs like culantro or papalo.

A mix of parsley, lemon basil or lime basil, and beet or radish or celery leaves isn't too far off, and lacks the soap thang.

It seems that Vietnamese Coriander is not really from the coriander family and closely mimics the flavor of cilantro.

I would try Lime Basil or a mixture of 1/2 vinegar, and 1/2 bottled lime juice (small portion).

If you are cooking a curry or Asian dish, perhaps Thai basil or purple basil would work instead.

I am one of the people that love the taste of Cilantro (and Coriander) - Cilantro tastes like as if it should be called lemon Parsley to me - so my suggestion would be to replace it half and half with Parsely/Lemon Balm or Pasley

I have also read that celery leaves are a good substitute, but they can be tricky to find as most stores only sell the stalks.

I would also suggest carrot greens, which will have a similar appearance but still impart some flavor.

Culantro (eryngium foetidum) seems to have many of the flavors of cilantro without the soap taste.

I'm doing 1/3 each mix of basil, parsley, and lemon peel in my tandoori based dish.

I tend to use either arugula or watercress as they have a bit of a bite that at least let's you know they're there.

Try parsely and lemon balm, celery leaves, carrot greens, papalo, culantro or watercress.


my 'nuclear option' for cast iron skillets is to put them in a basin of lye solution, and let the pan sit for a week or a month (depending on how fresh and how concentrated the lye solution is.)

We keep a plastic basin out back for this.

lye is bad stuff, so if you have kids or pets, do please be careful.

The lye, however, will take off anything organic, and bring the skillet back to bare metal (well, some scrubbing may be necessary.

use a plastic scrubby).

in this condition, the skillet will start to rust instantly.

I work as follows: after the four weeks, take the skillet out of the bath, scrub it and hose it off, then immediately pour white vinegar on it: the acidity prevents rusting.

Then put it in a 450 F preheated oven for half an hour.

Then start the reseasoning process.

As I said, this is the method of last resort.

Here is a photo of a #3 cast iron pan, rolled back to 'year zero' after a few months in a lye solution, next to a seasoned #2 pan.

The iron actually looks like metal.

In this condition, you can check the surface for pitting, cracks, etc.

The vinegar is on hand to prevent rust.

I thought that as it was cast iron you could just put the whole thing in a big fire and it would burn off whatever was burnt on and then you could scrub off the ashes, which should be fairly easy to do once the are realy

just char..

The second comment here seems to think you can do this as well.

You might also be able to do this in a couple of other ways:

Put the pot upside down over a high flame to burn off the food.

they used to do this at a Chinese restaurant I worked at to clean the woks.

The woks weren't cast iron though.

Put the pot in a self cleaning oven on the clean cycle.

Disclaimer:

I haven't done this, but I think it should work.

If it gets voted up, then you should be ok, if it gets voted down,

[peer pressure] for me.

You'll need to re-season afterwards.

I had two pans that were in pretty bad shape from an antique store.

My "reset" button for them was an overnight camping trip.

I stayed in the tent.

They stayed in the campfire.

I built a large batch of coals and, before I went to bed, I buried the two pans in the fire circle under about 4 inches of coals.

In the morning, I pulled them out and scrubbed them down with sand and some steel wool

and they went straight to the seasoning process.

The fire carbonized the caked on food which then scrubbed off easily.

The #8 is now one of my favorites.

Scrub the heck out of it with Kosher salt and the tiniest amount of water, then start all over again seasoning it.

A fair amount of work, but well worth it to save a good skillet.

Biological laundry detergent (just mix the powder into a paste) and leave somewhere warm for a day or so will remove anything organic -

this stuff is scary.

If anything is left, scrub with a paste of bicarb and water

A sandblaster will quickly remove burnt-on stuff from a cast-iron pan.

I gave a pan to a friend with a sandblaster to treat it for me, and he never gave it back.

So, that's a risk with this method.

I have scraped with a table knife .

That worked well for burnt-on stuff in a small area, but it's a huge job to clean the whole pan.

Coarse steel wool or brass wool can work, too.

Many people don't realize how much stuff is burnt on to their cast iron.

They're not supposed to be black & rough, but dark grey and very smooth .

As others have said, be sure to season as soon as they're clean.

Or at least oil them to protect against rust until you're ready to season.

Seeing as I am an hard core new Englander, having lived in new Hampshire all my life, and very savvy to the old way.

If your cast iron pan gets a lot of build up due to burnt food, throw it in the stove the next time you put fire wood in.

When that filling or wood is burnt down and ready for a refill, pull out the pan, using a set of tongs to grab it with.

The dam pan is hot and will burn you bad.

let it cool and then steel wool

it and your good to go

I got most off with single edge razor scraper.

( a bit off work, heavily coated).

I then thought of oven cleaner.

Let it soak awhile in garage and was able to get it clean enough with scraper again and wipe off with rag and one off those scrub pads.

Much easier.

Rinse under hot water and dry off.

I think I'll try to find sandblaster though (local welder?)

for outside and touch up inside if cheap enough.

Will offer him 5 if he will do next time he uses blaster for his own work.

I just thought I would add what to do with an ENAMELED cast iron pot, like a Le Creuset.

I had a doozy once, just black carbon scalded to the enamel.

After trying everything, I put it on a hot flame (gas range) and kept dripping in white wine and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Took about a half hour and a whole bottle of wine

but it worked...

or maybe I was just sipping on the wine as I went, and that's why it took a whole bottle :)

Question: I have this cast iron pot that my friend completely burnt. I was wondering what might be done to save this pot. I realize that this question seems similar to  this one  but in that one his skillet is not burnt and it is seasoned.   Thanks for your help.

How to clean a burnt cast iron pot?

An extreme solution would be to put the pan in a lye solution for a week or month, depending on the freshness and concentration of the lye solution. You could also put the pan in a big fire or self cleaning oven cycle or scrub it thoroughly with kosher salt and a tiny bit of water or steel/brass wool before starting the seasoning process again. Covering the pan in a paste of biological laundry detergent and leaving in a warm place for a day or so can also remove anything organic.

The easiest solution is to scrub with salt or steel wool. You can also try the self-cleaning cycle on an oven.

Put it in a fire to heat and then scrub off.

Try putting laundry detergent on it and then leaving to soak.


I want a car that can fly.

:P

I say you have two options: A quality dutch oven .

This can do it all, although steaming might be difficult unless you can find a steamer insert for your dutch oven.

It's certainly the closest you're gonna get to a slow cooker.

A quality stock pot with a steamer insert (or two).

I have a great 12 qt stock pot with 2 steamer inserts.

I deep fry in it

often, the high sides contain spatter.

The only thing it doesn't do well is slow cook.

I think you will have difficulty in finding one that will also deep fry.

I have a 4 in 1 electric cooker that does rice (with a vegetable steaming insert), porridge (it has a seperate button for this), slow cooking and steaming - no deep frying though.

Its a tefal 4 in 1 fyi.

Based on my recent experience I can recommend at least for your short-list (or as an addition given the comments above which seem to suggest you can get all in one except the deep-fry part), the Tefal Actifry.

Replaces a deep-fat fryer and can do most of the things you can do in an oven and stove-top, and when frying it uses only the amount of oil that's left on the food at the end (i.e. about a tablespoon to do say a kilo of chips).

But also does quite a lot besides the obvious chips and meaty things like hot-wings and sausages; some examples posted here: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/L?content=noticeboard/recipes/actifry.htm (stews, curries, fried rice etc)

Some reviews have posted concerns about reliability (clips break, fans burn out), which are supposedly fixed in more recent iterations of the design (users reporting that replacement lids have thicker clips; 'Which' a consumer group in the UK has a response from Tefal saying they've fixed the fan issue..), but to guarantee I had one of the newer models I went for the only-recently introduced 'Family' version which also has 1.5x the capacity of the original model.

No issues so far, but I've only had it a few weeks..

Overall got it probably mainly as I just generally have a weakness for gadgets, but it's proved a great/very versatile addition to my tiny corner-of-the-studio-flat kitchen and my friends are loving the chips it makes :)

And when cooking just for myself I also really like the way you can set the timer and go watch TV while it does its thing..

You could be interested to the Presto

® Kitchen Kettle™ multi-cooker/steamer.

The Deni Multi Fryer is a combo cooker / fryer / deep fryer / slow cooker / rice cooker / steamer all in one.

You will love it I do.

Yes, there is something like a slow cooker which will double as a steamer and a deep fryer, as well as cook rice.

NOT all at once, obviously, but a really good quality, heavy-bottomed large stainless steel pan + lid + a steamer inset + a rice ball like this: should fulfil all your requirements without too many gadgets or "stuff" cluttering your kitchen and/or your life.

This combination also can be used on any type of stove top.

It is important the base is thick, so the heat distribution is even.

I used an old pressure cooker with a rice ball and stainless steel cullender for years.

This combination takes "one-pan cooking" to a new level.

I have this rice cooker, although it's branded "National", not "Panasonic".

It has a perforated platform that you can put in after the rice and water, and it sits about an inch above the bottom of the pot.

Perfect for steaming salmon filets.

It's not a deep fryer nor a slow cooker.

Question: I know this is slightly crazy, but I am a minimalist.  I try to get by on as little "stuff" as possible.  Basically I want a rice cooker that can steam my vegetables and chicken for a meal all at the same time, and it would be nice if the same appliance could be a deep fryer the few times I need one or a slow cooker.  Anything like this?

Looking for a rice cooker, steamer, deep fryer, slow cooker combo that can cook rice and steam at the same time

Most devices that can do the other functions will not be able to deep fry foods, but the Deni Multi Fryer  is a combo cooker / fryer / deep fryer / slow cooker / rice cooker / steamer all in one. Alternatively, you could buy a good quality Dutch oven or use a really good quality, heavy-bottomed large stainless steel pan + lid + a steamer inset + a rice ball.

The simplest solution is to take a heavy bottomed pan and add accessories for each function. You can also get multi fryers that will do all these things.

Try using a heavy bottomed pan and then buying accessories for the different functions you would like.

There are cookers that will do rice, cook and steam.

You can get a multi fryer that will perform all these functions.


Lard.

and to build on what @bmargulies said: Other coconut oil, lard is one of the few fats that are solid at room temperature, and the only reason for using shortening in baking that I'm aware of is to get the little lumps of shortening mixed with the flour that don't melt until it's baked, which will result in a tender texture.

You can achieve the same thing with butter, but butter also has water in it, so you'll end up with some extra lift in the pastry, which isn't always desired for recipes that call for shortening.

It also melts at a lower temp, so you have to start with it cold and work quickly. ...

now, the other use of shortening in baking is for greasing pans -- again, it's because it's solid, so it'll stick to the sides of the pan.

For that, you can often use canned cooking sprays, as they have surficants which will keep them from dripping.

An excellent substitute is coconut oil, because it is solid at room temperature.

If you use vegetable oil, it will give the resulting baked good a much more oily texture.

You can use any neutral flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola oil.

You can also use butter, but you may have to adjust for the amount of water present in the butter (about 20%), unless you're using clarified butter which is a 1:1 substitution.

I bet this isn't the answer you are looking for, but there's always lard.

Whole Foods sells an alternative to Crisco that I've used successfully.

I don't have a tub here right now to get the brand.

I recommend clarified butter, especially if you clarify it yourself, or brown butter, especially if you brown it yourself.

It takes a few minutes, and you need to let it cool down again before it becomes solid, which can take a few hours, but it lasts much longer than butter once you do these steps.

I've found it a much more flavorful alternative to shortening, and it offers most of the textural advantages.

I usually use applesauce instead of oil for banana bread.

I was out one day

so I used yogurt instead.

It works great.

I did an even exchange.

One note, if you use Greek yogurt, decrease the amount because it will overpower the rest of your flavors.

There is an organic shortening just so you know...

I recommend coconut oil for the same reasons already posted.

Then there is butter.

Both of them have the same amount of calories.

The same with organic olive oil.

I do not recommend canola oil if you are wanting to be organic.

It is made from the rapeseed and the rapeseed is a genetically modified product.

Clarified butter will not spoil if it sits out just like shortening.

But olive oil can go "smelly" after a couple of days which will affect the taste of your baked goods.

Rendered bacon fat after it hardens.

It's a tasty substitute.

Shortening gives baked goods the soft effect that butter would not.

Some cookie recipes call for both to get the flakiness of a good cookie and the softening for the softening so it won't be to crispy.

Lard will give you a stale flavor as it is a meat by product.

And coconut oil does not have the same effect as shortening that I am aware of.

We need a chemist, ALTON BROWN

WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!!

Lol.

I always use applesauce in place of shortening in banana bread.

Applesauce does not change the texture or flavor.

I substitute it for equal measures of shortening.

Question: I was specifically thinking about the Crisco shortening that is used in baking.

Are there any substitutes for Shortening?

Lard, coconut oil, rendered bacon fat and butter are good substitutes, or you could use neutral flavoured oil or organic shortening.

You can use any fat that hardens at room temperature.

You can use lard, coconut oil, butter or any fat that hardens at room temperature.


Once it's cooled down some, I switch to using my hands ... expecially as it helps to find any bones, globs of fat, etc.

I find it goes much faster, particularly if you're dealing with anything other than boneless breast meat. ...

but it shreds easiest while it's still warm, so if I'm doing a fair bit, I'll break a bit apart using forks, let that cool, break some more apart with a fork, then shread the first bit before it cools too much, repeat.

(so basically, I have one set broken down somewhat to cool faster while I'm shreding an already-cooled off bit).

update as justkt mentioned, the cooking method matters --

roasting and other high heat methods are going to cook the outside faster than the inside.

I typically poach my chicken if I'm going to be shreding it -- bring water to a boil, add chicken, bring back to a boil, turn to low, then leave for an hour or two ...

the low temp gets it all nice and tender, while the boiling kills surface bacteria.

Boiling the chicken is the easiest cooking method to prep for shredding.

Searing and baking make it a lot more difficult.

I too go with a combination of the two forks and hands (depending on what seems easier at the moment) method.

One method is to use a stand mixer.

Put the meat in with the paddle attachment and pulse for a few seconds at a time until shredded.

I just use my hand mixer while it's still hot takes me about 30 seconds!

I recently picked up a pair of Bear Paw Meat Handlers and they actually work quite well for this if you can't wait for the meat to cool down.

Hope

this helps someone!

Update:

I ended up purchasing some insulated latex cooking gloves which allows me to use my hands even when it's right out of the oven.

This is the best method I have found by far!

If I'm shredding it for soup (mmm, tortilla soup), I just use a stick blender.

Question: Usually I will just cook it and then tear it to pieces using two forks, but this is still pretty time consuming.  Are there any secret ways to easily do this?

What is the easiest way to shred chicken?

Boiling the chicken is the easiest way to prepare it for shredding, then you can break it apart while it's still warm. A hand or stand mixer will save some time, or you can use a stick blender if you're shredding chicken for soup.

Boil the chicken and shred it with your hands while it's still warm. You can also use a mixer.

Boiling the chicken is the easiest cooking method to prep for shredding.

Once it's cooled down some, I switch to using my hands ... expecially as it helps to find any bones, globs of fat, etc.

but it shreds easiest while it's still warm, so if I'm doing a fair bit, I'll break a bit apart using forks, let that cool, break some more apart with a fork, then shread the first bit before it cools too much, repeat.

I just use my hand mixer while it's still hot takes me about 30 seconds!

If I'm shredding it for soup (mmm, tortilla soup), I just use a stick blender.

Shred it with your hands while its still warm.

Boiling the chicken is better for shredding.

Try a stand or hand mixer to shred the chicken.


One resource I'm impressed with is Rouxbe.com , which is an "online cooking school" with truly excellent video content.

(Disclosure: I'm an affiliate, though I haven't earned anything from it - I only signed up because I think it is great, I don't refer anything just to hope to make a buck).

That link will give you a 14 day free trial.

The thing I like is that it is broken down into really small, highly detailed sections, and the video is HD and shot extremely close up on the hands and pots so you can really see what is happening.

Based on my reading, (Buford, Bourdain, etc.)

The only way to really learn how to cook is to intern in a restaurant.

It's not about recipes, it's about being forced to cut 50 pounds of onions in 2 hours, and about grilling 60 steaks in an evening.

It's about being able to sense when something is done.

There is no substitute for being thrown to the wolves.

I suppose you could volunteer at a soup kitchen, which would give you a near equivalent experience (although you wouldn't be exposed to the higher end of cuisine.)

The next thing you can do is eat at good restaurants.

Deconstruct the dish, and try it or something similar at home.

Upvote for chris (I don't have the rep yet).

Though I'm no longer in the culinary industry, I graduated from a cooking school (Scottsdale Culinary Institute) a number of years ago and worked in a couple of high-end kitchens (namely, Christopher Gross).

If you want to cook at home, watch Food Network and read cooking books/magazines.

However, if you think you want to cook professionally, an apprenticeship under a good chef is hard to beat.

Cooking is hard work in any kitchen, but it's even harder when the standards of flavor, texture, and presentation approach perfection with every plate.

So if you fall into the latter category, my advice is to go work for the best chef you can find.

Take a low wage if you have to, stay motivated, and do as many different things as you can, because you're there to learn, not fund a new television (that will come later with success).

Good luck!

Echoing a few comments above: repetition is key.

Feedback is key.

And very importantly: pay attention to your food!

From now on, think about everything that goes in your mouth.

I mean everything.

Water, toothpaste, roast beef, oranges--whatever.

Pay attention to the textures, to how textures and flavours change at different temperatures, how things feel as they are chewed and swallowed.

Also pay attention to scents, as scent is actually most of what we think of as 'flavour.'

And also also, pay attention to food associations

--how do things make you feel?

What memories does this taste evoke?

Paying attention to those things will help you become more creative, and aim for specific feelings and sensations when cooking for other people.

There are some key books to get as well.

A good edition of Larousse Gastronimique (in French if you read it or a good English translation).

Saint Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking .

The French Laundry Cookbook .

Harold McGee's On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen .

And then if you want to get really crazy and spend monstrous amounts of money, get the Fat Duck cookbook, and the elBulli series of books (which will set you back only slightly more money than I make in a month.

They are frighteningly expensive, which is why I do not yet own them).

Watch some, very selective, shows on the Food Network:

Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa), old reruns of Nigella Lawson (not her latest couple of series, which are only barely a step above boil-in-the-bag), old Mario Batali.

Laura Calder, if you get her show in the USA, is (despite her protestations) a professionally-trained cook who is obsessed with French food and technique.

The F-Word is also surprisingly good for actual recipes presented with not much fuss.

Watch, on YouTube: Saint Julia, Jacques Pepin. Practice, practice, practice, practice.

Want to get good and fast at chopping onions, carrots, whatnot?

Buy a case of onions, process them all at once.

(Helpful hint: chill them first; less crying).

Make a gigantic pot of soupe a l'oignon les Halles , freeze whatever you can't use immediately.

Do the same with carrots, with cucumbers, with bell peppers.

(Well, don't make the same soup obviously).

Get good equipment.

Good knives--you don't need to go and buy a set of Globals, obviously, but get good knives.

Discard gadgetry from your kitchen--I'm not saying get rid of your potato masher; it's a great tool.

But ditch the egg separator--your hands are the best egg separator there is.

Shop

well.

Find local suppliers wherever you can.

When you're buying fruit and vegetables, get up close and personal: touch them, smell them, taste them if it's an option before buying (in my experience, farmer's markets will be really good about letting you slice something open once they get to know you).

Then in the kitchen, let the ingredients speak to you.

All of these things will help you become a much, much better cook.

But as mentioned by Dinah, the only way to get to a professional level is to cook with, for and be cooked for by cooks who are better than you are.

As you're assessing your resources, remember that the one thing school always gives you, books can't give you, and the internet rarely gives you: feedback.

For casual learning, books and trial and error are fine.

Since you specifically asked about the caliber of skill that comes from culinary school though, you'll want feedback from people who are more advanced than you are, not just information .

(Sites like this one are certainly a start.)

Question: We live in the information age. What can I do to learn everything that I would learn in culinary school, but use the available resources that are out there?

What is a substitute for going to culinary school? Is there?

While it is not a replacement for working in a restaurant, you could look at Rouxbe.com, which is an "online cooking school" with truly excellent video content. There are also some books that you could read on the subject.

You can do a course online and ready a lot of books but the only real way to learn is to work in a restaurant.

You can find cooking courses on the internet.

You can do an internship in a restaurant to really learn.

There are a lot of good books you can read on this subject.


I find garlic powder to be kind of meh when making garlic bread.

I suggest using fresh garlic that is finely minced that has been mixed with softened butter.

You simply spread it on, cook, and enjoy.

Here is a recipe demonstrating this technique (I have not used the recipe): http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/garlic_bread/

For quick & easy garlic bread, I'll toast the bread first, and then scrub a clove of garlic over it, finishing with butter or oil.

Very little prep or cleanup, and a bright, intense flavor... Be careful not to rub off too much garlic on each slice (unless of course you're very fond of garlic).

This is probably relatively unconventional and a completely different technique than you described altogether, but it answers the question in the title :) When I'm making a stovetop dinner and don't feel like heating the oven/toaster oven/grill/broiler, I'll often melt some butter into a pan, throw some (fresh) garlic and spices in, give it a minute, throw the bread in, and crisp the bread up right in the pan in the butter.

Quick and easy!

This would be a good application for a compound butter.

Start by roasting a head of garlic.

Mix the garlic mush with softened butter (and any other spices you want, such as salt and finely chopped parsley) and re-chill.

Use as a finishing butter as well as for the bread.

A few different techniques that I use, depending on what I have on hand, how many I'm cooking for, and what sort of time constraints I'm dealing with.

Slice bread, grill under the broiler '

til toasted, then rub with a whole garlic clove.

Slice bread, grill the bread under the broiler 'til toasted, then spread with roasted garlic.

Slice bread, grill the bread under the broiler '

til toasted, then drizzle with olive oil (okay, I use a pump sprayer), and lightly sprinkle with garlic powder.

(I've done this one I've done with sandwich bread, too ...

you typically need a firmer bread for the first two, though)

split the loaf, spread with pesto

(may need to thin first with extra olive oil), close back up, wrap in foil, and bake.

You have a few other options than your specialty powder: Look at the ingredients on your garlic bread powder.

They probably include at least garlic powder and salt.

You can make your own "garlic bread powder" by mixing these spices and then sprinkling them over your dish.

Garlic powder is going to be more versatile then a special purpose mix.

For example, garlic powder is a key component in many spice rubs for meat.

Instead of using powder, finely mince some garlic itself.

Heat oil until just warm and add minced garlic.

Let sit for a while to infuse.

Strain out garlic, pour over toasted bread.

Add a small amount of finely minced garlic to melted butter.

Spread over toasted bread.

Less garlic is definitely more here.

You asked if you can make your own garlic powder.

The answer is yes.

Completely dehydrate some garlic (a dehydrator would be useful here) and crush it with a mortal and pestle or in a food processor.

Raw garlic can be over powering and have a odd after taste and although I have just minced garlic and butter together for garlic bread I've found the garlic doesn't cook.

Instead if you have time I'd recommend roasting the garlic first and add the cooked content to the butter, or gently frying the garlic.

Finely chopped parsley is good to add at the end too!

You can use crushed garlic instead.

Mince a clove or two of garlic and then crush it with either the flat of your knife or the back of a spoon.

This is unrelated to replicating garlic powder, but topping the bread with mozzarella cheese and various Italian spices is also delicious :)

Question: I've usually made garlic bread by pouring over the bread with special garlic bread powder over spread butter. This works, but is there any way to make the garlic sauce/powder on your own?

What are other techniques to make garlic bread?

You can use crushed garlic instead, which can be mixed with softened butter. The bread can also be toastted first, then scrubbed with a clove of garlic and then spread with butter or oil.

Mix together minced or crushed garlic with butter and rub on.

Mince the garlic and mix it with softened butter.

Toast the bread and rub a piece of garlic over it and top with oil.

Crushing the garlic is better for cooking.


Even easier than Michael's way: Quarter the pomegranate.

Hold it over a bowl of water, seeds down, and spank it repeatedly with the flat of a large knife.

Done.

(The water makes separation of pith and seeds easier; the latter sink and the former floats).

Why peel it?

I cut or break the pomegranate in quarters, then just sort of bend a quarter backwards towards the peel side to start breaking out the arils, and then pick loosen them with my fingers.

Works fine.

Tedious but about as efficient as it gets.

Some people like to do this under water in a bowl, but I haven't found it to give any great advantage.

Two steps: Roll the pomegranate while pressing on it with your wrist.

Rolling + pressing releases the arils.

Cut pomegranate in half, hold each half over a bowl, seeds down, and spank with a spoon or a cup.

I saw it here .

It's in Hebrew, but you can look at the pictures and the video.

Try it, it works!

Learned this method after watching a video mentioned on Reddit : Wash the fruit and the knife and the large bowl.

Select a heavier table spoon will make it easier to extract the seeds.

Score fruit about 3mm deep from stem to blossom along the ridges.

Make a 3mm deep cut all the way around the circumference.

Position the cut about 10mm above the widest part will make the next step very slightly easier than if the cut is directly on the circumference.

Use the curvy part of the knife will make it easier to control the depth of the cut.

If any juice flows out then you've cut too deep.

Insert

the tip of the knife into the flat part of the fruit where you've made the thin slice to make a triangular cut that is 10mm deep and 15mm wide.

The deepest part of the triangle cut should be located midpoint between two ridges of the fruit.

If your knife's tip can create that cut just by simple insertion then that would be the best.

The insertion is to cut the white fleshy part of the fruit.

If any juice comes out then you've cut too deep or cut the wrong place.

Every pomegranate has six ridges running from top to bottom which define the natural segments of the fruit.

First slice off the top and bottom of the outer skin, then lightly score along the ridges.

This will allow you to gently pull the sections apart, exposing the tasty goodness inside without any mess at all.

This is by far the easiest and cleanest method I've tried, but you need to be gentle.

I know this question already has a lot of answers, but for some reason everyone is overcomplicating it...

I personally learned from this video , and it works every single time.

Cut it in half.

Hold it in a bowl of a water and break into quarters by hand.

Rub kernels with thumbs, and they'll separate from membrane easily.

The bitter membrane floats to the top of the water, so just drain the liquid with the membrane, and you're done.

No spanking, no peeling, and a single cut.

It might help to squeeze it a bit under water, but that's it.

The only time that this method didn't work for me was when I had an unripe pomegranate and the membrane stuck stubbornly to the kernels.

Question: Two well known facts about pomegranates:   they are yummy  they are a pain to peel by hand   do you know of any efficient ways to peel pomegranates? by efficient i mean two things:   quick  minimum number of 'hurt' arils   be blessed

how to peel a pomegranate efficiently?

Cut or break the pomegranate into quarters, then bend one quarter backwards and loosen the arils with your fingers.

Bend back the quarters and pick out the seeds with your fingers.


I recommend (and use) a utility knife .

Not only are they fairly tough and sharp, you can adjust the blade to the depth you need

(you don't want to cut too deep).

And the blades are cheap to replace... As others have noted in the comments, be careful with this as you would with any knife: the blades may be small, but they're quite sharp.

I tried a utility knife in the past but that was no good.

I also used a long knife [see image] which was sharpened on a grinder but that did not help either.

It had a jagged or rough edge which made the same mess as micro-serrations.

The fatty meat clogs up the cutting edge and makes it in effect blunt.

Then I took the same knife and buffed the edge with a buffing wheel on a grinder, until it was shiny smooth and would hack on its own weight at 25 degrees into my thumbnail, and that did the trick!

A tip: Semi-freeze the belly in order for the skin to be hard and it will be much easier to cut.

The alternative is ask your butcher to cut small squares as they usually cut a few big squares, which is not what you want.

The utility knife that Knives mentioned work fine, and they're pretty cheap at the hardware store, but I tend to have roofing tar or the like on any of the ones I have (and the snap blade knives I don't want to disassemble to clean after using for food)

I've only done it for ham, so I don't know if other parts are worse to cut through, but I just use a paring knife.

As I don't put them against a cutting board very often, they keep their edge.

I even use one of my less expensive knifes (Wustof Silverpoint), because it's got a thinner blade).

I don't hold it by the handle, though

-- I pinch either side of the blade, and let just enough of the tip be exposed to cut to the depth I want.

Don't use a "micro-serated" blade for this, it grabs too much and will make a mess.

I don't even know that you'd want a serated blade, just a good, sharp, small knife.

Completely random, but use a scalpel like the ones Surgeons use.

you would be blown away how clean and controlled you can score, and you don't even need to semi-freeze as some have suggested.

mmm crackling..

I had a recipe that called for using a hairdryer.

Made the best crackling ever with that.

Freeze the belly.

Set skin side up in a bowl.

As soon as skin thaws cut with very sharp long knife.

18 inch blade.

Your pig sticker for going into the heart when you butcher.

Long cuts mild pressure May have to cut more than once down grove made.

This doesn't make sense to me.

I've always used my 10" Henkels carving knife.

I just hone it really well, and drag it over the skin with mild pressure.

It takes a couple of passes, but it does work.

use a pork scorer - 3 bladed cutter designed for scoring pork

This is why you need a good sharp knife in your kitchen.

I moved on to good japanese knives and sharpening/honing wet stones (Naniwa super stones) to give it a rasor edge, literally.

Japanese knives needen't be expensive, they are available from €50,- onwards, you just need to know what to buy; look for blue steel and use sharpening wet stones only!

no steel like the butcher does, this steel is too hard, and can chip, so also no bone or frozen food chopping, Enjoy and look where you cut!

I have been to the hospital just once, steep learning curve.

Question: We cooked some pork belly over the weekend and part of the recipe is to "score the skin".  We have some sharp knives but nothing really worked well. It was really a battle to cut the skin. We even tried out some sharp scissors!   If you don't score the skin, you don't really get decent crackling.  Is there some technique to doing this?

How do you score pork skin?

A pork scorer is a 3 bladed cutter designed for scoring pork or you could use a utility knife, a scalpel or a carving knife. Avoid "micro'serrated" blades, which grab too much and make a mess. Semi-freezing the belly will make the skin harder and easier to cut.

Use a sharp carving knife on very cold meat.

Try using a scalpel or investing in a pork scorer.


They're rather different.

Gyros are Greek in origin.

They are simply meat, tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce on pita.

In Greece the meat is typically pork (never had one).

In America, specifically here in Chicago (their local origin), the meat is a combination of beef & lamb.

Shwawarma is Middle Eastern in origin.

The possible toppings are much more diverse, and can include: tahini, tabouli, fattoush, cucumber, and hummus.

Tzatziki isn't typically used, at least not in America.

The meat is also never pork, it can be lamb, beef or chicken.

They owe their similarities to their common Turkish ancestor the doner kebab .

See also: Doner kebab Gyros Shawarma

As sarge_smith hinted at in his comment to hobodave, at least from the gyros and shwarmas I've had.

Gyros are made from a loaf of ground meat, onions and seasonings, spit roasted.

(this might be a regional thing, though) Shawarmas (and doner kebab) are cuts of meat, marinated and stacked, then spit roasted.

As you slice the shawarma meat off the cone, you're cutting across the stacked slices, so it'll end up falling into lots of smaller bits, while the gyro meat is larger slices, but still tender because it's ground meat.

Gyros tend to have more "mediteranian" herbs (oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary) Shawarmas

tend to have more "middle eastern" spices (cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seed, tumeric)

Either one might have cumin, pepper or oregano, and they'll both have garlic.

I don't know how much of it's a regional thing (as I think I've only had shawarmas twice in the US),

but when we used to get shawarmas in the Netherlands, they were served with a garlic yoghurt sauce that was similar to tzatziki, but didn't have cucumber or herbs in it.

They were also served inside pita pockets (with shredded carrot, lettuce and tomatoes) as opposed to wrapped in a flatbread.

I have many times been to Greece and have had gyros there

and they are not ground meat

but just like the shawarma

it's pieces of meat stacked and roasted.

Difference is just like the others say spices and the toppings that go into the pita.

Also gyros in Greece are almost always pork meat.

Greek gyros is always cuts of meat, not homogenised with herbs etc.

like a donner kebab, and comes as either pork, or less commonly, chicken.

In the UK what is described as 'chicken donner' or 'chicken shawarma' is almost always very similar to what is called 'chicken gyros' in Greece in terms of the meat and its appearance, though spices etc are different and it will probably be served with different salads.

I'm a chef, trained by "off the boat" greeks, and gyro is lamb/beef..not pork, and I find it hard to believe that the Greek family that I was trained under would be making gyro wrong..

American style is typically in a "cone" meat form, and Greek style is stacked/layered meat, then sliced as the others said..

souvlaki is typically pork, which is different than gyro..

Gyros are not usually pork.

in Greece, they are wrapped lamb and beef with proper spices skewered and roasted.

In America, I have made them with ground lamb and hambburger.

Question: I see both of these terms used in restaurants that seem to specialize in meat on a vertical rotisserie served in a pita sandwich. I'm not clear on whether there is a difference between the two or if they are just colloquial names for the same thing.

What is the difference between shawarma and gyros?

Gyros are Greek and use ground lamb/beef, onions and seasonings roasted on a spit. Shawarma is Middle Eastern in origin and uses stacked slices of meat, which ends up as a lot of smaller bits when cut off, but gyros stays in larger slices.

They have different origins but are essentially the same base with different preparations.

As you slice the shawarma meat off the cone, you're cutting across the stacked slices, so it'll end up falling into lots of smaller bits, while the gyro meat is larger slices, but still tender because it's ground meat.

Gyros are made from a loaf of ground meat, onions and seasonings, spit roasted.

I'm a chef, trained by "off the boat" greeks, and gyro is lamb/beef..not pork, and I find it hard to believe that the Greek family that I was trained under would be making gyro wrong..

Gyros are from Greece whereas Shwawarma is from the Middle East.

They are essentially the same base but the preparation is slightly different.


One answer to this is that Americans have a reversed understanding of the relationship of pasta to sauce compared to Italians.

In Italy, the sauce is called the condimento, meaning literally it is a condiment to the noodles, which are intended to be the main source of enjoyment in the dish.

When you begin to understand it that way, it makes sense that you would want to have a wide variety of sizes, shapes and textures.

(What Taeraresh said is also true, there are functional differences in how the different shapes hold sauces.)

One thing that varies is how much of the sauce adheres to the pasta, especially for pasta shapes that have ridges or hollow areas.

Sometimes you'll have a sauce where you'll want chunks of it to stick to the pasta, and sometimes you just want the pasta to be flavored by the sauce, but eaten more by itself.

It's regional varieties -- just as there's different cheeses and olives, different types of pastas have evolved.

Now, you might think at first that it doesn't make sense, as we could produce the same pasta everywhere, you have to remember that Italians will pair specific sauces with specific pasta to get a specific balance of sauce to pasta.

As different things are grown / raised / etc in different areas, we end up with different pastas preferred for different sauces.

Some are better for oil (eg, thin strands, light and delicate), some for cream sauces (wider strands, tubes), some for tomato sauces (wider strands, anything with good ridges on it), some for soups (smaller shapes), etc.

Now, I know, there's lots of tubes, and there's lots of strands ... but others could ask why Americans need Coke, Pepsi and RC Cola (although, in that case, there's commercial interest, but there's still some heavy regional preferences out there, particularly for smaller local varieties)

As for the difference between penne vs. ziti -- the angle of the cut on the end can affect how much sauce gets inside the pasta, as the angled cut of the penne will grab some as you're stirring the pasta in the sauce.

(or so I've been told ... I've never done a side-by-side comparison of two with the same diameter / thickness / length, etc.)

Mainly that different shapes serve different purposes.

You should pair the right kind of pasta with the right kind of sauce.

Depending on sauce thickness or what's in it etc.

Some shapes are also designed to allow for different textures like farfale where the core cooks less than the edges, making for a richer texture.

Whilst there may be pasta shapes designed to be decorative rather than functional most pasta shapes serve a clear purpose.

Spaghetti, for example holds a pesto or a finely ground beef sauce very well, whereas if you used a thicker pasta noodle for something like pesto or just a simple olive oil and garlic dressing

there would be too much pasta per forkful to flavouring.

Yet a thick tagliatelle would be very suited to a game pasta sauce made with chunks of rabbit or hare.

Chunky vegetable sauces work very well with large pasta shells, as the shells catch the vegetable pieces in the sauce, making it easier to eat.

Tubular pasta works very well with creamy sauces (such as macaroni and cheese) because it is very satisfying to bite into the tube and feel the sauce releases within.

You could also say that so many shapes exist to satisfy the individual's personal taste and sense of fun.

The pasta cooks differently based on the shape.

It will have a different feel in the mouth, and as you chew, as well as holding the sauce differently.

You will notice the difference most if you aim to cook the pasta perfectly al dente.

Question: Do the different pasta shapes serve any purpose, or are they just for fun?  Some difference appear to be cultural (lo mein vs spaghetti), but there are so many different syles of Italian pasta, is there a reason for this?    Clearly there need to be differences for stuffed / not stuffed, but why do we have penne  and  ziti?

Why are there so many different pasta shapes?

There is a lot of variation by region, but in general the pasta is considered the main part of the dish and the sauce is paired so that the right amount will stick to the pasta ridges or hollow areas. Different pasta shapes also cook differently.

Every shape will cook slightly differently and is intended for a different sauce.

In Italy, the sauce is to complement the pasta, not the other way round.

Different shapes are intended for different sauces.


Put the meat in a sealed plastic bag, place in a bowl in the sink, fill with cold tapwater, then set the tap running in a thin stream with the water overflowing the sides of the bowl.

The moving water will safely thaw the meat through convection.

Make sure you get as much air out of the plastic bag as you can.

You might need to put some weight on it in the bowl to keep it submerged in the water.

If you're really in a hurry then you can't beat the microwave.

It might defrost a little unevenly, but assuming you plan to brown it or something afterward, then that will take care of evening it out.

The microwave is perfectly safe; the key point about food safety here is not allowing the meat to sit in the "danger zone" (basically more than a few degrees above freezing) for a very long time, and if it's only defrosting for 5-10 minutes in the microwave then that's perfectly safe.

Just make sure you cook it immediately afterward.

Just to be aware, a lot of people worry excessively on the safety issue.

Restaurant rules (at least here in Seattle) say that food coming out of <40-degree storage must be back in the cool storage and back down to <40 degrees within ... six hours.

Seems a long time to me but that's the rule.

This isn't really an issue for this thread cause ahsteele is after quick defrost anyway.

But just sayin'...

I've started using a new technique for defrosting without doing so unevenly.

It takes a lot more time and patience than just hitting defrost and coming back 10 minutes later to a partially cooked plate of raw shrimp or fish (would work for ground beef as well.)

What I do is to run the microwave on defrost for about half the time it would take for a "normal" microwave defrost (where the edges of the fish and/or some shrimp are pink in spots.)

Then I run the microwave for about 20 minutes at 10% and check on it periodically until it's defrosted.

I've also done the ziploc bag trick, but it sometimes leaks and it's really hard to submerge it.

Putting it in front of an oscillating fan can work as well.

The quickest way is to defrost is in the microwave, although it may not defrost evenly and some may 'cook' slightly.

Defrosting meat quickly usually means you lose moisture too.

If you are planning on using the beef straight away I wouldn't worry about the safety issue as long as you cook it through.

This works only in the winter months: Get home from work.

Turn on heater for cold house.

Set frozen ground beef on floor vent Turn in 10 mins.

Total time 20, fully thawed.

My house drops ten degrees during the day

so the time it takes to get to 70 is how long it takes to thaw my dinner.

Laying the meat on a surface that conducts heat works well too.

I find that putting frozen meat directly on a granite countertop or in a copper sink (with minimal wrapping) will thaw it much more quickly than a wooden cutting board or dishes.

Question: Since reading the answers to my question about  defrosting meat on the counter  I've been good about giving my meat time to defrost in the refrigerator. However, my plans for tonight have changed and I'd like to defrost some ground beef that is completely frozen for dinner this evening. What are my options to do so quickly and safely?

I need to quickly and safely thaw frozen ground beef, what are my options?

The quickest way is in the microwave, although this may not defrost evenly and may cook some of the meat slightly.You can also put the meat in a sealed plastic bag in a bowl, and run a thin stream of cold water over it, allowing the water to overflow over the sides of the bowl. Laying the meat on a surface that conducts heat well also works well.

The microwave is the fastest and easiest option. You can also try submerging it in a bowl of warm water.

Put the meat in a plastic bag in a bowl of water.


Whenever you see a sauce separate, it's because you have an Emulsion , which is two or more immiscible liquids.

In cooking, these liquids are typically water and fat.

To stabilize an emulsion, you use an emulsifier .

The most common food emulsifier is lecithin , and the most common natural source of lecithin is egg yolk.

If you don't want the taste of egg or your food is not going to be cooked (i.e. a vinaigrette), then it you can actually go out and buy pure lecithin (soy lecithin is common to find).

As the wikipedia entry mentions, there are other natural emulsifiers such as honey and mustard, and often when you see recipes calling for mustard when it seems to be a strange ingredient to add (such as cheese sauce), the reason is to help stabilize the emulsion.

Additionally, the most common emulsifier used in packaged or processed foods is sodium stearoyl lactylate .

It sounds scarier than it is; you can buy it in the store just like lecithin.

Xanthan gum will also work very well for holding this kind of sauce together.

Somewhere around 0.2%-0.5% by weight should be right.

Shear it in with a blender for a good long time.

I'm a little concerned about the food safety of your sauce though.

Are you certain it will remain good for weeks as you are planning?

We have found that blending the sauce for an extended period of time keeps it from separating...

I mean days of blending...

Just leave it in the blender and when time allows give it a good blending and then let it sit...

You will find after about 3 days of periodic blending the sauce will no longer separate.

You'll probably need some kind of emulsifier.

For a long-term sauce like hot sauce, you're probably going to want an industrial strength one, and I don't really have many suggestions there...

I never make sauces where I can't just use mustard or egg yolks.

Or you can just try sticking the whole thing in the blender for a while; that'll do it with salad dressing (for example), and it might work for your sauce as well.

i was thinking cornstarch would work in cream sauces for reheating in the microwave

Question: Last fall I tried my hand at making a homemade hot sauce. Essentially: roast peppers, blend with vinegar, garlic, salt and other spices, put in jar for three weeks, strain and you have hot sauce.   The sauce was great, but after about a week of sitting in a jar in my fridge it separated and became rather unsightly. Of course, after shaking it up it returned to normal. Is there a way to keep a sauce like this from separating?  Thanks!

Keeping Hot Sauce From Separating

The sauce separates because you have an emulsion of two immiscible liquids. You can use an emulsifier like xanthan gum, or blend the sauce for an extended period of time.

An emulsion needs an emulsifier to blend it. You can also try a long period of blending.

You have created an emulsion. Try using an emulsifier.

Blend it periodically for a long period of time.


I would probably use diluted white cranberry juice, as being the flavour closest to rice wine vinegar.

I am not sure if the acidity would be sufficient, however; you may need to add lemon juice.

A substitute for soy you will not easily find, as the development of those sorts of flavours requires fermentation.

Sushi is by definition food involving vinegar, so in this case, a substitution would produce a different food.

There are several options for writing out the word sushi in Japanese, and instructively, one of the options is 酸し.

A form of sushi consistent with its history and origins but not involving the application of vinegar directly would involve fermenting rice and fish together and allowing acids to form naturally (like narezushi or oshizushi).

Those acids from fermentation are mostly likely mostly acetic acid anyway, just like you'd produce in sourdough fermentation, so the distinction is almost moot.

But words are somewhat flexible entities, and you could fairly make the case that お酢 refers to acid in the abstract, even from a linguistic perspective.

In fact, yuzu juice is, in some reasons, sold under the name ゆず酢, even though the actual product is straight pressed juice, not yuzu vinegar.

There are also yuzu vinegars, but at least idiomatically, in some regions, it's within the realm of imagination to consider alternatives, however unlikely.

Notably, to the best of my knowledge, Tokyo is not in one of the regions that uses the word "yuzu-su", and Tokyo is the historical center of modern sushi (e.g. the non-fermented type) as we know it.

If you chose the abstract idea of acid, other types would be your substitute for vinegar.

Verjuice, yuzu juice, possible sudachi juice, daidai (similar to seville orange) juice, all in dilute forms, might be worth experimenting with, but I'd be disinclined to call the result sushi.

As for soy sauce, in Japan, there is a sesame seed-based soy sauce substitute meant for the narrow market of soy allergy sufferers in Japan, but you'd essentially be unable to eat out anywhere in the country if you were dependent on it.

I cannot find easily rice vinegar in my country.

I've found that the rice vinegar in a bit lighter than other vinegars, Given that I use about 2 part of cider vinegar and 1 part of water.

But if the use of any kind of vinegar is a problem I think that diluited acidic stuff (like lemon juice + water) should reproduce the taste (you can do your experiments).

What about lemon juice and wasabi?

(I don't have any experience with the allergy to base this on, but some quick searching indicates these would be ok allergy-wise.)

I am unable to use soy sauce and use of vinegar is limited because of an allergy to wild yeasts.

A recent product on the market is Vege Spread, it would require testing regarding amount of product to liquid in the finished product but may prove useful for your planned recipe.

Product is produced by Freedom Foods.

Sorry if brand names are not permitted.

You could also use Mirin and a dry white wine at a push.

These are both slightly acidic and go quite well with rice.

I agree with the poster above.

You really don't even need rice vinegar.

I love sushi with or without vinegar.

Taste about the same to me.

Only time sushi rice taste bad is when they add too much vinegar or its not cooked right.

I do like a little sugar mixed with the water in the steamer.

Don't think I'd ever miss the vinegar even though I still use a little of that also.

I have an intolerance to yeast, so vinegar is out for me.

I love sushi, but cannot use vinegar for the rice, because it causes me a lot of joint pain.

I use salt, sugar and a little wasabi mixed with three tablespoons of water...adding a very tasty filling such as crabstick, cucumber, avocado and a spread of creamed cheese.

Very healthy and tasty.

Salmon and tuna are good, too, with red pepper, chili, cucumber etc.

If the reason is an intolerance to yeast or trace alcohol, "non brewed condiment" can be used as a (considered lower quality) vinegar substitute.

It is in the end a synthetic vinegar.

Just skip the rice vinegar or use any vinegar that you have.

The only need for vinegar is to apply a few drops onto rice to make acid taste.

What about just plain Worcestershire sauce?

It is diluted white vinegar, has suger and salt... might work?

Question: If you could not use rice vinegar (for reasons of food allergy, perhaps), what could you use instead in sushi rice?

What can be substituted for vinegar in sushi rice?

You can try any other vinegar, lemon juice and wasabi, Worcester sauce, mirin, dry white wine. Diluted verjuice, yuzu juice, possible sudachi juice, daidai (similar to seville orange) juice or cranberry juice could be used, but the result would not be close to an authentic sushi.

You can try another kind vinegar or lemon juice, and other juices like yuzu juice or daidai amongst others.

You can try white cranberry juice, juzu juice or daidai.

You can try any other vinegar, lemon juice and wasabi and worcestershire sauce.


I saw a recommendation on 30 Minute Meals to place each one in a muffin tin (they were sized so they stuck out the top), and then bake them.

You'd have to find the right sized tray for your size of meatballs, though.

I'm guessing you'd also want a large tray underneath, though, or you risk dripping grease inside the oven. ...

you could probably also just put 'em on a sheet tray and bake 'em, and you'd only get one flat side, rather than from each time you turned them in the pan.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about how they look, but rather how they taste!

In some sense there is a trade off between the two.

You can initially mold them into a pretty round shape and then cook them them immediately in the sauce; this way will retain their round shape.

However, the more effective way (and the authentic Italian method) is to bake them in an oven first with a bit of olive oil.

This cooks the meatballs nicely and gives their surface a lovely texture and brown colour.

It is however inevitable that they will lose some of their roundness and flatten at the bottom (depending on their firmness), as you state.

A small price to pay for the taste however, I think!

Make them smaller, for one.

For another, does your recipe contain much added liquid?

That makes the raw product softer and more likely to squish.

Third, do you press them while they're in the pan?

Don't do that ;)

Echoing advice above, too; baking will maintain roundness better, as will deep-frying.

I'd imagine frequently rolling them around in the pan as you sear them would help.

You can bake them in the oven on racks (think cookie cooling racks).

This way they brown evenly all around

and they don't change shape.

The downside is more dishes...

I nuke them in a microwave until the proteins bond, then fry in pan.

This is probably heresy, but I get round, tasty meatballs every time.

Question: After seeing this  question  I started to think more about my meatballs and wonder how can I keep them round?   I have always been under the impression that you should first brown the outside and then cook them through.  Problem is during the browning in the frying pan I end up with flat sides.  What can I do?  Help my meatballs!

How to keep a meatball round?

You can bake them in muffin tins or on a cooling rack with a bit of olive oil, or cook them in the microwave until the proteins bond before frying them. Smaller meatballs are also easier to keep round.

You can cook them in the oven or microwave first before frying.

Try cooking them slightly in the microwave.


The main things that Parmesan cheese can add to a salad are fattiness and salt.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is bacon.

You could probably also make a yummy main dish salad (or hearty first course) by adding duck or a cured meat such as salami.

If you're not interested in adding meat, how about olives?

Those would serve similar purposes.

Other options might be marinated artichoke hearts or mushrooms.

Just make sure you choose ones that aren't too tart, as they might add to the effect of the lemon vinaigrette.

I agree with Martha with the fat a salt being the required balancing element in a bitter salad but think with your delicate flavours bacon might over power.

I think I'd add an air died ham like Serrano or Parma ham.

My sister's dairy-free out of necessity (milk allergy, not lactose intolerance) and she swears by a mixture of baker's yeast, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and salt for Parmesan replacement, though obviously it's more akin to grated cheese than sliced cheese and thus might not be the texture you want.

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2251/In the Booley House

On endive salad, I like to cut bitterness with sumak , a spice commonly used in Turkey as a replacement for lemon juice.

As someone who is also dairy and gluten free, first off you can make gluten-free bread crumbs now, with some decent gluten free breads on the market (I've also found gf crumbs in high-end grocery stores).

Second, I will often cut the bitterness with a high-quality olive oil (California Olive Ranch is sweeter), with a nice large-grain salt, and/or with balsamic vinegar which can add sweetness as well.

Depending on the dish, mirin can also add sweetness.

If you substitute with olives, try Graber olives or Castelveltrano (my favorite!).

Or try avocado or a ripe heirloom tomato.

Or both.

Have fun and good luck!

Try shredded coconut.

If the bitterness is still palpable, try salted coconut shreds (or salt them yourself by soaking in saline water).

Question: I'm making a salad that's quite bitter (endives, radicchio, arugula, with a lemon vinaigrette dressing). Normally this salad has peeled grana padano on top of it, which cuts the bitterness, but my co-diner can't have dairy (or gluten, sadly).   Any ideas for what I could add to a salad like this that would cut the bitterness similarly?  Thanks!

What's a good nondairy substitute for parmesan/grana padano as a salad-topper?

Try ham or bacon, marinated artichoke hearts or mushrooms, shredded coconut or a mixture of  baker's yeast, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and salt. When using olives, try Graber or Castelveltrano. You can also use Sumak to cut some of the bitterness.

You can try bacon, artichoke hearts, mushrooms or olives or sumak.

Artichoke hearts, mushrooms or olives would be a good choice.


I wouldn't attempt to substitute.

I've read somewhere that you can use regular lime leaves, but I've never seen those anywhere.

Even Googling for lime leaf turns up kaffir lime leaves.

They can be found easily enough online:

ImportFood.com .

They freeze well for months in just a zip-lock bag.

The flavor profile is best described as a bright floral aromatic.

It's similar in function, not taste, to a bay leaf.

Thai cuisine uses kaffir lime leaves much as we do bay leaves.

If you decide buying online isn't worth the hassle, then Kitchen Savvy suggests the following substitute: 1/2 a small bay leaf 1/4 tsp of lime zest

1/8 tsp of fresh lemon thyme

I agree that there is no true substitute, but if I were going to try, I'd use the zest of 1 lime for every 2 kaffir lime leaves.

I wouldn't do the bay leaf or lemon thyme suggested above.

They used to sell them all the time at the Buford Hwy Farmer's Market (Buford Hwy & I-285), but have gone home empty handed that last few times I've looked.

Last time I bought them was sometime this spring.

The Atlanta Farmer's Market used to have them, but they've closed.

99 Ranch Market is closed.

Java did not have them.

Rumor has it that Your Debalb Farmer's Market might have them.

There's the option of using Kaffir Lime essential oil - it is the best substitute I know of, much better than the dried Kaffir Lime leaves we can get around here (Israel).

It is truly wonderful.

Here's the one I use: http://thaifoodessentials.com/buy/

It's quite cheap and lasts for a long time (you only need a few drops per dish).

The website also has some instructions on how to use it, but generally, you want to add it towards the end of cooking, close to serving.

Just an FYI, I have been to Asian stores that used to carry Kaffir lime leafs.

They no longer stock them due to FDA (USA) import rules or so the owner told me.

He suggested calamansi limes.

I used to buy curry and kaffir lime leaves at the DeKalb farmer's mkt (Atlanta), but have been told recently that the USDA has banned import in attempt to preempt certain microbes, bacteria, diseases.

Dunno what that is really about.

In the end, they are no longer available there.

However, if you live in a tropical, sub-tropical latitude, you can grow your own.

I bought mine from Amazon.com.

I'd found that there are different types of Asian grocery stores, and not all cater to all types of cooking.

For instance, Philipino stores don't necessarily carry what a Thai recipe may require.

So, even if you were to venture out, (Doug must not have driven in Atlanta)

you couldn't assume they'd have what you're looking for.

Go mail order.

I found them in Wegmans, and I've seen them in a couple of supermarkets - but just in a jar in oil.

Similar to a small jar of thai curry paste.

Same size, labeling, etc.

Not how I expected to find them, so be on the look-out.

Question: Kaffir Lime Leaves seem to be a common ingredient in Thai food, particularly coconut based dishes. I have  never  seen them in Atlanta, and I've looked (farmers market, whole foods, normal grocery, but not an Asian grocery store). What is the flavor profile of these leaves? Is there a good substitute?

What can I substitute for Kaffir Lime Leaves?

It might be best not to try to substitute, but you could try the zest of 1 lime for every 2 kaffir lime leaves, calamansi limes or Kaffir Lime essential oil   instead of dried Kaffir lime leaves.

Try lime zest or kaffir lime essential oil.

There is no real substitute but you can try lime zest or calamansi limes.

Kaffir lime essential oil is a good substitute.