saltwater's Profile
How do you turn your roast chicken?
Oh, you mean the tongs are open inside the cavity, so each arm hits the side of the cavity? I'd never thought of that. I'll see what happens next time. I've always stuck one arm of the tongs in the cavity and one arm outside the bird near its backbone and pinched and turned. It has never torn the skin.
Rice, Cooked
My experience with rice is that it doesn't last as well as some other grains in the refrigerator. I toss rice after 6 days. At that time frame I've had it smell wrong and go slimy on several occasions. I use jasmine rice, and that may matter.
Most whole grains freeze well after they are cooked, but I've never frozen rice, since it is the most common grain I make. The microwave heats leftover grains nicely. You may notice a loss of moisture during storage. Sprinkle some water on the grain before you heat it. Try covering it to trap moisture as you nuke it. A small lunch portion heats quickly and evenly.
Note that when I freeze cooked barley, I cool it and place it into a ziploc and flatten the bag and press out the air and place it flat in the freezer. Then once frozen you can bang it on the counter to bust it up and take out the exact amount you desire directly from the freezer. Don't stuff the bag, though, or the banging operation is not going to go too well.
I like fried rice made with 2 day old refrigerated rice. The reason the refrigerated rice is good for fried rice is that the grains change texture over time to be firmer and more separate. If you find that freezing rice doesn't make good fried rice, maybe let it sit a day or two in the refrigerator before you freeze it?
How do you stock your Chinese kitchen?
What about opened dry sherry? I'm picky about sherry, and find that dry sherry changes rapidly after opening. Which is the substitute, newly opened sherry or been open awhile sherry?
what brand of fish sauce?
Thanks for the info, Cremon. Who would have guessed fish sauce had had the smell dissipate some? :-)
How do you stock your Chinese kitchen?
Oh, yes I forgot dried red peppers in my list. I love putting them in oil until they darken to flavor a dish. I also use them to make red oil.
How do you stock your Chinese kitchen?
Equipment: a cast iron frying pan (works on my stove for wok), steaming equipment, pot for rice and soups, chef's knife and also maybe a cleaver, skimmer, prefer cheap mandoline to julienne certain items, cutting board, a bamboo thingy to stir my stir-fry and it must have a slanted edge.
Pantry: Jasmine rice, sherry, light soy sauce and rarely dark, black and white vinegar, dried shitake, wood ear mushroom, dry fermented black beans, bamboo stalks, broad bean paste, sambal oelek, some type of starch say corn, sesame oil and seeds and paste, type of salt preserved vegetable, salt preserved red chili pepper, white pepper, oyster sauce, stock like chicken, chili oil, spices for 5 spice powder, bean thread, ho fun, sometimes hoisin, various wrappers. My other products are probably not very "Chinese" in how I use them, so I don't list them, like tamarind, coconut, fish sauce, Thai sticky rice, etc.
Perishable: pork and chicken and eggs, scallion or garlic chive or some such, ginger, garlic, sometimes tofu, maybe a hot chili. I use whatever vegetables or meat I have. So, I've used prosciutto in fried rice for the Chinese ham. I make batons of celery and stir fry them as a vegetable in a stir-fry.
I am an American who likes my own food much better than that found in the local "Chinese" restaurants.
what brand of fish sauce?
That is the process I imagined, yes. Are the vats covered or open to the air? If they are open to the air, this could result in a difference in water content in the base anchovy extract. Then, differing amounts of water or salt might need to be added to a batch to make it taste like the brand wants. This could be reflected in the different labels.
what brand of fish sauce?
I wonder about "anchovy extract". Since I assume it required adding something to the anchovies to make the extract, I wonder if a company can view "anchovy extract" as one label item, even though that item contains anchovy and some other item (say salt)? Perhaps there is a range of what concentration is legal to call anchovy extract, and that accounts for why more or less water must be added to it to make it palatable. That could create movement in the position of water on the label between first to second position.
Cremon's point about plastic v glass is interesting as well, since every shop I've stepped into has bottles that apparently sit for quite some time before purchase.
DUNLOP March Cookbooks of Month: Poultry & Eggs
Thanks. I can see how that style would work well, especially now that you mention turning the scallion for a second pass.
I'll look for that locally first.
DUNLOP March Cookbooks of Month: Poultry & Eggs
Buttertart, was it online somewhere or did you find it at an oriental market? I watched a tv chef use one where he pushed the large end of the scallion into a grate-like mesh (as best as I could make out), and pulled it the rest of the way through by grabbing from the other side, and it emerged in nice shreds, but I've never seen one of these online.
Shredding jalapenos and such would be a nice bonus.
DUNLOP March Cookbooks of Month: Poultry & Eggs
Yes, still using those dishes. In my house the favorite is Ji Si Chao Fen, a slivered chicken and noodle dish. It's that dish that has made me dream of owning a scallion cutter, but I've never seen one that looks right for me. I like that dish, but as with many Chinese dishes, the knife-work does take time.
Dunlop's dishes have excellent flavor and balance. I can't recommend her more highly.
How do you prevent burgers from shrinking? / How to make big burgers?
Very round! Beautifully flat!
You look set for much burger happiness. :-)
How do you prevent burgers from shrinking? / How to make big burgers?
Great! Glad it worked out. I agree that if they are completely flat and well formed, the appearance of the sides of the burger can help you with judging how done they are in the middle.
Post a photo next time you grill, maybe?
Durable Food
Some muffin batters are designed to be kept for a long time in the fridge, so you can bake a few fresh muffins on demand.
Also homemade, fermented things, like pickles or kimchi. You can pickle all sorts of veggies and use them as an easy side, a relish, or eat them out of the jar.
What Can Replace Spelt Flour?
Spelt has a nice flavor, rather sweet, and is worth trying. I've only ever tried whole grain spelt. It is less springy than wheat (less strong gluten). In a yeasted bread, spelt uses less water than wheat, but that probably would not carry over to a quickbread, since those aren't kneaded. I bet the spelt might be excellent in a muffin, especially since it is less springy. I think I'll try that soon...
How do you prevent burgers from shrinking? / How to make big burgers?
I can make them round and flat by hand, but I had to use a different technique than I had been taught. I use 1 lb to make 3 burgers. I use ground meat that is fluffy, separate, and not in any way "packed" (home-ground is great!). I make them on the surface of my counter. I dump the meat on the counter in a scattered manner, and gently nudge the meat into 3 mounds, not in any way compressed, but completely loose. I proceed to work with one mound at a time. I arrange the meat in a slightly larger roundish configuration that I want the burger, and then I hold one hand horizontal to the counter over the mound, with the finger part of my hand over the mound, not the palm portion, and slide the meat under it from all sides with the other to make the burger. That is the basic motion, anyway. Oh, I think I swap hands as needed and also to keep height of the horizontal hand consistent, you can rest the edge of your palm on the counter and stiffen the fingers that are over the meat, making a slight bend in the middle of the hand. I work my way around the burger until it is even and flat and circular. Do press enough so that the thing doesn't crumble into bits. You need some compaction and you don't want big cracks and such. I make it sound long and tedious, but it is quick to do.
I don't need to dimple this meat. It does not balloon up in the middle since I only cook to medium rare. This method perfectly fills the average bun from an 8 pack to the edge, ordinary supermarket brand like pepperidge farm, not anything gourmet.
Are you seeing grocery stores moving away from self check-outs?
Remember, they can be in plainclothes and look like regular shoppers. My husband knew someone who did this in a grocery store in an ordinary middle America city in an ordinary neighborhood.
Are you seeing grocery stores moving away from self check-outs?
Our Walmart just got rid of theirs as well. I asked, to see if the reasoning was the same as yours, but the cashier said the machines kept breaking and needing the company to come service them, so they got rid of them. Now they have a section there with a decent selection of dried beans and tortillas, which I can use more than the self-checkouts.
Steam, don't boil those hard cooked eggs.
Thanks for the suggestion. I warmed them for about 5 minutes in a bowl of water first, steamed for 13 minutes at a height of about 3-4 inches above the water, and put into a bowl of cold water. After they cooled, I peeled them. The peel almost jumped off the egg after some judicious tapping. I had started with old eggs, but then, I always start with old eggs, and this was better than usual. I note that 13 minutes seemed a little short for a hard cooked yolk.
I suspect if I had done a more thorough job of warming them, 13 minutes would have been a hard yolk, I don't know. But either I had unusual eggs, or they were indeed easier to peel that the cold water start method. Thanks again for the tip!
Different grocers' policies and procedures in different areas or countries
One of our local chains used to say proudly in its flyer that it doesn't require a special card to get the sale prices. There has been no choice of bag for years. Only plastic.
The most annoying practices are things like having the cashier being required to ask you if you want to buy this bag of Doritos or some other junk food. That and blaring monitors hanging over the produce, meats, and registers with ads. Practices like that vary by chain. I can avoid both practices if I go to the right market, which I usually do. But the worst offender is of course the one closest to my house, and with the best hours.
The places with loyalty cards around here don't run them like true loyalty cards. They are just "discount" cards. You need to produce it to receive the sale price, but you can usually borrow a card from someone else in the line. There are no "points" or targeted offers sent to you, not that I know of. There are mailings, but they are not targeted. Just a generic flyer with a coupon.
Issues baking bread
Agreed. I make pizza dough quite happily by the feel of the dough, and I only use volume measures with that recipe. Using volume measure does not have to be the problem, especially if the person has been using it happily for some time with that particular recipe. Their volume measuring will still be the same for having switched to the KA.
Are you seeing grocery stores moving away from self check-outs?
Oooh, that would be nice. No, there is no sign here of removal. They haven't multiplied recently, though. The main flaw with those self-checks is how slow they are. You must move very slowly and deliberately so you don't outpace the vocal cues or confuse it about what is supposed to be in the bags. You must scan at about half or a third of the pace you'd rather go. You can't multiple scan an item. You must acquaint yourself with the exact timing of when to press "skip bagging" or you will pull your hair out.
I won't go through unless I have only two or three items. Produce is not the issue. Produce look-up is tolerable.
Issues baking bread
Hmmm. As a hand-kneader myself, having to add extra flour beyond a few dustings says to me that it is under kneaded, or the flour hadn't had time to fully absorb the liquids yet. How long did you run the KA after adding the minimum amount of flour? Did your recipe have an autolyse (let it rest in the mixer for maybe 20 or 30 minutes before continuing adding things)? How was the dough behaving in the mixer? Was it climbing up the hook? Did the dough look rough or smooth?
The recipes should double and halve well. The time your mixer takes to handle it will change, though.
It is possible that since you have been making bread for a short time, that you were previously under-kneading the dough so much that it never got to the sticky stage, so now that you are seeing that stage in the KA, you don't recognize it. When I mix by hand, first I stir it until it is annoying to continue, then I dump it and a little flour onto the counter. I start kneading. At first it is fine, but after some turns of the dough, I need to flour the heel of my hand to continue (or you can use water on your hand as well in some cases), because the dough is starting to get more sticky. But if I am patient this eventually stops, and some time after that the dough seems smoother, but I often achieve this by resting, folding, and turning (I'll explain if you like). Maybe what you saw in the KA was the middle phase there of stickiness. That stage of stickiness is solved by resting or by kneading.
Did you recently also switch between volume measurements and weight measurements? This can cause quite a to-do with the flour.
Cooking with sherry. How long do you keep the bottle for after using it?
If you are just using it to splash down the sides of your wok, it will be fine enough for months. If you want to drink it, sherry seems very perishable (to me). Measure it in days, unless it is sweet.
I don't think it will keep indefinitely, even if all you are doing is putting it in a stir fry. You'd have to taste it to know when, but it eventually seems to me to completely lack merit.
Vietnamese Spring Roll Sauce Recipe?
I second the idea of using part juice, part vinegar, though I use more juice. Fish sauce varies enough by saltiness and fish-sauce-ness that the recipe would need to be altered to match your brand choice, in my opinion. Make sure to change the sugar and salt to taste, and don't be stuck with the recipe. But I make a Thai version of things, not Vietnamese, so take anything I say with that in mind.
Perhaps your favorite restaurant does something un-traditional with the recipe? How "old" is their sauce? Has it had more of a chance to meld than you give it?
Which brands are you loyal to?
Sounds good! I might like something slightly lighter. I'll look for it next time, but that will be awhile, since I have a fair amount of Kadoya sitting around.
Which brands are you loyal to?
I've never noticed the Evergreen brand locally, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't find it if I started looking. How does it differ from Kadoya?
what brand of fish sauce?
I know this thread is old, but several folks claim things about Tiparos, like that it contains sugar or hydrolyzed plant protein, none of which I've ever seen. Tiparos contains anchovy, water, and salt. I will enclose a photo of the glass bottle I usually buy. I like it better than the plastic bottle for some reason.
I wonder if one of two things is happening here. Either Tiparos makes more than one type of sauce, or Tiparos has imitators, that appear to be the same bottle, but aren't.
Which brands are you loyal to?
I am only brand loyal to a certain point on most things. If it gets too expensive, I will switch. If a special offer appears, I might try that. Also, some of my loyalties are really based on having tried a certain number of store brands or other brands and always liking them less, but I would switch if a foodie friend presented me with a better tasting product.
Barillia
Kimlan (soysauce)
Kellogg's Rice Crispies
Heinz
Columela Extra Virgin olive oil (I've never had a flavorless or rancid bottle from them)
Chaokoh (coconut milk that has a real creamy layer)
Smuckers raspberry jam (store brand not as good)
Hellman's (not as good as before, but nothing better has come along)
Our local store brand of frozen green peas
What do you make from scratch &, if you had the time, what WOULD you make from scratch?
What I make by hand:
sourdough bread, naan, pizza dough, etc.
salted (fermented) red chiles
pasta
fresh cheese
stock (though I will also use boxed stuff)
sauces, dressings, salsa, pesto (I can't sell anything but homemade to my family now)
pancakes, quick breads, cakes
dosa (like a crepe, I guess)
soups (again, can't sell anything from a can to my family now)
spice blends and curry (but I cheat on the Thai type)
pie crust (so worth it)
What I have made, but don't regularly, but would if I had time
sausage (I need to do this more, it is so good)
home ground meat
yogurt
mayonnaise
dumplings (like pot stickers)
tortillas
sprouts (if I could figure them out better)
ravioli (yum, but is rather tedious)
spaetzle
pretzels
What I have made but probably won't again:
sauerkraut
coconut milk
lard, schmaltz
Surely I'm overlooking some obvious ones, but this gives the idea. Thanks for asking, I've got to make sausage again, soon!
