achilles007's Profile
The Know-how behind QuickBreads??
OMG.... wow...
You know. I had peeked inside of the book using the feature at Amazon, and besides biscuits could not find anything of quick breads. Man, either those pages must have been blocked by amazon or I was scrolling a bit too fast. Thanks for the find chowser. Ratio, once again has come to the rescue. I need to buy this book ASAP.
The Know-how behind QuickBreads??
I've tried looking this up myself on Google, but all I keep getting is CAKE! Which many sources seem to confuse the two and don't even really recognize quick breads as a separate product all it's own.
there hardly seems to be any material out there dedicated towards the science behind quick breads vs. cake.
The Know-how behind QuickBreads??
Hi, all...
I had posted a topic on wanting to learn how to bake strictly through formulas instead of reliance on recipes, but was told that since the field of baking was so huge, that it would be best to narrow my sights down a bit as far as what baking product I was looking into.
And after much thinking, I've finally decided to set my sights on quickbreads (a rather broad field which encompasses muffins, biscuits, and items such as banana bread).
what is the know-how behind them? Or more specifically, what is the ratio behind what makes them work? I figure if I can get the basic recipe down, then the add-in's as well as the understanding for creating all types of different possible creations can come later. Any help such as books, or website links are also greatly appreciated!
What's the best way to grocery shop cheaply?
Oh okay. So buying from scratch only matters if you have more than one person you are cooking for?
Stll A little confused... but I guess that can make sense if I really think about it.
What's the best way to grocery shop cheaply?
Really can't expound on it much more than in the title. I'm a college undergrad soon getting ready to move out and transfer out of state. Things are going to be tight, depending on whether or not I decide to get a part-time job or not.
But I've always wondered about the logic that buying from scratch-made items and making your own is REALLY cheaper than buying the already pre-made substance in the store. (For instance: i 5lb. bag of flour versus already-made bread product or raw/canned tomatoes + spices vs. pre-made bottled marinara)
1200 grit whetstone- too slow..
I know some of my responses on here may get strange looks. But I guess, I'm just a little bit too impatient. Or maybe I dont understand the knife sharpneing process... If I had the money I would just plunker down the 300 dollars for the EP and have at it, but things are tight. *sigh*
1200 grit whetstone- too slow..
I'm sorry. I have a set of chicago cutlery knives... from my father...
As well as a newly purchased Victorinox curved boning knife.
The stone I am using is a suehiro japanese whetstone that Chemicalkinetics or cowboyardee recommended to me in another thread. The edge condition of the Chicago cutlery knives are sort of on the dull side, but still functional. The forschnere is brand n ew.
As far as what I'm trying to do-- I'm not really sure what to say other than just sharpening it. Sorry I dont understand any of those other terms.
It took me an hour and a half on 3 knives, in which after I was through i saw no difference in the knive's performance afterwards.
It was my first time using the 1200 stone using the "Sharpie" method-- which was frustrating as I couldnt tell if the mark was disappearing because of the water washing it off the edge or whether or not I was hitting the edge correctly.
And that was my first time practicing.
1200 grit whetstone- too slow..
Any recomendations for a lower grit stone?
This 1200 one is killing me. I just dont have the patience
Does 800 grit sound good? Or should I go lower, since I already have a 1200 stone?
can only afford one more stone in the budget.
Rice: Flavorful by itself? [moved from Home Cooking]
Hi,
my teacher told me that good rice is actually flavorful all on it's own.
You dont need to heap on condiments or spices. Just cook it right, and it provides it's own flavor component.
Is this true?
For the life of me, I just cant get my mind wrapped around this.
Blame it on my steady American diet of Uncle Ben's and Quick minute rice which has left me with the impression that all rice was just as bland and tasteless and wsnt complete without adding a whole bunch of add-ins and other stuff to it.
Water stone(s) for a beginner sharpening a really dull knife
I planned on sharpening the butcher knife, the chef knife, the boning knife, and maybe possibly the bread and fillet knife.
I plan to use the knives for general meal preparation but MOSTLY for minor butchering (like cleaning a chicken breast, or maybe deboning, or separating drumettes from the wingette, etc.)
Water stone(s) for a beginner sharpening a really dull knife
My father has kitchen knives (Chef's knife, boning knife, etc.) that he has used for well over 30 years that for some reason he is indignant to sharpening. As a result some of them are dull and some have minor knicks in the blade.
I cant afford the edgepro, so as a beginner with a limited budget I would like to try free hand sharpening with something that would really help me in putting a sharp edge on these knives. What types of stones and stone number grits should I look into?
Best type of shortening for pastry?
Thanks for the link!
So it basically all boils down into animal fat (pig being the exception as it is referred to as "lard") vs. vegetable fat when it comes to choice of shortening.
I really hate to use hydrogenated fats as the potential health risks that could ensue from consuming the altered structure of the fatty acid chain (we really either aren't suppose to have or dont have the enzymes or at least the most adequate amount) in trying to break down this naturally unoccurring structural isomer.
However, animal fats, including lard, are so much harder to find and are probably more expensive. *sigh*
Best type of shortening for pastry?
I'm sorry. I was just under the impression that all fat had to be chilled or very cold and at least solid before cutting into the dough, in order to make the final product rise in the oven. At least this is what I got from the Food Network.
So I was trying to imagine cutting something like bacon grease (which is usually more of a thick liquid) into the flour would be pretty difficult to "cut" into the flour, unlike hard, cold butter which would give me the "crumbly, coarse-meal-like" texture I would need before adding the milk.
Am I off base here?
Best type of shortening for pastry?
Sounds great. Would you recommend freezing or refrigerating the crisco before use to harden it up?
Best type of shortening for pastry?
Where would you say would be the most convenient place to pick up or purchase lard? I dont believe I've ever seen it on any of the shelves at a regular grocery store.
At least not that I recall. But then again-- I've never really looked either....
this is all new to me.
Best type of shortening for pastry?
Hmmm... never thought of bacon grease. My only concern would be if this would be firm enough to be able to use and cut into the flour?
Best type of shortening for pastry?
I guess.. my next question would be... what's the difference between lard and shortening? I thought the two were interchangeable and basically the same?
Best type of shortening for pastry?
Hi.
Looking to make biscuits this week, and the recipe had called for butter and shortening.
Was wondering what type of shortening to buy would be best?
I've never done anything like this before (home-scratch-made pastry). In fact, I will be the first in the household to ever do this.
Would preferably like to start with something cheaper that I can get access to pretty quickly.
Thanks, all.
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
Yeh. I had a hard time trying to express through the post what my experience was.
The hamburger that I cooked tasted old, and had that "leftover" taste that you get when you reheat a fast food cheeseburger in the microwave from the day before.
I was trying to find out where that "old leftover taste" could possibly be stemming from.
I related my experience to storebought frozen patties because they too also carry this same taste.
I thought this was strange because while both mine & the storebought patties share the same "leftover" taste, the typical restaurant or fast food burger (which is my point of reference for comparison) doesn't share this taste until HOURS after it has already been cooked and gone cold.
Which is In stark contrast to both mine and storebought patties, which have this "leftover" taste STRAIGHT OFF the grill.
I wanted to figure out why this was.
I am wondering and questioning if the "older" the meat is that you grind it from, does it result in an "old" tasting burger? Which would make sense as the meat I grinded from had been sitting in my deep freezer for a while and the storebought pre-ground patties I had in the past also are known for sit around in the freezer sections of the store for a while, and deteriorate quickly due to them being pre-ground before purchase. This and the fat ratio (which should have been fine because I was using chuck) are perhaps the only 2 culprits I can think of.
I will have to try again with fresher meat. And if that doesnt work, I'll pick up some cheap fatty bacon and heighten the fat ratio and see if that fixes it.
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
That's the thing, though.
How do you determine freshness of an already pre-packaged meat/roast in a store?
How do you know you are purchasing the freshest meat and/or meat products possible from your local grocer?
There are some questionable practices meat department personnel may apply that you are in order to extend their "shelf lives" that I may not be aware of.
I guess, what I'm really asking is what to look for when buying fresh meat?
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
Strangely enough, this is the exact same taste I've gotten in many of the storebought frozen hamburger patties I've bought at the store.
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
I brought chuck like people recommended, ground it through a coarse plate.
Mixed the meat together with some salt and pepper. Fried it on the skillet with a sprinkling of seasoning salt each side.
Meat came out well-seasoned but the patty itself still had that "day-old, leftover reheated" hamburger taste to it that you find, for example, in a Mcdonalds or Burger King burger when it goes cold or you forget to eat that day and then reheat in the microwave and consume the next day. Just not the same taste as the hamburger when it is consumed after it is freshly cooked.
I think the culprit may have been the age/freshness of the chuck roast itself. (Which may have been sitting in our deep freezer going on months.)
In your opinion, does the age of the chuck roast affect the final freshness quality of the burger, despite being ground, cooked and consumed all in one day?
Learning to bake without recipes
Well... I didnt really have a baked good in mind. I am completely inexperienced to the world of baking, yet at the same time... completely overwhelmed with all the info, techniques, recipes, etc. And just plain have no idea where to start.
Learning to bake without recipes
I guess... This is sort of what I am trying to get at. How did you learn how to make the basics by heart? Surely there was a first time where you learned to bake your basic white cake, custard, crust, etc. from. So what resource would you recommend I learn from in that I can one day expand on and experiment?
Learning to bake without recipes
I am sick of being a slave to baking recipes. I just want to understand the basic foundations of what goes into what to lay the foundations down in defining such-and-such baked good, but then be able to improvise (add-in additions or replace) from there in making whatever desired end product I want out of it in the end. This affords me a much more greater autonomy to expand upon when it comes to cooking and really understanding the process.
Micheal Ruhlman's book "Ratio" is a very good introduction to this. I was wondering if anyone else had any other advice, tips or books in how to do this also.
How to make great Fried chicken?
I have been trying and trying and trying and trying.. but it seems I can never make a fried chicken satisfactory of anywhere near the likes of a good fastfood fried chicken (lee's, church's, kfc, etc.) and fail and come up short everytime..
So my question is... What is the secret behind how to make a great-tasting well seasoned fried chicken?
I am sick of cooking bland-tasting fried chicken.
Why are my diced tomatoes not cooking down?
thought I could substitute canned diced tomatoes for whole san marzanos, or pureed/crushed tomatoes to get the same result just by cooking these down a bit longer, softening them up and hoping to get the same result for a marinara sauce I have to serve on Thanksgiving day.
But after 45 minutes the diced tomatoes still look the same as they did when they were inside the can.
HELP!
Why is this happening? Any type of heat applied to most liquid contained food should break down. What is wrong with these freak resilient diced tomatoes?
I'm Sorry, Is it Me or does this guy creep anyone else out?!
TheOnePotChefShow from youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUy5UHUTDD8&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kOq9eFyuDg&feature=bf_prev&list=PLD0169AAB92D38236&lf=results_main
I dont know, maybe it's the way he approaches the camera angle out of nowhere, maybe it's his size, his rapid, too-calm-and-calculating style of voice, or if it's his ice-cold eyes, but this guy kind of gives me the creeps. He comes off as a genuinely nice, exuberant guy is a really good cook and I love his recipes so I dont mean to be mean, but was just wondering if anyone else felt the same way when looking at his videos?
How many times a year should my knives get sharpened?
Cant afford Edgepro at this moment.
Was wondering the minimum amount of times per year I could send my knives to a professional sharpener that would give me a pretty sharp edge to work with for the rest of the year?
Thanks!
Kinfe sharpening equipment? For a beginner?
Brilliant! Thank you ChemicalKinetics, cowboyardee and scubadoo. The Edgepro it is!
Now-- what is this other thing I keep hearing about called a "strop", and a "steel"?
Are those needed too?
