dave_c's Profile
"Water Weight"
Yes, when you eat a pound, you will weigh a pound more.
If you stand on a scale with a pound of water in a cup, you will weigh 1 pound more (plus the weight of the cup). When you drink that water, your belly is now holding that pound.
It doesn't matter if it's on the cup or in your body, it's still one pound more.
BTW... 2 cups of water (8 fluid ounces per cup) is roughly 1 pound (weight).
What would you make with canned fruit syrups?
Sangria?
From a scene in a movie (Lola Versus) where an elderly couple ordered Sangria in an Italian restaurant... The elderly gentleman suggested dumping a can of fruit cocktail into a pitcher of wine. :-)
On a more serious note, you essentially have a simple syrup. Cocktails come to mind. I'd look for recipes that call for "simple syrups". Icing for bundt cake... etc.
Need help with a chuck roast----how long does it have to cook?
On low, the chuck will take about 9 hours. However, if if you can't shred the meat, I would just use a knife and cut slices or chop. I know it isn't shredded meat, but the meat will still be delicious. People need to be fed.
matanza (pig roast in backyard pit)
There are quite a few website that show looking a pig in an imu.
Also, open pit q's and cochon de lait is another common cooking method (sort of like a vertical spit roast)..
First time making potato salad, question about the potatos
Just a little info...
Red potatoes are also known as new potatoes or waxy potatoes. They generally stay firmer and not as starchy as a russet potato. Waxy potatoes have thin skins which can be left on for dish.
Russets are known as starchy potatoes. Starchy potatoes generally fall apart when boiled and have a coarser mouth feel in potato salad.
In regards to the 10 to 15 minutes, it all depends upon how chunky you cut the potato. 10 minutes of boiling will work.
In regards to to trying a new recipe to present to other people, I suggest making a small batch first just to see if you actually like the results.
Meat curing salt
I'm not familiar with NYC, but have you tried your local large chain grocery store?
Usually shelved with the other salt products, bottom shelf in the different chains store here.
Instant Read vs. Leave in Thermometer
Using a leave-in thermometer in place of an instant read thermometer depends upon how fast the leave-in thermometer reaches the final reading.
An instant read takes roughly 5 seconds to give a stable reading while some leave-in thermometers can take 15 to 30 seconds.
I personally use the leave-in thermometer - for roast and as a candy/deep fry thermometer. I rarely use an instant thermometer. I've gotten the hang of gauging doneness by firmness of the meats I'm grilling.
NYT: "A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity"
I agree that calories is not a useful physicist unit measurement.
Calories came into play in chemistry and thermodamnamics... err... I mean thermodynamics. Exo- and endothermic reactions and the lot. I remember just enough to be dangerous. lol
bacon worries!
I doubt you bungled the recipe. The cure mixture will have penetrated the pork belly.
I feel the expectation for firmness is a little early.
There's the drying step and the smoking step where the pork belly will firm up.
Yams vs. Sweet potatoes
Actually, they're both sweet potatoes. For example, if you looked at a can of yams, the fine print on the label will state they're sweet potates. "YAM.... sweet potato".
The Yam refers to a brand name/cultivar of a sweet potato grown in Louisiana.
A Navel orange is still an orange, but a special cultivar of an orange.
How to grill super-fatty meats without over- or undercooking?
My very simple solution to control flare-up is to use the lid of your bbq grill to cut off the O2.
What I do with my kettle grill is to leave the vent at the bottom fully open and use the vent on the lid to control the air flow.
For fatty foods, you'll probably cook with the lid on for about 95% of the cooking time.
If you have a charcoal grill with no lid, buy one with a lid. A 22.5" Weber Silver edition kettle grill was $99 at Home Depot last week. You can find less expensive non-Weber kettle grills for around $50.
Water bottles are terrible because it kicks up the soot/ashes onto your food.
Say what?? Cooking comments that baffle you
One thing I found out that some vegans don't know is that cane sugar may be processed using animal char. Hence, becoming a non-vegan food.
How Should Recipes be Written?
I'm an engineer so the format for Cooking for Engineers is how I write my recipes/mise en place. Everything is in a nice neat matrix. When I first came across the Cooking for Engineers website, I thought he "stolen" my format. I found out he's younger and went to a 2nd tier university (a jab a Cal - lol).
In regard to weighing ingredients for baked goods, I'm a big fan of weighing ingredient. It's faster and a little more accurate for baked goods.
For general recipes, all the ingredients in front and steps with minimal side comments. Comments should be at the end or on the side bar. As Joe Friday would say, "Just the facts ma'am."
Pizza - why high temperature?
High temperatures for pizzas generally imply that you have a thinner crust pizza.
The high temps crisps the bottom of the crust, the inner layer to cook and the cheese to melt.
I define thin crust as crust around 1/4 thick.
For thicker crust pizzas (bready pizza around 1/2" thick crust, you would use a slightly lower temp to cook longer. This allows the inner parts of the dough to cook and not be soggy/raw doughy., but not burn the outside of the pizza.
Favorite Paper Towel?
What I now look for in paper towels are the half-sheet size towels where the sheets are perforated at half sheet increments.
The main brand I've found this feature is the Target house brand.
please join my I HATE MAYO CLUB..LOL.. anyone welcome..even if you like it rop
I don't hate mayo, but I would join the "I don't like mayo as much as I did." club.
I now only like a thin coating on my sandwiches. Most of the time I just ask for mayo on the side so I can apply my own.
However, mayo is still key in potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, mac salad and egg salad.
Refills To Go at Sit Down Restaurants
Didn't think it would since this question is a "value judgement" question.
Just curious what type of sit down restaurant is it? A linen table cloth, linen napkin joint or some place casual?
Great new innovation making chicken broth!
Thanks for the information!
Here's something you might want to give a shot to reduce your effort.
In regards to skimming, I've taken the lazy way out and not skim. I've found that if I gently boil/simmer the stock, the foam disappears (or breaks down into little bit floating on the layer of fat) and the liquid portion of the stock clears up. However, if you want an absolutely clear stock, skimming is the way to go.
Are macarons cliche?
English - what I've heard
sauté - sot
flambé - Flame-bee
homage - Ho-magee
Target - Tar-jay
Just being goofy or is that goofé
Refills To Go at Sit Down Restaurants
With free-refills, you are essentially getting a fresh entree upon request, while dining.
In theory, a person can ask for a refill before the tab arrives. Now they have a freshly refilled cup to go.
Refills To Go at Sit Down Restaurants
One difference about a buffet restaurant is that you can't doggie bag your leftovers while at other restaurants you can.
I guess the more I think about this, I'm flip-flopping to suggesting the OP's "lighten up" as my answer.
:-)
Are macarons cliche?
lol! Yes, both had their 15 minutes. Those are so 2010.
Actually, David Lebovitz wrote a macaron how-to in 2008.
Fair & carnival food
I'm partial to corn dogs. The coating seems to have a better crunch and a firmer texture than the Pronto Pup.
Refills To Go at Sit Down Restaurants
My first reaction is that it's kind of cheap to do that, but it does depend upon how formal the restaurant is.
In general if someone where to ask and the waitress/manager is good with it, I would not give it another thought.
The more I think about it. I can see the argument that you can take your leftovers in a doggie bag. Why not take your drink too?
This can lead to the question whether topping off before you leave a fast food joint or places with customer access to a soda fountain is appropriate too. You've paid for your food. You finished eating and heading out the door, but make a quick stop at the fountain to top off your drink.
Most Americans would squirm
Probably the best way around the yuck factor is to grind and mix into something... The new pink slime for ground beef? lol
I call it a graduation garden party, kids call it a kegger...
All muscians! Very cool! Wish I had the time and patience to pick up an instrument. Right now I just stick with eating and drinking. :-)
BTW... Congratulations on the graduations!
You best fried chicken
I suggest Paula Deen's recipe for Southern Fried Chicken, which you can find on the foodnetwork website.
