everything you always wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask

DigsHome | Help Digs Help You: Take our survey

Topic Closed

DigsBoards

nourish

everything you always wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (Page 11)

profile | register | preferences | faq | search

UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone!
This topic is 21 pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Author	Topic: everything you always wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask
Princessjeanne Housemate	posted 11-24-2003 09:27 AM Probably. They're raw right? IP: Logged
giamaria Housemate	posted 11-24-2003 11:48 AM yup. raw. IP: Logged
BionicGirl Housemate	posted 11-24-2003 12:02 PM They should be fine, gia. IP: Logged
giamaria Housemate	posted 11-24-2003 12:57 PM Cool, thanks...I felt dumb asking but ya never know! IP: Logged
minxx Housemate	posted 12-04-2003 07:16 AM Ok, so last night I made the potato corn chowder that is one of the soups in the nourish article from Monday. Anyways, it says to use a hand blender to puree the potatos. That's fine and dandy but when I went to do it, I just sprayed hot potato chucks all over the kitchen and ended up eating chunky soup. The soup still tasted pretty good but would be better smoother. So, how do I do this without burning myself and making a huge mess? Btw, I don't have a blender or my troubles would be over! IP: Logged
pollyhyper Housesitter	posted 12-04-2003 08:32 AM Maybe if you mash the potatos first by hand, then use your mixer at low speed? IP: Logged
fluffygurl Housesitter	posted 12-04-2003 08:51 AM Or you could take the pan off the heat then drape a teatowel around the blender so the soup wont land anywhere. Thats what I do IP: Logged
ecochica Housemate	posted 12-04-2003 11:08 AM quote: Originally posted by Andree: Paneer is fresh Indian cheese. You can make it yourself, if you want to try it. Heat 4 litres of milk (that's 16 cups-a gallon I think) of milk to just below the boiling point, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. Let it simmer for a minute or 2, then stir in either 1/4 cup lemon juice or 3 tbsp white vinegar. You can add a little less than that to begin with. You'll see the milk start to clump up in curds and separate from a clear, blue-greyish whey. Keep stirring until the whey is pretty clear. If it's still milky, add more acid. Drain in a sieve lined with cheesecloth, then tie the cheesecloth to the faucet or to a wooden spoon so it's suspended over a bowl and let drain for 30 minutes or so. Then place the cheese on a cutting board with a folded up kitchen towel under one end, so it's tilted (it's good to to this in the sink) and weigh down the cheese with another cutting board or a pot bottom and some cans. Let drain for another hour or so. Cut up into cubes and use. A quick way to prepare it is to fry it up in a little butter or oil or ghee (it doesn't melt, it just browns like tofu), then serve it with fried whole spices (e.g. cumin, fennel, kalonji/nigella, fenugreek, and mustard is a classic mix. heavy on the cumin and mustard, lighter on the rest). Or add it to any curry as the protein. here's a paneer trick that a friend of mine taught me: use yogurt (full fat, at room temperature) as the curdling agent. when the milk is at a gentle boil, add about a cup of yogurt. you will still have to add 1-2 tbsp of lemon or vinegar, but the paneer will be much creamier. letting paneer drain at least overnight also helps the consistency. IP: Logged
kmp_flamingo Housemate	posted 12-05-2003 10:10 AM In regards to the soup what I did was to cook the potatoes and then mash them with my masher. It wasn't "creamy" but it worked nicely. I also used two potatoes instead of one. Next time I'm also going to use cream corn. IP: Logged
kena Housesitter	posted 12-05-2003 10:57 AM When working with a hand-blender, you should keep it very straight at the beginning. If your pot isn't filled to more than the half, it shouldn't spray too much. IP: Logged
lacia Housemate	posted 12-05-2003 04:14 PM I know this is pretty late but thanks for solving the mystery of nage. On the chewy chocolate chip cookie topic, a dessert chef I took a class from recently said that soft cookies needed to be really underbaked. She thought those Keebler Soft Batch cookies were seriously raw! IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 12-08-2003 11:33 AM Last night I made a yummy yummy steamed persimmon pudding, the same one my mom makes for Thanksgiving. Once I realized how easy and quick it was (other than the 2 hours of steaming), I started thinking that I'd like to be able to make these more often. Problem is, persimmons are not really a year-round fruit. But there are lots of them available here now, so do you think I could buy a bunch and freeze them? I'd be pureeing them for the pudding if that makes a difference. IP: Logged
ng-la Housemate	posted 12-08-2003 01:52 PM I don;t know if persimmons would freeze well or not, but my suggestion would be to buy enough for just one recipe, and freeze it for about a week or so. Then try the recipe, and if the frozen persimmons work for you, buy and freeze more. And if you'd be willing to share the recipe, I'd be a very happy girl........ IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 12-08-2003 03:10 PM Good idea, except that it would leave me with an awful lot of pudding to eat. But it's good, so maybe I'll try that anyway. And here's the recipe: Steamed Persimmon Pudding 2 very ripe medium Hachiya persimmons 2 tsp baking soda 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. milk 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg 1 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1. Butter the inside of a 1.5- to 2-quart fluted tube pudding mold and dust lightly with flour. 2. Cut the stems from the persimmons. Cut up the fruit and remove any large seeds. Puree the fruit in a food prcessor or blender to yield 1 c. puree. Place in a bowl and mix in the baking soda. Whisk in the sugar, milk, melted butter, and egg. 3. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the persimmon mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared pudding mold and smooth the top. Cover the mold with its lid or a double thickness of aluminum foil. 4. Place a collapsible vegetable steamer in a pot large enough to hold the mold, and put the mold on the steamer. Pour enough boiling water into the pot to almost, but not quite, touch the bottom of the steamer. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover the pot, and reduce heat to medium-low. Steam the pudding, adding more boiling water as needed, until the pudding is dark brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 2 hours. 5. Let the pudding stand for at least 10 minutes and up to 45 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the mold, and invert the pudding onto a platter. Best served warm. Makes 8 sevings. My mom usually serves it with some whipped cream or creme anglaise. IP: Logged
ng-la Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 11:09 AM Thanks for sharing the recipe! I'm excited to try it. As for freezing the persimmons- I was at the annual holiday dinner with all of the book dealers, and was talking to some people who happened to mention that they have a persimmon tree. The told me that they freeze beautifully. They just stick them in the freezer whole. They said they actually just take the frozen persimmons, cut them in half, and eat them with a spoon, like sorbet. But anyway, there you go- told to me straight from people who own a tree- persimmons freeze wonderfully. IP: Logged
Nieci Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 11:48 AM What's rosewater used for? I thought I'd seen it listed as an ingredient in one of my cookbooks, so when I saw it I picked it up, however now cannot find the recipe it was listed in... IP: Logged
meggo Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 11:52 AM What's a persimmon? I have Pomegranate stuck in my head & I don't think that's quite right... IP: Logged
Drea D Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 11:56 AM Nieci, Rosewater is often used in Middle Eastern desserts, Persian especially. I've had cookies and pastry made with it, and it lends a beautiful perfume as well as delicate flavor. Let me know what you make with it...I've never cooked with it! IP: Logged
muppet_girl Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 11:56 AM Nieci- I know you can use rosewater when making an Indian lassi drink. Mmmm IP: Logged
emcarb Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 12:07 PM quote: Originally posted by meggo: What's a persimmon? I have Pomegranate stuck in my head & I don't think that's quite right... Pfft. I don't know what either of them are! Cornfused. IP: Logged
ng-la Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 12:26 PM Here this will explain what a persimmon is: http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch210.html They are a seasonal fruit, very sweet. IP: Logged
meggo Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 12:44 PM Well - isn't that interesting? I wonder if they have them in my grocery store. I will check this weekend. Pomegranates (correct me if I'm wrong as I've never eaten one -or the seeds rather) are rather large fruit - I think kind of like a large greenish reddish orange. Apparently - you only eat the seeds of them and you have to be super careful not to stain anything with the juices because they do stain. I haven't eaten them though - so I'll defer to those who have. IP: Logged
Nieci Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 12:50 PM Drea and Muppet, thank you! That makes sense since one of my latest cookbook splurges was an Indian one Can't wait to go browsing through again IP: Logged
ralphyr Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 02:10 PM I haven't made it but rosewater is used in turkish delight. IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 12-10-2003 04:02 PM Thanks for the straight-from-the-tree answer about the persimmons, ng-la. I think I'm actually going to puree them first and then freeze them, since the pudding calls for puree and I don't really like them plain. IP: Logged
vdipippo Housemate	posted 12-13-2003 12:14 PM anyone know conversions between metric and standard for things like cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons? thanks! IP: Logged
Merimoo Housemate	posted 12-13-2003 02:18 PM 1 tsp ~ 5 mL 1 T = 3 tsp ~ 15 mL 1 cup ~ 236.6 mL My teaspoons actually have the metric on them, which is useful occasionally. more here http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions.htm IP: Logged
jazzberry Housemate	posted 12-13-2003 02:36 PM quote: Originally posted by Merimoo: 1 cup ~ 236.6 mL 1 cup is rounded to 250ml for some reason. IP: Logged
vdipippo Housemate	posted 12-13-2003 03:43 PM thanks! that will help me when i try to make natalie's cookies, from the christmas cookie thread, which i tried to link to 3 times and couldn't. i give up... [This message has been edited by vdipippo (edited 12-13-2003).] IP: Logged
natalie Housemate	posted 12-13-2003 06:49 PM quote: Originally posted by vdipippo: thanks! that will help me when i try to make natalie's cookies, from the christmas cookie thread, which i tried to link to 3 times and couldn't. i give up... [This message has been edited by vdipippo (edited 12-13-2003).] vdipippo, I emailed the recipes to you just in case you're still having a hard time with the links. I hope you enjoy them. IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 12-14-2003 02:58 PM not exactly cooking, but related: how do I get my hands to stop smelling like garlic and onions after chopping them? I chopped a few onions and garlic cloves for dinner last night, and my hands still smell 18 hours later, despite numerous handwashings, a shower, and plenty of nicely-scented lotions. I know I've heard something about lemons, but I don't really want to smell like lemons either. IP: Logged
ralphyr Housemate	posted 12-14-2003 04:55 PM quote: Originally posted by jazzberry: 1 cup is rounded to 250ml for some reason. Yes indeed and I had a recipe this weekend which called for a Short Cup = 240ml. IP: Logged
Lulue Housemate	posted 12-14-2003 05:55 PM jstrizzy - some cookware shops sell "stainless steel soap" which is just a bit of stainless steel shaped like a soap bar, I think one is supposed to "wash" ones hands with this after handling smelly stuff (garlic, onion, etc) and it magically removes the smell. Of course I could be completely wrong? IP: Logged
Andree Housemate	posted 12-14-2003 07:06 PM Yup, stainless steel works really well for getting garlic/onion smell off hands. You don't need to buy the "soap", though. You can use anything that's stainless steel, like a spoon or small pot. Just hold it in your hands under cool (not warm/hot!) water and rub it over your skin. The smell will pretty much disappear in a minute or so. IP: Logged
Lulue Housemate	posted 12-14-2003 10:59 PM That is so clever, thanks Andree, I always thought the "soap" bars looked cute, but didn't know how effective they'd be. I'm much happier knowing I don't have to part with my moula and can just grab a dessert spoon! IP: Logged
jazzberry Housemate	posted 12-15-2003 01:01 AM sometimes when I'm feeling lazy I'll just rub my hands over the faucet...works just as well, provided it's stainless steel. IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 12-15-2003 12:34 PM Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to try it, since even today I can still smell it. The sink in the kitchen here at work is stainless, so I don't even have to wait until I get home (since I don't care whether my colleagues look at me funny for rubbing my hands around the sink). IP: Logged
blanketbat Housemate	posted 12-16-2003 12:30 PM So I'm dong my holiday baking this weekend, and I summed up all my recipies to make a grocery list. I need 22 cups of flour. I have no idea how many cups are in the 5 pound sacks. Does anyone know? How about for sugar. Any thoughts would be appreciated. IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 12-16-2003 01:16 PM Try here for lots of conversion stuff (what you're looking for is in the bottom table). 1 pound sugar = 2 1/4 c. 1 pound all-purpose flour = 4 c. sifted (with flour it depends a lot on how sifted/packed it is); so you'll need more than one 5 lb bag. good luck with all that baking! IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 12-16-2003 02:38 PM Twenty. Two. Cups of flour. You are a goddess. IP: Logged

This topic is 21 pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 All times are PT (US)	next newest topic \| next oldest topic
Administrative Options: Open Topic \| Archive/Move \| Delete Topic
	Hop to:

Contact Us | DigsMagazine

Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47d