everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2)

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everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2) (Page 2)

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Author	Topic: everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2)
yam Housemate	posted 07-16-2004 05:18 PM Cut it in to big chunks and throw it in - it's like bay leaves, you don't eat it, you have to pull it out before serving or at least warn people about it. It'll be still very firm when it's cooked. IP: Logged
LaMantequilla Housesitter	posted 07-18-2004 11:58 PM I'm ashamed, but I have to know: what the hell is creme fraiche? Also, how long is too long for meats (chicken, beef, sausage) to be in the freezer? [This message has been edited by LaMantequilla (edited 07-19-2004).] IP: Logged
Annabella Subletter	posted 07-19-2004 05:58 PM Lemongrass releases the most flavor if you bruise it with the side of a chefs knife. Also you only use the bottom 4 inches or so of a stalk of lemongrass. if you bend it first and let it break naturally the dried unusable part will break off . IP: Logged
Annabella Subletter	posted 07-19-2004 06:23 PM Cr�me fra�che is a slightly tangy, slightly nutty, thickened cream. Before the age of pasteurization cr�me fra�che made itself as the bacteria present in the cream fermented and thickened it naturally. You can make a facsimile of cr�me fra�che by adding a tablespoon of buttermilk or a half cup of sour cream to a cup of whipping cream, heating it gently to 110�F, then putting it in a covered bowl in a warm place and letting it sit for anywhere from 8 hours to a couple of days, until thick. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will thicken further, and keep for about three weeks. Cr�me fra�che and sour cream can be used interchangeably in most recipes, but cr�me fra�che has two advantages over sour cream: it can be whipped like whipping cream, and it will not curdle if boiled. Different types of meat have different shelf lives in the freezer. These dates assume that everything has been handled and packaged propperly and the your freezer temp is at or below 0 F. Beef /lamb steaks or roasts 12 months Ground beef/ lamb 8 months Pork roasts or chops 6 to 8 months Pork sausage 4 months Ham (raw) 5 to 7 months Bacon 3 months Poultry 8 to 10 months Fatty fish ( salmon, swordfish, ect.) 3 months Lean fish (Cod, flounder, ect.) 6 months Lobster/Crabs 2 months Shrimp 6 months IP: Logged
bebetoile Subletter	posted 07-24-2004 11:49 AM So are fish sauce and oyster sauce the same thing? Are they at least interchangable? -K IP: Logged
yam Housemate	posted 07-24-2004 11:56 AM No, they're different. Fish sauce is a thin liquid that looks like soy sauce - it's very fishy smelling and salty. Oyster sauce is thicker, more like ketchup, and has a subtler taste sort of like toned down hoisin sauce. If you need fish sauce and don't have it, use extra soy sauce or just some extra salt and water. It won't taste the same, but it will fill the same role in the dish sort of. If you need oyster sauce and don't have any I'm not sure what to recommend. IP: Logged
bebetoile Subletter	posted 07-24-2004 03:03 PM Thanks Yam! I have a whole bottle of fish sauce, and don't really know what to do with it (other that Pad Thai!). I know that it's used in Thai cooking - anyone have any specific recipes that I could use it in? -K IP: Logged
yam Housemate	posted 07-24-2004 03:30 PM Yeah, pretty much any thai dish will call for it. Except desserts, heh. We have this thai cookbook which has been awesome - mr. yam has made about 20 of the recipes in it and they've all been super yum, especially the basil chicken. If you can find that one at the library give it a go. IP: Logged
Aryn Housemate	posted 07-30-2004 07:42 AM I've been having a problem with milk going sour. Once just after the "sell by" date, and twice a week or more before that date. I thought maybe my fridge wasn't cold enough (the only thing I could think of) but if I set it any colder the stuff at the back freezes. Each time I've bought the milk from a different store. This time, it smelled a little funky on the second day, not sour but sort of leather-y (?) I don't know how else to describe it. Is there anything I can do, or should i just forget it and switch to rice milk? IP: Logged
briezee Housemate	posted 07-30-2004 08:04 AM Aryn - are you buying the same brand of milk each time? I would switch that before switching away from milk altogether. If you don't think your fridge is going bad, put a thermometer in your fridge (and leave it in one place for a while, so you can get an accurate temperature). Find a place around 35� for the milk. (Doors are warmer than the shelves.) Edited to remove wierd half sentence that I didn't know I typed. [This message has been edited by briezee (edited 07-30-2004).] IP: Logged
pollyhyper Housesitter	posted 07-30-2004 10:45 AM Aryn, you may also want to transfer it into a tightly-sealed container (especially if you buy the paper cartons). I get all skeevy over milk. I can't tell if it's going bad, b/c it always smells bad to me. IP: Logged
ladi Housemate	posted 07-30-2004 09:08 PM I've heard - though I haven't tried it myself - that adding a pinch of salt will keep the milk fresh longer. IP: Logged
Aryn Housemate	posted 07-31-2004 07:03 PM whoops- forgot I posted this. The first two times it was the same brand but from different stores with different dates. The third time it was a different brand from a third store... but like I said, this one tastes funny, but not sour. I don't know what's going on. It's so dang expensive I don't want to dump it, but I don't want to drink it either. Ick. IP: Logged
muppet_girl Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 08:06 AM How long does baked fish stay good for once refrigerated? I made it Sunday; when's its last good day? IP: Logged
FunPun Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 09:29 AM quote: Originally posted by muppet_girl: How long does baked fish stay good for once refrigerated? I made it Sunday; when's its last good day? I'd eat it today. I don't think fish lasts past a couple days. IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 10:08 AM I'm of the "if it still smells and looks okay, eat it" school, and while it probably depends on what kind of fish and how it was cooked, I've kept already-cooked fish in the fridge for 4-5 days. I've also had some fish that got tossed because it smelled funky after just a day or so. IP: Logged
yam Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 10:44 AM 3 or 4 days? I'd eat it if: it's been less than a week, it's not moldy, it smells normal, and if I reheated it to a safe temperature before eating it. Except actually it would be more like I'd eat it if it was still in the fridge at all, since if my husband hasn't stolen the baked fish yet, it can't have been more than two hours since it was put away. edited because a safe temperature makes more sense than a sane temperature. [This message has been edited by yam (edited 08-03-2004).] IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 04:10 PM Yes but a "sane temperature" is an phrase in a cookbook I want to own. So I accidentally got a whole giant container of plain yogurt. It's whole milk too so I'm not likely to use it for myelf, like in tzaziki or something. I tried to make some vanilla yogurt with vanilla extract and sugar but that didn't really work (though the added white chocolate chips and coconuts made the girls ok with it.) Can I make it into sweet yogurt or is it forever destined to be plain? Any recommendations on a way to cook with it? IP: Logged
gemini Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 04:13 PM Crowjoy, I do believe you can use yogurt in anything that calls for buttermilk or soured milk. And isn't paneer made from yogurt that has been drained through a cheesecloth? [This message has been edited by gemini (edited 08-03-2004).] IP: Logged
jstrizzy Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 04:15 PM how about adding in some jam or preserves? or honey? also, I will check my recipe file when I get home, 'cause I KNOW I've made recipes with plain yogurt, but I can't think of any right now. IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 05:32 PM Ha! I searched for a celery soup recipe to use up the way too much celery I have and voila! One that uses a whole cup of plain yogurt! Just 1 cup to go! Edited because the soup was guh-ROS. Ick. [This message has been edited by crowjoy (edited 08-04-2004).] IP: Logged
Lulue Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 07:23 PM What about an Indian curry - most of those use plain yoghurt or cream, I just usually substitute the cream for yoghurt anyway. IP: Logged
yam Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 07:43 PM You can blender it up with fruit and milk (equal parts of all 3) to make a yummy yop-like smoothie. Or use it to thin out stew or curries. 1 jar tandoori paste plus 1 cup plain yogurt plus a family pack o' chicken legs = easy yum, just marinate for a few hours, then bake. Or keep it around until you need a yeast infection home remedy. [This message has been edited by yam (edited 08-03-2004).] IP: Logged
ladi Housemate	posted 08-03-2004 08:55 PM I was going to suggest that you make a curry - another thing you could do is use it to marinate chicken or fish (together with some curry powder or garam masala), then grill it. Mmm mmm good. eh. Edited to say I obviously got so excited by the yoghurt, I didn't realise Yam had posted almost exactly the same thing above. I need a life. [This message has been edited by ladi (edited 08-03-2004).] IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 08-04-2004 11:38 AM Mmm, currrrryyyy. I'm such a curry novice, thanks for the great idear! IP: Logged
quarkiegirl Housemate	posted 08-05-2004 07:53 PM i found the answer to the "how long can i keep leftovers?" question. thanks, november 2003 issue of martha! (i'm weeding out my magazine stash) raw chicken/turkey: 1-2 days in fridge, 6-12 months in freezer raw beef/steak: 3-5 days fridge, 6-12 mo. freezer raw lamb: 3-5 days fridge, 6-9 mo. freezer cooked chicken/turkey: 3-4 days fridge, 4-6 mo. freezer cooked beef/lamb: 3-4 days fridge, 2-3 mo. freezer cooked fish: 3-4 days fridge, 3 mo. freezer cooked stuffing: 3-4 days fridge, 1 mo. freezer also, the fridge should be kept at a temp between 34 and 40 degrees; freezer at or below 0 degrees. IP: Logged
poppy Housemate	posted 08-06-2004 07:55 AM Ok, I have another question about food spoilage. Last night as I was opening some jarred artichoke hearts, I noticed that under the plastic wrap on the lid, it was all oily. Apparenlty the lid had come a little loose and some oil leaked out. Also the jar did not make the pop sound when I took the lid off. Is it ok to eat these? IP: Logged
quarkiegirl Housemate	posted 08-06-2004 08:04 AM if the seal's broken you're not supposed to eat it. i'd toss it, better safe than sorry. IP: Logged
muppet_girl Housemate	posted 08-06-2004 08:25 AM Obligatory food question of the day: Does anyone have experience freezing roasted vegetables? Any reason why this would be "bad" (in terms of quality for later use)? As always, thank you for your support. IP: Logged
yam Housemate	posted 08-06-2004 08:50 AM poppy - throw 'em out. Surprisingly you can get salmonella even from vegetables in oil.. ew. IP: Logged
muppet_girl Housemate	posted 08-07-2004 11:37 AM Quick urgent question: I'm cooking two whole 5 lb. chickens in the oven as I type. The directions say 20 minutes per pound. Does this mean I should go by the total 10 lbs. or just 5 for each? I don't know how long to cook these suckers! Anyone else who's tried to do this, your input would be MUCH apppreciated. Thank you! IP: Logged
Princessjeanne Housemate	posted 08-07-2004 12:10 PM Cook them like they're five lbs, but add a bit of time, like another 20 mins or whatever, because the oven is more crowded. If you cooked them like it was one ten lb bird, you'd probably just dry them out totally. IP: Logged
muppet_girl Housemate	posted 08-07-2004 12:16 PM Thank you PJ. You're a life saver! IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 08-09-2004 06:41 AM So I made Yee-Fan's scones but I did something wrong. First, I didn't have a lemon so I skipped the zest. Then, since I wanted them warm in the AM I made the dough the night before and then put it in the fridge. I rolled it and baked the next morning. Now, they tasted fine and we ate the heck out of them but they did not rise even a teensy bit. I'm guessing it was the refrigeration. Was there any way to prevent it? Also, as further potential clue, we make bread in our machine and it tends to collapse, so maybe it's our flour? I've read that humidity can do that but how do you dehumidify flour? IP: Logged
Merimoo Housemate	posted 08-09-2004 11:06 AM Do they use baking powder or baking soda? You want to use the one that says it's "double-acting", which I think is baking powder and has a delayed reaction which is set off by heat. The other one uses all its oomph up as soon as it gets wet. [This message has been edited by Merimoo (edited 08-10-2004).] IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 08-09-2004 11:55 AM It was baking powder I think, the stuff you don't put in the fridge, right. Hm. I'll have to look for that double acting on the label. IP: Logged
muppet_girl Housemate	posted 08-09-2004 11:59 AM Uh, nevermind, I realized I was being a know-it-all ass [This message has been edited by muppet_girl (edited 08-09-2004).] IP: Logged
Aryn Housemate	posted 08-09-2004 02:25 PM For things like scones and muffins, you're better off mixing up the dry ingredients (you can include butter too) ahead of time and then adding the wet at the last minute. Like Merimoo said, it's the baking powder that loses its oomph. IP: Logged
crowjoy Housemate	posted 08-10-2004 06:02 AM Ah, so if I want to make them up the night before I'm better off just measuring and then adding the liquid the next morning. It actually wasn't a pain at all and I probably could have just done everything when I woke up. Good lesson though since I'm doing alot more baking these days. IP: Logged
pollyhyper Housesitter	posted 08-10-2004 06:46 AM quote: Originally posted by Aryn: For things like scones and muffins, you're better off mixing up the dry ingredients (you can include butter too) ahead of time and then adding the wet at the last minute. Like Merimoo said, it's the baking powder that loses its oomph. I think this goes for baked goods in general. I always mix all the dry ingredients first, partly for the reason you mentioned, but mainly for another reason: Have you ever bitten into a muffin and gotten a lump of baking soda? Eeeeeewwww... IP: Logged

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