Cooking

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Melanie – I would follow the directions on the package as the instructions will differ depending on it the naan is frozen or shelf stable. We use shelf stable naan at Milk Street and heat each piece on a gas burner using tongs, turning every few seconds to avoid burning. Wrap the naan in a clean dish towel, adding each piece as it warms. You could also warm them in a hot skillet or in the oven. Place the naan on a baking sheet and heat until warmed through.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Mary – We have not tested the affect of toasted flour with thickeners, roux or gravies. I've passed on your query to our Kitchen Team. We'll let you know if they expand their testing of toasted flours. Thank you for your query.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Bill – You do run the risk of making gummy potatoes by using a hand mixer. On the other hand, running them through a sieve would be like passing the potatoes through a food mill or ricer, resulting in very smooth mashed potatoes. I'd recommend giving that a try!

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Mark – This is an intriguing question. Thank you for sharing the story of the restaurant and the former owner, so sad. Some questions I would ask in trying to figure out what spices were used are: • did the restaurant specialize in cuisine from a particular culinary tradition or geographic region? If so, are there traditional spices or spice blends from that cuisine or region? • Are there any identifiable seeds or spices with bright colors, anything to give you clues to identifying them? Out of curiosity, what was the name of the restaurant?

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Richard, Thank you for watching our program, we truly appreciate it. After adding the pasta to the water in the skillet, Chris adds 2 tablespoons of the pecorino and Parmesan cheese mixture + ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Let us know how it turns out!

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Isaac – We haven't made this using all Parmesan cheese but, considering that our recipe uses a mix of Parmesan and pecorino Romano, we think it should work just fine. We also have not made this using wine, so we cannot say how this would turn out. You could experiment by adding a small amount of dry white wine (a couple tablespoons to 1/4 cup) about a minute before adding the cheese to allow for the sharp taste of the alcohol to burn off. Again, we have not tried this, so you might need to make it a couple of times to work out exactly how much wine to add and at exactly what point. Please let us know how it turns out!

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Adam, When you dry-brine beyond 24 hours, the meat starts to cure and become tough. We have not smoked a turkey at Milk Street so we cannot give any advice on that process. Best wishes for a happy holiday!

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello John – Your method sounds like a great plan for easing the stress of holiday cooking and if you are happy with the results, we see no reason to change it. Pulling the turkey meat is easiest before refrigeration and reheating it with broth will remedy any drying out that might happen in the fridge. As they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it! We wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Susanne, We actually did a lot of testing of lemon grass substitutes earlier this year and, unfortunately, did not find any of them to be worth purchasing. There are many sources online that suggest using lemon zest if you can't find fresh lemon grass. One source says that it is the closest common ingredient to lemon grass but the fragrance will not be as intense and complex. They say to use about ½ teaspoon lemon zest for each stalk of lemon grass. Below is the testing information that ran in the July-August issue of our magazine. Taste Test: For Lemon Grass, Accept No Substitutes The fresh lemon grass available in the U.S. tends to be old, fibrous and woody, which is why we peel away the outer layers and even then usually discard the stalks after they have simmered in our cooking liquid. So we wondered whether any of the alternatives available at most grocery stores—including dried, powdered and pastes—were a better choice. They were not. We tested nine of them in steamed rice and found all of them lacking. Though the dried stalks had the best aroma, flavor was muted or unpleasant. Tasters described Wise Wife dried lemon grass as having a citronella candle flavor and Pride of India as acrid and bitter. Also, the dried stalks typically come in small pieces that are more complicated to steep and strain. The powdered options offered little or no flavor. Worse, Spice Way powdered lemon grass actually gave the rice a greasy texture. Meanwhile, the pastes had a sour, tinny flavor from citric acid or other preservatives, and they often contained other ingredients that muddied their flavor, including sugar, lime juice and oil. So fresh—even when it isn’t the freshest—really is best. When shopping for lemon grass, look for stalks with a firm texture, good fragrance and supple leaves. Opt for the heaviest, most bulbous stalks; older ones become lighter as they lose moisture. And use the scratch-and-sniff test: Gently scratch the base with a fingernail to see how much fragrance is released. To use fresh lemon grass, trim the base and the upper part of the stalk so only 4 to 6 inches of the bottom remain, then remove any dry outer leaves. Be sure to also bruise the stalks to release their essential oils. A meat mallet or rolling pin works well.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello David, We would not recommend dry-brining beyond 24 hours, because the meat will begin to cure and become tough. We also would not recommend seasoning the meat with a spice rub at the same time as the dry-bine. The spices will not penetrate the meat as the salt does and could become dull and muted. It's best to add the spices after you remove the dry-brined meat from the refrigerator and let it sit for an hour before roasting.