CookingAsked Jul 22, 2020 by Kevin C.
I've been trying a new recipe every few nights from the Milk Street and Tuesday Nights cookbooks since receiving them. I stocked up on the dried chilis suggested in the Pantry chapter of the main cookbook.
However, the Georgian Chicken recipe from the Tuesday Nights cookbook simply calls for "2 serrano chilies, stemmed and seeded." May I assume that means these serrano chilis do NOT have to be dried? I'm having a hard time finding dried serrano chilis.
Thank you.
Kevin
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Kevin - Yes, the serrano chilies in this particular recipe are fresh, not dried. But, you could use jalapeños if you can't find Serranos. Thanks for the question! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 20, 2020 by John B.
I have perused the websites looking for how best to cook a good steak. There is a lot of commonality in their methods, albeit times may vary. The one thing I found that differed was some liberally salted the steak before cooking and others thoroughly disapproved of salting until after the cooking was done. Any words of wisdom from the kitchen on salting or not?
Cheers,
JB
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi John - At Milk Street, we are strongly in favor of salting steak before cooking. Food scientist Harold McGee, who wrote the book, On Food and Cooking, recommends this because the small amount of salt used to season meat has a hydrating effect - salt helps the cells hold onto water. There is further debate about how far in advance to season steaks. At Milk Street we almost always season right before cooking. If you've got the time and want to season and rest the meat for more than 40 minutes, you will get a drier surface and slightly more concentrated flavor. But, the flavor here can be pretty subjective. Some people prefer the cleaner flavor of a steak with more surface seasoning (seasoned right before cooking) while others prefer the "aged" flavor of a steak seasoned more than 40 minutes in advance. My opinion? Save yourself the time and season right before cooking. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 04, 2020 by Susan T.
I’m thinking about Vacuum sealing my chicken pieces with marinade the night before cooking, which would begin in the morning. Is there any reason not to do this? I guess i am vaguely worried about food safety.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Susan - Our our Friend of Milk Street, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, strongly recommends against marinating or brining chicken when cooking it sous vide. Here's what he says about brining:
"Brining—the process of soaking meat in a saltwater solution in order to help it retain moisture better in the future—is entirely unnecessary for sous vide cooking. Your chicken will come out plenty moist and juicy, while also having a more concentrated chicken flavor, as using a brine dilutes the flavor of the chicken with water."
And about adding flavorful ingredients to the bag:
"You definitely can. I like to add aromatics based on the flavors of the finished dish, whether that's a few tarragon sprigs and some wheels of lemon for something like a classic Western chicken salad, or slices of ginger, garlic, and scallions for an Asian cold salad. The key is to avoid excess liquid—otherwise, you end up flavoring the liquid with chicken instead of the other way around—and to bear in mind that most spices and garlic will intensify in flavor when added to a sous vide bag."
So it's not really about food safety, it's more about flavor and texture of the chicken. If you'd like more information about sous vide and chicken, he has a great, well-researched piece on Serious Eats you can check out.
I hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 26, 2020 by John G.
Hi,
Many recipes often call for 1 or more TBS of finely grated freshed ginger. Grating fresh ginger can be a long, somewhat messy process on my fine microplane. A commonly known trick to make ginger easier to grate is to first freeze it. The issue is that when frozen, it grates "fluffier". What is the best way to determine the true amount of what you are grating? Is there a standard ratio based on the size of the piece of ginger as to what would equate to 1 TBS finely grated?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi John - I think there are some sources that say a 1-inch piece of ginger would be equal to 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, but that's definitely not a standard. For things like ginger and garlic I find an approximation is fine. If you end up with a little bit more or less of these aromatics I don't think it makes a huge difference in a dish. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 04, 2020 by Dipa D.
Do beans and lentils double or triple in size when cooked?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Dipa - Dried beans expand to about 2.5 times their original volume when soaked and 3.5 times their original volume when cooked. Lentils will expand to about 2.5 times their original volume when cooked. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 04, 2020 by Heidi C.
This is a response to a question I have heard a couple of times on the show, "What can substitute for onions and garlic?" I have heard that the spice asafatida/asafoetida/asafoeteda (perhaps found at Indian markets? I've also seen it at some co-op grocery stores) can be used as a substitute for onions and garlic, although I don't have personal experience with this.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Heidi and anyone else interested in substitutions for garlic and onions - For more information on asafoetida, you can read this discussion which expands a bit on what it is and where to find it. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 04, 2020 by Sheila L.
how do I make and store home made bread crumbs from brioche (both fresh and stale) I want to make plain bread crumbs and herbed bread crumbs, and how long will they last in what kind of containers?
THANKS
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Sheila - The easiest way to make breadcrumbs is to process chunks of bread (fresh or stale) in a food processor. You can use them fresh as-is or transfer to a sheet tray and dry them in a low oven (300 degrees) or toss in oil and toast in a 350 degree oven. For storage, I would transfer to a zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer. They stay fresh in there for about 3 months. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Morgan B.
Hello there! I was recently diagnosed with a medical issue that has led to me reducing or eliminating fats, such as oil, butter, and certain dairy fat percentages, in order to reduce tummy struggles, and was hoping to learn about resources, such as cookbooks, that I might utilize when trying to adapt to my new dietary restrictions. I have been adjusting recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks, but thought it couldn’t hurt to see what other resources and help there may be when considering reduced and no-fat cooking and baking. Thank you for your help!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Morgan - I'm so sorry to hear about your stomach troubles. Unfortunately, at Milk Street, we don't specialize in reduced- or no-fat cooking so we don't have any specific resources in our library. I don't have any first-hand recommendations, but I have heard good things about the [Skinnytaste](https://www.amazon.com/Skinnytaste-Cookbook-Light-Calories-Flavor/dp/0385345623/ref=zg_bs_4323_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H784D84SCTX1ZDC1G9V5) Cookbooks. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful but maybe the other board participants also have some suggestions! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Lisa A.
I love the flavor that garlic adds to recipes, but I am allergic to it. Because garlic is in so many recipes, what can I use as a substitute without sacrificing flavor?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Lisa - Unfortunately, you're not the only Milk Street reader who has this allergy and this is a common question. If you link to this discussion, you will find some suggestions we've provided previously. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 28, 2020 by Sarah K.
I am beginning to suspect fish sauce is like cilantro - you either love it or you hate it. I have made two Milk Street recipes that incorporate fish sauce (Grilled Cilantro-Lime Skirt Steak and Vietnamese Caramel Chicken). Two in my family loved the flavors and two felt like the fish sauce was overpowering; regardless, the fish sauce flavor is too pungent for the office. What suitable substitute can be used in place of fish sauce?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Sarah - You can find some suggestions for substitutes for fish sauce in this conversation. I hope you find something that works well for your family! Best, Lynn C.
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