Cooking

Answered by April Dodd

Lesa, there are plenty of options here! One favorite of mine is our Greek-style Braised Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Orange, which makes great use of canned chickpeas and canned tomatoes: Greek-Style Braised Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Orange Or here is a kidney bean salad that makes great use of pantry spices to enliven a simple dish: Kidney Bean Salad with Spiced Vinaigrette and Herbs Hope that helps, April D.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Anthony - Thanks for the question! We agree that salting fish before cooking can improve it's flavor and give the fish a firmer texture (and, in the case of salmon, even reduce the amount of albumen, that white protein that can coagulate on the surface). In testing our recipe for Baked Salted Salmon, however, we found that for our 2 lb. piece of salmon we couldn't salt it for more than an hour or two. At that point the fish gets too salty and the texture of the flesh becomes almost spongy. For filets of fish, I would say 30 minutes would be the max and you would likely get the benefits of salting filets after only about 15 minutes. Happy Cooking! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Elspeth - Some of this depends on what the recipe is and how the wine or sherry is being used. In most cases, though, I would recommend verjus. Verjus is a great alternative to wine since it is the pressed juice of unripened grapes. (It comes from the French, “vert jus,” which means green juice.) I would use it when white wine is called for in a recipe (for example, to deglaze a pan). A combination of beef broth and a little vinegar or lemon juice can mimic the flavor of red wine and apple cider has a similar flavor profile to dry sherry. Happy cooking! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Samantha - Great question! I'd say you can use pickled mustard seeds anywhere that mustard might be appropriate. On eggs (especially great on deviled eggs or in egg salad), in soups and stews, in sandwiches (I like to mix them into mayonnaise), with sautéed greens, in marinades. They are especially good with fatty meats such as pork butt, Chuck roast, or pork belly -the heat and acidity really balances the richness. I think they would also be great on our Baked Salted Salmon with Dill, either along with the pickled cucumbers or even in place of them. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Adam - We haven't tested this recipe as a cold pasta salad, but I don't think the goat cheese mixture would yield a creamy sauce in the same way if it's done on cool pasta. The arugula also won't wilt. My recommendation would be to try adding some of the hot pasta water to the goat cheese-oil mixture to try to melt the cheese and then adding that to the cool pasta and arugula. This would coat the pasta better, but I do worry that the goat cheese might become chalky once it's chilled. I would probably not add lemon juice because that might be a bit too tangy, but a little lemon zest mixed in with the cheese-oil mixture might work. I would also chop the arugula into smaller pieces, since it's not going to wilt in the sauce. Finally, this might be best as a room temperature pasta salad than a truly cold one. Again, we haven't tested this but these would be my suggestions to try to make it work. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Diane Unger

Hi Amanda - I knew that milk would add too much fat and make these already soft and delicate meatballs so soft that they would fall apart. Since they are already very moist and tender, I didn't need to use milk anyway. Hope that helps. Diane Unger

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi David - You're somewhat right. Whole grain pasta has a stronger, often nuttier flavor than semolina pasta and can negatively affect the flavor of more subtle pasta sauces like marinara, aglio et olio, pasta al limone, etc. Its texture, which can be granular, doesn't work well with others, such as carbonara or cacio e Pepe. It's best to combine these heartier whole wheat pastas with strong-flavored sauces such as duck or beef ragu, nutty pesto, or any combination of ingredients with strong flavor and texture such as anchovies, chilies, roasted vegetables, crumbled sausage, or bitter leafy greens. Finally, though you should always strive for al dente noodles, it's especially critical not to overcook whole wheat pasta. When cooked too long it tends to mush together. Drain the noodles a couple of minutes shy of al dente and then toss with the sauce and serve immediately. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Matthew Card

I'd recommend a smaller amount of good-quality aged sherry vinegar.

Answered by Matthew Card

Pom Molasses generally isn't an even swap for regular molasses. Its made by reducing down pomegranate juice to a sticky syrup and doesn't have quite the same viscosity or sweetness as conventional molasses. If regular molasses doesnt gut it for you, might I just swapping out Lyle's Golden syrup or treacle? Milder flavor, but same basic texture and sweetness.

Answered by Matthew Card

That's a great tip for bold bay flavor without having to pick out bay leaves. You could add peppercorns, thyme, chili peppers, etc for a more complex blend. I use bay leaves by the handful in roasted vegetables to add aroma and flavor. My family is used to picking leaves out of there food! Its easy to underestimate the capacity of bay leaves to add flavor. We've even got sweet desserts flavoured with bay--the flavor cuts through monotone sweetness to add dimension.