Cooking

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Elizabeth - Lucky you! The sundried tomatoes that you got in Sicily aren't all that different than the ones that are packed in oil. The ones packed in oil are dried the same way - either using the oven, a dehydrator, or in the sun - and then added to oil that may also include additional flavorings like garlic and herbs. Because of this, the flavor may not be as potent as the ones that are simply dried. In general with sundried tomatoes, a little goes a long way. You could try substituting some of the grape tomatoes in our Sicilian Trapanese Pesto with some rehydrated sundried tomatoes. However, you may find that you need to add extra cooking water as the sundried tomatoes won't have as much moisture as the grape tomatoes. Our food editor, Matt Card, makes a fantastic Pasta con Fagioli with sundried tomatoes from our recipe for White Beans with Rosemary and Thyme in our Sunday Cook series, which features recipes to cook on Sunday from which multiple recipes can be made during the week. You can find all of our Sunday Cook features by searching "Sunday Cook" on the website. Capers packed in salt are actually much more flavorful than those packed in a vinegar brine. Rather than tasting the vinegar, you get the caper's natural, floral flavor. To use, rinse in water and then, depending on how much salt you want in the dish, soak them for up to 15 minutes to draw out the salt. Taste them as you go to gauge saltiness keeping in mind that as you soak you are losing some of the caper's flavor as well. These capers would be best served raw in a salad to maintain their fresh, floral notes. Thanks for writing to us! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

We aren’t a health food company so, if I’m honest, we don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about food additives. That being said, we are definitely proponents of buying fresh, local ingredients whenever possible and using high quality products that you can afford. I’m not sure where you’re located, but I would recommend seeking out a local farm to see if they make their own fresh dairy products. If not, for buttermilk, I know Kate’s Fresh Real Buttermilk from Maine and Organic Valley Low-fat Buttermilk do not contain carrageenan. The organic food industry in general is making a push to eliminate carrageenan from products labeled "organic" so more and more companies are removing it and/or replacing it with gellan gum. I would certainly look to organic producers for carrageenan-free products. A little background on carrageenan: Carrageenan is an extract from red seaweed called Irish Moss. This edible seaweed is native to the British Isles where it’s been used in traditional cooking for hundreds of years. It’s natural gelling ability makes it a common thickening ingredient in the commercial food industry. Here is an excellent article from NPR that explains some of the controversy on its purported toxicity:  https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/12/504558025/carrageenan-backlash-why-food-firms-are-ousting-a-popular-additive.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Scott - we don't have a recipe at Milk Street that calls for Boursin cheese and Wondra flour. Perhaps it's from another source? Good luck in your search! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Samantha - Only salt penetrates meat. Ground spices, sugar, citrus zest or any other seasoning besides salt just rest on the surface. You may taste them when you take a bite, but that’s just because it’s on the exterior. Salt, on the other hand, separates into ions—sodium and chloride—when it hits meat, which can work their way to the center, altering the protein so that it can better hold onto moisture and also amplifying flavor. Sprinkle a spice rub on right before cooking for good texture and a flavorful crust, but don’t expect it to do anything more. The spice rub for our Coriander-Orange Skirt Steak includes salt. You could keep the salt separate from the spices and apply it in advance to "dry brine" the meat if you wanted. Cuts 1" thick or less (such as skirt steak) really only need an hour or two for the salt to fully penetrate. Then apply the rest of the spice rub right before cooking. Thanks for writing us! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Oddly enough, I have neighbors in Vermont who eat raw rhubarb like celery - just sprinkled with salt. For the rest of us, try a pickled rhubarb recipe - here is a recipe from Serious Eats: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/04/pickled-rhubarb-stalk-recipe.html

Answered by Chris Kimball

Go to FOOD52 for a very good discussion of bacon cooking methods - https://food52.com/blog/23779-how-to-cook-bacon-best-way-make-bacon-in-the-oven-skillet I have tried all of these methods and although there is a lot of enthusiasm for the microwave method (very crispy, it's true) I agree that the taste is off. The rimmed baking sheet method is the winner hands down but takes longer. I have also tried adding water to the skillet and this does give you a slightly more evenly cooked result but still not perfect. However, the smell of cooking bacon on the stovetop is a critical part of the process for me so I stick with a large cast iron skillet and use medium-low heat. Maybe not the best method but it does get people out of bed in the AM.

Between 10 and 12 ounces. If you are happy with the results you are getting when using 1 pound of tomatoes, then no need to change.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

We recommend using a neutral oil or olive oil. Toast the chilies first and then either chop them in a blender or add them whole to a pan over low or medium heat. You can check out our Piri Piri Oil or Salsa Macha recipes for more details: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/salsa-macha-costena https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/salsa-macha-costena We also recommend that you consult a safety guide for infusing oils to avoid the possibility of botulism or other food borne illnesses. Here is a link to one available on the internet: https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C1334/how-to-safely-make-infused-oils/

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Cory, Thanks for your question. We here at Milk Street, in general, find we get better results from making own tamarind paste from tamarind pulp. This is easily found in Asian markets as well as a lot of grocery stores and of course, on line. It really isn't hard to do. Soak the pulp in boiling water, just enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Then break up the pulp as much as you can in the water. If any water remains after that, drain it off then push the pulp through a large holed sieve. You will probably find this a better product and it will keep in the refrigerator. Give it a try, it really isn't all that much extra work. Hope this helps. Deb at Milk Street

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Thanks for your questions. Salt can be tricky. Sea salt differs form Kosher salt in that it contains other minerals as well as salt. Salt from different "seas" can have different flavors that can also impact how we perceive the salt. But the main difference here is crystal size and shape. If you are measuring by volume, which is the way most salt is measured, a teaspoon of large crystal salt will weigh less than a smaller crystal salt. This means you are using less or more salt depending on the crystal shape. Different shapes can affect this as well. If you have a scale that weighs in grams, this could be a good way to make sure you really are adding the same amount of salt. If not, trial and error will sort it out in the end. With pasta water, add the salt then taste the water. Add more salt if it doesn't taste salty enough. If it is too salty, add more water and dilute the salt. Also, it is always a good idea to add the salt just before you add the pasta. If you add the salt at the beginning and like the saltiness but the water boils for awhile before you add the pasta, the salt gets concentrated and the water will be too salty. Yes, there is a shelf life for dried beans and legumes. Most people think because they are dried they will last forever but they don't. As beans/legumes age they lose their oils, resist water absorption and won't swell. Storing beans in nitrogen helps prolong the loss of these oils as does cool temperatures. You can also seal them in a food sealer if you have one. That will prolong their life as well. So when you buy them seal them in an air tight container as best you can and put a date on them. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell by looking at them if they are OK. You just have to cook them to find out. Assume properly sealed they will last about a year. Hope all of this has helped. Deb at Milk Street