GeneralAsked Jun 10, 2020 by Brenda L.
Can the Spanish almond torte recipe be done in cupcake liners instead of the 9 inch round pan? If so, how long would you bake the cupcakes and would you use the same temperature? Thank you!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Brenda - Unfortunately I can't give you an exact answer since we haven't tested this in a muffin tin. You can certainly give it a try and use your eyes as a guide! The cake is ready when the surface is deeply browned and the crust feels firm when gently pressed with a finger. If you do decide to try it, let us know how it turns out! Best, Lynn
Read MoreAsked May 18, 2020 by Carol W.
I have made several wonderful dinners from your newest book "Milk Street Fast and Slow" but, the last recipe gave me some grief.
Orecchiette with Sardinian Sausage Ragu: The pasta was not anywheres near done on high, pressure for 3 minutes. I then switched to sautés low and cooked the mixture for 8-10 minutes more until the orecchiette were al dente. I must admit the sauce cooked down for the extra 10 minutes enhanced the taste. What went wrong?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Carol - I spoke with the recipe developer, Julia Rackow, and she had this to say:
It may be the brand of orecchiette. Some orecchiette is simply thicker than others. I just did some digging and De Cecco orecchiette (which we used during testing) cooks in 9-10 minutes, while Barilla cooks in 12-13. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it would definitely make a difference in the IP. The headnote says that any pasta, orecchiette or otherwise, with a 10 minute cook time works, so you can double check your packaging to see if it's in a different range. The pasta took so long after the lid came off because of the low water level. It doesn't need the extra water in a closed environment, but with the lid off, the low water level would make it take longer.
I hope that helps. Let us know if you have any more questions!
Read MoreAsked May 18, 2020 by Jan P.
I'm a little confused with the end preparation of the dessert Caramel Oranges. The third paragraph says" Pour the caramel evenly over the oranges, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours." The next paragraph says" ...and whisk the caramel to recombine. Pour the caramel over the oranges and serve". The caramel would already be on the oranges from step 3. It does seem to me that caramel in the fridg for 3 plus hours probably would be a little hard, but what's the point of putting the oranges in the fridge without anything on top of them? Anybody know?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jan - While the oranges and caramel are in the fridge, the caramel will settle on the bottom of the pan. The caramel does not harden in the fridge because it's already pretty loose (we add orange juice to it after it cooks) and continues to loosen in the fridge as some of the juice releases from the oranges. After the oranges and caramel chill, the instructions say to remove the oranges from the baking dish with a slotted spoon and transfer to individual dishes. After you remove the oranges you rewhisk the caramel sauce (to combine the caramel with the juice that has released from the oranges) and pour some of it over the oranges on the individual serving dishes. I recommend serving it in bowls with some plain greek yogurt - the caramel sauce is great on top of the yogurt! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 12, 2020 by Mary S.
Hi, Whenever I visit the old country ( my grandparents are from Abruzzo) we have ravioli made with the most delicious sheeps milk ricotta. No doubt I could find it in NY or the Phila. area where I came from but I have lived in Minneapolis for over 30 years where there are few Italians and sheep milk ricotta is not to be found. Also, my husband can eat goat or sheep milk cheeses but NOT ANYTHING made from cows milk. I may have found a source for sheep milk so to make my own ricotta from that would it be the same recipe as for cow's milk? It has been years since I made that but I think it was just whole milk, lemon and salt. HELP, I need ravioli!!! Grazie mille, Annie
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mary Ann - Yes! Same ingredients and method regardless of whether it's sheep or cow's milk. Good luck and I hope it comes out as good as you remember! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Nov 11, 2019 by Mitchell G.
I'm revving up for our big pizza party the day after Thanksgiving. We've got a couple of dozen people coming - we've got our menu set and it's a stretch but doable while maintaining a shred of our sanity.
As expected, everyone is asking what they can bring and I have no idea what to tell them.
If I assign anything important and they end up cancelling, then we're in a tight spot. Plus we've got about 15 individuals or couples coming. That's a lot of assignments. If I go the easy route and tell everyone to bring booze, then we're going to be overflowing with it (and will have lost the opportunity to drink down our backlog of wines and spirits). I am tempted to assign jobs to a couple of them (e.g., helping to greet everyone with a cocktail), but that's limited too.
I also don't want to be ungracious - I know people genuinely want to contribute/participate.
Any advice?
Thanks!
Mitch
P.s. If anyone we've invited is a participant in this area of the website, I'm talking about our other guests - not you. Your offer to bring something is greatly appreciated and hasn't caused me any stress at all. ;-)
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mitch - Depending on how many people ask, I would assign a few each to appetizers or snacks, salads, and dessert. I often do this for parties so all I have to deal with is the main course. If I’m worried about not having enough in the event someone doesn’t show, I’ll order a cheese plate from the local cheese shop, make a simple salad, and make a couple batches of cookies. That way I know I’m covered but with minimal effort. And if everyone comes through on party night I can always enjoy a meal of cheese, salad, and cookies the following night!
As someone who likes control of the kitchen, I can appreciate the stress of not knowing what people will bring or even if there will be enough of everything. But I‘ve learned to let go of a little of the control and find I can enjoy the party myself a whole lot more. :-) Hope this helps. Good luck with the party! Best, Lynn C.
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