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Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Jan, We have not made this with canned tomatoes but have seen other recipes for this stew that do. I'd suggest using one 15-ounce can of chopped tomatoes. Let us know how it turns out!

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Joanne – Sticky oil bottles and dripping caps are common occurrences in kitchens! Cooking oil can degrade plastics with prolonged exposure and some oils are more aggressive than others. We recommend that you clean the caps fully each time you refill your oil bottles to get rid of any oil that may have built up.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Debra, The "container" refers to the individual-sized containers of yogurt used to make this in France. Here is info from the recipe headnote – "If you’ve got a 4-ounce container of yogurt, bake the cake in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; if it’s a 5.3-ounce container, use a 9-inch round cake pan." You measure all ingredients using the yogurt container. If you don't have a 4- or 5.3-ounce container but you have a kitchen scale, you could weigh the ingredients – remember to multiply by the number of containers called for in the recipe. I've added inserted the specific container info and the optional weights to the ingredient list below: 4-ounce or 5.3-ounce container plain whole-milk yogurt 1 (4-ounce or 5.3-ounce) container grapeseed or other neutral oil 2 (4-ounce or 5.3-ounce) containers OR 8 / 10.6 ounces white sugar 4 large eggs 3 (4-ounce or 5.3-ounce) containers OR 12 ounces / 16 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt

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.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Nicole, Our Oven-Poached Salmon with Thyme, Dill and Vermouth would be a wonderful main dish for a pescatarian Thanksgiving, it would serve a crowd and is versatile enough to build a full meal around. We also have a variety of delicious steamed fish recipes that you could check out on our website. For a vegetarian main, we have a several roasted whole cauliflower recipes, including this Chermoula-Roasted Whole Cauliflower, on our website as well as an elegant Butter-Roasted Cabbage with Citrus, Hazelnuts and Mustard. You could also put this stunning Zucchini and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Yogurt at the center of a meal. Another option is to build a meal around a hearty soup, one of my favorites is Chickpea and Harissa Soup (Lablabi). You could use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth and omit the hard-boiled egg garnish. This Spicy Peanut and Vegetable Stew is another great option. We also have braised and roasted vegetable dishes like the Ligurian Potato, Green Bean and Mushroom Gratin. These are just a handful of the possibilities you have to choose from. Look around on our website and books for more ideas. Best wishes for a happy holiday!

Answered by Rosie Gill

Hi Cynthia - We call for non-iodized table salt for baking and Morton's kosher salt for cooking. We prefer table salt for baking because it dissolves easily and completely. Iodized table salt can contribute an off flavor to your baking, so we recommend using salt with no iodine added.

Answered by Rosie Gill

Hi Nina - We recommend you salt dry beans when you soak them and again when you cook them. Much of the salt will be rinsed off with the ample water you soak and cook in, so you will also want to season your final dish according to your preferences. The salt in the soaking and cooking water helps with texture and uniform cooking, but does not season the beans much. For one pound of dry beans, we recommend adding 2 tablespoons of salt to 2 quarts of water and soaking for 12 hours. Drain the water and then put the soaked beans in a Dutch oven or large pot with six cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook until tender.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello. Thank you very much for purchasing Milk Street cookbooks! Most of our books, including "Vegetables," keep it to a minimum of about 20 pickup recipes from previous books. Some of our cookbooks published since "Vegetables" have borrowed from Veg, so, depending on which Milk Street cookbooks you already have, there might be quite a few distributed across those. Hopefully this helps you decide.

Answered by Chris Kimball

I first encountered the issue of salt and bread making when I spent time with a local bakery near Boston - I was told that they never added salt to the dough before mixing since it would hinder the action of the yeast. I took that advice for years but, after having forgotten to add the salt later, I went back to adding it along with the dry ingredients. I saw no measurable effect. So, in a professional bakery, when you add salt may matter but in my home kitchen, I do not see any measurable difference. When using autolyse, however, most bakers will say to add the salt after that first step.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Yes you can omit those flavorings but if you want to do a classic French fruit tart, then just use pastry cream as the base and top with berries. It's a classic.