GeneralAsked Nov 18, 2024 by Debra A.
The recipe calls for "1 container of oil" and 2 containers of sugar, etc. How much is 1 container?
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
Read More GeneralAsked Nov 17, 2024 by David E.
Hi--I'm not sure if this has been answered before but I couldn't find the question. Ever since I read the late great Judy Rogers's book (cited by Chris K. in the last issue), I've been dry-brining chicken for a day and up to two. Also steak. Some people (Kenji) do it with salmon. But no one talks at length about the other spices. If, say, I want to dry-brine a pork tenderloin that has a spice or dry-herb mix in addition to salt (smoked paprika, cumin, etc.) should I just use the salt and then rub on the additional spices before cooking? Or can the whole rub be applied in advance at no loss to the flavors of those other spices? I know the meat will absorb the salt over time and change the proteins--will it also absorb the spices or kind of ignore them? ("You don't belong here!") I don't want the brightness of freshly ground spices (or dried herbs) to be lost. Thank you.
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.
Read More GeneralAsked Nov 14, 2024 by Nicole M.
Wondering if there are any favorite recipes for a main pescatarian or vegetarian dish for Thanksgiving?
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!
Read More GeneralAsked Sep 28, 2024 by Cynthia P.
Recently, I've noticed a return of table salt instead of Kosher salt in many recipes. Is there a reason for this change? Does table salt (iodized) change the properties of cooking?
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.
Read More GeneralAsked Sep 15, 2024 by Nina S.
when should I salt my dry beans when i am cooking them?
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.
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 30, 2024 by Clifford V.
Is the "Vegetables" Cookbook just a collection from previous books, or does it feature many new recipes? I pretty much have every book you ever published, so not sure if I "Need" this one. Thanks
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.
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 28, 2024 by Debora H.
Hello,
I have been making sourdough bread at least 4 years now weekly. I have always autolysed my flours before the final stage of mixing. Then added the salt and yeast on top of the autolysed flour before the levain. Recently on your show I heard a discussion about adding the salt to the flour so that it does not interfere with the yeast. Other on line info advises not to add the salt to pre autolysed flour. Which flour would you add the salt too?
Thank You very Much,
Debora
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.
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 27, 2024 by Angie P.
Hello! My daughter would like to make a Fourth of July fruit tart this year and she is new to tarts. I found the Chocolate Orange Tart recipe on your website. Do you think she could omit the orange zest/orange juice and cinnamon from the filling? She wants to top with blueberries and strawberries and wasn't sure if those flavors would go well with the berries. Thank you!
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.
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 27, 2024 by Mark C.
This is a general question. Why are there virtually no lamb recipes on your site? Even dishes that are traditionally made with lamb, like rogan josh, are adapted for chicken. Why is this?
Answered by Matthew Card
Hi Mark,
That is an excellent question! On the whole, Americans eat only about a pound of lamb a year (as opposed to 85 pounds of beef), so we tend to adapt our recipes to beef and offer lamb as an option whenever possible. For the most part, it's easy to swap out lamb cuts for beef if it's a stew or braise. Lamb shoulder is an easy swap for chuck roast.
Rogan Josh is often made with lamb, beef or chicken at this point. I'd agree that its best with lamb because the strong-tasting meat stands up best to the spices, but we've tailored the flavorings to suit chicken.
We've got a number of lamb recipes that may not show up in a simple search:
Spicy Stir-Fried Cumin Beef
This is one of our first recipes, which uses lamb to excellent results:
No-sear Lamb or Beef and Chickpea Stew
https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/turkish-minced-meat-kebabs
This is excellent made with ground lamb:
Indian Spiced Beef and Peas (Keema Matar)
Spicy Chinese Beef Skewers (Niu Rou Chuan)
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 15, 2024 by Victoria H.
When will you PLEASE, PLEASE, have a way for us to organize our recipes in categories?!! They are just a jumbled-up mess right now. I have asked about this before, but I'm asking again! Almost every other cooking website has this feature. Surely I'm not the only one who has asked for this.
Answered by Whitney Kimball
Hi Victoria! Whitney from the web team here.
We’re well aware of this issue, and we’ve been working hard to fix it. We’re also working toward providing much more robust functionality throughout the site, prioritizing feedback from our users. We hope this to be in place by end of year. We’re a small team and appreciate your patience!
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