General

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Patricia - Historically, we developed our recipes with Diamond Crystal, but we switched to Morton in 2021. We believe this makes it harder to accidentally oversalt if using Morton. If you're using Diamond Crystal kosher salt you'll want to use 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal for each teaspoon of Morton's called for in our recipes. That's because Morton's is smaller and denser than Diamond Crystal and, therefore, 1 teaspoon contains 5 grams to the 3 grams in a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal. For more details on our conversion, you can read the article here. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mark - We've had the best luck by removing the leaves and washing and \thoroughly\ drying then wrapping in paper towels and placing in an air-tight zipper lock bag or air-tight plastic container. Just make sure to remove as much air as possible from the bag, if using. Good luck! The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Barbara - Obviously fennel seeds would provide the same sort of flavor as fresh fennel, but for textural similarities, we'd say celery would work best to replace the bulb and fresh dill for the fronds. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Scott - Unfortunately, we don’t have experience road cooking and traveling in an RV for Milk Street and haven’t had the opportunity to road trip between the US and Canada. Any of the recipes from our World in a Skillet cookbook would be great recipes for cooking either on a small RV stovetop or a campfire. Happy Travels! The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joanne - Although we definitely have gluten-free recipes, since we don't specialize in gluten-free recipes at Milk Street, we don't categorize our recipes in that way. Sorry for any confusion. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Carol - Yes, most of our recipes are in imperial measurements since that is the system widely used in US homes and grocery stores. The one exception is for weights in baking recipes. Since measurements can be more precise with grams - critical in baking - we defer to the widely-used pastry chef practice of using grams. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Janet - Mace is the sister spice of nutmeg. Nutmeg trees are the only plant to give us two spices. (As opposed to a plant like dill which gives us a spice and an herb.) Nutmegs are the actual seeds of the tree while mace is what is known as an airl—the protective coating of the seed. Mace’s flavor and aroma differ slightly from nutmeg as its profile tends to be sharper and less sweet. It still carries distinct flavors of nutmeg, but with subtle notes of pine, black pepper, and coriander-like citrus. Whole blade mace can be used just like a bay leaf, slowly releasing its flavor in long-cooking recipes. Try cracking the mace aril in half and use a piece to perfume a pot of steaming basmati rice, season some simmering chicken stock, or in a jar of homemade pickles, especially beets. Ground mace can be used in sweet applications like pumpkin pie, berry cobblers, or a hot toddy are obvious ways to use mace. Savory applications like Swedish meatballs, homemade barbecue spice rubs are welcomed surprises. Mace pairs well with other spices like cloves, allspice, ginger, vanilla, saffron, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, caraway, and fennel. The spice also works well with ingredients such as lamb, veal, pork, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, squash, cream, and cheeses. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi John - Hopefully you find someone who has first-hand experience with speed ovens. Unfortunately we haven't had a chance to use them here at Milk Street. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Larry - If you're making something that is cooked you could add ground coriander when you add garlic, onion, or spices. Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant so their profiles will be similar however, when dried and ground, the flavor isn't as potent. Also, you can substitute fresh parsley and add a a splash of lemon or lime juice. Cilantro has a grassy flavor with citrus notes so the grassiness of parsley combined with the citrus juice can replicate it better. And, depending on the dish, you could also substitute with basil or, if you can find it, Thai basil. Both of these would be good in southeast Asian dishes or tomato-based Mexican dishes. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Jill - I don't have exact figures, but I would say about 99% of our recipes are tested right here in our kitchens at Milk Street. There are a small number of recipes that were provided to us by our Friends of Milk Street or by featured chefs from our Cooking School, TV show, or radio show that we have agreed to print as is, per their request, since they have spoken about them during class or on one of the shows. In this case, we don't have any part in the development or testing of these recipes since they don't belong to us. We are simply sharing them with our readers as an additional benefit to our own thousands of recipes. Since these come from our Friends and other well-respected culinary professionals, we can assure you they have been tested by those individuals before they were distributed to the public. Hope that helps you understand our special Friends program! Best, The Milk Street Team