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Asked Jan 28, 2025 by Ann C.

Best Substitute for Creme Fraiche

What can I substitute for Creme Fraiche?

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Ann, Are you asking for a specific recipe or for an overall substitution? For a general substitution, full-fat sour cream would be the best choice. You could also make your own very easily. Here are the instructions (bottom-right of page) from the July-August 2024 issue of the Milk Street Magazine.

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Asked Jan 10, 2025 by Sonya W.

Will Milk Street Bring Back Its House Spice Blends

Hello! I really miss the milk brand spice packets that used to be available in the milk street store. I loved knowing I could get excellent quality spices at reasonable prices. I especially liked your zaatar and sumac. Will you ever bring back your brand? Thank you very much.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Sonya – Thank you for your interest in Milk Street spices blends, we truly appreciate it. I'm afraid that we no longer carry them, however, we are very happy to be working with the amazing Villa Jerada. They are the spice merchants who supply the za'atar and sumac we carry in the Milk Street store. We do have a Milk Street flavor-enhancer that adds umami to called Flavor Jolt, "a seasoning blend that elevates and amplifies the distinct flavor of anything you put it on." We have also brought back the Milk Street coffee sugars in a four-pack or individual flavors. Thank you again, The Milk Street Team

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Asked Oct 18, 2024 by Jan V.

Recommended Digital Oven Thermometer for Home Ovens

Wide range of prices and mixed reviews. The stainless steel oven thermometers hanging in center of oven are difficult for me to see without opening the oven door. I have two in my oven and they never agree on temp. Is there a Milk Street preferred digital thermometer for electric ovens?

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Jan. We really like ThermoWorks products, particularly the ThermoPen for temping everything from water to mix with yeast, baked cakes and bread to grilled steaks. For temping oven temperature, our Kitchen Manager recommends the ThermoWorks SquareDot cooking alarm. You can get more information by visiting the ThermoWorks website. Best, The Milk Street Team

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Asked Aug 27, 2024 by Jenny S.

Best Pan for Cooking Eggs Without Nonstick Coating

Hi there, What pan do you recommend for cooking eggs that is not nonstick?

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi, I'd argue that the best pans for cooking eggs are nonstick! Both carbon steel and cast iron are excellent for cooking eggs. The secret is heating the cooking fat enough--and swirling to coat--so that the oil creates a temporary "nonstick" surface. This will prevent the eggs from fusing to the pan as it can at lower temperatures. My favorite way to cook eggs is this very simple Basque-style olive-oil eggs, which benefit from the chemical interaction of the carbon steel pan surface and extra-virgin olive oil. The eggs are very fluffy, light and deliciously flavored with fruity olive oil: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/fluffy-olive-oil-scrambled-eggs Here are a few of my favorite pans for eggs: Iwachu Cast-Iron Omelette Pan | Milk Street Store de Buyer Mineral B Egg Pan | Milk Street Store de Buyer 9-Inch Mineral B Omelet Pan | Milk Street Store Milk Street Small Everyday Pan with Trivet | Milk Street Store Vermicular Skillet and Lid | Milk Street Store Thanks, Matt C.

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Asked Aug 27, 2024 by Pam T.

Is Maple Syrup with Scum on Top Still Safe to Use

Dear Milk Street, I really enjoy your podcast, thank you. I am trying to remember where I heard that maple syrup can go bad, and I do listen to Milk Street quite often. I had always heard that it couldn't. I asked my maple person and she hadn't heard anything about that new fact, but wanted to know more about it. And now I can't remember where I heard it, but the next jar I opened happened to have a small layer of scum on the top, so I was trying to decide whether to use it or not. She did say that they had an issue with some bottles not sealing because of a temperature gauge problem. But if I knew it was fine I would go ahead and use it. Just curious. Thank you, Pam

Answered by Chris Kimball

Just pour the syrup through a fine strainer. Never throw it out! If you like, you can also heat it to 160 degrees as a precaution but I have never had an issue with this.

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Asked May 30, 2024 by Marie-Louise R.

How to Make Quark or Topfen at Home

Hello, I would love to make the Central European recipes I grew up with, which use quark aka topfen, such as apricot dumplings, Polish and German cheesecakes, and more. Quark is extremely difficult to find, and when I do find it, it's outrageously expensive. Is there a way to make it at home? Can you create a good substitute?

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi, I apologise for the delay in responding. I've spent a lot of time in Germany and the quark there is quite delicious--and a far different product than anything common in the US. It can be expensive in the States, though most European specialty stores stock it. We've never developed a recipe for it, but there are many available online. Most require a yogurt maker to keep the dairy--cultured buttermilk or a combination of buttermilk and whole milk--at the right temperature long enough to separate the curds from whey. It's typically a temperature between 100-124 degrees for varying amounts of time. Regarding a substitute, not sure if there really is one. I think the flavor and texture fall in between thick Greek yogurt or labneh and creme fraiche. Some say a good substitute is ricotta enriched with a very small portion of sour cream. -Matthew Card, creative director, recipes and products

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Asked Mar 21, 2024 by Karen M.

Sharpening Angle for Milk Street Knives

I have several of the Milkstreet brand knives and I need to know what angle I should use to sharpen the blades correctly. Do they use the Asian angles or the Standard blade angles? If I use the wrong sharpening angles, I fear I will harm the knives.

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi, All apologies on missing this earlier. Milk Street knives have bevels that are 17 degrees on each side. This is in line with Japanese design; most European-style knives are sharpened to 20-22 degrees. It's pretty tough to really harm a knife! If sharpened to either degree, they can be brought back to their original bevel angle. If you're really concerned, they can be sharpened by a professional, who can reprofile the bevels and thin out the blade if needed. Best, Matthew Card, Creative Director, recipes and products

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Asked Sep 05, 2023 by Laure K.

How Hot Is Kleiner Bar Salz Pfefferoni Chili Salt Spray

On a scale of 1 to 10 how hot is this spray? Is it balanced with the salt or is the pepper flavor stronger?

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Laure - We haven't had a chance to taste this yet, but I'm sure the folks in the store can answer your question. I will forward your question over to them but, in the future, if you've got questions about store products, the fastest way to get an answer is to email them at - store@177milkstreet.com. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team

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Asked May 22, 2023 by Matthew F.

How to Use Orange Blossom Water Beyond Cheesecake

I have an 8oz bottle of orange blossom water that I only use for one recipe (cheesecake), and use 1/8-1/4 tsp in the recipe. Can you recommend any other uses for the ingredient? Even just to add to a glass of plain seltzer, would you use a drop or a splash? Thanks!

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Matthew - We have a couple of recipes that this would be great in. Adding a dash or two to our Yogurt Loaf Cake, specifically, or any of our pound cakes would be really nice. It would also be great in rice pudding, such as this one with Bourbon, Orange, and Cardamom. Now is a good time for us to emphasize that less is more: Too much of these aromatic flavors (in your nose or in a dish) will remind you of soap or granny’s perfume rather than something indescribably delicious and unusual. A dash or two is probably as much as we would advise. Good luck! The Milk Street Cooking Team

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