Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Lula - You can find the recipe for our French Walnut Tart in our Season 3 TV Companion book. It also appeared in our November-December 2018 issue of the magazine. Finally, you can also access the recipe on our website. I’ve included a temporary link to it here. Happy cooking! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Robert - I checked in with the recipe developer, Courtney Hill, and she said that white miso would also work. Not as strong a flavor as red miso, obviously, but the white miso would still be a lovely addition. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Marie - Here are some ideas: Pickling - This is an especially good option for the banana peppers. Use them on sandwiches, in salads, on pizza, or for nachos. Freeze - You can chop and freeze peppers for future cooking. I would chop, spread on a sheet tray, then freeze. Once they are frozen you can transfer into small zipper-lock freezer bags. They will lose much of their crunch, though, so I would only recommend using them in cooking where you are hoping to soften them anyway. You could also use these to make hot pepper jelly. Drying - This is a little bit more complex, but could be a fun project. The easiest way to do this is with a food dehydrator. They \can\ be dried in the oven on a very low temperature, but it can take days of having your oven on continuously to do that. You can also string them up and let them dry outside in the sun. Follow the instructions here. Here are some Milk Street recipes that could help "deplete" your abundance as well! Pickled Chiles Cilantro-Jalapeño Adobo Sauce Guatemalan Salsa (Chirmol) Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Nan - I'm so sorry that the recipe didn't work for you. As you've discovered, different brands of kosher salt have grains of different sizes so 11/2 teaspoons can yield different amounts of salt amongst the brands. We always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt because we like the size of the grains - large enough to pick up and sprinkle, but small enough to dissolve easily. When using Morton's you'd want to use a little more than half as much salt as called for in our recipes. As for the texture issues of the dough, a couple of things come to mind. First, did you let the semolina soak for 10 minutes before adding the butter? This is an essential step to make sure the semolina absorbs the water. Second, was the butter chilled when you added it to the semolina? Once the mixture sits for 10 minutes it should still be hot enough to slightly melt the butter so you can mix it in easier. However, if the butter is too warm when it's added to the hot semolina it will fully melt and make the dough too loose. Not sure if either of these steps is where the recipe got tripped up. I did double-check the amount of water and confirmed that 3/4 cup is correct. Let me know if I can help further. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Carrie - A gravy made with flour or a cornstarch slurry can both separate when reheated, but you can easily bring ti back together. Bring to a simmer over low heat and whisk vigorously to recombine. If you won't be the one reheating it, I would add some reheating instructions onto the container. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Ambre - Unfortunately, we didn't test this in the Instant Pot, but it's a great idea! Hopefully someone has tried it and can give you some guidance. We will keep it in mind for a future Fast & Slow recipe. Thanks! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Michael - there are definitely some differing opinions on this subject. Meathead Goldwyn of amazingribs.com, who is a friend of Milk Street, recommends oiling the food, not the grate. Serious Eats and Steven Raichlen recommend oiling the grates. I’m going to pass this along to our Food Editor, Matt Card, as it’s something we should maybe revisit for our next batch of grilling recipes. Either way, make sure that you use a high-heat oil - grapeseed, safflower, canola, peanut, or avocado oil (refined) have some of the highest smoke points. Thanks for your question! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joseph - We previously asked Christopher Kimball this question and you can find his answer here. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Jimmie - We don't have any appetizer recipes per se, but I think the hot honey pairs well with cheese - brie, goat cheese, parmesan, ricotta. It's also nice with roasted vegetables. You could combine the two into a toast or a tart. Top slices of toasted bread with roasted broccoli, ricotta, and drizzle with hot honey. Or make a butternut squash tart with sage and parmesan and drizzle with hot honey after it's baked. We also love it drizzled over fried chicken or in a spicy vinaigrette. I think it would be great in this tomato and watermelon salad as well. Good luck and enjoy your hot honey! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Anthony - We haven't tested this recipe using 2 pounds of chicken so I can't give a definitive answer. However, I am sure that the additional chicken will not only affect cooking time but also the texture of the orzo and the overall dish since it will add more water (from the chicken) which will throw off the balance of the ingredients. These Instant Pot recipes with grains and pasta have a \very\ delicate balance of liquid-to-solid ratio so I imagine it would require a fair amount of testing to get it just right. Sorry I can't be more helpful! Best, Lynn C.