Milk Street RecipesAsked May 05, 2020 by Henry M.
Hello Milk Street,
I made the Chicken Vindaloo and it was absolutely delicious (we have an absurdly large bag of kashmiri chili powder and this was a great addition to my repertoire of uses for it). My wife is a vegetarian and she was jealous, which made me wonder if there was a way to make a vegetarian version of this dish. I was thinking maybe an Eggplant Vindaloo? It feels like tofu wouldn't really stand up, and we have no easy source of jackfruit. What do you think?
Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Henry - I agree that tofu might not stand up since it already tends to stick and the chicken in this recipe is likely to stick to the pan. I think chunks of eggplant, winter vegetables (squash, carrots, etc.), or potatoes could work. You probably won't get as much depth of flavor as you would from the chicken, but with all of the spices in the dish - especially your Kashmiri chili powder - I still think it would be good. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 04, 2020 by Dipa D.
Do beans and lentils double or triple in size when cooked?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Dipa - Dried beans expand to about 2.5 times their original volume when soaked and 3.5 times their original volume when cooked. Lentils will expand to about 2.5 times their original volume when cooked. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 04, 2020 by Heidi C.
This is a response to a question I have heard a couple of times on the show, "What can substitute for onions and garlic?" I have heard that the spice asafatida/asafoetida/asafoeteda (perhaps found at Indian markets? I've also seen it at some co-op grocery stores) can be used as a substitute for onions and garlic, although I don't have personal experience with this.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Heidi and anyone else interested in substitutions for garlic and onions - For more information on asafoetida, you can read this discussion which expands a bit on what it is and where to find it. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 04, 2020 by Sheila L.
how do I make and store home made bread crumbs from brioche (both fresh and stale) I want to make plain bread crumbs and herbed bread crumbs, and how long will they last in what kind of containers?
THANKS
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Sheila - The easiest way to make breadcrumbs is to process chunks of bread (fresh or stale) in a food processor. You can use them fresh as-is or transfer to a sheet tray and dry them in a low oven (300 degrees) or toss in oil and toast in a 350 degree oven. For storage, I would transfer to a zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer. They stay fresh in there for about 3 months. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Lynn F.
In quiche, for example, I heard one should not substitute half and half for cream (in the interest of lowering the fat a bit). Yet, my understanding is that you can substitute some whole milk for part of the cream (again, to lower the fat). (As I recall this had something to do with the pasteurization of each?) Is this true, and if so, why is whole milk a valid substitute while half and half is not?
My research suggests that if you do substitute milk for cream, you need to add back some fat, either in the form of oil or butter, and then what is the point?! ( I suppose in this case the substitution would be because you do not have cream on hand, only milk.) If milk is substituted without adding fat, I imagine the quiche would be okay -- hold its shape and taste good, it just would not be as rich?
I read that you can substitute evaporated milk --OR-- milk with a couple tablespoons of buttermilk for part or all of the cream. Have you had luck with either of these options?
Sure, I'd prefer to use whipping cream in my quiche (with creme frache -- a la a recent MSK recipe, which I believe has about the same amount of fat as whipping cream -- delicious, I have tried this). Yet, if not comparing quiches side by side, I would be just as happy with a lighter version. How would you remove some of the fat from a quiche, i.e. what would you sub for part of the cream? My goal is not to use skim milk and fat-free cheese, only to find an "every day" solution, and then I can save the all-cream version for special occasions.
Thanks!
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Lynn - We have one recipe for a French quiche which uses heavy cream. We did not test the recipe using half-and-half so we cannot guarantee the results. That said, I used to make a mushroom quiche recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook and it called for milk and it worked great. I imagine you would be fine using half-and-half.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Brenda B.
I was taught to sift flour before it is measured.
Now I hear that sifting is not necessary at all. Is that correct?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Brenda - I think that rule may date back to when flour had more of a tendency to clump. All of our Milk Street baking recipes assume that you have not sifted the flour before measuring and we strongly recommend weighing dry ingredients in baking for accuracy. When I did recipe testing a few years ago for an Angel Food Cake recipe, I found that sifting and whisking achieved the same basic results. So, for ingredients that might tend to clump such as cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, and cake flour, you can simply whisk them to break up any clumps after measuring. The only exception is if a recipe you are using calls specifically for sifted flour, since the weight of sifted flour is quite a bit different than unsifted flour. Here's a great article about sifting in which several chefs are interviewed on their opinions as well. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Morgan B.
Hello there! I was recently diagnosed with a medical issue that has led to me reducing or eliminating fats, such as oil, butter, and certain dairy fat percentages, in order to reduce tummy struggles, and was hoping to learn about resources, such as cookbooks, that I might utilize when trying to adapt to my new dietary restrictions. I have been adjusting recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks, but thought it couldn’t hurt to see what other resources and help there may be when considering reduced and no-fat cooking and baking. Thank you for your help!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Morgan - I'm so sorry to hear about your stomach troubles. Unfortunately, at Milk Street, we don't specialize in reduced- or no-fat cooking so we don't have any specific resources in our library. I don't have any first-hand recommendations, but I have heard good things about the [Skinnytaste](https://www.amazon.com/Skinnytaste-Cookbook-Light-Calories-Flavor/dp/0385345623/ref=zg_bs_4323_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H784D84SCTX1ZDC1G9V5) Cookbooks. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful but maybe the other board participants also have some suggestions! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Lisa A.
I love the flavor that garlic adds to recipes, but I am allergic to it. Because garlic is in so many recipes, what can I use as a substitute without sacrificing flavor?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Lisa - Unfortunately, you're not the only Milk Street reader who has this allergy and this is a common question. If you link to this discussion, you will find some suggestions we've provided previously. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Mary B.
Trying my first recipe from the magazine. Deep dish Quiche. There are multiple times in the article. Finally resigned myself that I was not going to eat this today. What is the initial 1 1/2 hour start to finish relate to?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mary - I was able to speak with our Director of Recipe Development, Diane Unger. The timing should line up with how long it takes to complete the steps in the recipe, not including the pie crust preparation. With that said, we agree that this timing is off. I believe it should be closer to 2 hours, 40 minutes, plus cooling. In reality it looks like this recipe should be made a day ahead for best results since cooling time is significant. I'm very sorry this was not made very clear in the recipe and thank you very much for pointing this out to us. I will pass along your concerns to Diane and our editorial staff. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Mitchell G.
I was so excited to see you guys post the recipe for instant pot mac and cheese! I've been following a similar recipe for several years and it's consistently produced the best mac and cheese I've ever had. I love some of the elements of yours and will try it too. But now that you've published a recipe for it, I finally have a venue for asking the question that's eaten away at me :-)
Why does this work?
I completely understand speeding up cooks that would normally take all day. Pressure makes a huge difference for something that would normally be low and slow. But boiling dried pasta is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. What does cooking it under pressure achieve?
Thank you!
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Mitchell - I'm afraid that we are not qualified to answer the science behind the pressurized cooking of pasta. We offered the recipe as an alternative to the traditional method of making it. This can come in handy when access to the stovetop (ie Thanksgiving) is limited and you need an alternate method of preparing food.
Read More 
