Customer ServiceAsked Feb 14, 2021 by Sharon B.
Hi, When I joined, a few minutes ago. I saw that I get a free download of a document called 12 recipes that will change your life. Or something close to that. Now I can't find it. Where is it? thanks.
I'm very interested in it, it was one of the main things that made me want to subscribe.
Answered by Evan Petto
Hello! The 12 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook free digital issue is located in your introductory email, sent to you when you sign up. The issue can also be downloaded here.
Thank you for your membership!
Read MoreAsked Feb 12, 2021 by Clifford V.
I search some of your recipes and find one that sounds great and all they have is the "Fast and Slow" version! I don't want nor do I have room for another appliance on my counter. I think it is a great idea to have these Fast and Slow recipes who embrace the new technology, but how about having a link to do it the "old fashioned way" on the page as well? I mean, I can probably figure it out, but I shouldn't have to if I am on a recipes site. Thanks. Cliff
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Clifford - You will find a link to the conventional (stovetop or oven) version of our Fast & Slow recipes at the bottom of the page. Please note that not all of our Fast & Slow recipes have a conventional version.
Read MoreAsked Feb 11, 2021 by Karen S.
Hi there
i find it virtually impossible to find plain whole milk regular yogurt in the grocery stores. And I live in Seattle for heavens sake! When I’m baking a muffin recipe and it calls for yogurt, I take the Greek yogurt I always have and add milk till it sort of looks like regular. Not very precise, especially before baking. Do you have a ratio that is more exact?
thanks much, Karen
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Karen - American-style yogurt still contains whey, so it has more moisture and a thinner, runnier consistency. Greek-style yogurt is made by allowing the watery whey to drain from yogurt, giving it a smooth, thick texture. We generally find 3/4 Greek yogurt plus 1/4 cup water to replicate the consistency of plain yogurt. Just make sure to use whole-milk yogurt regardless of whether it is Greek or American-style. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 09, 2021 by Jim C.
I grew, harvested and put through a food mill part of my crop of tomatoes, enough to fill a quart-sized Mason jar. Life events kept me from using this beauty for a while and now I'm wondering -- how long should this last? I'm almost afraid to open the jar! But I would surely like to use them.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jim - Were they formally canned in sterilized jars? If they haven't been officially canned they will generally only last as long as any fresh tomatoes would last - about a week to 10 days in the refrigerator. If they have been properly sealed, they can be stored in a cool, dry place for about a year. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 09, 2021 by Elsa A.
Does the 2017-2021 "Milk Street" cookbook contain some or any of the recipes in the new 2017-2021 cookbook? If you have both, which one is better?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Elsa - The Season 4 2017-2021 cookbook contains all of the recipes from the four seasons of Milk Street TV. I'm not sure exactly how many recipes might also be in the New Rules cookbook, but there will be some overlap. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 09, 2021 by John V.
I've long loved the mushroom toast concept (wild / wacky mushrooms I otherwise don't know what to do with, garlic, white wine reduced, some yogurt or creme fraiche, thyme all on good toast), but I'm on the hunt for how to make it without the dairy. Almond milk didn't work. Suppose I could find a non-dairy yogurt to try with it, but wondering if the Milk Street team had any ideas?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi John - Obviously you could just eliminate the dairy element and it would still be delicious, but I assume you want to keep that creamy element on your toast. If you can find it, Kite Hill vegan ricotta is pretty good and would be great here. Or, you could make your own dairy-free labneh. There are a bunch of recipes online that use either coconut or soy yogurt or, even better, cashews in place of the dairy. We do this in our Butter Chicken recipe to add creaminess without the weight of dairy and it's amazing how creamy it is! Let us know if you try any of these options and how it turned out! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 05, 2021 by Mitchell G.
I just made baguettes with a recipe that called for a poolish, fermented starter, and it blew me away. It added wonderful flavor and the dough was so easy to work with.
I only found one article on Milk Street that seemed directly related and it was about stretching a small amount of yeast (https://www.177milkstreet.com/2020/05/yeast-shortage-baking-tip). (A post Hanukkah miracle - instead of one loaf of bread, the yeast lasted for eight loaves :-)
A few questions:
1. Is there a difference between a poolish and a biga? It seems like French/Italian terms for the same thing.
1. Typically, when I make bread or pizza, I do a slow-rise/ferment in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Would incorporating a poolish/biga allow me to shorten that without losing the flavor development, or maybe even getting more? Would you recommend it?
1. If I were to adjust a recipe like this, should I keep the ingredients the same? For example, if the recipe calls for 3 cups of flour and I use 1 cup for the poolish/biga, would I just use 2 cups in the rest of the recipe? Same for the liquid and pinch of yeast? (I'm hoping it's that simple). In the article above, they say it replaces the recipes yeast. For mine, I used the same amount of yeast I usually do, I just put a pinch of it in the poolish.
Thanks!
Mitch
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mitch -
I'll try to answer your questions in order:
Different recipe authors use different terms for exactly the same pre-ferment made with commercial yeast. What one calls a biga, another refers to as a poolish (a Polish term adopted by French bakers), pâte fermentée (prefermented dough), or sponge. A levain is what one would call a pre-ferment using natural yeast (this would be like a sourdough starter). When a preferment is added to a dough, it not only accelerates fermentation but is itself a partially developed dough, which reduces mixing time. Often a poolish is more hydrated (usually 1:1 ratio of flour to water) than a biga or sponge, but there aren't any hard and fast rules on what, exactly, the hydration levels are for a biga or sponge.
A lot is going to depend on how much preferment you use. For example, people use different amounts of the preferment (some even change the ratios of flour and water), change the yeast quantities, they use different water temperatures and pre-fermentation temperatures and times. Some even refrigerate it. Each combination will have its own different and unique effect on the dough (including its strength) and the finished crust characteristics, including the taste and flavor of the finished crust, and its color, texture and aroma. Whether you feel the preferment could replace the slower, cold ferment will depend on what you think about the flavor with just the preferment. Cold fermented doughs allow different types of bacterias and yeasts to flourish, which secrete acetic acid giving a generally sourer flavor. Pre-Ferments are usually done at room temperature which promotes lactic acid development.
Yes, typically the small amount of yeast in the poolish would be all of the yeast in the recipe. As Matt mentions in the article above, the proofing stages of the dough will be a bit longer. And, yes, however much flour or water you use in your poolish/biga should be taken out of the total amount of flour and water.
Hope that answers your questions sufficiently!
Best,
Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 03, 2021 by Celine T.
I am tired - after almost a year of this pandemic - of cooking every day. Please help! I'd love to just cook once or twice a week, and have a stock of meals ready to pull out of the fridge or freezer.
Does Milk Street or any community members have tips for meal prepping? For example:
1. Which recipes can be doubled
1. How to turn single recipes into multiple meals during the week (like Matt Card's Sunday Cook series, which seems to have stopped)
1. How long various cooked dishes will keep in the fridge
Thank you!!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Celine - We've got thousands of recipes on our website, so it's hard to give a list of those that can be doubled and/or length of storage for all of the dishes. Were there particular recipes you had in mind? In general, large format proteins always lend themselves to multiple dishes a week - this could include the usuals like beef, pork, and chicken, but also big pots of beans as well. For example any of our sheet pan chicken recipes could be doubled and the extra chicken turned into tacos (depending on their flavor profile), added to a pot of beans, or made into chicken salad. Making a big pot of a grain (brown rice, quinoa, farro, etc.) once a week could be turned into side dishes such as Brown Rice Pilaf or Quinoa Chaufa and also become a grain bowl for lunch. I'd also take a look at our Cookish recipes for inspiration (you can search for them specifically using the Recipes tab on the website). These are quick to put together and have short ingredient lists that sometimes even call for already-cooked proteins and grains. You could find several that use the same ingredients (say, chicken thighs and quinoa), cook those ingredients on the weekend, and then make the recipes during the week, modifying as needed for pre-cooked ingredients. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 03, 2021 by Jason H.
We've followed many of your recipes for a long long time. We're still using minced garlic from a jar. Have you presented any information on pre-minced garlic? We've always assumed that its not as potent but is it worth the benefit? Can you convince us to switch? Do you have any suggestions on how to make mincing fresh garlic easier?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jason - We haven't specifically written about pre-minced garlic, but we definitely prefer fresh. Once garlic is cut the flavor compounds are released and will lose potency over time. Therefore, the pre-minced garlic is less flavorful. For quicker garlic mincing, we smash cloves with the side of a knife, then rock the knife back and forth to reduce any large pieces to a mince. We also like to simmer whole, smashed cloves or sliced garlic in oil and then discard the garlic. This leaves behind a mellow garlic oil in which to cook the remaining ingredients, a technique popular in Italy where garlic flavor is more subtle. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Feb 03, 2021 by Patrick G.
We have made the pizza dough many times now and love it!!! Just wondering at what point in time could you freeze the dough? I would like to make triple batches and keep some in the freezer for using later.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Patrick - I'm not sure which pizza dough you are referring to but, for our standard pizza dough recipe, following the overnight fermentation, the dough can be frozen for longer storage; to use, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the recipe. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
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