CookingAsked Sep 04, 2020 by Ron L.
Hello friends, I hope you don’t mind my sharing a food story.
Have you ever swallowed a machete? I have, many times! I enjoyed today's member email featuring Tlayudas and it reminded me of one of my favorite Mexican treats, The Machete, a massive quesadilla I've only seen in Villa de Tezontepec. Villa de Tezontepec is a small town north of the Valley of Teotihuacan in the state of Hildalgo.
Several years ago after an exhausting day of trolling the local leather shops, some friends and I stumbled upon a restaurant off the main square called (appropriately enough) "El Mexicano." For 65 pesos (about $3 these days) you can choose from a dozen different varieties of The Machete.
This massive quesadilla is a huge, handmade corn tortilla stuffed with griddled meats and vegetables and melted cheese. The picture barely does it justice... it's one of the best things I've ever eaten. I've been several times with my friends.
Thanks for having a great show, website, and recipes!
Ron
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Answered by Lynn Clark
What a great story, Ron! Thanks so much for sharing. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 04, 2020 by Mei T.
I was curious about the water to rice ratio in the coconut rice with beans recipe in the Fast and Slow cookbook. Usually the water to rice ratio in the Instant Pot is 1 to 1. In this recipe, it asks for 1.5 cups rice to 2.5 cups coconut water. It’s not clear why this ratio is different in this case so I just wanted to make sure this is correct before proceeding with the recipe. Thank you!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mei - Yes, this amount is correct because we are not only cooking rice in water. In addition to the rice and the coconut water, we've got scallions, garlic, bell peppers, and cilantro stems, all of which contain some amount of water too. After testing the recipe multiple times we've tried to anticipate how much water those vegetables will release and adjusted the amount of coconut water accordingly. Hope that helps explain the difference. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 02, 2020 by Kevin M.
This question is not only for this recipe but for others. My broiler has two settings, high and low. When the recipe instructs to heat the broiler, I assume most ovens just have one setting. Would you advise the high or low setting as best match for the recipe?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Kevin - I checked in with our Director of Recipe Development, Diane Unger, and she recommends using the "high" setting on your broiler to match the broilers in our kitchen. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 01, 2020 by Barbara K.
It looks like Maid of Scandanavia is out of business. Is there a similar company that offers all the baking supplies that MOS did?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Barbara - I'm not super familiar with Maid of Scandinavia, but in my quick research I think it was a cake supply company? Is that correct? If so, I think Wilton is probably the next best source. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 01, 2020 by diana B.
Why can the dough rise and then fall? I have baked bread for many years, and falling is a no-no. Is it because of the high hydration? Doesn't the gluten over-stretch all the same?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Diana - According to our science expert, the rise, collapse, and re-rise of the dough is beneficial because the process stretches and weakens the gluten so it is not so tough and helps to incorporate more air into the dough that also affects the strength of the gluten and texture of the bread. The lengthy rest produces additional gas and air pockets, much of which are retained within the dough resulting in the airy structure. The high ratio of water to flour also produces a significant amount of steam during baking that aids in expanding the air pockets, further adding to the airy open crumb structure. In addition, the fairly high amount of salt slows the rate of yeast fermentation and gas formation which works well with the long rest time producing a batter-like dough, while it also increases crust color and taste. Hope this helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Aug 31, 2020 by beth S.
In the mexican cornbread recipe that was on the recent podcast, should I cook the corn prior to removing from the cob? Or does this recipe call for raw corn kernels?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Beth- The recipe calls for cutting raw kernels off the cob. No need to cook it! Good luck and enjoy. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Aug 31, 2020 by Mark R.
Hi. Is there a thickness that you would recommend for a pizza steel? Thanks
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mark - The ones we use in the Milk Street kitchen (and what I use at home) are 1/4" thick. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Aug 28, 2020 by sheekha D.
I get that pizza dough requires dry toppings, but we still like sauce on the pizza. can we bake the crust without putting anything and then halfway we top it up with sauce and cheese?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Sheekha - I spoke with Christopher Kimball - who created the recipe - and he said the following, "No, it won’t work. You really have to keep anything moist off the top to get a crispy top crust - moisture will ruin it even halfway through." Hope this helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Aug 28, 2020 by Kate R.
I've been cooking a lot less meat, and have been stretching to boost flavors, and one of the things I've found that can work is adding tea in the background. However, as I've moved from meat to more meat substitutes or alternative protiens (eggs or cheese instead of meat or meat-subs, for example,) I've begun to have difficulty balancing the flavors, ie I use a green and everything gets too vegetal and a bit metallic, I use a smoked black and the tannins become very apparent. Do you have any tips I can use to fix this? It's also generally when I do Asian-style noodle dishes, and I would like to branch out in ways that are not well...really obvious (making a barbecue sauce for a bean and nut "meat"loaf with a lapsang souchong base, or a mushroom sauce with an addition of a pu-erh, for example.)
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Kate - My advice would be to continue to use the tea, but just use less. Start by cutting back by 1/2 and work your way up until you find a flavor balance that works for you. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Aug 28, 2020 by Karen J.
Can you provide instructions for the Jollof Rice with Shrimp for those without an instapot? Thank you!!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Karen - That recipe was based off a stovetop version we developed for one of our other cookbooks. You can find the stovetop version of the recipe here. The stovetop version doesn't call for shrimp, but you can easily add it when you add the peas at the end. The residual heat in the covered pot should cook the shrimp through during the 5 minutes it sits. If you find they aren't quite ready, just heat the pan over low to finish cooking them. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
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