Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

We do not have a published reference chart. The sizes suggested in recipes will give you a general idea of what was used to develop a recipe. Savory recipes are often pretty flexible; the cooking time and flavor might be affected by a big difference in the size of an ingredient, but we always offer sensory cues for recipes, in addition to timing cues. You can always adapt a recipe — more or less garlic according to your own taste preferences or use a small onion or a medium potato if that's all you have. Just use your senses and follow the cues as you adjust. Baking recipes usually require more precision.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Yes you can omit those flavorings but if you want to do a classic French fruit tart, then just use pastry cream as the base and top with berries. It's a classic.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Nope. This is tricky stuff and will lead to disaster. You can try using a substitute flour like from King Arthur but every recipe is a bit different. Best off baking from a book that is specific to gluten free. I have had the best luck with almond flour but - our Spanish Almond Cake is a winner and easy to make.

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.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Few things. Make sure that there is enough water in the skillet - you want a good cup of water in there as you add the cheese. Second, sounds like your heat is too high. Try medium. Third, make sure that you use tongs to slowly mix the water, pasta and cheese til it melts into a sauce.

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi, Grilling can be a real pain in the neck, so I understand why you don't grill. We typically include instructions for broiling or indoor cooking when it's a fairly easy translation. Broiling generally works for grilling, but it's important to remember a few key points. For starters, there's the equipment. A broiler tray, or wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet, is essential in that it mimics a grill grate and allows liquid to wick away rather than pool on the pan. Then it's crucial to get the pan's height adjusted to the heating element. Usually, its between 4 to 6 inches. Your oven rack should be adjustable to these heights, but you can always put always invert a rimmed baking sheet and place your baking pan on top of it if you need to "fudge" the height. Thirdly, pay CLOSE attention. Depending on the intensity of the heating of the heating element, foods can cook very quickly. Don't walk away! For the potato salad, I would follow the recipe, but broil the potatoes on a broiler tray 6 inches from heating element, turning them as they brown. It should take about 6 minutes. Best, Matt C.

Answered by Chris Kimball

The only thing I can think of is that if the garlic is still in the pan it will burn when you saute the eggplant. But if it is just the oil, I agree - just make sure that there are no bits and pieces of the sofrito left.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Good idea - get rid of that low fat stuff! Yes, you can but my guess is that you would have to reduce the cornstarch since the mixture is going to be thicker to start. If the recipe calls for 3 tbsps, go down to 2 and see what happens.

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi, Typically, a pan is wiped between batches to ensure nothing cooked is left in the pan that might burn if it were to be cooked longer. Aromatics, like garlic or onions, can burn and taste very acrid if overcooked Yes, everything is ultimately combined for caponata, but the best results come from perfectly cooking each element. That said, if your pan is perfectly clean between batches, I think you're probably safe to skip the step! Thanks, Matt C.

Answered by Chris Kimball

You really need STARCH from the bronze die cut pasta to make this recipe work BUT if you use a rice pasta or whatever, you might add a bit of cornstarch to the water to get the same effect. Try two teaspoons right at the beginning and see if that helps.