Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Rosie Gill

Hi Angie - Your daughter can absolutely leave out the orange zest and juice and the cinnamon. She will have a really rich chocolatey base for her fruit. She may want to add 1-2 TBS of water to replace the orange juice. One idea -- if she wants to add a 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom instead of cinnamon, that would pair nicely with the blueberries and strawberries.

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi Angie, I'm so sorry that we missed this and failed to respond before the 4th. Did your daughter make the tart? Yes, the tart would be fine without those flavorings, though I think the orange and cinnamon is pretty good with most berries! That would be delicious with strawberries in particular. A little cardamom instead of cinnamon is quite good too with the berries. Thanks, Matthew Card, creative director, recipes and products

Answered by Matthew Card

Hi, I apologise for the delay in responding. I've spent a lot of time in Germany and the quark there is quite delicious--and a far different product than anything common in the US. It can be expensive in the States, though most European specialty stores stock it. We've never developed a recipe for it, but there are many available online. Most require a yogurt maker to keep the dairy--cultured buttermilk or a combination of buttermilk and whole milk--at the right temperature long enough to separate the curds from whey. It's typically a temperature between 100-124 degrees for varying amounts of time. Regarding a substitute, not sure if there really is one. I think the flavor and texture fall in between thick Greek yogurt or labneh and creme fraiche. Some say a good substitute is ricotta enriched with a very small portion of sour cream. -Matthew Card, creative director, recipes and products

Hi Sonya - Organizing favorites is on the list for future development!

Answered by Chris Kimball

Thanks for the suggestion and we will most definitely consider! Optimum condition of baked goods can really vary according to ambient temperature, humidity and storage methods. Its a great suggestion for our headnote information.

Answered by Chris Kimball

Hi, I'm sorry for the late response! Store brands of ricotta can contain wildly different amounts of liquid and, in some cases, thickeners to stabilize the texture. We've updated the original recipe from the magazine by adding an additional 1/2 cup flour to firm up the texture. You can find the updated recipe here: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/spinach-ricotta-dumplings-tomato-sauce-palline-al-verde

Answered by Chris Kimball

I had to look this one up. Spelt flour weighs in close to 200 grams (194) per cup whereas AP is around 130 grams (we say 130 grams and King Arthur says 140 grams).

Answered by Chris Kimball

Hi, Are you OK with vinegar? I typically blend ketchup, a little grated garlic, prepared horseradish (the refrigerated stuff), a little fresh thyme and a pinch of sugar. Also, a little hot sauce if you want it extra spicy!

Answered by Chris Kimball

I use the Vietnamese stir fried chicken wings where the fried wings are finished in a wok with the sauce. They remain pretty crispy although any sauce is going to take some of the crispiness away. You could try this method and use much LESS sauce. The sauce in the Vietnamese version is powerful and not too sweet which means you can use less and it won't penetrate the skin as much.

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Deglin. We are very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Unfortunately, we are not qualified to develop recipes for specific dietary needs. Most of our savory recipes are very adaptable though and we have a lot of vegetable and grain dishes that could perhaps fit within your dietary guidelines. We wish you all the best. The Milk Street Team