Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Gail - We are so glad you enjoyed the bete noire! The pieces of zest are meant to be very finely sliced for serving. We chose to cook the zest in larger strips (and then slice after sugaring) to prevent the zest from falling apart during candying. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Ann - We weren’t able to find exactly what you were looking for, but there is certainly some anecdotal evidence of wrapping cheese in a vinegar-soaked paper towel to prevent mold and preserve it. We haven’t been able to find any actual research-based evidence to support this, however. The most important thing to consider when it comes to cheese storage is maintaining proper moisture. Too dry and the cheese will dry out. To humid/moist and too much bacteria will grow and the cheese will become moldy. Specialty cheese paper can help prevent this with a two-ply construction that lets cheese breathe without drying out. In the Milk Street Store, we sell a cheese grotto that was created by a cheesemonger to solve all of the issues of cheese storage. It’s handmade from breathable bamboo wood to prevent premature molding and contains a clay brick humidifier on the bottom that, when soaked in water regularly, regulates moisture (no more crumbly cheese!). A vaulted ceiling makes for ideal airflow and condensation control, while an adjustable back panel promotes extra breathability. Hope this helps! The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Linda - A dark metal pan absorbs and distributes heat more quickly and thoroughly than lighter-colored pans. So not only does your cake bake more quickly in a dark pan, its crust can potentially burn (or at least brown unpleasantly) due to over-exposure to oven heat. Therefore, you should lower the temperature by 25 degrees and start checking you baked goods about 10 minutes before the times specified in the recipe. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Matthew - We have a couple of recipes that this would be great in. Adding a dash or two to our Yogurt Loaf Cake, specifically, or any of our pound cakes would be really nice. It would also be great in rice pudding, such as this one with Bourbon, Orange, and Cardamom. Now is a good time for us to emphasize that less is more: Too much of these aromatic flavors (in your nose or in a dish) will remind you of soap or granny’s perfume rather than something indescribably delicious and unusual. A dash or two is probably as much as we would advise. Good luck! The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Scott - Unfortunately, we don’t have experience road cooking and traveling in an RV for Milk Street and haven’t had the opportunity to road trip between the US and Canada. Any of the recipes from our World in a Skillet cookbook would be great recipes for cooking either on a small RV stovetop or a campfire. Happy Travels! The Milk Street Cooking Team

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

Hello Sherry, As a Milk Street Insider, you can take our self-paced skillets class for free. Just log in to find that information. You can also pre-order our new carbon steel wok from the Milk Street store; it is currently being offered for a special price. You'll find Care and Use information at the store link as well. Thank you, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Leta - You should be able to replace the milk with coconut milk. Just make sure the can in well blended before using it in your recipe. You can sub 1:1 for the milk. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Emanuel - It's hard to tone down a spicy food successfully, which is why we try to advocate for making chili from scratch so you have more control over the heat level. There is some evidence to suggest that you can tone down heat with some sugar or acidity (vinegar or lime juice), but we aren't sure it would work well enough. You could also try diluting the chili by adding more tomato - diced, pureed, or crushed. Good Luck! The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joanne - Although we definitely have gluten-free recipes, since we don't specialize in gluten-free recipes at Milk Street, we don't categorize our recipes in that way. Sorry for any confusion. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Marsha - If you've seen us (or guests of ours) use a portable induction cooktop it's likely we are using it simply for convenience. When filming videos, for social media especially, a traditional cooktop setup isn't always positioned to show you what we want you to see so we will set up a portable cooktop instead. We don't have a specific brand recommendation, but you'll want to look for an induction cooktop that comes with several preset power levels, which adjust the wattage used by the burner. The more power levels, the more control you’ll have over the speed of cooking. You’ll also want to look at the burner size as you compare portable induction cooktops. Most have a minimum and maximum pot size that they can accommodate, so make sure your induction-friendly pans will fit. (Remember: Induction cookware must be made out of a magnetic-based material, such as cast iron or magnetic stainless steel.) Hope that helps! The Milk Street Team