GeneralAsked Jan 28, 2022 by Joseph W.
In last night's class on Advanced Flavor Techniques, Rosie talked about Milk Street theory. Part of that discussion centered around "warm" and "cool" foods and ingrediants. It seemed that warmth and coolness partly refer to temperature, but partly refer to flavor. It left me uncertain as to the definition and conceptual foundation of warmth and coolness. Can you'all help a confused cook here?
Thanks!
Joe
Answered by April Dodd
Hi Joe,
Thanks for reaching out, and thanks for coming to Advanced Flavor Techniques! The assessment of warmth and coolness is sometimes subjective (and open to debate, as you saw in class!), but here are some general guidelines to help you divide ingredients into categories:
Warming ingredients are often sweet, starchy, rich and / or fatty; they may literally warm you up with capsaicinoids (i.e., hot chilies and other sources of spice); and / or be warm in temperature. Some good examples of warming foods: pasta noodles, deeply browned roasted vegetables or meats, paprika, aged cheeses, chili oil.
Cooling ingredients are often sour or acidic; fresh and herbal; and / or are cold in temperature. Examples: yogurt, citrus juice, light-colored vinegars, most fresh herbs, crunchy raw cucumber, (cold) feta cheese.
Another question to ask yourself, Joe, is simply: how does this ingredient or dish make me feel? Do you imagine eating it on a cold winter day or at an outdoor barbecue? If the former, it's likely warming; and if the latter, it's likely cooling. Trust your gut - and have fun experimenting!
-April
Read MoreAsked Jan 27, 2022 by Judith S.
In a recent issue there was an "aside" or "parenthetical" note about a Recipe for Cacio e Pepi that involved using a blender, A link to the website was included.
Can you help me find that recipe?
Thanks,'
Judie Stone
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Judie - You can find our new cacio e pepe recipe here. Our recipe is inspired by a recipe from Luciano Monosilio, who makes his sauce in a blender and then cooks the pasta in a skillet. Ultimately we shortened his version (and skipped the blender) because we found we could simply start and finish the whole dish in the skillet. We begin the sauce by combining water with flour, adding the pasta and cooking to al dente, then removing it from the heat, adding the cheese, oil and pepper and tossing. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 27, 2022 by Michael P.
Just wanted to bring to attention that the timing for the Caldo Tlalpeño recipe is really off. The stated time start to finish is 1 hour but if you add up all the times in the recipe, in the best case, it would be 71 minutes, but of course that's not including any of the rest, such as chopping vegatbles, removing chicken from frying, etc. It actually took me over 2 hours to make this... It's a great soup, but that certainly seems like an error to me.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Michael - You're right. The times here are probably a little off since they don't account for simmering, heating, and prep time. I'm going to let our recipe editor know to update. That being said, the cooking times actually add up to a total of 68 minutes, since shredding the chicken and cooking the beans takes place while the rice is cooking so those times would be combined. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jan 27, 2022 by Anthony Z.
Is there a reason it is not possible to register for this class on Eventbrite? Even if a class is sold out, I usually see a "waitlist" option and there isn't one here. Just "Event Sales Ended".
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Anthony - I checked in with the Cooking School team and they assured me the class is still open and the registration button is working. If it helps, here is the direct link to the class registration on Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/substitutions-how-to-make-great-choices-tickets-190633338447. If you are still having issues with registration, you can reach out to the cooking school directly at cookingschool@177milkstreet.com (this is probably the most direct way) or let us know here. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jan 25, 2022 by Edward P.
I understand that most unused spices should be discarded after one year of living in the pantry. My question is do "whole" spices unground spices have a longer shelf life when stored away from heat and direct light?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Edward - Yes, whole spices should last about 2-3 years. But, don't just throw away your ground spices after a year either. Try toasting them first - if they are aromatic, you can still use them for a little bit longer. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 22, 2022 by Roane L.
What kind of blender is used in Episode 519, "La Cucina de Puerto Vallarta? Is it an Oster?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Roane - I believe the blender is the Oster Classic Series Heritage Blender, like the one here. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jan 21, 2022 by Marcia F.
I have taken several classes and in each one most of the products are unavailable. First, why would Milk Street not pre-stock the recommended items before the class is offered? And, second, it is a poor business practice. If people cannot purchase the items at the time they take the class, they are less likely to buy the products at all resulting in lost revenue. I have also had poor experiences with the website and calling customer service. I believe the concept and content of Milk Street are good but poor planning and customer service will be the downfall of this good effort if they are not fixed soon.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Peggy - You can search by word in the recipe search bar and it will bring up all recipes that reference that word. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 18, 2022 by Dev G.
Listened to your short take on Japanese Curries on Milk St Radio. As an Indian American ( AZ ) who has been to Japan over 25 times I must say that after a hard day of meetings and evenings of obligatory Sake swilling, nothing can beat a late night feast of Japanese Karey - Raisu served by Room Service and eaten on bed. Even my Dad used to love it when I would take him to Japan on biz trips.
Now here is a bit of history. How did the Japanese get into the Curry habit ? Actually courtesy the Brits. In the late 19 th century the Japanese were trying to catch up with the West, primarily the Brits. They were importing whole big Warships from GB. The determined Japanese thought that to be powerful they needed not just Western Gun boats, but their Sailors too must get strong like the British sailors. So they too needed to start eating Beef but being used to fresh fish they could n't handle the smell of Beef. Curry used to be regular Friday fare on board Her Britannic Majesty's Ships. So along w/ Warships and Gunnery the Japanese adopted Curry spices too from RN as a way to good way to mask the flavor of Beef. Even today if you go to Yokosuka, Japan's principal Naval Base at the mouth of the Tokyo Bay ( about 50 miles west of the City ) you will find little stands selling Karey - Raisu that is much more like Indian Curry ( i,e. w/o thickeners except for the Potatoes ). As you move further east to Tokyo ( through Ofuna, Yokohama, Kawasaki ) the amount of Roux and Soy sauce in Karey increases. BTW based on my culinary researches in Nagasaki and Portugal, I am inclined to believe that TEMPURA ( Japanese corruption of "Tem Pakora" ) too comes from India ( have you ever tried Pakoras, veggie fritters deep fried in batter ), carried by the Portuguese from Goa to Penang to Macao to Nagasaki where it stuck. You can NOT find any Tempura in Portugal.
BTW Lynn was winging it when she said that the Japanese have their Curries with Quinoa, Amaranth etc. too. The Japanese get very serious about their Curries right from their school days, as they get it for lunch 2 or 3 times a week, and when it comes to their Karey Raisu avoid the 31 flavors approach ( though they do have a version called "VERMONT" Curry in which Potatoes are replaced by Apples ) .
One of these days I will tell you about the traditional desserts at the Melk Monastery on the banks of the Donau just upstream of Wachau.
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Dev - Thank you so much for this fascinating history of Japanese Curry! History told from the perspective of food is so rich.
Read MoreAsked Jan 13, 2022 by Dilip J.
Many recipes call for some form of alcohol. For those of us who avoid alcohol for religious or other reasons, it would be great to know if there are substitutions.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Dilip - We've answered this question a few times on the board. You can find some suggestions here, here and here. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 12, 2022 by Tracy G.
Is there a way to save a recipe as a PDF to a file in my computer?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Tracy - Yes! When you hit the print button to the left of the ingredient list you should see a pop-up of the print screen. Underneath the preview of your printed recipe in the lower left corner of the pop-up window will be a button that says "PDF." If you click on that drop down menu there will be an option to "Save as PDF." You can then select the folder or location in which you want to save the file as a PDF. Best, The Milk Street Team
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