CookingAsked Aug 31, 2021 by Susan D.
Are the chilis mentioned in the September edition of the Milk Street magazine for the salsas fresh or dried?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Susan -
It depends on which salsa you are referring to. The Salsa Macha calls for dried guajillo, ancho, and morita or chipotle chiles. The Charred Habanero Salsa calls for fresh habanero chiles. The Fresh Tomatillo and Serrano Chile Salsa calls for fresh Serrano chiles.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 25, 2021 by Brenda K.
I've read the articles about Fettuccine Alfredo and hope to visit Castelnuovo di Porto next year when I return to Rome. Does Francesca Guccion have a restaurant or conduct cooking classes? Her method of making alfredo interests me, and I would love to have some from her.
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
We are not aware that Francesca Guccione teaches any cooking classes.
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 23, 2021 by Gabrielle V.
In your Mediterranean Tuesday Nights you mention using store bought pizza dough, do you have a recommendation of one you like. My experience has been that they are alarmingly sweet, so I might not have 'good' brands available to me in the Midwest. I apologize if I missed this somewhere in the book but I could not find a reference.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Gabrielle - If you aren't a fan of the supermarket pizza dough we recommend contacting a local pizza shop to see if they offer dough balls for sale. Often they will sell these to you fresh or frozen. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read More BakingAsked Aug 16, 2021 by Lynn F.
I have been on a multi-decade hunt for a recipe that produces a sort of doughy center to these cookies, like the cookie my grandmother made. Anyone have one to share?
The recipes I find and have tried all yield a crispy center.
What am I looking for in a doughy-center recipe... is it the addition of an egg? powdered sugar rather than granulated? less butter? relatively less flour?
Thanks for saving me the trouble of making yet another disappointing recipe!
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Dear Lynn,
Perhaps you have already found the solution to making doughy centered Mexican wedding cookies. If not, this article from Food 52 might be able to help. The author mentions "The addition of ground-up nuts almost guarantees tender cookies."
Here is the link. https://food52.com/blog/19002-swap-one-ingredient-get-entirely-new-rich-buttery-cookies
Also, I would be happy to do a little research to see if your grandmother made something similar to Mexican wedding cookies but was something else entirely. If you could tell me where your grandmother was from, where she lived and in what time period, we might find a solution to your multi-decade hunt.
Best,
Elizabeth
Milk Street's Culinary Researcher
Read More GeneralAsked Aug 12, 2021 by Joan M.
I would like to "take" a livestream class but can't attend it at the time it is offered. I don't want to take a space from someone-I would just like to register for the class and then get the recording and the recipes to watch on my own time. Is that possible to do?
Answered by April Dodd
All of our livestream classes are recorded and all registered attendees receive a copy of the recording - along with the recipes, a discount to the Milk Street Store and any bonus resources that come up during class - in a post-class email that typically goes out the morning after class. You'll have access to the recording for a minimum of two months weeks, though you can also download it and store it locally to keep it on hand for as long as you wish. And don't worry about taking a spot from someone else; our livestream classes have a really high capacity, so there's room for everyone!
Read More BakingAsked Aug 06, 2021 by Carol R.
I recently bought half sheet pans from a major flour vendor. I use the pans for 450 degree recipes for rustic bread and pizza. There is also a Cookish chicken recipe that cooks at 500 degrees.
Alas the pans buckled starting at 425 degrees. What brands are people using that work at 450-500 degrees without buckling?
Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Carol - Hopefully some other folks will weigh in on specific brands they recommend - we haven't tested sheet trays at Milk Street - but almost all sheet trays will warp a little bit as a result of the metal expanding as it heats. In general, most sheets won't warp permanently. Once the metal temperature equalizes it should return back to the correct shape. Personally, at home I use this one which has warped a little bit but not enough to affect cooking in any way. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read More Milk Street RecipesAsked Aug 05, 2021 by Linda P.
I want to make this recipe in 3 days... (made it before, and it was great... all at once), but this time I want to know if any (and which) parts can be made AHEAD OF TIME... what can I make Friday and then just whip egg whites and put together Saturday? Anyone try this?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Linda - First, the whole recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to a week or refrigerated for up to 2 hours. See the headnote at the top of the recipe here for freezing/refrigerating instructions. We haven't tested preparing the base ahead of time but we \think\ it could work. We would add the egg yolks and vanilla and then refrigerate the mixture - probably for no more than a day or two - and then bring to room temperature before adding the egg whites. If you find that the mixture has gotten too thick as it sits, add a little more heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, until the consistency is loose enough to add 1/4 of the whites easily. Good luck! Best, The Milk Street Team
Read More BakingAsked Aug 05, 2021 by Marianne S.
Generally for baking cakes, pies, Etc. Does Convection mode produce best results or Standard/conventional mode?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Marianne - We exclusively use conventional bake when developing our recipes at Milk Street. In our experience elsewhere, we have found that convection baking is best when browning or drying is the goal. For example, when roasting meats or toasting or crisping such as in making granola, crisp cookies (biscotti), or dried fruit or vegetables. Otherwise, we have not found much improvement in cooking with convection for cakes or pies. In fact, in some cases, the air that blows the heat around on the convection cycle can cause certain, more delicate, baked goods to rise unevenly or pie doughs to be more likely to slump. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read More GeneralAsked Jul 31, 2021 by Michelle M.
A croissant is crescent shaped. A pain au chocolat is a a small rectangular pastry with a piece of chocolate in it. How did Americans ever get the idea that croissant is the name of a flaky pastry? It's a shape.
They do sell chocolate croissants in France. They are usually made from day old croissants which have been split open and a piece of chocolate put inside. But, I repeat, they are crescent shaped.
Sheesh. You'd think that hot dogs and hamburgers are the same just because they are both served in buns.....
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Michelle -
Can you point us in the direction of where we've referred to croissants incorrectly so we can send your comments to our editorial team?
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Read More GeneralAsked Jul 30, 2021 by Keith A.
Hi, I am hoping for a generalized hard and fast rule for substituting firm white fish (are there unfirm white fish?). Specifically I am looking at Vietnamese Turmeric Fish, which calls for tilapia, but stating that other firm white fish will do. Would catfish, rockfish or mahi mahi fall into this category (easiest versions to get fresh ((first two)) or frozen, respectively). How would flat fish like flounder fall into this?
While I am asking, what about freshwater fish like walleye, bass or trout?
Thanks.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Keith -
When we call for firm white fish we generally mean mildly flavored, quick-cooking fish that usually isn’t very expensive. Popular kinds of white fish are tilapia, cod, bass, grouper, haddock, catfish, and snapper, and these are great for frying, searing, using in soups and chowders, and baking. Generally anything other than tuna, swordfish, salmon or other oil-rich and less mild fish should work in this recipe. Just keep in mind that, if the filets are thinner, they will cook faster and, if they are more flaky, they will be a bit more challenging to flip.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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