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Milk Street Q&A

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Cooking

Asked May 17, 2021 by Carol J.

Which Broiler Setting to Use for Recipes

In general, when a recipe calls for broiling should you use the Low or High broiler setting? Or since all ovens are different do you just wing it?

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Carol - Others have had the same question (see here). Our Director of Recipe Development recommends the "high" setting to match the broilers in our kitchen. Best, Lynn C.

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Customer Service

Asked May 16, 2021 by Joshua H.

Suggestion to Sell Specialty Ingredients with New Milk Street Issues

So this evening I made the current issue's cover recipe, risi e bisi and I noticed that it called for something called vialone nano but stated arborio rice would substitute. I then noticed the Milk Street store didn't have vialone nano rice at all. Have you considered putting together a package of specialty ingredients to be sold in your store in conjunction with whatever is in the latest issue? (I.E. vialone nano rice or specialty star anise for a Vietnamese dish or whatever, etc). I think that would be cool to just know a new issue is coming and that I've not going to have to mail order stuff piece meal to cook anything in it. By the way, the risi e bisi is fantastic! Totally wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, but it was definitely a hit at my house.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joshua - Thanks so much for the suggestion! I will certainly pass it along to our Milk Street Store team. I do know that the store team does try to seek out specialty ingredients that can be found in our recipes whenever they can. In some cases, they just haven't found the right product yet. We are so glad to hear you loved the rice e bisi. We love it too! Best, Lynn C.

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Cooking

Asked May 13, 2021 by Theresa M.

How to Cook a Quarter Pig

We've been gifted a quartered, frozen, small pig from a new farmer. 21 pounds in total: two front legs, two hind legs, one ?torso.  I'll be cooking it off for my son and buddies. Do I brine it? (thaw then brine, or toss in brine frozen?) I would only think to moist bake it for a pulled pork, but I'm not sure if that's best. I have access to a gas grill, no smoker, two ovens. Help?

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Theresa - Lucky you! I don't think you need to brine it - if it's a young pig it's probably pretty fatty and succulent already. I would probably roast it low and slow and then crank the heat at the end to crisp the skin. Friend of Milk Street, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, does this method in his guide to roasting a whole suckling pig at Serious Eats, which you can find here. Good luck and enjoy it! Best, Lynn C.

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Baking

Asked May 13, 2021 by Sally J.

Can You Substitute Dark Rye Flour in Sticky Toffee Pudding

Would it be possible to substitute dark rye flour in this recipe in place of rye flour? The source of the dark rye flour is Bob’s Red Mill. Many thanks for all that you do for us!

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Sally - We haven't tested the recipe with dark rye flour so we can't say for sure what the results will be. That being said, a darker rye flour will yield a sticky toffee pudding with a more prominent rye flavor and, potentially, a denser texture. Also, be sure to substitute by weight rather than by volume to account for the difference in weight per cup. Best, Lynn C.

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Milk Street Recipes

Asked May 12, 2021 by James P.

Where to Find Favorite Recipes on Milk Street

How do I find recipes that I marked as favorites?

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi James - Once you're logged into your account, you can click the "Account" button on the top right of the screen. Your favorites will be listed there. Alternatively, you can follow this link - https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/favorites. Best, Lynn C.

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Milk Street Recipes

Asked May 12, 2021 by Gregory H.

Are Milk Street Bay Leaves Dried or Fresh

Was getting ready to go gather the ingredients to start marinating this lovely looking recipe, and realized that the recipe isn't specific about the bay leaves. Dried or fresh? Totally different flavor profile! Anyone have a clue? I would assume dried since there's 10(!) of them and that seems like it would be a lot of fresh leaves, but I also see that the recipe specifically calls for dried oregano so now I'm not sure. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe, so I don't want to muck it up.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Gregory - Our recipes assume dried bay leaves when we call for bay leaves. If we call for fresh bay leaves we will explicitly call for them. Best, Lynn C.

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Baking

Asked May 12, 2021 by Chelsea H.

Can You Freeze Single-Crust Pie Dough

Is it okay to freeze the single-crust pie dough? If so, can it be done as a 4-inch disk? Or should it be fully blind-baked and then frozen? Thanks!

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Chelsea - You can freeze this for sure. I do it all the time around the holidays. You can freeze as a disk or roll and shape and freeze in the pie dish (unbaked). I wouldn't bake before freezing, though, for fear that the dough would lose too much moisture. Best, Lynn C.

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General

Asked May 06, 2021 by Claudia M.

How Long Do Preserved Lemons Last

In 2019 I made a large jar of preserved lemons, and I still have about 1/3 of it left. How do I know if it is still save to use? It does not smell "off", there is no mold/funny color, and it does seem to taste ok, but I am still a bit nervous about using it. Is there a rule of thumb or way to tell if something preserved has spoiled, other than sending yourself/family/guests to the er?

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Claudia - Most reputable sources would recommend keeping preserved lemons for about a year. Especially if the jar has been opened. Best, Lynn C.

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General

Asked May 06, 2021 by Ellen T.

Fennel Seed, Capers and Mint Substitutes in Recipes

Can I leave fennel seed out a a reciept or should I substitute with something else. Capers I can do on the side-- I love them He also hates mint, can I leave that out.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Ellen - You can definitely leave fennel seeds out of a recipe, but it will, obviously, affect the flavor. Depending on the recipe, you can substitute with another seed such as cumin, dill, or caraway. You can also skip mint and, depending on the recipe, replace with parsley or cilantro. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

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Milk Street Recipes

Asked May 06, 2021 by Patricia M.

How to Use Juniper in Double Chocolate Cake with Honey-Rosemary Syrup

I just watched today's episode and Briana Holt had juniper berries instead of rosemary for this cake. She added it to the batter but when I looked up the recipe here is not mentioned at all...would you let me know what is the quantity of juniper berries that she's ground and added to the flour part of the cake and how much for the syrup? Thank you so much!

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Patricia - We recently updated the web version of the cake to include instructions for making the cake using juniper as seen in Brianna Holt's version on the show. Our version is an adaptation of hers - we chose rosemary for our main version since it's more readily available - but here are the amounts/instructions for juniper: If you’d like to try juniper, in a small skillet over medium, toast 2 teaspoons dried juniper berries until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes; let cool, then pulverize in a spice grinder to a fine powder. Whisk 1 teaspoon of the ground juniper into the dry ingredients for the cake; use the remainder in place of the rosemary to make the syrup, but when transferring the syrup from the saucepan to a liquid measuring cup, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer. Best, Lynn C.

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