Milk Street Q&A

Answered by April Dodd

Hi Mary - great question! We love spatchcocking poultry, whether it's chicken, turkey or, yes, goose. Because a goose is a larger bird, just make sure your kitchen shears are definitely up to the task; if you're worried, turn to a sturdy, Western-style chef's knife to remove the spine. For cooking, you can treat it very much like a turkey, giving it a long cook at a fairly low temperature - I'd go with 350°F - though, because it's spatchcocked and will therefore cook a bit faster than a whole trussed-up bird, you may want to start it off higher (like 400°F) to accelerate browning of the skin before dropping the temperature down. To judge doneness, think of your goose like a chicken or turkey thigh - the dark meat, in other words - which means you're looking for a temperature of right around 175°F in the thickest parts of the goose leg and breast. And for flavor, you can take it in any number of different directions! Take a look at our Brown Ale Turkey for some great inspiration. - April D.

Answered by April Dodd

Joanna - I certainly echo Larry's encouraging comments above (thank you, Larry!). The scum you are seeing is a result of the butternut squash's starches adhering to the knife and then drying out. Fear not: it's easy to remove this starch using very hot water, soap and the slightly more scrubby side of a normal kitchen sponge. Avoid using an aggressive metal or steel wool scraper, which can scratch your knife. With soap and hot water, you should find that the starch easily comes off and your knife looks good as new. - April D.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Diana - As long as the fat content of the yogurt is similar to the sour cream, you can definitely substitute. I probably wouldn't substitute nonfat yogurt, though, since it lacks any fat and often has stabilizers added that might behave differently in a recipe. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Evan Petto

Hi Donn, Thanks for your comment. There are two ways you can access the search function. You can access the search function via the magnifying glass on the top right hand of the site (on any page), as well as the dedicated recipe search on the top right of the home page. Both options are shown below. https://www.177milkstreet.com/assets/site/Screen-Shot-2020-11-23-at-2.08.03-PM.png You can also access the recipes from our "Lasagna Bolognese" episode here: https://www.177milkstreet.com/assets/site/Screen-Shot-2020-11-23-at-2.08.03-PM.png Please let us know if this helps. Thank you!

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Craig - Our recipe style is to provide weights for baking recipes - because we would really prefer that people weigh their dry ingredients for baking - and any ingredient you might purchase by weight (produce, meat, etc.). However, we've found that most folks don't have a scale at home and prefer volume measurements. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Carol - You've come to the right place at the right time! Our Editorial Director, J.M. Hirsch, just published a book that covers exactly what you want. You can find his book, Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home, here. I'm a bit biased, obviously, but it's probably the most easy-to-follow cocktail book I've seen. It covers all the basics - how to set up a bar, garnish, shake/stir, etc. But I love that the drinks are organized by liquor type \and\ characteristic. So, for example, if you know you want bourbon, but it's a hot summer day, you can flip through the bourbon cocktails until you find one that's labeled "refreshing" or "fruity" to match the day. I'm also personally fond of the fact that the cocktails are labeled with a "strong" tag to make sure I don't get ahead of myself when day drinking. :-) J.M. has mixed up some of his cocktails on our Facebook and Instagram pages for our Milk Street at Home videos (his Apple Cream Pie cocktail is perfect for the holidays!). Go check them out! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Anthony - I'd look for a vegan ice cream recipe. These are usually made with coconut milk or coconut cream. Unfortunately we don't have a recipe here at Milk Street. We always think the folks over at Serious Eats do a great job of recipe development so I'd recommend this recipe. The recipes has a ton of great reviews on it as well. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Cheryl - I checked in with our team in the store and they say it is meant to be a bit loose. It doesn't vacuum-seal or seal up very tightly. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Craig - It sounds like you have a pretty good turkey plan in place! We've only got a couple of turkey recipes here at Milk Street and they are both all about simplicity. Neither involves a brine, but the Tea-Rubbed Maple Turkey has a salt-smoky tea-white pepper rub. In that case we are using a 12-14 lb. turkey and using 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of white pepper, and 6 bags of lapsang souchong tea, rubbing the turkey, and letting it sit for 24 hours before roasting. However, I don't think our tea rub follows the recommended formula, which is 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of turkey. No baking soda involved in that recipe. Our other turkey, Brown Ale Turkey and Gravy, is basted with a flavorful (salty) liquid while roasting so no need to brine/salt. I think if you want to stick with your plan you'd want to follow the general recommendation of 1 teaspoon of salt per pound. Happy Thanksgiving! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Georgina - You're right. Those settings are pretty general and don't always match up from stovetop to stovetop. Unless you have an infrared thermometer that would be pretty challenging to measure on your own stove and, likely, even variable from day-to-day. When reading recipes look for key words to help guide you - simmer, brown, sear, etc. These will give you a visual clue to look for to ensure that the temperature is not too high or low. Best, Lynn C.