Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Linda - I spoke with the recipe developer, Diane Unger, and she didn't think there was any way to make a "mile high" quiche in a standard tart pan. As for leaks in your springform pan, I've had luck with blind baking the crust and then brushing the crust with egg white to create a layer of protection between the custard and the crust (this is a good tip for any blind-baked custard pie crust). I would also line the outside of the springform pan with tin foil just in case. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Ramona - I'm so sorry you were disappointed! I'm not 100% sure which recipe you are referring to - is it our Green Enchiladas with Chicken and Cheese? Sometimes during development a recipe can go through several iterations before the recipe is complete. It may start in one place and end up, weeks later, in a completely different place. I don't know exactly why we chose to use a food processor here instead of a blender, but I do know that our recipe developers are very conscientious about authenticity and really think (and rethink...and rethink) equipment and ingredient choices to develop the best-tasting and easiest version of recipes that Chris brings back from his travels, while also staying true to the original. It's possible that, in this case, we chose a food processor because it made the most sense at one time in the recipe development. That being said, I think you absolutely could make the green sauce in a good-quality blender. We'd love to hear how is goes if you do! Thanks for watching the show! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Itamar - We think our recipes should work in any oven, so we never use convection in our Milk Street kitchen. If you are cooking multiple trays of food or have a full oven at the holidays, using the convection setting can help keep the air circulated for more even cooking. Convection cooking also increases browning so it can be helpful when roasting meats. As for temperature and time changes, I always recommend lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and starting to check your food 10-15 minutes earlier the first time you use convection for a recipe. This allows you to gauge browning and doneness without the food becoming overcooked. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Valorie - Our goal at Milk Street is to travel the world and learn how the rest of the world cooks on a daily basis and introduce our readers to those dishes and techniques. These are bold dishes using fresh vegetables, herbs, fish, etc., many of which I'm sure fit into the keto/paleo lifestyle, but we don't have plans to focus on any specific diets in our magazine. I am not schooled on the intricacies of the Keto/Paleo diets, so I'm not sure which ingredients are and are not acceptable. However, most reliable recipes for pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato gnocchi usually also include white potato. This is because squash and sweet potatoes are significantly more wet than white potato which, in turn, creates a very wet gnocchi dough that's would be hard to work with. If you want to use squash or sweet potatoes, I would recommend really drying them out before using them in your dough. You can do this in a low oven or a dry pot on the stovetop after cooking them. Also, as I'm sure you know, gnocchi needs flour for structure so you will need to sub with a gluten-free flour as well. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Marsha - I would try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees for the full cooking time. This will help give the center enough time to bake through before the outside is too brown. Also, we recommend using a volume measurement for the main ingredient - bananas, zucchini, etc. Sometimes recipes call for "four bananas" or "two zucchini' but not all bananas or zucchini are of equal size, so you end up with too much weight in your batter and the cake won't rise properly. Look for recipes that call for a cup or weight measurement and make sure to measure precisely. If you haven't tried our Brown Butter Cardamom Banana Bread, definitely give that one a try! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Chi - You are correct - it's the cheese. We call for whole-milk mozzarella because it melts better. Part-skim is great for browning, but its more likely to seize into a mass than flow when it melts. The fontina is there, not only for flavor, but because its also a great melting cheese. We place the steel on the upper middle rack in the oven to better heat the baking steel. (It’s also easier to slide the pizza off the steel when the rack is in a higher position.) While an oven is heating up, the heat usually comes from the top and the bottom of the oven so this will really get the steel as hot as possible. It's the top of the steel that actually cooks the bottom of the pizza so getting this really hot is key to crispy crust. We don't call for using the broiler in our recipe, but if you want to turn yours on to get more browning on the top, definitely try it! Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Michael - We don't have any recipes in our database for sourdough starter discard and, if we did, they would probably be pretty similar to what King Arthur has on their website. I did find this article that had some pretty interesting ideas (batter for fried foods, granola, etc.), but you can also freeze it or give it away to friends. I'd also suggest keeping your starter in the fridge and only feeding it once a week so you don't have as much to discard. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Andrew - Depending on which season, we have used both Kitchenaid and Breville food processors on the show. Not sure of the model and I can't check since we aren't allowed to be in the kitchen right now, but definitely one of the larger ones. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Allyson - Sour cream would be the closest substitute for creme fraiche, but isn't quite as rich. Whole milk plain Greek yogurt would be another decent substitute. Since we are talking about a pie filling, I wouldn't recommend using low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt since it might impact the texture due to the lack of fat. You could also try to make your own creme fraiche if you've got heavy cream and buttermilk. Mix 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Partially cover the jar with a kitchen towel and let it stand at room temperature up to 24 hours. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will become. When it has thickened, stir and store in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Leslie - There is no general conversion for Instant Pot recipes, but some of the recipes in our new Fast and Slow cookbook that are now on the website are based on recipes we've developed using more traditional cooking methods. Luckily, that Spiced Sweet Potatoes recipe is one! Here is a link to the traditional version, which is done in the oven. The only real difference between the two is how the potatoes are cooked and the time, obviously. The oven version does take a bit longer but by roasting the potatoes you are developing browning and flavor so I think, in the end, it's a win. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.