Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Rachael - The short answer is - no. Much of the flavor in these long-cooked dishes comes from the meat itself, which is extracted over the hours of cooking time. Since seitan and tempeh neither have the depth of flavor of meat nor can be cooked for hours you would not be able to develop the same flavor. What I would suggest instead are some really flavorful stews that rely more on the additional flavors than the protein. Here are some of our recipes that I think you could add vegetarian protein to - Peruvian Quinoa Stew and Indian Spiced Kidney Bean Stew. I would also recommend any stew with a lot of chiles (a New Mexican chile stew, for examples), mushrooms (for umami), or bold spices (a paprikash). I would probably coat the tempeh or seitan with spices and some cornstarch and brown it in the pan first, remove, and then add it back in at the very end for 5-10 minutes so you can simmer the rest of the ingredients and build flavor without the protein breaking down. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Tracy - I agree with Annie. A sourdough starter would be the way to go but, as she mentions, it can take a while to get enough yeast activity to use to make bread. In addition to the soda bread she mentioned, we also have the piadina flatbread, Irish ale bread, and scallion pancakes (Korean or Taiwanese) all of which use chemical leavener (or no leavener). You could try these while waiting for a starter to develop. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi John - I think you could definitely make a steamed cake in an Instant Pot. You'll want to use the rack that comes with your Instant Pot to elevate the cake pan up off the bottom and out of the water. I believe the largest cake pan that will fit in the Instant Pot is a 6-inch pan, which is not a standard size so you may need to buy one. Luckily, Samantha from the My Kitchen Love blog already modified our recipe for the Instant Pot! See her version of our recipe here. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Susan - We're so glad you enjoyed the soup! We understand that it's helpful to know the nutritional information for recipes. However, we are not a health food magazine and, therefore, do not have a nutritionist on staff to accurately calculate the nutritional details for all of our recipes. Computer programs to calculate nutritional analysis are wildly inaccurate so we don't feel confident in using and publishing their results. Thanks for writing! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Diane Unger

Hi Thomas - It's hard to answer that question since I did not test smoking while developing the recipe. I have no way of knowing what temp the pork would be at after 3 hours of smoking and I don't know what temp was used for smoking. I would guess that you could smoke it, cut it up, and proceed with the recipe and cook until tender. That would be my best guess! Good luck! Diane Unger, Director of Recipe Development

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mitchell - It's such an incredibly hard time for restaurants in our communities so I'm sure they truly appreciate your support. But, whoa - 10 lbs. is a lot of potatoes! First, make sure to store the potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place to maximize their freshness. A basement is ideal for this but I realize not everyone has a basement and not everyone's basement is cool, dry, or dark. Find the coolest part of your home and store them there. The only fingerling recipes I've made during the quarantine are the smashed potatoes, the papas arrugadas (definitely serve with one of the mojos), and our pasta recipe with potatoes. Here are some additional ideas: potato leek soup (ramps are about to be in season and would be great in a potato soup too), any sort of potato salad (I'm partial to our mayonnaise-free Austrian potato salad), potato gratin, nicoise salad (or, really, any kind of green salad with a soft-cooked egg and boiled or roasted fingerlings), you could peel, boil, and mash and use the potato to make gnocchi or potato rolls - and freeze! There's a recipe out there somewhere for Cacio e Pepe potatoes that I've been meaning to try since I love the pasta. Seems like a perfect place to use fingerlings. I know you make a lot of pizza and I think a topping of our fontina-parmesan cream with sliced, cooked fingerlings and bacon would be amazing! Hope that helps, Mitchell, and happy potato cooking!

Answered by Wes Martin

Hi Krista - A cast iron skillet will likely work well for this cake. We chose a non-stick cake pan for a couple of reasons. One, placing the pan in the oven with the cooked pineapple while you make the batter helped continue the caramelization of the fruit, and two, to be sure the cake releases easily when inverted. If using cast iron, (assuming it is a very well seasoned pan and is the proper size), for the best results, go ahead and cook the pineapple directly in the skillet, making sure to get deep caramelization on the fruit and allowing a lot of the excess moisture to evaporate. Since the pan is already hot, arrange the fruit in a single layer, pour the batter directly onto the hot fruit, and bake it. Pouring the batter into a hot pan starts the baking process immediately which prevents a gummy layer at the top of the cake when inverted. Remember that cast iron is a darker metal (and better conductor of heat) than most cake pans, and the cake will likely bake quicker than in a regular cake pan. Start checking for doneness 5 minutes before the suggested baking time. If a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, and the sides of the cake are beginning to pull away from the edge of the pan, it is done. The cake will also likely get darker in the cast iron skillet, so keep your eyes on it as it finishes baking. Also remember that most cast iron skillets have sloped sides so it is imperative that you let the cake cool sufficiently in the pan before inverting it or you risk the cake cracking open if it is inverted when still tool hot. Since the sloping edge structure of the cake baked in the skillet is not as sturdy as if it was baked in a straight-edged cake pan, be sure it cools properly before inverting on a serving platter. Best of luck! Let us know how it turns out. Wes Martin, Kitchen Director

Answered by April Dodd

I checked in with Matt, our resident knife expert, about your question. He says that your nakiri should be fine to maintain like any of the other knives. Hone often on a steel to maintain its fine leading edge, and when it no longer will cut a piece of paper without snagging, then it's time to sharpen. It has an Asian-style blade angle, so aim for 17 degrees per side; if sharpening on a stone, that's about a quarter's thickness off the stone. Wash by hand and keep dry.

Answered by April Dodd

Hi Shelagh, Here is a recipe for the slow-cooked Austrian goulash (on the stovetop, not in the Instant Pot): Austrian Beef Stew with Paprika and Caraway (Rindsgulasch) Happy cooking, April

Answered by April Dodd

Hi Ariel, Safflower oil can be a great choice for cooking, ranging from cold preparations to high-heat frying. The high polyunsaturated fat content of safflower oil means that it remains a liquid even when refrigerated, making it a good option for salad dressings and other cold dishes. It is nearly flavorless, though, so it's not bringing a lot of flavor to the table. High-oleic safflower oil has a high smoke point (440 to 520°F), making it a great choice for high-heat wok cooking, skillet charring, and deep frying. We are not dietitians or nutritionists, so I would recommend that you consult with a health professional for information on the health benefits and drawbacks of safflower oil. I can tell you that safflower oil has a similar makeup to canola oil, so if you like using canola oil in your cooking, safflower is a good option for you, with the added benefit that safflower has a higher smoke point.