Milk Street Q&A

Answered by April Dodd

I'm sorry for the frustration. I will connect you with our Director of Education, who will help you with your login question. Stay tuned! April

Answered by Matthew Card

Here you go. I always keep a pot of in the refrigerator. Money in the bank for quick meals. Use a bit of the oil to fry eggs! Or a fat spoonful on toasted for instant garlic bread. # Garlic Confit Start to finish: 20 minutes Makes ½ cup 1 large head garlic (about 16 cloves), peeled and thinly sliced 3 tablespoons salted butter 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 bay leaf 4 sprigs thyme In a small saucepan, add the butter, oil, bay leaf and thyme. Heat on low until butter is melted and temperature reaches 185 degrees. Add the garlic and stir to coat and submerge. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the garlic is tender, translucent and jammy. Pour into a bowl and set aside until cool, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a small storage container and refrigerate for up to one week.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Lesa - my number one choice for a balanced meal from canned goods is a canned bean stew. Bloom some ground spices in oil, then add beans and broth or coconut milk and dried herbs. You can add canned diced tomatoes, canned vegetables (canned spinach, peas, and corn are decent options) and finish with jarred pickled veggies like jalapeños or giardiniera, balsamic vinegar, or pomegranate molasses. There is a viral chickpea stew on the internet (just google "the stew") that would be a good option using dried versions of the fresh aromatics called for in the recipe and canned spinach for the fresh greens. Happy canned cooking! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Matthew Card

Bittersweet chocolate ranges from 54% up to 80% cacao. Obviously the higher the percentage, the more intense the flavor will be--at the risk of bitterness. So to a certain extent, it's a matter of personal taste--how strong you like it. I feel like everyone has a different palate for chocolate flavors. The bete noire does feature some semi-sweet chocolate to balance the intensity of the bittersweet chocolate (and flavorings like the bitters, orange and peppercorns), so feel free to go with a higher percentage bittersweet chocolate.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Cody - For a mirepoix (carrots, onion, celery), you could try adding fennel. Definitely \not\ onion, but could at least add a different flavor component. In India they use a very potent ground spice called asafoetida, or hing, which has a similar flavor to garlic when sautéed in butter or ghee. You can purchase it online at The Spice House or on Amazon. Using a lot of flavorful herbs and spices can also add a great deal of flavor so you won't miss the onions and garlic. Best of luck! Lynn C.

Answered by April Dodd

Lesa, there are plenty of options here! One favorite of mine is our Greek-style Braised Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Orange, which makes great use of canned chickpeas and canned tomatoes: Greek-Style Braised Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Orange Or here is a kidney bean salad that makes great use of pantry spices to enliven a simple dish: Kidney Bean Salad with Spiced Vinaigrette and Herbs Hope that helps, April D.

Answered by Rosie Gill

Hi Jenny and Carrie - Thanks for being Insiders. The two classes included in your membership are Advanced Techniques: Vegetables and The Spice Kitchen. When you are logged in as an Insider you can register for those classes for free by clicking on the links in your Insider account page. You'll be asked to set up a profile and password for our online cooking school, hosted by Teachable. Make sure to remember this in case you want to purchase any of our other classes in the future. You can always contact onlinecookingschool@177milkstreet.com with questions about all things cooking school! Thanks! Rosemary Gill, Director of Education

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Anthony - Thanks for the question! We agree that salting fish before cooking can improve it's flavor and give the fish a firmer texture (and, in the case of salmon, even reduce the amount of albumen, that white protein that can coagulate on the surface). In testing our recipe for Baked Salted Salmon, however, we found that for our 2 lb. piece of salmon we couldn't salt it for more than an hour or two. At that point the fish gets too salty and the texture of the flesh becomes almost spongy. For filets of fish, I would say 30 minutes would be the max and you would likely get the benefits of salting filets after only about 15 minutes. Happy Cooking! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Karen - We use a 12-cup bundt pan in our kitchen, which would explain why you had a bit of extra batter in your 10-cup pan. Unfortunately, that particular recipe omitted the pan size. A good rule of thumb to ensure a cake doesn’t overflow the pan is to fill it 2/3 to 3/4 full. This will allow enough room for it to rise without overflowing. Thank you for bringing the omission to our attention. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Carrie - I just checked in with our digital team and they say the February Q&A should be up and running now. If you are still having issues, please let us know! Thanks, Lynn C.