Milk Street Q&A

Between 10 and 12 ounces. If you are happy with the results you are getting when using 1 pound of tomatoes, then no need to change.

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

The vinegar called for in this recipe is the white wine vinegar as the link implies. Plain white vinegar, such as Heinz, is usually referred to as distilled white vinegar. Hope this clears up the confusion. Deb at Milk Street

Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau

We recommend using a neutral oil or olive oil. Toast the chilies first and then either chop them in a blender or add them whole to a pan over low or medium heat. You can check out our Piri Piri Oil or Salsa Macha recipes for more details: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/salsa-macha-costena https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/salsa-macha-costena We also recommend that you consult a safety guide for infusing oils to avoid the possibility of botulism or other food borne illnesses. Here is a link to one available on the internet: https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C1334/how-to-safely-make-infused-oils/

Answered by Chris Kimball

How old is your flour? I once made a cake with 3-year old flour and it turned out poorly. Also, you might be using a bread flour with an unusually high protein percentage - the higher the protein, the more water you will need to add. (Bread flour absorbs more liquid than AP.) Also, when working with doughs including pie dough, biscuit dough and bread doughs, the amount of liquid is never precise. You have to look at and feel the dough as it is being mixed - if it feels a bit dry - it should be sort and malleable - just add more water by the tablespoon until it looks right. This is one case when measurements are not precise - you have to use your senses to make a final decision. And buy new flour if yours is old!

Answered by Chris Kimball

Quick breads can be made gluten-free (pancakes, biscuits, etc) but a hearty, chewy sourdough is, in my experience, a step too far. However, check out King Arthur Flour - they have a gluten-free sourdough starter here: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-sourdough-starter-recipe

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mark - Generally, we cook pasta in 4 quarts water with 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt. This ratio creates starchy water suitable for most sauces. But some pastas, particularly ones with cream- or cheese-based sauces or ones where we really want to thicken the sauce, require particularly starchy water to prevent them from breaking. In those cases, we cook in just 2 quarts water and 1 table­spoon salt to concentrate the starches. For this recipe, Pasta with Potatoes, Gorgonzola, and Fried Sage, we are cooking both potatoes and pasta in the same water which is why we called for 2 tablespoons of salt. Potatoes are bland and need the seasoning as well. As Maureen mentioned, if you are using table salt or Morton's kosher salt (which has a finer grain) you should reduce the amount of salt by exactly half for table salt and just over half for Morton's kosher. I hope this helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Cory, Thanks for your question. We here at Milk Street, in general, find we get better results from making own tamarind paste from tamarind pulp. This is easily found in Asian markets as well as a lot of grocery stores and of course, on line. It really isn't hard to do. Soak the pulp in boiling water, just enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Then break up the pulp as much as you can in the water. If any water remains after that, drain it off then push the pulp through a large holed sieve. You will probably find this a better product and it will keep in the refrigerator. Give it a try, it really isn't all that much extra work. Hope this helps. Deb at Milk Street

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Mark, Thanks for your question. A standard bunch of scallions is usually 7, 8 at the most. So this recipe would call for 28 to to 32 scallions. Sound like a lot but that’s is the corrrect amount. Deb at Milk Street

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Thanks for your questions. Salt can be tricky. Sea salt differs form Kosher salt in that it contains other minerals as well as salt. Salt from different "seas" can have different flavors that can also impact how we perceive the salt. But the main difference here is crystal size and shape. If you are measuring by volume, which is the way most salt is measured, a teaspoon of large crystal salt will weigh less than a smaller crystal salt. This means you are using less or more salt depending on the crystal shape. Different shapes can affect this as well. If you have a scale that weighs in grams, this could be a good way to make sure you really are adding the same amount of salt. If not, trial and error will sort it out in the end. With pasta water, add the salt then taste the water. Add more salt if it doesn't taste salty enough. If it is too salty, add more water and dilute the salt. Also, it is always a good idea to add the salt just before you add the pasta. If you add the salt at the beginning and like the saltiness but the water boils for awhile before you add the pasta, the salt gets concentrated and the water will be too salty. Yes, there is a shelf life for dried beans and legumes. Most people think because they are dried they will last forever but they don't. As beans/legumes age they lose their oils, resist water absorption and won't swell. Storing beans in nitrogen helps prolong the loss of these oils as does cool temperatures. You can also seal them in a food sealer if you have one. That will prolong their life as well. So when you buy them seal them in an air tight container as best you can and put a date on them. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell by looking at them if they are OK. You just have to cook them to find out. Assume properly sealed they will last about a year. Hope all of this has helped. Deb at Milk Street

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Thanks for your question. What is probably happening here is that, even though you are scrubbing the pan well, you are probably not getting all of the old seasoning off. You need to get it back down to the cast iron. Those dull blotchy spots are places you didn't clean completely. After the scrubbing, try coarse salt and really rub it in. You can use a paper towel. Some people use a potato cut in half. You really want to get it in there. Another trick when seasoning that you don't always see is to warm the pan first in the oven before adding the oil. Some feel this allows the "pores" to open up and accept the oil better. Then return it to the oven up side down with some foil underneath to catch the drippings. Every 10 minutes or so wipe it down and return to the oven. This will remove any droplets of oil that could build up and prevent the seasoning. It may take doing this more than once. Also, once you dry the pan do not let it sit. Move immediately to the seasoning process. Rust can form very quickly that you may not be able to see. Give this a try and see what happens. The most important thing is to make sure the pan is really, really clean of all the old gunk. Good luck. Deb at Milk Street