Comment by RI Swamp Yankee on What is the best way to find a reliable pepper...
The issue with the review is that it covers operation over a short period, not long-term longevity. Likewise, positive Amazon reviews typically come from folks immediately enchanted with their...
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Too much sugar in soup -- how to make it less...
@Mien - Perhaps tomato paste? Acid and umami, tho some sweetness as well.
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Where can I find this exact spatula, with a...
This looks like an "adaptive utensil" meant for those with arthritis or other difficulties in grasping and fine motor control - the handle is unusually thick and contoured, and the head is much closer...
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Why won't my beans soften?
Your water may have a different mineral content than the usual "hard water" found in homes like mine. Both methods work for me when re-hydrating dried beans - if I don't use salt during the overnight...
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on How to make Fennel juice?
I really enjoy practical, hands-on answers like this one. Very useful and interesting!
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Frying a rooster rather than roasting?
@MarcLuxen You are correct, I phrased it poorly. Edited!
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on How does one peel and puree chick peas with a...
Cooking them was understood to be a part of the process... I'm not trying to make chickpea flour!
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on How does one peel and puree chick peas with a...
@rumtscho - Yup, my search-fu was weak. The question was nicely answered in that exchange.
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on How to get the most chili flavour out of a...
Edited, the question is very different than the original (which wasn't so bad as to deserve a hold) but has the advantage of being unquestionably fair game for this place.
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Cooking potatoes curry
It's pretty clear she's asking if it's proper technique for potato curry to wash the potatoes after cutting them up.
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Can I use a cheeseboard as a cutting board?
@Simon - Coconut oil can go rancid with time and impart unpleasant flavors. Pure mineral oil is food safe and will not spoil.
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Is there a guide to traditional culinary knives...
@BaffledCook - No, those are pretty standard patterns. I'm interested in South American, SE Asian and African kitchen cutlery that are different - or European knives that aren't found in the typical...
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Is there any way to "Salt" unsalted cashew pieces?
AKA "canola oil" in the US and Canada.
View ArticleComment by RI Swamp Yankee on Are there ingredients I should avoid in a brine?
This is the current on-trend answer, but is provably false with real world a/b testing you can do yourself. If you don't wanna, this popular YouTube channel has done it for you: youtu.be/w0DKT67edBU
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Slow-Carb or low-carb alternative to pita and...
In the US, a few national bakeries manufacture whole-wheat pitas that, while not as "neutral" as normal pitas, are more neutral than whole wheat bread. Whole wheat bread can contain molasses or cane...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for How to see if cast iron cookware is enameled?
Enamel is a ceramic coating applied to the metal - it will typically be colorful and glossy-smooth to the touch. Raw cast iron will be black and matte in appearance, the unseasoned surfaces rough to...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Cooking dried corn
If you are trying to make Pennsylvania Dutch style dried corn, be aware that this is dried sweetcorn, and not a hard corn like maize, dent or popcorn. It was a popular method of preserving sweetcorn...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Why does oil reduce the effectiveness of...
Japanese style whetstones made of natural material, also known as "waterstones", rely on water to make a paste from the material, and this paste is abrasive and aids in sharpening. Oil is not as...
View ArticleWhat seasonal vegetable side dishes are appropriate for Hungarian Goulash?...
We are planning a traditional Hungarian Goulash dinner, and apart from egg noodles, would like a vegetable side-dish to accompany. It's late October, and we'd prefer some seasonal ingredients if...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Why won't my beans soften?
If you have "hard water" (mineral-rich water, most common in well water, but my town water is this way) no amount of soaking or cooking is going to soften them.If you go the "long soak" rehydration...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Is corn a fruit, vegetable, or a nut?
Corn is a wildly diverse crop, human breeding has adapted it for many, many purposes:Cereal crop to be processed: You harvest the dried kernals of certain varieties of corn from the cob, and store them...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Stir-fry pan choices
The wok is a traditional tool for stir-fry, but not necessarily a good tool, depending on your stove-top. It's difficult to bring enough heat to bear on the wok from a flat cooking surface, like almost...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Culinary term for frying in water (without oil)?
If you are using a thin layer of oil atop the water, you are water-velveting. If you are beginning with a very small amount of oil, and then adding water to the pan and covering once the oil is mostly...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Can I make a hot mayonnaise?
Make mayo the usual way, and then heat it up. Mayonnaise is an ingredient in many cooked dishes - it makes a wonderful, flavorful substitute for butter on grilled cheese sandwiches and for oil and eggs...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for What is the best material for a cooking spoon?
I picked up a pair of "synthetic wood" spoons from the local Job Lot a few years back, and they are excellent. They have the "feel" of wood - a somewhat rough texture and exemplary stiffness that makes...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for How to make hazelnut oil
A blender is the wrong piece of equipment for this - you need a tool to apply pressure to the hazelnuts, not to mince them to bits. You need a screw press oil-expeller.Hand-cranked models similar to...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Is it true that all salt is sea salt?
Yes and no. Sea Salt is salt that is harvested by evaporating natural brine - seawater, typically. Table salt is salt that is mined and processed for purity of color and flavor, and sometimes...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for I have a frozen brown bear (roast?) from...
Lean, gamey meat benefits from braising - it will result in a somewhat more tender dish, taking some of the unpleasant intensity from the game and imparting pleasant complimentary flavors. With game as...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Can durian be used as a cocktail ingredient?
Durian has a powerful flavor and a creamy consistency, so the usual tricks of soaking durian pieces in liqueur or incorporating them into a sangria or juicing it for punch or isn't going to work very...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for How do I prevent salmon sticking to the BBQ grill?
I would abandon the idea of putting the fish directly onto the grill - instead use a fish grill basket to get some of that nice smokey char into the fish, without worrying about it falling to pieces...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for I want to know if beet juice without the beets...
The "juice" in a jar of pickled beets is pickle brine and flavors leached from the beet by the vinegar. To replicate in bulk, without wasting a lot of beets, make a batch of pickle brine following any...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for How do you cook grass-fed beef so it is not tough?
Commercial beef producers take a number of steps to ensure a tender product reaches the shelves. Most notably, aging the beef - allowing the meat to become tender through the application of time....
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Cooking potatoes curry
When you wash or soak cut potatoes, you are rinsing away a good deal of starch that has come to the surface during and after the cutting process (it's the white stuff that gets on your knife and...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Why is "raw" honey thicker than the one you buy...
Commercial honey is frequently adulterated. It's not the same consistency because it's not pure honey.
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for What supermarket fish is good for frying,...
Farm-raised fried catfish is very popular in the US South, and not much more expensive than Tillapia.
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Can an old rosette “iron” that's starting to...
Cast aluminum molds for this sort of cookie do not season in the same way as cast iron. It doesn't rely entirely on polymerization of oil upon the metal for a nice release, it simply needs a very clean...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for How do I prevent sugar from burning/sticking on...
I encountered this problem making Bulgogi. I found that the surface should be well oiled/greased, and as much marinade drained from the meat as is possible. Baking soda and vinegar did a bangup job...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for White stains that make potatoes sticking to my...
These are hard-water deposits, mineral residue from your water that can build up over time, and interfere with the pan's non-stick properties.You can get rid of them with a paste of equal parts baking...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Substitute for Aluminum Foil - Grilling
Some supermarkets and specialty stores carry banana leaves, which do a great job of cooking and steaming food over a fire. Soaked corn husks work for this, too, and this time of year can be had for...
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for How to make Hummus that doesn't have a hardened...
Plastic wrap, and press it to the surface of the hummus rather than over the edges of the container.
View ArticleAnswer by RI Swamp Yankee for Safe to leave oven on at 180F while at work to...
Slow cookers are generally recognized to be safe when used unattended - and there are a variety of slow-cooker rib recipes out there. I've made them to great success before - they're fine braising in...
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