Turkey!

First of all, let me start by saying that I am sorry for the long hiatus from Ask Culinarian? I've been busy with life, and this part has fallen by the wayside. I will try to do better, so keep the questions coming! But, since we just had Thanksgiving, I thought I'd post these turkey related questions:

The Question: I'm trying to pick a turkey recipe for Thanksgiving. Because we keep kosher, I've always steered away from recipes involving slathering the bird in butter, but I came across a recipe on Epicurious that has gotten such rave reviews that I am included to try it...even though it calls for making an herb butter and rubbing it all over the turkey pre roasting. My inclination is just to go with the herbs (without the butter) or try the herbs in olive oil. I can't imagine using a butter substitute...Thoughts?

The Answer: I certainly agree with you: avoid a butter substitute at all costs, and avoid using the dry herb rub as well. You can definitely do the herbs in olive oil, but beware that when cooking the bird you may have some smoking oil problems. To avoid setting off your smoke detector and smoking the bird, baste with either veggie, chicken broth, or orange juice.

Some other essentials for turkey roasting...make sure that you stuff the cavity of the bird with copious amounts of lemons and oranges (sliced). In addition, stuff the cavity with fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, and stick peeled garlic cloves under the skin of the bird.

If you do not keep kosher, and thus are not buying a kosher turkey, home brining is always a surefire way to get a moist and very tasty bird. You can buy brining kits at most supermarkets, but essentially it consists of some herbs, followed by a long salt water soak! Some people like to use a citrus brine to make for an even more flavor-packed turkey!

And of course, all of these tips can be used with chicken or any other type of poultry! Happy Thanksgiving, a few days late:)

Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats

The Question: I have a recipe that calls for rolled oats. Can I use quick oats instead? And, what's the difference anyway?

The Answer: It is possible to substitute quick oats for rolled oats. In baked goods, this substitution seems to work fine, and doesn't sacrifice much. However, rolled oats have a slightly more nutty and complex flavor, and a chewier texture than quick oats.

Rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats, are oat groats (a part of the plant) that are steamed and flaked. They are treated in order to reduce the overall cooking time. Quick oats, are further cooked and flaked to reduce cooking time even more. This process also slightly reduces the nutrient value, the taste, and the texture of the quick oats, when compared to rolled oats.

Oats on a whole are very good for you! They are powerful cholesterol reducers and pack a bunch of healthy fiber.

Decaf Coffee

The Question: Why is my decaf coffee so bitter?

The Answer: Ok, so I always thought this was the case too...decaf coffee couldn't possibly taste as good as the decaffeinated stuff, right? And, it just has to be more bitter...right? Actually, I was as surprised as the asker to learn that this doesn't have to be the case! In fact, often times decaf coffee should be milder and less bitter than it's caffeinated counterpart!

After doing some research on the subject, caffeine is what often lends the bitter flavor to coffee, so theoretically, removing the caffeine should result in a less-bitter taste!

There are 2 main methods of removing caffeine from coffee beans. The first is the "organic" method, and this involves soaking the un-roasted/raw beans in very hot water. This leaches out almost all of the caffeine, and should preserve the coffee's robust flavors. This method should result in a rich tasting coffee that is a bit less bitter than the caffeinated cousin.

The second method of removing the caffeine consists of using a chemical solvent. This method most certainly affects the taste, and depending on the chemicals involved can lead to the bitter coffee that was asked about.

To find the best decaf beans, try high-end coffee establishments that roast their beans on site, and stick to organic coffee beans. This should pretty much ensure that the coffee beans are being treated without chemicals and thus the taste should remain intact! Good luck, and good coffee hunting:)

Apples!

First of all, let me start this post by apologizing for my absence these last few weeks...the questions have been slowly trickling in, but life has been keeping me too busy to have enough time to sit down and answer them! I will try to do a better job.


The Question: How long can apples keep? Is is best to store them in the refrigerator?

The Answer: It is definitely apple season, so I hope everyone is out picking at their local orchards. This is a great way to get a lot of apples and have some fun doing it! Plus, then you have an instant excuse for apple pie...

Apples can be stored for up to a few weeks. They are best kept in a cool, dry, and dark environment. They will stay if left out on a counter, placed in a paper bag and kept away from a window or a heating source. However, there is no harm in storing your apples in the fridge. Refrigeration certainly extends the shelf life of apples, and doesn't harm the taste, as it can with some other fruits. The major limiting factor on storage will be space of course...with the 15+ lbs of apples I acquired on my last picking adventure, there's definitely no room in my fridge!

Baking Stones

The Question: Question after reading your blog (What's for Dinner?). We have a pizza stone that we used to keep in our oven. We only have two oven racks, however. Do you suggest keeping the pizza stone at a particular height in the oven? And, if you are baking brownies, for example, do you just put the pan on top of the stone?

The Answer: I absolutely love baking stones. I definitely keep my stones (I have 2!) in the oven at all times. Ceramic is a wonderful heat-holding material, so it will actually help to hold/regulate the oven temperature. I don't keep the stones at any specific height, just where my racks happen to be, ensuring that there's enough room to still put things on the racks of course! And, I definitely just put my brownie pans, baking sheets, etc directly onto the stone when baking. Happy baking!

Apples for Apple Cake!

The Question:

Did you feel that grating the apples gave the cake a smoother texture, and do you think this was an advantage or a disadvantage, given the extra prep time? I have a similar recipe but the apples are

left in chunks, so you "know" there is apple in there. Was your texture perfect or too smooth?
* This question is in response to a What's for Dinner post on apple spice cake. See for link: http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/2010/09/apple-spice-cake-with-brown-sugar-glaze.html

The Answer: I think that the grating of the apples was an essential part of this particular cake recipe. It did make for a smoother texture, with an almost undetectable apple bite, although the flavor was clearly apple. I think that part of the beauty of this cake was the smoothness and lightness, and I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't have occurred with the apple chunks. In addition, after grating the apple, a lot of the liquid was squeezed out, leaving less wetness in the batter, which was also a definite positive to the finished product. And, since I'm not generally a huge fan of apple cakes, I prefer to leave out the chunks! Except for maybe raisins in carrot cake, I prefer a more uniform cake eating experience.

Peaches

The Question: Any ideas for a ton of ripe peaches? I've made some baby food, but you've got me thinking muffins. Any good recipes?

The Answer: Peaches are definitely yummy, and this is certainly the height of the peach season, so it's time to take advantage! If you're looking for a special sweet treat, peach cobblers are wonderful. Here's a recipe for a peach blueberry cobbler: http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/2010/06/blueberry-peach-cobbler.html
It was very tasty, but I'm actually a fan of a crumbly cobbler topping, opposed to this biscuit-like top. If you prefer a crumbly topping too, I'd just simply mix sliced peaches (and any other sweet fruit) with some sugar and place it in a large baking dish. Top with some oats (about 2 cups), some butter (4-6 tbs), cinnamon, a bit of brown sugar (about 1/4 cup), mix it all up by hand, crumble it on top of the fruit, and set that in a 350 F oven to bake.

Peaches also make wonderful muffins, and since you suggested it, here's a recipe you might want to try: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/peach-muffins-recipe/index.html

Finally, to go a more savory route, peaches make a great salsa for either chicken or a firm white fish. You could even make tacos and use peach salsa as a topping. Just chop some peaches, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, and add some lime juice. Or throw some chopped ripe peaches into a salad with a citrus vinaigrette. The citrus will perfectly balance out the sweetness of the peaches.
Enjoy!

Yellow Summer Squash and Green Peppers

The Question: I have yellow summer squash and green peppers. Any recipe ideas?

The Answer: Sure! My first question would be do you need a recipe in which both vegetables are used? If so, I'd go for the old standby: a frittata! They are easy to make, and are a wonderful base for multiple types of vegetables.

Here's a link for a recipe with summer squash, tomato, and potato, but it would stand up well to adding some green pepper during the initial sauteing stage:
http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/2010/07/fresh-herb-summer-squash-and-tomato.html
There are a few other frittata recipes on What's for Dinner, so you could definitely experiment.

Another great option for ways to use multiple vegetables is to make some sort of vegetable wrap, with a hummus or baba ghanoush base. Tacos or enchiladas are also things that take to many types of vegetables as well. Mix together a whole bunch of various veges, add some spices, cheese, avocado, maybe some rice, tomatoes, salsa, and voila!

If you're interested in separating out the two vegetables, then I'd say just chop the green pepper and eat it raw, or throw in into a salad (also raw). And, then make these fritters using the summer squash in place of the zucchini.
http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/search/label/fritters

Stir Fry and Pad Thai

The Question: I am horrible at making Asian Food. Stir Fry's never work, the veggies are always overdone, and the entire dish is always either too salty, or too bland...or, the sauce is too thin. Not a pretty picture! Do you have any tips/suggestions or recipes for creating a delicious stir fry? And, do you have a recipe for Pad Thai?

The Answer: This is another GREAT question. Stir fry is extremely hard to master, and I've had many a tasteless, salty, mushy mess! I think one of the keys is to not over-cook the vegetables. It's important to add tougher veggies with longer cooking times to the wok first, and then add the softer or quicker cooking ones later. So, onions, garlic, and carrots should go first, followed by snow peas, broccoli, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, etc.

The other really hard thing about stir fry is that in order to keep the sauce "wet" enough for all the food in the wok, a fair amount of sauce is needed. This leads to the "over-salt" problem of the sauce because often times soy sauce is just dumped into the mix. I've found that when things are starting to get a little too dry, I've just added a very small amount of water. That aids to steam the vegetables, without adding any salt. And, I always use LOW salt/sodium soy sauce.

I prefer to use a peanut-based sauce most of the time. And, I think that adding a couple of tablespoons of fresh chunky peanut butter makes for the best sauce base. As the peanut butter cooks, it melts down and is easily distributed throughout the vegetables.

Frequent, or almost constant stirring is another key factor to preventing sogginess. By reducing the amount of time that the vegetables sit in the hot sauce or are constantly touching a hot pan/wok, the crispier they can remain.

I also think that mixing in things like rice towards the very end of cooking is another key factor in keeping everything crispy, fresh, and not too thin. Here's a recipe I've found to be pretty tasty: http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/2010/06/vegi-stir-fry.html

And, as for Pad Thai, here's a wonderful recipe I've made multiple times with great success. The only caveat being that it doesn't taste nearly as good leftover, so make sure you invite people over to enjoy this meal with you!
This recipe is from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons (so it does happen to be vegetarian, but feel free to add shrimp or chicken if you want!).
Pad Thai
3/4 lb dried rice noodles
1/4 c lime juice, or more to taste (2-3 limes)
3 tbs Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (can use salt (1 tsp) or oyster sauce instead)
2 tbs brown sugar
1-2 tsp hot chili sauce (sriracha)
3 tbs oil (canola or olive)
2 eggs, beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
8-10 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 2" lengths
1 c mung bean sprouts
1/4 c dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 lime, sliced into wedges

Soak the noodles in 3 qts of hot water for 30 minutes, drain.

In ad small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chile sauce, and 1 tbs water.

Pour 1 tbs of oil into wok (or large skillet). Cook the eggs over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the eggs are barely cooked, transfer them to a small place.

In the same wok/skillet, add the remaining oil. Over medium heat, add garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the carrot and scallions. Saute another minute, stirring frequently. Add the lime juice mixture and the drained noodles. Cook the noodles, stirring constantly, until they are tender but still chewy, about a minute. Add a bit more lime juice for a "perkier" taste. Add the sprouts, and egg. Stirring well. Quickly divide the mixture among plates, sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro, garnish with lime wedges, and serve!

It's All About Eggplant

The Question: What are the nutritional benefits of eggplant? Are there any particular ways of cooking it that are better than others? Can you suggest some good recipes?
The Answer: When I got this question I was actually really excited. I love eggplant, so I was eager to jump right into the answer.

I had always been under the impression that eggplant was extremely healthy, mostly due to the beautifully dark purple skin, but after doing some research on its actual nutritional content, I was amazed. Don't get me wrong, eggplant is still a very healthy food, but it doesn't boast the line-up I thought it would! Eggplant has a fair amount of dietary fiber, which is extremely important to keep the digestive tract running well. It also has small amount of many different vitamins and minerals; in fact, it has almost all of the vitamins and minerals that you can imagine. So, although many vitamins and minerals are present in eggplant, they are only available in about 2-5% of your recommended daily allowance. Eggplant also has mild anti-inflammatory properties, but it doesn't have enough to count as a "super food".

Onto cooking eggplant! Sometimes eggplant can be tricky to cook because of its tough skin. I've found that both grilling eggplant, baking eggplant, and putting into sauces seems to be the best methods. Oftentimes, when eggplant is cooked on the stove top in a fry pan, the skin does become more tough and chewy. When grilling or baking eggplant, it's crucial to make sure that you liberally brush the flesh with olive oil. This helps provide the needed moisture for proper cooking.

Here are my four go-to eggplant recipes:
#1: Baba Ghanoush. See http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/search/label/baba%20ghanoush for my standard recipe. It's quite easy to make, and always a crowd-pleaser!
#2: Eggplant Parmesan, a healthy version. See http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/2010/03/healthy-eggplant-parm.html I am a huge fan of eggplant parmesan, but not of the greasiness that usually accompanies it. So, here's my alternative!
#3: Eggplant sandwiches. I simple grill a few slices of eggplant, and put them in a ciabatta roll with fresh tomato, mozzarella cheese, and either basil leaves or pesto. Then, grill the sandwich like you would grill a panini sandwich. Fresh and delicious!
#4: I love cubes of eggplant in my pasta sauce. For a basic recipe, see http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/2010/05/spinach-ricotta-gnocchi-with-homemade.html You can just add some cubes of eggplant while you are sauteeing the onion. No need to remove the skin. Another great addition to this basic sauce is to add the eggplant with the onions, and then add some small cubes of smoked mozzarella cheese near the end of the simmering.

Better Homemade Ice Cream

The Question:I have an ice cream maker that's collecting dust in the pantry. Any innovative recipes I could use? The last time I used it, the consistency of the ice cream wasn't great. I've heard that frozen custards might work better. Any suggestions or tips to make better ice cream?

The Answer: It is certainly ice cream season, so this question is perfect. Achieving the same creamy texture and richness that one can find at an ice cream shop is very hard to do at home. The reasons have to do with various stabilizers, machines, etc that ice cream shops have that home cooks just aren't privy too. However, this does not mean that you are doomed to have icy, hard homemade ice cream!

First off, frozen custards do tend to remain much creamier than their non-egg laden counterparts. See my July 4, 2010 posting for a homemade frozen vanilla chocolate chip custard: http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/search/label/ice%20cream
As I stated in that post, if you want to reduce the cholesterol or just not deal with tempering the egg yolks, then I've used Eggbeaters in the past with great results. When making a custard, the most important part is to avoid scrambling the egg. In order to do this, you must add the hot liquid (usually milk or cream) very, very, very slowly to the egg, making sure to whisk constantly. Also, do not add more than 4 tbs of the hot liquid to the eggs before pouring them back into the cream. That will also prevent scrambling!

Another tip is to keep churning the ice cream longer than the recommended time. This will add more air to the ice cream, making it less dense. Also, it is essential that the freezing bowl be VERY cold. I like to keep mine in the freezer all the time because then I can make ice cream whenever I want. But, if you don't have room or don't want to do that, chill the bowl for at least 24 hrs before using. Along these lines, I like to chill my ice cream mixture for a long time in the fridge (up to 24 hrs) before placing it into the machine. Your mixture can never be too cold!

Add any mix-ins (like chocolate chips) in the last 5 minutes of churning the cream. And, finally, remember that if using alcohol to make a flavor, the freezing temperature is altered and the cream will remain softer.

I'll leave you with this recipe sent to me by a friend S.B., who just happened to make this delicious sounding gelato recently:
Peach Gelato
2 c whole milk
1 c cream
4 egg yolks
2/3 c sugar
1 lb. peaches (purreed w/ 1tsp. lemon juice).
Make a custard (heat milk/cream to 170, temper w/ the yolks that have been whipped with the sugar), return whole thing to pan and cook until thick enough to coat spoon and at 185 degrees. Cool completely to room temperature then chill at least 4 hours. Mix with cold peach mixture, put in machine & freeze.
From the Ciao Bella gelato cookbook!

Boiling Corn

The Question: How long should I boil corn? Do I put the corn in before or after the water starts boiling? And do you keep it boiling once the corn is in the water?

The Answer: Although this is a fairly simple question, it's definitely a good one! Boiling corn is quite easy and produces great results for corn-on-the-cob. Basically, all you do is bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the husk and the silk from the corn. Once the water is boiling, plop in the cleaned corn. The boiling times can vary depending on how "cooked" you like your corn. Since I'm a fan of having a bit of a pop or crunch still to the kernels, I only like to boil mine for about 5 minutes. If you wanted it really crunchy, you could go even 3 minutes, or if you prefer it really really soft, you could probably cook it as long as 10 minutes! And, of course, don't forget to salt and butter it before eating away.

Baby Food Cookbooks

The Question: I have an infant who's about to start eating solid foods. I am interested in making her meals, but I'm wondering if you have any cookbook recommendations for me?

The Answer: There are a couple of books by the author Annabel Karmel that I have found helpful. She has a larger/more-in-depth book called "First Meals" that I like. But, lately, my main reference has been her book called "Top 100 Baby Purees". It has everything you need for the early feeding phases, and it's divided into what's appropriate for specific ages. The First Meals book goes into some toddler foods as well, so that will be great for later. I also have another book called "The Baby Bistro", by Christina Schmidt. I found this book more useful for closer to toddler age. There were some great easy to chew patties, bars, muffins, and other cute ideas. Good luck!

Contact Info

So, to make it much easier to send me your questions, I've created an email address for that purpose. Please send your inquiries to whatsfordinner.fft@gmail.com or you can just leave me a question as a comment on the actual blog.
Thanks!

Brussel Sprout Greens

The Question: We're growing brussel sprouts in the garden, and I was wondering if the leaves are edible? They look just like collards, and I think are in the same family, plus the leaves on our plants are gorgeous looking!

The Answer: I did a little research, and it appears that they are definitely edible, and super nutritious! I think that they are best eaten sauteed. Most of the stuff I saw suggested sauteing them lightly with garlic or shallots. They are supposed to be slightly nutty in flavor. Let me know how they turn out!!!!

Kosher Substitute

The Question:

Today I was out and about when I received a phone call from my friend D with a question regarding a recipe modification to make the dish Kosher. D is planning on making the Spicy Chicken Schwarma, see March 15, 2010 post on What's for Dinner? for the recipe. Since D keeps Kosher, and thus cannot mix the chicken with the yogurt, she was looking for a good substitute for yogurt. She wondered about just increasing the amount of tahini used, and not changing much else, but wanted to get my thoughts.

(By the way, D wasn't aware that this blog had just gotten up and running, so the timing couldn't be more apropos!)

The Answer:

I think that just adding more tahini would not be the best option. Tahini has a strong flavor, and doing so may just overpower any of the other flavors in this dish. The purpose of the yogurt is to tenderize (or soften) the meat and prevent it from becoming dry in the cooking. In order to accomplish this goal, there are a few options. The first is to increase the amount of lemon juice (to around 1/2 c). Because lemon juice is acidic, the acidity will work to tenderize the chicken.

The other alternatives would be to use either soy yogurt (dairy free) or soy sour cream (also dairy free). I do not typically use soy imitations of dairy products because the flavor can be lacking, but in a dish like this one with a lot of other flavors and spices, the soy substitute should not alter the final taste.

D, let me know how it turns out!

Here it is!

Finally, I have decided to start this blog as an off-shoot and addition to my other blog, What's For Dinner? Food for Thought...

This is a forum for all of your burning food related questions. I've been saving some questions that have been asked, and I will post those as this blog takes shape. Ask anything from how to make a specific dish, recipes for things you have tasted or what to learn to make, questions about foods in general, or even questions about throwing a dinner party!

I'm excited for all the new challenges that you have for me, so start firing the questions!