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!