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Cooking tips,
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11 through 21 of 20 postings.
Q:I have a friend who makes Chicken Marbella with boneless chicken breasts and thighs. Do I need to alter the cooking time or method to make this work?
This recipe comes from the Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins. Sherrie,
A:You definitely need to alter the cooking time - meat on the bone (which is what the recipe calls for) takes significantly longer to cook than boneless meat. The internal temperature rises more slowly because of the presence of the bone. If you brown the boneless breasts and thighs first, they will probably only take about 5-8 minutes to finish cooking with the rest of the dish components. However, you will loose a bit of juiciness and flavor by using boneless meat. --by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I'm having a large group of people over for dinner and I want to know how to keep the roast vegetables perfect without getting to dry or soggy. I can cook them well for 4-6 people but when the numbers get higher it gets a little bit harder to manage having so much in the oven at once and keeping the more delicate vegetables from overcooking. Is there any correct way to pre-cook/prep them? Jamie,
A:If limited space in your oven is the issue, try varying the cooking methods for the different vegetables. Here are several options you might consider:
Blanch or par-cook your vegetables ahead of time. Do this by cooking them in small batches in a large pot of salted boiling water and transferring them to a bowl of iced water in order to stop the cooking process. Dry them and reserve at room temperature until shortly before serving when you can finish cooking them together in a large saut? pan.
You can also cook your vegetables on the stovetop or in the oven ahead of time and finish them in a hot oven before serving. Cook the vegetables as you normally would and keep them out at room temperature. Shortly before serving, transfer your vegetables to a pre-heated 400?F oven for quick reheating. Keep in mind that having your vegetables cut uniformly in size will help cooking them evenly.
--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:What is cream of tartar and how can I make it? Arturo,
A:Cream of tartar is another name for the white acid powder of potassium hydrogen tartrate and is most used in the kitchen to stabilize and give extra volume to beaten egg whites (in meringues or frostings for example). The chemical compound that is made from originates in grapes and forms inside wine barrels during the wine-making process, after which it is refined to become cream of tartar (when combined with baking soda it becomes baking powder). Unless you have a wine cellar and sterilized laboratory, we do not recommend that you make your own, as it is readily available at most grocery stores.--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:In many restaurants I see foams instead of sauce. How do you make these and which tool(s) do I need? I tried using "milk maximiser" but I think the liquid was too thick. Beata,
A:To make foam using an immersion blender, you can add a few grams of soy lecithin per liter of liquid to your base. Soy lecithin helps stabilize a foam so it doesn't immediately dissipate into a liquid on the plate (most liquids will form a foam on the surface when beat with an immersion blender, but the lecithin helps the foam hold its shape longer.) To learn more about this technique and see a recipe, view our feature with Chef William Belickis at http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/WBelickis/index.shtml. Tool-wise, we recommend the Waring immersion blender which you can find out more about at http://www.waringproducts.com/com/catalog/index.php?cat_id=21.
Foams can also be made using a cream or food whipper. The liquid from which you will want to create a foam will need to contain a certain amount of fat to stabilize the foam ? if the substance you are working with does not contain any, you will need to add a gelling agent, such agar agar, or simply gelatin. You can purchase gelification agents as well as lecithin through Le Sanctuaire at http://www.le-sanctuaire.com. We also recommend the Isi line of whippers and soda siphons, which you can find out more about at http://www.isinorthamerica.com/foodservice.
--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:What is a good school to go to for culinary arts? I have been looking at going to CIA and where ever I go my tuition is paid for by the United States Marine Corps. John,
A:The SchoolFinder section on StarChefs.com is a directory of the country's top culinary schools. You can access it by pasting http://www.starchefs.com/cooking_school_finder/html into your browser's address bar.--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:Where can I buy cherry blossom syrup? I have searched everywhere ? on the web and in stores. Help! Mary,
A:The gourmet flavoring company Monin carries a cherry blossom syrup that is available through http://www.monin.com. This is one of their newer products, so we advise you contact them directly through 1-800-966-5225 to find out if they sell this product near you or if they sell it online (we were able to find this on their New Zealand online store, but not their North American site).--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I would like to make homemade mayonnaise and the recipe calls for pasteurized eggs. Are all eggs pasteurized or do I need to buy ones that are labeled so? Steven,
A:Most eggs you will find are not pasteurized. However, pre-pasteurized eggs do exist, and you should be able to find them at your local health food store. (Pasteurized eggs are typically submerged in water prior to packaging for a specific time and at a specific temperature in order to eliminate certain pathogens, usually salmonella.) Homemade mayonnaise in restaurants is usually made from unpasteurized eggs; if you're going that route, be sure to use the freshest (and farm-raised) eggs possible.--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:How do you keep aged beef in the best condition? Steven,
A:The best way to keep aged beef in prime condition is to keep it in an environment where it can continue the aging process. For this you will need an enclosed space that is kept between 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit with a good amount of air circulation, Make sure you keep the beef away from products that emanate strong smells (such as gasoline, fish, or onions) as the beef will readily absorb these undesirable odors.--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I want to bake bread in my sandwich shop. I would like to invest in an oven that will let me achieve thick dark glossy crust on my loaves. I want to bake Rustic Italian style bread, very similar to ciabatta. I will probably need to bake 25-30 1.5 loaves a day. What oven should I consider? My budget is about 15K.
A:Moretti Forni ovens are a great choice because they provide you with dual temperature control over both the top and bottom of the oven. The Amalfi Electric is their top of the line. You can find more information here:
http://www.morettiforniusa.net/FinalAmalfiSpecSheets/AmalfiBlack.pdf
If you can afford to spend the extra cash, the Rialto Electric model is a single deck oven that is also ideal for breads. You can find more information on the Rialto:
http://www.morettiforniusa.net/FinalRialtoSpecSheets/RialtoFinal.pdf
For purchasing and more information, you can contact Alec Yannoulis of Moretti Forni at (773) 269-8171
--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:My grandmother used to make dough which she fried in oil. It came out very light and we would eat them just as they were. Any ideas? Patty,
A:Our Italian Easter feature provides a simple fried dough recipe for Struffoli alla Calabrese, which might be similar to what you are looking for. You can access this at:
http://www.starchefs.com/features/easter/2003/html/recipe_02.shtml
--by StarChefs Editors
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