What's a good resource for knowing what spices are, and what to use them on?

Question

I know what spices like garlic and black pepper are, and what foods you typically put them on. But spices like cardamom, rosemary, thyme, paprika, whatever, completely elude me. I haven't found a good resource yet that explains all of them. Is there some kind of "spice cheat sheet" out there that I can tape to my kitchen cabinet?

Asked by Clinton Judy

Answer

It's not a "cheat sheet", and is rather too big to stick to your fridge, but I highly recommend the book The Flavor Bible, which is an encyclopedia of exactly these associations. What ingredients does any particular ingredient go with? How do you cook it? Absolutely terrific book!

Answered by Harlan

Check more discussion of this question.

Need suggestions for ABSOLUTE beginner's cookbook

Question

I have a friend who is 24 and can barely make mac and cheese from a box. She lives with her grandparents due to some tough financial situations, so she survives, but she is always very impressed with the things I (and others) make. Just yesterday she was floored by the fact that brownies can be made from scratch.

Anyway, long story short I was going to give her some "cooking lessons" and a beginner cookbook for Christmas. Do y'all have any recommendations as to what would be a good cookbook for someone who truly knows nothing about cooking/baking?

• The book should start at the beginning and not make assumptions about cooking knowledge
• The instructions should be comprehensive
• An overview of ingredients would be helpful
• Obviously I need something without a lot of fancy techniques and ingredients

• Some fancier simple dishes that she could "show off" with would be great too

  I was thinking Betty Crocker, but don't know if that gets into the true basics.

Please let me know why your suggestion would be a good choice.

Asked by dani

Answer

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook or it's lighter (calorie-wise) cousin The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook are ideal for cooks of all skill levels. The recipes are documented in detail. There are product reviews, equipment guides, and insets on why a given technique produces a good result. All of the detail provided adds up to confidence in the kitchen.

Best of all with the America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated family of publications, almost all of the recipes "just work" as written. Too many times I have scrounged up a recipe from somewhere, including my 1950s Betty Crocker, and messed up some step somehow or just picked a bad recipe, producing a poor result. I've done that all of 2 times in the 3 years I've been cooking from ATK.

All of the recipes have an ATK-style "Americanization" to them that tends to lean towards fairly standard ingredients in United States super markets, so they might not be as common outside of the States but are excellent here.

Either of these books are not only an ideal place to start but provide solid recipes for years to come.

Answered by justkt

Check more discussion of this question.

How should I poach an egg?

Question

What's the best method to poach an egg without it turning into an eggy soupy mess?

Asked by MJeffryes

Answer

1. I fill a tall frying pan (or pot) with water.
2. Add some white vinegar.
3. Let it come to a boil
4. Add the eggs. Don't make it too overcrowded
5. Take it out with a flipper or a spoon with holes when they look done.

Answered by Kyra

Check more discussion of this question.

How do you properly cook a steak?

Question

I love steaks so much, that I would like to get a green card and live in the States just to enjoy good steaks whenever I want.

When I try to cook a steak at home (I live in Italy), I almost ever get it burned outside and almost totally raw inside. Actually only a thin layer is cooked (or I should say carbonized).

If I try to lower the temperature of the grill pan, I get an extremely dried meat that resembles cork.

So, which are the basics for properly cooking a steak (say, to a medium-well grade)?

Answer

You should be able to get a reasonable steak stovetop using a cast iron grill pan, if you have a strong enough exhaust. Oil the cast iron pan (with canola or such), then heat it very hot, until it starts to smoke. Make sure the meat is completely dry on the outside (wipe with a paper towel, water will prevent browning) and gently place in the pan. Leave it there for a minute or two (it'll smoke quite a bit!), rotate 90° to get the nice grill marks. Leave for another minute or two. Flip, and repeat for the other side.

It may splatter, have a splatter screen handy. It will smoke, quite a bit, make sure the exhaust is on high.

You will probably have a medium-rare steak now. Using a thinner cut will make it more well done (you can cut a thick steak in half with your chef's knife, making two thin steaks); so will plopping it in the oven (not sure if you want the oven before or after searing, I like 'em medium rare...).

Remember to let the meat rest for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Also, if your steaks are coming out ridiculously tough, you're probably using the wrong cut of meat, or some terrible grade. What cut are you using?

[edit: I should note that, in case it wasn't obvious, the burner should be up pretty high]

Check more discussion of this question.

What can be cooked on a stovetop grill pan? [closed]

Question

I'm thinking of buying a stovetop grill pan similar to this one:

What can something like be used for? I.e, could it be used for grilling a chicken breast or vegetables like egg plant, and/or everything else that can be barbequed?

If so, what would be the method of cooking on this, i.e, would I need to oil the grill? How much would I have to heat it up? Would I marinate my chicken breast or can it be put on without any marination?

Answer

First off, even if you're not a cast iron fan - don't get a non-stick grill pan. They're not meant for high heat. The cast iron version is highly recommended.

The trick to using a grill pan on the stove is to realize how it relates to cooking on a real grill. Treat it as you would if you were grilling over direct coals with the lid open on a grill. If you would finish the meat strictly like that on the grill, then you could finish it fully on the stovetop. Think burgers, sausages, stuff like that.

If you would move it off to indirect heat on the grill to finish, then that's when you need to consider it moving it to the oven. Sear a chicken breast a couple of minutes per side and then put it in the oven to finish.

As far as what food, I can't imagine anything that you would normally cook on the grill that you couldn't fashion to fit on the grill pan. Obviously, food will lose that smokey flavor. Consider smoked paprika or liquid smoke to add a bit of that flavor back in your food.

Check more discussion of this question.

Can extra virgin olive oil be used for stir frying, roasting, grilling?

Question

I'd like to use extra virgin olive oil for the above mentioned cooking methods as opposed to unhealthy oils/butter. Are there any downsides to it, or can it be used safely in all those cooking methods? Is there anything that it doesn't work well with?

Answer

I don't want to disappoint you, but the sad truth is that extra virgin olive oil is unsuitable for all the cooking methods you mention. When you heat any oil past its smoking point it starts to deteriorate and can even become dangerous. Olive oil, extra virgin in particular, has a lower smoking point than most other oils. In fact, you will be better off with an olive oil of lesser quality. Such an oil will have been processed and thus purified, increasing its smoking point.

You may think that butter is unhealthy, but at high temperatures it will actually withstand the heat better than extra virgin olive oil.

Good oils for the purposes you mention are canola oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil.

Check more discussion of this question.

Can I use the grill tray in my oven for grilling?

Question

My oven came with 2 baking trays, and a small tray which looks like a grill (i.e, its got rows of vertical metal strips the same way as a grill does). Can I use this tray for grilling or broiling, and if so, how would I use it?

I.e If I wanted to grill a chicken breast, would I just leave the tray in the oven to heat up, marinate the breast, then put it on the tray and close the oven? Or what would I have to do?

Answer

Here's what I do - it simulates the high direct heat and then lower, indirect to finish ( like on the real grill with multiple zones):

• Put the 'grill' on the top rack (make sure its not coated or non-stick, that it can take high heat).

• Turn the oven to broil for a few minutes.

• Prep your chicken.

• Put it in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes (I can't really give you a time here because it depends on thickness and other things), but you're trying to promote that browning and a bit of char like the grill.*

• After its been in a few minutes and browned/charred somewhat, pull it out and quickly flip it and repeat.

• If your dish isn't fully cooked to your liking, move the item to the middle rack and turn the heat down some.

• Pull it out when finished and Rest the meat.

• Enjoy

To be honest though, for indoor grilling - I usually preheat the oven to 400, get some grill marks on a cast iron grill pan, and then finish in the oven. Its only when the volume is too much that I do the above method. Cast iron grill pan for a couple of servings has always been much less troublesome than the broiler which can bring items from tasty to ruined in record time for me.

---

_{*Some people close the oven door here, some don't - its the difference between if you just want to sear it or really start to cook it. I pretty nearly always close the door, but I'm also the guy who always puts the lid back on the grill.}

Check more discussion of this question.

How do I turn on an auto ignition stove?

Question

I've bought a new stove which is supposed to be auto ignition. If I turn on the gas and turn the knob thing, a flame flickers underneath but the stove doesn't light, I have to use a lighter to light it.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Answer

A couple of things. First, you just bought it, it surely came with a manual, you should check there to make sure you're doing it right.

In general there are a couple of things that come to mind:

• You may need to turn the burner to high to get it to ignite.
• You may not be waiting long enough. It takes a few seconds (at least on mine).
• There may be something wrong with your stove. For example, maybe the burners aren't installed properly. You're seeing the spark, so that part is obviously working. If giving it a few seconds on high doesn't get it to ignite, and the manual provides no help, I'd suggest calling the manufacturer or the dealer, they'd be in the best position to diagnose a defective unit.

Check more discussion of this question.

How do you get a feel for the heat (direct heat)?

Question

On my stove, it appears that low heat is 1 - 3 on the nob, mid is 4 - 6 and high is 7 - 9. It works for me.

But, I'd like to know if there are indicators to determine the heat without the convenient numbers. Suppose I want to cook on a camp-fire...

What visual indicators are there. A smoking oil is too hot, anybody knows that. But I've no idea what to look for. Do you 'just' eyeball it?

Answer

I'm with KatieK. That said, this 'how hot' can be mysterious for Professionals as well.

In "Seven Fires, the Argentine way of Grilling," a book about cooking on open flame heat (outside mostly), the author mentions traveling around to a bunch of Argentine steak places to time and measure what the chefs did mostly by touch and feel.

So, even for a pro, getting it just right takes a lot of time and experience. If you're persnickety, maybe you should get an infra-red thermometer.

Check more discussion of this question.

How to clean dill?

Question

I have some fresh dill. How can the 'leaves' be easily separated from the 'stalks'? Should they be separated (I think so, but what do I know)?

Answer

Let's assume you just want a little flavor added to a potato salad without too much texture:

after swirling the stalks under water and shaking off excess drops, pat with kitchen paper or cloth (doesn't bruise easily).

next pluck off small clumps of the hairy leaves from the tougher stalk. this is completely subjective as to how much stalk needs to be eliminated.

chop. the more stalk removed, the courser/longer the chopping in general -up to a cm long. also, the more dill is added to recipe, the finer it should be chopped (avoid the feeling of eating grass).

if a good deal is used then stir into the mayo first. if just of a garnish quantity then sprinkle on top of mixed pot salad.

Check more discussion of this question.

What to look for in a pot?

Question

What to look for in a pot. I'm supposing somebody that's just starting to live alone or a couple. Help me complete this list.

Size: small, but not too small. Maybe 2L or 3L.

Material: Stainless steel with a thick bottom. As you are going to buy only one pot to begin with, spend some extra money on quality.

Bottom: A thick bottom is a must on electric or ceramic stoves as they don't bend out of shape so easily. Also, a thick bottom is handy for slow cooking as the heat diffuses more evenly.

Handle: Same material, stainless steel. This is handy if you want to put the pot in the oven. Look at the fixture to the pot, it must be riveted on, with thick rivets.

Stove: if it's going to be induction - Glass, Ceramics, All Aluminum etc. are all out.

Price: Not too expensive. 20€ - 30€?

What am I forgetting?

Answer

Modifying your original terms:

Size: 2-3 quart/liter. I consider 2.5 quarts to be ideal.

Material: Two options: hard-anodized aluminum nonstick, OR stainless-steel interior/exterior. With stainless, it should have either an encapsulated aluminum disk base or a tri-ply construction (aluminum layered with stainless)

Bottom: Thick is good, and you absolutely must have aluminum here for conduction

Handle: stainless is good, as long as it stays relatively cool. The handle absolutely must be riveted on, with thick rivets. Screws, glue, or welded handles do not last long-term. Tack-welded handles are the bane of the restaurant I work for right now; we've had several handles snap off in the last year.

Additional things to look for:

Weight: HEAVY. You want fairly thick cookware for even heating, but most of that weight should be from thickness of the aluminum disk.

Design: A flared lip around the pot, to facilitate clean pouring.

Shape: I'm partial to shallow designs, which flare out at the top. Although it's nonstick and not stainless, I love my Calphalon Contemporary shallow 2.5 qt saucepan for it's extra-flared design. This lets it transmit heat more efficiently from the range, and allows it to safely hold a larger capacity of food. It also allows for faster and cleaner reduction of sauces.

Lid: TEMPERED GLASS with a handle on top, and a flange to help seal tightly on the pot/pan. Tempered glass is very durable and lets you see the progress of your cooking without releasing the steam. The handle also remains cool, so you don't burn yourself on it; this is the second problem I have with solid stainless lids on many premium cookware lines (All Clad, and most manufacturers' tri-ply products).

Check more discussion of this question.

Ways to learn to season food correctly?

Question

What is a good way of learning how to season food correctly? Are there some foods which are particularly bland until seasoned correctly that can be used to 'educate' your palate as to what is correctly seasoned?

Answer

My best recommendation is to taste as you go. Taste the initial product...raw vegetable, ingredient from the can, bottle, etc. and then continue to taste and sample a dish throughout the cooking process to see how flavors develop/diminish and enhance one another through the cooking process.

Learning to season food is a process of educating your palate and developing a "flavor memory"

One of the most important factors is to use enough salt. Food that is properly seasoned with salt shouldn't taste salty but will have a brighter more vibrant flavor of the ingredients that are in the dish. Food must be cooked with salt for this to occur. Food that is seasoned at the table will merely taste salty as the salt doesn't have a chance to dissolve and pull the juices out and help them mingle with one another as happens during cooking.

The more of the basic flavor profiles that you can incorporate the more lively and flavorful anything will be. Even before cooking you can take a look at a recipe and "disect" its flavor profile by determining which ingredients will add sweetness, sourness, etc. If you notice that it's heavy in one direction or another, the flavor profile of the item(s) missing will likely improve the dish. Then it's a matter of deciding what ingredient with that flavor profile would be best to add to that particular dish.

Shameless (but applicable to the question) plug: If you're ever in Savannah, GA I offer a class called "Flavor Dynamics". It is focused entirely around understanding how flavor develops, what affects our perception of flavor, and how to create well rounded flavor in your food.

Check more discussion of this question.

How can I safely improve my cutting technique

Question

I'm not bad with knives if I should say so myself. My cutting speed is definitely above average, but I've have never been trained by professionals. Most of what I know, I have picked a long the way, trying out some different stuff, practice etc.

I would really like to improve my cutting speed, for when it's really needed to be able to cut fast, but I don't know how to go about it. I really don't want to risk my fingers. So is there some good rules, guides or techniques I can use or practice to become more proficient with knives without risking cutting my fingers?

Answer

All of the following play an important role in cutting technique/speed:

• Practice! Probably the single most important.
• A very sharp, clean knife. Always hone your knife before use, and have it sharpened regularly (6-18 months depending on use)
• A fast and stable cutting surface. A solid end-grain cutting board is ideal.
• The food should be stable. As Nick says, make a flat side to your food if it doesn't have one.
• Proper off-hand placement. Your off-hand should be curled with your finger tips resting on the food. Your first knuckles should be against the side of the knife blade. Your fingertips should be tucked out of the way due to the curling. Your thumb pushes the food under the knife as you slice.
• Proper knife-hand placement. This can vary based on your biomechanics, hand size, knife, etc. However, the gist is:
  • Don't hamfist it
  • Relax your hand and arm
  • Gripping high up on the bolster of the blade can help with control and speed. I pinch the blade itself between my thumb and forefinger.
• Unless you're actually chopping (e.g. using the rocker technique to chop herbs quickly) you should actually be slicing your food. A slight forward movement of the knife blade as it passes downward through the food decreases resistance and speeds the cut. It also is gentler on your food.

To be completely safe you could use a finger guard. For example, Jamie Oliver Finger Guard. I've never used one of these, but it seems like it would significantly decrease the chances of a mishap. It also seems there are a few other brands out there to try.

Check more discussion of this question.