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Hey Chef Todd, check out my "version" of what Vinc is asking on January 17; for some reason he doesn't seem to be getting your emails or responses on this board. Here's hoping you two can get connected!
Hi Vinc.
I've replied to your emails twice. I'm trying to figure out what you're talking about because I don't want anyone to feel ignored.
Exactly what is it that I can help you with? Precisely, why do you feel ignored?
sorry ! chef what did i do to you i think i don`t exist to you, put i existed when i pay for my three level of cooking classes cost me around 600.00$ and more along the way, again sorry that i don`t write english like your english or what, look at my picture the one with the strawberries the guy that believe in you and you ignore me twice in this last few memo and it happen to me before about a years ago, like i said sorry what i did to you !
LOL Janea!
I love that part of the Food TV shows where they taste the end result. It's ALWAYS fantastic. The best pieces of acting they can muster occur in that moment. They never critique, never suggest improvements. It's always perfect the first time.
That must have been some acting to make a happy face with microwave carrot cake. How did it brown? How did it form crust without dry convective heat? It's baffling?????
My friend was watching food tv and the Chef made a micro wave carrot cake. They made like it was so good. She tried to make it and said, "Mine didn't turn out like his." You think. LOL
merci ! Ward Starring your great even that i didn`t taste your meals,,,,,
Hi Chef,
This is probably "after the fact" regarding Vinc's problem, Jan. 11, 2012:
Regarding his seafood casserole: it seems he's got a great look and taste but after freezing the left-overs for one or two months, then reheating, he has a problem with too much liquid in the casserole, which spoils the sauce. The casserole looks and tastes good but it troubled with all the moisture that shows up on reheating. He's wondering if there's a solution you could suggest he do before freezing, or some other solution prior to him wrapping the casserole in plastic wrap and aluminum to alleviate his problem.
That's my take on what he's asking. (I know, it's hard to troubleshoot something you can't see --)
excuse moi pour la question fou !
Hey Joe! (where you goin' with that chicken in your hand) (Jimi Hendrix?)
Anyway, you have the right idea with pulling your chicken breasts from the pan before 160 and letting the cooking "carry-over". If your chicken is dry and tasteless, that's two different problems.
If it's tasteless, examine the type of chicken you're buying. Most grocery store chicken IS tasteless no matter how you cook it. Try organic chicken or go to the farmers market.
If your chicken is too dry, perhaps you're applying the heat too slowly. Your chicken may be 160 inside, but sat in the pan too long and let moisture evaporate. Make sure your pan is hot enough by watching water evaporate immediately.
Or, modify your cooking method and deglaze with some type of liquid, then return the chicken to the pan to poach in the pan sauce.
As for the irregular thickness of chicken breast, I either cut them horizontally (takes a little practice), or pound with a mallet to consistent thickness. This should help irregular cooking.
Also, are you sure your thermometer is right? Calibrate it in ice water to read 32 or in boiling water to read 212.
Chef Todd,
I am struggling with the 160o internal temperature for chicken breasts. At that temp, they come out dry and tasteless. I generally pull them from the heat at 147o and that helps a little, but the thinner end is still over done. I did have more success when I let the chicken come to room temperature. Any thoughts Boss?
hi teacher todd
don`t ask must question, this i have to asked, i do a beautiful sea food casserole unbelievable look and taste, good to the table ummm, after i freeze it in portions few month after take it out and heat it turn very liquid not a sauces no more, look and taste the same,,,,,,,, solution is to thicken it again or are they a solution i could do before i freeze it in plastic and aluminium wrap......
hope to get answer thank
Hi Eldridge!
"Refrigerate allowing air circulation" means don't choke it with a plastic bag. For leafy items like lettuces, spinach and other greens, they should be placed in the crisper drawer unwrapped. I generally wash heads of lettuce, shake off the excess, and place into a plastic bowl uncovered in the fridge.
"Refrigerate allowing air circulation and moisture" also means don't choke the item with plastic, but may need additional moisture so as not to wilt. With asparagus spears, I give a fresh cut across the bottom, and place them standing up in a glass of water. I place a plastic bag LOOSELY over the glass as a tent to retain some of the moisture.
Lettuces may require extra moisture, and I'll sometimes put a wet paper towel in the crisper drawer along with the heads to allow a humid environment.
There's more tips on storing food at http://www.HowToSaveOnFood.com
Again, no apologies necessary, I'm glad to get good questions to answer.
Hi Chef Todd:
I have a simple question. In the "Pick Fresh" ebook, you mention the proper way to store vegetables and fruits. When you say "refrigerate allowing air circulation", what does that really mean? No plastic bags?
When you say "refrigerate with air circulation and moisture", what does that really mean?
At least I understand what "refrigerate in a plastic bag" means. What about the crisper drawers in my refrigerator, I just want to make sure I am storing my produce and fruits correctly.
Sorry to be a pain......
Thanks,
EK
Hey Eldrige!
Those are tough questions to answer, because I don't know your particular tastes. Most people will tell you white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, but that sounds awfully limiting to me. My attitude is "if it's good to you, it's good". I've drank red wine with fish, and white wine with beef. Did the wine police show up? No.
I'm sorry but I can't possibly answer "the best wine for cooking", it's the one that you prefer. What's needed here is some further investigation on your part. Wines are categorized by their grape or their region. You should start with one white grape or region and one red grape or region and see if you like that. If you do, then you can explore even more.
My personal favorites are: White - Pinot Grigio, Niagra, and Chardonnay grapes. For red wine, I like Chambourcin, Pinot Noir, and Malbec. Each of these wines has a different flavor and profile worth exploring for yourself.
The wine you should cook with is the wine that you are drinking with dinner. I would never freeze wine, and I don't know what to do with leftovers because I've never had leftover wine. An opened bottle should be tightly sealed and will only last a few days.
Yes, you can freeze chicken stock and ice cube trays are a good idea for portioning.
Todd.
Hi Chef Todd:
I've got a few questions for you. I don't know that much about wine. I've always liked beer better. I don't drink it (wine) very much. Beer is a whole another story.
When cooking with wine, what goes best with
Beef?
Chicken?
Pork?
I'm not asking for specific brands, just the wine type like "Burgandy" for example....
Is there a generic type of red wine that is generally better for cooking than the others?
Is there a generic type of white wine that is better than the others?
I'm trying to keep it simple.....
Once you open the bottle of wine, how long does it last in the refrigerator? Can you freeze wine in the freezer in an ice cube tray. Some folks have said yes....
How about chicken broth...Once you open it up, someone told me that you should switch the broth to a sealed jar and it will last in the refrigerator for a long time. Can you freeze beef broth and chicken broth in ice trays too?
Let me know when you have the time.
Thanks!
WEK
Chef Todd, I did my first sauté! Chicken and Shrimp ala Japanese sauce! I used the ingredients I believe are in hibachi cooking. Pan hot, sesame seed oil, (low smoke point), deglazed with sake, added, soy sauce, powdered ginger, butter, lemon juice and sesame seeds. WOW, it worked! My wife, a great home cook, wants me to do it with steak. Thank you Chef Todd, it’s very rewarding to get the first one under your belt.
Hi Eldridge!
Generally, I always try to estimate the carry-over cooking effect to eventually arrive at 165f finished temperature. With a thin chicken breast that was poached, I wouldn't expect more than 5 degrees or so before it starts to get cold on the outside. If you were roasting a large piece of meat, you can expect 10-15 degrees carry-over because of the size of the item.
Short answer, I'd cook it completely to 165 in a poaching process and serve immediately.
Thanks for your kind comments. I love the quote "learned so much it's ridiculous"! Made me chuckle, thanks.
Hi Todd:
I have a quick question. I recently bought the "Burn Your Recipes" and the three "Cooking Classes" dvd sets. The "Burn Your Recipes" had a boatload of great information for me and has been a tremendous help. I learned so much it's ridiculous!
I just viewed the "Tale of Four Chickens" dvd and have a question for you. When you are cooking chicken by moist convection (poaching), do you remove the chicken when it reaches 155 degrees F knowing that it will still continue to cook by itself, or do you wait until the temperature reaches 165 degrees?
I think I would wait until it reaches 165 degees F but I'm not 100% sure.....
Thanks for your help!
Eldridge King
P.S. I just bought a thermometer for my oven and when the oven is set at 350 degrees F, after 15 minutes of warming up, the thermometer says it is actually 380 degrees F. You were not kidding about every oven being different!
@Carolyn -
Today is 1/31/11 and I can get to the customer support ticket form after scrolling to the bottom-most question on the customer support page. As far a copying video, I can't copy directly from Mozilla. Are you using a 3rd party program or a firefox plug-in?
Does anyone else have trouble with this site? Today I can not download any of the video's and re watch. I also am using MOSILLA, but still have trouble. PS cannot get into the customer site either that I can leave a comment on as in the past.
Carolyn Bertram
Hi Terri!
The Breakfast Smoothie video is now part of the WebCookingClasses curriculum. It appears as one of the surprise bonuses for members.
I'm having trouble finding the short video on the smoothie you made. Can you tell me how to find it?
I'd do the experiment for you, but I don't live at 5000 feet.
You can thicken any liquid by three methods: 1) adding a thickening agent, 2) reduction 3) adding something that is thicker than the liquid.
For a cold Asian sauce, I'd recommend a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce, and then chilling it for later use. Or, to keep the flavor profile, you can use wasabi powder as a thickener.
Otherwise, find something that is thicker than your current sauce. Bean puree or hummus works great. For more of a Thai flavor, use peanut butter.
So I've just whipped up a batch of what I can only describe as Asian slaw (cucumbers, radishes, red bell peppers, carrots, bok choy, onions and a few other fresh veggies) using a sort-of thai dressing (fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, salt). My whole family loved it (even the kids who we are always hard-pressed to get veggies into). My only issue is that I want to thicken the dressing so that it adheres better to the veggies instead of quickly heading to the bottom of whatever receptacle the slaw inhabits. I've learned plenty of methods of thickening hot sauces but I'm at a loss for how to thicken a cold sauce without changing the flavor.
Thanks Chef Todd,
You've set me some interesting homework with the sugar syrup question. I wish I could predict the answer but I have no idea either which is really why I asked the question. I'll try it out and let you know.
Hey Rob.
We're having a conversation of semantics, I think. Consider this analogy. Rather than reaching a temperature, let's say you're driving in the car. At the same speed, if you had to drive 95 miles or 100 miles, which would you arrive at first? The 95 mile marker.
What I didn't say too clearly is that you'll reach the boiling point more quickly. You're right, once at that point, the item is cooking at a lower temperature and will take longer to cook.
Bringing boiling sugar to precise temperatures is MUCH different than cooking pasta. You do need to be a lot more precise. That puts a different face on your question. What you're really asking is "Is soft-ball stage of sugar 5 degrees less because of my altitude?" That's a stumper. I'm really not sure and have never gotten that question before.
My assumption is that atmosphere doesn't act on sugar, but does act on the liquid. So, I'd guess that sugar stages are still the same, but you'll reach them more quickly by water evaporating.
In the "old days" before digital candy thermometers, we'd take a few drops of the sugar syrup at 5 minute increments and drip into ice water. Take the resulting sugar "pea" from the cold water and roll it in your fingers. You can tell if you're soft ball or crack by feeling it.
I'd be interested in you doing the experiment. At 1500m, cook sugar to different temperatures, drop into ice water, and see if your soft ball is truly at the temperature you thought.
Hi Chef Todd,
Thanks for the quick response.
I really don't want to cross swords with the guru but I think your arithmetic is off. For every 1000 ft (300 m) altitude increase, water boils at 1,8 F or 1 C less which gives the correct numbers. Since the boiling water is cooler it must take longer to cook pasta, boiled eggs etc, since it is the heat that does the cooking and not the time that the liquid reaches boiling point. I remember a book I read about the ascents of Everest where they were so high that anything put into boiling water at 71C or 160F, which is the boiling point on the summit, took forever to cook. I guess it must cook as fast as anything put into a pot of water at 160F at sea level. I hope you agree.
The reason I asked the question about the 5 degree correction was for getting to soft ball stage for syrup or jam/jelly for example. I agree with you completely about forgetting about temperature and just looking, provided you can see something that changes.
Keep up the good work. I don't know how you find the time to get to these posts so quickly.
Hey Rob!
At 5000 feet (1500m), water boils at 203F or 95C. Generally, the temperature at which water boils decreases 5F or 15C for every 1000 feet or 300 meters. Considering that water reaches it's boiling temperature more quickly at high altitude, I would think that items take less time to cook, not more.
Yes, any liquid will adhere to the same atmospheric pressure that water will when it comes to boils, simmer and poach. The altitude will not effect the temperature at which starches gelatinize (150F/66C), nor sugars caramelize (320F/160C), but since it effects the the boiling point of liquids, a cornstarch slurry will thicken the liquid more quickly, sauces will reduce more quickly, and water will evaporate from a simple sugar syrup more quickly before it turns brown.
How much more quickly? Just barely a few minutes, and since we cook with our eyes, and not a clock, it won't really matter. I mean, unless you can be in two altitudes at once, you won't know the difference. Use your basic cooking methods to react to what is happening on your stove.
When you say "subtract 5 deg", how would you know? Unless you're in a laboratory applying heat under sensitive instruments, you'll just keep applying heat until your water boils, the sauce thickens, or the sugars turn brown. Cooking with your eyes is best. Having the underlying knowledge of what's going on makes you an even better cook.
Thanks for the great question.
Hi Chef Todd,
Another technical question. I live at an altitude of about 1500 m and water boils at about 95 deg C. Obviously everything to be cooked in boiling water takes a few minutes longer than at sea level. Can I assume that the temperatures for poaching and simmering are also about 5 deg less than stated in your cooking manual? What about the temperatures for starch conversion, doneness of meat, and sugar caramelisation? Are they the same as at sea level or should I also subtract 5 deg in each case.
Hey Gary!
The basic difference to me has to do with proteins in the flour. Cornstarch is pure starch. Mixing flour and water does not cook the proteins out of the flour like making roux does. The proteins give your gravy a floury, pastey taste.
When I was Executive Chef at a large hospital, the "old-timer" line cooks would use the flour/water mixture. They called it "Bull Whip". It was a very rude analogy for the name that I won't explain here. I see it as a lazy short-cut that hurts the quality and stability of a sauce. A flour/water thickened liquid will break much more quickly than other thickening agents. Try it. Mix flour and water together in a glass. Leave it for a few hours. See what happens.
Anyway, I re-directed them to make 50 pounds of roux every Monday morning. It was portioned into hotel pans and placed on a shelf above the stove. Now, they just had to reach up and crumble some cold roux into hot liquid.
Surveys stated the people liked the food better. This was because the real taste of butter is more recognizable than the pastey "bull whip" or flavor-free cornstarch slurry. That's until the dietitians got involved.... That's another story.
I have used a cornstarch slurry to make pan gravy and I have used flour and water to thicken Alfredo sauce. Are there advantages and disadvantages to using cornstarch or flour? When do you use each one?
I'll send an email announcing the new resource on Week 5 so that everyone can access it.
I love to get student comments and suggestions. That's how the course keeps improving.
On the list, soon to be created, of acid and alkaline, don't forget the rest of us that have advanced past week 5! (I know, go back to week 5 and read the discussions --)
There you go! It proves again that the method is more important than the recipe.
Did your caramel recipe tell you to be aware of crystalization and how to remedy it?
Probably not.
Now you're smarter than a recipe! lol
That's a great idea, Terri.
I'll get to work on a list of common acids and bases to be found in the kitchen.
I'll post it as an additional resource under Week 5.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I just finished Week 5, will you be explaining or having a handout on what kitchen items are alkaline and which are acid? From the video I've learned that tomato products and vinegar are acid and baking soda is alkaline. What about others - cream of tartar, fruit juices, broths, etc.? (I guess I'm trying to avoid doing an internet search on each item in my kitchen.)
Thanks Chef Todd for the caramel advice. A couple of drops of lemon juice and washing down the pot sides with water from a pastry brush gave me my first decent caramel ever! The sesame snaps were brilliant.
Thanks for sharing, Ward.
I had never heard of dry Worchestershire before your comment. Thanks!
Todd.
My follow-up to dry Worcestershire: I found it available at The Spice Barn. I'm using it right now in a home-made rub on pork spare ribs... slow cookin' in the oven and it smells wonderful!
You've got crystallization going on. As you simmer your simple syrup, crystals can form on the side of the pan. This can cause a chain-reaction on a molecular level that will turn your caramel into crunchy candy.
Two remedies - First, continuously wash the sides of the pot with some cold water on a pastry brush. DO NOT touch the brush to the sugar, or you can start the chain reaction. Dip the brush into clean water and wipe around the inside rim of the pan. The water will run down and dissolve any crystals.
Second, add a very small amount of acid to your simple sugar. Acid inhibits crystallization. A tiny pinch of cream of tartar or a drop of lemon juice will prevent crystals from forming.
I used to make a lot of Italian Buttercream. This is always an issue when making the boiled sugar syrup.
Last bit of advice, make sure you have a candy thermometer and quantify when your caramel is done.
Great question.
Todd.
I've been trying to make sugar caramel. Instead of turning a golden colour, it turns into a big mass of dry white sugar crystals. What am I doing wrong?
I'm back to bug you again. To your knowledge is there a "dry" version of Worcestershire sauce? I'd like to incorporate the flavor into a dry rub if at all possible. I even tried drying some but only ended up with an oily goo! There's gotta be something that's close... maybe.
(Most of my "experiments" turn out OK but I'm at a loss for this idea.)
Think of clarified butter like an oil. It doesn't NEED to be refrigerated, but it can turn rancid after too long.
I'd suggest keeping it cold.
Since the milk solids are removed, does clarified butter need to be refrigerated?