Comments for Cooking Manager

Comment on Super Bowl Recipe: Avocado Bean Salad by miriami

miriami — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:43:03 +0000

Our super bowl host had so many good things that we didn’t need this–but I can’t wait to make it. And the pit trick is an old one usually used for guacamole. I believe it works.

Comment on Super Bowl Recipe: Avocado Bean Salad by Leora

Leora — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:58:36 +0000

Simple and delicious.

Comment on Ten Terrific Turnip Recipes by Miriam Kresh

Miriam Kresh — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:16:25 +0000

Thanks for mentioning my glazed turnips, Hannah. Going through the other recipes here, I’m getting inspired for my next turnip adventure.
Miriam Kresh recently posted..Glazed Turnips Recipe

Comment on Simple and Creative Ways to Garnish Your Food by Review with Three Dogs on the Boardwalk; Garnishes and Sunset

Review with Three Dogs on the Boardwalk; Garnishes and Sunset — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:14:06 +0000

[...] wrote a post on garnishes in cooking, and it inspires me to consider a series of posts photographing beautiful bits of food: a bowl of [...]

Comment on Reader Interview: Katherine Martinelli by Ms. Krieger

Ms. Krieger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:12:58 +0000

Oohh, pickling! I like the idea of pickling, but I have never been successful at it. Perhaps an idea for a column for blog? Maybe Leora or Katharine could do a guest post on it!

Comment on Tips on Baking with Whole Wheat Flour by Ms. Krieger

Ms. Krieger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:06:49 +0000

As several of the other comments suggested, I substitute whole wheat flour for part of the white flour in recipes – especially challah. I find if I substitute no more than 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat, no one notices the difference. Definitely increase the amount of liquid, though (if you bake often, you start to be able to ‘feel’ the texture of the dough you need, so it is intuitive.)

Adding spices like caraway or ajwain seeds, or nuts or dried fruit, also helps balance the flavor of breads with more whole wheat content.

I also suggest – try using white whole wheat instead of regular. It’s made from white wheat, not red (I believe red wheat is the most common kind) and has the same nutritional content but a subtler flavor. In the northeastern US you can buy it from King Arthur flour in the grocery stores, or mail order it from them. I find it very good – I make a sour dough bread using 100% white whole wheat flour and it’s delicious.

Some professional bakers tell me they can buy whole wheat flour of different “extractions”; 70%, 80%, 90%. This refers to how much of the germ is included, I think. The 90% extraction is essentially the typical red whole wheat flour you find for sale in the grocery. 80% has a slightly strong flavor and slightly less nutrition; etc. But I have not found partial-extraction whole wheat for sale in the grocery store so I have no personal experience with this.

In the summer I keep less whole flour on hand, and store it in the freezer. In the fall/winter/spring I store my whole wheat and rye flours in an unheated (read: frigid) room of my house.

Comment on Why Spoiled Milk is Not the Same as Soured Milk by Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:30:24 +0000

Thank you for the correction and compliment, Eugenia!

Comment on Why Spoiled Milk is Not the Same as Soured Milk by eugenia

eugenia — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:31:09 +0000

Hannah, this article about milk is very helpful and informative!

I caught a minor typo though in this line:

`Pasteurization involves heats the milk to about 72 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 seconds.´

`heating´ would be the correction

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Very much appreciated!

Comment on 11 Great Ways to Cook Beets by IsaT.

IsaT. — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:02:01 +0000

Stir Fry, but you have to be careful. The first stir fry I made had the beet greens and 4-5 walnut sized beets. The entire stir fry tasted like beets. I’ve since found that about half a medium sized beet can be added to a stir fry without overpowering the dish.

Grated or thinly sliced raw beets are also something I add to my coleslaw from time to time. I took one to a pot luck and people asked about the pink colour.

Comment on Simple and Creative Ways to Garnish Your Food by Ilana-Davita

Ilana-Davita — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:34:18 +0000

Great suggestions! Decoration is something I tend to forget; thanks for writing about it.