| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 5/20/2008 9:18:25 PM | We still don't have an answer--the catering manager will spread some light on it I'm sure. will let you know when we find out.
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 5/21/2008 8:47:45 AM | Americanrover asked:
What the heck is "pico digro"? At first I thought the gal was saying pico de gallo, but it's not.
Lew: Thanks for the information on Pico de Gallo. I, for one, did not know what it was so I learned something new.
She now believes Pico Digro may be a house specialty of a restaurant that is named Digro. She's checking on it. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 6/8/2008 10:08:29 AM | Hi Naughty girl!
I am going to answer a few questions for you because I didn't see anyone answer. If someone did and I missed it, I apologize. First, I want to say, I am at work and this is my third straight shift, so I am posting non-stop on here to try to stay awake, if this bothers someone, please forgive me.
Pico means beak. Pico de Gallo means beak of the rooster in Spanish.
Speidino alla Romana = bread from Rome, sometimes it is spelled speidini. I actually posted my own speidini recipe on here a couple of months ago.
Zucchini flowers are great, as well as yellow squash flowers.
fagioli = beans, so it is pasta and beans
tortelloni = a stuffed pasta, wild mushroom stuffed pasta
gnocchi = potato pasta, ragu = stew, pasta in veal stew
pappardelle = a pasta shape, large fettuccini, porcini is a mushroom, so large fettuccini with porcini mushrooms
tripe = cows stomach, braised = cook in liquid, cows stomach cooked in liquid
pizzaiola = small pizza
Contadina = farm woman, so country, or rustic chicken, sausage and peppers...pretty simple dish, nothing fancy
I am guessing, because I do not know, that brazino shine is a fish...sorry, I can't look up stuff on this computer.
It is just Italian, nothing fancy. Restaurants sometimes do that to get you to pay more LOL | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/13/2008 6:46:31 AM | | If I'm making a base for a sauce, from water and flour/cornflour, I cant ever get it completely smooth. Even if I sieve the flour into the water it still ends up lumpy. How do you get it really smooth? | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/13/2008 8:50:49 AM | It may help to begin with cold water, use a whip or whisk and don't stop stirring until the sauce thickens. Just curious ~ what kind of sauce are you making?
tb | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/13/2008 10:14:39 AM |
If I'm making a base for a sauce, from water and flour/cornflour, I cant ever get it completely smooth. Even if I sieve the flour into the water it still ends up lumpy. How do you get it really smooth?
Make a slurry - equal parts cold water and flour or cornflour. Add to mixture until you reach the desired thickness. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/13/2008 10:48:37 AM | Thanks for your answers, I will try both cold water and the slurry thing.
what kind of sauce are you making?
Nothing specific, there are loads of recipies that use flour to thicken a liquid. First example that comes to mind is the lemon sauce used in Lemon Chicken (the chinese dish). Now that I mention it, I quite fancy making that again ... | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/13/2008 1:39:01 PM | | I prefer to use corn starch as well. A little bit in a glass, some warm water.... mix it up like a paste then add more water as desired, then pour into the mix... voila no lumps. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/14/2008 10:41:44 AM | | Hmm, I went and looked for corn starch and no sign. Perhaps its not UK thing. Any british fish out there who know where to get corn starch? | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/14/2008 5:24:38 PM | | Oops, didn't check to see what area you were in - cornstarch is called cornflour in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/15/2008 7:56:12 AM | Well it makes sense because potatoes have a lot of sugar in them and bacteria love sugar!
but then why does meat spoil? it has NO sugar?
The world is weird. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/15/2008 8:33:04 AM |
If I'm making a base for a sauce, from water and flour/cornflour, I cant ever get it completely smooth. Even if I sieve the flour into the water it still ends up lumpy. How do you get it really smooth?
Start with the dry ingredient. If you are making a roux (white wheat flour and liquid) have it in the pan you want to cook in. If you are using cornstarch, have it in a small bowl. Add a *small* amount of the liquid to the flour/cornstarch. Stir it rapidly with a fork or a small wire whisk to make a smooth paste. When you have a smooth paste, gradually add the rest of the liquid while still stirring vigorously. If the liquid is cold or cool, this will be easier than if it is hot. Good luck. Once you get the hang of it, it's no big deal. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/15/2008 8:48:20 AM | Ramen Noodles are great for a quick fix,especially if you are single..lol..they ome in like pkgs of 6 for a buck,depending on where you buy them..add to boiling water,cook for 3 minutes & voila! an instant meal that will fill you up!! I will add the packet of flavor..or drain the water and add salt,butter & garlic!!
Happy Cooking!! | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/15/2008 9:30:50 PM |
Well it makes sense because potatoes have a lot of sugar in them and bacteria love sugar!
but then why does meat spoil? it has NO sugar?
The world is weird.
Meat has enough sugar for sugar-loving bacteria to get a foothold, and it also has a lot of nitrogen.
Once the decomposition process starts in meat a whole succession of microbes get in on the act--species of increasing complexity and greater ability to break down proteins (at the price of slower reproduction). Some of those more complex decomposers can produce wastes that are toxic to humans, which is why you can't leave meat lying around to rot (and also why rotting meat smells disgusting to us).
Meat that is aged cold or dried won't support bacteria or their followers-on even though the sugar is there.
There's also enough sugar in the juice to carmelize and create a nice depth of flavor, which is really all that happen when you sear/brown meat. The amount of moisture that meat loses is a function of the internal temperature you raise it to--it doesn't matter if you do it quickly or slowly. At first the proteins tighten up and squeeze out moisture. If allowed to cool down and relax they loosen up again just a bit and allow more moisture back in--that's why resting works. But if you get the internal temperature hot enough it gets bound up and won't relax any more. That's what happens with a pot roast. What also happens is that eventually the connetive tissues between muscle strands melt away, leaving that lovely falling-off-the-bone texture that low-and-slow cooking produces. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/26/2008 1:49:03 PM | Hiya folks.
Hey satsumo if you make a water/flour mix in a blender it'll be perfectly smooth.
Here is an unusual one. Whatever I make looks revolting or at best like prison food  . I follow the directions and don't substitute. The end result is a blech lookin mess. It tastes great and smells great but looks awful! Any ideas? Thanks. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/26/2008 3:13:57 PM | make a water/flour mix in a blender it'll be perfectly smooth
I guess that would work. But I could never be bothered with the cleaning.
I can think 2 possible answers to your cooking problem. It could be you're over-cooking things. Too much heat or too long. Or, you always cook stuff that just looks like prison food. What sort of food do you cook?
Nice username. | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/26/2008 4:39:44 PM | Thank you satsumo
I tend to make casseroles. I like to put at least 2 colors of vegetable with some brocoli. I usually start out with a meat or chicken browned and make some gravy or aujus and add noodles. The reason I add vegetable to the meat is my youngest tends to not eat vegetables but a mix is usually eaten with no problem. After the noodles are done I mostly add a frozen pack of corn, peas, carrots, or green beans and when the mix boils I take it off the stove. After it sits for a bit the color changes. Any leftovers look atrocious! | |
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| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 7/26/2008 4:51:09 PM | | You should be able to do this , with a little difference. Depends on how many eggs the recipe calls for. There is a difference between regular flour, self rising, and "CAKE" flour. | |
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