| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 4:49:14 PM | I know they say there is no such thing as a stupid question but I beg to differ. I should know...I ask them all the time.
Reading the cooking threads I always come across things that I don't understand or have never heard of, surely I am not the only one. So...anything at all about cooking that you are not clear on, ask here. One of our many resident cooking experts may share their knowledge with us (either that or get a good laugh out of it). | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 4:52:59 PM | Okay...I'll go first.
If a baking recipe calls for one cup of flour and then baking powder, soda , salt...can you just use one cup of self-rising flour and be done with it? Will the results be the same? | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 4:56:11 PM | Hmmm....waiting for Jeopardy plug-in to play.
Good first stupid question.
I've no idea.
Second stupid question.
I've got a teflon coated bunt pan so why do my bunt cakes always stick?? | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 5:02:04 PM | I copied this from somewhere for reference
Self-rising flour is a relatively soft
All-purpose flour to which
baking powder and salt have been added.
Manufacturers suggest using it for biscuits, quick breads, and cookies
and eliminating the baking powder and salt called for in the recipe. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 5:30:02 PM | Naught, I had at one time, in one of these threads, said I had never
heard of Ramen Noodles.... Honest Injuns, here on POF forums
is the first time I've heard of them and still haven't looked for them.
Seems they are a big deal in the South so, can anyone educate me,
puhleeze? What's so great about them, taste, ease of preparation???
What exactly are Ramen Noodles? 
Brazos, Sol  | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 5:45:21 PM | Thanks, Eye Guy
Ramen noodles come in square shaped packages and are very cheap. You can usually get 6 for less than a dollar. You boil the noodles for three minutes and then add the flavor packet that comes with it. I drain the water and add butter(and the flavor packet), some people eat them like soup. There are many flavors...chicken, beef, pork, mushroom, shrimp, terriyaki and more. Meat can be added or sauces or vegetables, some people make caseroles out of them.
There are a few threads on here about them, check them out. Google Ramen Noodles and there is tons of stuff. (I realize most any question can be answered through Google but it is not as much fun as getting personal experiences).
To sum it up ramen noodles are quick and cheap and people either love them or hate them. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 5:59:18 PM | Ah Yes, you jogged my brain Naught ~ those are the things my
daughter-in-law cooks up, just didn't realize what they were called
and not on my fave food list. 
S. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:01:59 PM | | You can actually break them into small pieces and eat them like snacks. They are basically just instant noodles. Ramen is the brand name of that type of noodle package in your typical grocery store. Of course real Ramen is a Japenese term for soup noodle and has nothing to do with the instant noodle at all and is quite good. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:10:04 PM | | Raman noodles are cheap but if you're concerned at all about healthy eating, cross them off your list. They are full of baaaaad trans fats (palm oil--major artery killers) and also very high in sodium. Just a heads-up in case you're watching your intake of things like that. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:10:43 PM | | I don't think it means you don't have to grease the tin, I always grease the tin of a teflon pan and how come my cakes still stick..... | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:10:54 PM | Another question...
Is there any difference in sea salt and regular table salt besides the price? Is there a noticeable difference in taste? Same question about kosher salt...what makes it kosher? | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:15:02 PM | Table salt is iodized (has iodine in it). Sea salt is pure, tastes less salty
and much better. However we need the iodine in our diet, is what I've read. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:20:36 PM | I don't use them at all, some people give them to their children as meals in place of a decent meal, some people even give them to their kids raw in the lunch boxes......
My step children used to grab them out of the pantry and eat them raw as seen at school, I stopped buying them.........
I used to put the chicken flavoured ones in an omlet and it was really good........
Tthe flavour sachets have way too much mono's and other such crap and I prefer to keep the chemicals out of my pantry full stop.....
convenience isn't always best for you in the long run, but try the omlet it was a very tasty breakfast and very filling
Pre cook the noodles without the sachet and then beat the sachet in with the eggs and add noodles, cook as normal, serve with lightly fried tomato, spring onions and capsicum, you won't be dissapointed........
 | |
|
| |
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:29:14 PM | Hello Naughtical:
In answer to your question, IT ALL DEPENDS UPON THE RECIPE. When baking,
exact measurements are CRUCIAL to success. Such measurements are an exact
ratio for optimal results. If you try to substitute self-rising flour in place and stead of
regular flour, a given percentage of baking powder, salt, baking soda, etc. you most
likely will not achieve a good result.
Self-rising flour seems to most excell when making buscuits.
Hope this helps.
Michelle | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:32:36 PM |
What exactly are Ramen Noodles? I have a friend who crumbles the ramen noodles, throws away the spice packet, and adds a dash of cinnamon, a bit of sugar,and raisins for breakfast. I tried it myself once. Quick, cheap, not bad. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:32:37 PM | Dear Justhank:
Try spraying the teflon-coated Bundt pan with vegetable oil cooking spray, such as
Pam or the supermarket brand will work just fine.
Simply spray all over the inside of the Bundt pan prior to adding your batter and baking.
When done, allow cake to cool in pan for no more than 15 minutes. Then carefully
invert upon a wire rack. Cake should easily come out of pan. Frost when completely cooled. VOILA.
Hope this helps.
Michelle | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:33:44 PM |
What exactly are Ramen Noodles? I have a friend who crumbles the ramen noodles, throws away the spice packet, and cooks it with a dash of cinnamon, a bit of sugar,and raisins for breakfast. I tried it myself once. Quick, cheap, not bad. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 6:51:00 PM | Is there any difference in sea salt and regular table salt besides the price? Is there a noticeable difference in taste? Same question about kosher salt...what makes it kosher?
From Foodnetwork - (italics are mine)
Q: What is the difference between kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt?
A: For the cook's purposes, the main difference between salts is in their texture.
Table salt's fine granules dissolve quickly, making it the preferred salt of bakers.
Sea salt and kosher salt possess larger, irregular grains that add a delightful crunch and hit of briny flavor
when sprinkled on food at the last minute. Generally, savvy cooks prefer kosher salt when cooking,
since its coarse texture is easier to take a pinch of when seasoning savory dishes.
Chemically there is little difference between kitchen salts. All are at least 97 1/2 percent sodium chloride.
But there are significant differences in the provenance and processing of these salts.
Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits, and includes a small portion of calcium silicate,
an anti-caking agent added to prevent clumping. It possesses very fine crystals and a sharp taste.
Because of its fine grain a single teaspoon of table salt contains more salt
than a tablespoon of kosher or sea salt.
Sea salt is harvested from evaporated seawater and receives little or no processing, leaving intact the
minerals from the water it came from. These minerals flavor and color the salt slightly.
However, because these salts often come at a dear price, it is worth
keeping in mind that
they lose their unique flavor when cooked or dissolved .
Kosher salt takes its name from its use in the koshering process.
It contains no preservatives and can be derived from either seawater or underground sources.
Aside from being a great salt to keep within arm's reach when you are cooking, it is particularly useful in preserving ,
because its large crystals *draw moisture out of meats* and other foods more effectively than other salts.
`````````````````````````
The Torah forbids the consumption of the blood of an animal.
The two Torah accepted methods of extracting blood from meat, a process referred
to as “koshering”, are either salting or broiling .
````````````````````````
I never knew some of this , and still not clear on whether Kosher is just coarse , or otherwise special .
Have all 3 types and Kosher & regular just taste salty .
Sea salt has a more complex "salty" thing going on (sound like a wine-sniffer?  ) but since the article sez
it loses the unique flavor when cooked or dissolved , I'll relegate it to the shaker .
On the Bundt pan issue , I've seen it recommended (Paula Deen) to spray it & then dust it with flour . | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 7:20:00 PM | | sea salt seems saltier, somehow. the celtic gray comes in little clumps that you can break up with your fingers. they're nice to have on hand because they work great in a bath too. they dissolve better and don't clog up the drain. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 7:47:38 PM | | What is the reason for putting some oil in the water wehn cooking spagheti? I always do it. Is it to keep it from sticking or does it have something to do with the water boiling? Can butter be used instead of oil? | |
|
| |
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 8:09:26 PM | People tend to put oil in the water to prevent the pasta from clumping together.
However, it means that your pasta sauces (esp tomato based ones) don't grip to the pasta as they are intended.
I don't use oil or salt when boiling my pasta and I have never had an issue with clumping or taste. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 9:15:49 PM | Great thread, OP!! 
Thanks for the info, blues--I've been wondering about that, also.
My questions are:
1) why are y'all rinsing the sauerkraut?
2) why is meat supposed to be at room temperature when you grill it? I like mine "Pittsburg rare" and the colder it is to start with, the better results I have.
Re: adding salt to pasta--on the Food Network, they always say that it is the only chance you have to flavor the pasta. I scoff at alot of their advice (like Rachael saying to turn a lemon cut-side up when squeezing so that the seeds remain in the lemon--maybe if you have hands of steel!!!), but I have noticed that the pasta has more flavor when the salt is added.
I'll try anything once. | |
|
| A place for stupid cooking questions
Posted: 3/10/2008 9:20:17 PM | | Saw an episode on the food network talking about oil in pasta. According to Alton Brown, to make the pasta not stick you just need a large enough pot with enough water and that should do the trick. Basically pasta sticking is due to all the starch that comes from the pasta. If you don't have enough water, the starch sticks to the noodles and causes the sticking. Oil in water is a myth and as ~footprints~ mentioned, just makes the sauce not stick to your pasta. I think salt is just for flavoring..... | |
|
Home
login 
