Solving a Spousal Debate: To Preheat or Not

Dear Home Ec 101:

Please solve an argument between my husband and myself! When heating up the oven, I don’t wait for the required temp to reached before putting the food in, but do give extra time in case it wasn’t quite hot enough. My husband says that you have to wait until the temp is reached or the food won’t cook right. Who’s right?

~Consternated in Concord

Heather says:

I have the feeling that neither of you will be happy with the answer. You are both right.

The temperature is very important with baked goods such as breads and cakes. A lot is decided in the first few minutes of baking. Take bread for example, if the oven isn’t hot enough the crust may not form properly.

If you do a lot of baking, I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer. Oftentimes the thermostat may not be calibrated and that can effect some recipes.

Temperature is also important when trying to achieve certain effects when roasting. Some cooks swear by “blasting” roasts and whole chickens and turkeys.

With many items it doesn’t matter, things like baked chicken, casseroles, or the kid’s fishsticks. In those cases check at the end of the prescribed time. Often the cooking times are generalities and not exact in the first place.

I hope this information helps and I hope it didn’t take all the wind out of your sails. I know I get far too much enjoyment out of a big “I told you so!”

Good luck!

Formaldehyde Revisited

Heather says:

Commenter Keter raises some interesting points:

Formaldehyde in clothing also makes it more flammable, and can cause contact dermatitis. Washing will remove the chemical treatment. Baking soda adsorbs (yes, that’s spelled right, it is a chemical process, no a physical one) some of it, but does not neutralize it.

Try soaking the clothes in a plastic tub containing hot salt water with a little bit of lemon juice in it — place a stainless steel spoon on one side of the clothing and a wad of aluminum foil on the other…there are usually metal salts in the sprayed on solution, and the anode effect you create this way may help pull the stuff out of the fabric.

Now, let me put down the baby and get my geek on.

Yes, formaldehyde has all kinds of skeery information attached to its Wikipedia page. . . Words like carcinogen and contact irritant come to mind, but it is important to remember it is also a natural byproduct of some of our own biologic processes. So yes, do what you can to minimize your exposure, but there is no need to invest in a Hazmat suit. We are surrounded by formaldehyde, it’s in the smog we breathe, but levels are often higher indoors than out, it’s in particle board, furniture, and many paper products. Reality is, unless you live in a yurt and weave your own clothing, chances are you will have some exposure to this chemical.

Formaldehyde is readily soluble in water. It is also an acid, by adding baking soda to the wash water you are creating a solution that will reduce the amount of chemical on the material.

Formaldehyde: It’s not just for embalming anymore

Dear Home-Ec 101,

Could you please tell me what that awful chemical smell is on some new jeans? How I can get rid of it? I tried adding 1 cup of vinegar in my wash with soap 3 times and they still stink. I really love the jeans and hope you have a solution for me.

Thanks,

Stinky Jeans

Ivy says:

The smell you are referring to is most likely formaldehyde. I used to work for Old Navy and I’d come home with that smell all over me. My dad would tease me about smelling like a mortician, because that’s the chemical that is most often used in embalming. In clothing manufacturing formaldehyde is used because, in theory, when combined with urea (Yes! That’s pee! Ewwww!) it makes the clothing more wrinkle resistant, stain resistant, and is a disinfectant (what self respecting germ could survive that?). For you chemistry nerds out there, here’s a wikipedia article on formaldehyde.

So, what’s the best way to get rid of the smell? Borax and/or baking soda. When I worked at Old Navy, I would use baking soda to wash my hands when I got home. It usually worked.

In your case, I’d probably use a cup of baking soda per load of new clothing. It may take several washings as some companies are now using even stronger disinfectants and even pesticides to protect the clothing during clothing is storage. Those chemicals are even harder to get out.

Eliminated or hidden? Febreze vs stink

From the comments:

I’ve heard from a friend that the way Febreze works is by “gluing” the molecules causing the smell to the fabric. So you may not smell it anymore, but it is most definitely still there… doesn’t normally bother me, but it seems to bother some people heh. Assuming that what my friend told me is true, of course.
My only concern would be if the mildew stays on the clothing could it cause mildew to form more quickly next time the clothes are left damp? Probably not, but I don’t know…

Heather says:

Unless I’m mistaken, this sounds like a call for a visit from the Chemistry nerd!

Febreze works by utilizing molecules called cyclodextrins.

If you look at these fancy schmancy molecules you can see the centers look pretty empty. These rings are in a water solution, when these rings of varying sizes come in contact with odor molecules they trap them. The water evaporates and these molecules are left behind and can be vacuumed or brushed away.

In addition to the fancy molecules Febreze also contains Zinc Chloride which neutralizes some sulfurous compounds (think rotten egg stink) and masks those scents.

Now as far as solving a mildew problem, personally I would work to rid the garment of the source of the odor.

How do you get your chicken so tender?

Dear Home Ec 101:

Okay, I’m new to cooking. Why do I need to pound the chicken breasts with a mallet or rolling pin? Like, why do I need to pound them at all?

~Are you really telling me to beat my meat?

Heather says:

I sure am.

Meat is nothing more than muscle. I know, I know, it isn’t a lot of fun to think about, but muscles are built of fibrous cells. These cells are held together in bundles by connective tissue. The amount of connective tissue depends on the type of animal and the location of the muscle. The more connective tissue, the tougher the cut of meat.

There are several ways to tenderize meat: mechanically, chemically, and through long slow cooking. Pounding meat with a mallet or rolling pin is a mechanical means of breaking down the muscle and connective fibers.

Is it crucial? Not always, if you are in a hurry your chicken fingers will be fine. However, if you are making a pasta with a light sauce, the overall experience will be lessened if combined with a tough bite of meat.

Give it a try sometime, it is a great way to release pent up aggression. I place dishtowels under the cutting board to absorb some of the shock and reduce the noise. I also cover the meat with plastic wrap or wax paper to minimize any “splatter effect.” If you choose to use a meat mallet, omit the cover as the teeth will shred the paper or imbed it in the meat. I use a rolling pin.

Please don’t forget to disinfect your cutting board and mallet when you are through with the beating. Cross contamination is always something to consider when working with raw meat.

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