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Can You Make Your Own Powdered Sugar?

March 18, 2011 By 7 Comments

Heather says:

Yesterday a reader commented on Beet Sugar vs Cane Sugar:

Where do you purchase organic beet sugar? Have you found it in powdered form? I have only found it on an Austrian site so far and would prefer to buy US grown if it exists.

As I am not, nor was I ever, a pastry chef, I began to research.

It turns out the only difference between granulated sugar and powdered sugar is the size and shape of the grains. Commercial powdered sugar often contains corn starch, to prevent clumping.

Twitter user @MadatMama was quick to point out that you can make your powdered sugar by running it through the food processor. This morning I’ve done a little more research and it appears as though people have the best luck making small batches of powdered sugar in their blenders.

There is a caveat: I have the feeling that unless you are especially careful to blend each batch very thoroughly, there may be an inconsistency of texture¹. Any frosting made from homemade powdered sugar may have a slightly grainy texture. However I believe that slightly grainy frosting is superior to no frosting.

¹Well that is unless you have a Blendtec. You have seen the Will it blend videos, right?  Enjoy.

 

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Have you checked out the new forums?

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How to Get Rid of Ants in Compost

September 14, 2010 By 9 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

Every time I have tried composting, it gets full of ants and I freak out and spray the compost pile. That’s probably not so good, eh? Is it okay for a compost pile or bin to be full of ants?

Signed,

Scared There’ll be Ants in My Pants¹

Heather says:

I hadn’t experienced this phenomenon so it was off to the garden forums and county extension office for advice. The answer depends partly on where you live.

In some parts of the country where ants avoid moist areas, that may be prone to flooding, getting rid of ants in a compost pile may be as simple as turning it occasionally and keeping it damp. In other, drier place, they are attracted to moisture. If you live in an area with fire ants, please use a long handled rake and wear closed toe shoes before even approaching the pile.  Having your feet full of ant stings can make for a miserable few days. A hazmat suit and galoshes would probably be better, but most of us don’t have that laying around.

If fire ants are a problem, look for ant baits that contain spinosad, this is available in several organic ant baits. This organic method of fire ant control, works best when it’s an attractive alternative to your compost pile. What would make it attractive? Proximity to the nest in most cases. Follow the ant trail, if you can. Distribute the bait on a dry day when it isn’t likely to rain for at least twelve hours, if you’re in Florida that may be an issue, I get it.

I’ve never had a problem with ants in my compost pile, while they are all over my yard. The reason? My passive compost pile has an obscene amount of coffee grounds, which ants don’t seem to like. If you are not a coffee drinker, try asking your local Starbucks for grounds. If you have a local shop, talk to the owner, they may also be willing to get rid of their used grounds.

If you have invested in a compost tumbler, you can try setting the legs in buckets of water. Ants typically won’t swim for their snacks.

If it’s just a few ants, the answer may be as simple as burying any kitchen scraps in a few inches of other material making it less accessible to the six-legged scavengers.

Good luck!

¹Ants in my pants, ants in my pants, lookin’ like a fool with ants in my pants. I don’t even watch American Idol and the Pants on the Ground song has been stuck in my head forever.

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Freezing, A How To, Part Two

September 8, 2010 By 7 Comments

Heather says:

Yesterday’s post on How to Freeze Food inspired a few more questions. Rather than extend an already long article, this is the second installment on freezer tips.

Can you do a post on freezing leftovers? I’m a single gal, and while I do cut down most recipes, sometimes I have a couple stuffed chicken breasts or some steak left over. Do you just put it in the freezer in a tupperware container? Is there a better way – even if it’s gooey (like my stuffed chicken breast)? Any help would be super-appreciated!

I highly recommend freezing for singles and couples as in the long run it requires a little bit of planning to ensure food doesn’t go to waste, but it can be a more efficient use of time and labor. Say you make a pot of chili. Use the freezing soup method I outlined in yesterday’s post on freezing. But, when you do it freeze it do so in both meal size and topping size portions. Why? Chili isn’t just great as a meal, it’s awesome on: baked potatoes, omelets, cheeseburgers, or even hashbrowns. You’ve just expanded your future menu possibilities.

Instead of labeling leftovers with the date it is added to the freezer, consider labeling it with a USE BY DATE.

Many leftovers can be frozen, some will not retain the quality they had, others are hardly affected at all.

As with all foods, freeze as quickly as possible and try to ensure it has as little contact with air as possible. Use freezer-safe containers, foil, freezer paper, or freezer zipper bags.

The biggest factor in texture deterioration has to do with water and fat content. If the ice crystals in some sauces, cheeses, and even starches, like mashed potatoes, form too slowly the crystals become too large and break the existing food structure. This is why mashed potatoes can become watery, cheese texture changes, and cream sauces often break. Sometimes this doesn’t matter and sometimes it can be quite disappointing. So, before tripling your favorite recipe, experiment freezing a small portion. Do you like the results? Great, go ahead and freeze it more in the future.

Is the 3 months or so a rule that works for everything? Or are there guidelines depending on the item? ie. can fish be stored as long as a soup or casserole? Also, can you use inexpensive plastic containers to freeze in or even small CorningWare dishes?

Three months or ninety days is a pretty standard rule of thumb for “short term freezing,” but as commenter Tinkerschnitzel pointed out the USDA has a handy chart for quality of frozen foods. Other factors include how often your freezer is opened. If the door is opened frequently it may rise about the freezing point causing the outermost parts of food to thaw and refreeze which can significantly and adversely affect the texture of your foods.

For longterm freezing in a deepfreeze the guidelines are not safety but quality. If the temperature stays at 0°F microbes cannot grow. The worst that will happen is the food will dry out and become susceptible to freezer burn which isn’t a safety issue, merely a quality issue.

Only freeze in containers labelled freezer-safe. If the containers aren’t labelled they may become brittle and shatter.

Freezer safe plastic containers are fine for freezer storage, if they are filled properly. If there is a lot of air, the quality won’t be the same and if they are filled too full, they may crack or the lid may pop off. Ever cleaned plastic shards and food out of your freezer? It’s not quite as fun as an exploded soda can, but close.

CorningWare™ advertises or it use to, that it could go straight from the freezer to the oven. So, the answer is yes. Just make sure that the food is tightly covered. If you only have one or two CorningWare dishes, line it with foil before cooking, freeze, then pop the food out, wrap, and store. Then you have a dish sized meal ready to go.

Usually when I buy meat, I freeze it in indiviudal portions so I don’t end up defrosting 4 lbs of ground meat to make 2 burgers. But sometimes, especially with steaks since they usually come 1 or 2 to a package, I just freeze in the container, but I still put it in a freezer bag first. Is that ok, or should I take the meat out of the packaging, wrap in saran wrap, and then freeze in the bags?

As long as you remove as much as as possible from the zippered freezer bag, your method is fine. The styrofoam tray won’t hurt anything, the issue is the thin plastic overwrap. It is very susceptible to punctures and tears and may allow air to come in contact with the meat. Again, it’s not a safety, but a quality issue.

Good luck!

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Bare Minimum Pantry Supplies for Black-Outs

July 13, 2010 By 10 Comments

The topic of emergency preparedness can be quite overwhelming, over the next few weeks I’ll be covering different aspects of how individuals and families can be more prepared for some emergencies. Emergency preparedness is a practical, low cost insurance policy. Just like car, home, or renters insurance, we may never need it, but that doesn’t lessen its importance.

From the comments on Stocking the Emergency Pantry:

Any suggestions on what to keep in a pantry – especially for a vegetarian? I grew up in earthquake ville and we just keep canned food and water for three days. I have no idea what a real pantry should have!

—

Yes, that would be helpful, all you ever hear is canned food. What kinds of canned food? If I’m desperate enough I’ll eat anything, but from a planning standpoint something other than canned fruit and tuna would be good.

Heather says:

Since many homes have electric ranges (stoves) and many apartment dwellers are not allowed to store a grill on their patios or balconies,  today’s list is comprised of options that don’t require any heating at all. It is not the optimal scenario. Apartment dwellers should at least own a small grill or camp stove for emergency situations. The list below is intended for the pantry only. Homes should also have a black-out kit consisting of flashlights, batteries, crank radio, etc. The next installment will cover ideas for shelf-stable foods that must be heated.

Important: If you only rarely consume canned food, the high sodium of many processed foods can be a shock to your system. Do not add sports drink to this mix. Save those for times when nothing is staying in or held down. Plain water is best for anyone who is not ill or performing strenuous labor. Assume a minimum of one gallon of water per person for a minimum of three days. Don’t forget to rotate stored water every six months.

The menu for the first day of a power outage for any cause (hurricane, ice storm, forgot to pay the bill, or those pesky zombies) is simple. It’s clean out the fridge day. Those who lose power due to inclement cold weather are often able to use their back porch / balcony / or other unheated area as a makeshift fridge. Those of who will likely have triple digits following a bad storm don’t have this option. Assuming there is no way to heat food, only eat what is safe to consume cold. A case of food poisoning without power or transportation isn’t always just a minor inconvenience. Keep Gatorade, Pedialyte or other sports style drinks on hand (even in powdered form) to help prevent dehydration in individuals who are unwell.

Day two of a power outage is when things start to get a little more interesting. Unless is the weather is cold, the items in a standard fridge will no longer be held at a safe temperature. Whole fruits and vegetables will still be fine, but need to be eaten before they go bad. The freezer section of most side by sides and top mounted freezers will be thawing at this point. You may consume fruits, vegetables, and by all means enjoy the ice cream. If you don’t have a way to cook it to a safe temperature, the meat is most likely a loss.

If you have a fully stocked, chest or upright freezer, it may stay fully frozen for 48 – 72 hours, if no one opens the door.  Unless the power has been restored, do not opening “just to check.” After this time has elapsed, and there’s no assurance of power being restored, by all means dig in and salvage what you can.

Day three and beyond is when you move on to the goods in the emergency pantry (unless there was nothing to salvage from the refrigerator or freezer).

Below is a basic list of shelf stable items that can be eaten without heating. They may not taste great at room temperature, but hunger is often the best seasoning. Vegetarian options are green:

  • Cold Cereals – Try to have something other than Sugar Coated Frosted Chocolate Bombs
  • Crackers – Whole grain are a better choice
  • Peanut Butter
  • Tortillas
  • Dried Fruit
  • Nuts – walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds
  • Canned beans – kidney, great northern, chick peas, black-eyed peas, black beans, refried beans*, etc
  • Canned vegetables – carrots, collards, corn, green beans, tomatoes, peas, potatoes, spinach, etc
  • Canned fruits
  • Shelf stable milk** or powdered milk
  • Sports drinks or powders
  • Canned Soups – chili, stew, and vegetable / chicken / beef broth based are better options than cream of X at room temperature
  • Cans or Pouches: Tuna, Salmon, Sardines, or Chicken, Vienna Sausages
  • Dried Beef
  • Jerky

Be sure to have a manual can opener on hand.

If you have the ingredients, many of the beans and vegetables can be dramatically improved by adding homemade Italian dressing or oil, vinegar and other seasonings. Just be sure to mix it up in small batches that can be consumed immediately.

To keep the food from expiring, the emergency pantry should be comprised only foods that you are willing to consume and replace on occasion. This does not mean you should switch from your fresh, local diet, but every so often include an item from the stash and replace it with a fresh can promptly.

*Not all refried beans are vegetarian, read the label.

**It’s better to have shelf stable milk in single servings, it must be refrigerated once opened.

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Choosing Sides, Meal Plan Primer Part IV

March 29, 2010 By 6 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

I need to get our food budget under control, we spend a ton of money eating out.  It’s starting to cause fights.  I can’t cook, I can’t plan, and even if I could I wouldn’t know where to start.

Signed,

Hopeless in Hopeswell

Heather says:

I began this series as a response to Hopeless back in August of 2008 and new readers are encouraged to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of the series for tips on getting a handle on meal planning. A commenter recently requested that I continue posting menu plans as they helped her find ideas for side items, which is the inspiration for this installment.

First of all, the calendar is a huge influence on what we eat with our meals. I’ve been working with Cameron Blazer at Cottage Industrialist to create a series of calendars and recipe cards that focus on the available produce each month.(January – June & July – December) Over the course of 2010 we will continue to provide recipes that highlight produce available in that calendar month. The flow of the seasons imparts a natural variety in our diets. It’s easy to say this in spring as new fruits and vegetables begin appearing weekly at the produce stand and farmer’s market. In the winter months, I do find myself reaching for frozen produce to bring color and variety to our meals. We are huge fans of frozen broccoli, green beans, corn, and peas. I highly suggest trying at least two seasonal recipes a month, shoot for one a week.

With children and new recipes, there’s always a minimal bite requirement. If you cook for other adults they should have enough courtesy to at least try an item without complaint; it’s a matter of respect and maturity on their part. As a caveat, if you do cook for suspicious types, only introduce new side items on a day where the main menu item is familiar.

When planning a week’s menu first plan the main items for the week. Then go back and fill in the corners with appropriate side items. While fusion cuisine is all the rage in some high end restaurants, try to center a meal around complimentary flavors.

Aim for two sides per meal, with at least one simple vegetable or salad. Casseroles count as both main dish and one side and if they are packed with vegetables, they can count as all three.

Keep a rein on the number of starches served, whether they are of the pasta, rice, potato, or corn variety. If one of these items is used in the main dish, substitute legumes or steamed vegetables for the usual sides. If rice is in the main dish, try lentil pilaf on the side. While no one in my household has diabetes, it does run in my family and I pay close attention to how many simple starches we consume.

Sometimes reaching for the same vegetables is a-ok. If everyone in the house loves roasted broccoli, by all means serve it. Frequently.

Raw vegetables make a great addition to a soup and sandwich night. How’s that for no effort?

Never underestimate the flavor improvement provided by substituting vegetables, chicken, or beef stock (or broth) for water when cooking vegetables or rice. If you use store-bought stock, broth, base, or bouillon please keep an eye on your overall sodium consumption. Use the lower sodium alternatives whenever possible. Better yet, learn how to make your own chicken or turkey stock. Heck, I’ve even made it from chicken feet. When you make your own, there’s no worry about MSG or absurdly high sodium content.

Add vegetables to your rice dishes. Instead of serving plain rice, try rice and peas, fried rice, or Spanish rice which provide a lot more flavor than the plain version.

When serving a meal, color is a big deal. As a rule of thumb, try to never serve a pale meal. If you make fettucini alfredo, serve it on a bed of spinach or make wilted spinach on the side. Top the dish with diced tomatoes or serve steamed baby carrots. Avoid the baked chicken, rice, gravy, and corn rut. Even a simple swap for steamed broccoli makes a big impact, rice and tomato gravy? Even better. Reach for purple cabbage instead of green, if the other items aren’t visually stimulating. The simple addition of black beans or bell peppers can give corn a confetti appearance. Use sweet potatoes instead of russet. As a bonus, darker or brighter colors are often a useful indication of nutritional content.

Don’t forget there is a lot more to salad than the sad iceberg salad mix in the produce section.  Try different lettuces or spinach for variety.

For the biggest impact of all, try to create a flow of flavor from one item to another.

How do you keep your side items interesting?

PS Fearless Friday is now a monthly event, so mark your calendar for this Friday April 2. Any adventurous cooking done during the month of March is eligible.

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

*I’ll work on combining the side item and on the side categories over the course of the week, they should be under the Cook It section of the site’s navigation ASAP.*

I’m on the ball.

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Wash the Walls, Really?

January 28, 2010 By 11 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

My living room desperately needs to be painted and I’ve rounded up a few friends willing to help sell their time for beer and pizza.  I really want to do this right, is it true that I have to wash the walls before I paint?

Signed,

Short-Cut Shelby

Heather says:

Look at it this way, washing the walls can save you money and time in this project. Seriously. Anytime you cook, open the window, spray hair spray,  etc particles that can adhere to your walls, do. Over time this creates a thin, mostly invisible but greasy layer of dirt and dust on your walls. This layer of funk isn’t evenly distributed, making it difficult to evenly apply your new coat of paint.

Any degreaser will do, but if you want the job to go quickly with little elbow grease, check out TSP or Trisodium Phosphate. This chemical, when mixed with water has a high enough pH to saponify grease. This simply means that it turns the grease on your walls into soap. TSP used to be included in both laundry and dishwasher detergent until it was found that algae really loved all the extra phosphorous in the water supply. Since then it has been phased out of detergents, but it’s still appropriate for small applications.

TSP is not your, gee-the-walls-look-a-bit-dirty-but-I’m-not-going-to-paint wall wash. Trisodium Phosphate etches or chemically scratches the paint surface while it strips away the grease. If you’re getting ready to apply a fresh coat of paint, this is pure win as it gives the new paint better adherence.

I strongly urge you to read and follow the directions and safety precautions. While the highly alkaline nature of TSP makes it fabulous for stripping grease off of walls, it also can cause chemical burns if it gets on your skin. Keep it in perspective, chlorine bleach also causes chemical burns when used inappropriately.

You should be able to find TSP at home-improvement stores.

Good luck!

Send your domestic queries to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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Mattress Cleaning and Other Indoor Sports

January 14, 2010 By 14 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

What is the best way to clean a mattress? Dec 2008 I splurged and upgraded from a queen bed to a fabulously huge king size bedset.I’m wondering what is the best way to clean the mattress? I have a small “spot” cleaner by Hoover (I think)-and I use that to get stains/spills-thank goodness there have only been a few. But I’ve been thinking how does everyone clean their mattresses? I’ve heard of putting it outside and letting it “air out” but that’s not feasible where I live. Recently in a yoga catalog I saw a sanitizing “wand” sort of thing (uses UV I think) and have thought about getting that. Just curious as to what other people do.

Signed,

Bedwarmer

Heather says:

We humans are fairly nasty creatures and we spend a lot of time in bed. We shed skin cells, which the dust mites adore and then there’s hair oil, sweat, drool, and potentially other bodily fluids. Even if you don’t have allergies, it’s something to think about. Mattresses can get pretty funky without attention.

Let’s give a thought to prevention. Let your bed air out daily and no, I don’t mean drag the whole thing outside. Just fold the sheets back toward the foot of your bed. Take a shower, eat breakfast, then make your bed. Dust mites love moisture and if you create a favorable environment, they’ll hang out eating, breeding, excreting. . .

Change your sheets frequently, they are your mattress’s first line of protection.

Invest in a good mattress pad. These are absorbent and made to soak up sweat and other people funk.  Wash the mattress pad every other week or once a month. In the Solos house, it’s every other week in the summer and monthly in the winter, unless someone has been ill.

If you have allergies, consider encasing your mattress in an allergen barrier, these can make a huge difference if your mattress is several years old.

Vacuuming is the only recommended cleaning technique by Sealy. Simmons, Serta, and Sealy all recommend using a mattress pad since stains are not covered by their warranties.

Never use dry cleaning chemicals on a mattress, not only can they damage the fibers, most are toxic.

Never soak a mattress, they take a long time to fully dry and this could encourage the growth of mildew.

If your mattress is dirtier than a vacuum can clean and still under warranty, contact the manufacturer for advice.

As a last resort, for a mattress that is no longer under warranty, consider steam cleaning, but approach the job with care, try not to get the mattress too wet, and remove as much moisture as possible with the unit. Allow the mattress to dry fully before replacing the mattress pad.

Some carpet cleaning companies offer mattress cleaning services.

Good luck and take care of your investment.

Send your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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50 Cooking Tips

December 16, 2009 By 14 Comments

Heather says:

In October, as part of the Notes on Cooking giveaway I asked readers to submit their rules for cooking. As Home-Ec101.com readers are known for the brilliance -pander pander- those rules shouldn’t remain hidden in the comments. I could have organized them, but I liked their random order. Here is an edited compilation, enjoy.

Annie Jones:

When I’m freezing food, I always make sure that something (usually plastic wrap) is touching the surface of the food. Even in freezer containers, I place plastic wrap on the food before sealing with a lid. This greatly reduces the formation of ice crystals and results in a much nicer product when thawed and heated.

Shannon:

Season all throughout the cooking process, and to taste! Never think you “know the recipe” so you don’t have to taste throughout, and also layer the seasoning for a more professional effect in the end – your “eaters” will not know how all of that nuanced flavor got there.

Tinkerschnitzel:

Never add milk to chocolate while it’s melting, unless you want a huge gob of mess.

Katherine:

Wash the dishes as you cook; it makes clean up easy.

Leigh:

Learn to trust your instincts, not every recipe must be followed to the letter.

Shuggins1229:

Always add cold water to corn starch, never warm.

Stephanie:

To speed up the process when baking, always remember to turn the oven on.

Ginger:

Don’t cut open the steak/burger/chicken when grilling as it releases the juices. Test by firmness instead!

NGS:

Every recipe can be made better with either lemon juice or lemon zest.

ThatBobbieGirl:

Don’t be snobbish about food and cooking. No one can do gourmet scratch cooking from all organic, locally sourced foods, all the time. With time, budgets and obligations, each of us chooses where we’re willing to compromise and what we will insist upon.

Luke Jarett:

Try to make everything at home, from ingredients as close to scratch as you can find and involve everyone in the family in the preparation. Even if the dish doesn’t turn out right it will still make your family happy and give everyone something to laugh about as you eat it. 9 times out of 10 a near-miss at home is better than store-bought perfection.

Gigi:

Almost every vegetable tastes best roasted, with just a little olive oil & sea salt.

Allison:

Keep nuts in the freezer and toast them to develop their flavor.

Sean Hughes:

When making shrimp and grits always add some light cream to the shrimp for a decadent version of the Lowcountry treat.

Jenn:

I’m all about getting things ready in advance. I’m not so much for measuring things out in advance like on the cooking shows but there are definite advantages to having everything on the counter before you begin.
*Heather says: the term for this is mise en place.

Lee:

When baking cookies, make sure your softened butter is soft. Not too hard and absolutely not melted!

Kate E:

Don’t use a stick blender to mix things into your mashed potatoes!

Stacy:

In a pinch, toasted rolled oats add a nutty flavor to quick breads like pumpkin or banana bread.

Sue:

In most cases over seasoning a dish is preferable to under, unless preparing fish.

Nukenanc:

When preparing a large meal use a schedule to ensure items are finished at the same time. Don’t forget to include time to set the table and pour drinks.

Tyanana:

If you plan to store cooked pasta, rinse it under cold running water to rinse off the excess starch and prevent clumping.

J Wynia:

Learn the ratios of baking. Once you have a feel for these it is easy to troubleshoot recipes.

Heidi:

Read the entire recipe before starting.

Tiera:

If you’re going to change an ingredient while baking, make sure you know what the new ingredient will add or take away from the final product.

ToyLady:

Never put knives into a sink full of soapy water. It’s not good for the knife or anyone who reaches into the sink.

Melanna:

Invest in good stoneware baking sheets/pans. Once they’re seasoned you never have to grease the pan again and they never flake teflon into your food, burn, or warp.

Kristianne:

Just walk away! That can said for making pancakes- let them sit for 5 minutes; when meat comes out of the oven or off the grill- let the juices the join back in with the flesh.

Kate:

When baking allow all ingredients to reach room temperature before starting.

Daniele:

Salt is a flavor enhancer, not just a seasoning.

Faith:

Lessons from my new found passion for baking – step 1 – read recipe; step 2 – verify I actually have the ingredients; step 3 – re-read the recipe; step 4 – measure/plan ahead for ingredients.

Jrae:

Meat should be dry before it is browned.

MomTFH:

It is just as bad to overcook as undercook, especially shellfish and chicken.

Billie:

When storing cookies keep them soft by adding a piece of bread to the container.

Becky Smith:

Don’t be afraid to try new recipes and techniques.

Kendra:

Never use soap on your cast iron.

Deborah:

Make sure your pot, pan, or mixing bowl is large enough for the recipe. If in doubt, go larger.

Kaci:

Don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients, it’s how you make a recipe your own.

Susan:

Store bread heels or stale bread in the freezer to make croutons.

Angela:

When making muffins, as soon as they are pulled from the oven cut a slit in the top and add a small pat of butter.

Rachel:

A sliced potato dropped into a stew or soup that’s too salty will soak up a lot of the salt.

Simon:

When grilling meat, don’t move it for 10-15 seconds (to arrange or whatever) after dropping it on the grill.

Renee:

Wash your hands after handling meat to prevent cross contamination.

Danish:

Let meat rest after cooking and before cutting.

Calweb:

Learning to season a recipe reduces your dependency on salt.

Tater:

Taste while cooking.

Liz:

After hard boiling eggs bathe them in a cold water bath to make peeling easy.

Nikki:

If you’re out of cake flour you can subtract 1 – 2 TBSPs per cup of all purpose flour.

JaxCC:

If you don’t like the skin that forms on pudding cover it with plastic wrap as it cools.

Sheila:

When baking, use a scale to measure ingredients

I saved my favorite for last.

Shannon:

Food is a tangible expression of your love for others, family or friend. Food doesn’t equal love, but the care you put into preparing a meal for others can be felt by the maker and recipient alike.

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When Dry Beans Go Bad

October 29, 2009 By 16 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

I am on hour sixteen, and they still aren’t tender. I gave up the stove top and moved them into a crockpot hours ago.(electricity to run the crockpot is far less expensive than the cost of the gas for the stove) They soaked for 2 days, not kidding. what am I doing wrong? I used bottled water. I am high altitude.

Signed,

Dry in Denver

Heather says:

For what it’s worth, the song lies. Beans are not the magical fruit some vulgar jingles would have you believe. They do have a shelf life and it sounds as though yours may have passed theirs.  As beans age their ability to absorb water breaks down and they won’t swell and become soft when cooked.

Cooking at high altitude does have its challenges.  The higher your elevation the lower the temperature at which water boils. Salt does raise the boiling point of water but the amount is negligible. (I wasn’t thinking about scale when I first wrote this piece this morning. ) Although, salt is very important for flavoring the beans. 1 tsp per cup of dry beans is the rule of thumb.

Me? I live about as close to sea level as one can get without drowning.

I’d like to open the comments to those who live at high altitudes and may  have suggestions for coping.

Here are more articles on cooking with dried beans.

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Modifying Chicken Recipes

October 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I’ve seen recipes for 40 garlic clove chicken, but they are mostly for a whole chicken. I’m trying to figure out how I can make it for my husband and I using chicken breasts. Any ideas how I can do this? (I’d like to bake it rather than putting it in the slowcooker)

Boneless in Bon Temps

Heather says:

It is possible to swap different kinds of chicken parts for almost any chicken recipe. There will be slight changes in texture and moisture. In general, chicken with bone-in and skin intact turn out moister than their boneless, skinless counterparts. If this is not an issue, swap away!
Remember to rely on temperature of the meat itself and not just on the cook-time. There are several variables that can come into play. Was the chicken fully thawed, had it come closer to room temperature during prep, the thickness of the particular cut, etc all can affect the time needed.

Approximate Chicken Cooking Times¹

Type of Chicken Weight Roasting 350°F Simmering Grilling
Whole broiler fryer+ 3 to 4 lbs. 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hrs. 60 to 75 min. 60 to 75 min*
Whole roasting hen+ 5 to 7 lbs. 2 to 2 1/4 hrs. 1 3/4 to 2 hrs. 18-25 min/lb*
Whole capon+ 4 to 8 lbs. 2 to 3 hrs Not suitable 15-20 min/lb*
Whole Cornish hens+ 18-24 oz. 50 to 60 min. 35 to 40 min. 45 to 55 min*
Breast halves, bone-in 6 to 8 oz. 30 to 40 min. 35 to 45 min. 10 – 15 min/side
Breast half, boneless 4 ounces 20 to 30 min. 25 to 30 min. 6 to 8 min/side
Legs or thighs 8 or 4 oz. 40 to 50 min. 40 to 50 min. 10 – 15 min/side
Drumsticks 4 ounces 35 to 45 min. 40 to 50 min. 8 to 12 min/side
Wings or wingettes 2 to 3 oz. 30 to 40 min. 35 to 45 min. 8 to 12 min/side
¹Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/chicken_food_safety_focus/index.asp

Now, for your specific question regarding 40 clove chicken, what I would do is brown the chicken in olive oil, toss with the 40 cloves of garlic, the thyme,  and 2TBSPs of olive oil, reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Occasionally, I would turn to make sure nothing got too brown and I would check to see if it was done after about 20 minutes, not counting the time spent browning the breasts. If you would prefer to bake it, I’d check it after baking for 15 minutes in a preheated, 350F oven.

Good luck!

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