Cream is made by skimming the layer of butterfat from the top of milk before the milk is homogenized. Varieties of cream are defined by how much milk fat they contain. Creams with less fat are fine for coffee, but they can’t be heated or whipped. Cultured creams (sour cream, crème fraîche) break down when heated, and are best drizzled or dolloped after you've finished cooking a dish.
The spectrum of cream from lowest to highest butterfat content:
Half & Half: A mix of half whole milk and half cream. No whipping. No heating.
Light Cream: AKA Table Cream - Usually contains 20% milk fat. No whipping. No heating.
Crème Fraîche, Mexican Crema and Sour Cream: The cultured creams. No whipping. No heating. Cultured creams have sour undertones that differ from the silky sweetness of creams that are not cultured.
Light Whipping Cream: Has more milk fat (30-36%) than light cream. Whips into soft peaks. Heats nicely, too.
Heavy Cream (aka, Heavy Whipping Cream): 36-40% milk fat. Can be whipped into stiff peaks. Heats to a silky, rich thickness.
Recipe: Pappardelle With Creminis, Cream And Sage (Cookthink)
Recipe: Cream Of Broccoli Soup (Cookthink)
Reference: What do I do with leftover heavy cream? (Cookthink)
Onion slices are versatile. In quick-cooking dishes, they stay distinct enough from the other ingredients that they don't permeate every bite as diced onions would. In longer-cooking dishes, they have enough surface area to turn soft and brown, but their natural shape and length keeps them intact.
To make contoured half-round slices, first cut the onion in half through the root.
Next, slice away the both ends of each half and pull away the onion's skin. Since the ends hold the slices together, cutting them off frees the slices to fall into individual pieces.
Starting on one side of the onion with the knife at an angle, make slices as thick or thin as you like.
Rotate the knife around the contour of the onion, bring it closer to perpendicular to the cutting board as you go.
Do I need a digital instant-read meat thermometer?
Do I need a digital instant-read meat thermometer?
For $10-25, you'll have the most foolproof way to ensure that the meat you cook is done to how you (and the people you're feeding) like it. It's simply the most reliable way to get meat right.
Here are the temperatures to aim for. If you're going to let the meat rest before serving it (which is a good idea), take it out 3F (single pieces of meat) to 5F (roasts and whole birds) cooler than the temps listed below:
Pork
slightly pink: 150F
Poultry (chicken, turkey, cornish hen)
160F
Beef
rare: 125F-130F
medium-rare: 130F-135F
medium: 135F-150F
Lamb
rare: 125F
medium-rare: 130F
medium: 135F
Duck
Whole duck: 170F in the thigh
Breasts:
rare: 130F
medium-rare: 135F
medium: 140F
Sausages and ground meat:
170F
Note that trichinosis (which used to be danger with under-cooked pork) is killed at 137F. Salmonella is killed at 160F. If you're worried about salmonella, cook everything to 160F.
Don't be intimidated by this odd-looking vegetable. Prepping celery root (or celeriac) is straightforward and worth the effort, since it makes up for in taste what it lacks in beauty.
Note: Keep in mind that the celery root's flesh discolors when exposed to oxygen -- so mix together a little vinegar or lemon juice and water in a bowl to hold the prepped celery root in as you work.
First, slice the root end off so that the entire bulb has a steady base. Next, hold the stem end of the bulb and slice the skin away, leaving as much of the flesh intact as possible.
Once the tough skin is fully removed, just cut off the top stem end and cut it in half so it is more manageable.
Now the celery root can be prepped for cooking in the same way you would potatoes, turnips, rutabagas and other root vegetables.
When sliced very thin using a mandoline, celery root is perfectly edible raw.
Dress raw celeriac as you would any salad.
