What's the point of letting a casserole rest before cutting into it?
What's the point of letting a casserole rest before cutting into it?
If you spend time baking a casserole, be it macaroni and cheese, lasagna, meatloaf or anything else, be sure to let it rest for a few minutes before cutting into it. (Don't worry that it will get cold; it's been sizzling away in a hot oven for quite some time, and there is plenty of heat circulating in the pan to keep it warm.)
Letting a casserole rest for 10 minutes or so means that the proteins and starches will have time to set, making for a more stable mixture before you cut it into portions. If the casserole is too hot, it will be harder to manage, fall apart more easily, and won't taste as good.
Cornmeal is a kind of flour or meal that is made from ground sweet corn. It comes in yellow, white, blue or red varieties, depending on the type of corn used.
Since cornmeal is gluten-free, fine and medium cornmeal is usually mixed with wheat flour to create a crumbly texture in baked goods like cornbread or corn muffins. Coarsely ground cornmeal is frequently labeled polenta or grits after the two dishes in which it is the main ingredient.
Cornmeal products are a native staple food in the Americas and today cornmeal is used to make tortillas, tamales, fry bread and popular Mexican drinks. Colonial settlers in the U.S. called cornmeal Indian meal and were fond of so-called cornmeal mush made from boiling cornmeal in water -- like the hasty pudding mentioned in the song Yankee Doodle Dandy. Italians have been making polenta -- yellow cornmeal boiled with water, stock or milk that is eaten as a porridge or cooled and cut into slices and grilled or fried -- since corn invaded Europe in the 1500s and Indian mush has has recently returned to fashion in the United States under an Italian name.
In some parts of Europe, cornmeal may be labeled maize flour. Although the term cornflour is sometimes used to denote the finest grind of cornmeal in the United States, elsewhere it may actually refer to cornstarch.
Cornmeal can also be sprinkled on a baking tray to help keep dishes like free-form galettes or turnovers from sticking in the oven.
How to make a brine for a turkey (or any other meat)
How to make a brine for a turkey (or any other meat)
The next time you roast a turkey, try brining it. The brine lends flavor as well as moistness to your bird, and though it means starting the process a few days early, it only adds a few minutes of extra work.
Bring a gallon of water to a simmer and then 1 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar, plus a few aromatic additions: 10 or so each of green, white and black peppercorns; 2 bay leaves; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 star anise and 2 tablespoons honey.
Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, then let it cool and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors mingle. In a large container (5-gallon food grade tubs work well, and so does a clean cooler), submerge the turkey and let it soak for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator. Pull the container out of the fridge a couple of hours before roasting the turkey and be sure to pat the bird dry before putting it in the oven.
What does it mean to blind bake?
What does it mean to blind bake?
Blind baking means to pre-bake a pastry shell before it is filled to protect the bottom of your tart, pie or quiche from turning soggy.
Fully blind-baked crusts are a must for pies with fillings like pudding and custard. Pastry for quiches and delicate fruit pies is partially cooked before filling and returning to the oven to finish cooking.
To blind bake, spread the pastry into the pan, chill until firm, prick with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming and cover with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Cover the bottom of the pie plate with pastry weights, uncooked rice or beans to weigh down the pastry so it doesn't puff up in the oven; bake as directed. (If the edges start browning too soon, cover loosely with aluminum foil.)
What's the difference between sorbet and sherbet?
What's the difference between sorbet and sherbet?
Sorbet and sherbet are both sweet, fruity frozen desserts with a soft texture. But if sorbet is made from fruit juice or purée that is mixed with a sugar syrup and sometimes alchohol (Italian meringue may be added to sorbet to enhance its volume), its American cousin sherbet contains a small amount of milk or cream (for a total of 1 to 2 percent milk fat).
To make matters more complicated, in Turkish, sherbet is a chilled drink made with rose hips, cornelian cherries, rose or licorice and spices that's believed to have medicinal powers. In the UK, sherbet is a sweetened effervescent powder that's added to drinks like lemonade.
And if someone asks you if you'd like some sherbert, they're just making a common mistake of mispronouncing the name.
Ketchup is a sweet and savory tomato-based condiment made with tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Friend to hamburgers, French fries, hot dogs and other all-American favorites, it is also an ingredient in barbecue sauce and Thousand Island dressing (mixed with mayonnaise). The British like to use it to garnish their bacon sandwiches, among other things. And it is surprisingly popular in France.
Ketchup is also a more general term for sauce, and the Brits make something called mushroom ketchup. Early ketchup from East Asia (fish sauce with added nuts, anchovies, mushrooms and other flavorings) was introduced to Europe by English and Dutch sailors. Tomatoes were eventually used to make the sauce in New England in the late 1700s, and by the 1800s, recipes for tomato ketchup started showing up in American cookbooks, including the popular The Virginia Housewife, written by Thomas Jefferson's cousin Mary Randolph.
A certain Jonas Yerks (or Yerkes) is said to be the godfather of the American ketchup movement, who was selling it nationwide by 1837. (Heinz came along in 1876.)
Recipe: Fried Green Tomato Salad With Sweet Chili Dressing (Steamy Kitchen)
Recipe: Fresh Tomato Salsa (Cookthink)
Why do people eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day?
Why do people eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day?
It's a tradition in the American South to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. Why?
Black-eyed peas symbolize good luck and prosperity. Some believe that the black-eyed peas represent the "coins," while the winter greens they're often served with represent the "dollars." Eating them together on New Year's Day is supposed to guarantee many of both in the year to come.
Others believe more generally that, like the peas swelling as they cook, the person eating them will swell with good fortune.
Recipe: Hoppin' John
Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Salad With Parsley
The Baked Alaska is a beguiling dessert made of ice cream enveloped in a hot meringue and liqueur-soaked Genoese sponge cake. It was invented by an American and perfected in Paris (possibly thanks to a Chinese chef).
The trick is that rock hard ice cream is enveloped with the Genoese sponge and meringue so that it doesn't melt when briefly baked to color the meringue. The Baked Alaska is served straight from the oven, sometimes flamed with Cointreau or Grand Marnier for effect.
Flax seeds are small seeds that are used to produce linseed oil used in paint, varnish, ink and linoleum. But they're good for you, too. Flax seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid, which can be transformed into omega-3 fatty acid in the body. Flax seeds also contain essential nutrients like calcium, iron, niacin, phosphorous and vitamin E.
Flax seeds have a subtle nutty flavor and can be sprinkled onto cereal or other dishes as well as sprouted and added to sandwiches or salads. Ground into flour and mixed with three parts liquid, they can act as a stand-in for egg whites in baked goods.
Depending on your stomach, flax seeds may aid digestion or have a laxative effect.
What does it mean to cream butter and sugar?
What does it mean to cream butter and sugar?
When a recipe tells you to cream butter and sugar, it means that you should beat the two ingredients -- with a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease or an electric mixer -- until they form a light, uniform and creamy mixture. Once sugar and butter are properly creamed, the sugar crystals will have dissolved, resulting in a smooth texture.
Boston butt is an American term for a fatty cut of pork from the upper shoulder of a hog.
So why the funny name? Legend has it that the term was popularized around the time of the Revolutionary War, when cheaper cuts of pork were stored and shipped in barrels known as "butts."
Perhaps understandably, Bostonians don't use the term Boston butt, but it's in common use elsewhere in the country. Barbecued or smoked Boston butt is popular in the American South. Inexpensive Boston butt is a good cut for making pulled pork, since it is marbled with fat that keeps the meat moist during the cooking process.
Recipe: Smoked Pork Shoulder In Dry Rub (Cookthink)
Recipe: Pulled Pork And Black Bean Burritos (Cookthink)
Corn syrup is a light or dark sweet syrup consisting mostly of glucose that is made from cornstarch that is processed with enzymes and acids. Light corn syrup is clarified to make it colorless and clear; dark corn syrup has added coloring and caramel flavoring, plus a stronger flavor. High-fructose corn syrup is a variation on the syrup that contains other enzymes that convert glucose into fructose, making it sweeter.
Corn syrup's big trick is that it inhibits crystallization, lending a smooth texture to and extending the shelflife of processed foods. It is found in many commercially prepared foods, like soft drinks, ketchup, jam, breakfast cereals, candy bars, crackers, ice creams and baby formula, to name a few. Many nutritionists believe that highly refined high-fructose corn syrup is worse for you than regular sugar and is a leading cause of obesity in America.
