CookingAsked Jun 06, 2019 by Kevin C.
Hello, I'm interested in making extra crips sweet potato fries in the oven. I wanted to ask if you have recommendations on roasting time, temp, and technique. I plan to coat the fries in oil and potato starch prior to roasting to promote better browning and crispness. Just want to assess what temperature and techniques might help as well.
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Kevin - Here are some tips:
https://www.177milkstreet.com/stories/01-2020-sweet-potato-fries-tips
Read MoreAsked Jun 03, 2019 by Tracey M.
I love the recipe for Tomato Conserva in the March-April 2019 issue. I've confused myself with the amount of tomatoes I'm using. The recipe calls for 4 pints grape or cherry tomatoes. I've been using 2 - 16 oz. (1 LB) containers. That's the same, yes?
Between 10 and 12 ounces. If you are happy with the results you are getting when using 1 pound of tomatoes, then no need to change.
Read MoreAsked May 29, 2019 by Derek U.
what is the best method to infuse chilies into oil, what is the best oil to use
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
We recommend using a neutral oil or olive oil. Toast the chilies first and then either chop them in a blender or add them whole to a pan over low or medium heat. You can check out our Piri Piri Oil or Salsa Macha recipes for more details:
https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/salsa-macha-costena
https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/salsa-macha-costena
We also recommend that you consult a safety guide for infusing oils to avoid the possibility of botulism or other food borne illnesses. Here is a link to one available on the internet:
https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C1334/how-to-safely-make-infused-oils/
Read MoreAsked May 24, 2019 by Cory N.
Dear Milk Street:
Do you recommend a particular brand of tamarind paste or concentrate? Alternatively, do you have suggestions as to what I should look for on the label? I've made several disastrous Pad Thais with tamarind paste or concentrate. One concentrate turned my Pad Thai immediately black; the dish looked as if I'd dumped squid ink into it, and the dish looked better than it tasted. Another fared better in terms of color but still lent the entire dish an overwhelmingly tart flavor; I was able to fix it, but it required so much adding and tinkering and balancing that (a) I lost a lot of time and (b) the final product tasted, predictably, muddled.
Answered by Deb Steinfeld
Cory, Thanks for your question. We here at Milk Street, in general, find we get better results from making own tamarind paste from tamarind pulp. This is easily found in Asian markets as well as a lot of grocery stores and of course, on line. It really isn't hard to do. Soak the pulp in boiling water, just enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Then break up the pulp as much as you can in the water. If any water remains after that, drain it off then push the pulp through a large holed sieve. You will probably find this a better product and it will keep in the refrigerator. Give it a try, it really isn't all that much extra work.
Hope this helps.
Deb at Milk Street
Read MoreAsked May 20, 2019 by Evan P.
I added the same amount of sea salt to pasta water as I usually do with Kosher salt. I had to throw out the pasta because it was too salty. Why is sea salt saltier than Kosher?
Also, found some chickpeas in back of cupboard, soaked and cooked but had to cook for two hours, and still they were crunchy. Is there a shelf life on dried legumes? I would think that since they're dried, they'd last forever as dried fruit.
Answered by Deb Steinfeld
Thanks for your questions. Salt can be tricky. Sea salt differs form Kosher salt in that it contains other minerals as well as salt. Salt from different "seas" can have different flavors that can also impact how we perceive the salt. But the main difference here is crystal size and shape. If you are measuring by volume, which is the way most salt is measured, a teaspoon of large crystal salt will weigh less than a smaller crystal salt. This means you are using less or more salt depending on the crystal shape. Different shapes can affect this as well. If you have a scale that weighs in grams, this could be a good way to make sure you really are adding the same amount of salt. If not, trial and error will sort it out in the end. With pasta water, add the salt then taste the water. Add more salt if it doesn't taste salty enough. If it is too salty, add more water and dilute the salt. Also, it is always a good idea to add the salt just before you add the pasta. If you add the salt at the beginning and like the saltiness but the water boils for awhile before you add the pasta, the salt gets concentrated and the water will be too salty.
Yes, there is a shelf life for dried beans and legumes. Most people think because they are dried they will last forever but they don't. As beans/legumes age they lose their oils, resist water absorption and won't swell. Storing beans in nitrogen helps prolong the loss of these oils as does cool temperatures. You can also seal them in a food sealer if you have one. That will prolong their life as well. So when you buy them seal them in an air tight container as best you can and put a date on them. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell by looking at them if they are OK. You just have to cook them to find out. Assume properly sealed they will last about a year.
Hope all of this has helped.
Deb at Milk Street
Read MoreAsked May 20, 2019 by Stephanie M.
Is there a substitute for sumac, which is in many of your recipes? I don’t want to order online and pay the shipping costs!
Answered by Deb Steinfeld
Stephanie, thanks for your question. The easiest substitute is lemon zest with a little salt and maybe a little pepper. It will give you some of the bite that the sumac would give. There are other things, but they are also not readily available ingredients such as za'atar (sumac is an ingredient in za'atar) and tamarind. So your best bet is a little lemon zest.
Hope this helps.
Deb at Milk Street
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