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Asked Jan 22, 2022 by Roane L.
What kind of blender is used in Episode 519, "La Cucina de Puerto Vallarta? Is it an Oster?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Roane - I believe the blender is the Oster Classic Series Heritage Blender, like the one here. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jan 21, 2022 by Marcia F.
I have taken several classes and in each one most of the products are unavailable. First, why would Milk Street not pre-stock the recommended items before the class is offered? And, second, it is a poor business practice. If people cannot purchase the items at the time they take the class, they are less likely to buy the products at all resulting in lost revenue. I have also had poor experiences with the website and calling customer service. I believe the concept and content of Milk Street are good but poor planning and customer service will be the downfall of this good effort if they are not fixed soon.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Peggy - You can search by word in the recipe search bar and it will bring up all recipes that reference that word. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 18, 2022 by Dev G.
Listened to your short take on Japanese Curries on Milk St Radio. As an Indian American ( AZ ) who has been to Japan over 25 times I must say that after a hard day of meetings and evenings of obligatory Sake swilling, nothing can beat a late night feast of Japanese Karey - Raisu served by Room Service and eaten on bed. Even my Dad used to love it when I would take him to Japan on biz trips. Now here is a bit of history. How did the Japanese get into the Curry habit ? Actually courtesy the Brits. In the late 19 th century the Japanese were trying to catch up with the West, primarily the Brits. They were importing whole big Warships from GB. The determined Japanese thought that to be powerful they needed not just Western Gun boats, but their Sailors too must get strong like the British sailors. So they too needed to start eating Beef but being used to fresh fish they could n't handle the smell of Beef. Curry used to be regular Friday fare on board Her Britannic Majesty's Ships. So along w/ Warships and Gunnery the Japanese adopted Curry spices too from RN as a way to good way to mask the flavor of Beef. Even today if you go to Yokosuka, Japan's principal Naval Base at the mouth of the Tokyo Bay ( about 50 miles west of the City ) you will find little stands selling Karey - Raisu that is much more like Indian Curry ( i,e. w/o thickeners except for the Potatoes ). As you move further east to Tokyo ( through Ofuna, Yokohama, Kawasaki ) the amount of Roux and Soy sauce in Karey increases. BTW based on my culinary researches in Nagasaki and Portugal, I am inclined to believe that TEMPURA ( Japanese corruption of "Tem Pakora" ) too comes from India ( have you ever tried Pakoras, veggie fritters deep fried in batter ), carried by the Portuguese from Goa to Penang to Macao to Nagasaki where it stuck. You can NOT find any Tempura in Portugal. BTW Lynn was winging it when she said that the Japanese have their Curries with Quinoa, Amaranth etc. too. The Japanese get very serious about their Curries right from their school days, as they get it for lunch 2 or 3 times a week, and when it comes to their Karey Raisu avoid the 31 flavors approach ( though they do have a version called "VERMONT" Curry in which Potatoes are replaced by Apples ) . One of these days I will tell you about the traditional desserts at the Melk Monastery on the banks of the Donau just upstream of Wachau.
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Dev - Thank you so much for this fascinating history of Japanese Curry! History told from the perspective of food is so rich.
Read MoreAsked Jan 13, 2022 by Dilip J.
Many recipes call for some form of alcohol. For those of us who avoid alcohol for religious or other reasons, it would be great to know if there are substitutions.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Dilip - We've answered this question a few times on the board. You can find some suggestions here, here and here. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 12, 2022 by Tracy G.
Is there a way to save a recipe as a PDF to a file in my computer?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Tracy - Yes! When you hit the print button to the left of the ingredient list you should see a pop-up of the print screen. Underneath the preview of your printed recipe in the lower left corner of the pop-up window will be a button that says "PDF." If you click on that drop down menu there will be an option to "Save as PDF." You can then select the folder or location in which you want to save the file as a PDF. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 05, 2022 by Jordan B.
I want to make guava pastries like how they are from the restaurants. All the recipes I see say to use guava paste unaltered. The problem is it's too thick. I want to thin it out so it can be more gel like at room temperature. I've tried adding water but it didn't seem to work too well.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jordan - If you slice the guava paste slightly thinner the paste should soften and melt while it bakes. It will, of course, solidify a bit as it cools but that is normal. If you still prefer the guava paste softer, you can try mashing the paste before adding it to the pastry. However, we still think this will solidify when it cools. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 05, 2022 by Robert L.
When a recipe calls for white vinegar, does it mean white distilled vinegar or white wine vinegar? I've tried the white distilled vinegar and it doesn't taste good in a recipe. I believe it's primary use is for cleaning coffee pots. Thank-You
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Robert - When we simply call for "white vinegar" in a recipe (which, admittedly is rare) we mean regular distilled white vinegar. If and when we call for white wine vinegar we will specify it as such. We usually only call for distilled white vinegar in situations when we want the tartness of vinegar, but otherwise the flavor of the vinegar is masked by other more prominent flavors. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 05, 2022 by Dennis E.
Hi Chris, With all the hype on air fryers why don't you talk about using the convection setting on your oven more since that is what an air fryers is. I would like to see more recipes using the covec settings. i.e. 400 degrees for 20 min or 375 convect for 15 min. Or something like that. I feel people are not using the ovens to the fullest potential. It would be something to set you and your show apart from others. Thank you Dennis
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Dennis - I will definitely pass along your comments and suggestions to Chris and the rest of the kitchen/editorial team. We generally don't call for using convection settings because not all of our readers have convection settings on their ovens and, even if they do, each manufacturer and even every oven's settings are slightly different. But we love the idea of a tutorial on how to use your oven to its best potential! Thank you so much. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 05, 2022 by Bob W.
I posted this inquiry under Cookware last week but I fear it's the wrong category: Does anyone have any experience with the devices sold to shuck oysters, using a lever to push a short, pointed steel rod into the hinge or between the halves of the oyster? There seem to be 5-10 different manufacturers, all using similar designs, ranging in price from $50 to $150 on Amazon. We've seen a much larger commercial device, with a different design, working spectacularly at a restaurant in Concale, Brittany, but we need some advice on these smaller home models.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Bob - Hopefully someone else who's actually used one of these devices can give you some hands-on advice on them. We haven't had a chance to work with these at Milk Street so, unfortunately, we don't have much insight. We do, however, highly recommend a good oyster knife. You want to look for a New Haven oyster knife - that is, one with a wider blade and a convex pointed tip. The shorter and wider blade with a pointed tip is great for easily shucking on the half shell by the hinge without spearing the oyster meat. The curved tip also means you’re less likely to stab your hand, making this a safer option. A Boston or Providence oyster knife, one that is narrower and has a completely flat tip, is more of a commercial-style knife and better for shucking from the side or speed shucking. You also want to look for a thicker handle made with a "grippy" material for better traction. A handle made of smooth wood is hard to hold onto when applying pressure to the oyster. Good luck! Hopefully someone else here has tried the shucking devices and can provide some more info! Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 01, 2022 by Joshua H.
I know this is dumb but I can't seem to get any marshmallow recipe to work. I've used fresh ingredients and tried three recipes (Better than store bought, Time Life The Good Cook, and the ATK video) and nothing seems to work. I make excellent marshmallow cream but nothing ever fluffs into marshmallows. I use a Kitchenaid professional mixer with a stainless steel bowl. Is that my issue? Should I beat at high speed using a copper or glass bowl? I have a number of vulgar jokes about being a failed fluffer but am refraining as this is a family friendly site. This has actually pierced the veneer of my patience and begun to tick me off. Please help.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Joshua - We definitely don't think it's your Kitchenaid mixer or stainless steel bowl. That being said, you do want to make sure your bowl is clean and free of any remnants of fat or grease. A quick wipe with lemon juice or vinegar will remedy that issue. Other than that, here are some other possible troubleshooting areas: Are you temping your sugar syrup? If so, it should be at 240 degrees before adding it to the gelatin in the mixer. You might want to calibrate your thermometer to make sure it's working properly. Even a degree or two off could cause the marshmallows to resist setting up. Under-whipping the egg white-sugar-gelatin mixture is probably the most common issue. You want to whip the eggs until the bowl is just warm to the touch and the mixture holds a soft shape before falling back onto itself when you pull up the whisk attachment. Any delays can wreak havoc on candy making. Have all ingredients ready to go and tell your family that you can't be interrupted! Once the sugar syrup is ready it needs to be added to the bowl immediately - you don't want it to cool down too much. Likewise, once the mixture has been whipped fully work quickly to transfer it to the prepared pan. Weather or climate is another area that can significantly affect candy making and, particularly, meringue or marshmallows. Living in a particularly humid climate, if it's a rainy day, or the temperature of your home (too warm) are all things that can all prevent marshmallows from setting up properly. Milk Street is located in the Northeast and we find there are many days that just aren't great candy making days in our climate. Hopefully reviewing some of these tips will help you identify where you think things aren't working properly. Good luck and let us know how it turns out next time! Best, The Milk Street Team
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