GeneralAsked Jun 20, 2020 by John B.
Hi! This is more about after the cooking is done than the cooking thereof. I can often get away with eating foods containing garlic (I assume it is the garlic) without any deleterious aftereffects. Sometimes however, and this mostly seems to be the case with processed foods or those prepared in a restaurant, I end up with an effusive parfum effect (Eau d'garlique) that drives my wife from the room. It does not seem to occur with foods made in my own kitchen, no matter how much garlic is included. Upon occurrence, the effect can last for days. Any idea what might be in prepared food that would magnify the effect? Any suggestions on what I might do to reduce the aura of ambiance the garlic produces? I have heard of ingesting peppermint as a remedy but that doesn't seem to do the trick. Not eating garlic is obviously a solution, but not always under my control.
Cheers,
JB
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Susan and John - I'm sorry I missed your question! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a foolproof remedy for garlic breath. Chopping or crushing garlic releases the compound allicin, which then breaks down into four other smelly compounds. The most mischievous of them is allyl methyl sulfide, which can linger in your body for a long time. It not only causes your breath to smell, but as it seeps into your bloodstream, it can affect your sweat and urine. According to this article from NPR, there's \some\ evidence that the fat in milk can break down the allyl methyl sulfide so drinking a glass of milk can dissipate the smell.
Garlic’s pungency is easily controlled depending on how you prep it. Raw, unbruised garlic has only mild flavor, but damaging garlic's cells—by slicing, chopping or smashing—triggers a chemical reaction that produces its telltale flavor and aroma. The more garlic cloves are bruised—whether by smashing, slicing, mincing, chewing or, to a lesser extent, heating (it's flavor mellows when cooked above 140 degrees)— the greater the pungency. When this sharp flavor develops and then sits, it becomes even more unpleasant. It's likely that the garlic in processed foods or in the foods you've had in certain restaurants had been pre-minced and allowed to sit for a while making it more pungent than your freshly-minced or sliced garlic at home. Hope this helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 20, 2020 by John B.
I have perused the websites looking for how best to cook a good steak. There is a lot of commonality in their methods, albeit times may vary. The one thing I found that differed was some liberally salted the steak before cooking and others thoroughly disapproved of salting until after the cooking was done. Any words of wisdom from the kitchen on salting or not?
Cheers,
JB
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi John - At Milk Street, we are strongly in favor of salting steak before cooking. Food scientist Harold McGee, who wrote the book, On Food and Cooking, recommends this because the small amount of salt used to season meat has a hydrating effect - salt helps the cells hold onto water. There is further debate about how far in advance to season steaks. At Milk Street we almost always season right before cooking. If you've got the time and want to season and rest the meat for more than 40 minutes, you will get a drier surface and slightly more concentrated flavor. But, the flavor here can be pretty subjective. Some people prefer the cleaner flavor of a steak with more surface seasoning (seasoned right before cooking) while others prefer the "aged" flavor of a steak seasoned more than 40 minutes in advance. My opinion? Save yourself the time and season right before cooking. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 19, 2020 by Heath D.
In the Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach recipe, it asks for a full pound of shiitakes, stemmed and caps sliced thin. Is this a pound of shiitake and then stem and slice or a pound of caps after stem and slice? Am I getting rid of the stems and only using the caps I assume? I always wonder how to read this in recipes.
thank you.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Heath - For this recipe you will need a pound of shiitakes, which is the weight before stemming. Shiitake mushroom stems are very fibrous and not very pleasant to eat. However, don't throw them away! They are a great source of umami - just throw a handful in to flavor soups or stews and then strain out before serving. You can freeze them and use directly from the freezer. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 17, 2020 by Virginia M.
I love the Kitchen Counts feature in the magazine, and would love it even more if it were easily printable from the website. Any chance that could happen?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi All -
Thanks for such a great suggestion! I will pass this along to our Editorial team who is always improving the website and magazine to improve the customer experience.
Best,
Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 17, 2020 by Christian P.
Can we use butter rather than lard?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Christian - I would recommend substituting vegetable shortening or olive oil instead of butter. When we tried this recipe with butter it felt more like pastry than bread. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 16, 2020 by Robert K.
Wanted find to recipe for "charred frozen broccoli", which I had seen a few weeks ago. The recipe did not turn up as written in quotes in my first sentence. I find it under "putting a char on frozen broccoli. " Seems to be not a great search engine.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Robert - Thanks for your note. I will pass along your concerns to our digital content team. As you will see in this linked discussion, the digital team is currently reviewing some changes to the website and search capabilities, so stay tuned for some possible changes in the near future. Best, Lynn C.
https://www.177milkstreet.com/discussion/discussion/411/suggestion-for-website#latest
Read MoreAsked Jun 16, 2020 by Theresa J.
How does one get notified of upcoming live monthly Q&A sessions? I am an Insider and one of the stated benefits is “access to live Q&A events”, yet I have never received an invitation to “Enjoy exclusive [live monthly Q&A sessions](https://www.177milkstreet.com/video?category=live-qas) with Christopher Kimball and members of the Milk Street staff, special guests and more.” There are previously recorded Q&A sessions in the videos tab, yet please let me know how to find out about upcoming live monthly Q&A events. Theresa J. (Q&A ID 3746)
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Theresa - I’m so sorry that you haven’t been able to see one of our Q&A’s Live. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, we’ve had to suspend the Live Q&A’s because of the social distancing and mask requirements instituted in workplaces by the state of Massachusetts. Once we are able to safely resume them, Insiders will be the first to know. As someone who’s participated in the Live Q&A’s alongside Chris, I miss them too! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jun 15, 2020 by Adam N.
Good Afternoon,
I’m extremely grateful for the techniques and the recipe for the Cuban-Spiced burgers and the corresponding ketchup. I absolutely loved it. I have tried for years to improve my burgers for bbq parties and nothing ever panned-out. I’ve tried high grade beef, really good English cheddar, nice brioche buns and special artisan mayonnaises. It still never met my high standards. This MilkStreet recipe actually did and I had only mid grade beef (Trader Joe’s grass fed). The special ketchup on a properly grilled medium rare burger topped with a fried egg is all you really need. No condiments or cheese. I think this recipe can be really enhanced by a proper wine pairing. Please advise if you guys have any wine ideas for my next bbq?
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Adam - We're so glad that you enjoyed the Cuban-spiced burgers. We are not really qualified to advise on wine pairings as our focus is on developing recipes. We recommend that you consult with someone at a local wine shop. They will be able to advise you according to the specific dishes on your barbecue menu.
Read MoreAsked Jun 14, 2020 by Clifford V.
Hello! As probably most members, I subscribe to the magazine and the site and, of course, have purchased nearly every cookbook you have put out (business model succeeding!). For recipes on the site, I know you put what magazine and/or article the recipe appeared in. Why don't you also tag what book(s) the recipe may be found in as well? It would help us with all the books so we don't have to thumb through them all to see if they are in any of them, and it might encourage sales of your books if the consumer sees the last 3 recipes he/she searched for is in a particular book. (and yes, I also have purchased your yearly books, but we have to wait a year for them to come out...and a magazine is much easier to misplace than a book, so I love the year end books too!)
Just a thought.
Cliff
Answered by Evan Petto
Hi Clifford!
Thanks so much for your comment. We appreciate your suggestions and they couldn't have come at a better time! We are currently exploring some features that would generate a searchable index of all magazine issues (and potentially cookbooks) in the near future and will factor in your query as we continue to scope out that project.
Thanks so much for being an Insider, and we hope that you continue to enjoy Milk Street.
Evan, Digital Content Director
Read MoreAsked Jun 12, 2020 by Fred A.
for the last couple of weeks when I select a recipe; it doesn't show or allow me to see the step by step, then when I go to print the recipe - it won't print when I click on the print button, I have to right click then select print. I have contacted the geek squad from Best Buy and they could resolve the issue. I've also re-booted my computer and printed (wire-less printer) several times. The site worked flawlessly for the first few months. What can be done to resolve these issues?
Regards, Fred Abrahamson acct # 7399942
Answered by Evan Petto
Hi Fred!
Thank you for your question and I'm sorry to hear that you are having difficulty printing our recipes and accessing the step-by-step feature.
We have seen this issue before and ask that your clear your browser cache before attempting to use these features again as that has been the solution for other members who have experienced this issue.
If this does not work for you, please feel free to send me an email at [email protected] so we can review and troubleshoot further.
Best,
Evan, Digital Content Director
Read More 
