BakingAsked Apr 15, 2020 by Lynn F.
I have always used the whisk to whip egg whites and cream. And, the paddle for everything else. Recently in a MSK podcast, Chris talked about how using the whisk for a cake makes for a far superior outcome.
Please demystify the use of a whisk vs. paddle -- guidelines on when to use each one, and please contrast the outcome. For example, given the same cake recipe, how will it turn out differently using the whisk vs. the paddle.
Thanks!
Answered by Chris Kimball
I use the paddle to make a batter - a thick cake batter for example since it will do a good job of incorporating dry and wet ingredients without overworking the flour mixture. (In. general, one does not want to overmix cake batters since yo can develop gluten which will toughen the final product.) I use the whisk for egg whites, whole eggs, creaming butter -0 anytime one is trying to incorporate air into a mixture.
Read MoreAsked Apr 15, 2020 by Lynn F.
Occasionally I end up with a sugar or almond paste "rock." In lieu of tossing it, I have softened it by adding a piece of bread for a day or two, in an airtight container. The moisture in the bread returns the original texture of the item. Is there a better way to accomplish this? Is there a reason I should not use bread, and instead go ahead and toss the offending ingredient?
Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Lynn - You've got the right idea by using a piece of bread. For both, make sure to keep them stored as airtight as possible. You could also try a sugar saver for storing brown sugar. These work pretty well and are fairly inexpensive. They even sell plastic containers now with a sugar saver built in, which are an even better deal. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 15, 2020 by Eileen A.
When a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, what you do you do with the leftover paste?
How long can it be refrigerated?
Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Eileen - Canned tomato paste can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks or frozen for a few months. I would portion it into and ice cube tray, freeze, then transfer the portions to a freezer zipper-lock bag so you can defrost only what you need. I actually prefer tomato paste in a tube. It's a little more expensive but easier to open, portion, and store. The manufacturers say it will keep in the fridge for at least a couple of months before the flavor will begin to change but I know mine has been in the fridge for much longer than that and I don't really notice a difference. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by linda B.
I see in your latest issue an article about mile high quiche. I have been experimenting with this method and I have a burning question. How can you create a mile high quiche in a tart pan with short sides? I have been using a 9 inch springform pan a la Thomas Keller and would really appreciate some insight. your filling sounds very nice but I am at a loss about the crust and how to achieve a high crust, also been having problems with the springform pan leaking!! Any suggestions you might offer would be much appreciated. I have seen various methods on the internet, for the springform pan, still with difficulty.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Linda - I spoke with the recipe developer, Diane Unger, and she didn't think there was any way to make a "mile high" quiche in a standard tart pan. As for leaks in your springform pan, I've had luck with blind baking the crust and then brushing the crust with egg white to create a layer of protection between the custard and the crust (this is a good tip for any blind-baked custard pie crust). I would also line the outside of the springform pan with tin foil just in case. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by Ramona B.
I watched the episode on cooking from Oaxaca and was very disappointed to see the "reinterpretation" of the green sauce was nothing, nothing like what was offered up in the episode. As a very experienced Mexican cook I can tell you that the blender is most important tool in the Mexican kitchen. The food processor is efficient for other tasks but for blending a smooth red or green chile sauce it simply doesn't measure up.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Ramona - I'm so sorry you were disappointed! I'm not 100% sure which recipe you are referring to - is it our Green Enchiladas with Chicken and Cheese? Sometimes during development a recipe can go through several iterations before the recipe is complete. It may start in one place and end up, weeks later, in a completely different place. I don't know exactly why we chose to use a food processor here instead of a blender, but I do know that our recipe developers are very conscientious about authenticity and really think (and rethink...and rethink) equipment and ingredient choices to develop the best-tasting and easiest version of recipes that Chris brings back from his travels, while also staying true to the original. It's possible that, in this case, we chose a food processor because it made the most sense at one time in the recipe development. That being said, I think you absolutely could make the green sauce in a good-quality blender. We'd love to hear how is goes if you do! Thanks for watching the show! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by Itamar ..
Hey Milk Street team,
I'm wondering -- when you cook (either on the show or when posting recipes) do you use convection oven/temps/cooking times or do you cook either with a regular oven or with the convection feature turned off?
I've been battling if to turn on the convection feature in my Wolf stove (gas, not electric) as a standard or not, and if I do; do I need to adjust the temperature and/or cooking times accordingly -- this is both for when I cook one single dish/tray or multiple.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and I really appreciate all the great content!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Itamar - We think our recipes should work in any oven, so we never use convection in our Milk Street kitchen. If you are cooking multiple trays of food or have a full oven at the holidays, using the convection setting can help keep the air circulated for more even cooking. Convection cooking also increases browning so it can be helpful when roasting meats. As for temperature and time changes, I always recommend lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and starting to check your food 10-15 minutes earlier the first time you use convection for a recipe. This allows you to gauge browning and doneness without the food becoming overcooked. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by Valorie P.
I just subscribed and love the recipes. I am wondering if Milk Street has any intentions of having a section devoted to the Ketogenic or Plaeo lifestyle. Also, do you have any suggestions for a potato replacement with gnocchi? I have heard you can substitute pumpkin or squash.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Valorie - Our goal at Milk Street is to travel the world and learn how the rest of the world cooks on a daily basis and introduce our readers to those dishes and techniques. These are bold dishes using fresh vegetables, herbs, fish, etc., many of which I'm sure fit into the keto/paleo lifestyle, but we don't have plans to focus on any specific diets in our magazine.
I am not schooled on the intricacies of the Keto/Paleo diets, so I'm not sure which ingredients are and are not acceptable. However, most reliable recipes for pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato gnocchi usually also include white potato. This is because squash and sweet potatoes are significantly more wet than white potato which, in turn, creates a very wet gnocchi dough that's would be hard to work with. If you want to use squash or sweet potatoes, I would recommend really drying them out before using them in your dough. You can do this in a low oven or a dry pot on the stovetop after cooking them. Also, as I'm sure you know, gnocchi needs flour for structure so you will need to sub with a gluten-free flour as well. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by Marsha B.
Whenever I bake a sweet loaf bread such as banana, zucchini, brown, etc, the center takes much too long to set, so the edges get too brown. I've tried baking for the first 20 minutes at a higher temperature and then turning the heat down for the remainder, with some degree of success, but I still end up with a loaf that is too brown around the edges. What can I do to stop this from happening?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Marsha - I would try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees for the full cooking time. This will help give the center enough time to bake through before the outside is too brown. Also, we recommend using a volume measurement for the main ingredient - bananas, zucchini, etc. Sometimes recipes call for "four bananas" or "two zucchini' but not all bananas or zucchini are of equal size, so you end up with too much weight in your batter and the cake won't rise properly. Look for recipes that call for a cup or weight measurement and make sure to measure precisely. If you haven't tried our Brown Butter Cardamom Banana Bread, definitely give that one a try! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by Shawnee S.
Hi Milkstreet!
I'm wondering if there are any chefs who excel in cooking Indian food that you recommend to follow or think has some good insight into Indian cooking skills?
Also, is there a recipe for butter chicken that you love and do you have any tips when making it?
Thank you!
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Shawnee,
There are so many excellent Indian cookbook authors, chefs and cooks working in the US and around the world! Last year, we met with cookbook author Meera Sodha in London where she taught us some dishes. You can find our version of her Coconut Curried Chickpeas and Potatoes with Quick Parathas on our website and in the march/April Issue of our magazine. Her Tandoori Cauliflower with Cashew-Cilantro Sauce is on our website and in the July/August 2026 Issue of our magazine.
Our Milk Street Cooking School hosts online workshops featuring Indian cuisine with cookbook authors and instructors. We recently had the workshop Three Ways to Make a Samosa with Vina Patel. Next month will be Indian Street Food with Jyoti & Auyon Mukharji.
You can look for books of these icons of Indian cuisine, Madhur Jaffrey and Julie Sahni, as well as many others.
Read MoreAsked Apr 14, 2020 by Chi D.
After 7 minutes at 550°, my pizza came out well except for the cheese, which was fine when the pizza was hot out of the oven; however, after just a few minutes, the cheese became a rubbery mass. I did deviate from Milkstreet’s recipe by not including fontina and by using part skim mozzarella instead of whole milk mozzarella; could that have made so much difference?
I also noticed that Milkstreet’s recipe says to place the pizza on the upper rack of the oven near the broiler but does not say to turn on the broiler; is this correct? Without the broiler, the heat comes up from the bottom, and i’ve seen various recipes with instructions to put food on the lowest rack for a crispy crust (?)
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Chi - You are correct - it's the cheese. We call for whole-milk mozzarella because it melts better. Part-skim is great for browning, but its more likely to seize into a mass than flow when it melts. The fontina is there, not only for flavor, but because its also a great melting cheese.
We place the steel on the upper middle rack in the oven to better heat the baking steel. (It’s also easier to slide the pizza off the steel when the rack is in a higher position.) While an oven is heating up, the heat usually comes from the top and the bottom of the oven so this will really get the steel as hot as possible. It's the top of the steel that actually cooks the bottom of the pizza so getting this really hot is key to crispy crust. We don't call for using the broiler in our recipe, but if you want to turn yours on to get more browning on the top, definitely try it! Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Best, Lynn C.
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