Why does everyone use ready made cake mix???

[assister49]

any more recipe question???

ideas musings challenges anything will do id hate to let this thread die..


Why do some recipes call for "scalded milk"? Does the scalding process break down the milk or is it only for heating purposes? Sometimes the hot milk is added directly, other times it is scalded, then cooled first prior to adding (which makes me think it is more of a chemistry thing).

 

[SlickTony]

True scalding, i.e., letting it get to 212 degrees, isn't necessary nowadays since virtually all milk is pasteurized unless you know somewhere to get it directly from the cow. If a recipe calls for hot milk, it is only necessary to heat it until tiny bubbles form on the edges. True boiling will only make the pot harder to clean out afterwards.

 

[SanDguy_22]

True scalding, i.e., letting it get to 212 degrees, isn't necessary nowadays since virtually all milk is pasteurized unless you know somewhere to get it directly from the cow. If a recipe calls for hot milk, it is only necessary to heat it until tiny bubbles form on the edges. True boiling will only make the pot harder to clean out afterwards.

scalding mainly changes the protein stuctures a little bit and causes a slight separation of fats... mainly because the natural emulsifiers present in dairy products stop working when they get denatured by heat.
When making stuff like custard etc... this makes the dairy better for the emulsification with the egg...

 

[SlickTony]

You're likely right. I don't make custards too often. I went through a phase of making flans all the time, but I lost all my custard cups to attrition.

 

[gumby123]

What about those of us who just don't like to cook? I'm lucky if I can actually get all parts of a meal ready at the same time. I like my pre-made mixes, gravies and side dishes. They don't take long to make, and If I really cared about what was in the foods now a days I wouldn't eat anything. I need my junk food, and I don't care what's in it. Every time I decide to bake something from scratch, I'm always missing something. With a mix, There's almost always water or milk available.

 

[SanDguy_22]

What about those of us who just don't like to cook? I'm lucky if I can actually get all parts of a meal ready at the same time. I like my pre-made mixes, gravies and side dishes. They don't take long to make, and If I really cared about what was in the foods now a days I wouldn't eat anything. I need my junk food, and I don't care what's in it. Every time I decide to bake something from scratch, I'm always missing something. With a mix, There's almost always water or milk available.

well like i said before... people that ignorant deserve to get the shit associated with the foods they eat. (the deady heart attacks at 60 etc.)

I mean jeez... making gravy out of a bag... it takes about as long as making if from scratch. (just buy some organic broth for it.. if you dont have the time to make and can the stuff your self)
then you make a roux brown it out a little pour in the broth mix well season with salt pepper and maybe a little bit of wine.
if it tastes a little bit off just pour in a slapsh of soy and that makes any flaw in a gravy usualy disapear. let it simmer untill the rest of your shit is done and voila... gravy.

 

[SlickTony]

I didn't know about the soy hint...thanks. It might come in handy.

 

[gumby123]

Mr. Chef, I don't really appreciate being called ignorant. I didn't put you down for your cooking habits, I just expressed an opinion about those of us who don't take the time to be as informed and knowledgeable as you when it comes to cooking. I didn't disagree about the crap in the foods we eat, just that I don't want to know about it. Some of us work 40 or more hours a week and are greatful for frozen and packaged foods when we get home after 6:00 pm.

Besides I have tried to make gravy from scratch and it tastes like cardboard thank you.

 

[SanDguy_22]

Mr. Chef, I don't really appreciate being called ignorant. I didn't put you down for your cooking habits, I just expressed an opinion about those of us who don't take the time to be as informed and knowledgeable as you when it comes to cooking. I didn't disagree about the crap in the foods we eat, just that I don't want to know about it. Some of us work 40 or more hours a week and are greatful for frozen and packaged foods when we get home after 6:00 pm.

Besides I have tried to make gravy from scratch and it tastes like cardboard thank you.

dude... if i do over 20 units of school with 40+ hours per week and still lhave time to cook... its a point of the other guy being a bit lazy.. no offence.

as to my comentary on the being ignorant thing... i was making a rude joke. im famous for those...

Besides the point just because you choose to ignore the horrible things about certain foods do not make them go away... the same goes for everything else in life you will have to deal with them sooner or later. Id personaly rather be faced with the information of potential future problems associated with a behavior sooner than later. Atleast that way its possible to plan ahead on what to do when those problems come to be... if behavior change is impossible to enact during that time.

 

[SanDguy_22]

I didn't know about the soy hint...thanks. It might come in handy.

makes the stuff taste a whole lot smoother and pleasant if the ingredients are a bit off...
so your welcome.

 

[chittylove]

so i couldn't sleep....then i stumbled onto this thread.....

i'm in heaven!!! my two favourite subjects coming together...food and sex!!

nothing like a day where i have time to go to the farmer's market, pick up what's in season, then visit either the butcher or fishmonger and try and figure out what i'm going to do with what i've just picked up!! the only thing better is enjoying it after with the perfect glass of wine

speaking of which, can we mourn the slow death of butchers and fishmongers? damn the giant grocery chains that prewrap in styrofoam

a phrase to keep with you chef.....approach love and cooking with wreckless abandonment!!

looking forward to more tips and recipes!

 

[SanDguy_22]

so i couldn't sleep....then i stumbled onto this thread.....

i'm in heaven!!! my two favourite subjects coming together...food and sex!!

nothing like a day where i have time to go to the farmer's market, pick up what's in season, then visit either the butcher or fishmonger and try and figure out what i'm going to do with what i've just picked up!! the only thing better is enjoying it after with the perfect glass of wine

speaking of which, can we mourn the slow death of butchers and fishmongers? damn the giant grocery chains that prewrap in styrofoam

a phrase to keep with you chef.....approach love and cooking with wreckless abandonment!!

looking forward to more tips and recipes!

the problem with the big grocery chain fishmongers is the fact that they are hard pressed to make proffits... because of this they always go for the cheapest denominator of produce they can find. even if the edible version of the same thing is only a few cents per pound more expensive.
also never ever buy fish thats on sale fri-sun... its been sitting in the cooler for atleast 3-4 days... wait for a tuesday or a thursday... go and ask the fishmonger at your store on what days their fish come in... if they say "today" just walk away and never go back... unless you can find someone who will give you a presice day of the week.

If i had the time and space... (mm the final frontier) id go out of my way to buy a carcases and butcher them my self.

 

[chittylove]

the problem with the big grocery chain fishmongers is the fact that they are hard pressed to make proffits... because of this they always go for the cheapest denominator of produce they can find. even if the edible version of the same thing is only a few cents per pound more expensive.
also never ever buy fish thats on sale fri-sun... its been sitting in the cooler for atleast 3-4 days... wait for a tuesday or a thursday... go and ask the fishmonger at your store on what days their fish come in... if they say "today" just walk away and never go back... unless you can find someone who will give you a presice day of the week.

If i had the time and space... (mm the final frontier) id go out of my way to buy a carcases and butcher them my self.

that's why i don't go to the big stores for fish or meat. i go to the market where there's a couple of little fishmongers or if i have time, to the dock where i can go directly to the fishermen. it's cheap and the freshest seafood you can find! as for meats, at the market, there is also a fantastic butcher where he will cut anything anyhow for me but thanks for the tip!

ok...here's a question for you....a friend who's a chef told me today about halibut cheeks (one of my faves) and the high possibility of worms due to the fact that they are bottom feeders......any thoughts on that?

 

[SanDguy_22]

that's why i don't go to the big stores for fish or meat. i go to the market where there's a couple of little fishmongers or if i have time, to the dock where i can go directly to the fishermen. it's cheap and the freshest seafood you can find! as for meats, at the market, there is also a fantastic butcher where he will cut anything anyhow for me but thanks for the tip!

ok...here's a question for you....a friend who's a chef told me today about halibut cheeks (one of my faves) and the high possibility of worms due to the fact that they are bottom feeders......any thoughts on that?

halibut... worms... pfft...
fresh water fish have worms... thats why you dont want to make sushi/sashimi out of raw trout.
the very random and few parasites that can affect humans and are found in salt water fish... only get there if the fish is caught in some pretty gnarly waters (in which case you shouldnt eat it anyways)... or there is some really really really perverted crosscontamination going on during processing.

practicaly all of the known parasites which are in salt waterfish can be killed off with withr one or a combination of 2 of the following 3 processes... freezing the fish, increasing its overall salinity or cooking it to the proper temperature.

tell your friend to take a refresher course or two in biology and food safety.

Id be much more worried about such things as mercury and other chemicals that the bigger fish have in them... also check on where the fish have been caught.

 

[SlickTony]

Besides I have tried to make gravy from scratch and it tastes like cardboard thank you.

Gumby, it's been my experience that when gravy tastes like that, it comes from not sufficiently cooking the flour that you put in the drippings to make it. After you put the flour in the drippings, you want to stir it around in the hot pan for a few minutes, to make sure that it got cooked. Some people cook dry flour until it changes color, and keep it on hand to put in drippings, and some people make a roux ahead of time and keep it in a jar for when they want to make gravy or thicken a soup, sauce or gumbo.

When I want gravy, I have to make it from scratch--it has a direct, organic association to some bird or roast I've just cooked. You don't get this with storebought gravy--that would bother me.

 

[gumby123]

alright I realize this is a dead horse, thanks for the information. Just understand that I'm not against cooking from scratch, just my cooking from scratch.

 

[SanDguy_22]

alright I realize this is a dead horse, thanks for the information. Just understand that I'm not against cooking from scratch, just my cooking from scratch.

speaking of dead horses... thats propably an indirectly processed ingredient in that store bought gravy of yours.
if you want to get better at cooking... try having a little patience.

the roux for the gravy or any sauce needs to be cooked untill..
for a veloute or a bechamelle it turns a light yellow almosts an early sunset yelloe/orange in color.
for an espagnole etc.. or your gravy it needs to be brown...
mind you that using the cheapo bleached bromated shit they call flour at the store will not do. It wont brown it will only turn grey and burn after that. Use organic flour or anything with the lable "Un bleached" on it.

If you want a really really really quick gravy... or any sauce
just use a corn starch or a potato starch slurry.
take some stock or the pan drippings with a liquid bring it to a boild, let it condese for a bit untill it tastes the way you like it to and whilst stirring add a slurry of one of the aforementioned starches.

 

[chittylove]

........you can't forget about adding some wine or brandy for a yummy gravy too!!!

 

[SanDguy_22]

........you can't forget about adding some wine or brandy for a yummy gravy too!!!

if it comes in a $2 per gallon container its perfect for a gravy

 

[gumby123]

Oh I have nothing against wine. I happen to be making a flank steak this weekend in which the marinade has red wine. I know you don't want to know, but I have also added wine to package gravy to give more flavor. I also make my own sangria which I'm told is pretty good. It's mostly the weeknight meals which are artificial.

 

[chittylove]

if it comes in a $2 per gallon container its perfect for a gravy

hmmm.....i always thought that "if you won't drink it, don't put it in your food"

 

[SanDguy_22]

hmmm.....i always thought that "if you won't drink it, don't put it in your food"

the more correct verison of it is... "If you cant drink it dont put it in your food."
Its just a generalization... some of the wines out there are comparable to just plain sewer swill... ergo a person wouldnt go about using one of those for a redwine reduction sauce etc.

but the cheapo "$2 per gallon" ones they are fine... they taste OK (though they leave a whole lot to be desired) and youll get the over all effect of some of the more expensive things.

 

[Nightbird]

Hmmm Sewer Swill = Bright's House Wine.

 

[SanDguy_22]

Hmmm Sewer Swill = Bright's House Wine.

I have tasteds wines in the $40+ retail sales price per bottle category that taste like sewer swill... if not even worse. (im unsure since ive never tasted sewer swill)
The taste on those was not because they were too young to be enjoyed but rather simply because the wine it self was shiiait...

 

[chittylove]

I have tasteds wines in the $40+ retail sales price per bottle category that taste like sewer swill... if not even worse. (im unsure since ive never tasted sewer swill)
The taste on those was not because they were too young to be enjoyed but rather simply because the wine it self was shiiait...

or maybe it was corked. anyways, i wouldn't have yucky wines at home (not by choice anyhow!), so what i would be drinking with the meal would probably be what i would be sloshing into my gravy!