KitchenSavvy

Inconsistent Gelatin Results

I find that I get inconsistent results when I use gelatin.  Even for the same recipe, sometimes it will come out softer or firmer than other times.  What is happening?

--Sara

Gelatin is a protein-based thickening agent used primarily in making desserts, aspics and jellies.  It comes in a powdered form which is easy and convenient for home cooks, and in a sheet form which is more often used commercially.   It can be tricky to get good results though, for a number of reasons.

First, despite the assurances of the manufacturers of the envelopes of gelatin which state that they are supposed to contain just enough to thicken two cups, never trust the contents to be measured accurately.  In my own kitchen, I have found up to about a 25% variation in the amount of gelatin in a pouch.  That is enough to make a difference in the result.

Gelatin should be soaked for about five minutes in a cool liquid first, before being heated or combined with hot liquids.  This soaking allows moisture to penetrate into the granules so that they will dissolve more readily in heat.  If you pour powdered gelatin directly into a boiling liquid, it will form clumps that take longer to dissolve.  Gelatin that remains undissolved results in a grainy texture and does not help to thicken the dish.

According to Corriher, gelatin loses some of its thickening power when boiled.  It should be heated only until fully dissolved, or should have the hot liquids added to it off heat, depending on your recipe.

Also, other ingredients such as sugar and salt can affect the result.  Salt will interfere with the bodong of protein molecules, making a weaker product, while sugar will attract water away from the gelatin molecules, causing a firmer result.

If you are using fruit, be sure it is not one that can affect the setting of gelatin, such as raw pineapple or kiwi (see Jellied Fruit Salad Won't Set). 

Acids found in fruit juices, wines and other ingredients can also affect the result by making the gelatin proteins less likely to bind together, by creating an electrical charge on the molecules which force them to repel each other.

Finally, when cooling jellies or other foods containing gelatin, resist the temptation to put it in the freezer, as the gelatin molecules need to move freely in the cooling liquid so that they can become entangled.  Too fast of cooling can prevent this from happening.  According to Harold McGee, jellies that are snap-chilled will regain a more normal consistency after a few days.

While not as fussy as some ingredients, gelatin does require some care in measurement of the ingredients used in preparing any dish.

---

For fans of KitchenSavvy, our local paper, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, recently ran an article titled "In the Kitchen with ... Dave and Patricia Katz".  This is the most recent installment of their In the Kitchen series.  In the article you can find five of our favorite recipes including Pissaladiere, which is already posted here, and Shrimpniks, a lemon-butter-garlic shrimp recipe created in tribute to Cousin Nik's restaurant, which we used to like goiing to before it went out of business.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Getting Color into Stock

I made chicken stock the other day that ended up almost colorless.  The taste was fine, though.  How can I add more color to my stocks?

--Traci

Some color in chicken stock may be a result of what the chicken was fed.  Most of the color, however, comes from how the stock is made.  If you are looking more color, you can try these tricks:

• If you are using yellow onions in your stock,  leave the skins on.  Clean off the root end to get rid of the root fibers which may get into the stock, trim the other end and then cut the onion in half lengthwise leaving the skins on.  You could even throw in the skins from one or two more onions if you want.  Beware, though, because the skin can add a bitter flavor if too much is used.
• After you cut the onions in half, brown the cut sides in hot oil in a fry pan over medium heat, taking care not to burn them.  The color from the browning will enhance the color of the stock.
• Brown the chicken in bones in the oven before making stock from them.  Spread them in a single layer in a roasting pan and cook them at around 350°F (180 °C) until they are nut brown, about an hour or so, depending on the quantity and the size of pieces.  Turn once or twice so they brown on all sides.  The exact temperature isn't important.  You can also toss the carrots and celery in a little oil and roast them at the same time.  Be careful that nothing burns as that will ruin the stock.
• A small amount of saffron added to the pot will give a yellow color, but too much will also add flavor.

Browning the bones will result in a more tan colored stock that the other suggestions.  You can also brown the bones, meat and vegetables when making beef stock to add color.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Breadmaker Jewish Rye Bread

If you own an automatic breadmaker and are getting tired of the same old loaf with the paddle hole in the bottom, then you should try using it for something new.  I frequently use my bread maker as a mixer/proofer and then shape the loaf by hand to cook in the oven.

The following recipe is for Jewish-style rye bread, based rather loosely on the book Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World by George Greenstein.  It reminds me of the caraway rye bread that my father used to like.  Somehow, when we were kids, Dad convinced my siblings and me that the best part of the bread was the heel - the crusty end of a loaf of bread.  Whenever there was a new loaf of bread, he would ask "Who want the end?"  Four voices would cry out, "I do, I do!"  Dad would make a big show of deciding who had yelled first, and then cut the end off the bread and hand it to one of us.  So, in honor of Dad ...

Breadmaker Jewish Rye Bread

This recipe is made to work with my Black & Decker B1630 Breadmaker, which can make loaves up to two pounds in size.  You may need to adjust it for your breadmaker.  The recipe has a starter, which is mixed and allowed to proof overnight, followed by making the actual dough.

Starter
Amount		Measure	Ingredient
1	¼	c	Rye Flour
1	⅓	c	Water
1		tsp	Active Dry Yeast
1		tsp	Caraway Seeds - optional
	¼	tsp	Onion Powder - optional
Dough
Amount		Measure	Ingredient
	⅓	c	Water
2		tsp	Salt
1		tsp	Caraway Seeds - optional
3	¼	c	White Flour
1		tsp	Active Dry Yeast

1. If using caraway seeds, start by grinding the teaspoon of caraway that goes into the starter mixture.  Following your breadmaker's instructions, add the ingredients for the starter.  As soon as mixing has completed, turn off the breadmaker, or unplug it.
2. Leave to proof at room temperature in the pan of the breadmaker overnight or up to 24 hours.  The longer it rests, the more sourdough flavor will develop.
3. Set the breadmaker to the dough setting and add the rest of the ingredients.  Allow to run through the entire dough setting.  If your machine doesn't have a dough setting, then just shut it off or unplug it after the dough is complete and has risen, but before it starts to cook, about 2 hours depending on your breadmaker.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, punch it down and then shape into a round or elongated loaf.  Place onto a baking sheet or, if you have a large enough pizza stone to hold the loaf, put the loaf onto a piece of parchment paper.  Cover loosely with a lightly floured cloth and let rise until nearly doubled.
5. Meanwhile heat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
6. When the bread is ready to cook, uncover the loaf, using a sharp knife or razor blade make a few slashes in the top and place it in the oven.  If you are using a pizza stone, use a peal to transfer the loaf on its parchment paper onto the stone.
7. Cook for about 40 minutes, until brown and the loaf makes a hollow thump when tapped on the bottom, or until an instant read thermometer reads 205°F (96°C).

Per Slice: 82 Calories; trace Fat (3.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium

NOTES:

1. During the resting period the top of the breadmaker pan can be covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.  Do not operate the breadmaker with the plastic wrap in place.
2. If you want a shiny crust, typical of some rye breads, make a solution of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to ½ cup of cold water.  Heat it in your microwave or on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.  Brush this solution onto the loaf just before slashing the top.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Going Up in Smoke

In a posting recently, you mention cold smoking.  Can you please explain the difference between cold smoking and hot smoking?

Thanks

--Shawn

Traditionally, smoke was used to cure and meat, fish or other foods to help prevent spoilage.  Nowadays, smoking may also be done simply to add flavor or complexity to foods such as cheeses or vegetables.

Cold smoking adds flavor and helps to preserve meat without cooking it.  Typically, cold smoking is done in a temperature range of around 70°F to 90°F ( 21°C to 32°C), depending on what kind of food is being smoked.  Because the temperature is so low, equipment for cold smoking usually has a firebox where wood is burned and the resulting smoke is routed into a separate chamber where the food is placed.  Because the temperature is so low, the meat or other food isn't cooked, but the smoke accumulates on the surface and penetrates into the outer layer of the food.  Cold smoking may be combined with other techniques like salting or brining to further help preserve the food.

In hot smoking, the firebox may be integral to the smoking chamber or attached directly to it.  The temperature of the smoking chamber will usually run between 140°F to 180°F ( 60°C to 80°C).  Hot smoke foods may be eaten immediately, as in traditional barbecue, or may be cooled down to be eaten later, as happens with some forms of sausage.

In either case, the food is either hung or placed on racks in order to maximize the surface area exposed to the smoke.

For something different, try taking your favorite blue cheese, cold smoking it for about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on taste, and then mixing it with equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream to make a dip for vegetables.  You can play with the flavors even more by adding a little cumin or curry powder to the mix.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

A "Grate" Secret for Tender Biscuits

For years, I have heard of the technique of using frozen butter to make better biscuits.  It's one of those ideas that you say to yourself, "I'll have to try that some day," but somehow you just never get around to it.

By grating the frozen butter and then gently mixing it into the dry ingredients, you avoid having the butter soften to the point that it actually blends into the flour.  For light biscuits, you want flour and butter to be distinct, so that the flakes of butter melt and release steam into the dough, making it light and fluffy.  If the butter is melted into the flour during blending, this won't happen.  In addition, the shards of frozen butter trap some air due to their shape, which adds to the lightness of the finished product.

Recently Chef Michael Smith wrote an article for the Globe and Mail describing this technique.  Well, it finally was time.  This past weekend I made a beef stew, and decided to serve biscuits with it, using Chef Smith's technique.  To start though, I had to modify his recipe a bit because I had planned to make buttermilk biscuits.  Chef Smith's recipe called for plain milk.  To change the recipe, I had to replace some of the baking powder with baking soda to offset the acidity of the buttermilk.   The general rule is that you need about ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of buttermilk (see Baking Soda and Buttermilk).   A half teaspoon of baking soda will give the same rise as two teaspoons of baking powder.

Armed with these substitutions, I used the following recipe for my Biscuits:

               

Buttermilk Biscuits
2		cups	All-purpose flour
1	½	tsp	Baking Powder
	½	tsp	Baking Soda
	½	tsp	Salt
	¾	cup	Butter, frozen
7		fl. oz.	Buttermilk

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Measure and set aside the cold buttermilk.
4. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into shards.  Add the butter to the dry ingredients and then toss with a spoon just to blend, breaking up any clumps of butter that may have formed during the grating.  Do not over mix.
5. Pour in the buttermilk and stir in with a spoon, just until the ingredients pull together.  Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently, just a few turns, to bring it together into a single mass.  If necessary add a bit more buttermilk or some water.
6. Shape the dough into a rough circle and cut into wedges, or roll out and cut to any desired shape.
7. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with cooking spray and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8 to 12 biscuits.

If you want, you can brush the surface of the biscuits with milk to given a nicer finish when they are cooked.  Chef Smith suggests sprinkling them with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper before baking.

To make it easier to grate the butter without skinning your knuckles, start with a larger piece and mark the ¾ cup measure onto the block with a sharp knife.  Wrap the unused end in the paper the butter came in, and then grate down to the mark, holding the wrapped end.

This recipe uses regular, salted butter.  If you wish to use unsalted butter, increase the salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Creaming Butter

So many cake and cookie recipes say to cream together the butter and sugar.  Why is this done and how do I do it right?

--Amber

To cream butter means to beat it together with the sugar in the recipe until it is light in color and no sugar crystals are visible.  With white sugar, the butter will take on a light yellow color, almost white.  If your recipe uses brown sugar, then the color will turn to a light tan.  While it is possible to cream butter by hand, it is much faster and more convenient to use an electric mixer.  The purpose of creaming is to incorporate air into the butter to help leaven the final product.  According to Corriher, creaming is perhaps the most important step in making good cakes.

Creaming also softens the butter and makes it easier to blend with the other ingredients.

To cream butter properly, start with cold butter.  While some recipes say to start with butter that has been allowed to soften until nearly room temperature, this runs the risk of having it become too warm during mixing.  T0 trap air bubbles, it has to remain below its melting point of 68°F (20°C).

I usually start with butter straight out of the fridge which I rough cut into small cubes, maybe about a quarters of an inch (2 cm) to a side.  Exact size doesn't matter.  Put the butter into the mixing bowl and blend at slow speed until it starts to soften, then add the sugar.  Beat for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the power and speed of your mixer.  As long as the butter remains cold enough, there is no risk to beating it for too long.

During beating, friction from the beater may warm the butter and it may start to melt.  If this happens, then put the mixing bowl and beaters into the fridge until the butter becomes firm again, about 15 to 30 minutes, and then pick up where you left off.

Remember during this step to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all of the butter is creamed, otherwise it may not blend completely with the other ingredients and could affect the quality of the final product.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Sautéing Onions

Help!  Lots of recipes say to sauté onions until they are translucent.  I can never tell for sure what that means.  They never turn translucent for me.  What am I doing wrong?

--Trish

Chances are you aren't doing anything wrong at all.

I too find the description of onions turning translucent to be difficult.  Translucent means that you should be able to see light through the pieces of onion.  Other than the fact that I am not inclined to pick a piece of onion out of the hot fat to check if it has turned translucent, the description is just plain bad.  While there is a change in color from white to milky, I just don't think that the word "translucent" is a good description.

To understand what you are aiming for, notice what happens.  Two main things occur as you sauté onions.  First, the harsh flavor caused by certain sulfur compounds in the onion cook off.  This is  a hint that the onions are close to being cooked enough.  The smell changes from that harsh, nose stinging smell to something less abrasive an a little sweet.

Second, the onion begins to soften.  If you bite a piece of raw onion, it crunches between your teeth, making an audible, crisp sound, like celery does.  When it has been sautéed enough, the texture goes from crisp to al dente.  It won't be as soft as cooked pasta, say, but it you try to cut a piece with the edge of your spatula or spoon, it will go through without the two pieces going flying in opposite directions.  It should still resist a bit, though.  This is your second indication that it is cooked enough.

Use these two tests to see if your onions are cooked enough.  The smell and the crispness have both changed.  With a little practice you will learn to easily recognize when they are cooked.

Generally, you don't want to have the onions start to brown, though, unless the recipe explicitly says so.  If they do start to brown, you likely have the heat too high.  Take the pan off heat for a while to let it cool down quicker, turn the heat down to medium or medium-low and then return the pan to the heat and continue cooking.

By the way, some recipes call it sweating the onion.  If I have to choose between those two descriptions, I guess maybe I'll go with sautéing them until they turn translucent.  It at least sounds appealing, even if it isn't very descriptive.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Deveining Shrimp

What does it mean to devein a shrimp?  How is this done?

--Zack

Along the back of a shrimp, on the outside curve, there is a black line running from head to tail.  To some people the term deveining mat be confusing, as this line is actually the intestinal tract of the shrimp and not a vein at all.  On larger shrimp (or prawns) this tract may have bits of grit that are unpleasant to bite down on.  For this reason, the digestive tract is usually removed.  On small or medium shrimp, there is less chance of grit, but some people like to remove the vein for aesthetic reasons.

While there are any number of gadgets from plastic hooks to electric processors available to the home cook, unless you are doing hundreds of shrimp all you really need are your hands, a sharp paring knife and a large bowl of ice cold water.  If the  shrimp have their heads on, the first step is to twist them off.  Set those aside for future use, or discard them.  Heads and shells can be used to make a stock for dishes such as shrimp bisque.

Now take the shrimp, one at a time, and peel the shells off.  To do that, hold the shrimp in one hand, and with the fingers of the other hand pry the shell away from the belly and peel around to the other side.  The shell has a space just near the legs to make this easy.  If you want tail on shrimp, leave the tail and the last ring of shell before it in place.  Sometimes some of the legs will remain behind, so pull those off.

Next, hold the shrimp in one hand, and with the other hand use the paring knife to follow along the back right over top of the digestive tract from head to tail.  It will take a little practice to learn how deep you need to cut, but once the tract is exposed, you can use the edge of the knife blade to scrape out the tract.  Rinse the shrimp in the cold water to remove any last traces.  I also always swish the knife in the water to take off any bits that may have stuck to it, too.

If you are butterflying the shrimp for the dish you are making, go back and deepen the same cut until it goes about three quarters of the way through the flesh, them spread the shrimp out so that it lies flat.  Some recipes may also suggest lightly pressing or pounding the flesh to get lie even flatter.

This process is really quick and a few dozen shrimp can be done in no time.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

How to Separate Egg Whtes and Yolks

What is the best way to separate eggs into the whites and yolks?

--Janet

There are three ways to separate whites from yolks.  The first way is using a commercially available egg separator.  These devices have a cup supported by rigid spokes in the middle of a ring.  You crack the egg and let the contents drop into the center of the separator.  If you do it right, the yolk will stay unbroken in the cup while the whites flow through the open spaces into a bowl underneath.

The next way is to crack open the egg and gently pour the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell.  As you do this, tip the shell halves somewhat so that the white is allowed to flow over the edge and into the bowl below.

The third technique is to start with very clean hands and simply crack the egg and empty the contents into the cupped fingers of one hand which is held over a bowl.  The whites are allowed to flow between your fingers into the bowl.

To crack an egg, gently but firmly rap the mid-point of the egg, between the pointed and blunt ends, against the rim of a bowl.  With practice you will learn just how hard to hit the egg so that the shell is opened a bit and cracked a bit of the way around its equator.  Now, hold the egg bu the shell either side of the crack and gently pull and bend it away from the crack so that the shell splits.  Try not to dig your thumbs into the crack for leverage, as this may push bits of shell into the egg white or break the yolk.  With some practice, you can even learn to split the cracked shell open with one hand, which is useful for the third method, above.

There is a current pretense in cooking nowadays to tell people they should crack the egg on the counter top, as this supposedly reduces the chance of bits of shell getting into the food.  Since I have never had a big problem using the method described above, I fail to see why the counter method would work better.  In either case you are cracking the shell so the risk of fragments will always be there.  With fresh eggs, where the membrane under the shell is still adhering firmly to it, bits of shell are held by the membrane and don't usually end up in the food.  Still, it is good to give one final check before using the egg whites or yolks and remove any pieces of shell that might have slipped by.

If you are planning to beat the egg whites, it is a good idea to break your eggs one at a time, using three bowls: a small one to catch the white as each egg is broken; a second one that the whites are put into one at a time; and a third for the yolks.  After each egg is separated, make sure that the yolk remained intact.  If it broke, inspect the white to make sure there is no yolk in it.  If there is, you can frequently dab the yolk out with the corner of a paper towel, provided there isn't too much.  Otherwise, discard the white, wipe out the catch bowl and crack another egg in its place.  Even the tiniest bit of yolk can cause problems in beating egg whites.

Finally, the proverbial question of what to do with the chalaza, that white rubbery material that is attached to the yolk.  The chalaza is like a twisted elastic band that holds the yolk roughly in the center of the egg.  Generally, you can leave it attached to the yolks.  If they are being used to make a custard or other smooth sauce, a final straining will remove any lumps of chalaza from the mixture.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

You've Got to Know When to Fold 'em

I was planning to make a Pumpkin Mousse for Thanksgiving.  My recipe says to fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.  What does it mean to 'fold' something, and when do you use this technique?

--Laurel

In cooking, folding is a mixing technique that is used to gently combine ingredients where a more aggressive method would cause one of the ingredients to lose volume.  Commonly, the ingredient that is of concern is either whipped cream or beaten egg whites. The lighter ingredient, in this case the whipped cream, is put into a bowl already containing the heavier one, the pumpkin mixture.

To fold them together, cut down through the center of the ingredients with the edge of a spatula until it touches the bottom of the bowl, near to you.  Then turn your wrist until the spatula is parallel to the bottom of the bowl.  Lift, continuing to turn the spatula so that the ingredients on the bottom are brought gently up and folded over top of the mixture.  In total, the blade of the spatula will make three quarters of a rotation.  If you are right handed, usually you will rotate the spatula clockwise while sweeping it in a right to left, again clockwise, direction.  After each fold, use the other hand to turn the bowl one quarter turn and repeat until the ingredients are evenly mixed, using as few folds as possible.

The gentle motion of folding will blend the ingredients without beating air out of the mixture, as would happen with, for instance, a whisk.

Some instructions will say to make a figure eight pattern while moving the spatula into the bowl before each fold.  This isn't really necessary.  With a little practice, folding ingredients will become quite easy.

---

If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward