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legant

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You can grind meat in a food processor. cut into chunks and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then pulse. I do it all the time. But you can do a quick stew in bbq sauce. Brown chunks of round quickly, and cook in the sauce--thinned with some water so it won't stick and burn--just until tender. Some sauteed onion and garlic, and aromatic herbs can only make it tastier.

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You can grind meat in a food processor. cut into chunks and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then pulse. I do it all the time. But you can do a quick stew in bbq sauce. Brown chunks of round quickly, and cook in the sauce--thinned with some water so it won't stick and burn--just until tender. Some sauteed onion and garlic, and aromatic herbs can only make it tastier.

Thanks. That's what i'll do!

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Question: I have some good local bacon and am going to make candied bacon as an appetizer for two parties. The thought occurred to me that if I made a batch, cooled it well, and vacuum sealed it (I have that contraption), I could bring it as a gift when I travel for the holidays. I would make it the day before travel, and we would probably eat it within 2-3 days. I realize the bacon may soften, but would this be safe? Bacon is cured, it would be fully cooked...I'm thinking it would be OK. You?

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Precooked bacon is available for sale, unrefrigerated, in grocery stores, but it appears they do something extra special to preserve it.  This is what the USDA Bacon and Food Safety FAQ says about it:

 
How is cooked bacon made shelf stable?
To make bacon safe to store at room temperature (shelf stable), it is precooked in the plant to have a water activity at or below 0.85 to control Staphylococcus aureus. The cooked yield is 40% of the raw weight.

I don't know how candying figures into that water activity situation.

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OK, I experimented! I did three tests.

1. Candied bacon stored in a ziplock bag overnight, zapped in microwave for 12 seconds on a brown paper bag and left to crisp as it cooled. This piece was fine.

2. same storage, stored two days, and microwaved. Fine.

3. Candied bacon, vacuum sealed, stored for 4 days, then microwaved. It was OK. Flavor was fine, bacon stayed a bit softer than previous experiments. I ate it and did not feel sick!

I am not sure the vacuum sealing is worth the time unless I was bringing this treat somewhere where only a microwave was available. Given how easy candied bacon is to make, how tantalizing the house smells while it is cooking, and the wide availability of ingredients, I think I would rather just make it on site.

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I like mixing celeriac with potatoes for a puree.  I have a Molly O'Neill recipe from the Times in the 90s that I generally use, but I think most recipes for that kind of mash or puree are pretty similar.  And you could add stock to it and make a soup :) .

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What I made was not dissimilar to yours, Zora.  Celeriac and a tiny amount of onion, cooked with bay leaf and thyme in chicken stock and apple cider, then pureed and finished with a little heavy cream and minced parsley.  I added a garnish of thinly sliced tiny new sorrel leaves and a tiny bit of serrano ham, each of which was almost overpowering; weird, because the soup was so pungent.  Still, really tasty.

hillvalley, re: treating like potato: could you make latkes out of it?

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I'm not hillvalley, but I'm highly opinionated so I'll respond as well. The texture of celeriac is different than potato--it's more watery, less starchy. I think to make latkes with celeriac, the best strategy would be to mix it with potato. That, as I'm imagining it in my mind's palate, would be fabulous.

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After having used up the last bit of superfine sugar I had a while back, I need some for a tart I am making tomorrow and can't find any more.  I tried 3 different grocery chains.  After that fail, it occurred to me that I should have checked the aisle with cocktail items in addition to the baking aisle, since it's probably used most often in the US in drinks rather than baking.  Grrr.  Not going back out to look again.

The sugar gets creamed with butter as part of a filling for a frangipane tart (British recipe), so the rate at which it dissolves shouldn't matter much.  I don't see any reason I can't use regular granulated sugar, but do I need to adjust the amount to account for a different granularity?  I'd think not since the measure is weight, not volume, but I thought I'd ask for confirmation of that.

The relevant ingredients (plus a Tbsp. cognac):

3 large free-range eggs

150g ground almonds
125g butter
125g caster sugar
50g plain flour
 
Thanks!
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A few thoughts:  first, if it's by weight, no adjustment needed.  The more finely something is ground, the less space it takes up, so for volumetric measure you absolutely have to compensate.  But, mass doesn't change, therefore weight doesn't change (so long as you're still on Earth).

Second, you can grind regular granulated sugar in a food processor to get superfine sugar.

Third, isn't caster sugar the same thing as confectioners' sugar?  In which case you might have a problem.  Is this for the crust?

edited to add: nevermind, with that much egg it has to be for the filling, right?

edited again:  I was wrong.  caster = superfine.  Go ahead and substitute granulated sugar; give it a whir in the food processor first if you can, but don't sweat it.

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Third, isn't caster sugar the same thing as confectioners' sugar?  In which case you might have a problem.  Is this for the crust?

To my understanding, confectioners' sugar is completely powdered, while caster is an intermediate point between that and granulated.  This is getting creamed with butter as part of a filling for a tart.  That's why I thought going with plain granulated wouldn't matter.  I even considered using part brown sugar to make it softer.

I have confectioners' sugar, but that doesn't seem right for this type of application.  I considered trying to whiz the granulated stuff in the food processor, but I have no idea what kind of consistency I might end up with doing that.

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^ You can't use American confectioner's sugar as a substitute because it contains corn starch.  I have no idea why.  I would just use regular sugar and beat the mixture another minute or two to dissolve the larger granules.  I don't think there should be a problem at all, and it sounds like a lovely Valentine's dessert. :)

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The coarser sugar worked okay in the recipe.  My food processor bowl was being run through the dishwasher while I was assembling the filling, so I didn't try crushing the sugar into finer granules.  I could tell that smaller crystals would have been better, though, as I tasted smidgens of the filling leftover in the bowl and there were distinct hard sugar crystals in it.  It all seemed to dissolve down just fine in the baking process, though.

Thanks for all the feedback!

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I didn't mean to buy maple bacon.  Goodness, it is really maple flavored bacon.  I grabbed it because it was thick cut and I thought it was just regular thick cut bacon.  How should I use the stuff?  It was gross on a sandwich with turkey and avocado, too sweet.  We don't eat a lot of dessert, so I would prefer to eat it in a savory application, but I think some of it might have to be used in a dessert.

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I didn't mean to buy maple bacon.  Goodness, it is really maple flavored bacon.  I grabbed it because it was thick cut and I thought it was just regular thick cut bacon.  How should I use the stuff?  It was gross on a sandwich with turkey and avocado, too sweet.  We don't eat a lot of dessert, so I would prefer to eat it in a savory application, but I think some of it might have to be used in a dessert.

You could try cooking it partway and putting the bits into pancake batter or waffles.  It would also be good cooked up and served alongside eggs or a frittata or scrapple.  Pork and maple go together really well.  It's the balance that's the issue.

I'm sure there are plenty of cupcake recipes and such that could use it, but I understand not wanting to use it in sweets.

Just think of situations where you might want to add maple syrup and go there.  Given that some salad dressings include maple syrup, maybe the bacon bits would be good just added to a salad.

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I didn't mean to buy maple bacon.  Goodness, it is really maple flavored bacon.  I grabbed it because it was thick cut and I thought it was just regular thick cut bacon.  How should I use the stuff?  It was gross on a sandwich with turkey and avocado, too sweet.  We don't eat a lot of dessert, so I would prefer to eat it in a savory application, but I think some of it might have to be used in a dessert.

Have you tried blanching it before frying? That might suck out some of the sweetness.

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I didn't mean to buy maple bacon.  Goodness, it is really maple flavored bacon.  I grabbed it because it was thick cut and I thought it was just regular thick cut bacon.  How should I use the stuff?  It was gross on a sandwich with turkey and avocado, too sweet.  We don't eat a lot of dessert, so I would prefer to eat it in a savory application, but I think some of it might have to be used in a dessert.

Google "bacon brittle" and you have a dessert solution. I made that a few years ago and it was okay as a novelty dessert at a big party.  Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT put it in maple ice cream.  Once upon a time in the Amherst, MA area, the rest of the family enjoyed their plain maple soft-serve while I went for the bacon maple ice cream and enured the horror of the wet cardboard texture of bacon that has been sitting in ice cream.

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Tofu: one recipe calls for blanching the tofu in boiling water for 30 seconds; the other: simmer while the rest of the ingredients are prepped. Both are alternatives to the "drain and press" method. I really liked the texture of the blanched and pan-fried tofu in a mushroom and mustard greens dish.

My question: why does blanching tofu draw out excess moisture more effectively than draining and pressing? It seems counterintuitive.

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Tofu: one recipe calls for blanching the tofu in boiling water for 30 seconds; the other: simmer while the rest of the ingredients are prepped. Both are alternatives to the "drain and press" method. I really liked the texture of the blanched and pan-fried tofu in a mushroom and mustard greens dish.

My question: why does blanching tofu draw out excess moisture more effectively than draining and pressing? It seems counterintuitive.

Absolute guess but maybe in cooking, the molecules expand and expel out water?

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legant, I tried researching your question (I'm curious, too!) but ran out of time.  I expect the answer is rather involved, chemically.  I think boiling changes the protein structure, maybe causing more extensive networking of proteins, leading to a firmer texture (analogous to way heat-cycling tires causes them to become harder through cross-polymerization).  This might feel similar on the tongue to simple mechanical expulsion of moisture, but is really quite different.  A more complex protein network would certainly not disintegrate as quickly as one that simple had moisture removed.

I would love it if someone could come up with a real answer.

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You could try cooking it partway and putting the bits into pancake batter or waffles.  It would also be good cooked up and served alongside eggs or a frittata or scrapple.  Pork and maple go together really well.  It's the balance that's the issue.

I'm sure there are plenty of cupcake recipes and such that could use it, but I understand not wanting to use it in sweets.

Just think of situations where you might want to add maple syrup and go there.  Given that some salad dressings include maple syrup, maybe the bacon bits would be good just added to a salad.

Have you tried blanching it before frying? That might suck out some of the sweetness.

So I ended up using the rest in two ways.  One successful, one not, but it is gone and was not wasted.  I really dislike wasting food.  The unsuccessful was with spinach, leeks, along side baked apples on top of carolina gold rice.  This just didn't work, although I think it would have with just the apples on top of grits.  The second I pulsed the rest of the baked apples in my food processor and made pancakes with baked apples and maple bacon.  Those were good.  Although I never eat pancakes and am now quite full.  Won't make that mistake again.

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I can't say how well tested it is by me, since I combined this with a few other recipes when I "made" it, but this seems to be what you're looking for.  It seems that it was tested by the person who created it, though, if you read the narrative.

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I'm cooking up a pot of beans. I'm out of carrots; can I use the carrot tops -- the green leafy things -- as an aromatic? If so, do I sauté them, or just throw them in the pot?

I've heard that boiling the greens of strawberries creates a dangerously potent laxative tea.

I know that's not really related, but it's an example of greens and fruiting bits having very different effects.

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I'm cooking up a pot of beans. I'm out of carrots; can I use the carrot tops -- the green leafy things -- as an aromatic? If so, do I sauté them, or just throw them in the pot?

I cook the greens from a bunch of different vegetables all together (say beet, radish, and carrot) as a side dish and that works okay.  I don't know if you'll want the carrot greens in the beans the whole time, though. They'd probably get way overcooked if the beans are going for hours.   I tend to think of them as something eaten raw or on the lighter side of cooked.  Maybe sautéing them and adding at the end as a topping/garnish would be nice.  Otherwise, I'd treat them as something like fresh parsley and add (uncooked) near the end of the cooking time.

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Okay"¦ I goofed. I bought home a rather large bunch of parsley (rather than basil) for a green goddess chicken recipe. What to do with all this parsley?

Make lots of: chicken piccata https://food52.com/recipes/26564-classic-chicken-piccata and invite me over, I have been staring at this picture as I was making a grocery list and it's killing me.

Also:Caul do verde soup https://food52.com/recipes/730-caul-do-verde-portuguese-caldo-verde-with-cauliflower (uses 1/4 cup!) or white bean dip that looks great

https://food52.com/recipes/21757-white-bean-dip-with-fresh-herbs

or some tabbouleh?

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Okay"¦ I goofed. I bought home a rather large bunch of parsley (rather than basil) for a green goddess chicken recipe. What to do with all this parsley?

Jambon Persillé?

Jacques Pépin's recipe (which also calls for curing pigs' feet, which is a little daunting) concludes with a sauce rémoulade, which uses another cup of parsley.

I've never made this dish, but have often felt that I should.

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I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this so please feel free to move it wherever it fits best.

my husband looooves the homemade toasted pumpkin seeds we make after carving and the toasted seeds from any squash we eat, but really, there's only so much squash i can cook (or eat!). he's tried the davids pumpkin seeds from the store and didn't like them, and i've even tried taking the davids seeds, rinsing to get the salt coating off and re-toasting them. they were significantly better but still nowhere as good as the fresh ones. does anyone know how i can get a bunch of fresh, untoasted pumpkin or squash seeds (with the shells, not pepitas) so i can toast them at home? thank you!

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I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this so please feel free to move it wherever it fits best.

my husband looooves the homemade toasted pumpkin seeds we make after carving and the toasted seeds from any squash we eat, but really, there's only so much squash i can cook (or eat!). he's tried the davids pumpkin seeds from the store and didn't like them, and i've even tried taking the davids seeds, rinsing to get the salt coating off and re-toasting them. they were significantly better but still nowhere as good as the fresh ones. does anyone know how i can get a bunch of fresh, untoasted pumpkin or squash seeds (with the shells, not pepitas) so i can toast them at home? thank you!

Probably could get moved to ingredient source 911 thread, but the same people normally look here.  I unfortunately have no idea.

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I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this so please feel free to move it wherever it fits best.

my husband looooves the homemade toasted pumpkin seeds we make after carving and the toasted seeds from any squash we eat, but really, there's only so much squash i can cook (or eat!). he's tried the davids pumpkin seeds from the store and didn't like them, and i've even tried taking the davids seeds, rinsing to get the salt coating off and re-toasting them. they were significantly better but still nowhere as good as the fresh ones. does anyone know how i can get a bunch of fresh, untoasted pumpkin or squash seeds (with the shells, not pepitas) so i can toast them at home? thank you!

This time of year the woods near my house are full of animal scat that's almost nothing but pumpkin seeds. Foxes, maybe? I dunno.

Could you ask your neighbors if they're throwing out their pumpkins, and could you have some, please? Since they're throwing them out anyway you don't need to worry about wasting the flesh, and the seeds should still be good.

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Oops! I done goofed. Again.

I mis-labeled some vacuum sealed ribs: I can't tell if they are beef back or pork ribs. (Definitely not short ribs.) Because they are seasoned differently, I need to figure out what type of ribs these are. The ribs are about 5" long. There is a silver skin that I had cut, before I sealed them. (Do pork ribs have silver skin?)

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I just got a vacuum sealer for Christmas, YAY, WOHOOO, HAPPY DANCE!  I also spent yesterday shucking what seems like a million oysters so I could bring them home and make oyster stew.  BUT I have way more oysters and brine than stew.  I see online that you can vacuum seal oysters in their brine and freeze them and would like to try it, but I don't want to waste time and freezer space if it won't, anyone try this?

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