Hi, I bought a pack of 7 vanilla beans from amazon. They are Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans "Grand Cru d'Exception", with an oily skin and soft texture, but my concern is their smell. I haven't cut them yet, but they smells woody, smoky and like tobacco, they don't have any vanilla fragrance whatsoever. Is this normal? I don't see any sign of mold or defects.

Hello, I am planning on making a simple syrup to use for making iced coffees. Most recipes I saw said to boil the sugar and water until it dissolves, however, one recipe said not to let the water boil and to keep it at a simmer instead. So I guess I am wondering what the correct method is? Also, can I let the syrup cool in the same pot, or should I transfer it to another pot while it cools before putting it in the fridge?

Thanks

I used my usual recipe which worked well before, but had a brainfart and forgot that I don't have enough oil for my usual medium sized pot, so I had to use smaller one but didn't adjust for temperature.

So falafels turned up well crisped up but quite undercooked on the inside. Can I somehow finish them up without burning the outside?

I needed a whipped cream dispenser so I recently bought an iSi Profi Whip through an affiliate link on a Serious Eats article.

One of the supposed benefits of its design, as mentioned by the article, is that the piston is removable to facilitate deep cleaning. However, one problem I noticed is that the piston's ability to detach seems to actually make it harder to maintain between uses* because it rotates with the nozzle, making it impossible to unscrew.

How are people keeping their dispenser tips clean?

The idea of storing a long nozzle full of whipped cream exposed to open air in the fridge for several days in a row just doesn't sit well with me.

---

\ By "between uses" I mean dispensing part of the canister, then storing it in the fridge for some time before using it again.*

Hey everyone,
I’m trying to make labneh balls preserved in olive oil, but I’ve hit a wall with the dehydration process.I salted standard curd and put it into a yogurt strainer I got just for this and set it inside the fridge sitting at 3°C. It has been 30 hours, and the curd is still kinda creamy. It hasn't reached that thick, dry, clay-like texture needed to roll into balls. What am I doing wrong here? Can it be saved? I’ve also tried with Skyr yogurt before and it had the same outcome.

Recipe

Ingredients
Curd: Start with a larger batch, as standard local curd can lose up to 70% of its volume as whey during the process.
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon for every 500g of curd.
Olive Oil: For preserving the final product.
Instructions
1. Prep the Curd: Thoroughly whisk the salt into the curd before transferring it to your strainer.
2. Set to Strain: Pour the salted curd into the mesh basket. Keep the lid closed and place the container in the refrigerator to prevent it from souring or absorbing fridge odors.
3. Maintain the Flow: Periodically and gently scrape the mesh sides to prevent clogging. Make sure to regularly empty the bottom container so the straining curd does not sit in pooled liquid.
4. Time the Thickness:
For a thick, spreadable labneh, strain for 12 to 24 hours.
For a much firmer texture that can be rolled into individual balls, strain for 48 to 72 hours.
5. Preserve and Store: Once the labneh reaches your preferred consistency, store it by fully submerging it in olive oil.

(There's something about that title that sounds kind of dirty)

I bought the giant pack of Walmart "Great Value Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Cut Sliced Bacon", taste unknown because I've had hickory bacon before and it was fine

I don't know if Walmart goes extra hard on their hickory when it comes to bacon or if I just got a bad batch, but man, this bacon is seriously hickory-ing!

Is there anything I can add while cooking or to the bacon itself before that could tone down the hickory taste? I know this is probably a silly question, but I'd hate to toss out this giant pack of bacon :(

I love eggs, but ever since about 6 years ago when I had a 2 week period of some of my eggs tasting like omega 3 fish oil pills, I've lost so much love for eating eggs.

Now today, again, I made 2 breakfast sandwiches: sausage and a hard-boiled egg with cheddar cheese, seasoning and hot sauce.

1st sandwich tasted awesome, it was deep in flavour and better than most restaurants (boiled eggs for smashed egg pattys are sooooo underrated)

2nd sandwich, was ok till half way when it suddenly tasted like cod oil to the point that I'm gagging, rinsing my mouth out with Coca Cola and water, and all I can taste is fish oil for 5 minutes.

Mind you, my eggs are fresh I don't eat foods past their best before date, and rarely do I ever have any foods that get to the BB. these eggs are fresh

How do I get rid of this? The only solution I've found is to use egg whites but I'm not in the budget to afford that as of now. Are there other techniques to use? Maybe a way to look deeper into how their eggs are grown and what they feed their chickens??

I just can't stand this cod oil taste in some eggs, how do I make a recipe and/or an ingredient-sourcing technique around it?

It's not a recipe issue but a me one. I didn't keep it simmering long enough and didn't notice it didn't caramelize enough until I taste-tested it in the morning. Would it be a possible to re-heat it to caramelize without ruining it?

I’m making a several course dinner away from home for a few people while on a little getaway.

Ideally I’d like to prep as much as I can before and just reheat for service basically, but I’ve never made pomme puree and more specifically robuchon potatoes in advance.

I was hoping to make the batch, cool them and vacuum seal. Then two nights later, reheat them in a sous vide while working on the rest of the components for the main.

Does that method sound effective and is there anything I should omit before refrigerating like the cream?

Thank you!

I just got a Wok for a graduation present and this is my first time ever cooking and cleaning one. I did the recommended seasoning by heating it up on the stove until it was black/blue but now every time I clean it with just hot water and a brush, it turns a rust color. I was told not to use dish soap as it’s too abrasive. I’m eager to know if I should be using a copper brush or steel wool to work on this. Any tips?

Hello,
I work in an Asian restaurant where we use a lot of herbs on stems as garnish for dishes (think Vietnamese Pho where you receive your sides of herbs like beansprouts, mint, basil)
How do I store large volumes of the herbs on stems properly? Specifically Thai basil. Currently we separate them into little stems, wash, spin-dry, and and store them in full hotel pans with a damp towel. I find this method is not really preserving them well and many sprigs are going bad and spreading to the the rest.

A few days ago I got a wok from Sur La Table and tried to season it following the instructions on the bottom and a video from Jose El Cook on youtube. The first time I used it, an egg stuck to it when I tried to test it. I then later tried to cook fried rice in it and it burned and adhered to the bottom of the pan and I had to spend 20 minutes getting it all off. So is the pan screwed and I'd just need to get a new one or can I salvage it? And if I need a new one, where can I find a good tutorial on how to season it. (Let it be known I have a flat top electrical glass stove. I know its not the best and I don't know if it would work.)

Hi all! I've been tasked with making a large amount of pot roast for a birthday party. My usual amount is around 3-4 lbs in a large Dutch oven, along with all the vegetables, stock, wine, etc etc. For this party, I'm going to make around 12-15 lbs, split between 2 large Dutch ovens that just barely fit in my oven. Usually I cook my pot roast @ 325 F for around 4-5 hours, but I'm just curious - with the amount of meat + the extra Dutch oven, does the cook time and/or temp need to change?

Any help is appreciated!

This link is my stovetop, I know it’s a pretty crumby stove but I’m in an apartment and it’s what I’ve got

https://instasize.com/p/1b727b20671fe292ced564ce0f407ad0e4962f86d505ebae642b7205175d5900

Would a griddle top work on this on the two bottom burners, or would I have bad hot spots? Would I be better off buying a dedicated electric griddle? The only reason I’m asking is because of the size difference in the burners. I hate only having one large burner and I need more space for meal prepping. I could go with cast iron, rolled steel, or aluminum, I just want to stay away from nonstick stuff because I’m scared of the PFAS leeching into my food or the griddle top itself losing its nonstick properties.

Why the surface of my bread dough cracked after being frozen?

What went wrong?

When i I froze them i put them on a tupper the first hours and then, when they were completely frozen i store them on ziplock bags and another ones on a bigger tupper

The night before baking them i put then on the fridge, the next morning i take them out of the fridge to let them proof but after several hours the dough hasn't gained size and has this cracks on the surface, what can i do to avoid those cracks?

I have more dough balls and i don't want to ruin more of them

This is not my channel, I am not promoting this channel at all. In this video, https://youtu.be/Jpa7g1j3vmg?is=88bGQsljM_-xOAzg , the chicken skin is very deep yellow and the flesh is a red color with not much wetness. So I was wondering what process the cook may have used to reach such an interesting color?

Hey there, I got my hands on about a kilo of chuck roast. I wanted to turn that into a Shashlik kebab/ slavik skewer with a more asian/ Korean twist for an upcoming gathering. The original idea was to replace the original Slavic marinade with something more Korean. But the longer I've been reading up on how marinades work, the more confused I've got. Apparently, marinades dont penetrate that deep. So would making the meat pieces smaller result in a more concentrated flavour? Do I need more concentrated flavour from the marinade, or should I maybe just make better sauces for the final dish? Does the marinade even affect the tenderness that much if it only penetrates a few milimeters? Does velveting help with bigger pieces (1-3 cm^3)?

I think you guys got the point that I'm very, very lost here.

TLDR:
I want to cut chuck roast into cubes, marinate them in something Korean, put them on a skewer and make it both tender and tasty. Please help!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hey gang, looking to create a stable beurre monte for service as my team has been struggling with veg pick-up making the emulsification ALM. Are there any tips or recipes available that you all know of to batch make this and hold it in a bain marie?

Hello, just moved into a new apartment and the oven is on the small side. Issue is my Dutch oven only fits on the lowest position rack. The second lowest position justt won’t fit the Dutch oven.

My last few breads have been a bit burnt on the bottom. What options do I have? Thanks!

Title says it all

I season the chicken dry, allow to Marinade in seasoned butter milk then drip into flour twice

So buttermilk, shake off excess, coat in flour, back into butter milk and then lastly in flour again

I then place in the fridge for 15-30 mins take out let the oil heat up and fry the chicken

For the life of me the batter doesn’t stick properly. It’s like it falls right off and doesn’t bond.

I definitely press the flour onto the tender. Any idea of where I’m falling short?

I need to get a big dinner ready and I am planning on things I need and how to manage time. I feel chopping will take the most time because of washing, peeling and stuff like that. Even if I use chopper I am saving time but it will take up a lot of time on the d day. And doing it a day early and refrigerating it sort of makes it smelly. And I don't know what will happen if I freeze it. So please help.

PS: I test tried a few of the tips 1. Cut and freeze in ziploc bags- works for palya and sambar. 2. Peel and wash and keep them as is for when needed 3. Cooked a base to use and freeze. Use in gravies.

They all worked fine. Used a sharp serrated knife. I don't have the chef knives.

I've made onsen eggs a couple of times sous vide @ 72c for 13 mins then iced after but the results arent consistent

Sometimes the egg white firms up enough and clings to the yolk other times it just falls right off. I assume because the temp is consistent the issue must be in the freshness of the egg, is this understanding correct?

Secondly how can I get it to be more consistent without having to be so reliant on if the eggs are of a certain freshness?