The General Questions thread - for quick questions, recipe requests, help.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The General Questions thread - for quick questions, recipe requests, help.

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Tyson Tomko: May 8, 2005; The Problem Solver.

Crock pot question.

We've had this crock pot for over 5 years and it's worked like a champ since day one. I'm not sure if it's been this way the entire time, but today I noticed the insert doesn't seem to fit the base (part that has heating element) very tightly, it kind of floats above it if that makes sense. The walls seem to make contact but I'm not sure how snug the bottom part is.

Like I said it could have been this way for years but either way I just now noticed it. I'm just doing some meatballs so it isn't a life or death situation, but I thought I'd throw the question out there while I wait to see what happens. Is this normal? Is it warped and I need to buy a new one?

# ? Jul 30, 2015 23:35

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# ? May 13, 2024 00:02

Lawnie: Sep 6, 2006; That is my helmet
Give it back
you are a lion
^{It doesn't even fit}; Grimey Drawer

Tyson Tomko posted:

Crock pot question.

We've had this crock pot for over 5 years and it's worked like a champ since day one. I'm not sure if it's been this way the entire time, but today I noticed the insert doesn't seem to fit the base (part that has heating element) very tightly, it kind of floats above it if that makes sense. The walls seem to make contact but I'm not sure how snug the bottom part is.

Like I said it could have been this way for years but either way I just now noticed it. I'm just doing some meatballs so it isn't a life or death situation, but I thought I'd throw the question out there while I wait to see what happens. Is this normal? Is it warped and I need to buy a new one?

I doubt that the "pot" part of the crock pot has warped, as I'm fairly sure that's a ceramic that will hold up to high temperature just fine. The heating element may have become a bit warped, though. I'd probably try it, and if it gets hot without smoking or otherwise indicating something isn't right, you're probably fine.

# ? Jul 30, 2015 23:55

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Anne Whateley posted:

Speaking of fish, I have a dumb question. A great fishmonger opened near me and I've been eating whole fish like it's my job. I mean cheap little guys -- porgy, mullet, pompano, branzino, mackerel.

Anyone know whether they would have been frozen? For bonus points, any guesses where they come from?

The fish guys are really nice but we don't have any languages in common. The fish are in good shape, smell good, eyes usually bright. They're totally whole, only cleaned and scaled after I choose them. And the ones I get are mad cheap, $2-4/lb on sale. I live in NYC, and there's plenty of fishing up and down the east coast, but

Porgy, mullet pompano and mullet can all come out of the Gulf of Mexico at least.

# ? Jul 31, 2015 00:00

Anne Whateley: Feb 11, 2007; i like nice words

No need to go even that far, you can get porgy, mullet, mackerel right off New Jersey. Do they get them there, who knows . . .

# ? Jul 31, 2015 00:20

Tyson Tomko: May 8, 2005; The Problem Solver.

Lawnie posted:

I doubt that the "pot" part of the crock pot has warped, as I'm fairly sure that's a ceramic that will hold up to high temperature just fine. The heating element may have become a bit warped, though. I'd probably try it, and if it gets hot without smoking or otherwise indicating something isn't right, you're probably fine.

So far so good (and smelling awesome), thanks!

# ? Jul 31, 2015 00:21

Lawnie: Sep 6, 2006; That is my helmet
Give it back
you are a lion
^{It doesn't even fit}; Grimey Drawer

Tyson Tomko posted:

So far so good (and smelling awesome), thanks!

Addendum: were the heating element not in contact with the pot, you'd likely start to hear some popping noise during heat up as the element can't dissipate heat into the pot and instead starts to overheat and locally expand. Doesn't sound like anything's wrong though.

# ? Jul 31, 2015 01:09

Tyson Tomko: May 8, 2005; The Problem Solver.

Lawnie posted:

Addendum: were the heating element not in contact with the pot, you'd likely start to hear some popping noise during heat up as the element can't dissipate heat into the pot and instead starts to overheat and locally expand. Doesn't sound like anything's wrong though.

Yeah everything worked out thankfully. When the wife came home she said it's always floated like I was describing so that was a big relief. The meatballs came out perfectly and I couldn't be any happier.

# ? Jul 31, 2015 14:37

Trebuchet King: Jul 5, 2005; This post...

...is a
WORK OF FICTION!!

Ok, I know when following a recipe the switchout for dried:fresh herbs is 1:3. But a sauce recipe I'm working with calls for onion powder and garlic powder, and I'd like to puree fresh onion and garlic and then sautee that down a bit instead. Is 1:3 still a good ratio or do you think I should tweak that a bit?

# ? Jul 31, 2015 17:50

The Midniter: Jul 9, 2001

Trebuchet King posted:

Ok, I know when following a recipe the switchout for dried:fresh herbs is 1:3. But a sauce recipe I'm working with calls for onion powder and garlic powder, and I'd like to puree fresh onion and garlic and then sautee that down a bit instead. Is 1:3 still a good ratio or do you think I should tweak that a bit?

Can you post the recipe? Onion and garlic powders can't really be compared to their fresh versions like, say, thyme or basil can. They're too different in powder form and actually provide quite a different flavor. Are you making a tomato sauce? If so, I'd say keep the onion and garlic powder and sautee some fresh onion and garlic anyway.

Can never have too much onion and garlic.

# ? Jul 31, 2015 17:55

Trebuchet King: Jul 5, 2005; This post...

...is a
WORK OF FICTION!!

The Midniter posted:

Can you post the recipe?

Sure. It's a mustard based barbecue sauce. I've already made a handful of tweaks; nothing that tremendous though. I omitted the rosemary and used molasses instead of brown sugar (I also made some with brown sugar for comparison's sake. I wasn't expecting the molasses version to be as better received across the board as it was). Also, a few secret ingredients.

The main reason I'm thinking of doing the saut�ed puree is I had to do up a bunch of tomato pasta sauce for a community dinner, and on a whim I pureed up an onion, saut�ed it down, and tossed that in. I really liked what that did for the sauce, but I was pretty much ad libbing with that concoction. Managed to end up with relatively little in the way of leftovers, too!

# ? Jul 31, 2015 18:17

IT BURNS: Nov 19, 2012

Does anyone have a quick tutorial on proper plating?

# ? Jul 31, 2015 18:39

cementsocks: Jun 28, 2007; Zombies, Zombies, Zombies

Cooking question: I live in a NY apartment with no fan or fume hood over my oven. Is there any way to minimize the amount of smoke that goes all over my house when I cook meat or add liquid to a hot pan? It seems to happen like 1/5 of the time.

# ? Jul 31, 2015 18:58

Lucy Heartfilia: May 31, 2012

IT BURNS posted:

Does anyone have a quick tutorial on proper plating?

https://twitter.com/wewantplates

# ? Jul 31, 2015 19:10

Shbobdb: Dec 16, 2010; by Reene

I've finally got a hook up for water buffalo milk. Its expensive so I don't want to Dick around-- what is the best way to make kaymak?

# ? Aug 1, 2015 08:50

angor: Nov 14, 2003; teen angst

I live in the Middle East and there's no way for me to get Mexican stuff here. I have a friend coming back from the US and has graciously offered to bring stuff back for me.

I want to stock up on dried chillies. Ancho, Pasilla, Guajillo, California, Arbol, New Mexico, Negro, and Morita. Doesn't have to be ALL of them, but as many varieties I can get would be great. Preferably a kilo of each. It'll need to be shipped to Phoenix so he can pack them. Where is the best place to order something like this from?

# ? Aug 1, 2015 20:54

Squashy Nipples: Aug 18, 2007

I would imagine that in phoenix you could get all that locally, at a market. Also get a pound or two of Mexican oregano, it's different enough to be worth it.

# ? Aug 1, 2015 21:57

angor: Nov 14, 2003; teen angst

Squashy Nipples posted:

I would imagine that in phoenix you could get all that locally, at a market. Also get a pound or two of Mexican oregano, it's different enough to be worth it.

Yeah, but I'm not going to ask him to start looking for that stuff. He wouldn't know where to begin and I'm already asking him to schlep all that back for me. Least I can do is have it dropped to his doorstep.

I'll get some Mexican oregano as well, and possibly epazote as well. In addition to the chillies, is there a reliable source for seeds for the chillies, oregano, and epazote? I could try and start growing some stuff here.

# ? Aug 1, 2015 22:16

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Answered in the other thread, but if you don't want to send him to the store, just Amazon everything to his house. Except the epazote - dried epazote is garbage.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 01:40

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

angor posted:

Yeah, but I'm not going to ask him to start looking for that stuff. He wouldn't know where to begin and I'm already asking him to schlep all that back for me. Least I can do is have it dropped to his doorstep.

I'll get some Mexican oregano as well, and possibly epazote as well. In addition to the chillies, is there a reliable source for seeds for the chillies, oregano, and epazote? I could try and start growing some stuff here.

Those would probably be at any regular grocery in Phoenix

# ? Aug 2, 2015 05:26

theHUNGERian: Feb 23, 2006

Food safety question.

What are the safest ways (not necessarily the fastest or cheapest) to include leafy greens in home made sandwiches? I typically buy prepackaged greens, but I never wash them and I worry about bacteria on those products.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 05:48

Hawkperson: Jun 20, 2003

I think all your options are basically equally safe. The bacterial contamination is (as far as I know) almost always due to handling, and everything's getting touched by a human at some point in the supply chain. So the safest way is buy whatever you want, then give it a quick rinse. Maybe buy a salad spinner if you hate damp produce?

# ? Aug 2, 2015 05:51

theHUNGERian: Feb 23, 2006

Hawkgirl posted:

I think all your options are basically equally safe. The bacterial contamination is (as far as I know) almost always due to handling, and everything's getting touched by a human at some point in the supply chain. So the safest way is buy whatever you want, then give it a quick rinse. Maybe buy a salad spinner if you hate damp produce?

So a prepackaged bag of leafy greens is about as safe as buying the raw ingredients from a farmers' market and making my own mix?

# ? Aug 2, 2015 07:18

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

theHUNGERian posted:

So a prepackaged bag of leafy greens is about as safe as buying the raw ingredients from a farmers' market and making my own mix?

A packaged bag of cut leafy greens labeled as washed and ready to eat is marginally less likely to cause foodborne illness than produce from a farmer's market. The washing process is likely to be more complete than anything you can do in your sink at home, and commercially farmed produce will generally be refrigerated immediately after harvest, which will inhibit growth of any pathogens that are present. Here's an multiauthor article from the UC Davis that summarises a bunch of recommendations for commercial and consumer handling of cut leafy greens.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 10:30

exquisite tea: Apr 21, 2007; Carly shook her glass, willing the ice to melt. "You still haven't told me what the mission is."

She leaned forward. "We are going to assassinate the bad men of Hollywood."

I strained out some sweet corn to make a cream sauce base for a recipe last night and I'm left with some very attractive corn pulp that's dry and kinda grainy, almost like a polenta. What can I do with it?

# ? Aug 2, 2015 12:19

goodness: Jan 3, 2012; When the light turns green, you go. When the light turns red, you stop. But what do you do when the light turns blue with orange and lavender spots?

theHUNGERian posted:

Food safety question.

What are the safest ways (not necessarily the fastest or cheapest) to include leafy greens in home made sandwiches? I typically buy prepackaged greens, but I never wash them and I worry about bacteria on those products.

You eat more bacteria off your pillow each night than you get from lettuce. Not something to worry about.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 14:15

Cavenagh: Oct 9, 2007; Grrrrrrrrr.

exquisite tea posted:

I strained out some sweet corn to make a cream sauce base for a recipe last night and I'm left with some very attractive corn pulp that's dry and kinda grainy, almost like a polenta. What can I do with it?

This might work: Ottolenghi's sweetcorn polenta. Maybe soak the kernels in milk first though.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 15:09

Lucy Heartfilia: May 31, 2012

goodness posted:

You eat more bacteria off your pillow each night than you get from lettuce. Not something to worry about.

Lettuce bacteria are also good for your stomach.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 15:17

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

goodness posted:

You eat more bacteria off your pillow each night than you get from lettuce. Not something to worry about.

Actually according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest leafy greens are the largest source of foodborne illness among foods regulated by the FDA.

Lucy Heartfilia posted:

Lettuce bacteria are also good for your stomach.

I'd love to see a citation for this claim.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 15:42

goodness: Jan 3, 2012; When the light turns green, you go. When the light turns red, you stop. But what do you do when the light turns blue with orange and lavender spots?

SubG posted:

Actually according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest leafy greens are the largest source of foodborne illness among foods regulated by the FDA.

I'd love to see a citation for this claim.

I wonder if the FDA has done a study on the bacteria in dirty pillows or their computer chair. Probably a lot worse.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 15:48

Lucy Heartfilia: May 31, 2012

SubG posted:

I'd love to see a citation for this claim.

It's not 100% solid yet, but you can find bacteria (e.g. lactobacillus) on plants that are considered beneficial in other kinds of food like yogurt.
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08575-3_44

# ? Aug 2, 2015 16:21

Drifter: Oct 22, 2000; Belated Bear Witness; Soiled Meat

Lucy Heartfilia posted:

It's not 100% solid yet, but you can find bacteria (e.g. lactobacillus) on plants that are considered beneficial in other kinds of food like yogurt.
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08575-3_44

All that good bacteria on the lettuce greens, right next to all that Hep-C.

Yum.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 16:50

midnightclimax: Dec 3, 2011; by XyloJW

I used a recipe for crockpot lentil stew that said 6-8 hours on low. After 8 hours everything's still not soft, so now I've ramped it up to high. It's been a long time since I made this, not sure if it always took this long.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 17:32

SymmetryrtemmyS: Jul 13, 2013; I got super tired of seeing your avatar throwing those fuckin' glasses around in the astrology thread so I fixed it to a .jpg

midnightclimax posted:

I used a recipe for crockpot lentil stew that said 6-8 hours on low. After 8 hours everything's still not soft, so now I've ramped it up to high. It's been a long time since I made this, not sure if it always took this long.

Your lentils might be old. They dry out and take longer to cook.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 18:09

Daedalus Esquire: Mar 30, 2008

SubG posted:

Actually according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest leafy greens are the largest source of foodborne illness among foods regulated by the FDA.

I'd love to see a citation for this claim.

At least a couple times a year a grocery store ends up recalling spinach or lettuce or another leafy green. It's always seems to be for e. Coli

# ? Aug 2, 2015 18:39

theHUNGERian: Feb 23, 2006

^^^
and the recalls are done way too late imo.

SubG posted:

Actually according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest leafy greens are the largest source of foodborne illness among foods regulated by the FDA.

... and it's the E. Coli that I worry about and that prompted my question in the first place. If I wanted to be 100% safe, I'd have to cook the greens, but that soft of kills the salad.

goodness posted:

You eat more bacteria off your pillow each night than you get from lettuce. Not something to worry about.

I don't worry about bacteria in general, I worry about harmful bacteria.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 18:41

Drifter: Oct 22, 2000; Belated Bear Witness; Soiled Meat

My mom has always filled a sink with water and added a drop of chlorine and washes her vegetables. I don't. I just kinda run them underwater and finger-wash 'em.

I do get 4 pounds of bagged/washed spinach leaves that I don't do anything to, though. I'll eat that raw.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 18:59

JacquelineDempsey: Aug 6, 2008; Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34

Whenever I go out for Japanese/sushi, if I get the house salad it has an orange-colored dressing on it that seems to be based on carrots, ginger, and some sesame oil (I think). Anybody got a quick and dirty recipe on making that at home?

# ? Aug 2, 2015 19:00

theres a will theres moe: Jan 10, 2007; Hair Elf

JacquelineDempsey posted:

Whenever I go out for Japanese/sushi, if I get the house salad it has an orange-colored dressing on it that seems to be based on carrots, ginger, and some sesame oil (I think). Anybody got a quick and dirty recipe on making that at home?

Here is one that appears to be good
http://www.food.com/recipe/japanese-steakhouse-ginger-salad-dressing-copycat-shogun-steak-111829

Or! You can skip the hassle and buy it direct. Restaurants around me sell it in a half-quart tub for six or seven bucks.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 19:21

Drifter: Oct 22, 2000; Belated Bear Witness; Soiled Meat

Number 1 Sexy Dad posted:

Here is one that appears to be good
http://www.food.com/recipe/japanese-steakhouse-ginger-salad-dressing-copycat-shogun-steak-111829

Or! You can skip the hassle and buy it direct. Restaurants around me sell it in a half-quart tub for six or seven bucks.

What does the celery add in that recipe? I've not known raw celery to have a flavor, as such.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 21:20

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# ? May 13, 2024 00:02

EAT THE EGGS RICOLA: May 29, 2008

Drifter posted:

What does the celery add in that recipe? I've not known raw celery to have a flavor, as such.

Really? I love the flavour of celery (but don't really eat raw celery ever). Celeriac is the perfect celery-flavour vessel.

# ? Aug 2, 2015 21:34

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The General Questions thread - for quick questions, recipe requests, help.

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