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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EVG: Dec 17, 2005; If I Saw It, Here's How It Happened.

SymmetryrtemmyS posted:

this is a really comprehensive guide but most of the time I just buy kimlan and kikkoman and use one or the other depending on needs https://www.malafood.com/en/the-complete-guide-to-soy-suaces

I'm also fond of Kimlan! Another vote for that one.

# ? Sep 8, 2019 21:59

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# ? May 24, 2024 17:02

CrazySalamander: Nov 5, 2009

Is it actually possible to get crystal clear sugar glass from normal sugar? I was always told it needed to be isomalt but the internet appears to be full of sorcerers or something who don�t use it.

# ? Sep 8, 2019 22:06

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

Kimlan's fine for Chinese. For Japanese/Korean I prefer Yamasa, Kikkoman is too salty. Dark soy sauce you don't necessarily need, it's largely for color.

Mirin you just want to avoid aji mirin, which is the cheap fake kind. Hon mirin is actual brewed mirin.

Grand Fromage fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Sep 9, 2019

# ? Sep 9, 2019 01:23

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

I like Lee Kum Kee for Chinese soy sauce also.

# ? Sep 9, 2019 01:54

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

I use Housewife brand cause it's super cheap (like $1.50/liter) but really good for the price. I keep high end aged soy sauce for finishing stuff, though.

# ? Sep 9, 2019 04:13

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

Grand Fromage posted:

For Japanese/Korean I prefer Yamasa, Kikkoman is too salty.

That's my experience as well. Most of the Japanese cooking I do is slanted toward fast food/food stall type stuff, and Yamasa is more or less exactly the flavour profile that I'm expecting for soy to go with it. No idea if it would be different if I was doing more upscale or whatever Japanese cooking.

For Chinese I pretty much always use PRB gold label, just because it's pretty good and you can get it in the giant plastic jerrycans.

# ? Sep 9, 2019 05:19

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

SubG posted:

For Chinese I pretty much always use PRB gold label, just because it's pretty good and you can get it in the giant plastic jerrycans.

As long as we're talking about jerrycans, is there some trick to pouring stuff out of them in a way that prevents it from spilling a bit onto the top of the can? Do I just have to pour a shitton so that it comes out with sufficient force not to dribble? In which case what do people do with ingredients in jerrycans which they don't want to use a shitton of? Pour it into a smaller container?

# ? Sep 9, 2019 06:30

spankmeister: Jun 15, 2008

Hold the jerrycan horizontal instead of vertical by the handle when you pour, it's more controllable that way.

# ? Sep 9, 2019 06:42

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

Does Low Sodium Kikkoman fit all your salty complaints about regular kikkoman

# ? Sep 9, 2019 09:14

spankmeister: Jun 15, 2008

spankmeister posted:

Hold the jerrycan horizontal instead of vertical by the handle when you pour, it's more controllable that way.

I learned this from pouring motor oil into my car btw

# ? Sep 9, 2019 22:53

Mango Polo: Aug 4, 2007

I have a recipe for snickerdoodles that calls for 1tsp cream of tartar + 2tsp baking powder.

What should I replace the cream of tartar with? More baking powder?

# ? Sep 10, 2019 13:47

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

Cream of tartar because that's what makes snickerdoodles taste and feel like snickerdoodles. Otherwise you could just make a sugar cookie.

# ? Sep 10, 2019 13:57

Submarine Sandpaper: May 27, 2007

Mango Polo posted:

I have a recipe for snickerdoodles that calls for 1tsp cream of tartar + 2tsp baking powder.

What should I replace the cream of tartar with? More baking powder?

def not baking powder. cream of tarter is acidic and is what's combined with baking soda to make powder. you'll need an acid of sort

# ? Sep 10, 2019 14:13

Mango Polo: Aug 4, 2007

Unfortunately cream of tartar isn't a thing here and my partner wants to make a whole lot of snickerdoodles using apple butter.

if it's about the acidity then lemon juice? That's one of the alternate recommendations.

# ? Sep 10, 2019 14:29

Nephzinho: Jan 25, 2008

Mango Polo posted:

Unfortunately cream of tartar isn't a thing here and my partner wants to make a whole lot of snickerdoodles using apple butter.

if it's about the acidity then lemon juice? That's one of the alternate recommendations.

Is there a reason you can't wait a few days for Amazon/etc to deliver cream of tartar?

# ? Sep 10, 2019 14:30

Mango Polo: Aug 4, 2007

Nephzinho posted:

Is there a reason you can't wait a few days for Amazon/etc to deliver cream of tartar?

Amazon ins't a thing in Finland unless you pay extra

# ? Sep 10, 2019 14:43

poeticoddity: Jan 14, 2007; "How nice - to feel nothing and still get full credit for being alive." - Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five

Mango Polo posted:

Amazon ins't a thing in Finland unless you pay extra

A quick Googling suggests 2 parts of lemon juice or white vinegar by volume as a substitute for each 1 part of cream of tartar in a recipe.

# ? Sep 10, 2019 14:59

spankmeister: Jun 15, 2008

Mango Polo posted:

Amazon ins't a thing in Finland unless you pay extra

Try some salmiak powder

# ? Sep 10, 2019 16:40

Scientastic: Mar 1, 2010; TRULY scientastic.
🔬🍒

Steve Yun posted:

You can buy superbags/bag filters on amazon of varying microns, and they�re handy because you can massage the sack. I think 20 microns is generally considered the limit of human perception.

If money is no object, maybe a Spinzall.

The 25 micron filters I got did nothing, the tonic went straight through and still looks like a muddy puddle. I�m going to try to freeze it and hope that the solids settle into the core

# ? Sep 10, 2019 19:25

Doom Rooster: Sep 3, 2008; Pillbug

Scientastic posted:

The 25 micron filters I got did nothing, the tonic went straight through and still looks like a muddy puddle. I�m going to try to freeze it and hope that the solids settle into the core

Egg white raft method seems like the obvious choice.

# ? Sep 10, 2019 19:34

Scientastic: Mar 1, 2010; TRULY scientastic.
🔬🍒

Doom Rooster posted:

Egg white raft method seems like the obvious choice.

My concern there is that it will make the drink cloudy when citrus is added. I haven�t ever been able to completely remove the egg white.

I think I�ll try it if the freezing doesn�t work.

# ? Sep 10, 2019 21:32

Doom Rooster: Sep 3, 2008; Pillbug

Scientastic posted:

My concern there is that it will make the drink cloudy when citrus is added. I haven�t ever been able to completely remove the egg white.

I think I�ll try it if the freezing doesn�t work.

Do you have/can you make a centrifuge?

# ? Sep 10, 2019 23:06

DasNeonLicht: Dec 25, 2005; "...and the light is on and burning brightly for the masses."; Fallen Rib

Scientastic posted:

Edit: quick google revealed how basic my original question was, but I have another:

I am trying to clarify the Morgenthaler tonic, and it�s just not happening: coffee filters aren�t picking out enough of the bits, a homemade filter column got clogged up. I am currently trying to clarify using gelatin as fining agent. If that doesn�t work, is there another way of removing the tiny bits of powder without losing flavour?

I've used an Aeropress in the past to good effect

Edit: I should note I had to swap in a new filter every plunge or so

# ? Sep 11, 2019 00:34

Hauki: May 11, 2010

Scientastic posted:

My concern there is that it will make the drink cloudy when citrus is added. I haven�t ever been able to completely remove the egg white.

I think I�ll try it if the freezing doesn�t work.

try this and report back

# ? Sep 11, 2019 01:14

Weltlich: Feb 13, 2006; Grimey Drawer

Scientastic posted:

The 25 micron filters I got did nothing, the tonic went straight through and still looks like a muddy puddle. I�m going to try to freeze it and hope that the solids settle into the core

So I use filters a lot in my line of work, and anything bigger than 5 microns is worthless in the beverage department. In the case of a coffee rum that I make, I end up using a 0.5 micron filter to get all the fines out of it. A single 20 micron particle is certainly microscopic, but if the liquid is full of them, it's still going to be really murky.

Edit: I use a filter similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Filter-15538...e-garden&sr=1-1

# ? Sep 11, 2019 02:25

captkirk: Feb 5, 2010

What spices are worth keeping around whole and grinding yourself?

# ? Sep 11, 2019 03:32

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

As many as possible, whole spices stay good longer

Also do you have a Sprouts in your area because if you have one or another grocery that sells shovelable bulk spices you can get them for 1/4 the cost of retail spice jars

# ? Sep 11, 2019 03:36

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

captkirk posted:

What spices are worth keeping around whole and grinding yourself?

There aren't any that aren't worth grinding yourself, with the possible exception of turmeric, because you have to dry that yourself if you want to grind it yourself, and salt, which doesn't lose freshness so you might as well buy it in the size you want it.

# ? Sep 11, 2019 04:58

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

Note: cloves will permanently stain/fog the hell out of whatever grinding vessel you use

# ? Sep 11, 2019 04:59

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

TychoCelchuuu posted:

There aren't any that aren't worth grinding yourself, with the possible exception of turmeric, because you have to dry that yourself if you want to grind it yourself, and salt, which doesn't lose freshness so you might as well buy it in the size you want it.

wdym https://smile.amazon.com/Jiva-Organic-Dried-Turmeric-Whole/dp/B07BL88Y4W

Steve Yun posted:

Note: cloves will permanently stain/fog the hell out of whatever grinding vessel you use

not if you use a mortar and pestle

# ? Sep 11, 2019 05:12

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

SymmetryrtemmyS posted:

wdym https://smile.amazon.com/Jiva-Organic-Dried-Turmeric-Whole/dp/B07BL88Y4W

Never seen that for sale before! So I'll amend my original point, which is that if you can buy that stuff, probably it's better to grind your own turmeric too. Note that like cloves it'll stain the gently caress out of the grinder but if your entire set of kitchen implements isn't already stained yellow then I dunno wtf kind of life you live.

# ? Sep 11, 2019 06:58

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

Well my coffee grinder that I was using to grind spices just died so I guess I�ll get a small porcelain mortar

# ? Sep 11, 2019 07:04

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

Steve Yun posted:

Well my coffee grinder that I was using to grind spices just died so I guess I�ll get a small porcelain mortar

gently caress those things, get a big molcajete or thai mortar. the little porcelain ones are mainly of use for scientific reasons but in the kitchen, they're mainly display pieces

I promise you, you will find all sorts of uses for a 4 cup Thai mortar, but you'll just end up buying another electric grinder (which is fine!) if you go with the little one

# ? Sep 11, 2019 07:21

BrianBoitano: Nov 15, 2006; this is fine

I've heard a little weed grinder works fantastic for small portions. I might pick one up since they're so cheap.

# ? Sep 11, 2019 12:28

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

The little hand-cranked Turkish grinders are also nice for grinding things like white pepper or Sichuan peppercorn in small amounts. That and an electronic coffee grinder are what I use for almost everything.

# ? Sep 11, 2019 13:28

totalnewbie: Nov 13, 2005; I was born and raised in China, lived in Japan, and now hold a US passport.

I am wrong in every way, all the damn time.

Ask me about my tattoos.

I've never had a grinder like that - are they fairly easy to clean to change between spices?

# ? Sep 11, 2019 15:33

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

Mine disassembles real easy and only has a couple parts, so it's very easy to clean, yeah.

# ? Sep 11, 2019 16:12

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

I've been using the same green marble mortar and pestle daily for like 15 years. It holds about a cup or so, and is just the right size.

# ? Sep 12, 2019 02:03

effika: Jun 19, 2005; Birds do not want you to know any more than you already do.

I have a heavy 4-cup granite mortar & pestle and it takes two seconds to make any quantity of spices. Unfortunately I can't leave it out on the counter and can't lift it well (forearm issues lately). My sister got me a little porcelain one and it takes so long to grind spices my forearm ends up hurting anyway!

A one-cup size seems about right. I see a lot of marble ones, but wonder if those aren't as good as the granite ones.

I just need a teeny granite one.

# ? Sep 12, 2019 03:56

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# ? May 24, 2024 17:02

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

I have a four cup granite mortar and just ordered a one cup porcelain. Could I have just used my big one for tiny spoonfuls of spices?

# ? Sep 12, 2019 10:20

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

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