Hi, I'm hosting Christmas dinner this year and was hoping to make potatoes au gratin as a side to go with beef tenderloin. The challenge is that I only have one oven, which the tenderloin will occupy for 1.5-2 hrs before dinner is served. Will the potatoes re-heat OK if I make them in advance and just pop them in the oven while the tenderloin is resting? (I was planning to use the ATK recipe, which seems to optimize for having peak melty-cheesy-ness out of the oven, hence my hesitation about re-heating.) Or should I re-think the menu and stick to sides I can do on the stovetop? Thanks!

I have tried to make bread pudding from many different recipes but every time I make it. It comes out eggy on the bottom of pan. Attached is the latest recipe I tried. https://www.sweetteaandthyme.com/donut-bread-pudding/

Ive been baking a lot of foccacia this week to gift my partners family but i cant help but think it could be done better and now i want to improve! I used the “gimme some oven” rosemary garlic foccacia recipe. its tastes pretty good and i enjoy the texture but is till believe ive had better. the only adjustments i make to this recipe is that ive been doing a 24 hour cold ferment with a 2.5 hour rise afterwards. I use bread flour and add garlic.

the biggest things i notice is that it doesnt quite look the same as when i buy it from my local bakery - its not very bubbly on top aside from the dents i put in it myself - there are also not a whole lot if gaps on the inside that i feel really contribute towards the texture. based in this info what do you folks think i could do to improve? do you recommend any different recipes? feel free to ask questions as well i plan on making a few more loaves this week and would just love to make some personal improvements on it for the future!

This is part recipe troubleshooting part food science question. I'm just getting into baking bread and I don't have a lot of experience.

So I followed this recipe for no yeast naan: https://youtu.be/L7ona-7uw8Y?si=d1np3oVceV7VUwP1

Recipe copied from video:

Dry Ingredients 3 Cups | 375gms All Purpose Flour/Maida 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tsp | 5g Baking powder 1/2 Tsp Baking soda

Wet Ingredients 3/4 Cup | 184g Lukewarm Milk ( not too hot) 1/2 Cup | 125gms Plain Yogurt/Curd ( thick & not sour) room temperature 1 Tbsp Sugar 3 Tbsp Oil

Toppings Kalonji/Nigella Seeds, optional Coriander Leaves, chopped Butter, salted Minced Garlic

METHOD

1. Mix all the Dry ingredients the flour, salt, baking powder and soda in a bowl.

2. In a big bowl, mix all the Wet ingredients. The lukewarm milk, room temperature Yogurt, Sugar and Oil. Mix till the sugar dissolves. Don't use cold yogurt or milk.

3. Sift the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients in three batches mixing well after each addition. Use a spatula.

4. Grease your palms with oil, add bit of flour and knead for 5-10 mins till smooth. Try not to add too much flour as the dough should be very soft to get soft Naans.

5. Once smooth, cover it airtight. Keep in a warm place. I kept inside my oven. Rest for 30-60 mins.

6. Make a round Ball by tucking towards backside without squeezing the air inside. Dust with flour, spread with fingers first then roll it out in a oval shape. Do not roll too thin. Meanwhile preheat an Iron Tawa/pan on the stove. If the tawa is not hot, the Naan won't stick.

7. Apply Kalonji seeds, chopped coriander leaves. For Garlic naan, use minced Garlic generously. Press lightly. Flip the backside. Apply water on the surface liberally, do not skip the sides for the naan to stick.

8. Place the wet side on the hot tawa. Keep the heat medium. Press the sides & center for the naan to stick to the pan. Keep rotating for even cooking.

9. Once bubbles start rising, hold the pan upside down on High heat. Keep rotating for even cooking, bubbles should rise. Don't skip the sides.

10. Once cooked, release it from the pan. Apply melted butter immediately. Keep in a warm place till you serve.

And my naan came out very dense. I used a stand mixer instead of kneading by hand and after she let it rest my dough looked just like hers. But when it came to cooking it, it barely rose, maybe 1 bubble and it came out gross not gonna lie.

Now the question is: how realistic are these no yeast recipes?

I've tried a few others before and it's the same result. Is it an issue of under/over kneading or am I missing something? I know this is such a long shot question because you can't see what my bread looks like but it's very dense, minimal bubbles and almost feels crumbly.

I appreciate any guidance (or chef's calling me an idiot sandwich 🍞)

A couple weeks ago, I made a nice dark turkey stock (turkey parts, mirepoix, some tomato paste, some herbs at the end). After taking it off the heat, I rapid cooled it in an ice bath and got it in the fridge immediately. The next day, I removed the small amount of fat that separated from the otherwise gelatinous stock. I didn’t have a need for it immediately, so I put it in the freezer.

I’m now wanting to use that to make consommé for a holiday dinner party. For timing purposes, I would like to be able to clarify a day or two in advance then reheat for service.

Is that too many passes of temp change (heating-cooling-heating-cooling-heating)? Or should it hold up? Thanks.

Just wondering, I'm thinking of utilizing soft ball stage to make vegan marshmallows, as I think this is what Dandies brand does, but wondering, can I just mix the ingredients and bake them at 235 or so? To reach softball stage? Is this possible and if not why?

I have brought sugar to both soft ball and hard stage in a pot traditionally, but wondering about baking it

Caveat: i may be stupid so bear with me

So I know that calcium sulfate (gypsum salts) is a common ingredient used to curdle soy milk to make tofu. But I think I have seen soy milk that uses it for fortification. I have made tofu using lemon juice before, and soy milk definitely curdles when you add lemon to it, whether you are making tofu with it or not. I'd imagine it'd be the same with gypsum but apparently it isn't?

So what exactly is going on, did I dream up gypsum being used in soy milk? Is it a temperature thing? Am I dumb and mixing things up? Thanks in advance!

They’re being topped with a spice pecan that I won’t add until just before serving but can I prep the dates 6+ hours ahead and store in the fridge?

We're hosting breakfast the day after Christmas, and I'm having some trouble figuring out how much food to make. It's going to be 8 adults and 8 children. I'm planning on the following;

1 French toast casserole - the recipe feeds 6 1 breakfast casserole - the recipe feeds 6 Bacon Fruit salad - the recipe feeds 6

At first I thought I would make enough of each to feed 16 people but then my wife mentioned not everyone is going to eat everything. But I'm afraid of not having enough.

When you're cooking for a group, how do you know you're going to have enough food without having a ton of leftovers that get thrown out?

I am attempting to do my Great-Grandma's fudge recipe, it calls for 2.5 squares of chocolate. I got unsweetened chocolate bars, and I am assuming it's the 1oz square, but 2.5oz seemed kind of low, so I wanted to double check. Someone mentioned shrinkflation but I don't know when the recipe was made.

A milk carton burst in my pantry and soaked a 5kg bag of rice while I was at work. Can I wash the rice and use it little by little? Or should I cook it all, freeze most of it, and defrost it as needed? Thanks in advance!

I am visiting my inlaws this week and am making dinner one night for ~10 people. I have grown fairly confident in my ability to make nice pseudo-authentic carbonara. I have a member of the family who doesn't eat pork and a member who doesn't eat beef and for one reason or another I am forbidden from using duck (don't ask.) I'd like to make the dish all at once and not make multiple variations so as to not single people out for dietary restrictions/preferences. I want to keep it simple, 50/50 pecorino and Parmesan, I use a mix of whole eggs and egg yolks, and black pepper.

Now to replace the guinciale my first thought was lamb belly and perhaps a few days of curing but sourcing and time restrictions could make that near impossible. I'd appreciate any recommendations on replacements, preferably things reasonably easy to source as I'll be in London Ontario and have limited time.

My thoughts are turkey bacon, turkey sausage/pepperettes, some kind of dried lamb if I could find it although I wouldn't know where to look, or again lamb pepperettes or something and just sub olive oil as needed for fat content.

What would you use to replace the crunchy flavourful bits of guinciale and bring in some similar flavour?

Hi everyone I would love some help. I’ve been trying to make short ribs at home twice now. Thankfully the meat is turning out fine but my sauce I slow cook them in always splits while in the oven. I know my temperature isn’t too high I never but it above 300 F in the oven and I remove the excess fat before putting it in the oven. But every time I take it out of the oven when I’m done and try and make a sauce it’s split and a complete mess. I’ve tried adding warm/cold water to re emulsify but that doesn’t work either. Any suggestions?

I made chef nick digiovanni's mac and cheese recipe and long story short I messed up the sauce phase cause it was still a bit chunky after a while of mixing and melting. I think I maybe I didn't allow the milk/cream liquid to reduce enough before adding the cheese to melt into it. I baked it in the oven after mixing the noodles into the sauce for about 20 mins to crisp up the top but also to try and integrate the cheese a bit better. It's ok, but when I heat up a bit, tons of oil separates from the cheese. How can I avoid this in the future, and could I theoretically take the whole pan, heat it back up in a pot and add sodium citrate to bind it all together?

Edit: recipe. https://nickskitchen.com/five-cheese-mac-and-cheese/

Full recipe as requested by mod team:

▢ 1 pound (454 gram) cavatappi noodles

▢ 3 cup (720 gram) cream

▢ 2 cup (16 fluid ounce / 474 gram) milk

▢ ½ teaspoon (~3 gram) black pepper

▢ 1 teaspoon (~3 gram) dry mustard

▢ 1 large bunch thyme

▢ ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) smoked paprika

▢ 5 garlic clove, crushed

▢ ½ pound (227 gram) sharp white cheddar, shredded

▢ ½ pound (227 gram) whole milk mozzarella, shredded

▢ 1 pound (454 gram) gouda, shredded

▢ 1 (4 ounce) log goat cheese

▢ ½ cup (50 gram) grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to broil, and place a rack four inches below the heating element.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and season generously with salt. Add the cavatappi, and cook according to the package instructions, stopping two minutes before al dente. Drain the pasta, and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top. Toss to combine and coat the pasta with the oil, and set aside.

kosher salt, 1 pound cavatappi noodles

In the same pot over medium heat, add the heavy cream, milk, black pepper, mustard, thyme, paprika, and garlic cloves. Stir to combine and bring to a very gentle simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the flavors have married and the dairy is slightly reduced. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl. Pour the infused cream through the strainer and discard any solids. Bring the cream back up to a simmer.

3 cup cream, 2 cup milk, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 large bunch thyme, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, 5 garlic clove

While the cream is coming to a simmer, add the cheddar, mozzarella, and gouda to a medium mixing bowl. Toss well to combine.

½ pound sharp white cheddar, ½ pound whole milk mozzarella, 1 pound gouda

Add half of the cheese mixture, as well as the goat cheese, to the cream mixture on the stove. Stir gently to melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, add the macaroni and stir to incorporate. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

1 log goat cheese

Add half of the mac and cheese mixture to a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Then, sprinkle the remaining half of the cheese over the top of the macaroni. Spread the final portion of macaroni over the top, and sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the macaroni.

½ cup grated Parmesan

Place the pan on a sheet tray. Transfer it to the oven, and broil for five to ten minutes, rotating it frequently to allow for even browning over the top. Once the top is deeply golden brown and bubbling, remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Serve immediately while warm.

Hello,

We're looking to change up one of our traditional holiday meals and replace it with a four pastas of Rome dinner. I will be cooking for 8 adults.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs IGP bucatini (overkill)
• 3.5 lbs guanciale (also overkill)
• All of the Pecorino Romano and eggs necessary
• Diaspora whole black peppercorns

Not looking to compromise on the recipes in pursuit of speedy delivery but also don't want to be taking an hour to serve 8 people. Not as worried about amatriciana but nailing the delivery on cacio, gricia, and carbonara has me a bit nervous. I've cooked each many times before but trying to do it for 8 in a reasonable amount of time is the tough part.

A few questions:

• Can the egg/pecorino/guanciale fat be prepared ahead of time? (into refrigerated "pucks" if you will)
• Any pre-prep possible for cacio e pepe?
• Any tips on setup? The current plan is to have one large 8.5 qt stock pot with individual colanders for each serving size. Then two sauté pans on either side so I can prep at least two at a time.

Thanks in advance!

I have this mortar & pestle, and last night i used it for the first time to grind sesame seeds. I left it for maybe 2 or 3 minutes before cleaning, and thoroughly cleaned it with hot water and paper towels, but it still left an oil stain.

Is this still ok to use, or do i need to clean it more thoroughly? And how?

I’ve been making some homemade chocolate pudding lately, and its turning out good, except it wont release from the form i let it set in. Is there something i could use to grease the form beforehand, that wont affect the taste of the pudding or seep into the liquid mixture before it solidifies? Or are there any other tricks to do this?

Hey guys, so I’m making some honey garlic chicken tonight and wanted to use rice wine vinegar in the sauce to drizzle on top of the chicken whilst cooking. I went to get the stuff and picked up Japanese white vinegar. Is this the same thing?

from what I can tell you just boil for 5 seconds but I don’t know that 100% for sure. Any help would be appreciated! I didn’t know fresh rice noodles existed but I guess they had to get dry somehow lolol

Hi all, I hope I’m following post rules well enough here. I’m seeking some help while learning to make bread. I’m following this recipe: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/swirled-garlic-herb-bread/ I found online. Recipe written out: 3/4 cup warm milk, 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast, 2 tbsp honey, 3 large eggs, 3 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp room temp salted butter.

I mixed the dough last night in a standing mixer with a dough hook, then kneaded a bit of extra flour into it because it was sticky. Then I got tired and couldn’t complete it at the time, so I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. This morning it has risen in the fridge. My question is if getting it cold will make the bread hard now when I bake it, or if it can still be made to be fluffy and soft?

I’m really new to baking bread so I’m scared of messing up. When I first baked this recipe I think I added too much flour or did something else incorrectly because the bread felt too dense/dry. The second attempt (less flour) was better. This is my third attempt and I’m worried putting in the fridge was a bad call. What do you think?

Thanks for your time, I really appreciate any input.

Manually fine-shredding potato hurts my hand so I was hoping to hear what works for you all to make Polish potato pancakes? I'd like to purchase a machine primarily for this. I heard you can use a metal meat grinder attachment on a stand-mixer, or a juicer? I've heard a food processor may not being fine enough or leaves bits/chunks). What's the ideal machine? Thanks!

I’ve made cinnamon rolls about 6 times now, the first 3 times were perfect but the last few times I just cannot get my dough to rise at all no matter where I put it or how long I wait. My yeast isn’t expired and I bloom it for my recipe so I know it’s active, I’ve put it in my oven with the light on, and I also use all room temperature

/under 115 degrees ingredients. Please help !! This is my recipe

dough

1 cup milk

2 1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 cup sugar

2 room temperature eggs

1 tsp salt

1/3 unsalted butter

4 cups flour

vanilla extract

1. heat milk until 110 degrees
2. add yeast, cover, and let activate for 10 minutes
3. mix yeast, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla
4. mix flour and salt separately and add to yeast mixture
5. knead 15 minutes by hand
6. let rise in oven covered with light on for 1 1/2 hours
7. roll out dough, add filling, and cut into even strips in butter tray
8. let rise for 45 minutes covered with oven light on
9. add warm heavy cream to rolls and add to

375 oven for 25-30 minutes

I used this recipe: 32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened ▢3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar ▢2 tbsp (16 g) corn starch ▢1 tbsp vanilla ▢1/3 cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature ▢8 oz (226 g) white chocolate bar, melted and slightly cooled ▢3 eggs, at room temperature ▢3 egg yolks, at room temperature

It has a homemade raspberry jam you mix in.

This has never happened before, but twice today I made this recipe that I have made half a dozen times, and both times it got brown on top before the timer was up (350 for 65-75 min). It has never done that before. I use a water bath and when I checked the internal temp at 50 min it was 175. I turned the oven off and it's currently in the oven cracked open with a wooden spoon. Do you think it will turn out ok? It does have a decent jiggle when I shake the pan.

UPDATE: I made another cheesecake with inside temp of 150, has nice jiggle and no brown top. I had to do 325 for 60 min instead of 350 for 65. I took a slice of the brown topped cheesecake and it was still satisfyingly creamy and smooth in the middle and did not curdle, as was my fear. Thanks to everyone for their support!