Lisa Shock

Fat makes gluten less able to hold air bubbles. Low-fat, no-fat recipes will rise more. Fattier recipes will be flatter and denser. This suggestion is a partial solution, if you cannot help but bake too hot and get the center rising after the edges and top have set, having more fat in the mix will lower the size of the mountain that rises up. It also evens out the look in breads with add-ins like dried fruit. The fat lubricates gluten strands and they slip around rather than firming up and making big bubbles. A good example is brioche vs baguette recipes. The baguette gets lots of lift and is fat free -the finished product is very lightweight due to all the air bubbles. Brioche is denser, does not rise as much, and relies on egg(s) to help with structure. (the eggs tenderize and emulsify, too) overall, brioche will never be as airy as a baguette and a finished loaf of the same dimensions as a baguette will weigh more.

You can get a better, more even dome by using a weaker flour, like cake flour instead of AP or a mixture of the two. AP flour varies in gluten content, there is no 'standard' for it. The AP sold in the Northern parts of the US tends to be higher gluten than the AP sold in the SE, which is closer to cake flour. Make sure to rest your quick bread batter after it's poured, for about 5 minutes, just to ensure an even lift from the first step of dual-acting baking powder. Try a slightly lower temperature. Like 25-50° lower. You get the jagged eruption mountain in the center when the edges of the batter have set and cooked before the center has fully lifted from the dual-action baking powder's second performance. You can try increasing the amount of fat, as fat affects the gluten's ability to hold air bubbles. This is why newer, low fat -no fat recipes result in odd-looking loaves that your grandmother wouldn't recognize. Ditch your baking powder: if it's more than 6 months old, buy some fresher baking powder. As a last resort, try increasing the leavening. This is the most risky maneuver since too much leavening can give your quick bread a metallic, bitter taste.

Check local supermarkets, even the big chains for canning jars. Summer is over, and many of them have been running sales on the jars to make shelf space for winter themed goods. Also, Ace Hardware sells jars and has a rewards card program. Not only do they give you a gift certificate after spending a certain amount, I have gotten good coupons (half price once, once it was $7 off a case of quarts) in the mail from them specifically for canning jars -of course that was after I purchased a case of them.

Another item you could sell would be herbed salts. Get a good salt in a large container, I just saw a 5 pound jar of pink at Tuesday Morning, and then think up herb mixes. For example, I make a mix for a friend who doesn't cook much, it's designed for roast chicken: salt, ground black lemon, rosemary, chile flakes. (I buy the black lemon already in chopped up form and then grind it smaller)

With PayPal, a buyer does not need to have an account, just a credit card. If you already have an account, it may be the easiest way to go.

I have a lot of experience with PayPal. They take about 3% of sales. That said, many people, myself included, rarely carry cash. Paypal does offer a reader, but, in many cases you can just have people log into their paypal accounts and pay you with something called paypalme. Be prepared to have a samples tray for any food items. If you bring jams, also being some saltines to serve them on. In terms of the booth, be prepared for wind. It might not happen, but best to be prepared if it does. Don't forget to bring a couple of chairs, and a cooler for your lunch and some drinks. One idea you might try is to make up some tins of cookies. People can then buy them and give as gifts, maybe even tell people they made them themselves. Good luck!

I forgot to mention that it's useful to put a couple handfuls of shredded cheese on the top before cooking. (you can mix in herbs and diced onions if you like) The top can look weird, so smothering it in cheese really helps the appearance.

Deep fried ravioli has been around for a long time in Italy, and since the 1940s in the US. Wikipedia....

You should look into changing your packaging, perhaps use one of those systems where gas replaces the air before being sealed.

Watermelon slicer tongs, a fairly recent fad here in the US.

I always submerge wild mushrooms in water. It's the only way check that there aren't worms inside. (well without mincing the mushroom) The worms always come out seeking air after a bit, if there are any. I have seen far too many infested wild mushrooms that looked ok on the outside to trust just brushing them off.

It's not a technique that Le Cordon Bleu teaches... That said, water works great and they don't absorb it. If you're really nervous, wash them in leftover wine.

Both biscotti and fekkas use a sizeable number of eggs and the end product keeps for up to a month if stored in a low humidity environment. I should also point out that I belong to a FaceBook group that meets a couple times a month and people trade excess produce from their gardens, as well as milk, honey, eggs, and homemade baked goods, soaps, etc. you might be able to trade for some other good food.

Maybe not as small as you'd like, but, you can get entry-level electronic scales for about $20. I have gotten them for a bit less at discount places like Ross, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, etc.

The classic ice cream recipe uses a lot of eggs...

Greetings! What's for dinner?

Those brushes are well known hazards, I won't use one. However, I will say that I have seen restaurants get in trouble for situations caused by a manufacturer or packer. Keeping extensive records of all equipment purchased can be useful, if in fact they do not have such a grill brush at the restaurant.

You eat your own portion. Very few cultures have one pick up food with their hands and stuff it into another person's mouth. If you live alone, it's fairly safe to not wash the handles of your utensils. (as long as you get the rotting food off) The contaminated handles will mostly just carry strains of bacteria and viruses your body is already used to. One of the examples from the early 2000s' ServSafe manual, where the student is asked to guess how a patient became infected with a food borne illness was about an elderly woman with a compromised immune system being cared for by her middle-aged daughter. The older woman was bed ridden and very weak and could not feed herself. The daughter made a hamburger for her mother, very rare just like the mother wanted. She only used part of a package of meat and stored the rest in the fridge. The woman became ill a few hours later and died within 48 hours. (bet you're about to blame that burger, right? -you're wrong!) The strain of e. coli found in the deceased woman's system did not match any organisms in the hamburger meat or its packaging. There was no cross-contamination with other foods. The e. coli did match a strain the middle-aged daughter's system. She didn't always wash her hands after using the restroom. And, to feed her mother, she was breaking the food up into small pieces and placing them in the elderly woman's mouth. She had used the restroom just prior to serving the burger. You have to ask yourself, how well do I know my housemates? How well do I know people who might visit and handle utensils -like my kids' friends, the sitter, my friends, service employees, repair people, etc. In the US, 50% of men, and 25% of women don't wash their hands after using the restroom. (also, one more reason to hate open concept kitchens, but, that's another rant)

Yeah, bamboo is so durable it will scratch nonstick coatings, even the tougher modern ones.

What many of you are missing is cleaning the handle. Our hands are a primary source of bad bacteria. Food handlers wear gloves to protect food from contact with skin. A few years ago some researchers looked at handwashing, in particular trying to determine if drying the hands with air dryers was better than paper towels. It turns out that the test subjects using the air dryers had more bacteria on their hands than the paper towel group. The reason was that while drying the hands, the air drying subjects rubbed their hands a lot which pushed oils and bacteria up from their pores. The paper towel group was touching the skin much more lightly and not bringing up as many germs. Also, air dryers had a LOT more bacteria around them, as the dryer itself sent a lot of infected water particles up into the air. Anyway, we all have bad bacteria in our pores and on our skin. Handwashing reduces the amounts but cannot eliminate it. As a result, cell phones are filthy, so are computer keyboards. Make up a small container of sanitizing solution, 1 teaspoon bleach to a quart of water, wet a bar mop type towel, wring it out and wipe down the handle. You can also wipe down your counters and kitchen surfaces like the fridge handle and front, the dishwasher, etc.

Yes!, Waitress!

Two additional violations I see are: Using some weird generic cutting board. He should be using a color-coded yellow board. He's wearing a 'side towel' on his left hip. This practice was eliminated by the FDA 2001 federal health code update. In the olden days, one wore the towel to use as an emergency pot holder. It was a point of pride to keep it clean and dry throughout your shift. But, it became pretty obvious that it was acting like a sponge for microbes and splashed food/waste. I have seen Food Network personalities wear one and wipe their hands and counter with one, and then continue to wear it.

Marshmallow Mermaid Pie

I learned this one a long time ago. I don't fry the corn tortillas like a lot of people, it doesn't seem to make too much of a difference. I always start with spraying the inside of the cooker with non-stick spray, then put in a couple tablespoons of sauce. On top of that, I start with 4 tortillas, fanned out for maximum coverage. The thick tortilla base will firm up a little and soften a bit like tamale insides, it's easier to serve with a thicker base. I then just alternate layers or 2-3 tortillas with sauce and fillings, don't worry too much about neatness at the edges, there is always some traveling of ingredients on the sides. This can be a good place to use leftovers like a half cup of cooked beans or a half of a cooked chicken breast. Leftover spanish rice makes an excellent layer. (I freeze my leftover rice and pull out a small, cup-sized portion just for enchiladas.) I like making at least one layer vegetables, cut them small and keep the layer under ½" in height and it won't be too watery. House favorites include cauliflower with red sauce and spinach with grated mozzarella especially with green sauce. Chopped raw onion and/or garlic are good throughout. I also occasionally make a layer that is just sour cream, or just cheese, especially if the sauce is really spicy. I generally make 3-5 different layers, but you could make them all the same, it's up to you. Use a lot of sauce, the tortillas drink it up. I use at least a quart for a full batch, a pint if I only fill the cooker halfway. Don't feel that you need to fill the slow cooker all the way up, dinner for two is far less. That said, leftovers here are extremely good in a frittata the next morning, and freeze well, too. Have fun!

Roasted garlic soup (anti-vampire tonic), bat wings, pumpkin vomiting guacamole, black bean dip or black bean soup, or black bean and pumpkin enchiladas (substitute corn tortillas for the flour ones, bonus points for blue corn tortillas) you can build this as flat enchiladas in a slow cooker.