Shel_B
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Posts posted by Shel_B
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23 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:
Nice to see you back here, @Shel_B!
I've only cooked unsoaked RG chickpeas in the Instant Pot, generally in an emergency situation as pressure cooker beans aren't my preference so I can't offer any experience with 8-hour soaked beans.
The spreadsheet that @TdeV mentioned gives an Instant Pot time range of 10-14 min for soaked RG chickpeas. Given your target of a firmer bean that can tolerate additional cooking, I'd aim at or below the lower level and plan to finish cooking them to the desired point once the pressure is released using the sauté function so you can easily taste them for doneness.
It's nice to reacquaint myself with the forum.
I came across the spreadsheet a few days ago and looked at it yesterday. I'll split the difference and cook the chickpeas for 12 minutes and see what results. I'll get to the cooking later today or tomorrow.
Thanks for jumping in 👍
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14 hours ago, Darienne said:
And, dear sir, you have been sorely missed.
Thank you. I've missed the camaraderie and discussions here.
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Hi, all. It's been a few years since I've posted here, although I've been logging on and reading a few threads and posts.
Recently, I purchased an Instant Pot and have been using it to make beans. I picked up a pkg of Rancho Gordo chickpeas, and when researching cooking times I found wildly divergent times, from 5 minutes to 22 minutes for soaked chickpeas.
I'd like to end up with a firm result, with a bean that holds its shape well and can withstand some additional heating, such as in a pasta e ceci recipe. What times and techniques might you recommend? I was thinking of starting with 12 minutes after an eight-hour soak and using a 10 - 15 minute natural cooling time. Thoughts? Thanks!
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1 hour ago, ElsieD said:
I have used Saco in the past. I mix the powder in with the dry ingredients and the water you would normally use to reconstitute it replaces some or all of the liquid called for in the recipe. Works like a charm.
3 hours ago, Kim Shook said:Thank you! The only kind the stores here sell is Saco. It's been fine for me.
Saco seems to be the most readily available powder here, at least I recognize the container. Thinking of just using the amount of milk called for in the recipe, adding some buttermilk powder to the corn meal, and heating it as usual. Since this idea involves some guesswork, I'll start with the most minimal change and go from there.
Thanks for all your help. I'll let you know how it all turns out.
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2 hours ago, ElsieD said:
Hi @Shel_B . I don't have the answer to your question, i just want to say it's nice to hear from you.
Nice to "see" you, too. Hope things are going well for you.
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1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:
I agree with @ElsieD! Nice to "see" you. I use the buttermilk powder a lot and I think it could be added to the dry cornmeal and then heated without any problems. After all the powder is heated in the muffins eventually, right?
Nice to see your smiling pixels, too. Hope you've been well.
Your suggestion sounds easy enough.
Any particular brand of buttermilk powder that you prefer?
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I have a favorite ATK recipe for corn muffins which involves heating corn meal with milk in the microwave.
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/8205-savory-corn-muffins?
If you can't access the ATK recipe for any reason, shoot me a PM and I'll send it to you.
I would like to add some buttermilk flavor and tang to these muffins, but I understand that buttermilk cannot be heated as the milk is in this recipe ... buttermilk will break or curdle when heated, Could I add some buttermilk powder to the milk to good effect, or maybe to the corn meal/milk mixture after it's heated?
Any other ideas for getting some buttermilk flavor into this recipe? Thanks!
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For quite a while, many consumers have been asking Vitamix to offer a stainless steel container. I've written them requesting they offer one. Well, now they have one:
https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/48-ounce-stainless-steel-container
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On 5/19/2019 at 7:17 AM, Maison Rustique said:
And this is why our landfills are overflowing. It isn't practical to repair things anymore. I just ordered a new slow-cooker. One of the reviews said that the insert had broken and to replace it was going to cost as much as the entire slow-cooker cost. That's absurd! I can remember back when I was a kid. If a small appliance broke, you took it to a local repair shop and had it fixed. There are no places like that now. Even our vacuum cleaner stores have closed. 😞
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Received this list today: The top grocery stores ranked by Market Force Collection:
- Publix Super Markets: 77%
- Wegmans: 77%
- Trader Joe’s Market: 75%
- H-E-B: 69%
- ALDI: 68%
- Harris Teeter: 66%
- Hy-Vee Food Stores: 65%
- Costco: 65%
- WinCo Foods: 62%
- Whole Foods Market: 61%
- Fry’s: 58%
- Kroger: 57%
- Target: 56%
- Winn-Dixie Stores: 54%
- ShopRite: 53%
- Food Lion: 52%
- Albertsons: 49%
- Meijer: 49%
- Sam’s Club: 49%
- Ginat Food Stores: 43%
- Safeway: 39%
- Stop & Shop: 38%
- Wal-Mart: 31%
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The cocoa that I've been using for brownies, pudding, and hot chocolate is, to my dismay, no longer available. This has put me on a quest to find a replacement, and one that looks to be ideal for these needs is Bensdorp, sold by King Arthur, which has a 22% - 24% fat content.
Considering the high(er) fat content, would this cocoa powder need to be refrigerated for storage of five or six months? Or would refrigerated storage be a bad idea? If not a good idea, why not?
Thanks!
... Shel
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On 1/2/2018 at 4:46 PM, ProfessionalHobbit said:
*casts thread necromancy spell*
I made my first batch of matzo balls in 2017.
(Great pics removed to save space)
On 1/2/2018 at 4:46 PM, ProfessionalHobbit said:The balls were slightly smaller than a golf ball. They were just right too.
Not bad for a goy.
Your pics look great and have made me curious about your recipe and technique. Care to share some more information?
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On 12/21/2017 at 9:51 PM, Porthos said:
I've thought about that also. It's like their shift in this region from Coke products to Pepsi products so that they could hold the line on the cost of soda at the food court. We are die-hard Diet Coke drinkers and were not happy with that change.
Interesting ... been going to Costco for five or six years, never saw anything but Pepsi.
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On 12/19/2017 at 8:44 PM, Porthos said:
And to me they have a coarser texture closer to a sausage than a hot dog.
Come to think of it, yes, the texture is a bit coarser than the Costco dogs.
On 12/20/2017 at 4:22 AM, GlorifiedRice said:Never had a Smokie ... think along the line of Kielbasa
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1 hour ago, GlorifiedRice said:
How are they different?
Polish dogs are spicier ...
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Once every few weeks or so, I visit Costco, and my treat is often a Polish dog. The last time I visited, the Polish dog was still on the menu. My sympathies, Porthos.
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Thanks to all for your suggestions. Much appreciate.
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Sweetie brought me a pound of these beans the other day, and I want to cook 'em up today. It might help to know what they are, maybe even some characteristics. Any help? Thanks!
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1 hour ago, rotuts said:
it took them years to mention RedBoat 40, as an example.
by then it was at Tj's for 1/2 the price of WholeFoods.
And how many more years will it take before they mention Red Boat 50°N?
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1 hour ago, Dave the Cook said:
For those following along, here's the nut graf (emphasis mine):
Quote
Peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in oil and stored in the freezer for several months or in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days . . . Garlic in oil mixtures stored at room temperature provide and ideal environment for Clostridium botulinum to grow and produce toxin . . . The same hazard exists for roasted garlic stored in oil. At least four outbreaks of botulism associated with garlic in oil mixtures have been reported in North America in the late 1980s and 1990s. Outbreaks in 1991 (California) and 1999 (Florida) were associated with garlic in oil prepared in the home.
Heat does not kill botulinum spores. So, whether raw or roasted: refrigerated, four days maximum.
So here we're discussing peeled garlic cloves stored in oil, but what about garlic cloves, perhaps crushed as well as peeled, or even minced, added to a vinaigrette, perhaps containing salt and pepper. Does that change the equation?
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A couple of things to consider when it comes to getting a satisfactory cup of coffee. The first is the great variety of coffee styles and intensities. Should you not like a particular blend, it's quite possible that one of the more than 25 other blends will be satisfactory. Another factor to consider is that the brew can be customized by programming the machine to deliver a cup size that's more or less than the factory settings to better suit your preference.
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I took the plunge. Bought the Inissia a couple of weeks ago - actually, sweetie got it for me for my birthday which is coming up in a few weeks. I used camelcamelcamel to find a good deal on Amazon ($81.00), and when the price dropped to below what I wanted to pay, sweetie purchased the machine.
A number of people here and elsewhere complain that the Nespresso coffee is only fair, some say poor. But perhaps they are comparing it to coffee made on very fancy, expensive machines costing hundreds of dollars, or coffee made in various cafés by professional baristas. My most common points of comparison are the coffee I make at home, get at Peet's, or at a couple of local cafés, and the Inissia brew comes close to some of those places, and is better than a few. I'm quite satisfied, and more so considering what we paid for the machine. I suppose a lot has to do with personal preference and what one has become accustomed to over the years. And when the convenience is factored into the equation, it's hard to beat.
Allow me to address the capsules and the price. I looked at less expensive alternative brands that produce "compatible" capsules, and thus far, even without tasting them, I prefer the Nespresso. I like the recyclable aluminum capsules and the recycling program. That's important to me. Other brands I've looked at use plastic capsules - yech! And many reviews complain that the "compatible" capsules don't work well, or at all. Also, the variety of coffee Nespresso offers is great ... so many choices. I counted more than 25 choices for the OriginaLine machines, which is the line that the Inissia is part of. At times special blends are offered which look very interesting and worth trying.
After trying the machine and tasting some of the samples that came with it, I decided to order a supply of about 70 capsules. The order arrived quickly - I ordered at 10:00am on a Tuesday and it arrived at my door at 2:00pm the following day.. The customer service woman at Nespresso who helped me was great - I ordered by phone rather than on line. She was friendly, accommodating, and very pleasant to deal with. The experience was among the best I've had speaking with a customer service rep. Anyway, here's what I got: Arpeggio, Kazaar, Dharkan, Arpeggio Decaf, Envivo Lungo.
When I first logged on to the site to get familiar with what was offered and how things worked, Nespresso was offering a special of $20.00 off. When I logged back on to place the order, I could not find the offer, so I called customer service. The representative told me that the offer had expired a couple of days before, but she gave it to me anyway. Very nice!
When the order arrived, an offer for a free sleeve of Indriya was included for my next purchase as well as free shipping with my next order. Also included were discounts for some accessories. And a couple of recycling bags already labeled and ready to go. As noted above, being able to recycle the pods was an important consideration for me.
The Nespresso web site seems to be very complete. Apart from being able to order products, there is information, including videos, on how to use, maintain, and troubleshoot the machines. In addition, each coffee is described as to taste and flavor profile, intensity, and the makeup and origins of beans used. Here's an example of a typical description:
https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/order/capsules/original/cafecito-de-cuba-limited-edition-coffee
Noted on the site was the fact that customer service reps are available 24/7 to take orders, answer questions, and help solve problems. Should there be a problem with the machine that can't be solved over the phone, Nespresso offers their Care Program where they'll service your machine and provide a loaner while your machine is being cared for: https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/machine-assistance
Finally, Nespresso has stores and "boutiques" around the country where you can purchase products or recycle used capsules, should you choose that route. There are four stores that are easily accessible to me, although I realize that's probably not the case elsewhere. There are several ways to recycle the capsules, including using a postage paid envelope that can be dropped off at any UPS outlet, which is what I'll probably do. https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/services#services-recycling
Space is at a premium in my small kitchen, so the small size of the Inissia (and the Nespresso Pixie) is very welcome. Both my coffee grinder and the Nespresso fit in the space of slightly less than 10 inches.
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Overall, I am very pleased with the machine, the coffee, and the completeness of Nespresso's program. All businesses should operate with such thoroughness and professionalism.
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Chickpeas in the Instant Pot
in Cooking
Posted
My first experiment with the chickpeas in the Instant Pot was only partially successful.
I soaked the beans in lightly salted water for 10 hours and when I tasted them they had a fair amount of "bite" left. I cooked them on the normal setting for 12 minutes and let the pot cool down naturally for about 15 minutes. The result was that the beans were softer than desired but they still held their shape. I would like them to be a bit firmer.
So, should I consider a shorter soak time, less cooking time, or a shorter cooling down time? My initial feeling is to cut the soak back to 6 - 8 hours and shorten the cooking time to 10 minutes. What are your thoughts?
I'm also thinking about not soaking them at all, just rinsing until they're clean and then cooking for some yet-to-be-determined time.
The successful part was the seasoning. I used an onion diced into 8 pieces, two Calabrian peppers with their seeds broken apart, three Turkish bay leaves, two med-large cloves of garlic halved, salt, and about a Tbs of EVOO. The result was just about perfect for my taste and the beans intended use.
Comments, including critical ones, are welcome. Thanks!