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Shel_B

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Posts posted by Shel_B

  1. On 1/27/2024 at 8:21 AM, blue_dolphin said:

    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. 

    That seems to be very good advice.  I will try the next batch for ten minutes.

  2. 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!

  3. 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 👍

    • Like 1
  4. 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!

    • Like 5
  5. 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.

    • Like 3
  6. 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?

    • Like 1
  7. 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!

    • Like 2
  8. 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. 😞

     

     

    http://fixitclinic.blogspot.com/

    • Like 2
  9. 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%
  10. 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

  11. 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?

  12. 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.

  13. 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:

    @Porthos @Shel_B Are they like an Oscar Mayer "Smokies"?

     

    Never had a Smokie ... think along the line of Kielbasa

    • Like 1
  14. 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?

  15. 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.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kc0dTJYA6z0?autoplay=0&rel=0

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