Absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions (Part 2)

[Anna N]

Something that I find annoying: Why is canned broth sold by weight instead of volume? That can of Swanson Chicken Broth contains a Net Weight of 14 oz. Do the marketing departments believe recipes call for "a pound of broth"?

The phrase "A pints a pound the world around" might help you here.

The phrase would work for chicken stock because it's pretty much the same as water but wouldn't work for pea soup or cooking oil. A pint of water weighs a pound but a pint of soup may not.

[Special K]

Isn't it 14 fluid ounces?

The can is "Net Wt. 14 Oz.(396 Grams)".

Swansons' boxed broth is "Net Wt. 32 Oz.(2 Lb.)(907g)".

Then yep, that's weird! I have always assumed (without looking too closely, obviously) that it was fluid ounces and used it that way.

Anna N. is right about the "pint's a pound" rule. Works for water and thin liquids, but you can't trust it for denser liquids.

[ojisan]

The phrase would work for chicken stock because it's pretty much the same as water but wouldn't work for pea soup or cooking oil. A pint of water weighs a pound but a pint of soup may not.

...and then there's soup too: can of Progresso soup labeled as "Net Wt. 19 Oz.(1 Lb. 3 Oz)538g"

[nakji]

I've always used salt (plain or flavored) or a salty liquid such as soy sauce etc. in my marinades.

Wouldn't the same principle as in brining apply? I'm under the impression brining makes things moister.

Huh. So salt on meat directly draws out liquid, but salt in liquid on meat helps the meat draw in water - oh, this is reminding me of a Grade Eight science class. Is a marinade similar to a brine then?

[Toliver]

There didn't seem to be a "Burritos - The Topic" discussion, so I am posting here, though I think I might know the answer.

I made homemade burritos last night. I had extra large "burrito-sized" flour tortillas purchased from the grocery store. When I placed the hot filling on the room-temperature tortilla and began folding it, the tortilla split and cracked open.

Why did the tortilla split?

My uneducated guess is that perhaps I should have heated the tortilla first before topping it with the hot filling and attempting to fold it. The tortilla is thin, of course, and that may have contributed to the splitting but I think the difference in temperatures of the filling versus the tortilla may be the culprit.

Anyone?

[BadRabbit]

There didn't seem to be a "Burritos - The Topic" discussion, so I am posting here, though I think I might know the answer.

I made homemade burritos last night. I had extra large "burrito-sized" flour tortillas purchased from the grocery store. When I placed the hot filling on the room-temperature tortilla and began folding it, the tortilla split and cracked open.

Why did the tortilla split?

My uneducated guess is that perhaps I should have heated the tortilla first before topping it with the hot filling and attempting to fold it. The tortilla is thin, of course, and that may have contributed to the splitting but I think the difference in temperatures of the filling versus the tortilla may be the culprit.

Anyone?

Your guess is correct though it isn't the temperature variance between the two; it's just the actual temperature of the tortilla that makes it split. At room temp, they will crack nearly every time. A quick 10 seconds in the microwave or a short time in a hot pan will fix your issue,

[andiesenji]

I agree that heating slightly is desirable.

If you are doing more than one at a time, take a stack of 4 - 6, roll them in paper towels and microwave for 10-15 seconds, depending on the power of your Mw.

This way they will steam slightly and be more flexible.

P.S. I use the thicker "Gorditas" for burritos that have more "wet" fillings.

They hold together much better and you don't burn your fingers as they sort of insulate the contents.

[runwestierun]

An absurdly stupidly cooking questions came up while watching an early episode of Top Chef.

You're doing a surf and turf meal using frog legs -- are they surf or turf?

OK, you know how sometimes you buy a peach or nectarine and it smells really good and it's sweet and juicy, but sometimes it smells really good and it's mealy? Why? Can you predict which it will be before you buy it?

[IndyRob]

There didn't seem to be a "Burritos - The Topic" discussion, so I am posting here, though I think I might know the answer.

I made homemade burritos last night. I had extra large "burrito-sized" flour tortillas purchased from the grocery store. When I placed the hot filling on the room-temperature tortilla and began folding it, the tortilla split and cracked open.

Why did the tortilla split?

My uneducated guess is that perhaps I should have heated the tortilla first before topping it with the hot filling and attempting to fold it. The tortilla is thin, of course, and that may have contributed to the splitting but I think the difference in temperatures of the filling versus the tortilla may be the culprit.

Anyone?

I've just gotten off a 'cheese rollup' kick. At Taco Bell this is a tortilla that, for 79 cents, they put some cheese on a tortilla and roll up in a wrap and nuke briefly. It's pretty unremarkable except the tortilla gets nicely steamed. So I had been doing this with with a variety of fillings.

For example, put a tortilla on a piece of wax paper, spread with some chili, sprinkle some cheese on top and roll up jelly roll style and tightly roll in the wax paper. Microwave for 25-40 seconds. In the rare case I get a tear, it's usually buried inside. Not exactly Haute Tex-Mex, but a good way to get from hungry to burrito in 3 minutes. Pan fry in butter for a different character.

For just the tortilla you could try putting it between two pieces of wax paper (perhaps with some weight on top - may a silicone pot cover) and microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Or just look for fresher tortillas. The ones I buy (from GFS for those in the midwest) are quite fresh and flexible.

[heidih]

OK, you know how sometimes you buy a peach or nectarine and it smells really good and it's sweet and juicy, but sometimes it smells really good and it's mealy? Why? Can you predict which it will be before you buy it?

From the supermarket or a farmer's market or stand? The stands usually have samples. From the supermarket I often will buy just one and then if it is good usually the batch is - go back for more. That said I have not purchased from the supermarket in years - too many disappointments and the freakin waxy coating and stickers annoy me greatly.

[Toliver]

There's supposed to be an unwritten rule that you never use cheese with/on fish.

Who says? I've had a number of seafood gratins in my day that say otherwise.

When we were kids, my mom would get us to eat regular fish (as opposed to fish sticks or deep fried breaded shrimp) by baking the fish filets (usually turbot, later on red snapper) and then topping the filets with salsa and shredded cheese and then quickly broiling them to melt the cheese. Think of it as fish nachos. We ate it up.

So what's with the rule of no cheese with fish?

[Katie Meadow]

I didn't know there was a rule about fish and cheese, but I have to admit it isn't a mix that I usually find appealing. For instance I'm not wild about seafood risottos. Also I would never sprinkle parmesan or any hard cheese on a linguini dish with mussels or clams. I can think of two exceptions off the bat: one is a tuna melt, but I find a little cheese goes a long way there. The other is one of my weaknesses from a Mexican restaurant near where I shop, and that's what they call a crispy shrimp taco. Some kind of gooey white cheese is down at the bottom along with the shrimp and it really works.

Still more unappealing to me is the combo of fish and mushrooms. That sets my teeth on edge.

[Jenni]

My mum's fish pie says otherwise. Lovely stuff!

I always thought this was an Italian "rule", not necessarily a world over thing.

[andiesenji]

Isn't there a "classic" French dish of poached salmon with a cheese sauce?

[Kouign Aman]

I too remember it as a rule specific to Italian food.

[Special K]

Here's a 2008 article from the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/magazine/30food-t.html

[OliverB]

rules rules rules. I put cheese where I want it, and yes, that includes a pasta dish with mixed seafood in a tomato sauce, so there

parmesan etc are pretty strong cheeses, so I'd not use it with some very light tasting seafood, but a hearty sauce with all kinds of things in it? Pile it on

[phatj]

If McDonald's puts cheese on a Filet-O-Fish, who am I to argue otherwise?

[Kouign Aman]

If McDonald's puts cheese on a Filet-O-Fish, who am I to argue otherwise?

That is the definitive answer!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

OK, you know how sometimes you buy a peach or nectarine and it smells really good and it's sweet and juicy, but sometimes it smells really good and it's mealy? Why? Can you predict which it will be before you buy it?

It's the difference between a fruit that was ripened primarily on the tree (the beautiful, sweet, and juicy one) and one that was picked green and force-ripened in a gas chamber (the ugh-mo, mealy one). You can tell which is which by training your nose (the tree-ripened fruit will have a more complex and usually a stronger smell), and by gently squeezing the fruit. A mealy fruit will have more give to it, kind of like a very ripe avocado, while a juicy fruit will feel firm with just a little give. I have no idea how to explain that better, it's something you learn very early on in Northern Canada when selecting cases of fruit for compotes.

[rarerollingobject]

One that keeps me up at night: why do some baking recipes instruct you to grease a pan, line and then grease the lining? What's the point of the first greasing, other than to (maybe?) keep the baking paper firmly stuck in place? If that's why, then why does the whole pan need greasing, versus a few strategically-placed splotches?

[Special K]

I think you're right, RRO. The point of the first greasing is to keep the baking paper in place, and probably the phrase "dot a bit of shortening in the corners of the pan to hold down the baking paper" just got left out of the instructions because it was obvious, and then over time it just got forgotten. The reasons we do a lot of things have been lost in this way. Trying to think of an example before I've had my morning tea ... all I can come up with is the phrase, "because we've always done it this way." Nobody knows or really cares (except you ) why we've always done it this way, we just do. But dig deeply enough and you'll find that there is a reason for most rituals.

[judiu]

OK, on AVERAGE, how much water will a given weight of pasta absorb? I have managed to figure it out by trial and error, using relatively fresh grocery store dried pasta (Mueller's Elbows) and an eyeball, but has anyone does the actual measurement?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

One that keeps me up at night: why do some baking recipes instruct you to grease a pan, line and then grease the lining? What's the point of the first greasing, other than to (maybe?) keep the baking paper firmly stuck in place? If that's why, then why does the whole pan need greasing, versus a few strategically-placed splotches?

In the case of traditional Canadian and Scots-style fruitcakes, which call for double-greasing and which also have truly absurdly long cooking times (my recipe calls for 3 hours at 375!) the first greasing keeps the lining (usually parchment or wax paper) stuck to the pan initially, and later on in the baking process it keeps the lining from sticking to the pan. Greasing the inside keeps the parchment off the finished cake, and even so you have to peel it while it's still fairly warm or it just vaccums on there.

I tried one of the recipes calling for double-greasing with only the splotches between the pan and the liner, and I wept when it came time to turn it out - the paper had burned on to the pan with the carmelized sugars from the batter.

[the old cook]

Sorry if this question is residing someplace, I don't know where to find the answer.

How long, after a small jar of caviar is opened, can it reside in refrigerator? Hate spending all that money, and then not be able to use it! Even the market people can't seem to come up with a straight answer.

Many thanks.