Recent content by k_young221

But... Why?! I was so sad.

I tried a recipe for a chocolate bundt cake with a cheesecake filling in the center. I poured half the chocolate batter into the pan, layered on the cheesecake filling, added the rest of the batter, then baked. The cake turned out very well, but when I cut into it... No filling! I guess it...

Ah. I'd never used praline paste; I assumed it was the same texture as almond paste.

Last night I made pizzelles and wanted a filling to make "sandwiches." My King Arthur Flour cookbook suggested melting together 1/2c praline paste with 1c chocolate chips. I substituted almond paste. Unfortunately, the resulting mixture is very thick and grainy. I had wanted a smooth...

Ah, that's unfortunate.

I'm making chocolate-covered Oreo lollipops and I'd like to temper the chocolate before dipping. The grocery store didn't have big bars of chocolate, and I didn't want to buy a whole case of regular Hershey bars, so I have some unsweetened chocolate. (Not cocoa powder.) I have a couple of...

Thanks!

I didn't look at the weight. Maybe 4 or 5 pounds.

Okay, I know this is a really basic question, but to what temperature do I roast a whole chicken? My two reference-type cookbooks have very different answers: 140* and 170*. Which is correct?

Unfortunately, my husband has informed me that he wants dinner in about half an hour. (Usually, we eat late.) =\ (Although I'm jotting down your suggestion for next time I have to defrost something; sure beats the microwave.) ~K

I have a couple of raw chicken breasts in the freezer that I'd like to cook for dinner tonight. For whatever reason, I'm terrible at defrosting meat in the microwave, so I was wondering if I could put it in a small casserole with some chicken broth, cover it, and stick it in the oven. (I'd...

Thanks for the cleaning info. Keltin, great explanation! I'd seen on Le Creuset's webpage about how it was okay to use high heat for boiling water and was confused. You explained it very nicely. ~K

Alright then. If it means being able to sear a steak properly then I'll go for it. It sounds like plain cast iron is pretty rugged. (I'd never imagined taking sandpaper to a piece of cookware!) Just a question: What happens if you do use soap on it? Do you have to reseason it? Thanks for...

Ah, darnit. I had bought the plain Lodge cast iron, but returned it when I found out they made enameled. The fact that you can't clean cast iron with soap kinda bothers me, and I'm afraid I'll mess up the seasoning or let it rust.

I posted a couple of days ago about searing steak in a cast iron skillet. Basically, my pan wasn't hot enough. The recipe (from Alton Brown's book) said to set the pan on high heat, but the instructions that came with my skillet (a Lodge enameled cast iron) said not to go above medium or...