Milk Street RecipesAsked Apr 11, 2022 by Ellen S.
No deep frying required! I loved the concept of this recipe—coat cauliflower florets with cornstarch mixed with garam masala and bake at 475. Just finished making (and eating) it. The cauliflower came out crispy as promised. The Manchurian sauce was divine (if a bit too fiery). However, I knew that mixing the two together and then tossing in the fresh garnishes would negate the crispiness quotient. So I poured the sauce over and garnished the platter with the chopped scallion greens and cilantro. A restaurant-worthy presentation. But the cauliflower florets still got soggy. I will make this dish again, but will serve the sauce in a shallow bowl for dipping. Will also try using the same ingredients and technique with cauliflower steaks. The sauce would be great on grilled fish—and a lot of other things.
Answered by Elizabeth Mindreau
Hi Ellen - We are so pleased you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for the great feedback!
Read MoreAsked Apr 07, 2022 by Kevin M.
Having this recipe for dinner and if I can make it ahead to any extent it would be helpful. Any suggestions on how I could do this without interfering with the results of this great recipe? Thanks.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Kevin - We think you can make both the meatballs and the sauce ahead of time. The meatballs may take a little bit longer to bake through, but otherwise shouldn't be a problem to bake from the fridge. Rewarm the sauce, covered, over low heat so it doesn't reduce too much. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Mar 06, 2022 by Katherine K.
Most of your recipes call for salted butter; I only have unsalted butter. What adjustments to make with salting food? It seems most current recipes and cook books from other sources call for unsalted. Why do you feel salted is better? Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Many chefs and bakers believe that using unsalted butter will allow you to control the salt content in your dishes better than using salted butter. But we've tested salted versus unsalted butter in a number of savory and baking recipes and we didn’t find any measurable difference between the two. The small amount of salt in salted butter (it's about 1/4 teaspoon per stick, depending on the brand) is undetectable when cooked or baked in a recipe, we found.
Still, we have a preference between the two. Though most culinary professionals and publications will recommend using unsalted butter, we prefer the salted kind because it tastes better when you’re not cooking with it. Unsalted butter doesn’t cut it on toast! Since we prefer to stick with one kind, salted butter is our choice. It also has a longer shelf life. So if you don’t go through butter at a fast rate, buying salted butter is a good idea.
You can certainly still use unsalted butter in our recipes if you prefer. You just may need to adjust the salt to your personal tastes. You can also see this discussion for more details from Chris on why he prefers salted butter and, more specifically, the why he prefers European-style butters.
Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Feb 09, 2022 by James B.
What size Dutch oven is used in the recipes? I have seen 7 quart.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi James - We use a 7-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Jan 27, 2022 by Michael P.
Just wanted to bring to attention that the timing for the Caldo Tlalpeño recipe is really off. The stated time start to finish is 1 hour but if you add up all the times in the recipe, in the best case, it would be 71 minutes, but of course that's not including any of the rest, such as chopping vegatbles, removing chicken from frying, etc. It actually took me over 2 hours to make this... It's a great soup, but that certainly seems like an error to me.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Michael - You're right. The times here are probably a little off since they don't account for simmering, heating, and prep time. I'm going to let our recipe editor know to update. That being said, the cooking times actually add up to a total of 68 minutes, since shredding the chicken and cooking the beans takes place while the rice is cooking so those times would be combined. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Jan 05, 2022 by Robert L.
When a recipe calls for white vinegar, does it mean white distilled vinegar or white wine vinegar? I've tried the white distilled vinegar and it doesn't taste good in a recipe. I believe it's primary use is for cleaning coffee pots.
Thank-You
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Robert - When we simply call for "white vinegar" in a recipe (which, admittedly is rare) we mean regular distilled white vinegar. If and when we call for white wine vinegar we will specify it as such. We usually only call for distilled white vinegar in situations when we want the tartness of vinegar, but otherwise the flavor of the vinegar is masked by other more prominent flavors. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Dec 04, 2021 by Elizabeth K.
How can I keep soda bread from going stale so fast? I want to give it as a Christmas gift but would have to make it at least on Dec 23rd.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Elizabeth-
Your best bet would be to bake, cool, wrap tightly in plastic and aluminum foil, and freeze. Thaw completely at room temperature before gifting. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Nov 19, 2021 by Linda D.
Is there something non-alcoholic that you would recommend to replace the Bourbon in the BÊTE NOIRE?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Linda - the flavor of this chocolate dessert is based on the old-fashioned cocktail. Using another ingredient in place of the bourbon will alter the flavor significantly. That being said, a brewed tea might work - black or Earl Grey. Early Grey is a good pairing for dark chocolate. We would also recommend leaving out the bitters if you substitute for the bourbon and using vanilla extract instead of the bitters. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Oct 28, 2021 by Chelsea H.
Hi All,
Would it be okay to mix the beef kibbeh ingredients in the morning to be cooked in the evening? Or would the texture of the patties be messed up if they refrigerate longer than the 20-30 mins. described in the recipe?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Chelsea - We think it should be fine to make ahead. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Oct 28, 2021 by Michael D.
Chris mentioned an "ever simpler solution" for Cacio e pepe and to look for it on the website. There appears to be only one recipe from 2018. Is this the one?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Michael - You can find our new and improved recipe for cacio e pepe here. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read More 
