My father used to say, “Chuck doesn’t do anything in halves.” He was right: sometimes its a virtue and sometimes a curse. He and my mother taught me to cook, sometimes using cookbooks, like Julia Child's, but more frequently just winging it. This site is a roller coaster ride of recipes, articles, ingredients and anything else that involves cooking and presenting food. There is something here for everybody from beginners to experts.
Cooking Temps
Chicken breast 165, Chicken thigh 170 or more. Pork med well 145, Pork med 140, Rack of lamb med rare 131, Beef very rare 125, Beef rare 130,Beef med rare 135, Duck Breast 126, Salmon med 118, Disclaimer: USDA stds dictate much higher temps. To be super safe, cook everything until it is dry and crunchy, then toss it in the trash
New Food Hobby - Skyr
The latest craze Icelandic Skyr. I eat a lot of yogurt, but this takes it to a new level. What is it? It is called "yogurt" but actually the process is related to cheese making. Like yogurt production, you add bacteria to warm milk. The difference is that you also add Rennet, an enzyme that causes proteins in the milk to clump together to make Curd. The result is a thicker creamier version of yogurt with less sourness. Sounds difficult! It isn't.
I am working on a tutorial now, but basically.
1. Heat milk to 110 F with a temp probe.
2. Stir in a small amount of yogurt or Skyr with active culture and add some Rennet.
3. Let set in warm spot for 12 hrs
4. Dump into cheesecloth bag or nylon bag and let drain.
Milk. In theory if you use regular pasteurized milk you should first heat the milk to almost boiling as a first step. I am now using a milk called FairLife that is lactose free and has a higher protein content. It is ultra filtered so no pre-boil is needed. It is widely available in grocery stores
I added my new favorite sugar substitute to make both Vanilla and Chocolate versions.
