Food chit chat

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I thought this would be a good place to talk food--in general. I thought we could ask questions or share ideas.

My DH accidently bought bread flour instead of regular flour. Can I use this in recipes instead of regular flour and if so, what changes should I make?

[cat lover]

This was from O.chef.com; hope it helps!


Bread flour is a high-gluten flour that has very small amounts of malted barley flour and vitamin C or potassium bromate added. The barley flour helps the yeast work, and the other additive increases the elasticity of the gluten and its ability to retain gas as the dough rises and bakes. Bread flour is called for in many bread and pizza crust recipes where you want the loftiness or chewiness that the extra gluten provides. It is especially useful as a component in rye, barley and other mixed-grain breads, where the added lift of the bread flour is necessary to boost the other grains.

All-purpose flour is made from a blend of high- and low-gluten wheats, and has a bit less protein than bread flour — 11% or 12% vs. 13% or 14%. You can always substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, although your results may not be as glorious as you had hoped. There are many recipes, however, where the use of bread flour in place of all-purpose will produce a tough, chewy, disappointing result. Cakes, for instance, are often made with all-purpose flour, but would not be nearly as good made with bread flour.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I guess I am needing to know if I substitute bread flour instead of the regualr flour, what changes would I need to make? I don't want to throw out the bread flour and I only cook with the regualr flour.

[cat lover]

From what I've been reading I have never heard that bread flour can substitute for all-purpose in general baking. Bread flour is higher in protein than AP, so it forms much more gluten when liquids are added. Gluten forms good bread structure, but it's bad when it comes to pie crust, quick breads, muffins, cakes, etc. If you used bread flour in any of those applications, the result would be denser and perhaps not as desirable as you'd like it.

If you want to experiment, though, the measurement ratio would be one to one with AP.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thank you!

[dallasalice1]

Hi there!

Not to be a smarty pants but........... I suggest make bread and more bread! LOL:) MMMM good the smell of fresh baked bread!

Alice

[DeBora4BobbyL]

ROTFL! Problem is I am a full-time college student and I live in an RV during school. I don't have room for big-time baking. I may have to wait until summer school is over and do just what you said--make bread. I'll be back home where I have all the room in the world.

[barbszy]

DeBora, just freeze that flour until you can make bread or pizza crust with it.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I didn't think about that. Thanks for the idea!

[dallasalice1]

Yes freeze the flour & we will all come to break bread with U! I'll bring the preserves & honey! Mmm warm bread,butter & dipped in honey....yum yum! Wish it was going to have a cold spell cuz I want some fresh made bread!:)

[cat lover]

Let's see; ummmm, I have two bread machines I can bring, dallasalice1 is bringing the preserves and honey, barbszy mentioned pizza; sounds we have breakfast and lunch covered! Think we could put up an outside cover and come join you anyway to make all these goodies DeBora? Okay where do we all meet and get going? LOL:D

[DeBora4BobbyL]

It'll have to be sometime after July 3rd and before the end of August as that is the only time I have between semesters.

[cat lover]

Do you have some room for a few tents?!

[cat lover]

I have a cookie recipe that uses cookie stamps and to finish it off you are supposed to use colored food powder. I can't seem to find this anywhere; I find the paste and the gel and even edible food color markers. Has anyone seen the colored food POWDER anywhere? I've been to several stores that carry a lot of the Wilton baking supplies with no luck there either.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

We'd have to meet somewhere in the mountains somewhere betwheen where I go to school and where I live! LOL

[ajrsmom]

I have a cookie recipe that uses cookie stamps and to finish it off you are supposed to use colored food powder. I can't seem to find this anywhere; I find the paste and the gel and even edible food color markers. Has anyone seen the colored food POWDER anywhere? I've been to several stores that carry a lot of the Wilton baking supplies with no luck there either.

Have you looked at a real cake and candy supply place? I have used them when I worked in a bakery.

[ajrsmom]

I have a cookie recipe that uses cookie stamps and to finish it off you are supposed to use colored food powder. I can't seem to find this anywhere; I find the paste and the gel and even edible food color markers. Has anyone seen the colored food POWDER anywhere? I've been to several stores that carry a lot of the Wilton baking supplies with no luck there either.

If you cant find it anywhere around you, do a search on Google for "powdered food coloring" there are several places that sell it online.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I agree with Tami. It is WONDERFUL stuff. Do a search.

[cat lover]

I never thought of just looking online duh!

I'll also check into some of those stores next time we get into louisville, thanks!

[dallasalice1]

I have never heard of colored food powder! Sound like an intriguing(sp) recipe.Could ya post the recipe or the name of the cookbook. I collect cookbooks based on many things & 1 of them happens to be if I flip thru 1 & dont recall the recipe from my many books or it sounds different; I buy the book.......sounds logical to me! LOL Someday I may count them..........yeah right, the # might scare:eek: even me. Love my collection!

Alice

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Dall, if I don't remember tomorrow, please PM me. I know what the good stuff is called. LOL I will give it to youl

[cat lover]

I have never heard of colored food powder! Sound like an intriguing(sp) recipe.Could ya post the recipe or the name of the cookbook. I collect cookbooks based on many things & 1 of them happens to be if I flip thru 1 & dont recall the recipe from my many books or it sounds different; I buy the book.......sounds logical to me! LOL Someday I may count them..........yeah right, the # might scare:eek: even me. Love my collection!

Alice
Well let's see... you collect cookbooks; I do too! And that particular recipe is in one of my "piles" of to make recipes so I'll have to try and find it. It was a cookie I was going to make at Christmas, but didn't because of not finding the powdered food color. I can't remember exactly about the cookie, but the food powder was dusted on at the end and just really intrigued me! But when I come across it I'll post it!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

There are 2 types of professional food coloring that are good, one is a powder and the other is a gel paste.

[cat lover]

I've used the gel before, but since this recipe needs to be dusted on, they won't work. Have you ever used the powder before?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

No, but it is on my "want" list and has been for quite a while.

[cat lover]

I still have not had any luck finding the powdered food color in a store, but I have found a place online!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Please don't hold me to this, but I think the only places you can obtain them are at online stores and culinary stores.

[cat lover]

I really think you are right !

[cat lover]

Does anyone have any recipes for coconut milk? My sister gave me 6 cans of the stuff and the recipes for main dishes I've found just doesn't sound good. I'm looking for some dessert recipes for it. DH can't eat the stuff so I'll probably make desserts to take somewhere.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

At the top of my head I can think of coconut maccaroons (recipe here at MM) and Pina Coladas (a mixture of cream of cocnut and pineapple juice with rum) and Acini Di Pepe Salad (also here at MM). I left out main dish items since you said your DH cannot have it. Good luck.

[cat lover]

This isn't the cream of coconut, it's just plain coconut milk, that is what I'm having the problem with on finding any recipes.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Oic, I am multitasking with my GKs. Everything I know with coconut milk is a main dish.

[cat lover]

Yep, that's all I've found so far, the dessert ones all seem to use the cream of coconut, but I guess I'll find something one day!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I wonder if you added sugar and such if you could make it into cream of coconut?

[cat lover]

I don't know, usually cram of coconut is a little thicker than this stuff.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I am wondering if you added sugar and cooked it down if it would work? It's just a thought anyway.

[melstar]

Look up Indian or Thai cuisine dishes, they use alot of coconut milk. Think of using it with curries too. I sometimes have been known to use it instead of milk to make instant pudding. My favorite is to make it with chocolate pudding. Good luck.

[cat lover]

Thanks! On the pudding thing; do you get a coconut flavor by using it to make pudding?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Interesting. I didn't know Thai used coconut milk so much. Good to know, thanks!

[cat lover]

Anyone starting to get an over abundance of zucchini yet? I'm getting my zucchini recipes in order; so far the pests have left my squashes alone this year! (Now watch them read this and get it)!

[barbszy]

My neighbor gave me a ginormous zucchini. I put it on the kitchen scale. It weighs 4 lb 12 oz--about the size of my nephew when he was born! :eek:

We're not big zucchini eaters....what can I do with all of this? I thought about shredding it and freezing in 2 cup bags for zucchini bread all year?

[cat lover]

Once they get that big they aren't good for much else besides shredding for recipes; they tend to be too tough to steam or anything else at least I think so. Shredding it when they hide and you don't find them till then is what I always do. Nothing like being able to have fresh zucchini bread when you can't get zucchini! I also add some to ground round in hamburgers, meatloaf,and meatballs; one way to get some to eat it that won't LOL! I'' dig around; I may have some recipes around for shredded zucchini also. Anyone else?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I was going to say the zucchini bread too.It's sweet and doesn't taste like squash. Plus, it freezes well. It is good for breakfast or as a snack.

[barbszy]

OK, what's the best way to shred it?
I have a food processor but I bet it would just make it into mush.
Do I peel, take out the seed part and just shred in my cheese shredder?

[cat lover]

I have never used my food processor to shred it because of the same reason you said; I'm afraid it would turn to mush! I use the old fashioned box shredder that you do by hand. Oh no! Don't peel it! You want all that in there, now if this is a very large zucchini and the seeds are huge I discard those after I've shredded it. because the large seeds tend to be tough. If you do a smaller zucchini leaving he seeds in is just fine as they'll basically shred up too.

When you go to use the zucchini after it has been frozen squeeze out the excess mositure because it will make your recipe too moist especially if you are doing breads, or cakes. I always freeze mine in one cup bags, usually you don't need more than that in a recipe, but if you do you can just get out what you need. Let us know what you make!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Do you have a electric or hand crank grater? You could also use a chopper if you have one. Those are the easiest ways outside of hand grating it.

[cat lover]

I never thought of using my hand crank grater, thanks for the idea!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Ni problem. It only does a small amount at a time, but it is better than using pure elbow grease.

[cat lover]

Yeah, guess now a different part of my arm will get sore! LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Only your hand! lol

[cat lover]

My shoulder too! LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I just want to let everyone know that my screen did not want to come on this morning. I am afraid to turn it off because it may not come back on.

Anyway, if it does not, I will have to take it in to the shop. If that happens it will mean that I won't be online except for when I go to the school.

Does anyone else notice how things run in 3s? kik

[cat lover]

Isn't it scary how much we do rely on the darn things! Hope it turns out to be okay!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I got a rental. I can hook my computer up to the monitor, however, not the keys aren't working. So, I am going to have to tear it apart again to see why the keys aren't working. lol

[cat lover]

Oh gosh! Sure hope you get it back together and it works! What was that thing you mentioned the other day about threes? Hope your third thing is a minor one!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Well, I took the computer apart and the keyboard had come unattached from the computer. On laptops, you cannot tell unless you literally take it all apart. As far as 3s, first we had problems getting the DirectTV hooked up. Then we had problems getting the Internet working and had to have a repairman come out. Not, it's the computer.

I need to back up mu computer before I send it in for repairs. (I am currently hooked up to a monitor since mine isn't working. But, I don't know if a CD burner can burn onto DVDs. I have a DVD player. SO, as soon as I find out, I will either be going to return the DVDs to get CDs or use the DVDs and then spend whatever amount of time it takes to back up my computer.

[cat lover]

Oh computer problems! We've had to sent a whole computer back to the manufacturer, then when we got it back the monitor went out! Another one just crashed and no one could figure out why so we bought another one while they worked on that one. Now we have three working computers networked together ( limited on that because we are on dial up).

Since we live in the middle of no where we do everything on the computer so we have to have them, but they are a headache sometime.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

This one is making me angry. I bought it a year ago in April. We have had nothing but problems with it since the day I got it. I will NEVER buy another Dell. :mad:

[cat lover]

We've had HP, Beon, and Vaio! Been about the same on all those, a problem here and there, Hp ended up being the most helpful AFTER we finally got a hold of someone who could actually handle the problem!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I think next time I will get mine made from a private person. The big names with big dollars and no service is not for me.

[Yummys_Girl]

I have had the best luck with having my computers built privately. The last few I have had done, my brother has built for me. It is much cheaper than those big name companies, and you get so much more for your money, that way!

The worse compute company I ever bought from was Gateway! I had numerous problems with them, even with my computer under warranty they didnt want to fix it! I will never buy from them, again. I had a Dell once and had great luck with that one. Privately built is the best way to go, though, hands down!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I never had problems with my Gateway. However, I have heard a lot of good things about computers built by others though.

Well, as soon as the GKs wake up, I will be taking them home. I hope everyone has a good day!