Cooking Q & A

I'm sorry my posts have been so sparse lately.  I've been really busy the last few weeks.  Things are beginning to settle down and I'm hoping to post a new blog next week.  In the meantime, I wanted to answer some questions readers have emailed me recently.

"What does it mean to steep tea and how do I do that?"  Zoe

Steep means to put an ingredient in a liquid so the flavor is infused into the liquid.  The longer something steeps, the stronger the flavor.  To steep tea, bring the water to a boil.  Pour it over the tea bags; cover and let sit -- steep -- 5 minutes.  Remove the tea bags and you've got steeped tea.

"What is an offset spatula?"  Rita

Unlike a regular spatula that is straight, an offset spatula has a bend in the blade.  This bend makes it ideal for smoothing batter or icing. 

"Everytime I boil eggs, they end up with a green tinge.  What am I doing wrong?"  Elliot

The green band around the yolk is a telltale sign that the eggs are overcooked.  The best way I've found to boil eggs is the way my mother taught me.   Put the eggs in a saucepan -- make sure you use a pan size appropriate for the number of eggs you're boiling -- and cover the eggs with cold water.  Put the pan on the stove and turn the burner to high. When the water comes to a boil, put the lid on the pan and remove the pan from the burner.  Let the eggs sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.  Drain the water and cover the eggs with cold water and ice cubes.  When the ice cubes melt, peel the eggs.

"Is 1/2 cup chopped pecans the same thing as 1/2 cup pecans, chopped?"  Meredith

No, it's not.  If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup chopped pecans, chop the pecans before measuring them.  If it calls for 1/2 cup pecans, chopped, measure out 1/2 cup pecans and chop them into smaller pieces.

"I don't have disposable pastry bags.  Can I use a resealable plastic bag instead?"  Courtney

Absolutely!  If you want to use a tip or coupler, snip a small hole in the corner of the bag and insert it before adding the filling.  Otherwise, fill the bag, squeeze out any air and close the bag.  Snip a hole in the bottom and it's ready to use.

If you've got cooking questions, email them to me and I'll try to answer them in an upcoming post.

© Margaret's Morsels