Challenging Chicken
Posted by Gina on Oct 31, 2008
Last night I baked chicken. I wet the chicken and rolled it in flour (a southern flour mix that comes in a box) and baked it at 400 degrees (per the instructions on the box) for 45 min. to 1 hour. I baked chicken breasts, legs and one thigh. After baking, some of the crust on the chicken was a little black, some of the crust was just right, but some spots on a few pieces still had the flour on it that did not brown. What did I do wrong to make it not bake evenly. I have never had this happen
before. I do use shake and bake a lot on my baked chicken and it always cooks evenly and the skin browns evenly. Please help. Thank you.
I hope I’ll be able to help, but this is pretty mysterious! My first thought is that you didn’t do anything wrong. I am guessing that the packaged flour mix was perhaps not the proper balanced blend that it usually is. I suggest this because you implied that you have made this dish successfully many times before. If the flavor was a bit different from what you are used to then I would say this is probably the answer.
Another thought is that the chicken itself may have had some inconsistencies in the skin and just didn’t cook up as usual. These could have been pockets of fat or water under the skin that caused uneven browning.
Hope this helps.
How to poach an egg.
Posted by Gina on Oct 31, 2008
Hi Gina,
I had a delicious salad prepared by a chef friend of mine and would love to recreate it - I figured out how to put all the pieces together - except for poaching the egg to put on top.
My egg was overcooked and didn’t hold up in the water, bits of white boiled off. How do I keep it from turning into Egg Drop Soup? Thanks. -Egg-girl
A poached egg has a wonderful delicate texture and appearance that makes any dish look elegant. There are definitely some tricks you need to know to be able to poach an egg. Let’s break it down:
1. fill a medium size pot half way with water
2. add a small splash of vinegar (the acid helps the protein in the egg coagulate quickly)
3. add some salt to season the water
4. bring the water to a simmer (the surface of the water is shimmering but there are no large bubbles surfacing)
5. crack the egg into a small glass (don’t skip this step!)
6. use a spoon and stir the water to make it swirl in one direction
7. lower the glass with the egg very close to the water and allow it to gently slip into the water.
The egg at this point will swirl around a bit and then begin to sink. The white of the egg will slowly begin to coagulate (come together) and this is exactly what you want. Use a spoon to gently keep the egg from sticking to the bottom. Poaching eggs requires your full attention once the egg is in the water but it and only takes 3-4 minutes. You can poach more than one egg at a time, but it this is easier if you use a bigger pot. Also, In addition to using a larger pot you’ll need to add the eggs one at a time and space them a minute or so apart. When the egg is ready, gently remove it with a slotted spoon. Make sure there isn’t any excess water on you spoon before adding the egg to your salad.
There you have it. I hope this doesn’t seem too daunting. Be prepared to have a few extra eggs on hand to get you though the learning curve. Poaching eggs is really interesting to watch because you can see the egg transform right before your eyes and the results are delicious!
Vegetable soup. How to make it exciting!
Posted by Gina on Oct 31, 2008
Hi Gina,
I am in the process of making a vegetable soup and am wondering which spices (both fresh and dried) would enhance it most? Thanks. -John
Hi John,
Soups offer endless opportunities to experiment and learn about herbs and spices. When I was first learning to cook I found that soups were a very useful medium for me to play with and I urge you to do the same.
Personally, I really like using fresh herbs in my soups. You really need so little to jazz up a simple soup of a few ingredients. I have the good fortune of being able to grow a few herbs on a sunny window in my house. Dried herbs also add a lot to a soup and you need to use even less since their flavor is more concentrated. Here’s a short list of the herbs that I’ve discovered that best enhance vegetable soups:
Parsley- adds a bright fresh flavor and color to any soup
Thyme- brings flavors together, adds a light minty and lemony flavor
Cilantro- has a distinctive flavor that goes great with Asian or Latin American flavors
Mint- a good addition to a very spicy soup
Sage- adds a musty minty flavor
Rosemary- very aromatic with a hint of pine and lemon
Saffron- adds beautiful color and unique flavor
Here are some basic tips for when to add the herbs and spices to a dish. Fresh herbs are best when added towards the end of the cooking time of the soup. This allows the herbs to retain their beautiful colors and lets the flavors infuse the other ingredients while still tasting fresh. Dried herbs and spices are usually added in the beginning of the cooking process. This allows the flavors to blend completely and develop. Remember to use small amounts to start with, you can always add more.
oils for cooking
Posted by Gina on Jul 24, 2008
What type of oil do you use for cooking? I’ve heard some chefs say extra virgin olive oil (I refuse to use that ridiculous acronym!) and other chefs, and some scientists, say never use extra virgin for cooking. Thanks for your help! -Lorelei
I tend to use oils that are readily available and affordable for my home. Most often I have a bottle of extra virgin olive oil on hand and some canola oil or another kind of vegetable oil.
Olive oil has endless health benefits and there is very little information suggesting otherwise. What I think you are referring to is the oxidization that occurs in every oil when it is heated. Every oil has a smoking point. This literally means that if you are heating up a pan with some oil in it, and the pan starts to smoke, you have reached the smoking point of that particular oil. The oil starts to break down and is no longer good for you and should be discarded.
So, the rule here is to not overheat your oils. If they do get too hot just start over. Olive oil has a lower smoking point and you will need to pay a little more attention than if you are using vegetable oil.
I have become very skeptical of all health trends that come and go over the years. Remember when we were told that margarine was much healthier than butter? That anything with fat was to be avoided at all costs. And the very recent attack on carbs! “They” are always changing their minds. It gets very confusing. I have taken to following my instincts when it comes to eating a nutritious diet. So I am going to say that since olive oil has been consumed for thousands of years, I give it a big thumbs up!
couscous ratio
Posted by Gina on Jul 24, 2008
Can you give me the ratio of water to couscous for reference? I am tired of relying on a recipe when I just need some couscous! -Jamie
The ratio is 1.5 parts water to 1 part couscous. To figure out how much couscous you will yield when making a batch, the rule in general is, what you put in is what you will get out. Meaning, if you are making 1 cup of couscous you will need to add 1.5 cups of water, the total of the two equals 2.5 cups cooked product. This is a general rule and can be applied to all grains. With this information you can easily adjust the quantity with out having to follow a recipe!
quick and easy salad dressing
Posted by Gina on Jul 23, 2008
I have friends who just “whip up” salad dressing from thin air. They make it seem very simple–are there some salad dressing basics I should know? -Chris
I love salad dressing made out of thin air! No really, it is possible for you to do the same. This is most commonly done when making a vinaigrette. There is a ratio that helps you get just the right balance for a light and tangy vinaigrette. The ratio is 3 parts oil to one part acid (any kind of vinegar, citrus juice, or a combination of the two) .
This ratio is a starting point and adjustments can be made to suit your tastes. And of course you will want to season with salt. To jazz things up a bit, add some dijon, shallot, herbs, or citrus zest.
When I am making a salad for a dinner party, I will measure the ingredients out in a bowl and season them to taste. But, if I am just making a salad for myself, I grab a spoon and measure the ingredients right over the salad and then toss. This saves a step and you don’t dirty another bowl!
How to boil an egg.
Posted by Gina on Feb 23, 2008
Maybe I’m an idiot for asking this. It seems like a simple task to most. I would like to know how to boil an egg. I always look this up on the internet to get the timing right but then I always forget what I did the next time I do it. Maybe if you had a little rhyme or something to help me remember that would be great. - Brian
This question is totally legit. There are so many ways to boil an egg that it’s hard to remember which method to use. I used to switch back and forth between three or four methods and I would often jumble them up resulting in over cooked eggs.
First, I want to define what a perfectly cooked egg means to me. The perfect boiled egg is all about the yolk. It should be a deep golden yellow with a creamy consistency. When an egg is boiled for too long the yolk becomes dry and crumbly and the color is pale yellow with a gray-greenish tinge around the edge, eww!
To achieve this wonderful boiled egg I speak of I suggest using the following method:
-place eggs in pan and cover with cold H2O
-add a pinch of salt (this is optional)
-bring eggs to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes (don’t start the timer until the water has come to a full boil)
-remove eggs from the water-allow eggs to cool down to room temperature (about 20 minutes)
-peel eggs under a small stream of running water (this helps the shell come off)
I have chosen this method because the 3 minute cooking time is short enough to keep my attention and the results are very good. Now, if you like your eggs a little harder in the center, let it cook for an additional minute or two, no biggie.
As for a rhyme… well, this is what I came up with:
just boil for 3
and rest 20 
cooking questions answered for free
Posted by Gina on Feb 21, 2008
Got a cooking question? Ask me and I will share my cooking expertise with you for free!