Ask Carb Diva: Questions & Answers About Food, Recipes, & Cooking, #61
Let's Have Some Fun
For those of you who are first-time visitors, let me explain how this series works. Each week I receive questions about food ingredients, cooking or baking terms or methods, requests for recipes, and queries about nutrition. Just about anything food-related has been covered here.
I'm sharing this past week's questions and my responses; it happens every Monday. Want to join in the fun? You can leave your question in the comments below, and next week the answer will be right here. It's that easy.
Before we get started I would like to share a bit of inspiration with you.
I'm Feeling Poetic
Several of my fellow Hubbers have been sharing their poetry. I love a challenge, and so here is my food-related offering.
How to Soften Butter for Baking
I wanted to bake some cookies and forgot to take the butter out of the refrigerator. It was hard as a rock, so I zapped it in the microwave. The cookies didn't hold their shape and spread all over the cookie sheet. Was the microwave the culprit?
I've been guilty of this. I want to bake cookies or a cake, but I forgot to take the butter out of the refrigerator (or worse yet, the freezer). It will take forever for it to warm to room temperature.
So, what do you do? Using the microwave is never a good option. The heating is inconsistent, with one side remaining solid while the other side is a molten pool of goo. Here are three methods for quickly softening that stick of oleo:
- Cut the butter into pats (1/2-inch to 1-inch thick). They should be soft enough for baking in about 10 minutes.
- Shred the amount of butter needed for your recipe on the largest holes of a cheese grater.
- Find a drinking glass, coffee mug, or small bowl that will fit over the butter. Fill it with boiling water. After 2 minutes, dump out the water, wipe dry, and invert the glass/mug/bowl over the butter. The residual heat will soften the butter in minutes.
Boiling, Simmering, What's the Difference?
"What’s the difference between a boil, a rolling boil, and a simmer?"
This one's easy. Imagine that your pot of water is a hot tub and the bubbles are (scantily clad, highly attractive) people. A simmer is when the water is warm and the bubbles are just hanging out around the sides of the tub. A boil is when the water is so hot that people are just can't sit still. They keep moving around. A rolling boil is when the people are leaping out of the tub for fear of being scalded. (Sorry if that's too graphic).
Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
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4 cups cabbage, shredded
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2 cups russet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
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1 cup diced yellow onion
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1 cup diced carrot
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1 pound kielbasa or smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
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1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
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1⁄4 teaspoon caraway seed
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1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
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4 cups beef broth
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1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Place cabbage, potato, onion, carrot, kielbasa, and seasonings in crock pot. Pour broth over all. Add bay leaf. Cover and simmer on low 8-10 hours or on high 5-6 hours.
A Compilation
I have created a Table of Contents for this series. The link is here.
Are You Ready?
Christmas is less than a month away. Remember, Santa knows if you've been naughty or nice. Be nice and drop me a line. You can leave your questions below, or write to me at lindalum52@gmail.com.
See you next Monday!
© 2018 Linda Lum