Don't get lazy when it comes to following recipes!

[whatevergirl]

Well at least I learned something about olive oil in here! Last time me and my boyfriend made brownies he insisted on using olive oil in them instead of vegetable oil and it turned out alright. So at least I know if he insists on using it in cookies or something it may not work out so well

I have never used olive oil in sweet dessert like dishes…could you notice a taste difference in the brownies? I wonder why this oil doesn’t work well for cakes, cookies, etc…

 

[Brenda_V]

I have never used olive oil in sweet dessert like dishes…could you notice a taste difference in the brownies? I wonder why this oil doesn’t work well for cakes, cookies, etc…

Olive oil doesn’t work well for cakes because of the taste more than anything.

For cookies, because it is a liquid oil vs. a solid oil. Cookies do better with solid fats, part of what makes a cookie a cookie is the crispiness of it and that comes from how the flour and fat work together - in layers. Alton Brown would be able to explain it better and he uses visuals! I know I saw his show on pies and pie crusts once upon a time (I knew about the whys of solid fats for pie crusts before I saw the show but his visuals really helped!)

Oh, and in cakes and sweet breads (think banana) you can substitute part of the fat for pureed fruit. I currently don’t remember what the ratio is but I can tell you from experimenting that you still need some fat in your bread or cake otherwise you get a more spongy product.

Brenda V.

 

[whatevergirl]

Olive oil doesn’t work well for cakes because of the taste more than anything.

For cookies, because it is a liquid oil vs. a solid oil. Cookies do better with solid fats, part of what makes a cookie a cookie is the crispiness of it and that comes from how the flour and fat work together - in layers. Alton Brown would be able to explain it better and he uses visuals! I know I saw his show on pies and pie crusts once upon a time (I knew about the whys of solid fats for pie crusts before I saw the show but his visuals really helped!)

Oh, and in cakes and sweet breads (think banana) you can substitute part of the fat for pureed fruit. I currently don’t remember what the ratio is but I can tell you from experimenting that you still need some fat in your bread or cake otherwise you get a more spongy product.

Brenda V.

Yes, pureed fruit make a really GREAT substitute…I have often used applesauce instead of butter/oils, when making breads…or cakes. There can be a slight tang, that is always detected by my dh…thinking I’m fooling him here. He is a ‘make it with butter’ kind of man…lol

You know…speaking of more blunders…I remember not using baking soda/powder when baking cookies a while back…thinking…eh, I ran out, I’ll make them without…what can it hurt? uch: It hurt a lot because literally the cookies ‘bled’ all over the cookie sheets, and started burning! I guess there’s a reason why recipes have ingredients…lol Who knew just a small spoon of baking soda could make such a difference? (that’s why I didn’t think it’d be a big deal…lol…it is such a small amount of the stuff that you need to add, how could it matter?) *

 

[BrokenFortress]

They actually did turn out okay! And I couldn’t taste the oil. Good thing, because otherwise I would have been upset that he ruined perfectly good brownies lol

Well, the boyfriend doesn’t cook much. And, it was at his mom’s house where he currently lives and she didn’t have any vegetable oil. I tried insisting on getting some veg. oil but he said they’ve made them that way in the past. If it were me, I would never have substituted

But from now on if he tries and get a brilliant idea to switch out the oils/fats I’ll know that it probably isn’t a good idea.

Otherwise I’ve had pretty much good cooking experiences. I’m sure once I get married and have to cook more that I’ll have some interesting experiences though lol

 

[ljubim]

Oh no!!! That’s terrible (the plastic wrap) On the pizza though…really, it was that bad, huh?

The dough wasn’t sweet at all! It was undercooked out of necessity, and essentially we could still taste all the flour and yeast, mixed with a pudding-like chocolate blob. blech!

Wonderful thread idea!!! I’ve enjoyed reading it very much! It’s helping to make me smile after a really low-quality evening.

 

[shannyk]

*I need to hang out with you more, Brenda. I am a decent enough cook, but don’t ‘understand’ why and how things blend together…my husband is like you, a ‘scientific’ type of cook…like that alton brown on that cooking show?? Ok, so would you say it is better to cook with

a) crisco
b) veggie oil or
c) butter

I don’t like to bake cookies if I’m going all out, using margarine, in general. But, if cooking say a cake, cookies, pie crust, etc…which of the three would you suggest would yield the best results?*

Wg you didn’t ask but I can’t help but chime in…

never use crisco under any circumstances for anything. it’s hydrogenated oil laden with trans fats the WORST type of fat for you bar none.

veggie oil…if you mean a generic veggie oil blend then nope again. polyunsaturated fats go rancid very quickly and its likely rancid by the time you buy it at the store. Also polyunsaturated fats are linked to a lot of hormone issues and weight gain. Even too much olive oil is a bad thing.

butter. butter is natural, butter is a real food. And a bonus, if you get butter that is grass fed (like Kerrygold or others) it has a ton of great for you fat soluble vitamins. Good quality butter is a health food. Also many of the veggies and whole grains you eat have tons of vitamins that can’t be absorbed without fat. So use it on your veggies. Butter is a stable saturated fat that doesn’t go rancid quickly either. And for baking, butter just plain tastes best. Butter also will lower the GI of carb rich foods, so have it on your oatmeal too.

You should check out this book WG

Know Your Fats

and don’t miss the documentary Fat head which exposes all the bad science and lies behind modern dietary reccomendations.

fathead-movie.com/

youtube.com/user/FatHeadMovie

 

[rpp]

Wg you didn’t ask but I can’t help but chime in…

never use crisco under any circumstances for anything. it’s hydrogenated oil laden with trans fats the WORST type of fat for you bar none.

veggie oil…if you mean a generic veggie oil blend then nope again. polyunsaturated fats go rancid very quickly and its likely rancid by the time you buy it at the store. Also polyunsaturated fats are linked to a lot of hormone issues and weight gain. Even too much olive oil is a bad thing.

butter. butter is natural, butter is a real food. And a bonus, if you get butter that is grass fed (like Kerrygold or others) it has a ton of great for you fat soluble vitamins. Good quality butter is a health food. Also many of the veggies and whole grains you eat have tons of vitamins that can’t be absorbed without fat. So use it on your veggies. Butter is a stable saturated fat that doesn’t go rancid quickly either. And for baking, butter just plain tastes best. Butter also will lower the GI of carb rich foods, so have it on your oatmeal too.

You should check out this book WG

Know Your Fats

and don’t miss the documentary Fat head which exposes all the bad science and lies behind modern dietary reccomendations.

fathead-movie.com/

youtube.com/user/FatHeadMovie

Good advice if you want to make good food!

ShannyK, it has been too long. We can fix this, if you want. I do not like the division between us. Let me know.

 

[rpp]

AUTHENTIC bolognese pasta sauce you make from scratch, rpp? :ehh: Oh wow…I have wanted to learn how to make that!

It really is easy! All you need is fresh tomatoes, garlic, yellow onions, basil, oregano, celery, meat and, of course, time (to cook it down). Beyond that it is pretty simple. It is the Sicilieans that wreck pasta sauce by using thyme. Never use Thyme and Oregano in the same sauce, ever.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

Hmm. I ALWAYS just add flour or corn starch straight into the stew. I think the trick to avoiding lumps is using a sifter, not just spooning it in. That’s how my mom and (paternal, so mom didn’t learn it from her) grandma did it.

Thanks for that post Shannyk; I’m really thinking of switching back to butter. I always used it when I lived w/ my grandma (the same one who added flour directly to the stew. Mom always used margarine), but then switched to margarine for the cost and convenience: it’s cheaper and spreadable (I never bake, so that’s not an issue, just use it on toast, veggies, and for scrambled eggs). I actually had a discussion about butter w/ my FIL this weekend. He asked his doctor if there really was any difference, health wise, and was told there’s not (my MIL keeps both on hand). I’m thinking it won’t have that much of an impact on our grocery bill.

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Yes, it turned out okay in the end…it was worth it, but I really wanted to save the frozen meat for another time!

Glad it was worth it! That’s one expensive dinner!!

We had grilled kabobs over the weekend and last night I realized there was some raw chicken still in the marinade. Since it was raining outside, we decided to pan fry it. Oh my, mesquite fried chicken is interesting!! Especially when it’s been in the marinade for 2 days!

 

[jilly4ski]

DO NOT FORGET TO PUT THE SUGAR IN DESERTS

If you forget the sugar in homemade chocolate pudding, it scorches in the pan and tastes like cocoa. I did this when making pudding for my roommates, luckily I tasted it first.

My mom forgot to put the sugar in her strawberry-rubarb pie. Well luckily she tasted it before serving it and realized her mistake. So she threw it in the compost in the garden. The pie sat there for two weeks, because even the birds wouldn’t eat it.

editted to add, My mom makes a great oil pie crust. It is more delecate and sticky than a crisco pie crust, so she has to roll it out inbetween plastic wrap, but it comes out so flaky and delicious.

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

I’ll bet those cookies called for shortening and NOT oil. If a recipe calls for canola or veg. oil, you can substitue olive oil with no problem (even many cakes, if the flavor isn’t too delicate and your olive oil isn’t too strong). I even use olive oil in my pancakes and you can’t tell the difference.

As for flour and corn starch…with flour you have to cook the flour for a bit before you add liquid, then it will thicken. With corn starch, just add to liquid (broth, wine, water, etc), stir it up, add that to the stew or whatever and then bring to a boil for about a min.

My most recent goof wasn’t really a cooking one…but…we made homemade ice cream and we ate some and then I put the rest in a container to harden in the freezer and then I PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE! Oops. icecream soup. I was distracted by the kids and just totally spaced out what I was doing.

I agree, especially non-extra virgin olive oil- that has a mild flavor. It actually gives lemon cake mix a nice texture and flavor.

I put ice cream in the fridge just yesterday…and remembered a little while later.

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

Olive oil for brownies? Is he Sicilian?

I should add one point about olive oil that I learned from my son, the professional chef. In culinary school, he learned that olive oil has the lowest smoke temperature of any of the oils derived from grains, meat, fish, fruit, vegetable or nuts. Peanut oil has the highest which is why it is the preferred oil for frying.

When we read in the bible about using oil for lamps, it is always referring to olive oil. One must be very careful when roasting or sautéing with olive oil. Trust me on this, I have a bit of experience.

I add a little butter to the olive oil, especially if I am frying cutlets. I thought it was for flavor, but I guess it might change the smoking point.

When I was a newly wed…I ruined toast And the fire department came. It was funny, the smoke alarm went off and I guess went to central station. The phone call from the alarm company went to my land lady’s phone and she wasn’t home.

As my DH teased me about the burnt toast, we heard a distant fire truck. He teased me., “Oh, the fire truck is coming for the toast.” A few seconds later, the door bell rang. At the door were some firemen…“Where is the fire. ma’am.” “I burned toast” . “Well, we have to make sure the fire is out.” So they come in to inspect the toaster and make sure that the toast was no longer a fire hazzard.

 

[whatevergirl]

I add a little butter to the olive oil, especially if I am frying cutlets. I thought it was for flavor, but I guess it might change the smoking point.

When I was a newly wed…I ruined toast And the fire department came. It was funny, the smoke alarm went off and I guess went to central station. The phone call from the alarm company went to my land lady’s phone and she wasn’t home.

As my DH teased me about the burnt toast, we heard a distant fire truck. He teased me., “Oh, the fire truck is coming for the toast.” A few seconds later, the door bell rang. At the door were some firemen…“Where is the fire. ma’am.” “I burned toast” . “Well, we have to make sure the fire is out.” So they come in to inspect the toaster and make sure that the toast was no longer a fire hazzard.

 

[paperwight]

The one and only handy hint I remember from my mother, a cook/housekeeper was this.

If you don’t have enough eggs when making a sponge-cake, it’s possible to swap an egg for a tablespoon of vinegar, believe it or not. I’ve gone as far as swapping for half the number of eggs but have never dared to go to a higher proportion than that.

It doesn’t have to be any special vinegar either - just ordinary stuff that you’d put on chips works fine.

 

[whatevergirl]

The one and only handy hint I remember from my mother, a cook/housekeeper was this.

If you don’t have enough eggs when making a sponge-cake, it’s possible to swap an egg for a tablespoon of vinegar, believe it or not. I’ve gone as far as swapping for half the number of eggs but have never dared to go to a higher proportion than that.

It doesn’t have to be any special vinegar either - just ordinary stuff that you’d put on chips works fine.

* really? Thanks for this tip. This would only work for a sponge cake…I have to ask, because I could see myself forgetting that part, and subbing vinegar for eggs in other recipes. How come our moms and ancestors seemed to know more than us? They just tinkered around with things and ideas, and they would end up working! *

 

[idpatel]

My favorite goof is when I misread the recipe for chicken pot pie and added too much milk and tried to compensate for it by adding some more flour. Let’s just say I ended up having to scrape that entire pot out into the trash can. My fiancé laughed for a good 10 minutes straight while I scowled at him.

 

[whatevergirl]

My favorite goof is when I misread the recipe for chicken pot pie and added too much milk and tried to compensate for it by adding some more flour. Let’s just say I ended up having to scrape that entire pot out into the trash can. My fiancé laughed for a good 10 minutes straight while I scowled at him.

aw! Then, you ordered a pizza like rpp did? Hmmm…chicken pot pie…I love that. I had a blunder with that also a few years ago. I used a pie crust that you’d use for baking apple pies and so forth…let’s say, it just wasn’t the same.

 

[Eucharisted]

My mom once decided to try using olive oil instead of vegetable oil to make cookies (from a mix) since the olive oil is supposed to be healthier…

The cookies came out as hard as bullets!

Now all that needs to be invented is a cookie gun and you’d have yourself a brand new type of weaponry

I tried to make soup one time, it spilled all out in the microwave. I added too much water hehe

 

[Brenda_V]

The one and only handy hint I remember from my mother, a cook/housekeeper was this.

If you don’t have enough eggs when making a sponge-cake, it’s possible to swap an egg for a tablespoon of vinegar, believe it or not. I’ve gone as far as swapping for half the number of eggs but have never dared to go to a higher proportion than that.

It doesn’t have to be any special vinegar either - just ordinary stuff that you’d put on chips works fine.

LOL. Umm for those of us here in the US that translates into “french fries” and we tend not to put vinegar on our fries/chips so have no idea what the ordinary stuff would be. I am guessing white vinegar as it has less flavor than say cider or malt vinegar.

Oh, as for Crisco being bad for you there are certain things it really works best in, one being decorators buttercream icing. It just works better. Now if we are making buttercream for decorating my daughter and I will use half and half otherwise the flavor is off too. All butter is not good for decorating with as it melts faster and makes decorating harder. Also, it is the best for making certain biscuits (sorry, it just is so we don’t eat them very often).

Brenda V.