Thanks!

US and EU pulled different numbers out of the hat when they were picking residual water specifications for regulation

Copy that, thanks!

This technique mostly applies to firm/extra firm tofu, right? There’s a fantastic dish that’s crispy on the outside and custardy on the inside using soft tofu but I’m pretty sure that’s deep fried only.

Awesome article, thanks for the link! If you want a more in depth look at the hybridization/marketing of previously distinct foods I really suggest checking out a book called “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us” from 2013. There’s a particularly interesting segment on product line extension and optimization…

Are groundhogs also called gophers in other parts of the country? I grew up with really small gophers so the first time I saw a woodchuck out of the corner of my eye during a roadtrip I thought it that it was a tailless beaver or something.

Definitely lovely, but let’s be clear it was fake crab because we not fancy. And cornbread recipe from the box.

Wow, this is almost exactly the soup Craig Claiborne would introduce on NPR around Thanksgiving. The only differences I see are that he would use fresh pumpkin (I prefer your version), add crab after blending (I prefer that version) and swap a little nutmeg for the spices (neutral on that). That soup and fresh…

That sounds awesome, I’ll have to remember that. I’ve been rereading the sections and their book and blog regarding starch retrogradation. It’s not a new subject by any means but I feel like it’s very ignored in home cooking.

That book and blog are fantastic! I also search back through ChefSteps and Ideas in Food as hydrocolloid references but it only kind of sticks so I’m always for more coverage on the subject.

Thanks for that correction! I did a brief search and found ketchup recipes that do seem to include xanthan as its main stabilizer but not Heinz (and as you say, Heinz is pretty much synonymous with ketchup). I posted anyway because I do think shear thinning is a really interesting quality that xanthan can introduce…

I believe xanthan gum is also the reason why ketchup maintains its texture in the bottle but loses viscosity when you shake it (allowing it to be pourable). Shear thinning for the win!

Yeah, it’s definitely the same IP

emulsifying agent such as sodium phosphate

No worries, it was a big ask. Thank you for the link! Since I’m more concerned with crispy skin than a traditional Peking duck Nguyen’s approach seems like a good avenue to go down.

Oh, man, I promise I’m not one of those people that are like SOUS VIDE EVERYTHING but if you’re able I urge you to try this recipe from ChefSteps. I don’t love the title but it really is one of the few recipes that can only (reasonably) be done with an immersion circulator.

Well, if Velveeta is your reference point for texture you could use sodium citrate like they do. I know some people consider it cheating but it’s certainly the simplest way to achieve that specific processed cheese texture with whatever fresh cheese flavor you choose. I’ve made countless batches of mac and cheese and…

Thanks for being so conscientious in your reply! To answer your questions in order:

So, this is probably too specific/far afield of a request but I’ve been trying like hell to cook Peking Duck and the results are okay at best. I’ve tried Kenji’s technique, ChefStep’s technique, and a version similar to Heston Blumenthal’s but not managed to get that great, paper thin crispy skin.

As someone who also works in documentary and spent an obligatory few years working on true crime shows I wanted to mention that I have yet to meet anyone working on such a show that actually has any journalistic experience (myself included). That is, having worked on several such shows at several companies in two…