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    How to know when aromas and flavorings are natural and not artificial?

    jennyema, Further to your last post, I thought I actually should go back and open the two links you sent (i.e. overcome my prejudice). I noted the following quote from the first link : “This explains why tasters kept describing real vanilla as “boozy,” an adjective rarely applied to fake...
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    How to know when aromas and flavorings are natural and not artificial?

    jennyema,</SPAN> jennyema, I have a healthy scepticism and believe that first-hand experience from people on this forum – foodies – will give me a much more accurate and in-depth perspective than the studies cited. Got garlic, I’m confused by your post: “Quote: "You argued that because...
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    How to know when aromas and flavorings are natural and not artificial?

    Got Garlic, I'm furthering the discussion not in a spirit of contradiction, but to try to understand. I'm of course willing to accept that some simple synthetic food flavors are indistinguishable from the real thing. In a way, they *are* the real thing, because their chemical composition, the...
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    How to know when aromas and flavorings are natural and not artificial?

    Got Garlic, You say that "Natural and artificial flavors are chemically indistinguishable". If that is true why, for instance, does natural vanilla extract cost so much more than the artificial stuff? Could there - must there not be - other factors, molécules, etc. that add something to the...
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    How to know when aromas and flavorings are natural and not artificial?

    Hi, My wife has a gluten allergy and I was puzzled when I saw both "starch" as well as "wheat starch" and "corn starch" listed on labels. If it said just plain "starch", could it, in fact, be wheat starch? I live in France, so I wrote to the European Food Safety Authority in Parma and was...
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    Risotto: how long to brown arborio rice before adding wine?

    Hi, I love risotto, but am unfortunately rarely successful cooking it at home. I cannot seem to imitate the creamy consistency I find in good Italian restaurants. I'm not referring so much to the sauce here as to the rice itself. I generally brown the rice in butter for 3 minutes or so and...
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    How best to oven grill my prime ribs of beef?

    Steve, Yes, that is exactly what I am talking about (côte de boeuf in French). What is the difference between grilling and broiling, please? All the best, Alex R.
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    How best to oven grill my prime ribs of beef?

    I neglected to say that this is not a roast consisting of several ribs. I have three very thick individual ribs. Am I better off putting them under the grill in the oven or roasting them at high temperature ??? Alex R.
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    How best to oven grill my prime ribs of beef?

    Jenny, When I speak of an oven grill, I'm referring to a heating element on the inside of a normal kitchen stove. Nothing fancy whatsoever. Best regards, Alex R.
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    How best to oven grill my prime ribs of beef?

    Hi, I'm planning a dinner for 8 on Friday and have bought three beautiful aged ribs of beef. I should explain that this is a wine dinner so any cooking must not overwhelm some fine old Bordeaux. I only have a standard oven grill to work with and it will not be possible to barbecue. Any...
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    Steam ovens for the amateur cook?

    Hi, I've had lucious meat cooked this way in restaurants and so considered buying a steam oven, or some sort of hybrid, for my new kitchen, but did not do so in the end. Do any of you have such an animal? Is it awfully expensive? Are you satisfied with the results? Is there any waye those...
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    Best way to clean oven grills/barbecue grills???

    I have a new kitchen and am delighted with it. I am getting used to induction and find it mostly good news. We have a new oven now too, one with a self-cleaning program (pyrolysis) that works well. However, it is annoying that when the oven is looking like a million dollars, the grills...
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    Characteristics of carbon steel cooking utensiles?

    Thanks for all your suggestions. Bill, the model I saw was a de Buyer, such as you suggested. What you and Gadzooks say makes me think this would be a good choice after all. I am a bit wary of the non-stick aspect, and am wondering if abrasives will harm it, but I think I may well go for it...
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    Characteristics of carbon steel cooking utensiles?

    Hi, We had a new kitchen put in, and the range uses induction, so we need to replace some pots and pans. We want to buy a new wide (min. 35 cm, and up to 40 cm.) frying pan suitable for induction, but the only one we could finds is a carbon steel one. Seeing as we use this sort of pan to...
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    Where to find out about nutrient loss during freezing, canning, boiling, etc.?

    I've often wondered how many nutriments are lost during processing and cooking... Ideally we'd all eat raw feeds and be healthy, long-lived, ecological, etc. Of course, this is not for most people... However, it would help to know if buying fresh rather than canned or frozen, for instance...
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    Are electric crock pots useful... and hygienic?

    Gosh, a lot of wonderful answers! :chef: Thanks SO MUCH to everybody who took the time and trouble to light my lantern. I saw this in a store in Bordeaux, and it seemed terribly exotic, and I'm not sure there is more than one model to choose from. Still, it looks good. I'll have to go back and...
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    Are electric crock pots useful... and hygienic?

    Hi, This was one of those "gadget gifts" popular about 20 years ago, but I see they have made a resurgence. It was also the kind of appliance people tended to leave in the cupboard and use about once a year... if. Still, I quite like the idea of the crock pot because: - They can be...
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    Decent bread to be introduced to French Mc Donald's

    Le Figaro - Socits : La baguette fait son entre chez McDonald's Best regards, Alex R.
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    How to avoid scratching my new stovetop?

    I've just had a new kitchen put in and it's looking *great*! I'd like to maintain it in this shape as long as possible. It has induction heating. I know I need special pots and pans for that! I've been told that so long as a magnet sticks to a pan, it's OK to use. Some (but not all) cookware...
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    How to keep an induction range top from becoming scuffed, scratched, etc.?

    Hi, We are putting in a new kitchen, and I'd dearly love it to last for many years. I've never had an induction range before, but everyone sings its praises... Fine. But, I'm worried about maintaining the top in good condition. Everywhere I go, I see tops that have been abraded, dulled...
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    Camping gas heater for wok use?

    Hi, I have been very frustrated trying to cook Chinese food with a standard stove. I'm pretty convinced that the weak flame is the main reason. I was wondering: would a large Camping Gas heater do the trick? Campingaz - Gas Best regards, Alex R.
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    What can I do with my box of crystal sugar?

    Hi, I wasn't sure which forum to post this question in... I have two boxes of crystal (not crystalized) sugar. This is like tiny bits of rock candy. I can't even remember why I bought it, but it has been hanging around for a while... I have tried using it to sweeten hot drinks, but it...
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    Is the hardness of Parmesan a measure of quality?

    Hi, I just love Parmesan (the real stuff, Parmigiano-Reggiano), but find the really hard stuff a nuisance to grate. I once had a hand-held battery-operated machine, but it was fragile and complicated to clean, and I'm not sure this is the best solution. So I use a grater that looks like this...
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    Is rinsing crystal with cold water best?

    This may be an old wive's tale, but I was recently told that the best way to give a good sparkle to crystal (I'm thinking about wine glasses in particular here) is to rinse them in cold, rather than hot water. Is this true? Best regards, Alex R.
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    Why do all the recipes suggest using a wooden spoon to make risotto?

    I just love risotto, and do an "OK" job at home, even though I don't somehow manage to do as well as in a decent restaurant. Anyway, I am amazed to see recipe after recipe calling for the use of a wooden spoon. Fine. You need to stir the risotto frequently. But what qualities does wood have...
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