Avoiding Bitter Failure

Q: I've recently seen fat-free half-and-half, how is that possible? --Patricia Bradley

A: Fat-free half-and-half is made primarily from skim milk, with a little carrageenan (a seaweed extract used for texture) added. For applications where mouth feel is the goal, such as Alfredo sauce or in coffee, substitute at will. In baking, where the actual fat content is important, I would refrain from substitution. However, there are many recipes designed for fat-free dairy products available in cookbooks and online.

Q: I love to make my own spaghetti sauce from scratch, and I have many recipes and after trying them all I still have a bitter taste to my sauce. I've tried adding sugar, wine, etc. and nothing seems to take that bitter taste away. I have the best cookware; calphalon, anodized and stainless and I tried making it in all. I use good ingredients too. I cannot seem to correct that though. Do you have a really good (non-bitter) recipe? Thanks, Barb

A: Rather than you tossing out a perfectly good recipe in favor of one I give you, let's do a little analysis.

There are a number of things that can add bitterness to your sauce. If you overcook your garlic, it will turn bitter. If you add too much tomato paste, that will leave a bitter edge. If you heat the sauce back to a boil after adding the wine, you can create truly mouth-abusing bitterness.

The one thing a lot of folks who create their sauces from fresh tomatoes do is leave the skins on them. With cooking, tomato skins become horridly bitter. Give your tomatoes a quick blanch or, like I do, a light going-over with your kitchen blowtorch.

What, you don't have a kitchen blowtorch? Well, why not?

The blowtorch also partially caramelizes the sugars in the tomato, adding sweetness.

Another great flavor "hedge" is to add some shredded carrots to your sauce. Upon cooking, they disappear into the sauce and seem to somehow act as "bitter busters." I'm sure Robert Wolke or some other food science guru could explain why, but ever since I woke him up at 4 a.m. to ask him why Cheerios floated he won't return my calls.

Q: Two years ago, I traveled to Oklahoma City for a conference. I stayed at a hotel, where I had the BEST carrot cake muffins and blueberry muffins I've ever had in my life. They were dense and very moist. Please, what is the secret for dense, moist muffins. -- A.H.

A: According to Shirley Corriher, food scientist, author of "Cookwise" and far-too-infrequent guest on "Good Eats," in order to make a muffin recipe more moist you can add a bit more sugar or oil or cut out an egg white or two. Egg whites are drying agents. So, for instance, if your recipe calls for four eggs, use three whole eggs and one egg yolk.

Q: What is shawarma? How is it prepared? Do you have to have a rotisserie to make it? -- Marie Harden

A: This will teach me to mention a recipe and not elaborate! I must have received four or five dozen letters asking about shawarma after I mentioned it in an earlier column.

Shawarma is marinated, roasted chicken usually served in a pita or other soft, flat bread with a yogurt-dill or garlic dip. Sometimes roasted potatoes are found in the roll, as well.

A rotisserie is NOT required, and in fact you'll be hard-pressed to find a recipe that calls for one. I was simply recalling some of the old days, when I'd stop by Phoenicia restaurant for lunch and they'd have ranks of golden, flavorful birds dancing on a big rotisserie.

Want to try some yourself? I don't pretend that this is an "authentic" recipe by any stretch of the imagination, but it's darned tasty. Just click here.

Q: What's malt vinegar? --Chris Morris

A: This question actually came from Short Orders, where I referred to any establishment selling fish and chips but not offering malt vinegar as "uncivilized."

Malt vinegar is dark brown in color, and is made from sprouted grain, usually barley. It has a sweeter, much more complex flavor than regular white vinegar. I recommend keeping a bottle on hand (it keeps just about forever) and using it on just about any fried meat or starch.

Q: It seems no matter how much I pay for a cut of beef (ribeye, filet mignon, etc.) I can never, ever get it to be as tender and great tasting as I get in a restaurant. Grilling even makes it less tender. What can I do? I've marinated with everything imaginable and it's still not as tender. I read somewhere that marinating is only for the taste, not to tenderize. Please help. -- Gloria Butler

A: Marinating CAN tenderize, but you need something in the marinade, an acid or an enzyme, to break down the meat fibers. Meat tenderizers are made with papain, which will do the trick quickly but can also turn your meat into goo if you let it work too long.

My favorite marinades include a shot of lemon or lime juice or even some dark Chinese vinegar (available at any Asian food store).

However, the TRUE secret to keeping a good cut of meat tender is cooking it quickly. Sadly, most charcoal grills just don't get up to the sort of blast-furnace heat we're seeking. In steakhouses, the ovens they use get up in the 1600° Fahrenheit range.

Unless you've got a kiln in the garage, it's unlikely you can achieve those temperatures at home. However, you can turn out a VERY respectable simalcrum of a steakhouse steak by using this recipe.

A couple of notes on the recipe: if using an electric range, turn it to MEDIUM high, not full blast. Also, the post-cooking resting time is absolutely critical. If you don't let the juices reabsorb into the meat, your steak won't be nearly as tender and wonderful as it should be.

Got a question for Ask The Cook? A quandary? A poser, even? Drop me a line and we'll find the answers together!