One Cool(ing) Question

Q: After cooking food, do you wait until it cools before freezing? I read somewhere that letting it cool at room temperature could lead to it spoiling. -- L.B.

A: You read right! If you've cooked any quantity of food over 2 cups, letting it cool at room temperature will lead to a too-long sojourn in the "bacterial danger zone," 40 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

To get around this, use an old restaurant trick: the ice bath. Depending on the size of your cooking vessel, fill either the sink or a large pot with water and ice and plunge the vessel into it, being careful not to let the ice water flow in. The food will cool quickly, especially if you stir it frequently.

NOTE: I do NOT recommend trying this if your cooking vessel is made of glass. Even freezer-to-oven "safe" vessels can be pushed to their limits by the radical temperature variance in the ice bath. Transfer the food to a metal or plastic container.

Q: When I bake a meringue pie such as lemon merangue pie, the meringue shrinks and the filling weeps syrup around the edges. What is the cause of this? -- Holly

A: Fat is the enemy of all meringues, as they are composed of the almost-pure protein of egg whites. Fat will cause them to fall, weep and just generally become miserable lumps of sliminess.

Make sure you beat your egg whites in a squeaky-clean bowl. Don't use plastic, as it will hold onto fat molecules even after thorough washing. I recommend a glass or stainless steel bowl with steep sides to allow you to really get your whisk whirling.

Also, put a pinch of cream of tartar into the egg whites to denature the proteins and help the peaks last longer.

Q: What exactly is a coddled egg? Is it similar to a soft-boiled egg?

A: It's close. To coddle an egg, place it in water that's at a full boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Leave the egg in for one minute, then remove and allow it to cool. The resulting product is the egg version of a blood-rare steak. It's very runny, but some folks swear by them. Personally, I'm not a big fan. Sure, I like my fried eggs over-easy, but a coddled egg is just a little TOO goopy for my taste.

Q: What is granulated garlic? I have a recipe that calls for it, and it said not to substitute ground garlic. --L. Wayne

A: Granulated garlic is made from dehydrated garlic cloves, similar to its far more common cousin garlic powder. It's not as concentrated as garlic powder, but its flavor tends to be a bit richer in my experience. I generally prefer to substitute granulated for powder on a 2:1 ratio.

Don't do this if you're making a meat rub or other dry application, though, as there won't be sufficient moisture to make the granules give up their garlicky goodness.

Q: What is the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour? Are they interchangeable? Kathleen B.

A: Bread flour is made from hard wheat and is higher in protein and lower in starch than all-purpose flour. It reacts differently when baking, and I do not recommend interchanging them at all for those purposes. For breading or dusting, substitution should be OK.

Q: I just purchased some fresh ginger root. What is the best way to "peel" it and store it. How long will it last in this fresh state? Are there any special suggestions for use, such as best recipes. I want to include more ginger in my diet. Dee L.

A: I usually peel small bits of ginger root with a paring knife. Larger pieces can be peeled with a good, sharp vegetable peeler. OXO Good Grips makes a couple of great ones.

To store, wrap the root tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to six months. Just cut off as much as you need at any given time.

Uses? Yeesh. There are tons! Of course it's great chopped fine and added to stir-fry dishes. You can also use it in your tea ball when steeping tea, make ginger ice cream with it and even cut it into slivers and pickle it. If you've never had pickled ginger at a Chinese restaurant, you're not going to the right one. It's GOOD.

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