See? See? Was there ever any question this happened? (And unrelated cooking questions.)

[thistlechaser]

Just because of my house! No reason needed other than that, huh McGonagall?


<td bgcolor="#000000">Username</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA"></td><td bgcolor="#000000">House</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA"></td><td bgcolor="#000000">You got detention from:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">McGonagall </td><td bgcolor="#000000">For:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA"> </td>

Why did you get detention at Hogwarts? by Alchemine
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Two cooking questions, one I meant to ask yesterday but forgot, and one that came up tonight.

1) When you're supposed to brush something with oil, do they mean use an actual painting brush-type brush? If this is a silly question, I'm thinking a painting brush is an option because my mother kept some in the kitchen. Never used them, but they were in the kitchen foo drawer with all the measuring stuff and wooden spoons and all that assorted stuff.

Not having a brush, I tried pouring some oil onto a paper towel and wiping it down, but I'm not sure if that worked as well as a real brush would have.

2) When you crack an egg into the bowl, is there a way to get random bits of egg shell out, other than using your fingers or a fork or something? I suspect not, though cooking people might know neat tricks for such things. (If anyone (quasilemur) says 'crack it right the first time and don't get shells into the bowl', I'll hit ya. ;) )

Comments

[skalja.livejournal.com]

I actually came over here to apologize for being a twit on hp100 twice within the space of about three hours (yes, it was the wrong lj, I am so so sorry for being such an annoying little newb). But for what it's worth my mother, when she brushes sauce, oil, or anything liquid onto something she cooks, she uses a flat, plastic-bristled wide brush of some sort - I want to say basting brush but I might be making that up out of my subconscious. I imagine a paintbrush would work just fine, but I would personally be worried about hairs rubbing off onto the food constantly, which isn't a worry with plastic bristles, usually.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* No worries, I figured you were just having a hard day.

Hm, thanks for the brush info!

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

I use a barbecue-basting type brush whenever I need to brush oil or butter or whatever onto something. We were without one for awhile, though, and I improvised with the paper towel method you mentioned, or just used my hands. (Messy, but a tactile adventure!)

As far as eggs go, I don't know how to easily remove those pesky bits o' shells. (They are elusive, aren't they?) Having been a maniacal baker for the past 20 years, I've gotten good at egg-cracking. I've been watching my daughters get the hang of it, though, and it seems to all be about how decisively you do it. Don't approach it tentatively- eggs can sense your fear and will splinter most ferociously if handled with diffidence. Show the egg who's boss and be firm, but not ham-handed with it. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

or just used my hands. (Messy, but a tactile adventure!)

I almost tried that, but my hands were so messy not-on-purpose, I didn't want to make them even messier!


Don't approach it tentatively- eggs can sense your fear and will splinter most ferociously if handled with diffidence. Show the egg who's boss and be firm, but not ham-handed with it. :)

Heehee! I seem to recall that, yeah. Long ago, I used to crack them well. Now for some reason I'm handling them gingerly, so they don't crack as neatly.

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

They have brushes for the purpose. They're similar to painbrushes, but the bristles are generally nylon or other materials (depending on their heat resistance). Incidentally, the best way to clean them when they're gunked up is to swirl them a bit in boiling water. Sticking them in a washing machine of any serious power and heat is generally a bad plan.

As far as eggs, yes, assertiveness is the answer. I'm sure you could use all manner of implements to fish out the shells, but honestly, the best solution is to do it right (don't hit me.) Just a note, though. Striking against an edge may seem like the best plan, but striking against a flat surface is actually preferable. When you crack an egg against an edge, it's likely to drive shell fragments into the egg itself. A flat surface will go a long way to preventing mishaps.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think the brushes we had, when they were used, ended up in the dishwasher. I'll have to remember that.

Egg stuff

Huh! I was striking it against the edge of the bowl. I'll have to try it against the counter and hope not to make a mess!

Thanks (again)!

Eggshells

[hms-yowling.livejournal.com]

The easiest (though not necessarily easy) way to get eggshells out it to use the actual eggshell to scoop it out (meaning half of the egg shell that you've just broken). In my 8th grade cooking class, my teacher claimed that the eggshells would "attract" each other but it's more that the pieces of eggshell don't actually repel one another (the way a spoon seems to repel the eggshell piece).

As for the brush, yeah, pastry brush works well. You can find them in stores that sell kitchen products, but I'm sure a paintbrush from a hardware store (one with synthetic bristles) would work fine, and might be cheaper. I also love my olive oil mister spray thing, but a pastry brush would be much quicker for larger surface areas.

I'm sure the paper towel did the job, but I imagine the two problems with using them are 1. you waste oil and 2. you might get a slightly thinner coating of oil than otherwise. In absence of a pastry brush, I usually pour oil on a plate and then roll the whatever-it-is in it for a thorough coating. That, of course, is impossible with something like a pie crust.

Hope that helps.

Re: Eggshells

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

In my 8th grade cooking class, my teacher claimed that the eggshells would "attract" each other but it's more that the pieces of eggshell don't actually repel one another

That makes sense (at least the non-repelling part). It's really almost funny the way the little shell bit just scoots away from you through the eggy slime.

1. you waste oil ... In absence of a pastry brush, I usually pour oil on a plate and then roll the whatever-it-is in it for a thorough coating.

Yeah, I think I lost twice as much oil as I used, and since this was a little bottle of an expensive kind, that didn't thrill me.

Oh, the rolling idea is a great one! I'll remember that. Thanks!